Chapter 10 - Azure Sea Flow

“Fellow cultivator, you don’t seem to love to talk,” said the system.

Lin Shu replied, “……Yes.”

“The Immortal Path requires tranquility, it’s also a good thing not to talk,” the system told him with a beam as usual.

Lin Shu quietly listened to the system praise him.

Besides his Teacher, nobody had ever praised him before and he felt wonderful for a moment.

He only saw the system closed its eyes to meditate and after a few breaths, it once again opened his eyes and sighed. “I should be starting the second part of the second examination and allow you to discuss it with the others. But in this Shangling examination, the person suitable to discuss with you is still a bamboo pole spirit who particularly loves getting involved in between, I’m afraid you won’t be able to outsay.”

It continued on without waiting for Lin Shu to speak, “He only cares about arguing and you don’t love to talk. It would be boring. I made a decision for the time being and exempt you from this part.”

Lin Shu was hoping for this and said, “Thank you.”

He knew well that the weight he carried on his words was not enough to have a conversation with ordinary people, let alone a discussion with the pole spirit.

It was quite interesting this system could actually exempt him.

The system stood silently at the summit. He wore a wide robe with large sleeves and his clothes fluttered in the breeze. He had the looks of an immortal and said, “The first part of the third examination, morning. It’s exactly early morning now. Fellow cultivator, please start.”

Lin Shu suddenly saw he had a three-feet long sword which was entirely pitch-black.

He was very familiar with the pattern of the sword—it was the one he originally used.

He looked down at his body and saw he was in an extremely plain white robe which was also his usual way of dressing when he was under his Teacher in the olden days.

This ‘Shangling Dreamscape’ could actually reflect one’s inner thoughts. During his usual immortal cultivation, the clothes that he wore and the sword that he used would appear in the dreamscape.

Once he moved his mind, that sword disappeared again. He mouthed it silently and appeared after a short period of time.

The system laughed, “You really love to play.”

Lin Shu stopped and drew his sword from its sheath.

The longsword in the pitch-black sword sheath was cold and dull &#k2014; it was rather heavy. If a little fool wanted to pick it up, it was bound to be strenuous. But, he was in a dreamscape after all so it was much easier.

Ever since he came to this world, Lin Shu had not touched a sword for two months but was still familiar with it.

The system spoke, “Fellow cultivator, please draw your sword.”

Lin Shu lifted his sword in a slanted manner as a gesture. He had already thought about it properly two months ago. In the third examination, he practiced a basic swordplay known as Azure Sea Flow. This swordplay didn’t require a lot of strange and tricky skills and it was very fair and moderate.

Lin Shu didn’t want to recall what followed next.

He practiced an entire <Azure Sea Flow> in the early morning light. The system stroked his palm and gasped in admiration. “The morning sun rises and the azure sea flows at great speed, a really good atmosphere.”

He practiced an entire <Azure Sea Flow> in the evening. The system gasped in admiration, “The evening sun desires to collapse, all things tend to move in one direction, fellow cultivator has a good mental state.”

He practiced an entire <Azure Sea Flow> in the heavy rain, the system continued to gasp in admiration, “Strong wind and heavy rain, the azure sea neither rise nor fall, fellow cultivator has a good heart.”

……

Heaven knows that he practiced the same set of swordplay without a hint of change.

Once he finished practicing in the 12 realms in the order of morning, evening, night, spring, summer, autumn, winter, cloudy, sunny, rain. The system took a deep sigh. “Fellow cultivator, I’m actually unable to tell the difference in your swordplay of 12 realms.”

——Something is wrong if it could tell the difference.

Lin Shu answered honestly, “There is no difference.”

If he wanted to tell the truth, he lacked that bit of aesthetics. and was insensitive towards anything from the outside after being antisocial for a long time. He didn’t feel anything with the different weather.

Since he didn’t feel anything, the more he could not merge the appreciation towards external matters into the swordplay. That was something he couldn’t do even if he racked his brains.

Therefore, he chose a fair and moderate, jack of all trades swordplay, <Azure Sea Flow> and braced himself to practice 12 times to attempt getting away with it.

If he didn’t get away with it, he could only go home and recite folk remedies and enter a technical school to learn refining pills.

He was a little ill at ease. He didn’t think that after the system heaved a sigh, it said with thoughts, “Heaven has its own law, you are nothing—Yes, with your Dao, you originally didn’t bother about these external matters.

I am not, I did not.

Lin Shu was expressionless and in a state of ‘what you said is all correct’.

The system said, “Since it’s like this, leave quickly! It’s hot outside, be careful of a heatstroke.”

Lin Shu thought for a while and asked, “Can I enter the academy?”

The system replied to him, “Fellow cultivator, your basic skills are not bad. You are clearly a disciple from a prestigious and upright who learned immortal cultivation since young. Having a Dao mind is hard to come by and you are a rare talent. There is no need to worry.”

Lin Shu felt a bit embarrassed watching the sincere look on the system.

The system said he was a rare talent but only he knew that he didn’t know if he could even still cultivate into an immortal. Only when he went to the academy could he grasp onto the little hope that could change his aptitude.

He questioned, “Is the number of people in the academy fixed yearly?”

The system replied to him, “It’s not fixed but every single one is an innate talent and able to catch up the academic program of the academy. The academy would always want them regardless of how many.

Lin Shu was slightly relieved. From the way he said it, he wouldn’t seize someone else’s place which would save him trouble in the future.

The system told him, “The exit of the dreamscape is not here, follow me.”

Lin Shu followed him down the mountain obediently and left the summit. There was a ferry crossing at the bottom of the mountain, separated by a river. The opposite mountain range was undulated with some buildings vaguely.

“When you enter the academy, you can head over there.” The system had a bamboo raft and said warmly, “Come up.”

It was strange. It was early morning at the summit but it was night at the bottom of the mountain. The night was bleak and hazy and the river was covered with mist. The system allowed the boat to flow with the river and in the next moment, they sailed into the vast, white mist. Lin Shu suddenly felt a huge change in the world. He was relaxed and cozy but felt the hot, stuffy and boiling atmosphere of the outside world.

He opened his eyes and it was already close to noon. His frail body stayed in a place like this for half a day. He was dizzy and blur, feeling inexpressibly unwell all over. He wanted to go to a shady area aside. However, his wrists were tied up by Li Jimao with numerous dead knots and he couldn’t untie them no matter what.

When Li Yamao woke up from the dreamscape, he saw Lin Shu at his side breath in heavily.

Li Yamao shouted, “My brat!”

He gasped for air slightly, his entire body was not very clear-headed.

Li Yamao dragged him to somewhere shady and was at his wit’s end momentarily. Fortunately, Li Jimao regained consciousness very quickly. They dragged him to the outside of the hall and poured him a large bowl of green bean soup. Lin Shu then came round slowly.

Lin Shu, “……”

The body of his was hateful. He almost died before finishing graduating from his Teacher.

Seeing him return to normal, the two brothers heaved a sigh of relief. They pulled the donkey out to prepare to head home.

Li Yamao said, “Brother Ji, how did you fare?”

Li Jimao shook his head, “The immortal who tested me advised me to do things honestly at home and need not bother with this trip.”

Li Yamao chuckled and looked thrilled. He patted the donkey hard, “Guess how I fare?”