Chapter 143: The Test
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, after leaving the Hua Family, Hua Changxi found she had nowhere else she wanted to go and could only wander aimlessly through the streets.
The streets were bustling with people, pedestrians rubbing shoulders, laughter and chatter filling the air. Every street was crowded, lively and extraordinary.
Under the eaves of shops and houses along the street, various lanterns had long been hung, including rabbit lanterns, lotus lanterns, and palace lanterns. They were colorful and swayed gently in the wind.
Everyone’s face was beaming with festive happiness. Looking at the smiles of the crowd, Hua Changxi suddenly felt as if she were drifting outside this warm world.
At this moment, amidst the noisy crowd, she clearly felt an invisible film separating her from everyone else.
Seeing everyone accompanied by their families, Hua Changxi’s heart became inexplicably restless. She suddenly didn’t want to stay in the crowded city and quickly walked towards the South City Gate, exiting the city.
Following the city gate, Hua Changxi flew south on her cloud. When the surroundings finally became quiet, and she felt the coolness of the strong wind on her face, her heart gradually calmed down.
It wasn’t the first or second time she had argued with her family, but this time, the elder had told her not to return to the Hua Family, which had deeply wounded her heart.
Perhaps influenced by Gu Xing’s reminder a couple of days ago to “find her place in the Medical Affairs Department,” she now realized that what she needed to find was not just a foothold in the Medical Affairs Department, but also a place for herself in this world.
In the Medical Affairs Department, the orders of superior officials could make her leave at any time; in the Hua Family, if she didn’t comply with the elder’s wishes, he could directly expel her.
Leaving the Hua Family, leaving the Medical Affairs Department, shedding the identity of a Hua Family member, shedding the identity of a laborer in the Medical Affairs Department, what else did she have left in this world?
She suddenly realized that she was like duckweed in this world, not having taken root at all. She had not cultivated a truly unique identity for herself.
The owner of Shennong Apothecary Shop?
The Mountain Master of Five Finger Mountain?
The Hall Master of Lingguang Hall?
None of these represented her completely; they were only parts of her.
Moreover, these were just superficial identities. When others mentioned them, they wouldn’t think of her as a person at all, and they knew nothing about her.
Hua Changxi fell into thought, beginning to seriously consider how she should live in this world.
Continuing south from the Capital City’s South City, one quickly reached the territory of Nanxiang County. As soon as one entered the territory of Nanxiang County, the majestic palace of Lingguang Hall could be seen.
Hua Changxi didn’t fly for long before she saw Lingguang Hall.
She didn’t go over. Instead, she conjured a giant cloud and sat cross-legged on it, contemplating her problems while silently watching the official road below.
Lingguang Hall was grand and magnificent, like a celestial palace. Even though all the intersections were blocked by the Imperial Court’s army, it still attracted people from all directions to investigate.
Before, Hua Changxi hadn’t paid close attention to the actions of the stationed soldiers when entering and leaving Lingguang Hall, but today, after watching for a short while, she noticed something unusual.
Ordinary people or cultivators trying to approach Lingguang Hall would definitely be stopped, but those holding various tokens were allowed through by the soldiers.
Seeing this differential treatment, Hua Changxi’s gaze deepened. Although those who were allowed through returned empty-handed, it still made her very unhappy.
Hua Changxi looked at Lingguang Hall, thinking about the recruitment mission for the hundred thousand Vermilion Bird Army.
If she had to recruit them all by herself, finding a hundred thousand cultivators with fire Spiritual Roots who also inherited the Vermilion Bird’s will would take an unknown amount of time.
She felt that she should leverage others’ initiative and get them to join the Vermilion Bird Army voluntarily.
With this thought, Hua Changxi began to ponder.
Lingguang Hall stood there, and without doing anything, it could attract countless people. If it were also announced to the world that the palace contained a top-tier fire element Cultivation Method, it was imaginable that even with the Imperial Court’s army stationed there, it wouldn’t stop people from all directions from flocking to it.
Hua Changxi looked at Lingguang Hall bathed in clouds and, with a ‘whoosh,’ like a shooting star, she descended on her cloud onto the steps outside the main hall.
A moment later, a line of conspicuous fiery red characters condensed from fire Spiritual Energy floated above the main hall of Lingguang Hall.
‘Those with a fated fire Spiritual Root, enter the Transmission Hall of Lingguang Hall to obtain the top-tier fire element Cultivation Method – 《Vermilion Bird Divine Art》.’
To ensure that everyone who could see Lingguang Hall could see this line of text, and to guarantee that the writing would not dissipate for a short time, Hua Changxi expended half of the Spiritual Energy in her body to enlarge and solidify the writing.
“Quick, look, what is that?”
As soon as the text appeared above Lingguang Hall, the onlookers all saw it and immediately began to discuss it.
“‘Those with a fated fire Spiritual Root, enter the Transmission Hall of Lingguang Hall to obtain the top-tier fire element Cultivation Method – 《Vermilion Bird Divine Art》.’ What does this mean?”
“Does it mean that as long as we can enter the Transmission Hall, we can get the Cultivation Method?”
Cultivators and Martial Artists who had rushed from all over, and even the onlookers who were mortals, were deeply shaken after seeing the line of text Hua Changxi had conjured.
At this moment, even with the soldiers guarding the intersections, it could not extinguish the fervor in their hearts.
The General responsible for guarding the intersection, upon seeing the red text, his expression became very solemn. He ordered his subordinates to guard the intersection well and personally returned to the city to report to Prince Fu.
“What? The Hall Master of Lingguang Hall has announced to the world that fated fire Spiritual Root cultivators can enter the Transmission Hall to obtain 《Vermilion Bird Divine Art》?”
“《Vermilion Bird Divine Art》? What kind of Cultivation Method is that?”
“The Vermilion Bird is one of the Four Spirits of heaven and earth. What level of Cultivation Method do you think it is?”
The news spread through the entire Capital City like a whirlwind and then spread outwards at lightning speed.
Gu Jin Fan was particularly silent upon hearing this news.
She knew that the Hall Master of Lingguang Hall was most likely Hua Changxi. She was both surprised and confused by Hua Changxi’s actions.
《Vermilion Bird Divine Art》 was one of the four top-tier Cultivation Methods in the Four Spirit Realm. She had revealed it so easily, and to everyone at that, did she know the value of the Cultivation Method?
Beyond her confusion, she also felt a sense of admiration. The Imperial Court had sent troops to block all routes to Lingguang Hall, its purpose obvious. Hua Changxi’s actions were essentially confronting the Imperial Court.
Even though her identity was not exposed to the Imperial Court, the fact that she dared to have such an idea and dared to implement it was enough to earn admiration.
Gu Jin Fan had to admit that she knew too little about Hua Changxi.
Hua Changxi was unaware of the sensation she had caused. When she was conjuring the text above Lingguang Hall, the Vermilion Bird Jade Pendant reacted, and she realized she could control Lingguang Hall through the pendant.
Although one had to swear an oath before the Vermilion Bird Tablet before receiving the transmission, this could not guarantee the quality of the Vermilion Bird Army recruits.
After discovering the pendant’s function, she set up two trials.
The first trial was the distance from the gate tower of Lingguang Hall to the steps. No Spiritual Energy could be used. The underground fire Spiritual Energy would surge, and flames would cover the entire body, burning the physical body. The flames would not actually cause harm to the body, but it required the tested individual to have strong psychological resilience.
The second trial was the distance from the first step to the Transmission Hall. Hua Changxi set up a harsh and dangerous illusion of a battlefield. Those who surrendered without a fight, fled from battle, bullied the weak, disobeyed orders, disrespected military commands, or betrayed and abandoned their comrades would be automatically teleported outside the archway.
After setting these up, Hua Changxi simultaneously opened the Transmission Hall and Training Hall on the fifth floor of the palace complex.
Those who obtained the 《Vermilion Bird Divine Art》 Cultivation Method could stay in the Training Hall to cultivate. This way, there would be no need to worry about the Imperial Court’s subsequent repercussions.
Having done all this, Hua Changxi entered the main hall, took out a stone bed made of top-grade fire Spirit Stones and placed it in the hall. She lay on it and began to recover her Spiritual Energy.
She waited in Lingguang Hall, wanting to see how many people dared to break through the Imperial Court’s blockade and come to Lingguang Hall.
Time trickled by, and night fell. The bright moon hung high in the sky. Today should have been a day for everyone to gather and admire the moon, but due to this announcement from Lingguang Hall, countless people’s emotions were stirred.
By midnight, Hua Changxi’s depleted Spiritual Energy had fully recovered. She opened her eyes and sensed slightly, discovering that on the plaza between the archway and the steps, at least dozens of people were bathed in flames, struggling to move towards the palace.
“So many people?”
Hua Changxi was somewhat surprised but quickly understood.
The Realm she was currently in was called the Four Spirit Realm. The Four Spirits were the strongest existences, and the appeal of 《Vermilion Bird Divine Art》 was absolutely unprecedented.
Hua Changxi walked out of the main hall and stood on the steps, looking down at the plaza below. She watched the dozens of people moving with difficulty. After watching for a short while, her expression suddenly turned serious, and she looked up sharply in the direction of the archway.
“Boom~”
A colossal sword light, seemingly unstoppable, swept towards Lingguang Hall, as if intending to cleave Lingguang Hall in two.
Seeing this, Hua Changxi narrowed her eyes, placed her hands behind her back, and did not move, watching the sword light descend.
However, when the sword light landed above Lingguang Hall, a fiery red Spiritual Energy Shield appeared. Then, a fire bird soared into the sky and struck like lightning in the direction from which the sword light originated.
“Ah~”
A cultivator’s shrill scream echoed. A late Core Formation cultivator holding a long sword was instantly incinerated into ashes by the fire bird.
Under the bright moonlight, the fire bird suddenly appeared and then disappeared, as brilliant as fireworks.
