ASER - Chapter 163
Chapter 163: Pried It Open
What academy bigwigs, learned and erudite, knowledgeable and wise, unparalleled in strategy.
What "within books, one finds houses of gold; within books, one finds beauty like jade."
Your elementary school teacher never told you there were female demons in reality, did they?
After all, the teacher isn't Wukong, and you're not Tang Sanzang.
But Chen A'Diao, in everyone's eyes now, must be a combination of the White Bone Demon (a deceptive appearance, one can't tell if human or ghost) + Zhu Bajie (eats sloppily and mocks others for not eating as much as her) + Hitara Erqing (she wants to be your girlfriend).
Anyway, wave after wave of critical hits from the academy alliance teachers, wave after wave of ashen-faced mental power from the family heads, from...
Even the Lushan teachers had expressions gleaming with spirit.
Otherwise, they couldn't contain their inner shock—it's over, Lushan is about to get a thousand-year-old drama queen from Black Wind Fortress.
In the picturesque and romantic Peach Blossom Town, many felt the peach blossom wine rice balls in their hands were no longer fragrant, but rather intoxicatingly so.
Peach blossoms danced, rustling down into the clear pond, red tiles, pink walls, green slate paths—the mortal world is full of damn tricks.
The square fell silent for a moment. Chen Yang was stunned for a while, then asked nervously, "Mother, this person clearly isn't Sister. Why does she say she is? Could this female demon have eaten Sister?"
Oh ho, truly her brother, always jumping to the conclusion that his sister was eaten by a female demon.
Xie Yuqing: Let me think for a moment, I'm not quite sure about this one.
However, recalling Xu Zhaoyin's usual detached and pretentious demeanor, she immediately adopted it. With a turn of her slender waist, exuding countless graces as she held her teacup, she said calmly, "What's there to panic about? The most important thing in life is to remain calm. Truth is merely a silhouette from one side of time; viewed from different angles, who can tell what's real or false?"
Anyway, just spout some profound artistic literature that you yourself don't understand. As long as you're sufficiently clueless, others will definitely be even more clueless than you.
And thus, the act of being pretentious succeeds.
Chen Yang: "?"
Jiang Zhou: "???"
Xu Zhaoyin, who had been passing the time reading recently: "…"
See, one look at their expressions and I knew my pretentious act was successful.
Xie Yuqing elegantly sipped her top-grade green tea, suddenly feeling an unsettling gaze fixed upon her.
But having navigated perilous situations in her youth, she immediately realized something. Without showing it, she tugged Xu Zhaoyin's sleeve, "Want to go to the restroom together?"
Xu Zhaoyin: "?"
The two entered the private room. Xu Zhaoyin seemed to have guessed. She reached out, took the device from Xie Yuqing, loaded it, and quickly spotted a face in the 360-degree surveillance footage.
This person was standing on the balcony of a private room two floors above, staring intently at them, constantly stroking his beard and chin. That gaze...
Disgusting.
Xie Yuqing: "Judging by the clothes, they look quite formidable. Did we offend someone?"
Xu Zhaoyin: "There might have been some trouble before, but no need to worry now. They won't dare to make a move, but the prerequisite is that we can't leave the Chen family residence recently."
Xie Yuqing wasn't foolish. "The imperial family?"
Xu Zhaoyin leaned back in her chair. "He's an idle prince, but close to the direct line, with a high rank within the imperial clan."
Isn't that terrifying? What rank of official is Chen Ran anyway?
"Forgive my bluntness, but our Lord Chen is just a rookie in front of them." Xie Yuqing paced back and forth, worried, one moment caressing her face, lamenting her disastrous beauty, the next regretting coming to watch the competition.
Xu Zhaoyin: "It doesn't matter if we watch or not. Once the two children make a name for themselves in the competition, regardless of gender, they will be thoroughly investigated. Our information simply cannot escape scrutiny."
"The official ranking system can be a form of protection for us, but it's also a means of data collection. We are inherently within its grasp."
Her words were calm. Xie Yuqing, who had been panicking, suddenly calmed down and instead asked curiously, "We've reached this critical point, how can you still act so pretentious?"
She asked very politely.
Xu Zhaoyin looked at her faintly for three seconds, her breath like orchid fragrance, "Just like your tea brewing, it relies on talent."
Xie Yuqing: "…"
She was genuinely puzzled. Fortunately, Xu Zhaoyin continued, "Although the imperial clan is high and mighty, it also has fixed, stable relationships with various systems. If a prince from the imperial family can enter Lushan first this time, it means they have already infiltrated the core sanctum of the martial power class, which is beneficial for centralizing power. But if they fail... that will be the beginning of their decline."
Xie Yuqing didn't quite understand at first, until Xu Zhaoyin dipped her finger in her teacup and wrote two moist characters on the table.
—Fate Energy.
The imperial family was originally the core of the world's unifying fate energy. This profoundly mystical concept has actually been a truth throughout all dynasties.
It should have produced the strongest prodigies under heaven, as it itself held vast inherited resources of the Tang Song Nation. Moreover, the resurgence of spiritual energy was something they spearheaded.
The opportune time and favorable conditions were all on its side.
Why hasn't an all-suppressing prodigy emerged from them? Instead, prodigies are appearing from humble backgrounds, and the powerful and noble are also performing impressively. It's rather like a hundred flowers blooming.
Because... the fate energy has begun to disperse.
This is the beginning of the imperial family's decline.
Therefore, next, they will definitely restrain their edge and wait for the martial examination to end. As for the imperial clan members who depend on the imperial family, one can specifically refer to that Dantai Yu.
Is he dead?
Definitely not dead.
Then why hasn't he appeared? Are the meridians in his body so difficult to regenerate?
"Perhaps it's because he's assessing the situation, not wanting to excessively offend others, while also wanting to preserve his own value."
While countless people were cheering for A'Diao's comeback, Xu Zhaoyin finished examining the list.
The exam wasn't over yet. There was no need to look at the leading group. She wasn't looking at who was strong or weak, winning or losing. She saw that while others were fiercely competing in the fifth stage, Dantai Yu had quietly completed the ABC, bloodline, and spiritual body aptitude tests.
The results were not hidden.
ABC 15th, Bloodline 10th, Spiritual Body Aptitude 9th.
This was his value, but he was unwilling to exhaust all of it prematurely.
Perhaps he was silently watching A'Diao and the others complete all the tests from the nurturing pool, but he endured, refusing to participate in the fifth stage because it would attract A'Diao's attention and invite killing intent.
He had to lie low now.
"His hope lies in the martial examination."
"Conversely, based on his understanding of the imperial family, he must have realized that the imperial family would use him to do something in the martial examination—for example, targeting A'Diao and others who could threaten Dantai Ke's ascension in the most important test."
Because Dantai Yu was at the Star Realm, even if his competition results lagged, as long as he entered the martial examination, he would have sufficient killing power.
Xu Zhaoyin sighed inwardly. Dantai Yu's cautiousness, used to gauge the imperial family's current sensitive attitude, indirectly proved that this imperial clan prince wasn't so terrifying after all.
However, she wondered if A'Diao knew about this matter.
A'Diao paid no attention to Dantai Yu at all.
In her view, people like him, who were born into the imperial clan just by lying down, no matter how humble their origins within it, were already luckier than 99.999% of the people in the Tang Song Nation. Moreover, with such incredible innate aptitude, he still ended up in this pathetic state of being secretive and having his life threatened at the slightest exposure.
Couldn't you just go abroad to develop?
Can't even afford a plane ticket?
It was nothing more than greed for that bit of future prospect, wanting to attain a better status.
But scheming never has a 100% success rate; once it fails, there will inevitably be a price to pay.
Just like her, she had failed several times and had come close to dying several times.
In life, what one competes on is the bottom line for stirring up trouble—if one fails, as long as one doesn't die, one can still make a comeback.
But she succeeded.
Standing on the platform at the seventh peak, A'Diao gazed at the distant clusters of crimson and peach-white, suddenly having an epiphany.
It turned out that as long as one stood high enough, any beautiful scenery could be seen in its entirety, but one could also see its end.
Therefore, the higher a person stands, the greedier their heart becomes.
"A little greed is good. Life is meaningless without greed, just bowing one's head to poke ants and raising it to watch idle clouds." A'Diao smiled, but then suddenly received a notification from her wristband.
Beep beep beep.
"Congratulations, examinee Chen A'Diao. You have passed all five stages of the second aptitude test. There are still three hours until the end of the assessment. You have completed the seventh peak assessment ahead of schedule and, as the first place, will receive the due reward. Please proceed to the teleportation array, select teleportation route number 1, and use your wristband for verification."
Oh my, the reward is here so quickly?
Didn't I work so hard just for this bite?
A'Diao, who was still striking a pretentious pose with her hands behind her back, saw a moderately sized golden teleportation array on the huge platform. She immediately ran over, completed the verification as instructed, and then teleported away.
In the blink of an eye, she appeared... in front of a grave mound.
Withered vines, old trees, evening crows; the grass on the grave mound was a meter eighty tall.
It was gloomy and eerie, surrounded by dense fog that obscured everything. Even though A'Diao was formidable, she felt a chill. Rubbing her arm, she looked down at her wristband and asked, "Calling Wristband, calling Wristband, may I ask which Lushan Senior needs me to visit their grave and burn paper offerings? But I didn't bring a lighter."
Wristband: "…"
Suspecting you're cursing people and the wristband.
On the other end of the wristband was a core technician from Lushan. Perhaps a little afraid of this Lushan examinee, who ranked among the most insidious in history, their voice came out soft and gentle: "Hello, examinee Chen A'Diao. You are currently at the tomb of a King-level master under Lushan from the founding era. The tombstone before you is a Dao Tablet forged from his lifelong Dao Intent. Your reward now is..."
Before he could finish, A'Diao rushed forward in three quick steps, like a perfect theatrical performance, and knelt down with a thud.
"Master, please accept this disciple's bow."
Her eyes were red, on the verge of tears.
Wristband: "???"
Toilet: "…"
Her original appearance was better. This current appearance and figure, it's quite a waste.
Just wonder what Qu Jiangnan would think if she were here. She'd probably cough up blood.
Only after the wristband finished explaining did A'Diao understand.
It wasn't about becoming a disciple. After all, the person was dead, what was the point of bowing? It was about inheriting the Dao Tablet of a Lesser Spirit King level master.
Holy crap, a Dao Tablet!
The one Xiao Jin gave her before allowed her to master a bug-like technique like □□. Now, there was an even higher-grade Lesser Spirit King Dao Tablet. The impressiveness index had leaped several levels.
No, she had to drink some tea to calm her nerves.
"Um, it's a gift for me? Can I pry it away now?"
The wristband politely and elegantly explained, "No, it's for you to comprehend. The time given to you is one day."
Such a huge treasure, and only for one day?
A'Diao was still a bit unwilling. "Then, can I pry it away within one day?"
Wristband: "If you steal things from Lushan, you'll be struck by lightning."
A'Diao: "…"
A'Diao's smile vanished instantly. She obediently sat down and began to send her mental threads into it to comprehend.
As soon as she made contact, she knew what this Dao Tablet primarily passed down.
Mental attack secret arts.
Clearly, it was tailor-made for her strongest spiritual body aptitude.
Holy crap!
I must pry this thing away, then carry it overnight to the train station and flee the country.
A'Diao's heart was about to burn up. She instantly reverted to the state of a little evil dragon locked outside a gold jewelry store display window, licking the glass with its dragon tongue.
Ahhh! It's scratching my heart and lungs!
I'm first place, why can't it be mine!
But she also knew it was useless to ask the wristband. She immediately began to flip through the core points of all the inherited content...
There was no inheritance chapter.
It simply wouldn't allow inheritance, only consultation and comprehension.
However, the wristband knew this was confidential and had temporarily cut off the signal to prevent its secret art information from leaking.
Seeing the wristband turn off, A'Diao gritted her teeth, narrowed her eyes, and suddenly tried to release several thousand mental threads... to climb onto the tombstone, and then... drill, drill, drill into its base.
Toilet: "!!!"
Are you crazy!
A'Diao: "I'll give it a try, see if I can sever its connection with the grave mound. Later, if I get struck by lightning, remember to shield me from within your body! Take a hit for me."
Toilet: "…"
No doubt about it, she must have been a bandit in her previous life, and the scum type who would push her accomplice out to take the bullet when the police arrived.
But while Toilet cursed A'Diao, it still prepared to take the lightning strike for her.
Time passed, minute by minute, second by second.
Boom!!
A bolt of lightning struck down.
Toilet blocked it... Holy crap!
A'Diao, also struck by the current, felt her body go numb.
A'Diao: "I calculated, if we share the current, we can probably take 38 more hits. Any more than that, and I'll fall unconscious."
Do you think I'm a power bank, damn it, sharing.
Toilet: "…"
But she calculated so seriously, it felt bad to refuse her.
Strike away, strike away, let's see if you can get it done within 38 hits.
Boom, boom, boom!
In a certain enclosed space, a certain grave mound was constantly being struck by lightning.
After a full 35 strikes.
It stopped.
24 hours later, the wristband came online to check the situation, sending a message as it did, "Examinee Chen A'Diao, 24 hours have passed, your comprehension time has..."
Gone coal mining?
The wristband fell silent.
A'Diao, covered in soot, patted the dust off herself while healing her wounds, and said excitedly, "Senior Wristband, this Master has acknowledged me! Look, his tombstone..."
She pried at it, pried it out, and then picked it up.
"It has acknowledged me."
"It's willing to come with me."
The wristband fell silent, suffocated, and went offline.
He contacted his superior's superior.
Soon, in an ink-wash painting-like room, the Mountain Head of Lushan said slowly, "Since its owner has acknowledged her, what can we say?"
Wristband: "But, she pried it away..."
Mountain Head: "So much lightning, 90% of the damage was mental attacks. She pried as she pleased; the owner's soul conducted its own test. Enduring the minor mental lightning tribulation means her spiritual body is at least Grandmaster level. Such an inheritor, if it were me and I died in the future, I'd wish for my grave to be pried open too."
The wristband understood and immediately withdrew.
The Mountain Head smiled calmly, seemingly very satisfied with his arrangement this time. "Old friend, I've found you a pretty good disciple."
"Quite polite too, kneeling to you as soon as she arrived. Young people like that are rare these days."
Just as he finished saying this, he heard the conversation between Chen A'Diao and the wristband from his awesome scrying water mirror.
Wristband: "Verification passed. This time, you barely avoided violating the rules, but it won't be a precedent."
A'Diao: "There's a next time? Then I'll bring a lighter and paper money next time. It was quite impolite this time."
Prying open the tombstone was indeed quite impolite.
Wristband: "Alright, see you next time."
The Mountain Head saw through it. This brat, from head to toe, hadn't asked about the tombstone owner's surname or past.
Sharp as a tack, calculating clearly, never dragging things out, nor getting entangled in others' karma.
A reward is a reward. Being able to pry it away was her skill; surviving the lightning strikes was also her skill.
Only inheriting the legacy, not the blacklist contact book.
The Mountain Head smiled.
Lushan, it seems, is about to welcome a little terror in the future.
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