Chapter 52: Impossible to Be Stumped

In the center of the grand martial arena before the Hall of Techniques, Shu Le sat cross-legged with her eyes closed. She was the most gifted student Luyang Academy had seen in recent years, and also the most diligent. Even at moments like this, she quietly cultivated, waiting for news.

The rustling of trees in the wind, the shifting of branches—all these subtle changes could not escape her senses.

The torrential rain fell in sheets, yet it could not come near her.

Even before the figures arrived, she opened her eyes.

“Have you found him?”

Two young girls approached, heads bowed, faces drawn with anxiety and fear.

“Sister Shu Le, we know we were wrong!”

Shu Le was puzzled. “All I did was ask you to find that Gu Xiaoyao. What could you possibly have done wrong?”

Unable to hold it in, the two recounted everything in detail.

When Shu Le realized it was this kind of matter, she grew somewhat impatient. “Since you’ve made a mistake, then you must abide by the academy’s rules. However, since you’ve confessed of your own accord, your punishment may be lessened. Remember this—devote your hearts to seeking the Dao, not to idle mischief.”

“Yes! We will remember your instruction, Sister Shu Le. And we are grateful to the senior who admonished us, or we might have caused much more trouble.”

So, it was someone else who caught them in the act.

“Who was this senior?”

The question stumped the two girls. They glanced at each other, unable to recall his name.

“We didn’t know him, but we heard him call you ‘Lele’...?”

Shu Le’s elegant brows twitched involuntarily.

Le… Lele?

She had the potential to become the head of the tower; everyone respected her. Even the vice dean would never address her so informally!

“Was he the one with his hair tied half-up, dressed in blue?”

The girls nodded slowly, and Shu Le’s expression grew cold: that shameless fellow!

“Fools! That was Gu Xiaoyao, not a senior at all! Tell me—where did you meet him?”

Startled, the two girls quickly replied, “At… at the Bridge of Returning Immortals.”

Just then, another person hurried over, not even pausing to put down his baggage. “Shu Le, Gu Xiaoyao took He Xian and sneaked into the Lake of Returning Immortals. He might escape through the waterways!”

Shu Le’s heart skipped. Had she overestimated that fellow? Had he not even entered the Hall of Techniques before thinking of escape?

But on second thought, she doubted it. Although their encounter was brief, she had seen the confidence in his eyes. “He’s still in the academy. He won’t leave.”

The timid would never have come here in the first place.

“What should we do now?”

Shu Le bit her soft lips. She was determined to find that scoundrel and teach him a lesson. Not only had he insulted the Head of Talents, he had dared call her ‘Lele’—the height of shamelessness.

Pondering, she analyzed, “With He Xian leading, they wouldn’t go to the lake for no reason. But I know nothing of any secrets there. You continue searching; I’ll go see the curator and warn her to increase precautions.”

—

—

Beneath the Lake of Returning Immortals.

Inside an unnamed cave.

Gu Yi led He Xian further inside.

As for the elder in the cell behind, Gu Yi had no intention of letting him out—who knew what his background was? This mission was meant to be secret; the more people involved, the greater the risk.

Though the elder’s curses echoed down the long corridor, once they had walked far enough, the sounds faded and could be ignored.

“He Xian, we’re not deceiving him. When we return, we’ll let him out. That’s the true way to save him.”

In truth, it was uncertain whether they would return this way at all.

He Xian hesitated. “Should I go explain things to the elder?”

“Shh!” Gu Yi pressed a finger to his lips. “Someone’s coming—did you hear that?”

He withdrew his spiritual light and pulled the girl into a crouch in the corner. “It’s dangerous now. We can’t wander aimlessly. If we turn back and get caught, that elder will never be saved. Our safety comes first, so we have the chance to help him later. Don’t you agree?”

He Xian nodded softly. “Then I’ll stay with you for now.”

Good.

Gu Yi stood, his body once again shimmering with light.

“What are you doing? Someone’s coming—hide!”

“Oh, they’ve left.” He sounded utterly calm. “We can go now. You haven’t told me what the elder said to you.”

“Oh, Senior Nanbowan said: there are talismans on the ground—avoid them. If you meet anyone, avoid them too. Be extremely careful. The curator may not be here, but she could discover us at any moment!”

Gu Yi believed the elder had no reason to lie to He Xian.

“Let’s go!”

They wound their way through the passage, not encountering a single soul.

The deeper they went, the more amazed He Xian became. “I’ve been in the academy for years, yet I never knew there were such long corridors underground.”

“Watch out!”

Gu Yi yanked her back abruptly.

On the stone floor, talisman lines glimmered faintly yellow, sparse and winding, making it dangerous to approach.

It seemed the elder’s warning had been true.

“These are the talismans Senior Nan mentioned?” He Xian hid behind Gu Yi’s arm.

Glancing around, Gu Yi picked up a pebble and tossed it inside.

Clink, clink, clink—

The pebble rolled with a clear sound, echoing down the hall.

“No reaction?” Gu Yi was perplexed. That’s what always happened on TV—he had been ready to show off his cleverness.

Yet nothing happened.

“Is it safe to proceed?”

“Better not. Let’s be careful,” Gu Yi mused, stroking his chin. “We can’t decipher these talismans. They must be here for a reason.”

He picked up another stone, but this time, wrapped it in spiritual energy. The pebble floated into the air.

Guided by his will, it hovered forward, but before it even entered the area, the talisman patterns crawling up the walls suddenly blazed with light.

Gu Yi quickly withdrew the pebble.

“So that’s it. These talismans don’t react to inanimate objects, but they’re extremely sensitive to spiritual energy. I’m not sure what would happen if triggered, but it can’t be good.”

“What if we fly over?”

Silly girl—the pebble hadn’t touched the ground.

Luyang Academy was the premier institution for cultivators; naturally, its defenses were mysterious and profound.

“He Xian, how skilled is the Fourth Princess at making talismans?”

“Average, I think.” She pondered. “Right, Aunt Daoist always says—average.”

Had she not added that last part, he might have believed her—but Gu Yi was far too sly for that.

“And the Head of the Tower?”

He Xian answered truthfully, “Even more average.”

Gu Yi felt a sense of foreboding.

“And the Swordmaster?”

He Xian replied, “Average, too.”

Gu Yi was left speechless. Aunt Daoist was the master of talismans—perhaps, in her eyes, everyone was just average.

“Why are you asking about other people? We should be figuring out how to get past these talismans!”

“Avoid talismans, avoid people,” Gu Yi recalled the elder’s words. “This ‘avoid’ surely doesn’t mean we simply take another path.”

“Why not?”

“Because setting talismans isn’t difficult—they wouldn’t deliberately leave a clear path. So ‘avoidance’ must mean something more than just dodging them.”

He Xian swallowed nervously, suddenly tense.

“Since the advent of talismans, all are nurtured by spiritual energy and shaped by patterns. In this world, no matter how advanced or simple a talisman may be, without spiritual energy, it has no power; without patterns, it has no effect. So, this ‘avoidance’ must mean avoiding the spiritual energy and the patterns.”

Gu Yi crouched low, pressing his finger to the stone floor. A ripple of spiritual energy spread out, drawing the ambient energy toward his fingertip.

This had always been his ability—the secret to his victory over Fan Ling.

“What’s this?” He Xian watched in awe. She had seen Gu Yi manipulate spiritual energy before, but each time, it amazed her.

“The energy in these talismans is gathered by people, but those left here are never simple—they can draw on the world’s energy to maintain their form. We can’t see the patterns, but I can sense and draw the energy—they must form a path…”

A smile curled on Gu Yi’s lips. If he were stopped here, he’d never have the face to boast before little Yiyi again.

Sure enough, within the stone walls, interwoven strands of spiritual energy formed patterns, which Gu Yi then bent to his will.

“He Xian, did you see the gaps between the patterns?”

“Yes!”

“Let’s crawl through!”

Excitement flashed in He Xian’s eyes. She knew Gu Yi wouldn’t be stumped by something like this.

---------------------------

A flash of excitement appeared in Huan Yu’s eyes as well—he just knew the readers would not hesitate to vote for this story.