The Legend of Futian - Chapter 13: Success in a Day

Qingzhou Academy was home to the largest library collection in all of Qingzhou.

After the written exam, Ye Futian returned to his dorm to cultivate. Sometime in the afternoon, he arrived at the academy library alone.

He only had access to the first floor of the library. On this floor were books and scrolls containing the most basic of martial art exercises, battle strategies, and simple divination spells. These books were perfect for outer sect disciples in the Awakening Plane.

The second floor of the library was only accessible to official disciples and outer sect disciples who ranked during the Spring or Fall Quarter Examinations. It was every sorcerer's dream to be able to view all these powerful spell books. Feng Qingxue was one of those dreamers and therefore it was her goal to be ranked at the Fall Exam.

However, the second level of the library was not the reason why Ye Futian was here today. He had begun properly cultivating. Aside from the Freedom Meditation, he had not done any martial art exercises, nor had he practiced any spells. Tomorrow's exam might require him to participate in a battle. If he showed up tomorrow with mediocre fighting skills, it would be a huge embarrassment. He could not let that happen; after all, he had ranked first on the written exam. Many people were waiting for him to make a fool out of himself.

The library was split in half, with a martial arts section and a divination arts section. Ye Futian made his way toward the martial arts section.

The sixth level of Awakening was a point of division. Before the Invincible Plane, martial and divination art cultivators had essentially trained in the same way. The difference was that one used Worldly Essence to enhance the body in order to break through the different planes and the other used Elemental Spiritual Qi. The planes were all the same until the division of the Invincible Plane.

When martial art cultivators were able to understand the artistic conception of the exercises, they could break into the Mystery Plane. Sorcerers, however, had to seek out hidden Elemental Spiritual Qi using their abilities to perceive these energies. They had to create harmony between these new energies and the Spiritual Qi they had previously collected in the Collection Plane. Then, and only then, were sorcerers able to break past the Invincible Plane.

Therefore, Qingzhou Academy had a requirement to become an official disciple. If you could make it into the Mystery Plane before your eighteenth birthday, you had the advantage of joining the school of your choice. Or if you were like Yu Sheng, capable of cultivating in both martial and divination arts, you could pursue both.

Even though there weren't many people in the library, there was the still a fair amount of attention on Ye Futian. His results from the written exam put him in the spotlight but in conjunction with the smile he got from Hua Jieyu, the amount of attention this ex-loser got was through the roof.

Rumor had it that he was stuck on the Collection Plane, so why was he here picking out books on martial arts exercises? Everyone was asking themselves this question as they observed Ye Futian quietly.

They watched him as he wandered around the library, stopping here and there. It looked like he was trying to find some suitable cultivation exercises for himself.

A while later, Ye Futian stopped again. He flipped through the book in his hands with great concentration.

The Release of the Dragon Power, studied by warriors, it was an exercise of immense power. The body of the cultivator became like that of a dragon, uncontrollably powerful and fierce.

"The exercise may be harsh, but also powerful." Ye Futian was satisfied with what he had found.

"This is it." He closed the book and was ready to leave.

"You're going to cultivate the Release of the Dragon Power?" an observer asked with a face ridden with curiosity.

"Is there a problem with that?" Ye Futian asked chuckling.

"No problem, it's perfect for you," said the observer, trying to hide their laughter.

Ye Futian could not be bothered. He turned to leave and a round of laughter and gossip ensued behind him.

"Did he come to the library just to put on a show for us?" people questioned his true intentions for coming to the library.

"What do you know, the Release of the Dragon Power is so domineering, fit for someone who ranked number 1 on the written test. Oh, how could I forget, that's Ye Futian!" said another person.

"That's right. First place really is different from the rest of us." The mocking comments and laughter came from behind Ye Futian. The Release of the Dragon Power was very well-known amongst the outer sect disciples. Indeed, it was a powerful exercise, but it required the cultivator to mimic the movements of a dragon, how could that be possible? There had been people who tried but none that had succeeded.

Since Ye Futian came all the way to the library just to take out the Release of the Dragon Power, it was only right to have a little fun.

Ye Futian did not care about what they said. He headed for the divination arts section of the library when he saw two figures headed in his direction, causing him to stop in his tracks.

After being scolded by her father, Feng Qingxue was in a sour mood. So, she decided to look around in the library to get her mind off of it. Plus, after the Fall Quarter hunting practice, she had officially stepped into the sixth level of Awakening, the Invincible Plane. She was finally ready to cultivate the divination arts properly, so it would be perfect for her to find something useful at the library. Feng Qingxue had not even thought about the possibility of running into Ye Futian here.

Her beautiful eyes shone bright, no longer avoiding Ye Futian. She looked right at him and said, "Are you here to pick out some exercise books?"

"Yeah," Ye Futian smiled and nodded lightly.

Feng Qingxue did not know what to say. The atmosphere had become awkward.

"Feng Qingxue, didn't you want to go look at the spell books?" Beside her, Murong Qing pulled Feng Qingxue into the divination arts section after glancing at Ye Futian.

Ye Futian walked in that direction as well. Seeing him in the same section of the library, Murong Qing furrowed her brows and whispered, "Feng Qingxue, I don't think he's given up on you."

Feng Qingxue froze. She then snuck a peek at Ye Futian, only to see him browsing through book labels.

"What a fake." Murong Qing could not help but call him out when she saw what Ye Futian was looking at. Even though he ranked first, it was just a written exam. What did he know about actual cultivation?

Even if he did cultivate, he should be in the martial arts section.

"Maybe he just wants to get an understanding of the divination arts," Feng Qingxue lowered her voice. Ye Futian's performance on the Fall Quarter Written Examinations had truly left an impression on her. To rank first on the written exam required a deep knowledge and understanding of every class in both arts.

"Martial Divination?" Murong Qing saw the book in Ye Futian's hands. Her sarcastic smile widened and unrelentingly opened her mouth, "If you're going to be a poser, can you try a little harder? You're not fooling anyone holding that baby book."

Everyone around heard her words and looked at Ye Futian. Most of them began to laugh when they realized what she said was true. He was, indeed, holding a book which contained the most basic of spells. Martial Divination were spells that you would only use to trick children.

Ye Futian closed the book and put it under his arms with the Release of the Dragon Power. He then turned to look at Murong Qing quizzically. "Do I even know you?" Ye Futian asked and walked away, not taking a second look at Murong Qing.

"You..." Murong Qing pointed her finger at Ye Futian's back, not knowing what to say, then she finally mustered, "Seems like you got quite cocky after ranking first on the written test. You even have the nerve to come to the library and try to look good in front of us while holding a book like Martial Divination. Forget the fact that you're a complete loser; even if you were a proper cultivator, a martial art cultivator like you would never be good enough for Feng Qingxue!"

Feng Qingxue was a sorcerer, as was Murong Qing. Sorcerers all think that they are better than martial art cultivators. After all, in some sense, all sorcerers had the innate ability to cultivate in martial arts. All they had to do was cultivate Elemental Spiritual Qi as they would Worldly Essence, but other than those who were truly gifted in cultivating both arts, no sorcerers would waste their time on martial art development.

Ye Futian did not want to be bothered with what she said, but nothing could stop Murong Qing as she went on, "Besides, you'll be back to where you started after tomorrow. First rank? What a joke. Once a loser, always a loser. I can't wait to see how you'll make a fool out of yourself tomorrow."

Ye Futian took his two books to be registered then left the library. Inside the library was overtaken by a wave of gossip. People mostly whispered about the two books he had taken out, the Release of the Dragon Power and Martial Divination. How ridiculous was that?

Feng Qingxue quietly listened on. She had nothing to say. Even though Ye Futian had smiled at her, she still felt an invisible line separating them. He did as she asked and kept his distance from her but Feng Qingxue did not know why there was discomfort in her heart.

......

"The Release of the Dragon Power and Martial Divination," Yu Sheng was surprised upon seeing the two books. He looked at Ye Futian. "Are you cultivating in both arts and starting with martial arts?"

"Yeah, Mandate Sorcerers are called sorcerers because we're innately gifted with the elements. However, Mandate Sorcerers are also extremely suited for the cultivation of the martial arts. Naturally, I can't put Heaven's gift to waste!" Ye Futian nodded and continued, "As for my reason for starting in the martial arts, that's because at my level the sorcery I can cultivate is still not powerful enough. It's all the basics. I can't unleash my full potential as a sorcerer yet."

"Then what about Martial Divination?" Yu Sheng was very curious.

"It's better to be prepared for everything." Ye Futian gave him a mysterious smile. "Besides, cultivation of Martial Divination is super easy, it won't take up much of my time."

Yu Sheng nodded his head, not having any more questions. Ye Futian spoke again, "That fox probably has no interest in the debate as usual and will not participate. If she doesn't then I will try to get ranked first in the Fall Quarter Examinations overall."

"Okay." Yu Sheng nodded, if this was what Ye Futian wanted, then this was what he was going to do. He had already gotten on the List of Brilliance; if he was able to stand out above everyone tomorrow, then he could definitely get first place for the entire exam.

"I'm going to cultivate," said Ye Futian. He then made his way to the designated cultivation area and flipped through the Release of the Dragon Power. Looking at the words and diagrams in the book, he closed his eyes. Seconds later, a rumbling noise began. He was surrounded by flashes of lightning, which intensified by the second.

The fearful lightning roamed across his body. Ye Futian observed the dragon in his mind as it roared and danced. Its aura was powerful.

In his body, the Thunder and Lightning Spiritual Qi slowly shaped itself until it was in the form of a dragon. It looked just like the dragon in his Life Palace, incredibly realistic.

Others who had tried to cultivate the Release of the Dragon Power failed to replicate the form of a dragon, but to Ye Futian, this was no problem at all.

Using the exercises from the book, the dragon formed by the thunder and lightning charged recklessly throughout his body. It passed through his nerves, organs, limbs, and bones. It was everywhere. Instantly, Ye Futian's face turned bright red, then white. It seemed like he was in great pain. A groan slipped out every now and then.

The Release of the Dragon Power was immensely powerful and took a huge toll on one's body. It was all to create the image of a dragon within one's self, allowing your own body to become like that of a dragon.

This one session went from day to night. When the sun rose the next day, a figure was dancing in the yard of the dorm. It was Ye Futian. He was still cultivating the tactics in the Release of the Dragon Power, his movements big and powerful. His surroundings were brightened with a curtain of light. Circling his body was a faintly formed dragon, at times it almost looked like a real dragon.

A loud roar sounded with a single punch from Ye Futian. It sounded like a dragon had broken free. Another loud noise sounded from a distance away; a wall had collapsed.

Someone ran onto the scene. It was Yu Sheng. Upon witnessing the crime scene, his eyes fell on Ye Futian.

"You've achieved the artistic conception of martial arts. You're in the Mystery Plane of martial art cultivation," stated Yu Sheng.

"The seventh plane of Awakening." Ye Futian smiled. "Looks like we'll have to get someone to fix that wall. Tell them you broke it while cultivating."

"You're throwing me under the bus?" Yu Sheng stared at him in disbelief.

"Of course!" Ye Futian laughed and headed back to his room. He was dripping with sweat and needed to shower in preparation for the beginning of today's Fall Quarter Examinations.

The Legend of Futian - Chapter 12: Fellow Brothers

Ye Futian was upset. The others were just jealous.

Was Hua Jieyu smiling at him? Did they already know each other?

It was impossible. How could this legendary loser have gotten the chance to know the real legend of the academy? It must have been that his performance on the written test had made her a bit curious about him. People tried to justify why Hua Jieyu knew none of them, yet she knew Ye Futian.

"Yep, that must be true. Ye Futian will fail tomorrow anyway. What happened today is just another part of his daydream."

The crowd was dismissed. Ye Futian and Yu Sheng walked towards the stands, where Ye Baichuan was waiting for them. When he saw the boys, he laughed. "Good job boy. You really are my blood."

"Good job? Who was gloating about having an excellent son minutes ago to everyone? Where are those big words now?" Feng Ruhai was also laughing. "You are impressive; congratulations."

"Sure, so is Qingxue. She made it to the List of Brilliance," Ye Baichuan said.

"Come here son, I have to ask you something." Ye Baichuan walked away, his son following him. Ye Baichuan stopped and showed a sly smile to Ye Futian. "Tell me, are you being mean to Qingxue because you are going after someone better? Be honest with me."

Ye Futian felt so awkward. It seemed that the smile Hua Jieyu had given him had also caused some silly misunderstanding for his father.

"This is really complicated. Leave me alone; I will deal with it." Ye Futian shrugged his shoulders.

Ye Baichuan gazed at his eyes and said, "Okay, you take care of this; it's none of my business anymore. Now that you have aced the written test, what about tomorrow?"

Ye Futian looked serious, and showed a curious face to Ye Baichuan. "In our family ancestry, were there any great Mandate Sorcerers with cultivation specialized in Freedom Meditation?"

"Of course. I take it you have awakened already?" Ye Baichuan immediately realized what had happened.

"Yes," Ye Futian nodded.

"Good!" Ye Baichuan suddenly slapped his son on the shoulder. He was so excited that his palm made a cracking sound when it hit Ye Futian's head. He retracted his palm when he saw the painful expression on his son's face.

"What are you doing, Dad?" Ye Futian stared at his father. "So, if we have great family ancestors, why am I the only one who awakened with that special talent?"

"That's definitely because of my efforts."

Ye Baichuan was taking this for granted. Ye Futian frowned. His father must have been even more shameless than he was at his age.

"I'll tell your godfather the good news. He will be so happy for you, son. Maybe he will come and watch tomorrow by himself," Ye Baichuan said. Ye Futian's eyes suddenly lit up with hope. Ever since he was a child, his godfather had told him that one day he would be awakened, and it had finally happened. He could not wait to see the happiness on his godfather's face.

As the two were talking, Feng Ruhai also began to speak with his daughter. He asked, "When did Ye Futian meet Hua Jieyu? Has he been mean to you since then?"

Apparently both fathers believed that Ye Futian had betrayed Feng Qingxue for another beautiful girl. Feng Qingxue realized the misunderstanding and shook her head to deny it.

"Then what's going on? Tell me the truth." Feng Ruhai wanted to know what was going on.

Feng Qingxue hesitated for a second, then slowly told her father the whole story.

"That is stupid." Feng Ruhai seemed angry about what she had said. "That's not how you deal with relationships. You have known Futian for years. You guys have been arguing and joking forever. There should be nothing that you cannot just sit down and talk about. How rude of you to let someone step in between that! It was not a rejection of pursuit, it was a farewell. Not to mention that this boy has always loved to joke. There is a clear difference between asking you to cultivate and asking you out on a date. As for Yu Sheng, how could he not be angry enough to be unfriendly to you in public? You even hung out with Murong Qiu after all this happened. Have you ever stopped to think about Futian? How is he supposed to deal with the aftermath of your inappropriateness?"

"Nothing is going on between Murong Qiu and me. We only went hunting together because of his cousin, Murong Qing. I needed some extra help from someone powerful." Feng Qingxue began to defend herself stubbornly. "I know he likes to make jokes, but come on dad; we are both grown-ups. He definitely crossed the line with a joke like that. I believe what Murong Qing said about keeping some distance makes sense."

"I know that nothing is going on between Murong Qiu and you, but hanging out with another guy after turning down Futian? That is humiliating. Can't you understand that?" Feng Ruhai sounded more serious as he stared at his daughter. "You have known each other since birth, and your Uncle Ye is my best friend. We respect your choices in handling the relationship between yourselves, but you have embarrassed me."

Feng Qingxue tried to be strong and keep herself from crying because she seldom saw her father being strict like this. She felt uncomfortable. She looked at her father and said, "I hope what I did is not getting in between you and Uncle Ye. We are both grown-ups, and we will never regret our choices."

"Come on, girl." Feng Ruhai shook his head. "Don't you realize that all you did was mask your feelings? You rejected him in such a terrible way because you think that you are way out of his league. You believe that you are mature enough to make these decisions, but a pure friendship without interest and calculation is the most beautiful thing in this world. You would not regret it if Futian kept being laid back as he has always been, but what about today? He just became the new star of this academy. Please tell me you don't regret your actions even a little bit now."

She reluctantly acknowledged to herself that she did regret what she had done, especially after seeing the new Ye Futian, but she remained silent.

"I have seen Futian grow up over the years. He looks lazy and casual, but deep inside, a tiger is waking up," Feng Ruhai continued, "He has been bearing the insults from others for three years at this academy. Can you think of anyone else with as much tolerance as he has? He is not just some normal guy that you'd never regret missing, trust me."

After his speech, Feng Ruhai shook his head and left, leaving Feng Qingxue dumbfounded.

A tiger…waking up inside. Her eyes turned to a figure in the distance. Soon she turned back and went to the dorm.

Ye Futian also said goodbye to his father. He looked towards the arena and found that Qin Yi was staring at him from far away.

He pointed his forefinger towards the sky and smiled at Qin Yi with a strong sense of confidence. This gesture conveyed a simple message: Just wait.

Qin Yi eyed him, then walked away. She was also disturbed by what he had done. She had never imagined that this guy could ace the written Fall Quarter Exam. She had a faint feeling that another miracle would happen tomorrow. Suddenly, she realized that she had a weird sense of hope and expectation.

The crowd was finally gone, and the arena became quiet. However, tomorrow this place would be even more busy. The Fall Quarter Exam had always been the annual focus of the city. After the lists had been announced, the crowd waiting outside the academy soon heard about what Ye Futian had done. It was absolutely fantastic for someone to win over Hua Jieyu and Yang Xiu on the written test. Those who knew this infamous boy before felt even more thrilled by this miracle.

......

During lunch, the restaurants of Qingzhou were full of customers. Inside a fancy restaurant next to Qingzhou Academy, a group was hatching a plan.

Murong Qiu, student of Qingzhou Academy, now sat in a private room. Beside him were the elders of the Murong family. They were led by the current head of this big family, Murong Yunshan, Murong Qiu's father.

"The Fall Quarter Exam today reminded me of our past, decades ago. Brother, we were both big shots in the academy, do you remember?" Murong Yunshan looked at the middle-aged man sitting opposite him, feeling a sense of nostalgia.

"How could I ever forget that you were the champion and I was in second place for so many years," the middle-aged man laughed.

"I can't believe you remember. It's been decades. Sometimes I still want to go back to being careless youth, but it's impossible now. I have been glued to mundane business, and the passion I once had is gone. Your life looks way easier than mine, I must say." Murong Yunshan laughed.

"Are you serious? You are the head of an influential family. Why are you so modest when you have so much power? Me? I just hang around in the academy and teach my students some spells to kill time. That's all." The middle-aged man shook his head. Actually, he did not just hang around. He was Shi Zhong, the director of the Earth Element Hall, which was one of seven branches in the College of Sorcery. He was one of the academy's true masters.

"Modest?" Murong Yunshan kept laughing, "Okay, let me be honest. I do have some business that I need your help with."

Shi Zhong got down to business. "Just lay it out."

"I am sure you know the situation of our family. Competition is fierce for the leader position. My son has so many of his own cousins and brothers competing against him that he cannot afford to lose the test tomorrow. He may not have performed well today, but I have to help him prepare better for tomorrow. You know that his talents and power are among the top," he continued, "He is already seventeen, and he is taking the exam after reaching the highest Awakening Plane, the Unmaker. Rumors and criticism will surround the family if he does not ace the test tomorrow."

Shi Zhong did not seem affected by what he said. He knew that Murong Yunshan was making the plea for his son's sake.

"You know that those who are in this exam have mostly been stuck under the seventh Awakening Plane. Just make sure Murong Qiu performs well enough in the debate tomorrow to beat the others. If he does, I might have some solid reasoning to persuade the panel to name him the champion."

"Hua Jieyu is too proud to attend the debate. If she does, she will do so well that she will be the champion and end the rumors anyway. If she does not show up, my son will have his best shot tomorrow. Then it is you who will decide his future." Murong Yunshan then tried to bribe him, saying, "If you need anything in the future for cultivation, and I mean anything, just tell me; I'll take care."

"Of course; your business is my business." Shi Zhong definitely understood what was going on.

"After Qiu enters your Hall, he's going to need a lot of help from my brother. Cheers! To our friendship!" Murong Yunshan took his cup and drank. A conspiracy was forming harmoniously inside this room.

The Legend of Futian - Chapter 11: Set Up by the Fox

Everyone's eyes were on Ye Futian and Yang Xiu. Another one of Qingzhou Academy's elders walked up on the stage and asked Yang Xiu, "Could it be that you want to grade the exams yourself?"

"I would not dare to have such thoughts." Yang Xiu shook his head. "I only want to know why he scored higher than me, what was I lacking?"

The Qingzhou Academy elders sat in silence. Finally, one of them nodded and said, "Alright. Since you have your doubts, then we will let you know the reason why."

All of the students and everyone observing from the stands remained quiet. They too were curious, what responses could Ye Futian have given to surpass Yang Xiu?

"The first question: During a battle between a knight and a sorcerer, the sorcerer's elemental Spiritual Qi runs out. If you were the knight, what would you do? What if you were the sorcerer? How did you answer this question?" the elder asked Yang Xiu.

Yang Xiu's eyes lit up as he said with confidence, "If I were the knight, I would continue my attacks until the sorcerer's Spiritual Qi ran out, and end them with a final blow. If I were the sorcerer, I would try to find my opponent's weak point and attack at full force once the opportunity presented itself."

Many people began to nod. To them, Yang Xiu's response was well-rounded, many people would have answered the same. So where did he go wrong?

Even the VIP guests onstage were intrigued. This question was given to test the students' ability to adapt to an emergency situation. In their eyes, Yang Xiu's answer was not bad. How would Ye Futian answer this question?

"Ye Futian, please tell us your response." The elder looked at Ye Futian, who in turn, stood up and looked at Yang Xiu. He then said, "If I were the knight, I wouldn't give my opponent a chance to retaliate. I would attack continuously until he falls. If I were in the sorcerer's position and collected the Wind Element, then I would escape. If I was a sorcerer of any other element, I would pretend to be completely drained of power. If needed, I would even take a hit from the offense and then when they're least prepared, attack with my last remaining power."

"Why did you respond in this way?" asked the elder.

"In a battle between the two, if the knight can drain the sorcerer of his power, then that means that his foundation is probably already stronger. Under continuous attack, the only person making any mistakes would be the sorcerer. The bug in Yang Xiu's response is if the sorcerer was able to find the knight's weakness, then he would have done so during the previous exchanges. If you want your opponent to trip up, you must pay the price," Ye Futian answered slowly. Upon hearing this seamless response, Yang Xiu paled.

Everyone on stage began to nod in agreement. In comparison, there truly was a big difference between the two.

The elder nodded as well, then turned to look at Yang Xiu again. "The last question: In a group battle between martial art cultivators and sorcerers, who would win? How did you answer this question?"

"It would be difficult to determine the results if everyone was on the first few planes of Awakening. If everyone was in the same higher plane and if both sides were equal in number, of course, the victory would go to the sorcerers." Yang Xiu did not waver in his response. He himself was a sorcerer, so he believed that sorcerers were better than martial art specialists. He was very prideful.

"Ye Futian, and your answer?" asked the elder.

"At Awakening, the martial art cultivators have a higher chance of victory, anything above this level, sorcerers would have a higher chance," he replied calmly.

"Ridiculous. How could martial art cultivators win against sorcerers, even at the Awakening level? Furthermore, sorcerers wouldn't have a 'higher' chance at a more advanced level; they would have a complete victory, no questions asked," Yang Xiu said coldly.

"Explain it to him," the elder made his request to Ye Futian.

Ye Futian looked at Yang Xiu and asked, "Between martial art cultivators and sorcerers, who has the better fitness, stamina, and speed?"

"Indeed, those are a sorcerer's weaknesses, but martial art cultivators wouldn't even be able to get close to the sorcerers." Yang Xiu stared at Ye Futian.

"At the Awakening level, sorcerers cannot cast their spells from a far distance. If the martial arts cultivators choose to surround without attacking, what do you plan to do?"

"That's a stupid question. Then I would obviously choose to attack first. Even at the Awakening Plane, sorcerers have more powerful attacks," Yang Xiu retorted.

"You attack, I recede. You retreat, I surround," said Ye Futian.

His words gave shivers to many of the honorable guests. He was able to calmly deliver his battle plans. If a person with a lot of battle experience had said this, no one would have been surprised, but these words came from an inexperienced youngster still in the academy. This was what made it so impressive, but chilling at the same time. His battle tactics showed his detailed understanding of strengths and weaknesses of both martial art cultivators and sorcerers and he was able to incorporate this knowledge into his plans.

His tactics were extremely passive aggressive. Martial art cultivators were stronger, have better stamina, and were faster than sorcerers. Sorcerers in the Awakening Plane cannot attack from afar, so all you had to do was wait for them to deplete themselves of power.

Yang Xiu did not look well at this point. He stared at Ye Futian and said, "The Awakening Plane leads to overall enhancement, if sorcerers focused on the enhancement of their spiritual powers, then they might not lose to the martial art cultivators in strength, stamina, and speed."

"You already said to disregard the first couple planes of Awakening. Once sorcerers reach the sixth plane, the Invincible Plane, they would have to focus on learning to control their elemental spiritual powers as well as other spiritual powers between Heaven and Earth. They would have to focus on training in sorcery, as the amount of energy they can exert for enhancement is very limited. Martial art cultivators, on the other hand, don't have this problem. Your ideal situation right now is edging closer to cultivation in both arts," Ye Futian slowly explained, "Even though the cultivators in the two groups do not have that much of a difference in the Awakening Plane, the comparison is still there. Naturally, it would be most beneficial to cultivate in both martial and divination arts."

"That's enough," the elder spoke once again. "As for the reason behind why it would be possible for martial art cultivators to win at higher levels, we'll leave that for you to think about yourself. Remember, understanding yourself and others is the key to victory. The strong are strong, regardless of which art they cultivate. Yang Xiu, if we placed you against Ye Futian in a fight under fair circumstances, you would be fated to lose."

Since the start of Qingzhou Academy, the Spring and Fall Quarter Examinations always included a written test. These youngsters have had no actual battle experience, so the most important thing to do is to engrave basic knowledge into their brains.

"Fated to lose?" Yang Xiu was now in a somber mood. He then lifted his head toward the elder and said, "I acknowledge my defeat."

The elder looked at Yang Xiu and knew he had yet to accept this reality. It was not easy to change the mind of a youth.

"The Fall Quarter Written Examinations will end here for today, the most important portion of the test will continue tomorrow," announced the elder. Students began to stand one by one, wanting to go up to the stage and greet the VIP guests.

This was the end of this quarter's written exams, however, so students had yet to settle into their feelings. Countless pairs of eyes fell on Ye Futian. For the past three years, he had been ridiculed numerous times for being a legendary loser, but now he had thoroughly shocked everyone. Who would believe that he could be ranked first on his first written test?

Yang Xiu turned to face Ye Futian. He said coldly, "I take back what I said to you before. I guess you have learned a lot in the three years you wasted. But even if that's the case, everything written on paper is useless. There is no use in having all of this knowledge if you are physically incapable. With no powers, it would be as easy as stepping on an ant to defeat you."

"Are you trying to make yourself feel better after all that embarrassment? How disgraceful. Do you want me to step on you like an ant?" Yu Sheng stood up, his large physique shadowing over Yang Xiu. His aura was enough to suffocate the latter. In the blink of an eye, Yang Xiu's expression looked even worse than before. Of course, he had heard of Yu Sheng. This psycho knocked out all the teeth of a senior brother two years ago just because the brother had insulted Ye Futian. After punching out his teeth, Yu Sheng picked him up by the collar and tossed him outside the academy gates. Since then, no one has dared to insult Ye Futian in his presence.

Even though many people had forgotten about this incident in the passing years, Yang Xiu remembered. He cowered in front of Yu Sheng.

"SCRAM!" The thunderous shout from Yu Sheng scared Yang Xiu to no end. He quickly looked at Ye Futian and said, "See you tomorrow."

Before leaving, he did not forget to take a look at Hua Jieyu, who remained seated beside Ye Futian during all the drama. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com


He could not believe that he was made to look like such a fool in front of her. His mood worsened at the thought.

Ye Futian just smiled, not saying anything. A quick glance at Ling Xiao revealed that he was also looking at Ye Futian. Ye Futian could not help but to give a sarcastic smile, thinking of all the things Ling Xiao had previously said to him.

Just one smile was enough for Ling Xiao to know that Ye Futian was taunting him.

Ling Xiao's fists tightened as he stared at Ye Futian. "Three years, you're pretty good at hiding secrets. Even though you haven't developed at all, you gained quite a lot of book smarts. This doesn't change a thing though. Even if you got first today, you're going to drop back down to your loser status tomorrow. You might still have a chance of being expelled. Can you imagine how interesting that would that be?"

"Idiot." One word from Ye Futian was enough to wipe the smirk of Ling Xiao's face. He was reminded of the last time Ye Futian had insulted him in the classroom. That bastard.

Ye Futian looked around him. He was full of pride. He had just ranked first after all. There were already a lot of people who looked at him less harshly than before. There were even some people who could not look him in the eyes.

At this time, Hua Jieyu got up slowly from her seat beside him. As she walked towards the exit, Ye Futian watched her. Hua Jieyu took a couple of steps and suddenly turned back with a smile. Nothing could compare to her beauty in that second.

"I look forward to your performance tomorrow." She smiled brightly. People's gazes froze on her smile, their hearts melting at the sight of it. However, this smile was not for them, but for Ye Futian.

Leaving her smile imprinted in everyone's minds, Hua Jieyu turned to leave once again. Ye Futian blinked and quickly realized that people were shooting daggers at him with their eyes. Those who did not dare look in his eyes just a minute ago were now looking at him with pure hatred. Everyone seemed like they were out for blood.

After seeing those looks, Ye Futian could imagine what was waiting for him tomorrow. In that split second, Ye Futian finally understood the purpose of Hua Jieyu's smile. He could not help himself and cursed her in his mind. "That fox set me up!"

The Legend of Futian - Chapter 10: The Dark Horse

Ye Futian looked at Ling Xiao, who was laughing at him with irony. However, Ye Futian seemed calm as usual.

"This list only contains those who merely qualified; why are you laughing like that?" Ye Futian spoke slowly, then glanced around to see that other people were also chuckling.

"Come on, seriously," Ling Xiao laughed even harder and stared at Ye Futian. "You don't think you made it onto the List of Excellence, do you? You have been daydreaming for three years, and you are clearly not going to stop now. You know what? You are just hopeless."

"Look at your face. Stop that outrageous laugh, please. I doubt you will be able to keep it when I make it onto the list of the highest rankings." Ye Futian frowned at him. He knew Ling Xiao had always looked down on him, but how severe was his hatred that Ling Xiao was excited about his failure?

"Sounds like you will not shed a tear until you see the coffin, right? Then keep waiting." Ling Xiao sounded cold. Ye Futian shook his head and ignored him.

The lecturers were still busy organizing the test papers and lists. After a while, Qin Yi came onto the stage to announce the names of 72 students who had made it onto the List of Perfection. Of course, a remarkable student like Ling Xiao was on the list. He was now behaving even more arrogantly towards Ye Futian. He was waiting until the end of the list announcement to throw every insult right in Ye Futian's face.

Feng Qingxue felt excited because her name had not shown up on the List of Perfection. She had definitely passed the test, which meant that her name was possibly on the List of Brilliance. Once she performed well after the written test, she would have achieved her goal.

"Feng Qingxue." The List of Brilliance was being announced, and Feng Qingxue was first. Her eyes shined as she smiled with ecstasy. She definitely deserved her spot.

"Yu Sheng." The announcements continued. Every name on the list really meant something at the academy.

"Murong Qiu." This was the last name on the list. The announcer lowered their hands.

Murong Qiu suddenly turned pale, and looked as if he were truly frustrated.

There were 36 names on the List of Brilliance. For most ordinary people, it would be glorious; but sadly for him, this was not the case. Anything other than the List of Excellence meant failure to him.

Last time, he had ranked third on the List of Excellence. He had participated in the exam this time to challenge the legendary girl, but he had failed again, and by an even worse margin. In the stands, a member of the Murong family also looked pretty gloomy.

"Murong Qiu only made the List of Brilliance. There's not even a rank for this list," the Murong family member mumbled. They were right, as only the top three could be ranked for being on the List of Excellence.

Other people were also wondering and discussing to themselves. There should be three on the List of Excellence. Common sense said that the legendary girl and Yang Xiu would be the top two. But if that was the case, who had taken Murong Qiu's place and forced him onto the List of Brilliance?

It was even more mysterious because the famous students had all already been listed on the List of Brilliance. People could not find anyone that was missing.

"Looks like we have a dark horse; but who is it?" People started looking around to figure out who they were missing for this possible honor.

This mystery had nothing to do with Ling Xiao. He watched Ye Futian intently, believing he was just bluffing and pretending to be calm after the first two lists had been announced.

In the very front, several masters of the academy were having a debate over the ranks of the last three tests. Yang Xiu took a deep breath; he was not sure whether he would beat Hua Jieyu this time. He had already promised the College of Sorcery that after this Fall Quarter Exam that he would join the college and become an official student, which meant that this was his last chance to beat Hua Jieyu.

Finally, the masters reached a consensus. Someone recorded the decision, and a master went towards the crowd, prepared to give the final announcement. The whole place was suddenly cloaked in silence. Everyone's ears perked up for the final decision.

"Yang Xiu, number three on the List of Excellence," the master gave the first name. Everyone immediately began gossiping.

Yang Xiu was only number three? For real?

Yang Xiu, someone who had always ranked under Hua Jieyu, was suffering the same tragedy as Murong Qiu? Who had caused that?

Impossible! Yang Xiu had gotten nothing but disappointment from the wait. He seemed lost. This has to be impossible….

His entire mind had been fixated on being ranked over Hua Jieyu. However, this time, it had turned out even worse. How was he supposed to accept this reality?

"Who is it, for god's sake?" People were becoming even more curious. They began focusing on the master announcing the list.

"Number two on the List of Excellence, Hua Jieyu." Another name came out, and it bewildered the entire crowd.

Hua Jieyu had consecutively ranked number one for three straight Fall Quarter Exams. Now she was number two? How could that have happened?

What was even more strange was that neither Yang Xiu or Murong Qing had beaten her. There was only one thing on the minds of everyone in the building: who was this John Doe?

Hua Jieyu was even a bit surprised herself. She subconsciously looked at Ye Futian, and suddenly realized that something unusual might have been happening.

The tension was at an all-time high. Everyone waited in suspense to find out who it was.

He made it. Yu Sheng tightened his fists. He was kind of excited. No one knew why he was suddenly behaving like this, or whether there was anything worth being excited about. However, he was the only one who knew what was coming.

The eyes of the master passed all over the crowd, eventually stopping on a boy. The master seemed astonished and surprised. For three years he had been a nobody at the academy, but now he was going to be the superstar?

"The number one ranking on the List of Excellence for the Qingzhou Academy Fall Quarter Examination is…" the master paused, then said slowly:

"Ye—Fu—Tian!"

The crowd immediately shut down and became silent upon hearing this name. It was as if the entire building was muted.

Every possible expression was showing on the crowd's faces. They had considered every possibility, but not Ye Futian. How could their imagination have been that wild? This guy had abandoned the exams for three years, and had been stuck in the Collection Plane. Ye Futian, champion of the written test, sounded like the worst joke ever.

However, people soon realized that the masters of the academy would never pull a prank like that for this exam. Suddenly, they were even more shocked by the decision.

"Ye Futian, champion of the test? Tell me I am dreaming, please." Some were doubting whether they had heard the announcement correctly.

"Ye Futian?" Qin Yi was next to the master. She repeated the name, seemingly dumbfounded. Nobody had thought that his name would show up on the List of Qualification; they thought he wouldn't have done well enough to even accomplish that. It was incredible that he had performed so well that he had made it onto the List of Excellence.

Ling Xiao's face turned to stone. He had believed Ye Futian would be expelled from the academy soon, and had prepared a long, humiliating speech for Ye Futian. Now, Ye Futian was number one. How could that have even happened?

Feng Qingxue was in such awe that she could not speak. Her eyes moved from the master who had announced the list slowly to where Ye Futian was sitting.

Ye Futian sat in his spot quietly. The smile on his face was the same as usual; calm and light. It seemed like he knew he deserved this honor, and that nothing was shocking about the outcome to him. What strong confidence he had.

Could it be possible that the last three missed years had only served to make this moment more glorious?

Hua Jieyu was sitting next to Ye Futian. She observed this boy with her beautiful eyes. This boy had broken her record, but she did not seem too disappointed; it was not like the bitterness that was on the faces of Yang Xiu and Murong Qiu. Instead, she felt curious and surprised.

Her father had told her that Ye Futian was as talented as she was. At first she had refused to admit it. Actually, she had looked forward to this Fall Quarter Exam, because Ye Futian would not have been able to conceal his talent anymore. She was eager to know why her father had broken his rule and accepted him as his student. She was quite surprised by the results.

"Something must be wrong," someone yelled all of a sudden. All the eyes were suddenly drawn to the shouter, Yang Xiu, who was standing in front of Ye Futian.

It was already disappointing enough to be listed as third place on the List of Excellence, but it was even more humiliating to see that it was Ye Futian who had made this happen. Ye Futian had been humiliated by him moments before the lists were announced. How could this have happened? Had he made himself look like a total fool?

"What's the problem, Yang Xiu?" The master looked at him.

Yang Xiu paused for a second, then glanced at Ye Futian with contempt. "He sat next to Hua Jieyu. He must have cheated off of her to earn that score."

"Yes, plagiarism, that's definitely it," Ling Xiao followed. Many others seemed to be in agreement about this reasonable explanation.

"Who do you guys think we are? Professors, or just a bunch of old blind folks?" It was like cold water was being thrown right in their faces. The test papers of the top three had gone through the strict review of multiple masters. How could plagiarism have gone unnoticed by them?

Ye Futian slowly tapped on the desk with his fingers. He was casual and relaxed; he believed that all the doubt would be silenced by the truth.

"You are all honorable masters, but people just have different preferences. I cannot accept the fact that I am listed as number three and that Ye Futian is number one because you preferred his viewpoints." Yang Xiu was completely agitated. He was desperately trying to pull Ye Futian off his throne.

The master looked at Yang Xiu with disappointment. It seemed that this student had little patience for failure. Without ever enduring failure, even a talented student like Yang Xiu could never make significant achievements in the future.

Ye Futian looked at Yang Xiu. He was so persistent, even when it only brought shame onto himself.

The Legend of Futian - Chapter 9: The Written Examinations

Hua Jieyu sat down beside Ye Futian. This was the same Ye Futian who had opted out of exams for three years, gotten rejected by Feng Qingxue, and was about to be kicked out of Qingzhou Academy.

"What a lucky dog." Many people were very jealous. How come he got to sit next to Hua Jieyu his first time joining the Fall Quarter Examinations?

Furthermore, Hua Jieyu was sitting in an aisle seat, which meant that only one person had the privilege of sitting next to her. Seeing this opportunity given to Ye Futian, one could only imagine how the others felt about this.

Ye Futian could feel the hateful stares directed at him. He took a glance at the girl sitting beside him; she was sitting there silently, elegant and natural. It was as if she had no idea who he was.

This fox, she definitely did this on purpose, Ye Futian thought to himself. He had originally planned to participate in the exams quietly, but now he had become the center of attention for all the wrong reasons.

As more and more people gathered around, the area surrounding Hua Jieyu became the most sought-after seats. People glared at Ye Futian as they passed by. Then, a delicate-looking youth approached him and asked, "Can we switch seats?"

Ye Futian looked up, his eyes meeting with a boy about the same age as himself. His delicate face glowed with pride, his voice natural.

"It's Yang Xiu." Many people's attention was still on where Ye Futian's was. Yang Xiu had placed second in the written examinations for the past three years. He had always wanted to surpass Hua Jieyu and a lot of people knew he had a crush on her.

Yang Xiu had not only done extremely well in the written examinations; he was also extremely gifted. He was already on the seventh Awakening Plane, the Mystery Plane, his ability to perceive Fire Spiritual Qi was also at the highest level. He truly was a genius. Losing to Hua Jieyu only in the slightest bit, he was still one of the best outer sect disciples.

Ye Futian looked at Yang Xiu and thought, Wow, now that's rude.

"Of course..." said Ye Futian. The people around him were stunned. Was he really just going to give up that easily?

"...not," he finished. Hearing these three words, the smile on Yang Xiu's face was now frozen. He saw Ye Futian's smile; it looked like he was mocking him.

"I know you. You gave up on participating in any examinations for three years and are about to get kicked out of the academy. A person like you shouldn't be wasting time here." Yang Xiu was not mad; he was simply trying to mock Ye Futian back.

"But I want to." Ye Futian was still smiling.

"Then I hope that it won't be too embarrassing for you after the written exam," Yang Xiu laughed lightly. "But then again, it wouldn't be the first time."

After mocking Ye Futian, Yang Xiu gave Hua Jieyu a look before he headed back to his seat. He sat back down and got extremely serious, like a warrior before a battle.

"What a sad life." Ye Futian looked at Yang Xiu's silhouette with great pity.

Ye Futian's rejection did not shock anyone. This was what he really was: a legendary, arrogant loser. However, his legend would come to an end after this year's Fall Quarter Exam. Ye Futian was going to be expelled.

As the outer sect disciples entered, the official disciples surrounded the entire gymnasium.

There were three thousand tables, but only a little over one thousand people were participating in the Fall Quarter Examinations. After all, a lot of the first-year outer sect students lacked the confidence to get a decent grade. They knew it was difficult to do well, so they chose to opt out of the examination and keep a clean slate than to have a bad grade on their permanent record. However, to give up participating in the examination for three years like Ye Futian had done was simply unheard of. This was why he was a legend. Even the academy had had enough of him.

At the front of the gymnasium, many of the official disciples were present. Qin Yi stood there and glanced in Ye Futian's direction. After three years, he was finally here. He wasn't giving up on the exams again. Let's hope for a miracle.

"Yang Xiu already made a deal with the School of Divination Arts. After the Fall Quarter Examinations end, he's going to be admitted into the school as an official disciple. I don't even know where that useless loser, Ye Futian, got the guts to talk to him like that," said Mo Lanshan. He was chuckling lightly beside Qin Yi.

Qin Yi's eyebrows furrowed. Ye Futian did have some problems, but she still wouldn't call him a useless loser. "Do you have something against him?" she asked Mo Lanshan.

"Of course, I do!" Mo Lanshan felt no need to hide his feelings. "How dare he say those things to you in class. I really don't understand why you have such high hopes for him. Why do you waste your time on him?"

Qin Yi did not know what to say to defend herself. Maybe it was because she could not forget the amazing results he had achieved during the entrance talent inspections three years ago. He should not have ended up like this.

"It's time, hand out the test papers," said an elder seated behind the two. Official disciples rose out of their seats and began to distribute the written examinations. This meant that the Fall Quarter Written Examinations had officially begun.

The enormous crowd was in complete silence. The people who came to observe the examination process consisted of parents and family, as well as many well-known individuals of the city of Qingzhou. They understood that they had to stay quiet too.

As everyone got their test papers, Feng Qingxue took a deep breath. She hoped to rank well in this year's Fall Quarter Examinations and gain the privilege to access the second-floor of the Qingzhou Academy library. This way, she would have unlimited access to some of the most powerful spells.

Ling Xiao glanced at Ye Futian before looking down at his test paper. When he noticed the beautiful Hua Jieyu seated beside Ye Futian, he could not hide the look of jealousy on his face. Ling Xiao had always had a crush on Feng Qingxue, and Hua Jieyu was the girl of his dreams, unreachable. How was Ye Futian worthy of sitting next to her?

Hua Jieyu remained quiet after receiving her test papers, probably because she was just that confident. Somewhere near the front of the room, Yang Xiu's fists clenched tight and then relaxed, in preparation for the exam.

As for Ye Futian, he looked through the test questions once and a smile appeared on his face. He then picked up his pen; his very first Fall Quarter Examination was finally here. He knew many people were waiting for him to make a fool out of himself and looked forward to seeing him be expelled. What a pity; they were about to be disappointed.

The test questions went from easy to difficult, starting with basic questions about cultivation. Most students were able to answer these questions.

Ye Futian's pen danced across the test paper. He answered the questions with ease.

"Interesting," said Ye Futian as he read one of the test questions. During a battle between a knight and a sorcerer, the sorcerer's elemental Spiritual Qi runs out. If you were the knight, what would you have done? What if you were the sorcerer?

He scribbled down his answer quickly.

Time was passing by quickly. Some students were now sweating. Towards the back of the test packet, the questions got more abstract and more difficult to answer.

Unknowingly, Ye Futian was already on the last question. This question seemed easy enough.

The question was: A group of martial arts cultivators and a group of divination arts cultivators on the same plane and level fought. Which side won?

This was a freebie. In a group battle, the martial arts cultivators would have people from a variety of occupations. Naturally, the divination arts group would also consist of a variety of elemental sorcerers. If the sorcerers worked together, the amount of power they possessed could destroy the opposing group. There wouldn't be much fighting.

Ye Futian thought of this and smiled. After writing down his response, he put his pen down.

Coincidently, Hua Jieyu had also just placed her pen down on her desk beside him.

The two looked at each other. Ye Futian gave her a provoking smile. All Hua Jieyu did in response was glare at him, but no matter what she did, she remained breathtakingly beautiful.

Nobody amongst the test-takers noticed their little exchange, but at the front of the room, someone took notice of Hua Jieyu.

"She's still the same, always the first one to finish," said an elder at the academy. She was always the focus of the room, even if she just sat quietly, focused on her exam.

"That's not true, the young man next to her finished just before her, but his responses are probably rubbish," said another elder. He smiled and shook his head thinking of how hard it must have been for Ye Futian to focus with Hua Jieyu sitting next to him.

"Wow, look how quickly he finished. You worked so hard to give him a fighting chance, but all he's thinking of is how to put on a show to attract a girl's attention." Mo Lanshan's words were directed at Qin Yi. Her eyes went to Ye Futian and she felt a twinge of disappointment.

Slowly, more and more people finished up their exams, some excited, some not so excited.

Finally, an elder stood up on the stage and signaled the end of this year's Fall Quarter Examinations.

The official disciples were waiting. Once the elder stood up, they moved forward to collect test papers.

Even though the test papers had been collected, everyone remained seated in the gymnasium. Qingzhou Academy's Fall Quarter Written Exams had always been graded on the spot, and the results were announced the same day.

A group of academy elders and outer sect lecturers graded the exams together with great speed. As they graded, the students looked on nervously, while the audience chatting lightly.

When the lecturers began to separate the test papers by score, the atmosphere intensified.

After a while, one of the lecturers walked up to face the students, holding a list. Everyone knew that the list of people who had passed this year's Fall Quarter Examinations would be announced first.

"Li Yu, Fang Yun, Mo Hanjiang...." With every name the lecturer announced, students began to relax one by one. Of course, there were also many who looked very disappointed, as they had hoped for better results.

Other than the list of those who passed, there were also lists of Rank 3, Rank 2, and Rank 1 students yet to be announced.

After the names on the first list were announced, it was revealed that there were seventy-two people in Rank 3, thirty-six in Rank 2, and only three in Rank 1.

Qin Yi listened carefully. After the list of rankings was announced, her disappointment heightened. If he could not even pass the written exam, then he was destined to be kicked out of the academy.

Her eyes drifted toward Ye Futian and she let out a deep sigh.

Seated in front of Ye Futian, Yang Xiu laughed coldly. "Just as expected. You were going to fail regardless, why embarrass yourself like this?"

Feng Qingxue also looked at Ye Futian. Her eyes reflected her disappointment, but it disappeared shortly. Wasn't this what everyone expected?

"Ye Futian, remember what you said in class last time? Now that you're about to be expelled, doesn't it feel like a big slap in the face?" Ling Xiao asked loudly from far away, causing many people to avert their attention towards Ye Futian. Secretly, they were all happy that this shameless bastard was about to be expelled.

The Legend of Futian - Chapter 8: The One with All the Attention

The girl who had just showed up was Hua Jieyu, the legend of the academy.

She had become a legend not only for her unmatched beauty, but for the fact that she had managed to ace every test of the Fall Quarter Exam from the first year she had been admitted.

"You call her a beauty?" The middle-aged man looked at Ye Futian with confusion as Hua Jieyu stared at him.

"Professor, she is just too gorgeous to be human," Ye Futian laughed and explained. It was apparent to him that there was some relationship between the professor and Hua Jieyu, which made the compliment necessary.

"Okay. Sounds like you know how to talk." The professor smiled and sipped his tea, then looked at Ye Futian. "Everyone in this academy could be your master. If you want to learn more in the future, come see me; I would be okay with you calling me master."

Hua Jieyu was confused by her father. He had stopped accepting students for so long; how talented would Ye Futian have to be to get him to make an exception?

"Greetings from Ye Futian, your humble student," Ye Futian saluted.

The professor nodded and said, "I never cared about these unnecessary and over-elaborate formalities. The Fall Quarter Exam is about to start. Go prepare yourself."

"What? Today?" Ye Futian was shocked. He had not realized how long he had slept.

Ding, ding, ding. As if responding to him, the academy bell rang, the sound reverberating all over the place. Ye Futian looked off towards the distance. It was finally time.

"Jieyu, send him out," the professor told her. Hua Jieyu noticed that Ye Futian looked a bit proud.

"Come on, let's go." Hua Jieyu began leaving.

"I haven't changed yet.," Ye Futian said. The clothes on him had to have belonged to the professor.

"Then go change." Hua Jieyu was giving him the cold shoulder. Ye Futian caught up to her and asked, "So, what should I call you? Ms. Hua Senior or Ms. Hua Junior?"

"Neither."

"Well then, fox it is," Ye Futian shrugged, "What plane are you in now, fox?"

Hua Jieyu ignored his questions.

"People say that you are a Mandate Sorcerer, is that true?" Ye Futian kept asking still without a response.

"Have you ever dated anyone?" Ye Futian would not not let her go. "No comment means yes."

"No." Hua Jieyu slightly bit her lips as she stared at him with anger.

"Me neither; what a coincidence." Seeing her angry actually made him smile.

Hua Jieyu suddenly stopped. When Ye Futian looked back at her, he noticed that her young and delicate face was shining in the rays of the early morning sunlight. This made him forget everything he had had on his mind.

"You are seriously shameless." Hua Jieyu turned around and left. A smile appeared on Ye Futian's face when he saw her gradually disappear.

The academy was busier than ever today. Crowds of people were continually entering the academy.

Every Fall Quarter Exam, the big local chiefs of Qingzhou would join the event, as would the parents of the current students. They were all qualified for entry. Those who could not enter would wait outside, looking forward to finding out which students had stood out this time.

Although all the exam participants were kids, the eldest of whom were still under eighteen, the stars of this exam would definitely be prominent chiefs of Qingzhou in the future. Most of the big chiefs that watched this event were also former students of the academy. The exam drew attention from all over the city.

"The legendary girl of Qingzhou Academy, Hua Jieyu, has aced the written test all three years. I bet she will take our breath away this time."

"Yang Xiu has been right behind her in second place for the past three years. He might outperform her."

"Murong Qiu, the son of the remarkable Murong family, is already in the Unmaker Plane; in fact, he has already qualified to be an official student. Rumor has it he wanted to be official along with the unquestioned No.1 of the Fall Quarter Exam, so he refused to be official without the exam. This might be his last try."

"Don't forget the son of the chamberlain for the Ye family, Yu Sheng. He would have been an official student last Spring if it weren't for Ye Futian. Remember, he is only fifteen."

The crowd outside spoke as if they knew everything about the academy. It showed how influential the academy was around the city.

Ye Futian returned to his dorm. Yu Sheng was reassured seeing him back, and asked him, "Are you alright?"

"I'm better than alright," Ye Futian laughed. Suddenly, his body started cracking with the sound of thunder. Thunderbolts ran through his body with absolute control from his mind.

"Wow, amazing; that is the power of the Invincible Plane." Yu Sheng was surprised that Ye Futian had it made into another plane with the power of thunder. It seemed the interaction with the dragon had made him even stronger.

"You can try some basic spells now," Yu Sheng said.

"Not enough time, buddy. The Fall Exam has started," Ye Futian said.

"Your father is coming to the event to watch you."

"He's coming?" Ye Futian was shocked for a moment, then smiled. He realized that this time might be a big surprise for his father.

Ye Futian changed, then he and Yu Sheng left the dorm for the battle arena.

The arena was equipped with three thousand desks, all lined up in rows. In the front, over the staircases, there were many official students and professors from the academy. The stands on the sides were filled with people, including the big chiefs of Qingzhou and parents of the students.

Ye Futian's presence drew some attention, most of it out of confusion. The story of him being rejected by Feng Qingxue, and Feng Qingxue being accompanied by Murong Qiu during the hunt, had spread all over the city. Then there was the story of his altercation with the demon boa in Mount Tianyao. He was only adding to his notorious reputation; in fact, he looked tough. Few would survive after being attacked by a demon boa.

"The academy officially announced it was a demon boa that attacked you," Yu Sheng told Ye Futian. Ye Futian nodded and scanned the far corner of the stand, then smiled.

"Come on," he said, running towards the corner.

There was a small group sitting there. Ye Baichuan was chatting with another middle-aged person. He saw Ye Futian coming and called out, "Listen, I am only here for you, do you understand? If you perform horribly, never tell anyone that you are my son again."

Ye Futian felt humiliated. "Seriously, dad? Not in public. Can you at least try not to embarrass me?"

"Now you know you have a reputation to protect?" He was surprised at Ye Futian's response, as he had heard how shameless his son could be.

"I feel so sad," Ye Futian said, patting his own forehead.

"Stop pretending. Did you offend my future daughter-in-law?" Ye Baichuan just would not let him off the hook. Ye Futian soon found that Feng Qingxue was sitting quietly next to Mr. Feng. She avoided making eye contact with him.

"Ye Baichuan, when the hell did I promise you that my daughter would be your daughter-in-law? Stop that nonsense," Feng Ruhai told Ye Biachuan.

"Uncle Feng..." Ye Futian was disturbed by what was happening.

"Boy, how are you doing in your cultivation recently? Any better?" Feng Ruhai asked him.

"Of course. There has been some progress. Otherwise I would not have shown up for the exam," Ye Futian told him.

"Good for you. You are still young; you should focus on your cultivation. Do not think and talk about nonsense like your father." Feng Ruhai stared at Ye Baichuan.

"Roger that," Ye Futian laughed.

"Yu Sheng, we really have some expectations for you this time," Feng Ruhai said, looking at Yu Sheng.

"Okay." Yu Sheng seemed indifferent.

"Go prepare yourselves for the exam," Feng Ruhai said. They nodded, then Ye Futian and Yu Sheng turned around and left. Later, Feng Qingxue left in another direction.

"What's wrong with these kids? Do you have any idea?" Ye Baichuan frowned, feeling confused. Ye Futian and Feng Qingxue had quarreled with each other all the time when they were young. Something must have been wrong if they were just staying silent.

People spoke casually amongst themselves. Even though it was only the written test today, the audience still showed high interest. Knowledge was as crucial as talent, and served as the foundation for their futures. The weaker students with profound experience could beat out those who were stronger than them in the future.

The students entered and took their seats. There were three thousand of them. How grand it was!

Ye Futian and Yu Sheng entered and sat down in a row. Ye Futian took a deep breath. This was his first time taking the Fall Quarter Exam. It was impossible not to be nervous.

"It's her! Hua Jieyu!" A girl entered and suddenly drew all the attention from the crowd.

She was in a light-colored suit, but she was so beautiful that she seemed to shine over everyone.

"God, such a beauty." The students were amazed.

"She is so gorgeous, and she is only fifteen. I bet three years from now she will be a 'Helen of Troy' for the boys." People believed that with her beauty and talent, she would definitely be a troublemaker in the future. Even some of the big chiefs knew that she had quite a history.

"People say that Murong Qiu was rejected by her?" In the stands, a member of the Murong family seemed disappointed by these words.

"It's okay. With such talent, how can you expect her to accept any boy in this city? It's a pity for Murong Qiu, though. He would have been an official last year if not for her," someone said to the member of Murong family, trying to comfort them.

Yep, she is a fox. Ye Futian also noticed her and the fact that she had drawn everyone's attention. No one else could ever manage to do this except her.

Hua Jieyu stood for a while, scanning the rows for a spot. Soon she began walking again. All the students that had already sat down were praying to themselves that she would stop next to them.

However, none of their fantasies came true. She finally stopped and picked a seat. People stopped praying, and began to wonder who was the lucky bastard she had chosen to sit next to.

Suddenly, they all froze in shock, completely baffled by her choice.

The Legend of Futian - Chapter 7: The Inscriber

Hordes of people were making their way out of the mountains. Some felt lively, while others were drained of energy; almost all of them, however, had discussed the topic of the demon boa as they traveled.

The instructors had already made a decision. Those who claimed to have witnessed the demon boa must have been mistaken. After all, demons in cultivation may have a similar appearance as a dragon.

Ye Futian saw a familiar figure making her way down the mountain road. Although Feng Qingxue's bright red clothing was covered with a thin layer of dust, her beautiful face remained clean and radiant. She seemed to be in a good mood, chatting with Murong Qiu, who remained at her side.

After seeing Feng Qingxue and Murong Qiu together, many people peeked unconsciously at Ye Futian. Their actions confused Ye Futian.

When Feng Qingxue noticed this, she could not help but take a look at him herself. However, when her eyes landed on him, she quickly looked away, not wanting to make eye contact. Her conversation with Murong Qiu halted.

Beside her, Murong Qiu took notice of her sudden quietness. His eyes followed the descent of road and found Ye Futian a distance ahead of them. Even his side profile oozed with pride; his smiling eyes showed his carefree nature. After a quick glance, Murong Qiu looked away.

Ye Futian paid little to no attention to his classmates. Turning to Yu Sheng, he asked, "Do you think the academy would keep it from us if it was a dragon?"

Yu Sheng stayed quiet for a little bit, then nodded slightly. "Yes."

"Let's go check it out before they place the entire mountain on lockdown." As soon as the words left his mouth, Ye Futian's legs carried him up the mountain in a sprint once again.

Bystanders stopped to take everything in. Feng Qingxue stood in shock. She stared as he made his way up, getting closer to her. Did her actions finally break him?

She continued to stare as he came closer, her lips twitched. Just as she was about to speak, he breezed right past her. So, he wasn't coming for her.

Yu Sheng brushed past Feng Qingxue and Murong Qiu, but not without a chilling glance.

"What are they doing?" It seemed that everyone else had thought the same as Feng Qingxue, but they were all mistaken. Why were the two of them going back up into the mountains at a time like this?

"Is he crazy? He didn't want to go before, but now that a demon boa had been sighted, and everyone had to be evacuated, he wants to go back up?"

People were unable to understand Ye Futian's logic, but even Ye Futian did not know what he was doing. However, this was a dragon they were talking about, a creature from the legends. If it was beneficial to observe animals under the Freedom Meditation, what would happen if it was a dragon?

Yu Sheng wanted to know what dragons looked like, too.

The main road leading to the top of the mountain was blocked off, senior brothers of the Qingzhou Academy stood guard at the blockade. Only people leaving the mountains were allowed to pass through. It was good that Ye Futian and Yu Sheng were prepared for this. They took a small side road far from the main, a shortcut of sorts.

They passed by several blockades on their way up, but these obstacles only heightened their curiosity and at the same time confirmed their suspicions of a cover-up.

"We can't keep wandering blindly, which direction should we head in?" Yu Sheng had enough of sneaking around in the mountain forest.

"We should go where there the largest amount of people is being evacuated," Ye Futian said with determination. Yu Sheng immediately understood, they began to travel towards the most heavily regulated area. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

Time passed little by little, the sun had descended and the night had come, making it easier for the two to continue unnoticed.

"There seem to be fewer and fewer people around. We must be in the center of the lockdown zone. Let's test out our luck and wait here." Ye Futian leaned his back against a nearby tree, resting his tired eyes. The sky got darker; the area had a strange silence. No demon activity was detected.

Suddenly, a flash of lightning brightened up the night sky, casting a light on the tightly knit forest. Presently, everyone on guard in this area looked up with a solemn look on all their faces.

Was it here?

Thunder rumbled, flashes of lightning appeared more and more frequently. Ye Futian felt excited, but also nervous at this strange sight.

"A Dragon, it's really a dragon!" a voice rang out from somewhere in the area.

Ye Futian jumped up from the ground he was sitting on, eyes locked on the sky ahead of him. There, he saw it, a dragon dancing in the night sky. This creature, a couple thousand feet long, disappeared into thin air and reappeared in a different location. The rumblings got louder and louder. The whole area was engulfed in lightning and thunder.

"Dragon...." Yu Sheng stared at the sky. It was impossible to put into words what he was feeling.

From above came multiple figures, their aura brighter than anything else. A simple look at their silhouettes was enough to let people know that they were individuals with extreme power. They must be the best of the best.

Another figure appeared in midair. This person looked to be middle-aged, and was extremely handsome. In his presence, the men from before retreated slightly. It was obvious that this man was greatly respected.

"That is not a dragon." The middle-aged man watched the creature in the sky with his hands resting behind his back. His first words sent shivers down everyone's spines.

"It only looks and acts like a dragon. This creature was purposely released here," the man continued, "to create a creature that replicates a dragon so perfectly, they must have been in contact with a real dragon. How could this be and why have they come to Mount Tianyao?"

"So that's why it hasn't caused any harm since its appearance. If it were a real dragon, we'd all be goners," said one of the men in the group.

"Even though it's not real, we still don't know what its appearance at Qingzhou Academy means." The middle-aged man floated in midair, looked down at the group of youths, all of them had come from a different direction. "You guys have quite some guts."

Below him, were Ye Futian and Yu Sheng. It turned out they were not the only ones who didn't leave the mountain, others were probably curious about this legendary creature as well.

"These rascals." Someone in the group of men scolded the youngsters. How dare they break in during a lockdown?

Ye Futian thought of nothing but the dragon in the sky. He kept recalling the movements of the dragon.

The Freedom Meditation was in progress, lightning and thunder went off within his Life Palace, a dragon appeared as well.

Thunder Spiritual Qi rushed to gather around Ye Futian as the lightning coursed through his body, his consciousness was faltering. In his eyes, only the mystical dragon existed.

Every scene was engraved deep in his mind.

A flash of lightning abruptly struck him between his eyes. The image of the dragon bored into him.

The fearful vibrations of thunder took over Ye Futian's entire body, causing him to growl deeply at the sheer power. He was no longer able to break free from this state, every movement of the dragon was engraved deeply in his mind.

Upon the sight of the magnificent dragon approaching him, Ye Futian shuddered slightly, but was unable to move away.

"Watch out!" Yu Sheng shouted when he felt something amiss, but it was too late. The dragon charged at Ye Futian at a crazed speed and entered his body through the spot in between his eyes. Ye Futian let out an ear-splitting scream with the thundering pain, it was as if a real dragon had entered his mind.

"Boom!" His mind shook and his consciousness scattered.

"You've finally...grown up." A voice sounded in his mind, his body fell straight back. The anomalies in the area disappeared.

"What's this?" The group of men wanted to know. Their eyes focused on Ye Futian's fallen body. "What just happened?"

"What an unlucky guy. It looks like he was attacked by the fake dragon," someone said.

"That was so gutsy, let's check to see if there's anything wrong with him," said someone else.

"He's fine." The handsome, middle-aged man spoke. By Ye Futian's side, Yu Sheng looked up to the man and heard him say, "Entrust him to me for now, I'll bring him back and have him examined."

Everyone nodded in agreement. However, Yu Sheng had something to say about this, "Elder, may I come along?"

"Don't worry; nothing will happen to him. I'm just going to be at the academy," said the middle-aged man. There was something strange about his eyes that made people willing to trust him and thus, Yu Sheng nodded. "Please take care of him, Elder."

......

When Ye Futian finally awoke, he did not feel a single shred of pain, which he thought was strange.

His consciousness slipped into his Life Palace. Just as he thought, above the Word Tree was an area of lightning and thunder. A dragon flew around the sky, a truly majestic sight.

"I can't believe it actually came into my Life Palace." He was shaken up. After fainting, he could hear something, but he couldn't recall what it was.

He had already fainted twice since officially beginning to develop. When he thought of how unlucky he was, he could only smile bitterly. If he could benefit from it somehow though, he wouldn't mind fainting a couple more times.

As if he could feel that something was out of place, he shot up and realized that the clothes he was wearing were not his own. It was also obvious to him that he was not in his own dorm.

Standing up, Ye Futian pushed open the door, and was able to see that he was in a quiet, elegant residence. Ahead was a pavilion, and quietly seated there was a young lady. It looked like she was drawing, beside her was a middle-aged male, sipping on tea. It was such a peaceful scene.

With a light foot, Ye Futian made his way to the pavilion. His gaze fell on the young lady's drawing. She was using a special type of paper, and she wasn't drawing; she was continuously inscribing lines and streaks. From those inscribings seeped a bit of Spiritual Qi.

"This, it's an amulet." Ye Futian was shocked. This young girl in front of him knew how to inscribe scrolls?

Then wouldn't that make her an Inscriber? That's so awesome!

"Have you seen one before?" The middle-aged man put down his teacup and looked towards Ye Futian.

"Not in person, I've only seen them in books," Ye Futain replied. "A shield is inscribed on the scroll paper with Metal Spiritual Qi. This must be a defense spell."

"You can see it?" The middle-aged man was surprised.

"Yeah." Ye Futian nodded. Through Freedom Meditation, his ability to perceive Spiritual Qi had improved greatly.

The man smiled and asked, "Do you want to learn?"

"Yes!" He nodded again and immediately bowed to pay his respects. "Disciple, Ye Futian, would like to pay formal respects to Master."

He worked fast.

Ye Futian understood the importance of being an Inscriber. It was a more rare occupation than being a Sorcerer. It was also a high-status occupation. An Inscriber also had to be a gifted Sorcerer.

"You're as shameless as they all say." The young girl put down the pen in her hand and looked at Ye Futian.

Ye Futain didn't care, he just smiled. Seeing her amazing looks, he said, "Hey, beautiful. So we meet again."