Chapter 641
Pang Shishu was taken aback, and then he heard Zheng Fa say, “I know my own character. I can never be harsh with my little sister. If she wants to learn something, I will naturally teach her. But if I take her as my disciple, it won’t benefit her development, and it wouldn’t make much sense either.”
After hearing this, Pang Shishu slowly nodded.
He looked at the name Zheng Shan, and his eyes sparkled.
He was also familiar with this girl. Not only did she have a single spiritual root, but she had also been nurtured by Zheng Fa since childhood. Even though they were separated by distance, Zheng Fa would still write to educate her.
She could be considered Zheng Fa’s first disciple!
Zhou Qianyuan?
Who was Zhou Qianyuan?
...
Three days later, on University Island, outside a classroom.
More than forty disciples gathered at the door, silent and quietly sizing each other up.
Mu Qingyan’s expression was tense as she stealthily observed the others.
They were all here to compete for a single disciple spot under the sect leader.
Ever since the sect leader announced that he might only accept one inner disciple this time, half of the disciples had withdrawn, realizing the difficulty.
Those brave enough to apply to be Zheng Fa’s disciple were all quite talented.
If they had applied to other mentors, they would likely have secured a spot in the inner sect without a doubt.
But with only one spot available under the sect leader, the risk was too great. If they didn’t make the cut, they would have to wait another five years.
Moreover, the competition was fierce, and many had reconsidered and opted to interview with other mentors.
In other words, those who remained were all elites:
Among the forty or so interviewees, at least thirty-eight or thirty-nine were at the Golden Core stage!
Mu Qingyan felt that her cultivation had progressed rapidly; she was now at the mid-Golden Core stage, yet here, she wasn’t even the strongest.
Although she was a reborn person, she had to admit that some disciples in the sect were not far behind her in cultivation speed:
This made her doubt the authenticity of her past dreams; they felt too unreliable!
Feeling anxious, Mu Qingyan didn’t want to look at these powerful competitors any longer. She turned her gaze to a spot a little further away.
There, a male disciple stood alone. He was likely another interviewee but seemed too shy to approach anyone.
No one else spoke to him either; they occasionally glanced his way, their expressions strange.
Mu Qingyan found it odd for a simple reason:
His cultivation was only at the fifth level of Qi Refinement!
Not to mention among these forty-plus disciples, he was among the lowest in the entire Jiushan University.
Standing here, he looked particularly out of place.
The young man seemed self-conscious, huddled in a corner, his chin nearly touching the ground, his back pressed tightly against the wall, as if he wished he could disappear into the stone behind him.
After watching him for a while, Mu Qingyan inexplicably felt a sense of kinship: this disciple’s age and cultivation level matched her “memories” perfectly!
She stepped forward:
“Excuse me, junior brother?”
“Ah? Oh! Did you call me, senior sister?”
The male disciple raised his head, looking nervously at Mu Qingyan.
“Junior brother, are you here for the interview too?”
He answered in a barely audible voice, “... Yes.”
Even though his voice was soft, the other interviewees could hear him, and the room fell silent.
Cold sweat immediately broke out on the young man’s forehead.
Mu Qingyan was increasingly curious: “Forgive my bluntness, but with your cultivation, can you really pass the inner sect exam?”
The young man pressed his lips together, lowering his head even further, not saying a word.
“I don’t mean anything by it, but... I heard that the minimum requirement to pass is to have a Foundation Establishment level of cultivation?” Mu Qingyan voiced her doubts, then smiled, “With your current level, it’s surprising you’re here for the interview. You must have some exceptional talent.”
The male disciple slowly raised his head, seeing that Mu Qingyan’s gaze held no malice. He still spoke softly, “I... I scored full marks on the talisman exam.”
“... Full marks? Did you also answer the extra questions?”
“Mm.”
Mu Qingyan looked at the young man and finally understood how he had made it here:
This inner sect exam not only had regular questions but also extra ones.
Generally, each subject needed at least a passing score to qualify.
However, with the extra questions, if someone performed exceptionally well, they could still pass even if they failed other subjects, as long as their score overflowed from the extra questions.
This young man, with his fifth level of Qi Refinement, naturally didn’t pass, but he managed to qualify for the interview through the extra questions in the talisman exam.
Thinking of this, Mu Qingyan felt a sense of respect—talisman exams were already difficult, and the extra questions were even harder. According to Fairy Xiao, not every mentor in the sect could solve them.
At the same time, she felt a bit sorry for this young man:
If he had chosen another mentor, he might have had a chance, but choosing the sect leader... with such fierce competition, his chances seemed slim.
With that thought, she couldn’t help but ask, “What’s your name, junior brother?”
“Gu Chang.”
(End of this chapter)
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Chapter 456: Half a Thesis, A Dead End
The interview proceeded quickly.
Inside the classroom, a rectangular wooden table was set up, with Zheng Fa, Sister Zhang, and Xiao Yuying seated behind it, sorting through the interview materials of the previous disciples.
“Junior brother, do you have a particular disciple in mind?” Sister Zhang suddenly asked.
Xiao Yuying, sitting beside her, also looked over, curiosity in her eyes.
Zheng Fa flipped through the ten or so disciple resumes in his hand, thought for a moment, and said calmly, “Mu Qingyan.”
“Why her?”
“She has the most solid foundation and a mature disposition,” Zheng Fa explained to the two. “In the next ten years, my time in the Jiushan realm will be limited, and the time I can devote to my disciples will be even less. I’m afraid taking on other disciples would hinder their development.”
“Mu Qingyan is a better choice.”
Xiao Yuying’s expression changed immediately—wasn’t it a bit lazy to think about taking it easy before the disciple had even entered the sect?
It was indeed a bit lazy.
Mu Qingyan was, after all, a “reborn person,” and her life experience might even surpass Zheng Fa’s, with exceptional self-management skills.
In fact, due to her strong sense of crisis about the future, Mu Qingyan worked incredibly hard.
Her desire to take him as her mentor was ultimately just for peace of mind.
In the entire Jiushan realm, aside from Zheng Fa, there was probably no one else who could provide her with a trustworthy sense of security.
Conversely, every Yuanying Zhenren had their own beliefs. Zheng Fa believed he could offer guidance, but when it came to learning attitudes, self-planning, and development direction, Mu Qingyan likely didn’t need him to worry.
For Zheng Fa, choosing Mu Qingyan was not only simple but also a very “safe” choice:
This disciple had a guaranteed foundation at the Yuanying stage, with no upper limit.
“Mu Qingyan is indeed a good choice,” Xiao Yuying thought for a moment and then brought up another matter, “Not to mention her aptitude, she learns quickly in my archaeology group. If I’m not around, she can manage the group very well.”
“I had asked her if she wanted to choose me as her mentor, but she was determined to join your sect.”
At this point, she looked at Zheng Fa with a hint of jealousy: “Not just me, even Sect Leader Song from Qingmu Sect seems to have inquired about her privately, considering her background in Qingmu Sect.”
Zheng Fa couldn’t help but show a bit of pride.
Mu Qingyan was indeed impressive.
Her talent was undeniable; achieving the Yuanying stage as a loose cultivator in a chaotic world spoke volumes.
But that alone didn’t sway Zheng Fa—after all, forming a Yuanying was not as challenging for disciples in the Jiushan realm as it was for those in other sects in the Xuanwei realm, and its value wasn’t as high.
What truly impressed Zheng Fa was Mu Qingyan’s self-awareness and learning ability:
Many cultivators, especially those at higher levels, often have rigid perceptions, sometimes bordering on arrogance, making it difficult for them to shift their thinking, especially when their previous mindset had been very successful.
Mu Qingyan was different; perhaps because her cultivation was only in the “dream,” she had the memories of a Yuanying but adapted quickly to the various courses in the Jiushan realm.
She performed well in archaeology, alchemy, talisman studies, and other subjects.
She even excelled in some modern disciplines.
In the Golden Core project, archaeology group, and later in the water law alchemy research, her presence was felt.
She was the kind of well-rounded student who excelled in both academics and character.
Even without considering her identity as a “reborn person,” she was the one among these disciples with the highest overall quality and contribution to the sect.
The three of them chatted for a bit during the interview break when they heard a gentle knock on the classroom door.
“Come in!”
A hand pushed the door open, and Gu Chang walked into the classroom.
He shrugged his shoulders, walked lightly, quickly glanced at Zheng Fa and the others, then fixed his gaze firmly on the ground, not daring to look up.
Seeing him, Zheng Fa was first taken aback, then smiled, “Gu Chang, right?”
“Uh, yes?”
Hearing the amusement in Zheng Fa’s voice, Gu Chang couldn’t help but raise his head, mustering the courage to look at Zheng Fa, clearly puzzled as to why Zheng Fa was smiling.
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