“Look, ninety jin heaven’s choice is here.”

“His cultivation might be number one if we counted backwards among the new students. Don’t tell me he doesn’t even do any meditation cultivation each night? I really don’t know how he can still remain so calm, don’t tell me he doesn’t feel the slightest bit of shame?”

“I heard that he defeated a Self Defense Department student who had higher cultivation than him previously. However, if this continues, if there isn’t the suppression of the black armor in the training valley… when the time comes, on the true battlefield, a single blade from the enemy might already send his weapon flying.”

“Tsk tsk… just ninety jin of strength, just how did he cultivate? Don’t tell me that each night, he just immediately knocks out, falls asleep until the morning? If that happens… if it wasn’t because of the academy’s Clear Truth Pill, he wouldn’t have been able to become a cultivator at all in this lifetime?”

“That’s not all that strange. Most people can’t enter the ranks of cultivators in their lifetimes.”

“...”

Xu Shengmo’s trick was extremely vicious. Even though Lin Xi didn’t care that much himself, just like he predicted, after testing ninety jin of strength in his Martial Skills class, news of him not even reaching initial stage Soul Knight going out was quickly transmitted throughout the entire Green Luan Academy. Soon afterwards, he also received the nickname ‘ninety jin heaven’s choice’.

Yunqin was an empire established through martial prowess, holding strength in high esteem, worshipping the strong from deep within their bones. That was why even though the next day’s class was the elective Toxicology course, the location of the course in one of Medicine Department’s medicinal valleys that cultivated different types of toxic plants, the students here for this course mostly of other departments as well, Lin Xi still heard many quiet words of mockery directed at him.

Because he didn’t really care himself, moreover having to draw the Green Edge Sword another thousand times before hurrying over early in the morning, just like yesterday, his entire body was swelling and sore, his two arms in particular hard to even lift, unable to prove that he had way more than ninety jin of strength even if he wanted to, Lin Xi calmly pretended to be deaf, admiring the purple iris that grew at the sides of the mountain path, slowly walking towards the poisonous plants in the valley up ahead.

The purple iris covering the mountain slope were extremely beautiful, moreover, among them, there were many small white and yellow wild chrysanthemums. Together with the blue skies above and the distant imposing and majestic snowy mountains, for him, they were all beautiful scenes that left the heart untroubled, spirit pleased.

“Lin Xi.”

Suddenly, he heard Gao Yanan’s voice sound from behind him. He turned around with endless pleasant surprise, but what he saw were gray-robed Medicine Department new students walking out from the mountain path in twos and threes.

The two female students walking together with the always refreshingly beautiful hair worn in a simple ponytail were people he recognized as well. One of them was someone he met before in the reflection room, the one Lin Xi had even amused with a joke, Jiang Yu’er. The other girl, even though Lin Xi had never talked to her, because of her beautiful appearance, just like Gao Yanan, she also became the target of many new students’ discussion. Her name was also beautiful, named Qin Xiyue[1]. Together with a Spiritual Sacrifice Department female student named Mo Qingyan, they were known as this batch of Green Luan Academy new students’ three most beautiful flowers. Qin Xiyue had also seen Lin Xi before. Because her features were exquisite, looking sixty to seventy percent like Fan Bingbing[2], moreover naturally having an entirely different icy gracefulness to her bearing, temperament truly exceptional, Lin Xi also had a deep impression of her.

Today, even though Qin Xiyue also wore the relaxed Medicine Department gray robes, her hair only bound with a faint red jade hairpin, revealing her fine white and slender neck, when this jade hairclip’s faint red color reflected on her face, it made her appear exceptionally dazzling. Even though she was still a bit underripe, she already had a bit of a country toppling feel.

After their exchange last time, Lin Xi wasn’t all that nervous this time. He only stopped where he was, smiling and saying to Gao Yanan and the other two who were walking over, “What happened, your Medicine Department just happens to have a class in this poisonous medicine valley?”

“You all are here for Toxicology, right? You guys from other departments only need to remember some outside characteristics, understand what poison is and that’s enough, but our Medicine Department not only needs to know these things, we also have to be able to compound poisons, and prepare the antidote.” Gao Yanan who was exceptionally beautiful in Lin Xi’s eyes revealed a faint smile, saying, “The place where we are having our lesson shouldn’t be too far from where you all are, what we have to prepare is the most commonly seen Heartbreaking Powder in the outside world.”

This type of conversation between students was naturally extremely normal. While speaking, Gao Yanan didn’t stop either, clearly entering the valley with Lin Xi extremely naturally as well. However, when Qin Xiyue saw Gao Yanan take the initiative to call out to Lin Xi, and then heard the conversation the two exchanged, witnessing Gao Yanan’s current movements, the beautiful brows of Qin Xiyue at her side who came from Yunqin’s central section’s River Province furrowed, stopping, somewhat unhappy as she looked at Gao Yanan, asking, “Yanan, are you close to him?”

Gao Yanan’s figure stopped slightly, turning around, looking at Qin Xiyue’s somewhat unhappy jade-like face, asking with confusion, “What’s wrong?”

Qin Xiyue looked at Lin Xi who was also a bit stunned. After a bit of hesitation, she still said with a frown, “I believe you have also heard about his ‘ninety jin heaven’s choice’ nickname, why do you still need to continue your relationship with him?”

Gao Yanan looked at Qin Xiyue with her pure eyes, becoming even more confused as she asked, “Why does that matter?”

When she saw her good friend who was normally so intelligent in class have such a foolish appearance, Qin Xiyue’s pretty brows furrowed even tighter. Since she had already spoken out, she figured there was no point in having anymore misgivings. As such, he looked at Gao Yanan with a bit of annoyance, saying, “Don’t tell me that you don’t understand… having a bit lower aptitude is something I won’t care too much about, but if his aptitude is low, and he doesn’t work hard to compensate for his limited abilities, this type of person is the type I hate the most. Even if his aptitude is only two, if he cultivated bitterly in the academy every day after entering, he shouldn’t only have ninety jin of strength. Can it be that you wish to be close friends with someone who only has an aptitude of two, but doesn’t have any desire to work hard?”

These words stated her stance extremely clearly, not showing any lenience. Moreover, when it was spoken by such a beautiful young lady, it was even more so exceptionally ear piercing and hurtful. Even though Lin Xi’s heart was calm, his brows still couldn’t help but furrow together.

However, this Medicine Department young lady whose appearance didn’t seem to have a single area that wasn’t beautiful felt like she didn’t speak clearly enough. Her jade-like face looked at Gao Yanan in a slightly cold manner, adding, “Moreover, the most crucial point is that from his body, I don’t sense the slightest bit of shame,. Just what kind of accomplishments can he achieve in the future? If you stay with this type of person, don’t you feel ashamed… I definitely do.”

“Cultivation isn’t everything.” Gao Yanan completely understood Qin Xiyue’s intentions, but she looked at Qin Xiyue and calmly said, “There are many people in this world who do not like cultivating, the level of one’s cultivation also cannot serve as the sole standard for judging a person. I have always believed that the only standard for judging whether someone should be befriended is their temperament and character.”

After a slight pause, this tall and slender young lady who looked exceptionally clean also added with a slight frown, “Moreover, for many people in our Yunqin Empire, even though their cultivation levels are not up to par, they can similarly obtain great achievements, also make great contributions, for example, some lecturers in the academy.”

Qin Xiyue looked at Gao Yanan, and then with a sigh, said, “How can he possibly compare to an academy lecturer.”

Gao Yanan looked at Qin Xiyue’s beautiful appearance, and then firmly shook her head, “Easily passing judgment based on a momentary rumor, your way is not good.”

Qin Xiyue silently turned her head towards the purple iris at the mountain path sides. “Have you really decided to walk together with him? Do you really feel that his performance in the future won’t make one feel shame, shame the academy’s glory?”

Gao Yanan’s brows furrowed again. She looked at Qin Xiyue and said, “I do not feel that he has any issues in terms of temperament or character. Also, when making friends, it isn’t something that happens overnight, it is something that lasts a long time. As for what the truth is like, we will naturally see.”

Lin Xi’s brows were originally furrowed, but when he saw that Gao Yanan was like this, his heart felt warm, his brows instead completely unfolding.

“If he shows any changes in behavior in the future, I will naturally change my opinion of him. However, right now, I indeed really do not favor him at all…” When she saw how insistent Gao Yanan was, her eyes that were like limpid autumn waters displaying a bit of resoluteness, she said, “If you insist on being friends with him, then I will no longer walk with you. Between me and him, you can make your choice.”

Gao Yanan finally felt a bit annoyed as well, her face a bit red as she said, “We were just exchanging some words, walking into the mountain valley, why are you saying so much, making things so complicated?”

When she saw that these two were like this, the naturally timid and cautious, originally somewhat nervous Jiang Yu’er immediately felt some beads of sweat appear on her small and fine nose, about to speak out to mediate these two who were becoming more and more disagreeable. However, precisely at this time, a warm and rich voice instead sounded, “Yanan, Xiyue, your relationship is normally so good, why is there a need to be in conflict over an irrelevant Self Defense Department student? Moreover, he is currently the academy’s infamous ninety jin heaven’s choice, he isn’t worth you all being like this at all.”

Following this voice, the handsome Liu Ziyu and several Medicine Department golden spoon youngsters walked over.

“Forget it, since you as entered heaven’s choice, even though your cultivation aptitude is a bit inferior, you shouldn’t be stupid either. Why don’t you be a bit more tactful?” At Liu Ziyu’s side, a tall and sturdy Medicine Department golden spoon gestured with his hand in Lin Xi’s direction, saying, “If I were you, then I would definitely walk away on my own right now to not trouble Gao Yanan who had good intentions.”

“You’re right, forget it. We are just entering the valley, there is no need for things to be this complicated.” Lin Xi didn’t wish to trouble Gao Yanan either, nor did he pay the Medicine Department golden spoons any attention. He smiled towards Gao Yanan and said, “I’ll just head in first.”

“I’m going with you.” After a bit of hesitation, Gao Yanan directly and firmly turned around, walking towards Lin Xi.

“You…” Qin Xiyue didn’t expect Gao Yanan to actually make this type of decision, immediately filled with disappointment and frustration, even her face becoming slightly pale. “When faced with this type of ridicule and humiliation, he still has such a mischievous appearance, yet you actually want to remain with him?”

Gao Yanan turned around slightly, looking at Qin Xiyue and saying, “If you felt like such a small matter is worth breaking off relations with me… then I have nothing to say either. This isn’t the type of thing I like to do either.”

“Yanan, Xiyue, you two…” Jiang Yu’er bashfully spoke out, wishing to speak out, but Qin Xiyue instead took a deep breath, cutting her off and saying, “Jiang Yu’er, are you going to remain with her, or stay with me?”

“I…” Jiang Yu’er was really conflicted, her face even became a bit red. Right at this time, Liu Ziyu frowned and said, “Yanan, you shouldn’t squabble like this with Xiyue, but rather calmly think to yourself first. With his present cultivation, if this continues, if he doesn’t represent our academy, then that’s that, but if he goes out for practical training, once he arrives in the border army, the enemy finding out our academy has this type of student, and then targets him… whether he can even live before completing our Green Luan Academy’s studies is hard to say. Moreover, what Xiyue said isn’t wrong, right now, he even has this type of attitude, could it be that you still expect him to diligently cultivate? He hasn’t even put in much effort in his own cultivation, so how can he be expected to have any accomplishments in other areas?”

“How do you all know that I wasn’t diligently cultivating?” Just a simple walk into the valley stirred up so much trouble, moreover, now that Gao Yanan was standing at his side, it made Lin Xi who originally didn’t want to stand out naturally want to say something. He stood before Gao Yanan, looking at Liu Ziyu and then at Qin Xiyue with a look of mockery. These people never expected him to suddenly step out. During their moment of shock, he calmly repeated, “You all didn’t see it with your own eyes, so how can you speak so decisively?”

1. Xi = cherish, Yue = moon

2. Famous Chinese actress