Just then, news arrived from the Purple Sun Prefecture: Wen Tongyu's strength had broken through yet again. This was followed by an even more astonishing announcement—the talent he displayed had been noticed by the current Royal Family, and he was to be made Prince Consort.
The moment this news reached Phoenix City, the entire city was shaken.
"Heavens, Wen Tongyu is such a genius! He broke through again!"
"And he was even noticed by the Royal Family! Now he's been made the Prince Consort!"
"The day Wen Tongyu makes his fortune will be the day the Wen Family rises to true prominence."
........
Zhang Hua of the Zhang Family wore a grave expression. Looking at everyone, he said, "Now that this Wen Tongyu has been named Prince Consort, how will there be any place left for our Zhang Family in Phoenix City a few years from now? What are we to do?"
Everyone exchanged glances and lowered their heads, feeling utterly helpless. No one had ever imagined that such a stunningly brilliant figure would emerge from a small place like Phoenix City.
For a time, the room fell into dead silence.
Zhang Hui swept her gaze across the crowd, then rose and said, "Father, I have a solution."
"Oh? What is it?" Zhang Hua asked hastily.
Zhang Hui took a slow breath and said, "I will marry Wen Tongyu as his concubine."
"What!?"
Zhang Hua was stunned, his brows furrowed tightly. While Zhang Hui's talent couldn't compare to Wen Tongyu's, she was still considered one of the Zhang Family's finest. He had initially planned to recruit Wen Tongyu into his own family, but now he was offering up his own daughter instead. The sudden reversal was difficult to accept.
"Patriarch, I think Xiaohui's plan is feasible."
"That's right. This way, once Wen Tongyu has fully developed, our Zhang Family will also reap significant benefits."
"Indeed, Patriarch."
Hearing everyone's input, Zhang Hua let out a long sigh, then gritted his teeth. "Fine! We'll do it that way!"
Soon, news spread that Wen Tongyu, son of the Wen Family Patriarch, was engaged to Zhang Hui. The ceremony, however, was that of taking a concubine. The implication was clear: Wen Tongyu was taking Zhang Hui as his concubine. This set off a tidal wave of upheaval, throwing the entirety of Phoenix City into turmoil.
In the midst of these events, Wen Qingye and Zhang Xiaoyun were completely forgotten. In fact, many even began to pity them. The two had become mere sacrifices for a political alliance, reduced to puppets manipulated by others.
Everyone secretly lamented the fact. Both were sons of the Wen Family Patriarch, yet not only were their talents different, their fates were worlds apart. One was taking the primary daughter of the Zhang Family as a concubine, while the other had married a concubine's daughter as his wife. One was about to become a dragon soaring above the nine heavens; the other, an insect crawling in a dark corner.
......
Over the next few days, Wen Qingye continuously soaked his body in the medicinal herbs he had purchased, and his strength finally broke through to the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer Heaven.
After this incident, Zhang Jian and Wen Hao stopped coming to bother him. Wen Qingye and Zhang Xiaoyun lived a peaceful and quiet life in a small courtyard, separate from the main Zhang Mansion.
In Wen Qingye's hands, the Ancient Moon Sword moved with fluid perfection. He executed Sword Slashes, Thrusting Swords, Lifting Swords, and Sweeping Swords, and even these simple, fundamental movements seemed to unfold with a majestic aura.
"Husband, you must be tired. Let me wipe your sweat."
The moment Wen Qingye returned his sword to its scabbard, Zhang Xiaoyun walked over and began to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
Wen Qingye didn't shy away. He stood still, his eyes fixed on Zhang Xiaoyun as he said, "Yun'Er, I promise I will heal your scar one day."
Zhang Xiaoyun smiled gently. "Husband, you don't have to comfort me. It's alright even if it can't be healed. As long as you don't mind, that's all that matters."
Wen Qingye just smiled. 'One day, you'll believe me.'
Zhang Xiaoyun said worriedly, "Oh, right, the assessment is the day after tomorrow. Husband, you must be careful. I've heard that people have been injured or even died during these assessments in the past, even if the chances are small."
Wen Qingye smiled. "Don't worry, I'll definitely pass. Once my sword is drawn, I never fail!"
Staring at Wen Qingye's sharply chiseled face, Zhang Xiaoyun felt a complex mix of emotions. She wanted him to pass the assessment, but if he did, he would have to leave for an academy, and they would have far fewer opportunities to see each other.
But if he didn't pass, she couldn't bear to see his disappointment.
Zhang Xiaoyun pumped a small fist in the air and smiled. "Husband, I'm sure you'll pass!"
Wen Qingye nodded. Seeing the young woman before him, now free of the panic and fear she'd shown when they first met, he smiled with heartfelt relief.
.......
「Two days passed in the blink of an eye.」
This was the most bustling day of the year in Phoenix City, for the entrance assessments of the three great academies were about to begin. To pass was to gain direct entry into one of the academies of the Celestial Martial Country—a dream cherished by countless people.
Zhang Xiaoyun stood beside Wen Qingye, her face hidden by a silk veil. Her small hand gripped his shoulder, trembling with obvious nervousness.
"Don't worry, I'm here," Wen Qingye said, patting her hand.
A huge crowd had gathered in the central plaza of Phoenix City, with the members of four major families occupying four distinct areas.
Wen Xu stood at the forefront of the Wen Family contingent, his gaze calm. He watched the crowd's excited chatter with an air of indifference, looking completely self-assured, as if none of it concerned him.
Wen Qingye's eye twitched involuntarily when he saw Wen Xu. Due to the fusion of two souls—the Longevity Immortal Monarch was now Wen Qingye, and Wen Qingye was the Longevity Immortal Monarch—the current Wen Qingye still felt a connection to his past life's emotions.
Wen Xu didn't notice Wen Qingye hiding in a corner, and Wen Qingye had no intention of approaching him.
The Zhang Family's Patriarch, Zhang Hua, stood with a sword in his hand, its tip planted on the ground. His eyes were closed as if in deep thought, with the members of the Zhang Family behind him.
Next was the Great Elder of the Liu Family, Liu Tianli. As for why the Liu Family's Patriarch hadn't come, no one knew. Perhaps he was in seclusion attempting to break through to a higher realm, or maybe he was simply busy with other affairs.
Finally, there were the members of the Gao Family. The Gao Family Patriarch, Gao Ming, stared fixedly at the stage, as if trying to discern some hidden wonder.
Seated in the center were three individuals, the representatives from the three great academies responsible for recruitment.
The middle-aged man in the center was Situ Hao, the chief examiner from the top-ranked Purple Sun Prefecture. To his left sat a middle-aged woman, Wu Jing, the examiner from Celestial Academy. To his right sat a young woman.
Every person present couldn't help but turn their gaze toward her.
The woman's skin was as fair as snow, and her bright eyes shone like starlight, yet held a deep coldness. She had a delicate, elegant nose, crimson lips, and pearly teeth. Her blushing cheeks were captivating, and a snow-white robe only served to accentuate her beauty.
She was like a goddess descended from the nine heavens, captivating all who saw her. Yet, an icy chill emanated from her, warning others not to approach or offend.
Her brow, like snow, held an icy purity; her glance, a bright moon rising over a fabled peak.
This young woman was the examiner from Qig Mountain Academy, and also the academy's most prized prodigy. At twenty-one years of age, her cultivation had already reached the Ninth Heaven of Refining Essence. Her innate talent was in no way inferior to that of the much-lauded Wen Tongyu.
Martial Artists were divided into three Grand Realms: Qi Cultivation, Refining Essence, and Refining Spirit. In the Celestial Martial Country, anyone who reached the Refining Spirit Realm was considered an expert.
For Yann Chuxue to have reached the Ninth Heaven of Refining Essence at only twenty-one years old simply made her the preeminent prodigy of the entire Celestial Martial Country.
'The number one beauty of the Celestial Martial Country, Yann Chuxue.'
Wen Qingye gazed at Yann Chuxue for a few moments, sighing in admiration in his heart. 'I never thought a place like this could produce someone with such beauty and grace. It's truly rare.'
At this moment, Wu Jing stood up and said slowly, "This year, same as always, the first trial—the most basic one—requires the examinee to move the giant stones before you. You must lift a weight of one thousand jin to be considered successful."
In the plaza stood a massive stone construct. The bottom-most stone disc had a diameter of about one and a half zhang. On top of it sat a slightly smaller disc, and so on, with the discs stacked sequentially to a height of seven or eight meters.
Of course, lifting all the stones was impossible; the total weight was at least 5,400 jin. There were nine stone layers in total. Counting from the top down, the first was the lightest. To pass, an examinee only needed to be able to lift the stone of the 5th Layer.
The lower the layer, the heavier it became, so there was no shortage of people who wanted to challenge their limits. Phoenix City still held the record, set by Wen Tongyu when he was seventeen. He had lifted the seventh layer, which weighed a total of 3,127 jin, causing a massive sensation in the city at the time.
Wen Tongyu was immediately noticed by the visiting examiner from the Purple Sun Talisman and was granted special admission as one of their students.
"Examinees may now come forward for the trial!"
As soon as the announcement was made, many of the participants grew eager to start.
"I'll go first!"
A burly man, unable to hold back, stepped forward and walked up to the stone discs.
"It's Huang Yi! I think he lifted the 5th Layer last year but failed the second trial."
"Yeah, I wonder if he can manage the 6th Layer this year."
"His strength is only at the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer Heaven, right? I doubt he'll make it. Usually, it takes someone at the Eighth Level of Qi Cultivation to barely pass."
The crowd murmured among themselves, their eyes fixed on the stage.
Huang Yi sized up the stone discs and walked straight to the 6th Layer. He wrapped his arms tightly around the stone, channeling all his strength and a continuous stream of Primordial Qi into the effort.
Veins bulged on Huang Yi's arms and sweat poured from his forehead, but the stone disc remained completely motionless.
After a moment...
HUFF, HUFF!
Huang Yi suddenly felt his strength completely drained, and he collapsed to the ground. He knew that now, even if he got back up, he wouldn't even be able to lift the 5th Layer. Annoyance flared in his heart.
Wu Jing stood up and issued a reminder. "I hope you will all act within your capabilities. If you overreach and exhaust your strength, you may fail to pass even this first trial."