"Ready to go?"
"Yes, master."
Long Yifei walked out from behind the corner. She was dressed in pure white of the finest snowy silk. Although the design was modest and standard for the Virtuous Order of Chunzhen, it could not hide her abundant curves. The thin fabric clung to her skin and was stretched taut in several places. His eyes immediately drifted to those areas and he couldn't look away.
She gave him a smile, her pink lips slightly glistening under the morning sun, her rich blue eyes sparkling with mischief. She twirled around in place, giving him the full experience of her beauty. Her long, glossy black hair flew out behind her, and so did her floor-length dress, revealing the pale blue slippers he had gifted her.
Shangyang Sky Slippers, a pair of shoes made from the feathers of the divine shangyang, it was a beast that ruled the sky and controlled the weather. With it, her ice abilities were strengthened greatly and so were her movement and agility. All kinds of dance-based Daos would also experience tremendous benefits.
"How do I look?" She teased.
"Stunning."
He took her hand and pulled her in. She was simply dazzling. He could get lost in her for hours and hours. Each time he saw her, he felt like he was rediscovering her beauty all over again.
She laughed, making her Flawless Snowfrost earrings jingle softly, "Stop it, we should get going. It won't be good to be late."
"Alright," He let go reluctantly with a pout.
She made it all better with a light kiss on his cheek. They had spent a week together after the reunion. It had been a blissful time, solely focused on each other's company. She practiced and he watched. When she was tired, he helped massage her weary muscles with Benevolent Hands. When they were bored, they often ended up rolling around for hours in bed. It was a carefree time that she would cherish deeply. Now, they had to face reality and the end-of-year examinations.
Chen Wentian and Long Yifei left her dorm room. They quickly passed through the corridors, exited the main hall, and walked briskly south toward the amphitheater. Along the way, many more pairs of sacred daughters and their acolytes joined the procession.
It was quiet but there was a noticeable aura of tension in the air. Many sacred daughters and their acolytes were worried or at least apprehensive about the examinations. It was a time of challenge and truth. Skill and talent would show out. Their hard work and dedication would be put to the test.
Everyone headed away from the campus buildings and filed into the amphitheater. It was already quite crowded. And unlike the first day, Chen Wentian and Long Yifei stayed together to find a seat.
"Sister Long, over here!" A cute voice drifted over from not too far away.
A short, petite sacred daughter was waving at them.
"A friend?" He asked.
"Something like that," Long Yifei replied, pulling his arm and heading toward the other sacred daughter, "Sister Su, good morning to you. This is my master and my acolyte, Immortal Blue Dragon Chen Wentian. Master, this is Su Yaoci."
"Oh!" Chen Wentian smiled brightly, "Su Yaoci, I have heard of your name from Fei'er. Thank you for taking care of her throughout the school year."
Su Yaoci bowed, "Thank you, Lord Chen. I just did what I could for a friend. Lord Chen, this is my acolyte, Immortal Cirrus Sky Xu Gaotian."
Chen Wentian looked over Su Yaoci and noticed the man next to her. He had an average height and appeared slightly old, perhaps early fifties or so, with a head of graying hair. He had an upright and simple demeanor that made other people unable to see his true self, the perfect traits of a business-minded person.
Chen Wentian thought of something and cupped his hands in a friendly greeting, "Lord Xu, well met, well met. It seems the threads of fate certainly have ties in all directions. Would you happen to be related to my good friend Immortal Soaring Mist Xu Kaicheng?"
"Haha, Lord Chen, well met. You are correct. Xu Kaicheng is my cousin. He has mentioned your name to me. I didn't think I would get to meet you so soon. It looks like my Yaoci has a good eye for people. I should reward her." He raised his eyebrows slightly at those last few words.
It was a universal sign between men. Chen Wentian understood and laughed.
Sensing something, Su Yaoci pouted and nudged Xu Gaotian with her elbow, "Lord Xu, you are so mean!"
Long Yifei also laughed at this.
Sacred daughters and acolytes continued to fill the amphitheater until everyone had arrived. Many seats remained empty and people mostly occupied the lower half of the amphitheater. At the Millenium Mountains Campus, there were about a thousand sacred daughters in each year. This end-of-year examination was only for the first years. The fourth year had a separate graduation examination. Therefore, the amphitheater would only be full if it was an event for the whole school.
Chen Wentian looked around the sea of faces with great interest. Of the sacred daughters, Long Yifei was the brightest star. Her beauty could outshine even the prioresses and abbotesses. However, there were a handful of sacred daughters that caught his eye. If he had to be objective, he would place them above Li Yuechan and they could probably rival Peng Lingxi in terms of looks.
The various acolytes were also interesting. There were far more of them this time around compared to the start of the school year. There were those with youthful faces that hid their true age. These were probably the talented descendants of major powers and super sects. He caught the eye of several people including Immortal Soaring Star Wei Wuyan and Immortal Cascading Serpent Zhu Zhi. He had defeated their friend Immortal Bamboo Wave Yang Gehu so naturally, they would come to revenge. He narrowed his eyes and gave them unfriendly smiles. He welcomed the challenge and would deal with each of these people in turn.
Aside from the annoying pretty boy faces, there were also those with gaunt, ancient appearances, their faces covered with age spots and wrinkles. These immortals were probably trying any way to extend their lifespan, even by a little. There was a secret art within the Virtuous Order of Chunzhen that wasn't talked about much. Known as the Vitality Reversing Yin, the sacred daughter would cultivate their physique and vitality while focusing on little else. And all that she accumulated through hard work and effort would be gifted to the first man she slept with. It was not a popular Dao and usually only for lower-ranked sacred daughters.
It seemed there were almost no good people among the immortals present. Most would use their sacred daughters as tools, whether to obtain a powerful heir, improve their cultivation, or extend their lifespan. There was little the sacred daughters received in return for their years and years of effort and dedication.
Chen Wentian and Long Yifei had talked about this issue at length during their time together before the examination. She explained the things she had seen throughout the year and the experiences with the various sacred daughters. She was incredibly perceptive and could draw the right conclusions from small details. She was already growing disillusioned with the situation and the Virtuous Order as a whole.
But she didn't want to quit just yet. She still wanted strength and she wanted to find out about her past. The Order could potentially offer both things. However, they both agreed that the situation was far from stable and that there were dangers everywhere. Right now, they could only face the challenge in front of them with faith in each other, two hearts united as one.
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