If Ye Ling hadn't said that last line, Ai Yueli would have been able to keep her composure.
But the moment he started talking about "the most basic introductory knowledge" and "not even being qualified to be a disciple of Heavenly Gate Sect if you can't understand this," it really rubbed Ai Yueli the wrong way.
She knew full well that her talent in talismans couldn't be compared to the Nine Heavens Immortal Maiden. Saying there was no comparison at all wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Even so, over all these years, she had only ever seen herself reach such a high level in talismans. Ye Ling's words had undeniably struck a nerve.
Even if it was just collateral damage, like being hit by some inexplicable AoE, when had she ever suffered this kind of grievance?
Back in her teens, she had descended the mountain and roamed the cultivation world for years. Wherever she went, she had been treated as a genius.
And now she was being mocked by her own disciple. There was no way she could swallow that.
"Disciple, to know what you know, and to admit what you don't, that is true knowledge."
This was Ai Yueli's final reminder to Ye Ling. At the end of the day, she didn't want him to truly embarrass himself. As master and disciple, maintaining a bit of dignity on both sides still mattered.
To be fair, although she often wore a stern expression, among her senior and junior sisters, she was actually one of the softest-hearted, second only to Bai Yiyi.
That was why she hoped Ye Ling would preserve that dignity.
Unfortunately, to Ye Ling, those words sounded like victory was already in hand.
Hmph, you're out of moves now, aren't you?
This was the teachers' last card when dealing with struggling students.
It looked like an ultimatum, but in reality, it was a sign they had run out of options. As long as you held out through this, the road ahead would be smooth.
But if you loosened up at this point and admitted your shortcomings, you'd be handing over your leverage.
So Ye Ling's answer was—
"Fourth Master is worrying too much. I wouldn't dare claim that I've fully mastered the ancient text, but the common combination types, as well as the more obscure character arrangements, are already clear to me."
Ye Ling remained calm and unhurried. A gentle, confident smile rested on his handsome face, making his certainty all the more convincing.
In any book, the most basic and the most difficult sections were often the easiest to remember. It was the material in between that was more likely to get muddled, and also the part teachers liked to test the most.
So Ye Ling had deliberately memorized both ends in advance, just in case he was questioned.
Most importantly, he wasn't a struggling student. As long as Ai Yueli wasn't deliberately trying to trip him up, he was confident he had no real holes to expose.
"Is that so? You really are a genius, just as always."
Ai Yueli's words sounded like praise, but her face remained expressionless, her delicate features growing even colder.
Her beautiful golden eyes, devoid of any emotion, stared straight into Ye Ling's deep gaze.
To her, Ye Ling's words were nothing more than the blind confidence of a genius.
Hmph. With so little time, you probably don't even know how to properly use this ancient text.
And yet you dare claim you've mastered even the obscure character arrangements. How ignorant of the heights of heaven and the depths of earth.
Recalling how she had nearly gone from beginner to being buried because of this very text, Ai Yueli simply didn't believe Ye Ling had grasped that much.
In her original plan, once Ye Ling realized he didn't even know how to read the book properly, he would naturally come to her for guidance. With just a few pointers, she could easily earn his admiration.
But Ye Ling had chosen to be so tactless, throwing out AoE remarks and bragging about mastering obscure characters.
There was no way she was going to let such a perfect opportunity to knock him down a peg slip by.
If you don't want to keep your dignity, then as your Master, I'll help you.
"So then, my disciple, how exactly do you read? I'm rather curious about your way of studying."
She didn't press him head-on. In her mind, she wasn't trying to embarrass Ye Ling, only to rein in his arrogance. There was no need to tear things apart completely.
So she chose a roundabout approach.
Go on, show your Master how you read. If you don't even know the proper way to read a book, then… then—
Where is this place?!
In the moment she lost focus, Ai Yueli realized she had entered an otherworldly space. All around her floated countless combinations of characters.
With her level of cultivation, she naturally recognized that she had entered the world contained within the ancient text. But she refused to acknowledge it.
This ancient book had endured countless ages and had long since lost most of its miraculous effects. That was precisely why she had never considered it a true treasure.
Although she had told Ye Ling that every page of the ancient text was a small world, those worlds were already on the verge of collapse. Forget about letting people enter them. Even maintaining the operation of the characters inside was only possible because the Nine Heavens Immortal Maiden had patched things up when she discovered it. Otherwise, this thing would have been completely unusable.
Yet the ancient text had only been in Ye Ling's hands for a single afternoon. How could it suddenly expand its worlds again?
Ai Yueli carefully sensed it and discovered that it truly was the same ancient text she had studied back then. In some of the small worlds, there were even traces of the "notes" she had left behind.
Something was wrong. Very wrong.
Ai Yueli looked at Ye Ling without speaking. Or rather, she didn't know what to say. Still, she believed Ye Ling would give her an explanation.
However, Ye Ling didn't fall for it at all. He spoke up directly. "Fourth Master, in this space, I simply spread my Mental Force outward and naturally comprehend the Dao within. There's nothing improper about that, is there?"
Ye Ling knew perfectly well what Ai Yueli was implying, but this was something he could neither admit nor explain.
Because this ancient text had been repaired using his points.
The moment he obtained it, a line of text had appeared before his eyes—
[Detected fragment of Heaven and Earth Talisman Codex. Repairable]
Heaven and Earth Talisman Codex was something Ye Ling had seen mentioned while reading in the study room. It was a cultivation method that existed only in myths. Some cultivation archaeologists even believed it was an outright fabrication, claiming that such an absurdly powerful talisman-based method couldn't possibly exist.
According to the records, once Heaven and Earth Talisman Codex was fully restored, one could ascend to immortality directly through the Dao of talismans.
Or rather, cultivators who practiced Heaven and Earth Talisman Codex walked a completely different path. Their true strength couldn't be measured by conventional cultivation realms at all.
Understanding its value, Ye Ling hadn't hesitated in the slightest. He immediately spent 10,000 Emotion Points to repair the Complete Record of Character Combinations.
He guessed that once these fragments were restored, they would naturally be drawn to one another. When he eventually collected the remaining fragments, even if he didn't cultivate them himself, he could give them to Ai Yueli as a gift. She would surely love them.
But there was no way for him to explain any of this, so he could only play dumb and pretend he knew nothing.