Chapter 148: My Special Recruitment

Kuang Lizhen’s expression remained unchanged. His eyes stayed firmly shut, as if he were completely oblivious to the turmoil unfolding within Lin Xiaobao.

Lin Xiaobao’s entire body began to tremble, the shaking growing increasingly violent as if he were enduring some form of excruciating torment. Seeing this, Kuang Lizhen casually waved his right hand, and an invisible barrier instantly isolated them from the surroundings; after all, this was the Treasure Exchange Assembly, and Kuang had no desire to attract undue attention.

Lin Xiaobao remained entirely unaware of these precautions. As the tremors intensified, he let out a choked sound and spat a mouthful of fresh blood, stumbling back several paces before collapsing onto the ground.

Coming back to his senses, Lin Xiaobao cast a wary gaze around, still visibly shaken and gasping for air.

"Dean, he..." Gu Yixiang asked, her face filled with concern as she observed Lin Xiaobao’s condition.

Kuang Lizhen waved a hand to dismiss her concern. Looking at Lin Xiaobao, he nodded and said, "If you are interested, you may come find me at Longxiang Academy."

Although everyone present was a graduate of Longxiang Academy, they still watched Lin Xiaobao with undisguised envy. Only those who had once vied for a place knew how daunting the academy's threshold was and how difficult it was to gain admission. Dean Kuang’s words clearly signaled that Lin Xiaobao had been placed on the list for direct, exemption-based enrollment.

"Hurry and thank the Dean!" Gu Yixiang whispered as she helped Lin Xiaobao to his feet.

Still somewhat dazed, Lin Xiaobao offered a stiff bow. "Thank you, Dean Kuang." However, his mind remained trapped in the depths of the formation he had just encountered.

With Elder Wu’s tutelage and his recent exchanges with Chen Zhong, Lin Xiaobao had been confident that his mastery of formations was among the best on the Longxiang Continent, lacking only a bit of refinement. Yet, just moments ago, he had truly understood the meaning of the saying, "there is always someone better." His gaze drifted back to the table, mentally recording the positions of the withered twigs one by one.

"Why are you all hovering around me? I have no treasures on my person!" Sensing that Lin Xiaobao had committed the formation to memory, Kuang Lizhen swept his hand across the table, and the twigs vanished.

"We are honored to listen to your teachings here!" Wei Zhiye seized the opportunity to flatter him.

"Enough, enough!" Kuang Lizhen laughed. "You are all leaders of your own sects now; I have nothing left to teach you. That formation was something I realized only recently. As for how much you can glean from it, that depends on your individual fortune. Go on now..."

Seeing that Kuang Lizhen had made up his mind, the group did not press further. After offering respectful bows, they turned to leave. Their envy toward Lin Xiaobao was limited; after all, he was merely granted exemption from the entrance exam, and everyone present was a Longxiang alumnus. Furthermore, Lin Xiaobao’s current cultivation level was hardly enough to command their true respect.

"I never imagined you had such talent for formations!" Gu Yixiang said, looking at Lin Xiaobao with disbelief. "What did you see just now? Why did you react so strongly?" She quickly realized her indiscretion and added, "Never mind, forget I asked."

"It’s nothing, really!" Lin Xiaobao proceeded to tell her everything he had felt. He held a certain fondness for Gu Yixiang—he even found himself maliciously considering whether he should help her win over Chen Zhong.

After hearing his account, Gu Yixiang paused, her brow furrowed in deep thought. A moment later, she looked up and said, "It seems your attainments in formations are not insignificant."

"Not at all, not at all. It was just a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse," Lin Xiaobao said, quickly downplaying the achievement.

"I truly don't know how the Wind and Snow Pavilion raised a monster like you. You're so young, yet you have achieved remarkable results in martial arts, alchemy, and formation studies!" Gu Yixiang asked earnestly, "By the way, do you intend to go to Longxiang Academy?"

Longxiang Academy? Lin Xiaobao frowned. Although Old Man Kuang’s display had impressed him, he felt little interest. He had Elder Wu for formations, Elder Mo for alchemy, and Elder Mo’s collection was filled with top-tier martial arts techniques. For Lin Xiaobao, the academy that everyone on the continent coveted held little appeal.

"I know you must have had many extraordinary encounters, but apart from its vast collection of ancient texts, Longxiang Academy has another place that is truly fascinating: the Tower of Seeking the Way." Seeing Lin Xiaobao remained unmoved, Gu Yixiang explained urgently, "The spiritual energy within the Tower of Seeking the Way is the densest on the entire continent, and cultivating inside offers unique insights into the Heavenly Dao."

Lin Xiaobao’s eyes brightened. The Tower of Seeking the Way did sound attractive. He replied, "Since you recommend it so highly, Fairy Sister, it would be a shame to decline your kind intentions."

"You say it as if I’m sending you to the gallows!" Gu Yixiang shot him a playful glare. "If everyone here knew your thoughts, they would likely want to kill you. Countless people would break their skulls just for a chance to enter Longxiang Academy."

Having made up his mind, Lin Xiaobao did not want to dwell on the topic. "The academy is a matter for later. Let’s walk around and see if we can find some treasures first."

"You little rascal!" Gu Yixiang sighed, unable to handle him. "Let’s go, I’ll accompany you."

As they walked, Gu Yixiang provided detailed explanations of various resources, though she modestly deferred to his expertise regarding medicinal herbs. Lin Xiaobao was enthralled. While he possessed Elder Wu’s vast theoretical knowledge, Wu’s perspective was expansive, whereas Gu Yixiang provided a bridge between the macro and the micro.

One approached from the grand scale, the other from the intricate details. As Elder Wu often said, once the general direction was found, the finer details would naturally fall into place. Lin Xiaobao did not disagree; as Gu Yixiang spoke, he was able to verify his knowledge against her explanations, gaining much, and doing so far faster than he could have through self-study alone.

"Oh..." Gu Yixiang suddenly stopped, looking at a bracelet with a restrained luster resting on a table ahead. "This is called the Spirit-Returning Bracelet. It has the ability to store spiritual energy, allowing one to stockpile power for later use. Both its design and craftsmanship are truly exquisite, a work of divine ingenuity."

Lin Xiaobao’s gaze rested on the bracelet. As his spiritual sense swept over it, he realized that while the creator’s grasp of formations was not particularly profound, the design concept was indeed a stroke of genius.