Xu Qingfeng looked around carefully to make sure there was no one nearby. Then he lowered his voice and said mysteriously,
“Haven't you heard yet? The imperial court is going to hold a grand ceremony to worship the heavens. It's said that this ceremony is related to praying for rain to relieve the drought. I reckon that in a few days, they'll send out invitations far and wide to gather all the capable and talented people in the world! His Majesty attaches great importance to this matter. As the highest institution of the mysterious arts and having a close relationship with the imperial court, our academy will most likely select the core candidates to preside over the ceremony from among our disciples.” Xu Qingfeng's tone carried a hint of consideration for Shen Cuiyu. “With your current rapid progress and remarkable talents, if you had entered the academy earlier and built a deeper foundation, you might well have a chance to play a role in such a grand event.”
Then he changed the subject and lowered his voice a bit, with a touch of practical consideration and regret. “However, the most prominent and highly regarded disciple in the academy at present is probably Junior Sister Liu Ruyan, who is known as the reincarnation of the Goddess of the North. She has a great reputation in the capital and is well - known for her good deeds. Even His Majesty has heard of her. Since she entered the academy, she has been highly regarded by several teachers and has performed excellently in several consecutive missions. Among the disciples of the same batch, she is truly outstanding...”
Although Xu Qingfeng didn't say it explicitly, his meaning was clear: Liu Ruyan, with her accumulated reputation and recognized performance, had a huge head - start among the candidates for the grand ceremony.
Having said this, fearing that Shen Cuiyu might feel disappointed, he quickly added words of comfort. “But don't be discouraged. There are quite a few such activities in the academy. As long as you keep working hard, you will surely achieve something!”
Before leaving, Xu Qingfeng said earnestly,
“This matter hasn't been made public yet. Just keep it to yourself, Junior Sister. Don't spread it around. I wouldn't tell just anyone...”
Hearing this, Shen Cuiyu found it a bit funny. In fact, she wasn't very interested in participating in the grand ceremony itself. But Xu Qingfeng's words gave her an idea—this might be an excellent opportunity to verify some of her speculations...
Sure enough, a few days later, a notice was posted in the Wanhxiang Academy, announcing that the academy would select disciples to preside over the imperial court's grand ceremony to worship the heavens. Suddenly, the whole academy was in an uproar.
For many students, this was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity to rise to fame!
After all, who among those who had been practicing the mysterious arts didn't hope to become a well - known celestial master one day?
If one could stand out in such a grand event, they might, like the legendary celestial master Shen Zanghai in the past, meet a wise lord, bring glory to their family, and become a guest of honor at the emperor's side, with boundless prospects!
Although the academy explicitly stated that it didn't restrict the disciple levels for registration to show fairness, most disciples knew well that those who could represent the academy on such a solemn occasion as the grand ceremony to worship the heavens would surely be outstanding disciples of the Earth Rank or even the Heaven Rank.
The multi - level selection process was by no means something an ordinary person could pass. Even if they signed up, they would probably just be used as stepping - stones.
Therefore, although most people yearned for it, they could only look at the high - level disciples getting ready and competing with envy.
However, Dongfang Xiao was full of enthusiasm and signed up immediately upon hearing the news!
“Hehe, if I really get selected, I'll be the pride of our Southern Chu! I'll bring glory to my ancestors!”
Not content with just signing up himself, he also urged all his friends around him to sign up.
Although Zhong Shengwan didn't like to compete with a large group of people, as he represented the Zhong Mansion, he had no choice but to sign up reluctantly.
Shen Cuiyu stared blankly at the empty seat beside her.
Pei Yu seemed to have been extremely busy recently.
Since returning from Linyu City, he had often been elusive, disappearing for several days in a row. The old tree beside the academy dormitory where he used to lean against to soak up the sun also seemed empty.
Shen Cuiyu was flipping through the ancient book in her hand, but she always felt that it was too quiet. Without that person's lazy and joking remarks from time to time, there was suddenly an indescribable sense of emptiness in her heart.
Noticing this strange thought, Shen Cuiyu subconsciously frowned and was startled by herself later. She thought that habit was really a terrible thing!
She collected her thoughts, silently recited the Heart - Clearing Incantation a few times to calm the ripples in her heart, and refocused her attention on the book in front of her.
Just then, Dongfang Xiao quietly came over. His eyes were shining as he asked Shen Cuiyu warmly,
“A Cui, you're so powerful. Why don't you give it a try? You might really succeed!”
His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for Liu Ruyan not far away to hear.
Sure enough, Liu Ruyan immediately looked over warily, her eyes full of scrutiny and undisguised hostility, as if once Shen Cuiyu signed up, it would pose a huge threat to her status.
Feeling that sharp gaze, Shen Cuiyu's originally calm expression changed slightly. She remembered what Xu Qingfeng had said and thought of the secrets hidden behind Liu Ruyan.
This grand ceremony to worship the heavens was a place full of all kinds of people. It might be an excellent stage to observe Liu Ruyan and the “backing” behind her.
So, under Liu Ruyan's nervous gaze, the words of refusal that were originally on Shen Cuiyu's lips took a turn. She met Dongfang Xiao's expectant eyes, the corner of her lips curling up in a faint but mysterious arc, and said softly,
“Sure, then sign me up.”
As soon as these words were spoken, Dongfang Xiao was overjoyed, while Liu Ruyan's face instantly darkened. The air around them seemed to freeze a bit. A seemingly fair selection suddenly became full of undercurrents with Shen Cuiyu's participation.
.............
Although there were many applicants, the selection process was extremely strict. For the sake of fairness and to truly select the most capable people, the Wanhxiang Academy specially retrieved an unsolved Class - A mission from the Wenshi Hall as the core assessment for this selection.
On this day, Mr. Ren Daoyuan himself stood in front of the hall and read out the mission details to all the disciples participating in the selection:
“There is a wealthy merchant named Cui in the south of the city. The head of the family is Cui Weiqi. He and his wife have a daughter named Jiaojiao, who is six years old. This girl was healthy, intelligent, and lively in previous years. However, since the beginning of this year, she has been suffering from various illnesses one after another. Her spirit has been getting weaker day by day, and she seems almost like an idiot. The strange thing is that not long ago, her spirit suddenly improved. She went out to play on the street for half a day, but suddenly fell ill after returning. According to the wet - nurse who accompanied her, they just took Jiaojiao to a temple dedicated to the Goddess of Children to pay homage.”
He looked around at everyone and continued seriously, “According to Mrs. Cui's tearful account, she had difficulty getting pregnant back then. She once went to the temple of the baby - gods to 'tie' a baby. Soon after she came back, she conceived Jiaojiao. But she admitted that due to her eagerness to have a child back then, she didn't fully abide by the temple's rules—maybe the offerings were insufficient, or the subsequent worship was lacking. She was evasive about the specific details and didn't say everything. Therefore, she is worried day and night, believing that it was her disrespect that angered the goddess and brought this punishment upon her child.”