Longevity begins with slaying demons and eliminating demons

Chapter 586: Not the same after all, Youth Travel ()

"Bloodline potential, third level!"

Looking at the dim test stone tablet in front of him, Luo Chuan looked disappointed, with a self-deprecating smile on his face.

His fists clenched and unclenched, and his nails dug into his palms again and again - as if he wanted to seize the invisible opportunity tightly, but he was powerless and could only let it slip away from his hands like a loach.

"Little Prince, your name is Luo Chuan, right?" Next to the stone monument, a middle-aged man who teaches grooming said in a polite but polite tone, "Thank you very much for your willingness to recognize and apply for our Tianyang Academy.

"It's a pity that there are too many outstanding young people to sign up this year. Although your performance and the letter of recommendation written by Commander Xu are impressive, we still have to regretfully tell you that you have not reached Tianyang Academy." We are unable to offer you a place for admission based on the admissions criteria.”

At this time, behind Luochuan, hundreds of practitioners were lined up like a long dragon.

They whispered, their voices low but unable to conceal their inner tension and anxiety, with complicated expressions on their faces.

"I remember that in previous years, as long as the bloodline potential reached the third level, the three major academies would choose at will. But this year, alas, the competition is really fierce, and even the threshold has been raised!"

"It's not because Zhao Kingdom is currently at war with the Yanling Tribe. All casual cultivators across the country have been forcibly recruited into the army. Only academy students are exempted from military service. Look at our backs. In order to avoid military service, even old men in their 60s have come to sign up. ”

"Hey, what should I do? Last year, I was rejected by all three major academies in Chaoyang City because I didn't have a letter of recommendation. This year, I spent a full one hundred taels of silver to get a letter of recommendation from Professor Wu. Could it be that? Will I return without success and repeat the same mistakes?”

"..."

When these people's words fell into Luo Chuan's ears, they were like sharp arrows piercing his heart. Every word had a stinging edge, making him extremely irritated.

Before coming to Tianyang Academy, he had already gone to Wangyou Academy and Yunlang Academy, but was ruthlessly turned away.

In the world of Lingxiao, blood is supreme.

From the moment of birth, bloodline is like a brand, deeply engraved in each person's body, almost determining a person's spiritual talent and potential, and even his future destiny.

The higher the potential of the bloodline, the more compatible it is with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, or the body is more powerful than ordinary people, or the true energy can operate more efficiently than others.

This also means that it is easier for them to reach higher spiritual realms and therefore have a higher social status.

In fact, Luochuan's third-level bloodline talent is not too bad. After all, it is impossible for Commander Xu to write a letter of recommendation to a complete loser in cultivation. Doing so would only embarrass himself.

Luo Chuan once naively thought that it was a certainty that he would become an academy student.

He had already painted a picture of the future in his mind, imagining that in the future he would be able to rise through the ranks as an academy student and be firmly rooted in the upper class society of Chaoyang City.

At that time, he will have a spacious and magnificent courtyard, where he can take his mother, who has never worn silk clothes in her life, to enjoy her life. Then he will have several fat boys with his gentle and virtuous wife, and watch them look like his own sons in the courtyard. Chasing and fighting so carefree from time to time.

However, the world is more complicated than he imagined.

The white-haired young man was right. In addition to the formal assessments, the three major academies did have some invisible thresholds hidden.

For example, when Luochuan went to Wangyou Academy, he was blocked by a servant guarding the door.

The servant accused him of not being able to enter the solemn and solemn academy because of his disheveled clothes, thinking that doing so would pollute the sacred atmosphere of the academy.

Hearing this, Luochuan spent a long time adjusting his clothes under the scorching sun, but the handyman still shook his head to express dissatisfaction.

About a quarter of an hour later, a young fat man in bright clothes and gold jewelry came over.

He greeted the handyman with a smile on his face, then handed over a beautiful box and said: "This is the Enlightenment Tea, a specialty of my hometown. I hope you will accept it if you give it a little thought."

The handyman who had been indifferent to Luochuan before was now smiling from ear to ear, like a blooming persimmon flower.

While saying, "How can you say this? It's too polite." He skillfully hid the box of Enlightenment Tea in his arms, and then let the fat man enter the academy with enthusiasm.

Luochuan stood there, watching this scene, struggling in his heart.

He has a habitual little move - whenever he feels upset, he always likes to rub his hands against each other.

At this moment, his hands were like drilling wood to make fire, and his palms were so hot that they were almost smoking.

Deep down in his heart, he firmly believed that the fat man's behavior was immoral, and he was full of contempt for it. However, he did not want to give up the opportunity to take the entrance examination because of this, and he did not want his future to be ruined here.

In the end, his mother's eyes full of ardent expectations before leaving came to his mind, allowing his ambition to temporarily overcome his inner moral obsessiveness.

Unfortunately, apart from the silk clothes he was wearing, he had no other valuable possessions.

Of course, he couldn't use the old pots and pans in his luggage to pay bribes.

After careful consideration, he finally took a deep breath and took out some broken silver from the cloth bag given by the white-haired young man. With an awkward smile like a mask on his face, he stuffed the silver into the hands of the handyman.

Then, like a frightened rabbit, he covered his face and quickly ran into the shade of the trees of Wangyou Academy.

His heart was filled with shame, and he was afraid that this shameful thing would be seen by others, just like the prostitute in the hook bar who was afraid of meeting an acquaintance when picking up customers.

……

For another example, when Luo Chuan went to Yunlang Academy, he witnessed a long queue of thousands of practitioners taking the exam. The procession started from the main building of the academy, winding all the way around the lake, until it extended to the opposite side of the street outside the academy.

The place was crowded and noisy.

Luo Chuan held the recommendation letter and stood silently at the end of the line.

However, the team's progress was as slow as a snail, and every step seemed to take a lot of effort. Several hours passed before Luo Chuan finally moved through the academy gate with difficulty from across the street.

People in front and behind began to curse impatiently, complaining about the long wait.

Luo Chuan couldn't help but feel anxious. He looked up at the sky and saw that it was getting late and night was about to fall. He was worried that the academy was about to close, and if he could not participate in the assessment in time, he would have to queue up again tomorrow.

At this moment, a group of wealthy young men in rich and colorful clothes swarmed in like a swarm of bees. They laughed, cursed, and pushed each other, trying to squeeze their way to the front of the line.

Seeing this, other people in the team expressed their dissatisfaction and tried to stop them.

However, the rich young men didn't care. They laughed and easily took out a wooden sign from their pockets, held it high above their heads, and showed off to everyone.

The wooden sign is carved with exquisite patterns, and an eye-catching word "Xian" shines brightly in the center.

They proudly claimed that this was a "prior order" issued by the academy. Those with this order could ignore the queue, jump directly in line, and enjoy the privilege of participating in the assessment first.

Everyone sensed the strong aura of true energy emanating from the wooden sign and confirmed that it was not a forgery. They had no choice but to retreat, allowing the group of wealthy young men to stride forward with their heads held high.

On the first day, Luochuan was not in line;

The next day, Luochuan went to line up at the entrance of the academy before dawn, but did not get there;

On the third day, Luochuan simply didn't go back to the inn to sleep. He squatted at the entrance of the academy all night, but he still didn't arrive in line;

……

Later, Luochuan accidentally learned that most of the practitioners who can successfully take the assessment at Yunlang Academy hold the so-called "prior order".

And it is not difficult to obtain this "prior order".

Several teachers from Yunlang Academy openly set up a stall at the back door of the academy, where they could exchange for a token for two taels of silver.

In Zhao State, two taels of silver were enough to buy four stones of high-quality rice. For wealthy families, this was just a drop in the bucket, but for ordinary people, it was a huge expense.

It is rumored that Yunlang Academy can earn a considerable amount of income through this method every year during the enrollment period.

Although Luochuan had previously sworn that even if he died, even if he jumped from the cliff, he would never use a little bit of money donated by the bandits.

He originally planned to go to Longji Mountain after the incident in Chaoyang City came to an end and return the bag containing the silver intact to the white-haired young man.

However, after experiencing the suffering and torture of standing in long lines under the scorching sun for several days, Luochuan finally couldn't bear it anymore.

On the fifth day, he resolutely went straight to the stall at the back door of the academy and spent twenty taels of silver to buy a "prior order".

He suddenly transformed into the "privileged person" he hated most in the past few days.

When he strode forward with the token in hand, he caught a glimpse of the people who could only line up silently on the side, and he felt an indescribable sense of joy in his heart.

It felt as if I was a general returning from victory, and those who lined up became a guard of honor lined up to welcome him, respectful and obedient.

"No wonder everyone in the world wants to be a powerful person," he sighed secretly. "It feels so good to have privilege!"

…………

At this moment, after being rejected by three academies, Luochuan had very little money in his bag.

He stood under the scorching sun, rubbing his hands anxiously, with mixed feelings in his heart.

On the one hand, he fell into confusion about the future——

How to make a living in the future, how to explain all this to her mother, and how to appease her heart that is disappointed by herself.

On the other hand, the money from the bandits became a heavy burden on his heart——

How should he repay this huge sum of money when he achieved nothing?

"Next, Gongsun Hao!"

The voice of the teacher at Tianyang Academy was loud and clear, interrupting Luo Chuan's chaotic thoughts.

"Gongsun Hao? Why is he here too?"

"How come he, a majestic 'fairy body', a monk in the fifth realm, and the eldest son of the Gongsun family, is here to compete with ordinary monks like us for admission places? This simply doesn't leave us a way to survive!"

"His cultivation level has probably surpassed most of the teachings in the academy!"

"Do you really think he wants to come to the academy? He is just here to go through the motions and make a name for himself so as to avoid military service."

"..."

Before Gongsun Hao's figure appeared, there was already a flurry of discussion around him. Luo Chuan had heard of the name "Gongsun Hao" before, and he was a high-profile figure in Zhao Kingdom.

He came from a distinguished family, coming from the Gongsun family, the largest family in Zhao State.

In the Lingxiao world where blood is respected, a person's family background is often closely linked to his spiritual talent and even his lifetime development limit.

Like the Gongsun family, if you pick anyone out, they will have at least fifth-level or sixth-level bloodline potential.

When the power of blood is extremely strong, it will give birth to extraordinary and special physiques such as "the body of the fairy spirit", "the body of the flame spirit", "the body of the demon god", etc.

I saw Gongsun Hao stepping on the flying sword and slowly landing in front of the stone tablet.

His head is seven feet high, his belly is thick and his waist is like a wolf; his clothes are draped in square collars, and he looks like a dragon or a phoenix.

He stood there, standing out from the crowd, and suddenly became the focus of everyone's attention.

He reached out his hand and touched the stone tablet.

As soon as the fingertips touched the cold and hard surface, the stone tablet emitted a strong light, like the rising sun, dazzling.

The light contained majestic energy, as if there were thousands of giant dragons writhing in it, roaring and breaking through the restraints.

The crowd was shocked into silence by this sudden turn of events.

Some people covered their eyes with their hands, and some people stepped back involuntarily.

Soon, the stele began to tremble violently in the strong light, and cracks spread on the surface of the stele, as dense as a spider web. Finally, with a deafening roar, the stone tablet exploded, sending fragments flying everywhere.

Seeing this scene, the instructor responsible for testing the bloodline talent was shocked and dumbfounded, and could not recover for a long time.

Only Gongsun Hao's expression was always calm and calm.

He turned his eyes to the instructor and asked in a calm tone: "Do I pass the test?"

The teacher was stunned for a while, and then stammered in reply: "Of course... you... you are now a student of Tianyang Academy."

He didn't even realize that he had used the honorific in his words.

Gongsun Hao nodded expressionlessly, then stepped onto the flying sword and left without stopping for a moment.

The academy examination, which Luo Chuan and others regard as the most important event in their lives, to Gongsun Hao, is just an ordinary matter, similar to eating and drinking. Perhaps in his heart, he still felt that making a special trip to Tianyang Academy to take the assessment was a waste of his cultivation time.

…………

The residence of Zhen Shaofu, the Marquis of Guannei, is located in the northeast corner of Chaoyang City.

The transportation here is convenient and quiet in the bustle.

Many palaces of princes, generals and ministers were built adjacent to this place.

That afternoon, Luochuan used the last bit of silver given by the white-haired young man to follow the example of the fat man he met at Wangyou Academy and bought a box of "Enlightenment Tea" that he thought was very valuable. He carried it in his hand. Prepare to use it as a meeting gift for your future family-in-law.

Although the admission was unsuccessful, whether it was out of courtesy or out of admiration for Shao Ai, he felt that he still needed to meet his prospective father-in-law and fiancée.

After he explained his purpose to the servants at the door, one of the servants immediately entered the house through the side door to inform the owner.

Luo Chuan waited patiently outside the door, trying hard to restrain his urge to rub his hands.

He rehearsed in his mind how he should greet his fiancée Zhen Huishu once she appeared at the door so as to leave a good impression on her without appearing timid or timid or frivolous or rude.

Directly complimenting her beauty?

Or should we find some other topic to chat with first, such as "The weather is really pleasant today"?

About a quarter of an hour later, the door of the Hou Mansion slowly opened.

However, what appeared in front of him was not his beloved fiancée Zhen Huishu.

Instead, he was a handsome young man wearing a tassel hat and a green gown. He was gently shaking the Jinchuan fan in his hand, and his temperament was graceful.

"I am Dantaiyan of Cangnan, the son of Tantaihong, the governor of Cangnan," Young Master Jun said in a gentle and polite voice, "May I ask your surname, my dear brother?"

Facing this noble-born young master, Luo Chuan's momentum weakened a bit unconsciously.

He was stunned for a moment, and then replied hesitantly: "My... my name is Luo Chuan, from Yuwei Village, and my father is the Zhenbei Army... Wu Commander Luo Hu."

He couldn't help but wonder in his mind why Master Tantai appeared in Zhen's Mansion and came to open the door for him in person.

Could it be that he wanted to pursue his fiancée Zhen Huishu and deliberately show her power in front of him?

Then, he laughed self-deprecatingly, thinking that he was probably so frightened by the other person's aura that he became so nervous and thought wildly.

He reminded himself that Zhen Huishu's father was a powerful Marquis of Guannei, and it was common for guests to come to his house. Mr. Tantai opened the door for him, perhaps because he was a kind-hearted person and had no other deep meaning.

Under the guidance of Mr. Tantai, the two walked through the gate, passed the exquisite hanging flower door, entered the spacious hall, and then bypassed the simple marble screen to the bright and spacious main courtyard.

Luo Chuan followed Mr. Tantai, taking every step cautiously, not daring to speak easily, and not daring to move his eyes casually, for fear that his vulgar behavior would attract ridicule and disdain from others.

He thought secretly in his heart: My fiancée must be a fairy from the sky, so that she can live in this gorgeous mansion like a beautiful palace. How lucky I am, a poor boy, to have the opportunity to marry her and spend this life with her. .

In the main house of the mansion, Luochuan met his prospective father-in-law, Guannei Hou Zhen Shaofu.

He has white hair on the temples, is dressed in brocade clothes, and has an obvious and ferocious scar on his face, which seems to be silently telling the story of his desperate battle to kill the enemy on the battlefield.

Zhen Shaofu warmly entertained Luo Chuan and Tantai Yan, invited them to sit at the table, and waved to the maid to come and offer tea.

The maid came with a light step, carrying a delicate tea tray in her hand, with three green teacups placed on it, as crystal clear as emeralds.

She elegantly placed the teacups in front of the three of them one by one, and then stepped aside gently.

Zhen Shaofu picked up the tea cup, gently blew the hot air on the tea surface, and then raised the cup to Luo Chuan.

Seeing this, Luochuan also quickly picked up the tea cup and drank tea with Zhen Shaofu.

He took a careful sip, and immediately felt a refreshing aroma of tea filling his mouth, which was refreshing.

What surprised Luo Chuan even more was that this tea actually made him feel several times more sensitive to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. He felt as if the spiritual energy around him was summoned, rushing into his body, giving him an indescribable sense of comfort.

Zhen Shaofu looked at Luo Chuan's surprised expression and introduced with a smile: "This tea is called 'Qing Ling Tea'. It can not only refresh the mind, but also enhance the practitioner's perception and absorption of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

"For practitioners, this is a rare treasure. Although the common 'Enlightenment Tea' on the market is also good, it is much inferior to this 'Qing Ling Tea'."

Luochuan's heart felt like he was hit by an invisible thunder.

He quickly lowered his head, trying his best to hide the embarrassed expression on his face, not wanting others to notice his inner panic.

He was about to take out the newly purchased "Enlightenment Tea" and give it to his prospective father-in-law.

However, after hearing Zhen Shaofu's words, the "Enlightenment Tea" in his hand instantly turned into a hot potato - he wanted to dig a hole in the ground immediately and hide it.

However, Zhen Shaofu didn't seem to notice the awkward expression on Luo Chuan's face.

He suddenly stood up, held Luo Chuan's hand tightly, and said with emotion: "Nephew Luo Xian, your father Luo Hu's life-saving grace on the battlefield will be unforgettable for the rest of my life. If he hadn't risked his life to save his life, I, Zhen Shaofu, would never forget it." There will be no today."

Immediately afterwards, he asked with concern: "Nephew Luo Xian, how are you and your mother living in Yuwei Village? Are you well?"

When Luochuan mentioned the severe drought that Yuwei Village suffered two years ago, Zhen Shaofu's eyes instantly became moist and his voice trembled slightly.

He blamed himself: "It's all my fault for being careless. I only focused on the affairs of the capital and failed to take care of my benefactor's family in time. If I had known about your plight earlier, I would have done my best to help."

Luochuan was deeply moved when he heard Zhen Shaofu's words.

He thought that the white-haired young man must have been a bandit a lot and was used to speculating on others with the greatest malice, so he expressed doubts about Zhen Shaofu's character.

But now it seems that Zhen Shaofu is worthy of being his father's closest comrade back then, and his character is indeed worthy of respect and trust.

Zhen Shaofu took Luo Chuan and chatted for a long time.

Tantaiyan sat nearby and listened silently, with a faint smile on his face, making it difficult to see his mood.

As evening approached, the afterglow of the setting sun filled the courtyard of the Zhen family, casting a golden coat over the entire mansion.

Luochuan originally thought that Zhen Shaofu would mention the engagement at this time, and deep down in his heart he was even vaguely looking forward to meeting his fiancée.

However, Zhen Shaofu's next words were like a bolt from the blue——

I only heard him say slowly: "Nephew Luo Xian, your father Luo Hu is my closest comrade in life, and also my savior. In my heart, his son is just like my own son.

"My daughter Zhen Huishu will leave the court the day after tomorrow and get married to this young master from Tantai.

"Since you happen to be in Chaoyang City, as a relative, I sincerely invite you to attend her wedding.

"She should be looking forward to receiving blessings from your brother from afar."

Summer seemed to end suddenly at this moment.

It seemed as if the north wind was whistling by, the sky was dark with clouds, and the snowflakes were falling.

Luo Chuan covered the "Enlightenment Tea" box hidden behind his back with one hand, and tightly held the marriage certificate in his pocket with the other hand - the bright red paper was wrinkled by him, and it was probably soaked with the smell of sweat.

A voice urged in his heart:

You should take out this marriage document immediately and put it in front of these two people!

You have to tell them that according to "the orders of their parents and the words of the matchmaker", it is illegal for them to do this!

Zhen Huishu’s real groom should be you!

But Luochuan remained silent after all.

He lowered his head and rubbed the red paper with his fingers unconsciously until it was riddled with holes. In the deathly silence, he heard himself whispering in a voice that was almost like a mosquito chirping:

"Then...that's really congratulations!"