Chapter 21: Water Affinity Insight Technique

At this moment, Hongjian had no other choice but to force herself to memorize everything, regardless of what it was—her only aim was to remember it all, down to the smallest detail. She deeply felt that her expectations had gone awry; the tests these esteemed seniors devised were entirely different from what she had imagined. The younger brother she had pinned her hopes on, Fang Zheng, was unlikely to pass even the first round outside the hall, let alone make it into the main chamber, and he would surely be helpless before the jade slip’s contents.

Fortunately, she still had herself. Though discrimination from Fei Chengji had left her nearly half an hour behind Jiang Yan and Shi Qingxiang, if she truly risked everything to memorize, there was still a chance. As for why these ascendant cultivators would show interest in mere qi refinement apprentices from the great sects—why even Xing Wuyai had traveled from afar to participate—Hongjian had no time to ponder such mysteries. Risks abounded on the path of cultivation, and these teenagers, seasoned by their environment, hardly cared about such dangers. In a place where everyone strove to outdo each other, thirteen-year-old Hongjian felt her heart ablaze; soon, she abandoned all distractions, focusing every ounce of her spirit on the myriad strange symbols and characters before her.

To Hongjian, only a short time seemed to have passed when she suddenly felt her mind jolted by something, pulling her out of the jade slip. She looked up in confusion and saw that everyone around her had also ended their meditation at the same time. Instantly, she realized that one of the seniors on the dais had acted—the second round had begun.

Sure enough, the dignified middle-aged man seated above spoke: “It has been two hours since the last person entered the hall. What you observed in the jade slip was a segment of ancient celestial script, treasured within the Sigil Diagram Tower of our Sigil Diagram Sect. I believe, for you, it is truly a book of heaven. Each of you now receives paper and ink—to write down what you just memorized. Begin.” This middle-aged man was indeed Dai Mingchi, the sect master of the Sigil Diagram Sect.

Hongjian lowered her gaze and found that, at some unknown moment, paper, ink, and brush had already been set before her. She longed to look back and see if Fang Zheng had entered the hall, but the surroundings were silent, with an invisible pressure enveloping her. Hongjian steeled herself, picked up the brush and paper.

An elderly, quavering voice sounded from Jin Donglou: “Anyone who dares to use sorcery to steal or copy from others will have their cultivation abolished and be expelled from their sect. In this vast world, talents like yours are rare as phoenix feathers—treasure it well.”

The atmosphere in Huanhua Hall stilled.

Xing Wuyai, unconcerned, let out a mocking laugh: “Old fellow, why bother reminding them? I was hoping to see if any of these children dared to sprout wings.”

Hongjian hurried to focus her mind. With the three ascendant seniors’ interruption, the first half she so clearly remembered began to blur. Others in the front row had already started writing furiously; Hongjian dared not delay, and immediately began to transcribe, from memory, the "book of heaven" she had committed to mind.

Afraid that time might dull her recollection, she swiftly wrote out more than a hundred strange glyphs. Many in the hall had already reached their limits; even Zhu Jingxian, seated beside Hongjian, had stopped writing, brows tightly knit, clearly struggling to recall. Hongjian managed another ten or so symbols before her pace slowed. She had also forced herself to remember over twenty ancient celestial characters and two slightly different diagrams—since she memorized these close to the end, she felt less afraid of forgetting them. By now, her palm was slick with sweat, so she paused to rest her hand.

The elders on the dais continued their conversation. This time, Xing Wuyai spoke.

“What a bother!” He yawned. “Isn’t Mister Ji a specialist in water-based insight techniques? Why not see which of these youngsters has the best memory?”

The gulf between qi refinement and ascendant cultivators was vast; none dared question the judgment of these mighty seniors. Even Hongjian, upon hearing this, felt affected, her mind distracted, thinking, “So someone on the dais can judge us directly, without waiting for us to finish writing?”

“Mister Ji” laughed quietly, “Is Xing Da Ascendant testing me first?”

Xing Wuyai replied impassively, “Show your skills to everyone, that’s the proper thing.”

Hongjian had no idea what made this “water-based insight technique” special, but as someone with a water spiritual root, the mention of water caught her attention. For an ascendant cultivator to praise such a technique, it must be extraordinary. She was certain this “Mister Ji” was not from the Pill Cliff Sect; among the outsiders present, aside from two ascendants, there seemed to be only… that man—he had never told Hongjian much about himself, but his surname was Ji. He had arrived with Xing Wuyai, yet they weren’t of the same faction?

Hongjian could not explain why her attention to this mysterious man now outweighed even her urgency to transcribe the “book of heaven.” She heard “Mister Ji” say with calm ease, “It’s nothing remarkable, merely showing off before Elder Jin and the seniors of Pill Cliff Sect. If you insist, Xing brother, then it is him.”

Even the most steadfast of these youths now looked up, following “Mister Ji’s” gesture. He pointed directly at Jiang Yan of Xianyun Sect.

But Hongjian looked up at the lofty “Mister Ji,” her brow furrowed in confusion.

Something was wrong. This man’s appearance and even his gestures were identical to the one Hongjian knew, yet his tone and manner of speaking felt strangely out of place. It was as if someone were performing a ventriloquist act before her; “Mister Ji” sat there, but the words seemed to come from another.

Hongjian shook her head, suppressing her unease, and returned to her transcription.

Xing Wuyai laughed heartily, “Good! Whoever surpasses this Xianyun Sect boy need not take further tests; my choice today is him.” The apprentices still copying the “book of heaven” were greatly encouraged.

Dai Mingchi interjected, “Brother Xing, I fear you may be disappointed. Speaking of which, although Elder Jin, Sect Leader Ling, and Brother Sun all have water spiritual roots, none specialize in this insight technique, do they? I have high hopes for Youyun—these past years, his foresight is uncanny.”

Hongjian’s hand trembled, blotting her page. Her own reaction had been far too slow—this “Mister Ji” had a water spiritual root, while her old acquaintance possessed a gold spiritual root. They were simply two very similar individuals; she had clearly mistaken one for the other.

Hongjian remembered the sharp wind that accompanied the man when he collected his pills. She had probed him, and he had merely snorted without denying it. That was his nature—never denying, which was as good as admitting. His aloof, solitary temperament… That was it! Hongjian finally understood why “Ji Youyun,” seated above, felt so wrong to her. Though still shrouded in mystery, the humility and tact in his words were nothing like the person she had once known.

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Thank you all—though I haven’t mentioned every name, I will remember each of you. Please forgive my lack of eloquence. Love you all~~