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nTranslator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

nFang Lang rested his head on one hand and flashed Ni Wen his best smile.

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nThe horrified expression on the girl’s face did not stop her from turning back for a look. He felt rather speechless for her behavior.

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nThe academy genius was acting like a fool.

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nNi Wen’s frequent glances to the back got the attention of other students which stirred up a commotion.

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nSeated on the dais, the mentor banged his gavel.

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n“Silence. There is one month until the Imperial Examination. Concentrate your efforts and don’t lose focus. This is a chance for you to change your fate.” The mentor pointed out.

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nNi Wen knew the words were meant for her. She resisted the urge to look at Fang Lang but curiosity lingered. What was this unprecedented feeling of familiarity when they barely interacted?

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nOnce the mentor was satisfied with Ni Wen’s attitude, he turned to Fang Lang. The mentor did not waste his breath on Fang Lang. Ni Wen had a good core and the potential to be selected by the elite sects in the Tang Dynasty after the Imperial Examination.

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nFang Lang… There was little chance the rich man’s son would do well in the Imperial Examination. After graduating from Luojiang Academy, it was likely he would inherit the family’s business and lead a boring but comfortable life. The mentor ignored the boy.

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nHe continued giving pointers on the complicated aspects of the Tang Dynasty’s Sword Scripture and the key points to focus on for the Imperial Examination.

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nFang Lang stopped staring at Ni Wen and listened to the mentor’s explanation.

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nFrom the front, a boy seven seats away was staring daggers at Fang Lang.

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nFang Lang was shocked. The boy was tanned and there was a glint of cruelty in his eyes.

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n‘Liu Hao, fifth-grade martial arts disciple, academy ranking 378th, class ranking 27th.’ Fang Lang recalled the details about him.

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nLiu Hao was a common folk like Ni Wen but he was nowhere near Ni Wen’s level of talent. A fifth-grade martial arts disciple was far from a ninth-grade spell disciple.

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n“What a deadly glare,” Fang Lang muttered under his breath, a smirk on his lips.

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nLiu Hao met Fang Lang’s eyes and did not back down. He mouthed something.

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n‘Buzz off!’

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nThat was Fang Lang’s interpretation.

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nFang Lang cocked an eyebrow.

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nWas Liu Hao an admirer of Ni Wen’s? They were both from the same social class.

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nPerhaps he treated Ni Wen as his exclusive property?

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nPossessive much? Fang Lang only exchanged glances with Ni Wen and Liu Hao was already sending him warnings.

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nThe warning did not piss Fang Lang off—he was a sensible person after all.

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nWith a bright smile on his face, Fang Lang flipped Liu Hao the bird.

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nThen, he turned away, ignoring the fuming Liu Hao. He rested his chin on his palm and paid attention to the mentor’s lecture, his finger lightly tapping on the desk.

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nDang! Dang! Dang!

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nThe mentor who kept track of the passage of time sounded the bell.

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nThe mentor on the dais closed the Tang Dynasty’s Sword Scripture. He took the teacup on the high table and lifted the lid. He sipped the liquid elegantly.

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nHe emptied the cup and chewed on some tea leaves before banging the gavel. “What you read is the theory, cultivation also requires practice… The Imperial Examination encompasses both theory and practical. Get ready and gather at the practice grounds.”

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nThe order was greeted with cheers from the class. Students who were falling asleep during the lecture looked forward to actual combat on the practice grounds.

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nThe mentor left the room.

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nThe volume of chatter in the study hall rose.

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nFang Lang stood up and stretched lazily. His mood was infinitely better now that he had the ability to overcome his cultivation limitations.

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n‘Ding! Guide mission: Engage in meaningful interactions with the binding partner, Ni Wen, about cultivation. For the first attempt, you will receive the Sword Draw Technique (Sword Mastery Specialty) as your reward.’

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nHuh?

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nThe guide mission notification appeared in Fang Lang’s mind.

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nThe mission reminded Fang Lang of the last detail in the System character panel, ‘Sole Passive Ability: Additional rewards may be granted when the host bonds with the binding partner over cultivation.’

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nFang Lang smiled.

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nHe was passionate about cultivation and the reward was an extra bonus.

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nIn a languid pace, he walked toward Ni Wen.

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nThe girl was hunched over like a tortoise hiding its head.

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nNi Wen was curious about the reason behind the familiarity with Fang Lang.

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nShe swore she had never spoken to Fang Lang.

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nAs she turned around, she saw the boy walking toward her.

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nNi Wen made a distraught expression.

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nWhy was he coming over?

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nIt was too sudden.

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n‘Don’t… Don’t come over!’

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nNi Wen was too surprised to revert to her original position. She screamed internally.

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nHer internal struggles did nothing to stop Fang Lang’s approach. Not minding the dusty floors of the study halls, the boy sat down across Ni Wen’s desk.

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n“I’m Fang Lang. Fang like a square, Lang like a wave.1”

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nFang Lang introduced himself to the frozen statue of a girl, a charming smile on his face.

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n“I… I…”

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nNi Wen kept a low profile in the academy. After class, she always headed straight for home.

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nThe friction between the lower and upper class—compounded with her mother’s advice—made her reticent in school. She rarely interacted with the sons of the rich families.

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nThis was the first time she was socializing with a boy from the upper class.

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nHer nervousness made her tongue-tied.

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nThe best course of action was to abstain from any further interactions with Fang Lang. However, the undeniable familiarity whittled her resolve.

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nFang Lang kept the gentle smile on his face. Who knew the third-ranked genius in the academy was such an introvert?

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nA part of it was likely due to the partner-binding—the process interfered with the girl’s emotions.

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nThe System stated the process would not affect the partner’s core or talents, but there would be some mental and emotional changes.

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n“Relax. I have some questions regarding cultivation and wanted to ask for your guidance. You’re the prodigy of our class after all.”

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nFang Lang lowered his posture to appear deferential—the smile on his face remained unchanged.

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nHis well-mannered attitude lowered Ni Wen’s defenses. Anxiety bled out from her body.

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nNi Wen checked their surroundings for odd glances from the other students. Then, she said with her shoulders hunched, “G-Go ahead. I’ll try my best to answer.”

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nShe knew Fang Lang was not an academically promising student. She surmised his question would not be too difficult to stump her.

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nThe sooner she answered, the sooner she would be left alone.

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nFang Lang took Ni Wen’s positive reply as progress.

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nHis expression changed from friendly to serious as he delivered his question. Ni Wen was glad to witness the earnesty.

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n“When channeling the Tang Dynasty’s Sword Scripture, I always feel my meridians clogging after completing a small circuit. There’ll be a disruption in the flow of spiritual energy and the top of my head will smoke. The body becomes uncomfortable and the meridians struggle to keep up…”

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nNi Wen’s eyelashes fluttered as she looked at Fang Lang with surprise.

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nThe question was very familiar.

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nShe had encountered the same issue recently when channeling the Tang Dynasty Spell Scripture and sought guidance from the mentors. The complication was ultimately resolved. She was surprised Fang Lang came to her for help.

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nNi Wen could answer in confidence after her personal experience with the issue.

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nHer hands were folded into her sleeves as she let out a knowing sound. A slender finger moved elegantly on the desk, tracing out the human meridians diagram.

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n“I’ve looked into the Sword Scripture, the channeling for the small circuit is similar to that of the Spell Scripture. It’s the basic cultivation technique used in the Tang Dynasty. The principle should be similar…

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n“Slow down the spiritual energy flow as it approaches the Shangxing acupoint. Keep it at the slowest flow between the Luhui acupoint and the Shangxing acupoint but layer your spiritual energy at the Qianding acupoint. At the apex, punch through the barrier at one go. This will minimize the load on the meridians and avoid smoking at the crown. However, this method requires a strong spiritual sense.”

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nNi Wen’s voice faltered toward the end and she retracted her hand.

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nThroughout her explanation, Fang Lang had a smile on his face. An occasional nod was observed as he digested the words.

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nThe individual words were recognizable but the concept was a mystery to Fang Lang.

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nDespite his cluelessness, he maintained a calm expression.

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n‘Switch to the binding partner’s cultivation state,’ he thought.

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n‘Ding! Switching successful. Happy cultivating!’ The System chimed.

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nAfter the switch, Fang Lang had 50% of Ni Wen’s cultivation inspiration. He had also activated the 3X Amplification Card in the morning. After the morning session with the spirit crystals and two hours of class, he had another hour remaining.

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nThis meant Fang Lang had 150% of Ni Wen’s cultivation inspiration.

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nIn the next moment, Fang Lang’s eyes lit up. He found new meanings in Ni Wen’s words as his mind made the connections.

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nThoughts and ideas came to him and he suggested certain improvements that could be made to Ni Wen’s method.

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nThe surprise was evident in Ni Wen’s eyes as she stared at the boy.

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n‘He… He actually understands!’

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nNi Wen felt as if she had found her kin.

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nA scholar of her caliber!

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nIn Fang Lang’s head, a System notification popped up and brought a smile to his face.

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n‘Ding! The host has completed the guide mission by engaging in meaningful interactions with the binding partner, Ni Wen, about cultivation. You have received the Sword Draw Technique (Sword Mastery Specialty) as your reward.

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n‘The Sword Draw Technique will be incorporated through mental memory and muscle memory. The ins and outs of the technique will be revealed to the host. Happy cultivating!’

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