Meng Haize successfully formed his Nascent Soul.
An academy elder immediately stepped forward to help Meng Haize up, feeding him a healing pill.
Meng Yanzhuo asked, "How is it? Did you sustain any hidden injuries?"
Meng Haize made a wry face and shook his head. "No hidden injuries, but most of the Guoyuan Pill's effect only activated at the very end. It almost killed me."
"However, the medicinal power that erupted at the end helped rouse the meager spiritual energy in my Dantian, forming a thin film that blocked the final heavenly tribulation. Otherwise, it really would have been touch-and-go whether I could pull through... Who would have thought the spiritual energy of the deep sea could be used like that..."
Seeing that not a single patch of his body was intact and his face was charred black like a piece of coal, Meng Yanzhuo motioned for the elder to take him away to heal. Otherwise, given this fellow's personality, he could easily drag his injured body around and chat with others for ages about his heroic exploits.
"Eh? Why are we leaving... I haven't had a heart-to-heart with my boss yet. Brother Mu definitely wants to understand my indomitable, noble qualities, hey! Feed... Hiss, it hurts, Elder, I was wrong..."
Yan Xiaosan: "..."
Meng Yanzhuo squatted down, meeting Qingshu's curious, wandering gaze. "I heard from Uncle Haize that Qingshu wants to learn things and become a very, very formidable person. Is that true?"
"It's true, it's true!"
Meng Yanzhuo took Qingshu's small hand, signaled to Yan Xiaosan and Mu Jian, and led Qingshu toward the martial arts arena.
"It's a coincidence today. Instructors from other academies have brought their disciples over for a joint spar. Most of those instructors are old men who care a great deal about saving face. If Qingshu performs well later, you'll be able to learn even more."
With that, the group arrived at the martial arts arena.
The field was filled with youths of tender age, around fifteen or sixteen. Even those with the highest cultivation were only at Late Foundation Establishment. Under the arrangement of the instructors, they were sparring one-on-one with disciples from other academies.
Meng Yanzhuo led Qingshu over to the instructor of the Meng Family Academy and paid his respects.
Meng Chunqiu looked surprised. "Yanzhuo, how is it you have time to come to the martial arts arena today?"
"Haize was aided by a friend and successfully broke through to the Nascent Soul realm back at the manor today."
"Oh? That brat has finally taken this step. It's a bit earlier than I expected, though. The commotion within the clan won't be small..."
As if unwilling to dwell on the topic, Meng Chunqiu shifted his gaze to Qingshu.
"Where did such a cute doll come from? Come here, let Grandpa hold you."
Qingshu looked back, saw his dad smiling and nodding, and threw himself into Meng Chunqiu's arms with outstretched little hands. Looking at the grandfather's goatee right in front of him, he curiously reached out and touched it.
"Aish, what is the doll's name?"
"My name is Qingshu—*qing* as in azure, *shu* as in at ease."
"Good, good, good. Little Qingshu."
Disillusioned to the core with the branch of the family he came from due to the clan's turmoil, Meng Chunqiu had applied to teach at the academy a century ago and had not left the Penglai Realm once in all these years.
The disciples in the academy mostly held him in awe, and it had been a very long time since he had seen a child so young and yet willing to be close to him. He took an immediate fancy to the child, paying no mind even when the little one stealthily gave his usually treasured beard a tug.
The Meng Family Academy disciples peeking over from below were already rubbing their eyes furiously.
How long was it that the last person who acted cheeky in front of Meng Chunqiu had to undergo extra training in the practice field?
"Little Qingshu, Yanzhuo brought you over to see Grandpa—is there something you wanted?"
Remembering his dad's instructions, Qingshu smiled and replied, "Uncle Haize said he wanted Qingshu to learn some things at the academy so he can become a very, very formidable person in the future."
Yan Xiaosan, not far away, breathed a sigh of relief. At least he didn't bring up that bandit logic.
Meng Chunqiu remarked, "Little Qingshu knows that stinky brat Haize, too?"
Meng Yanzhuo explained from the side, "The friend who helped Haize is Qingshu's... elder."
Hearing Meng Yanzhuo mention them, Yan Xiaosan and Mu Jian stepped forward to greet Meng Chunqiu.
Meng Chunqiu glanced at the two of them, paying particular attention to Mu Jian. "This brat usually talks nonsense, but he certainly knows how to make friends."
"What kind of spirit beast is Qingshu?"
The Penglai Realm would not guide in a child so young. Although his aura was concealed, it was easy to guess he was a spirit beast with extraordinary bloodline capable of taking human form in advance.
Yan Xiaosan replied, "Qingshu is a wood-attribute horned dragon."
Rather than deliberately avoiding the bloodline, it was better to directly assign Qingshu a close lower-tier bloodline.
Otherwise, if any other situation arose later, deliberately trying to patch things up would only make it more suspicious.
Meng Chunqiu understood. "A horned dragon bloodline capable of taking human form this early is a rare sight in this world. Was it obtained in the Divine Miracle?"
Yan Xiaosan nodded. "Ajian indeed obtained it in the Divine Miracle. It matched my affinity, so he gave it to me."
"Come, Qingshu, Grandpa will test you."
Meng Chunqiu produced a Stubborn Stone and handed it to Qingshu.
The Stubborn Stone was a stone universally used in the Cultivation World to test comprehension. It might not be absolutely precise, but it had a certain basis.
Qingshu curiously took the Stubborn Stone. The stone first emitted a faint glow, like a dying candle flame, and the next second, it burst into a dazzling radiance.
Yan Xiaosan: A familiar and enviable template indeed.
The commotion made by the Stubborn Stone could not be hidden from the instructors of the other academies who had been keeping an eye on this side. The moment the light appeared, they could no longer sit still and rushed over in a swarm.
"Look at this child, he's simply cut out for sword cultivation."
"Come over here, let Grandpa Zhang take a look too. What a handsome kid."
"Come, come, let Grandpa Li check your bone structure. This little hand..."
Even in the Penglai Realm, where geniuses of all sizes were everywhere, this level of comprehension was rare.
Meng Chunqiu: "..."
Meng Chunqiu flicked his sleeve, brushing aside those eccentric old men who wanted to lay hands on Qingshu, and shielded Qingshu in his arms. "Scram, all of you! Qingshu, let's go learn some good things."
"Stand right there, Old Meng! What the child wants to learn has to be up to the child himself."
"Is the Beast-Taming Academy any less suitable than your Meng Family Academy? Are you going to ruin the child's future just for your own selfishness?"
"Speaking of suitability, I'm afraid everyone here should step aside. The Draconic Path Academy is the child's best choice."
Watching the group of old men carefully avoiding Qingshu in Meng Chunqiu's arms while secretly elbowing and squabbling over him like they were tearing hair out, Yan Xiaosan quietly turned his head and asked Mu Jian, "Who are these people?"
Seeing Yan Xiaosan turn his head toward him while his gaze remained fixed on Qingshu, Mu Jian could not help leaning in close as well.
"That instructor who talked about sword cultivation is from the Wenjian Academy. Among all the sword-focused academies in the Penglai Realm, they rank near the top."
"The Beast-Taming Academy's mainstream approach is to forge contracts with spirit beasts and fight alongside them, along with some beast-cultivators. Qingshu can go take a look, but you have to keep a close eye on them—they definitely want to poach Qingshu."
"The Draconic Path Academy comes from a secluded family in the Central Plains. Their ancestors had deep ties with the dragon clan, and the cultivation methods and secret techniques they practice are all related to dragons, possessing formidable might. We can figure out a way to let Qingshu go in and take a look; it will benefit him in every aspect."
"And that..."
"Oh~" Yan Xiaosan memorized the ones that would be most beneficial to Qingshu.
"Ahem, you're pressing against me."