Chapter 21: Talents Emerge One After Another

  Li Xiao and Nanmen Ao were sent to the medicine hall, Li Xiao's injuries were relatively minor, and he had no problems at all, recovering completely in just one day, full of energy.

  Nanmen Ao was badly injured, and Zhao Shuxuan's expression was cold and distant as she fed him medicine every day. Although Li Xiao had already known that this woman was a member of the demon tribe, he didn't feel any strangeness in his heart.

  Whether from top to bottom or from left to right, Zhao Shuxuan is undoubtedly a beauty. Li Xiao also found it hard to imagine what her true form as a demon would look like.

  Zhao Shuxuan somewhat felt Li Xiao's unusual gaze, seeing this Li Xiao hastily bid farewell and left the medicine hall.

  Luckily Li Xiao had already walked out of here for the second time, so he still remembered the way back to his dormitory. Otherwise, in such a vast place as Guo Xue Yuan, Li Xiao was afraid that he would get lost.

  After walking a few steps, several men were seen ahead blocking a woman's way.

  "Xue Ningfeng, this time it's just our senior wanting to meet you, hoping you can give him some face."

  Although several people were invited, their expressions were cold and oppressive.

  Li Xiao had often heard that there were robbers on the road in his previous life, but he never thought that in this world of cultivating immortals, even in a prestigious national academy like Po Jian, such forced robbery would occur.

  "What do you want to do?"

  Li Xiao took two steps forward, and the four men were initially startled, then burst out laughing.

  "You're just a newcomer, mind your own business and get out of here!"

  Four people had a cold and stern expression, but Li Xiao stood in front of the woman.

  "Sorry, I've made up my mind on this matter!"

  Behind Li Xiao, a woman named Xue Ningfeng also didn't expect that Li Xiao would block her way. After all, the entire Guo Academy wasn't like the outside world; here, anyone who was pulled out at random was a strong cultivator with great achievements. In the absence of knowing the opponent's details, few people would directly take action.

  Just then, a faint voice entered the woman's ear.

  "Hurry up and run, I'll think of a way to stall them. My actual strength is quite poor, once we start fighting, I'm afraid I won't be able to beat them at all."

  Li Xiao's words made the woman pause for a moment, and then she couldn't help but smile.

  Knowing you can't win a fight but still going for it isn't being foolish, that's just being a young and impulsive hot-head.

  "This kid really doesn't know his place! Let's take care of him together, and then we must bring Xue Ningfeng back to Shifu!"

  "Alright, let's get started!"

  Four people rushed straight at Li Xiao, Li Xiao's heart skipped a beat, and he hastily added his spell seal, preparing to strike back.

  At this moment, a figure floated out from behind Li Xiao's back, and a powerful force swept out. Xue Ningfeng was like an immortal fairy, displaying a powerful force that even made Li Xiao look sideways. The four men were not her opponents at all, and they fell in an instant.

  Li Xiao's eyes widened in shock as he stared at everything, then came back to his senses.

  Xue Ningfeng was indeed born with a national beauty and heavenly fragrance. Li Xiao recalled the women he had seen before, perhaps only the woman he had glimpsed in the female students' dormitory could be compared to Xue Ningfeng in terms of appearance.

  With a faint sigh in his heart, Li Xiao was ready to leave.

  "Is this Elder Li Xiao?"

  A pleasant voice entered Li Xiao's ears, he didn't expect his own name to be known by the other party.

  Xue Ningfeng looked about the same age as Li Xiao, and was called "Shixiong" (senior male cousin) by him. Li Xiao sighed:

  "Xue Ningfeng, junior sister, I am Li Xiao. I'm ashamed, I didn't expect your strength to be so astonishing, just now I was truly out of my league."

  Xue Ningfeng also met Li Xiao during the year-end assessment yesterday, and among the new students, except for those who left early, almost no one didn't know Li Xiao. After all, a waste is always more comfortable to listen to than a genius, as long as this waste isn't talking about himself.

  "No, no, I should thank you instead, brother. In our national academy, there are not many people like you who are so kind and willing to help."

  Xue Ningfeng was curious about Li Xiao, the rumored number one waste of the academy, and stared at him until he became more and more speechless.

  This time I ended up in a mess, not only did I not save the beauty, but in the end it was this beauty who saved me. Maybe I should call it "beauty saves hero", thinking about it, actually that's not right either, it's more like "beauty saves trash".

  A bitter smile in his heart, Li Xiao nodded slightly:

  "I don't dare, actually I should thank you more for saving me. I still have some things to attend to, so I won't bother you anymore, farewell."

  Hurriedly bidding farewell to Xue Ningfeng, Li Xiao's actions instead left this beauty somewhat perplexed.

  Those senior brothers usually stuck to Xue Ningfeng's side like flies, even if they were sarcastic, the other party would smile and respond, never backing down.

  This Li Xiao, facing himself, not only didn't have the slightest entanglement, but instead fled quickly, like escaping for his life. This action made Xue Yingfeng somewhat stunned, and finally smiled sweetly, like a hundred flowers blooming, and stepped out with lotus steps, leaving this place.

  Li Xiao strode back to his residence, where he found no one present; it was clear that they had all gone to the academy.

  Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Li Xiao gradually recalled the punch he had exchanged with Lü Hao yesterday. The ancient dragon that had been quietly dormant in his arms seemed to be related to the acupoints opened up by the True Scripture of Self-Mutilation.

  Li Xiao was like he had found his training goal again, and resumed his arduous cultivation.

  After practicing Tongshen Jue for a whole morning, after lunch, Li Xiao began to add the seal of the mantra, causing his body to transform.

  After Li Xiao finished his cultivation, Chun Yu Xi and Ni Liang returned to their residence and found Li Xiao.

  "Li Xiao, brother, are you alright?"

  The two of them were delighted, and Li Xiao nodded in agreement.

  "That Zhao Shuxuan, although not a good person, is indeed skilled in medicine. Unfortunately, I and Chun Yu Si thought to take care of you two, but were chased away by Zhao Shuxuan. That woman looks weak and feeble, but actually has unfathomable strength!"

  Ni Liang complained and Chun Yu Xi finally spoke up:

  "This generation of students is truly talented, as far as I know, seven super geniuses who reached the fourth level of Tongling have appeared. No previous National Academy has ever had so many prodigies. And I heard that in yesterday's assessment, a freak appeared, and it's said that she reached the first level of Tongling on her very first day at the National Academy, and after just one year, she even reached the fifth level of Tongling! This kind of talent is absolutely at the freak level, even the highest Dean was shocked!"

  This remark indeed caused Li Xiao's face to change color. To cultivate to the fourth level of Tongling in one year was already a rare talent that appeared only once in a hundred years. As for cultivating to the fifth level of Tongling within a year, even Li Xiao found it hard to believe.

  "That's right, I also heard that this freak-level disciple is named Xue Ningfeng, with astonishing talent and a high possibility of being taken in as a disciple by the highest Institute Master, with unlimited future achievements. Ah, right, you guys say if I get my hands on Xue Ningfeng's exclusive news and release it, won't I make a fortune?"

  Ni Liang's eyebrows twitched, as if he had thought of a way to make money.

  "Nie Liang, stop dreaming, someone like Xue Ningfeng is not someone you can meet. Focus on your cultivation, that's the right path."

  "That's true, I've heard that Xue Ningfeng is a stunning beauty, and with such extraordinary abilities, she must have many royal and noble suitors. If we can get our hands on her news, it will definitely sell like hotcakes, just like the 'Journey to the West' series in the Zixuan Literary Gazette."

  Ní Liáng shook his head.

  "Xue Ningfeng? I think I met her today."

  Li Xiao didn't think that he would stand out and want to rescue such a powerful woman. At the time, he was really underestimating himself, thinking about it now, it's true, what ordinary person is in Guo Xueyuan? Li Xiao was originally recognized as the weakest, who could he save anyway?

  "What? You've seen Xue Ningfeng! Good for you, kid, keeping it under wraps!"

  Ni Liang suddenly revealed a ambiguous smile, Li Xiao's eyes twitched and immediately explained:

  "Don't talk nonsense, I just happened to see her today and it's only our first meeting."

  Li Xiao would never speak out his own embarrassing affairs, but rather Ni Liang and Chun Yu Xi both showed a somewhat disbelieving expression:

  "Xue Ningfeng is a celebrity in our college, how come you bumped into her so easily? Besides, once you've met someone, it's easier the second time around!"

  Ni Liang narrowed his eyes slightly, somewhat disdainful. On the other hand, Chun Yu Xi shook his head and swayed back and forth, with a bookish air about him:

  "The cry of ospreys, on the isle in the river; a beautiful and virtuous maiden, a gentleman delights in her!"

  Li Xiao was completely speechless towards these two guys and hastily changed the subject:

  "Right, I just heard you say that there's something very popular on Zixuan Literature?"

  As soon as it came to making money, Nai Liang suddenly became enthusiastic.

  "Not bad, in the latest issue of Zixuan Literary Magazine, a phenomenal article 'Journey to the West: The Legend of Er Yue' has appeared, and it's been a huge hit all over the country, even selling well abroad. It's strange to say, but the author of this book is actually called 'Two Dogs', which is really a satire on contemporary writers! However, this extraordinary book has an incredibly grand imagination, with refined and precise writing, truly a master of the literary world! Unfortunately, Zixuan Literary Magazine only publishes once a month, and there are only ten issues a year. I just finished reading 'The Two Generals Guarding the Ghost Gate, Tang Taizong's Soul Returns to the Underworld', and now I have to wait another half month for the next issue, it's really frustrating."

  Ni Liang scratched his hair, apparently fascinated by the story of "Journey to the West".

  "By the way, you said that in the Heavenly Realm, is there really a Jade Emperor?"

  "This... story on the magazine is generally false. Moreover, what's in the heavenly realm that we can understand?"

  Sun Yu shook his head, apparently also puzzled.

  Ni Liang sighed and muttered to himself: If this book were to fall into his hands, I wonder how much money he would make!

  Li Xiao interrupted Nai Liang's thoughts and suggested going to the cafeteria for dinner.

  The two of them readily agreed, and the students they met on the way looked at Li Xiao with contemptuous expressions. A guy who couldn't even reach the spiritual realm after a year of cultivation was simply a shame to the entire national academy!

  Li Xiao coldly faced these gazes and entered the cafeteria.

  It was time for dinner, and the dining hall was filled with students. Li Xiao saw an empty seat and was about to sit down when it was taken by another student. He then looked for another seat but it was also snatched away.

  "What do you want to do?"

  Sun Yu's eyes widened in anger, while Nai Liang had already gone out to buy food.

  "This junior brother, please sit down, but Li Xiao is absolutely not allowed! His existence is simply a shame to our national academy. This kind of trash with almost crippled talent should be expelled from the national academy!"

  The student's words immediately gained the support of more than a dozen students nearby:

  "Expel this good-for-nothing from the academy!"

  "You still have the face to come and eat, do you really think the college will support a useless person like you for nothing? Get out!"

  "Get out!"

  One by one, Li Xiao was scolded, he didn't expect the National Academy to be so realistic as well. He shook his head and responded coldly.

  Just then, a soft and beautiful voice came:

  "Is it Master Li Xiao? There's a seat here, come sit down."