Chapter 133: Bold Ideas

Not only Song Qingfeng, but Lin Shao and Xu Luo as well, were on the very precipice of breaking through the peak of ordinary martial artists, poised to step into the realm of Martial Grandmasters.

They had been secluded in the cultivation rooms for so long that upon returning to their classroom, a profound sense of disorientation washed over them.

"What is going on here? What happened?" Buoyed by his recent breakthrough, Song Qingfeng was in high spirits, yet the moment he stepped onto the martial arts field, he confronted a sea of grim, heavy faces.

Though a short while remained before the start of class, a leaden gloom seemed to weigh upon every disciple present.

"Hey, Xi Qi, what is wrong with you? Don't tell me it is just because this young master broke through before you?" Song Qingfeng clapped a hand onto Xi Qi's shoulder.

The two had always possessed comparable talent and cultivation, fostering a constant, unspoken rivalry, but this time...

"Congratulations," Xi Qi replied, his voice dry and hollow.

"Come on, what has gotten into you?" Song Qingfeng faltered.

"The academy raided the dormitories yesterday," someone murmured in a low voice. "They targeted the disciples who visit the Origin Internet Club, and now quite a few of them are..."

Indeed, a pall of grief had hung over the Yellow Class of the Lingyun Academy for the past two days; nearly half of their entire class had fallen victim to the sudden raid on the internet cafe.

Many of them could have achieved excellent standings on the Lingyun Rankings, or at least the Yellow Ranking, but this disruption had instantly stripped half the class of their eligibility.

"How could this happen?!" Song Qingfeng and his companions exchanged bewildered glances, their brows knitting tightly together.

It was only due to Nalan Mingxue's warning the previous day that he had avoided the internet cafe, staying behind to focus entirely on his cultivation within the academy grounds.

Who could have guessed that disaster would strike the very moment they emerged?

"Now our class has become the laughingstock of all the disciples," one youth muttered resentfully. "Every single one of us had a chance at the Lingyun Rankings, and now, half of us are gone just like that."

"Instructor Mu and Instructor Chen will probably fly into a towering rage..."

"A towering rage is the least of our concerns; if they restrict our cultivation resources, how are we supposed to progress in the future?!"

Song Qingfeng clenched his fists slightly. "Is it that old ghost Qin again?"

"At least you are safe," a disciple said, patting him on the shoulder. "The rest of us are ruined."

"I never imagined Old Ghost Qin could be so ruthless!" Xi Qi's eyes reddened with frustration.

"I don't even know what we are supposed to do from now on."

"No, we still have a way!" Song Qingfeng tightened his grip. "I have a... daring idea!"

...

While urging all disciples to intensify their training, the Lingyun Academy enacted yet another strict decree: no disciple was permitted to leave the academy grounds before the national examinations.

With this single stroke, any chance of the disciples slipping out to play games was thoroughly eliminated at the root.

Gazing at the firmly barred academy gates, the instructor walking behind Qin Bing expressed a note of concern. "Chief Proctor Qin, is it truly wise to restrict the disciples' freedom to this extent?"

"This old man does this only to ensure these youths do not stray from the righteous path!" Qin Bing snorted coldly. "To keep their minds focused on cultivation, let them remain quietly within this 'closed-campus system' of my own creation for a few days!"

"By the way, how is Jiang'er progressing?"

"Rest assured, Master Qin Jiang is on the verge of entering the late stage of the Martial Grandmaster realm! By then, paired with his newly mastered martial technique, securing victory for the Earth House will be a certainty. The other disciples are also in peak condition, all of them excellent prospects. Furthermore, Wang Zhishui, the foremost disciple of the Heaven House, has returned."

"Good!" Qin Bing nodded heavily. "Train them well. If we can claim victory in at least three of the four houses, we will have our chance to seize the title of the number one academy in this national examination!"

...

"Miss Nalan, what exactly is your plan? Stop keeping me in suspense..." Lan Yan was practically dying of curiosity; having bathed and changed their attire, the two girls were now hurrying toward the martial arts field.

"It is quite simple," Nalan Mingxue replied. "The academy has issued a ban that forbids us disciples from leaving, but the academy has no such restriction on the instructors, correct?"

"The in..." Lan Yan froze in sheer astonishment. "The instructors?!"

"Miss Nalan, don't tell me you intend to..." Even though Lan Yan had long served by Nalan Mingxue's side and knew her temperament well, she was still thoroughly shocked. There was truly no one this lady dared not scheme against!

This time, she was actually turning her sights onto the instructors!

"Well, that is true... but..." Lan Yan hesitated. "The instructors will not simply listen to you."

Nalan Mingxue replied, "Indeed, they will not listen to me. But do you truly believe the instructors harbor no suspicion at all?"

"Suspicion about what?"

"For instance, the fact that City Master An and Sect Master Ye spend their days immersed in that internet cafe," Nalan Mingxue noted. "If we use the right methods to let the instructors discover these facts—and the benefits to be gained—without alerting Old Man Qin, how do you think they will react?"

"Uh..." Lan Yan was stunned into silence.

"The instructors are just like us disciples; they are in the prime of their strength, and elevating their power is what matters most to them. Qin Bing is different; he cares only about preserving the status of Lingyun Academy and the Lingyun Martial Arts Tower, while securing his own position."

"Therefore, in terms of ultimate goals, the instructors are actually in alignment with us," Nalan Mingxue explained methodically. "The only reason they have not gone yet is that they lack the proper catalyst."

"..." Lan Yan found the reasoning sound, yet a few details still felt unresolved. "But Old Man Qin will hardly sit idly by and watch."

"He must leave to oversee the national examinations," Nalan Mingxue's lips curved into a slight smile. "By the time we return from the examinations, enough time will have passed for many things to unfold!"

"..." Lan Yan stood utterly dumbfounded.

...

The shadows of night fell swiftly across the land.

Several figures darted through the enveloping darkness. "Young Master Song, are we truly going to take such a massive risk?"

"Think of our classmates who were suppressed by that old ghost Qin! We must prove ourselves to the entire Great Jin and the three great academies during the national examinations!"

"Hurry up! In this examination, we shall show those short-sighted fools exactly what we are capable of!"

"The grand array of Lingyun Academy shouldn't be active on a normal night, right?"

"Do not worry! Old Man Qin would never dream that we would resort to this!"

"This wall is incredibly high... Can we actually scale it?"

"Shh, keep your voice down! Do not let anyone detect us!"

"Quickly, the Sword Controlling Technique! Send the swords up!"

Though their mastery of the technique was not yet sufficient to grant them flight, using the weapons as stepping stones was well within their means.

Within the shadow of the several-story-high wall, three precious swords hovered in mid-air, aligned precisely like a flight of stairs.

Song Qingfeng watched the trembling blades with a trace of trepidation. "Lin, Xu, are you certain you can hold them steady? The swords are swaying terribly! If anything goes wrong, none of the three of us will escape punishment!"

"Rest assured! There will be no trouble!"

"Then I am going!" Song Qingfeng gritted his teeth, taking several steps back to assume a sprinting stance. "We carry the hopes of our entire class on our shoulders. Do not ruin this for me!"

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PS: Another update will be posted during the day.

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