Longevity: Starting with an infant's innate growth potential

Chapter 135 Rising Fame and the Beginning of the Magical Contest (Please Subscribe)
"Father, Mother, Aunt Ru, Xin'er, you're all here!"

Stepping out of the assessment area and into her parents' rest area, Zhou Ling greeted everyone with a smile.

"Brother Ling, did you pass the special recruitment exam for Xuan Yuan Dao Academy?"

Wang Yu asked with concern.

"I passed! The instructors at Xuan Yuan Dao Academy told me to go back and wait for the acceptance letter!"

Zhou Ling said with a smile.

"pass!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Yuqiao's face showed surprise, and she said with some unexpectedness.

"Ling-ge'er, congratulations!"

Although she knew Zhou Ling's inscription skills were not low, she was still shocked that he could pass the special recruitment test of Xuan Yuan Dao Academy so easily.

It's important to know that the special recruitment assessment definitely involves second-tier inscriptions, and even a first-grade inscription master at the ninth level of Qi Refining might not be able to pass it.

Zhou Ling was only at the sixth level of Qi Refining, which really surprised her. Zhou Ling had such outstanding talent in inscription.

"Passed! That's great!"

"Ling'er, does that mean we don't have to participate in the magic duel anymore?"

Zhou Shan and Li Ru both spoke with great excitement.

Zhou Ling smiled and nodded.

"Brother Ling, congratulations!"

Wang Xin's eyes were full of joy as she spoke.

"Xin'er, how are you?"

Zhou Ling asked with concern.

"I'm in first class!"

Wang Xin said with a smile.

"Everything's fine now. Let's head back first, and I'll cook a meal to celebrate!"

At this moment, Li Ru tried his best to suppress his inner excitement.

Despite trying her best to keep her voice calm, she still choked up a little.

There was a hint of tears in the corners of her eyes.

If it weren't for Wang Yu and the others being there, she would have already burst into tears of joy.

Zhou Shan patted Zhou Ling on the shoulder excitedly and praised, "Son, no one from our Zhou family has ever entered the Six Great Dao Academies before. You've really made something of yourself!"

"Father, let's go back first!"

Seeing his parents' excited expressions, Zhou Ling was also overjoyed and smiled.

"Go, go back!"

Li Ru nodded.

Wang Yu nodded in agreement. Zhou Ling had unexpectedly passed the special recruitment assessment of Xuan Yuan Dao Academy, even though he had already been admitted to the academy in advance.

However, she still needs to discuss with Zhou Ling whether he should participate in the magical combat competition.

After all, Zhou Ling's participation would definitely be beneficial to Xin'er.

Afterwards, the five of them left Lingxia Sect, boarded the carriage that was still waiting outside the gate, and left Lingxia Sect.

······.

"Ling-ge'er, what are your plans for the future?"

Inside the carriage, Wang Yu asked Zhou Ling.

The carriage was spacious enough to comfortably seat five people without feeling cramped.

"Aunt Wang, I want to continue participating in the magical combat assessment!"

Zhou Ling thought for a moment and said.

He knew in his heart that there was still some uncertainty about whether Xin'er could enter the top eight.

If she participates on her own, defeating an opponent will give Xin'er an extra chance.

If I were to encounter Xin'er, I would find an excuse to admit defeat, and Xin'er would be able to pass the test easily.

And there is another reason.

He was in the same competition zone as Li Yinfeng, and if they both advanced, they would most likely meet in the competition for a spot in the top eight.

Back then, when the Li family injured Yuan Hu, although He Zijian stepped in and handled the matter, they didn't really suffer a loss.

But the Li family only lost some spirit stones; they didn't suffer any real loss.

The only ones who got hurt were Li Yinfeng's two lackeys.

This was something he naturally couldn't accept.

However, he was also aware of his own limitations; with his current strength, he was certainly no match for the Li family.

But dealing with Li Yinfeng is not difficult.

Therefore, we should participate in the following combat assessment to teach Li Yinfeng a lesson and prevent him from entering the top eight.

This was also one of Zhou Ling's main purposes in participating in the magical combat competition.

"it is good!"

Hearing Zhou Ling say this, Wang Yu smiled and nodded, without saying anything more.

"Ling'er, didn't you already pass the Xuan Yuan Dao Academy's assessment?"

"Why continue participating in the magical duels?"

Instead, Li Ru frowned and asked, puzzled.

Looking at her son, a hint of worry flashed across her eyes. After all, her son's cultivation level was not high, and he was mostly facing scions of aristocratic families.

In terms of magical combat, they clearly have no advantage.

“Mother, although I have passed the test, the cultivation process at Xuan Yuan Dao Academy will definitely be different from that at Xi Xia Dao Academy.”

"Therefore, I also need to take this opportunity to improve my combat skills!"

Zhou Ling smiled with a relaxed expression.

After experiencing the [Illusion Simulation] combat, he believed that apart from experts of He Zijian's combat power, he wasn't very confident this time.

He was absolutely confident that he could defeat others with combat strength like Li Yinfeng.

Upon hearing this, Li Ru was slightly taken aback.

Zhou Shan knew his wife was worried and comforted her, "Don't worry, this is just an assessment, nothing will happen!"

"Besides, the child will face even more dangers when he enters the Taoist academy, and this kind of competition will help him adapt more quickly!"

Li Ru thought for a moment and then nodded.

They went into the mountains to practice asceticism, and every day they did so was fraught with enormous risks.

Even if my son enters one of the six major Taoist temples, things won't go smoothly for him. He will inevitably encounter setbacks and experience several dangerous situations.

Wang Yu smiled and said, "Sister Ru, don't worry. With Brother Ling's combat skills, there won't be any major problems!"

Li Ru breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that her son had grown up. Looking at her son's confident expression, she gradually felt at ease.

······.

I got home around noon.

After pouring spiritual tea for Wang Yu and the others, Li Ru went to the kitchen to get busy.

Wang Yu then discussed the upcoming magical duel with Zhou Ling and Wang Xin.

Before long, a table of fragrant dishes was ready.

"Congratulations, Brother Ling, on passing the Xuan Yuan Academy's assessment!"

"Brother Shan, like father, like son!"

"Sister Ru, you're so lucky! Brother Ling will definitely have a bright future!"

While they were eating, neighbors came over one after another to congratulate Zhou Ling and his family.

Mr. and Mrs. Zhou were also delighted to receive them.

Zhou Ling was a little surprised. He had just passed the test that morning, so how could the neighbors know so quickly?

After returning from Lingxia Sect, my parents stayed at home without telling anyone else.

After inquiring further, I learned that the Xixia Taoist Academy had announced the disciples' assessment results after the assessment was completed.

Although Zhou Ling dropped out of Xixia Taoist Academy at the end of last year, he had been cultivating at Xixia Taoist Academy for nearly seven years, from when he was just over two years old until last year.

These are talents rightfully trained by the Xixia Taoist Academy.

The Taoist temple naturally wouldn't let such an opportunity pass by, and it promoted it extensively.

Even at noon, Instructor Fang and several other instructors from Xixia Taoist Academy came to offer their congratulations in person.

They also praised Zhou Ling, and Mr. and Mrs. Li couldn't stop smiling.

To them, the Taoist instructors were highly respected people, which is why they took the initiative to visit their son to congratulate him.

It also makes them proud!
He spent the whole afternoon busy greeting neighbors and Taoist instructors.

Zhou Ling treated everyone who came to offer their congratulations with courtesy, especially Instructor Fang and the other instructors from the Dao Academy.

Instructor Fang not only greatly helped him in his early inscription cultivation, but also taught him the "Azure Gang Sword Technique".

Zhou Ling will always remember this kindness!
That evening, Tiger's family also came over.

Having grown up with Zhou Ling since childhood, he was happier than anyone else to see Zhou Ling achieve this.

Plus, he's already finalized the marriage arrangement with Manager Zhao. This kid's been all smiles lately!
He didn't seem to envy others much about which Taoist academies they attended.

Zhou Ling didn't say anything, after all, everyone's life has different circumstances and different paths.

He was happy for Yuan Hu for making that choice!
However, when they learned that Zhou Ling would also participate in the magic competition the next day, although they were somewhat surprised, they did not ask any further questions.

After congratulating Zhou Ling, they each went their separate ways.

That night, Zhou Ling felt completely relaxed. Entering the Six Dao Academies had completely changed his fate.

From afternoon to evening, seeing his parents' ever-smiling expressions, he knew that passing the academy's assessment was the best gift he could give them.

However, he wasn't overly happy, since entering one of the six major academies would only make him an outer disciple.

Everything is just getting started.

Moreover, Anping, whom we will face in the first battle tomorrow, has been at the seventh level of Qi Refining for almost a year.

I estimate that he's not far from the eighth level of Qi Refining, so we can't be careless.

If we lose, I'll feel bad for Xin'er.

And the key point is that I need to deal with Li Yinfeng.

Five Elements Magic Sword!

Black robe!

After getting up early in the morning, Zhou Ling checked his magic sword and black robe.

He then went out of the room, and as always, his mother had prepared a sumptuous breakfast.

Today, Li Ru was all smiles, and every move she made seemed relaxed and joyful.

With Zhou Ling passing the test, she felt relieved, as she had fulfilled more than half of her expectations for her son.

Next, we look forward to our son achieving foundational enlightenment and getting married and having children.

But there's no rush.

After finishing their meal, the family of three left home, boarded the carriage they had hired the day before, and headed to Lingxia Sect once again.

Soon, they arrived at the assessment square from yesterday.

I arrived a little later than yesterday, and by this time, there were already quite a few people standing in groups of three or five around the square.

"Zhou Ling, didn't you already pass the special recruitment exam for Xuan Yuan Dao Academy?"

"Why are you returning it?"

While Zhou Ling was searching for Wang Xin in the crowd, he couldn't find her for a while, but instead ran into He Zijian and his sister.

Upon seeing Zhou Ling, they were all surprised, not expecting that Zhou Ling would actually pass the special recruitment assessment of Xuan Yuan Dao Academy.

Although they knew that Zhou Ling was quite skilled in inscription, they had never expected that he would pass the special recruitment test of Xuan Yuan Dao Academy.

In He Zijian's opinion, Zhou Ling's luck was just too good!

He Lingyun was equally surprised, but unlike He Zijian, who regarded Zhou Ling as a little money-grubber.

She had always acknowledged Zhou Ling's strength, but his performance this time shocked her even more!

"I want to test my fighting ability."

Zhou Ling greeted him with a smile.

Congratulations, Zhou Ling!

He Lingyun offered her congratulations with a slight smile.

"Well, how are your plans for today?"

Zhou Ling asked with a smile.

"What preparations are needed for the first match!"

He Zijian smiled and said confidently.

"That person is Anping, your opponent in the first match!"

As soon as he finished speaking, He Zijian pointed to a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy in fancy clothes not far away and said to Zhou Ling.

"Indeed, the aura is powerful!"

Looking at the boy, whose physique was already comparable to that of an adult man, Zhou Ling nodded.

This person mainly cultivates earth-attribute techniques, but it's unknown what kind of auxiliary methods they might have.
Zhou Ling thought to himself.

Although he felt that with his current combat skills, he could defeat his opponent even without knowing their information.

However, with information, we can know ourselves and our enemy, and minimize our losses.

Preparing for the next match.

After all, there are two matches scheduled for the morning.

There's another show this afternoon.

The top eight will be decided tomorrow.

The final decision was made on who would be the champion of this year's competition.

Moreover, the champion will not only have the right to choose one of the four major academies, but will also receive a substantial reward from the Lingxia Immortal City.

At that moment, Zhou Ling also saw Wang Yu bringing Wang Xin to the square.

After saying something to He Zijian, he walked towards Wang Xin and the others.

Then he went with Wang Yu and the others to the disciples' rest area.

It's called a rest area, but it's really just a designated area with a few cushions on the ground.

"Jin Sheng vs. Lu Jin, Arena Number One!"

"He Zijian versus Li Chu, on the second dueling arena."

······.

"Anping versus Zhou Ling, arena number seventeen."

······.

As the melodious bell tolled, the disciples walked toward their respective dueling platforms.

The square was divided into sections, with a total of thirty-two fighting arenas.

"Father, Mother, Aunt Wang, I'm going over now."

"Xin'er, be careful!"

After giving a brief explanation to everyone, Zhou Ling headed towards the number seventeen dueling arena.

Mr. and Mrs. Li also told him to be careful.

"Anping of Dongyang Academy!"

"Zhou Ling of Xixia Academy!"

After stepping onto the dueling platform, the two exchanged a glance, bowed to each other, and introduced themselves.

"Before the competition begins, I'd like to reiterate the rules: the competition will primarily focus on magical techniques, and participants may only choose one auxiliary method!"

"Violators will be automatically eliminated!"

On the dueling platform stood a judge with a powerful aura, who then announced the duel to the two.

Zhou Ling and the other person both nodded.

"Didn't this kid pass the special recruitment exam for Xuan Yuan Dao Academy yesterday?"

"Why are you here to participate in the magical combat competition?"

On the judges' panel, Instructor Xiao from Flying Dragon Academy was taken aback when he saw Zhou Ling and spoke up.

"Does this little guy not want to go to Xuan Yuan Dao Academy?!"

Without waiting for anyone else to answer, Instructor Xiao spoke to himself again.

"Instructor Xiao, you can't just say things like that!"

Instructor Hu glanced at him and said with dissatisfaction.

However, he was quite surprised that Zhou Ling would participate in the magical combat competition.

"If this little guy doesn't go to the Xuan Yuan Dao Academy, my Flying Dragon Battle Academy would be happy to recruit him!"

Instructor Xiao chuckled as he spoke.

Deacon Qin and the others looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Seventh level Qi Refining versus sixth level Qi Refining, this is not yesterday's skills test!"

Deacon Qin shook his head and said.

In yesterday's inscription assessment, Zhou Ling possessed the Five Elements Spiritual Flame, which can be considered a unique advantage.

But today is a real combat test. The gap between the sixth and seventh levels is quite large, and many cultivators may never be able to cross it in their entire lives.

"I'm actually looking forward to this little guy bringing us some unexpected surprises!"

Lu Yunxi said with a smile.

Given Zhou Ling's proficiency in controlling the Five Elements Spirit Flame yesterday, he might have actually comprehended some secret techniques related to fire.

This way, you won't be at such a disadvantage when fighting against a cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refining.

However, to comprehend a secret technique, one generally needs to reach at least the ninth level of Qi Refining.

Upon hearing this, the other judges also showed expressions of curiosity.

Their main focus was originally on the first and second fighting arenas, but now they have all been drawn to Zhou Ling.

······.

(End of this chapter)