Chapter 397: Venturing The Cemetery of the Ancestors Again

“Your sword...”

“The Chief Instructor granted it to me. He said I was different, that he noticed me in the crowd at first glance and saw through to my unique talent.”

“Just tell me, how much did it cost?”

“Brother, don’t be so shallow. Spiritual weaponry doesn’t talk about money; it speaks of fate. It cost 108,000 fates.”

“You spent 108,000 star coins on this broken sword?”

Li Xiaofei was shocked.

Ximen Piaoxue smiled faintly and said, “How can you call it a broken sword? The Chief Instructor said this sword suits my talent perfectly. This is called the unity of man and sword... Don’t ask. If you ask, it’s fate.”

Li Xiaofei was speechless.

“Is there a possibility that you were tricked?” asked Li Xiaofei as he quietly hid his own rusty sword.

Ximen Piaoxue chuckled again and said, “Brother, your vision is too narrow. I spent 108,000 fates to forge a good bond with the Chief Instructor. How could that be a scam?”

Li Xiaofei was speechless once again.

Turns out, even the flamboyant rich kid isn’t foolish.

The entire morning’s lesson did not progress smoothly. Li Xiaofei observed that most of the students had only skimmed the surface in understanding and practicing the Innate Art. They were stuck at a superficial level and were making almost no progress. The substitute instructor had to explain and guide them one by one again.

“The overall quality of the new students is too poor. Most of these freshmen’s achievements in ancient martial arts aren’t even on par with those from Red Flag High School... I have to sympathize with the recruitment team at White Deer Academy for finding so many hidden talents and prodigies.”

After careful observation, Li Xiaofei discovered the reason. When a school lacked reputation, it couldn’t attract outstanding students. Without outstanding students, the quality of teaching couldn’t improve. Without high teaching quality, the school couldn’t build its reputation. It was a pure negative cycle.

However, Li Xiaofei also noticed the positive traits among the students. Although their talent was lacking, they were still very earnest in their studies; the notable exception being Ximen Piaoxue.

Halfway through the morning class, Instructor Ding Yifeng returned with Li Junjie and two others.

“Haha, I have good news for everyone.” Ding Yifeng’s smile was wide as he announced, “In the recently concluded competition among the five houses, Li Junjie used his swordsmanship to sweep through the talented students of the other four houses, winning first place for our Eastern Blue-Robe House.”

All eyes immediately focused on Li Junjie.

“Despite only having studied for one night, Li Junjie’s comprehension of Innate Art and A Journey Begins has reached the Masterful Entry level, breaking White Deer Academy’s two hundred year record for the fastest cultivation progress.”

Ding Yifeng couldn’t resist another round of praise. The students of Eastern Blue-Robe House now looked at Li Junjie with envy. Even though they had already known he was the best student of the house, many believed that the initial ranking at admission didn’t represent the level everyone would be at once they started on the same footing. They thought that with a bit of effort, they could surpass that top spot. But...

“Come, come.” Ding Yifeng waved his hand and said, “Junjie, give everyone a demonstration.”

Li Junjie stepped to the center of the training ground and cupped his hands to the crowd. He then reached behind him and drew the Sacred Martial Saber, pressing the mechanism with a click. The massive blade unfolded to its full form.

Holding the saber at the ready, his entire demeanor shifted to one of solemnity. A powerful aura began to radiate from him. Suddenly...

Hiss!

He raised the saber, slashed, and executed a sweeping horizontal strike. Blade light flashed as a measuring stone pillar three meters away, thick enough for ten men to encircle, silently split into two halves.

Li Junjie stood tall as he sheathed his blade. The wind rustled his blue robe, but he remained still. This was the essence of A Journey Begins.

The students chorused in awe. Wang Xiaofan and Hou Ni, who had already seen Li Junjie’s swordsmanship in the recent competition, were still astonished by this display.

Li Junjie’s gaze, however, drifted to Li Xiaofei. His eyes held an expectant look, like a child waiting for a teacher’s praise. But Li Xiaofei was busy whispering to Ximen Piaoxue and didn’t spare him even a glance.

A tinge of disappointment crossed Li Junjie’s face before it was replaced with renewed determination.

The boss must think my cultivation progress is too slow. I have to push myself even harder.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

“Student Li, could you tell us how you managed to comprehend and cultivate so quickly?”

A girl named Chen Yao mustered the courage to ask.

“Of course.”

One of Li Junjie’s strengths was his generosity; he never kept secrets. He shared his cultivation insights openly, explaining everything in great detail. Many students listening felt as if a light had dawned on them.

Initially, Ding Yifeng, Fang Baicheng, and other instructors listened with mild smiles. They encouraged such exchanges among students, believing it fostered a united and motivated learning environment.

But as Li Junjie continued, their expressions changed. Much of what he shared was beyond the scope of what he had been taught. It far exceeded what a student should grasp after just one day of practicing Innate Art and A Journey Begins.

The depth of his insights surpassed even what the instructors themselves had conveyed. Especially his explanation of the A Journey Begins technique. Li Junjie’s interpretation was so profound that it differed from what they had taught, revealing an even deeper understanding. As Ding Yifeng and the others listened, they, too, found themselves enlightened, with long-standing confusions suddenly cleared.

The instructors exchanged glances, each seeing the shock in the others’ eyes.

Is this the mark of a true genius?

Such extraordinary perception.

No wonder the principal placed so much emphasis on Li Junjie.

The hope for White Deer Academy’s rise seemed destined to rest on this young man’s shoulders.

Ding Yifeng and the other instructors were both stunned and elated. Li Xiaofei checked the time. It was almost noon.

As soon as class ended, he would take a trip to the Cemetery of the Ancestors and get to the bottom of the matter with the white-robed ghost, Liu Shaji, to stop the spirit from haunting him. Then, he would visit the eldest daughter of the Tan family. That was, after all, the main reason he had come to Xiajing.

The morning class soon concluded. Before they were dismissed, the old principal unexpectedly appeared and took Li Junjie away, saying there was an important matter to attend to. It was obvious to everyone that the old principal doted on Li Junjie as if he were his own grandson.

After class, Li Xiaofei had lunch, exchanged a few friendly words with the elderly workers in the area to build goodwill, and pretended to head back to his dorm for a nap. In reality, he discreetly snuck into the rear mountain.

With Li Xiaofei’s current abilities, avoiding the instructors was quite simple. When he reached the entrance of the Cemetery of the Ancestors, he cautiously tested the waters several times. The gray-robed elder did not appear.

Whoosh!

Li Xiaofei’s figure flashed as he slipped into the cemetery. A cool breeze swept past as the ancient bronze gate of the cemetery, mottled with rust, faintly shimmered with an elusive glow beneath the surface.

The gray-robed elder appeared out of nowhere, gazing in the direction where Li Xiaofei had vanished.

“Here we go again.” It was unclear if he was muttering to himself or speaking to an unseen presence. “Are you sure it’s him? Are you certain there’s no need to stop this sneaky fellow?”

The wind stirred the cemetery, rustling through the grass and trees. An eerie gust swept through, and the bronze gate trembled slightly.

“Alright, I hope your judgment is correct.” The gray-robed elder spoke slowly.