You call this the way of the sword?

At the summit of Longshan Mountain, the array frequently lit up, and the students of Wendao Caotang returned one after another.

When they set foot on their hometown soil again, most of them felt as if they were in a dream.

Clearly, they all had their own experiences in the secret realm, and regardless of whether they had awakened their talents, this journey would be unforgettable for them.

Especially for those who have died once in the secret realm, the feeling of being resurrected is truly... a mix of surprise and disappointment.

"Ah, it would be so wonderful if I could be reborn and reactivate my Dao body after finally dying."

"Then we discovered it was still an auxiliary flow."

"Say something about your grandma!"

The boys laughed and joked, eagerly sharing their experiences in the secret realm. When they heard that someone hadn't awakened their talent, their laughter grew louder and louder.

At least it'll be easier to explain when I get home...

Even someone as competitive as Qiao Lie felt much better after returning and learning that no one else had awakened either.

But Lin Tong wouldn't let him go, grabbing him and relentlessly asking, "You haven't awakened? Why haven't you awakened? What trial did you encounter? Was it a giant insect? A deity? An arithmetic problem? Or your nemesis... Yang Qingfeng?"

Lin Tong pronounced Yang Qingfeng's name with great rhythm, and almost every time he uttered a word, a vein would throb on Qiao Lie's forehead.

It's easy to imagine that his anger was enough to reduce Lin Tong to ashes, but he refrained from making a move and stayed by Chang Maofu's side, keeping an eye on the formation.

"Talent is just icing on the cake; true cultivation still depends on oneself."

In just three days, Chang Maofu grew stubble on his face, losing some of his refined elegance and gaining a more weathered look, which made the female students blush and their hearts race, frequently glancing at him sideways.

Qiao Lie had a bad temper, but he knew that his master meant well. Hearing this, he immediately calmed down and said in a deep voice, "I understand what you mean, sir. If Yang Qingfeng awakens, that's his ability, and I won't be jealous."

"But there's still a chance to beat him, and I don't think we should give up now."

It wasn't that he shouldn't have done it, it was clearly that he didn't want to... Chang Maofu sighed inwardly.

It's natural to be unwilling to be inferior to others, and it's even more common to talk one's own mind.

In his view, Qiao Lie's competitiveness was too narrow-minded. What was there to fight over in the school?

If you want to compete, why not compete to be the first in the world?

However, it's difficult to say such things. Children are fragile, and someone like Qiao Lie is even more stubborn and easily broken. If you say something, you're afraid of being too harsh; if you don't say anything, you're afraid he'll hit a wall and never turn back. It's a difficult situation.

Chang Maofu thought for a moment, then offered two final words of advice: "Cultivation isn't about who progresses the fastest, but about who progresses the furthest. Your Crimson Fire Path is quite good; for now, aim for a prestigious university, what do you say?"

Qiao Lie nodded and said confidently, "Don't worry, sir. Wanyi and I came from the capital, so we will naturally return to the capital. Our goal is the National Academy."

Both siblings wanted to apply to a national academy…

Chang Maofu suddenly had something else to say, but he knew that Qiao Lie wouldn't listen.

The Yu Xia Empire has countless academies, which are divided into higher, secondary and ordinary academies. The National Academy is the highest level among higher academies, and it is directly connected with the cabinet and the military.

It's no surprise that the best universities also have the highest admission scores.

The most fundamental point is to achieve top marks in all six areas of the exam.

New level, new cultivation level, combat level, major exam results, on-site evaluation, and the final challenge.

Only those who excel in all six aspects have a chance of being admitted to the National Academy of Education. But to put it bluntly, the level and cultivation alone are enough to eliminate 90% of the new cultivators.

There were only ten days between the question and the big exam.

Excluding the three days in the Talent Secret Realm, newly promoted cultivators only have seven days left to level up.

Although leveling up and improving one's cultivation level are not contradictory, the effect will be greatly reduced if the siblings team up.

Chang Maofu suddenly thought of something, looked around, and stuffed something into Qiao Lie's arms.

Qiao Lie was stunned for a moment, then took it out and saw that it was a dungeon cooldown stone!

Although it's just a low-grade cooling stone, it requires cultivation to recharge, making it extremely precious!

"gentlemen…"

"Shh!"

Chang Maofu, as if doing something wrong, slightly turned his head and said, "I only have this one, don't make a sound."

Qiao Lie, assuming this was his teacher's entire fortune, gripped the cooling stone tightly and solemnly said, "Teacher, when I become successful in the future, I will repay you with one hundred, no, ten thousand, high-grade ones!"

Chang Maofu was both amused and exasperated. Who had taught this idiot?

……

As noon approaches, the secret realm will soon close.

Of the 100 students at Wendao Caotang, 98 have returned safely.

There was no suspense; none of them were able to awaken their talents.

Awakening one's talent is incredibly difficult, everyone thought so, and at the same time, they all unanimously hoped and pinned their hopes on the last two classmates.

"It looks like they're going to stay until the very last moment."

"Staying in the secret realm for three days should be enough to awaken the power, right?"

"It's hard to say. They might have been trapped in the trial and were forcibly expelled at the end."

"I think it's unlikely. Yang Qingfeng's swordsmanship... is strange and doesn't look like proper swordsmanship. Wanyi's water style is a secondary style within the mainstream, and her combat ability is not strong. She mostly survives by relying on her milk."

Everyone held their own opinions, and the discussion went on until noon.

The blazing sun beat down, steaming the earth and sending up wisps of smoke.

The array on the open ground suddenly activated, emitting a light blue glow. Immediately afterwards, a graceful figure walked out from the light, instantly causing the crowd to erupt in excitement.

"It's Wan Yi!"

"Even her entrance is different from everyone else's..."

"It's done! It's definitely going to work!"

The girl, named Wanyi, was surnamed Qiao and was considered the most beautiful girl in Wendao Caotang.

Not only is she beautiful, but she also has an outstanding figure, a very good temper, and extremely poor grades. Despite her graceful figure and precocious temperament, belonging to the type of senior sister who is just beginning to mature, she is known as Qiao's younger sister because she is Qiao Lie's twin sister.

Her contrasting personality makes her a favorite among everyone. Especially those boys who love blowing up poop in the toilet; if they bring Qiao Wanyi along, they can blow up an extra two tons of poop.

At this moment, Qiao Wanyi returned bathed in blue light, and everyone rushed towards her, startling her so much that her eyes shrank into tiny dots, and she almost lost her soul.

After finally calming down, I obediently opened the properties panel to check.

As she moved, the world suddenly became eerily quiet.

Even Chang Maofu couldn't help but look forward to it, while Qiao Lie stood by with a smile in his eyes, having full confidence in his sister.

As expected, after Qiao Wanyi closed the attribute panel, she pursed her lips and glanced at everyone, deliberately keeping them in suspense for a few seconds, before suddenly exclaiming, "Daoist Master, I did it!! Yay!!"

The entire venue erupted in cheers in an instant.

Qiao Wanyi not only successfully awakened her talent, but also a talent with active skills.

After casting the spell, a fist-sized water sprite was born in her hand.

The water fairy can cast all skills alongside Qiao Wanyi, which is equivalent to dual casting, but without consuming additional mana, and can also stay permanently.

"This talent..."

"Wouldn't that be considered a divine skill?"

Everyone was so envious they were numb. Some even clutched their heads and howled in despair, denouncing the injustice of fate that the weakest member of the group had taken the most perfect step.

Qiao Wanyi didn't care at all. She held the little demon and showed it off everywhere. After playing with it for a while, the formation started to operate again, emitting a white light like ice crystals.

This time, not only was light shining through, but there was also a faint yet surging primordial aura.