But in the end, they didn’t end up leaving.
The next day, Tongrentang sent over an admissions brochure.
The wine-red pamphlet looked elegant and traditional, with a detailed introduction to the history and development of Xuan Huang University, as well as various courses.
Most importantly, according to the person who delivered it, Xuan Huang University was jointly founded by cultivation families and the Longguo Special Operations Division, with massive investment in its construction.
It boasted a massive Juling Array and Defensive Barrier, which were extremely beneficial for cultivation.
Even those prestigious families with centuries of heritage were scrambling to send their children in.
The university’s admission requirements were very strict.
Before enrollment, there would be an Innate Talent Test, and anyone with fewer than three Linggen would not be accepted.
Conversely, if one’s aptitude was good enough, tuition would be completely waived, and every month Spirit Stones needed for cultivation would be distributed.
After graduation, cultivators could freely choose to stay on as teachers or, through recommendation, cooperate with the local Special Operations Division.
For young cultivators, this was extremely attractive.
Bai Maomao didn’t feel much about it, but Su Yao was quite tempted.
She’d heard that human children started attending school from a young age, and she’d always wanted Bai Maomao and Xiao Hei to go, but various things had delayed it.
The admissions brochure from Tongrentang was delivered right to Su Yao’s heart.
Ample spiritual energy for cultivation, learning while cultivating—truly the best of both worlds.
Su Yao enthusiastically saw off the messenger, then began pondering what gifts to prepare for the teachers when school started.
“Maomao, when do you think we should go take the exam?”
Bai Maomao: “…………”
I haven’t even agreed yet, hmph.
Su Yao didn’t need his answer at all, muttering to herself as she made plans for the two children to start school.
That afternoon, Su Yao took the two of them to visit Xuan Huang University.
The location of Xuan Huang University was very concealed.
For safety and to avoid drawing attention from ordinary people, the campus was set right next to the Special Operations Group of Guangshi City—just a street apart.
The address given in the admissions brochure was a mountain on the outskirts.
Wang Jingli, knowing they were interested, specially arranged for a driver to take them all the way to the foot of the mountain.
The driver parked at the mountain base.
“I’ll drop you off here. Just follow this road up the mountain. When you reach the end, someone will come to pick you up.”
“Thank you,” Bai Maomao replied politely, getting out of the car first and looking around curiously.
The driver quickly drove away.
Bai Maomao closed his eyes and sensed for a moment.
“There’s plenty of spiritual energy around here.”
Su Yao nodded as well.
There were indeed traces of formations here, but they were set up so subtly that if you didn’t know beforehand, you’d easily overlook them.
Su Yao felt quite satisfied—turns out the admissions brochure wasn’t exaggerating at all.
The three of them followed the winding mountain road.
Before long, they reached the end.
Ahead lay a sheer cliff, with a roaring waterfall opposite, and below, a vast lake.
A glint flashed in Su Yao’s eyes.
She cupped her hands and, gathering her spiritual power, called out loudly: “I am Su Yao, here to visit with my disciples.”
“Madam Su, such presence.”
The barrier before them—rippling with the waves of an array—gradually revealed the gate behind.
The bronze doors slowly opened with a deep rumble.
The person who appeared was a middle-aged man in his forties.
He cupped his hands to Su Yao and gestured for them to enter.
“Please.”
Su Yao nodded and returned the gesture, then walked ahead.
The bronze doors slowly closed behind them.
The middle-aged man caught up, trailing one step behind Su Yao, following at a steady pace.
“May I ask, Madam, who recommended you?”
Today, Su Yao wore a long black dress, carrying a shell purse.
Her expression was dignified.
Upon hearing the question, she unhurriedly took the admissions brochure out of her bag.
The man took it and examined it.
He didn’t find any marks left by powerful figures, nor was it one of those special brochures reserved for major clans.
But judging by the aura and cultivation of these three, they didn’t seem like ordinary Scattered Cultivators either.
Unable to determine their background, the man could only keep a smile on his face, quietly muttering to himself as he led them to the new student reception area.
There were quite a few people at the new student reception—after all, it was the start of the school year, and every teacher had a long line of students waiting for the Innate Talent Test.
Bai Maomao kept a straight face, but his eyes were full of curiosity as he stared directly at the students being tested in the first row.
Each teacher had a lustrous piece of Yushi in front of them.
The new students would go up one by one, place their hand on the Yushi, and it would display various colors.
“Thunder-Fire Dual Spiritual Roots!”
The teacher for Bai Maomao’s group jumped up excitedly, recording the name of the student who tested for dual spiritual roots and sending someone to notify the headmaster.
Such promising talent had to be claimed by their own department.
The chosen student lifted his chin arrogantly.
When he noticed Bai Maomao’s open gaze, he snorted coldly.
Bai Maomao didn’t care at all.
When it was his turn, he eagerly put his hand on the stone.
The milky-white Yushi, with Bai Maomao’s hand as the center, gradually became suffused with a layer of green.
The green deepened bit by bit, eventually filling the entire stone.
There was a gasp from the crowd.
“Single Spiritual Root!”
The teacher in charge of the test was shocked, mouth agape.
When he finally recovered, he shook his head regretfully.
“What a pity, it’s a Wood Spiritual Root.”
“What a shame……”
He looked regretfully at the bewildered Bai Maomao and jotted a few notes in his book.
“Next student, please.”
The student who had tested for Thunder-Fire Dual Spiritual Roots sneered at Bai Maomao.
“A Wood Spiritual Root loser—even if it’s a Single Spiritual Root, so what?”
Bai Maomao glared at him coldly.
“Are you looking for trouble?”
The boy choked, crossing his arms.
“So what if I am? You’re a Wood Spiritual Root loser, and you still dare to fight me?”
“You’d better watch your mouth……”
Lang Junxian stepped forward and pressed down on his shoulder, quietly applying force.
“Or you might just bite your tongue.”
Then he smiled at Bai Maomao.
“Mother is behind us—go wait over there for me.”
Bai Maomao nodded, gave the boy a blank look and bared his teeth, then turned and walked away.
The boy: The tests went smoothly.
Bai Maomao had a Single Wood Spiritual Root, and Lang Junxian had a Single Thunder Spiritual Root.
Both passed the test and received the school’s Notice of Admission, and the three of them went home happily.
They had no idea what a stir they’d caused at the school.
In recent years, spiritual energy in the cultivation world had grown thinner and thinner.
Many great cultivators had failed to break through and perished one after another, leaving the next generation with fewer and fewer successors.
Fifty years ago, the Headmaster of the Bagua Sect, Mu Yao, sensing his own lifespan was nearly at its end, risked backlash from the Heavenly Dao to divine the future.
The omen was disastrous.
Mu Yao, having glimpsed the secrets of heaven, died from the backlash.
Before his death, he managed to leave one last message: “Southwest, the Great Tribulation is coming.”
No one dared take his words lightly.
The Bagua Sect had endured for thousands of years, surviving since the ancient wars.
Mastering the Four Symbols and Eight Trigrams, the Bagua Sect was especially skilled in divination.
Headmaster Mu Yao was a master of this art.
If not for his impending death, the elders would never have allowed him to peer into the secrets of the Heavenly Dao.
Mu Yao used up the last of his lifespan, hoping to find a way forward for the declining cultivation world, but what he divined was only disaster.
The results of the divination were immediately sealed off.
Those with low cultivation knew nothing and lived carefree lives; the few old-timers with high cultivation, however, were left worrying themselves bald.
That’s why the entire cultivation world joined forces to establish Xuan Huang University—to cultivate more talent, so that when the Great Tribulation arrived, there’d be more than just a handful of old-timers left to hold the line.
All this was something Bai Maomao and the others couldn’t possibly know.
The sudden appearance of two Single Spiritual Root students at the school—even if one was the “useless” Wood Spiritual Root—was enough to make the old-timers behind the scenes rejoice for a while.
The Notice of Admission quickly arrived at the hotel.
The enrollment date was September 18.
Bai Maomao was assigned to the Plant Pharmacology Department, while Lang Junxian was assigned to the Martial Arts Research Department.
“Why are we in different departments?”
Bai Maomao craned his neck, jealously eyeing Lang Junxian’s Notice of Admission.
Lang Junxian grinned.
“Maybe I just look sturdier?”
Bai Maomao immediately stared even more enviously at Lang Junxian’s muscular chest, then looked at his own soft little belly—so angry!
Wang Jingli heard that both Lang Junxian and Bai Maomao had been admitted and specially prepared gifts to be delivered to them.
The messenger also brought an invitation, asking the two “brothers” to visit Three Flavors House for a chat.
Su Yao was busy preparing everything they’d need for school.
Since the semester would start with military training, and they’d have to stay on campus for a whole month, Su Yao was anxious but couldn’t accompany them, so she’d been rushing around getting their things ready.
Naturally, she had no time for Wang Jingli’s invitation, so Lang Junxian had to take Bai Maomao himself.
Tongrentang’s goodwill was clear for all to see. Since they’d decided to study at Xuan Huang University, it was necessary to get on good terms with the local powers.
Besides, Lang Junxian’s eyes flashed—he would need to find a partner for his plans in the future anyway.
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