Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Rong Yu was currently immersed in the artifact-forging tower on Bingzhen Peak, alongside Rong Baichuan.

Rong Baichuan held a blueprint, his expression complex as he gazed at the paper. After a long moment, he asked, "A-Yu... did you intentionally draw the bow of this erhu crooked?"

This was the design draft Rong Yu had given him for the erhu he desired.

Rong Yu looked puzzled. "What do you mean crooked? Can't you tell, Senior Brother? It's shaped like a crescent moon."

Rong Baichuan stared at the wobbly curve on the paper: "..."

Rong Yu glanced at the erhu on the blueprint, a wave of nostalgia washing over him.

Back in the real world, he had studied and played the erhu for many years.

During his school days, whenever holidays rolled around and the class needed a performance but no one volunteered, he would invariably end up on stage, playing the erhu. Even after starting work, he never let this skill lapse; every year at the company's annual party, he would still perform.

He always closed the show, and his perennial piece was "Unforgettable Tonight." Each time, at the peak of the festivities, the moment he stepped on stage with his erhu, the entire room would fall dead silent. Thinking back, it truly was a bit nostalgic.

Rong Yu pulled himself out of his memories, withdrew his gaze, and focused on the Dark Gold Jade and Star Sand in his hands. Rong Baichuan was forging an artifact for Rong Yu, while Rong Yu was forging one for Lu Shitu.

When Rong Baichuan suggested giving Lu Shitu a welcome gift, Rong Yu realized that he, as a master, hadn't given Lu Shitu anything truly substantial. Upon further reflection, he noticed that Lu Shitu didn't even possess a sword of his own.

Although he knew that, according to his plans, Lu Shitu would eventually acquire a renowned sword, his disciple shouldn't have to make do with a shoddy, mass-produced sect sword until then. Not to mention, this cheap sword was the same model as the male lead Jiang Ziliu's—just thinking about it made him uncomfortable.

So, after some thought, Rong Yu proposed that Rong Baichuan provide the materials, and he would personally forge a sword for Lu Shitu under his guidance.

He wondered if the kid would like it... but it's the thought that counts.

Thinking of Lu Shitu, Rong Yu mused: two days had passed since the trial began, and he had no idea how things were going on his end. At least with the female lead by his side, his inner demons shouldn't be a problem.

As for the final score, although Rong Yu had pointed out a path for Lu Shitu, he wasn't entirely confident.

The method he suggested wasn't something he'd read in the original book but was instead based on the memories inherent to Rong Yu’s current body.

The scoring criteria for the spiritual herbs disciples submitted at the end of the trial were extremely complex. No one knew exactly which herbs would earn the highest points or which were most worth picking—they could only rely on their instincts, with a rough sense of their value.

This reminded Rong Yu of his university days in the real world, when before final exams, teachers would highlight key points. Students who focused on those key areas could achieve good results with half the effort.

And when Rong Yu recalled the segment about the Shadow Wall, he had once remarked that the spiritual herbs tested in the Shadow Wall... were just like the key points highlighted in Herbology class!

Inspired by this thought, Rong Yu had a flash of insight and guessed that the herbs tested in the Shadow Wall trials would likely be the ones with higher final scores.

Moreover, during the trial, unexpected situations were common. There was no guarantee that if Lu Shitu picked some top-tier spiritual herb, the male lead wouldn't violently snatch it away, especially since Lu Shitu couldn't defeat anyone yet.

That's why Rong Yu thought it would be better for him to avoid competition and head straight for the Shadow Wall—it might yield unexpected results.

Besides, he knew exactly what kind of prodigy his disciple was. The Shadow Wall wouldn't stump him. When reading the novel, he had even joked that this kid would undoubtedly be a child genius in modern times.

He had full confidence in the child he had chosen.

The seven-day deadline arrived. A bell rang within the Qingxu Peak valley, its sound traveling far and reaching every disciple’s ears.

Hearing the bell, Jiang Ziliu relaxed his focus, immediately fell from the tree, and landed hard on the ground, aggravating his wounds. He grimaced in pain, clutching his leg and groaning.

Blood gushed from both his legs, the fluid dark and tainted—clearly, there was poison in the wounds.

Three days prior, he had finally found a suitable opportunity to ditch the two fellow disciples he had been teamed up with and continued on alone.

Before that, the trio had been quite lucky, finding many relatively rare spiritual herbs. Although they never encountered another Nine-Colored Lotus of that caliber, their harvest was already substantial.

However, Jiang Ziliu repeatedly ignored advice and on several occasions ruined spiritual herbs, causing the rift between them to widen until they eventually parted ways.

But Jiang Ziliu truly had luck on his side. After setting off alone, he indeed found many rare spiritual herbs. His jade slip grew increasingly full, and he became more and more confident and arrogant.

On the final day, he miraculously came across a "Ghost Needle." This herb could be used to create a miraculous medicine capable of reviving the dead and regenerating flesh, always in high demand but rarely available.

Without a second thought, Jiang Ziliu eagerly reached out to grab it, only to grasp empty air. The next moment, a spiritual beast slowly turned around, fixing him with a hostile glare. It was a Ghost Needle Beast.

Only then did Jiang Ziliu remember: a small portion of Ghost Needle Grass, through some evolutionary process, could eventually form a symbiotic relationship with spiritual beasts, growing on the tips of their tails. The two benefited mutually, each getting what they needed.

Spiritual beasts capable of symbiosis with Ghost Needle Grass were named Ghost Needle Beasts. They weren’t particularly high in defense or attack but had two very troublesome traits: agility and venomous teeth.

In such a situation, if two disciples were present—one to distract it and the other to strike—ending the battle without casualties would be easy.

Unfortunately, Jiang Ziliu was alone.

In the end, with the help of his magical tools, Jiang Ziliu managed to kill the Ghost Needle Beast, but not before it bit both his legs, leaving him cornered on a tree branch with no way to advance or retreat.

Knowing that if he fell, his legs might be permanently damaged, he gritted his teeth, struggling to maintain balance while shouting for help, hoping someone would hear and come to his aid.

But after holding on for nearly a full day, no one passed by, and no one came to rescue him. Unable to find food, he endured the day on an empty stomach.

Even more regrettably, at the last moment, he couldn’t hold on any longer and fell.

Jiang Ziliu’s hatred for Lu Shitu grew even stronger.

If he hadn’t suffered repeated setbacks because of Lu Shitu, he wouldn’t have been so impatient for success. He might have been able to maintain at least superficial harmony with his fellow disciples instead of ending up in such a messy split.

If these issues hadn’t piled up, his frustration wouldn’t have mounted, driving him to act impulsively in his eagerness to prove himself and crush Lu Shitu during the trial.

But it didn’t matter—these sacrifices were worth it. Jiang Ziliu’s eyes turned to the jade slip in his hand, and thinking of the mountain of rare spiritual herbs inside, he felt somewhat comforted.

In the end, the top spot would still be his. As for his leg injuries, once he had brought honor to Elder Lingxiao, the elder would surely have plenty of treasures to heal him—it would be a piece of cake.

Jiang Ziliu tightened his grip on the jade slip and smirked coldly.

The next moment, light flashed, and he was teleported back to the valley entrance by the jade slip’s built-in formation.

Disciples were gradually teleported back. You Weiwan stood at the front, counting heads. Beside her stood a tall, elegant figure—it was actually the Sect Leader.

Whispers spread among the surrounding disciples; no one had expected the Sect Leader to personally announce the trial results.

As soon as Jiang Ziliu returned, he tossed his jade slip into the air. It automatically flew into the Cosmic Bag in the Sect Leader’s hand.

The jade slips would automatically calculate scores, evaluating not only the herbs themselves but also their completeness, among other factors. Once all the slips were collected, the Sect Leader would activate the formation on the Cosmic Bag, which would then automatically rank the top three.

Most disciples returned unscathed, with only a few sustaining minor injuries. Seeing Jiang Ziliu in such a state, they were shocked. Many came over to express concern, bandage his wounds, and offer pills.

Some disciples who knew healing spells began performing basic treatments on him.

Compared to the contempt he had received when he was worthless, this kind of fawning admiration always thrilled Jiang Ziliu immensely.

Feeling somewhat better and with his wounds less agonizing, Jiang Ziliu had energy to spare for other matters. He began scanning the area, looking to see if Lu Shitu had returned.

Then, he saw a flash of light not far away, and Lu Shitu materialized out of the formation.

Lu Shitu was still dressed in black, his hair neatly arranged, and no different from when he had left. His expression was calm, his gaze steady, his movements composed as he tossed his jade slip into the Cosmic Bag.

His composure stood in stark contrast to Jiang Ziliu's disheveled appearance. Jiang Ziliu gritted his teeth inwardly, thinking, "Just keep pretending. Let's see if you cry when you end up last. Let's see if your esteemed master will still keep a useless disciple like you."

A moment later, You Weiwan announced, "The trial results are in. Please direct your attention here."

As soon as she finished speaking, the sect leader activated the formation. Three jade slips slowly flew out of the brocade pouch, arranging themselves in the air. The one in the middle, positioned highest, represented the champion.

Perhaps it was all in his head, but Jiang Ziliu felt his legs had improved significantly. With the support of other disciples, he slowly stood up, wearing a confident smile. He intended to receive the upcoming honor with the best composure.

Many disciples around cast envious glances. Seeing Jiang Ziliu so full of confidence, and knowing he was a notable dark horse among the inner disciples with limitless potential, they were certain he would take the top spot.

Some even had their congratulations ready. As the names slowly emerged on the jade slips, one disciple began, "Congratulations, Brother Jiang..." for winning first place.

But he couldn't finish.

The highest jade slip clearly displayed three gilded characters: Lu Shitu.

The entire place fell dead silent. Some stared with mouths agape and eyes widened, turning their gazes toward Lu Shitu.

Jiang Ziliu's expression froze abruptly, his face contorting into a fierce, strangely twisted grimace.