Spring is shining

"Is that Fang Yuan or Fang Zheng?" some students whispered, still unable to distinguish between the twin brothers Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng.

"It's Fang Zheng. Fang Yuan always has a cold expression and never looks nervous," someone explained.

"Oh, then this should be interesting. Fang Zheng is the only A-grade genius in our village in three years," many others turned their gaze towards him.

Feeling the pressure from their gazes, Fang Zheng grew even more nervous.

Standing on the field, his fingers trembled slightly.

He launched his first Moon Blade, aiming for the dummy's chest, but due to his nervousness, it went astray and hit the dummy's neck instead.

The boys immediately let out a slight gasp of surprise.

They thought Fang Zheng did this on purpose, deliberately aiming for the neck instead of the easier-to-hit chest, which showed confidence in his attack skills.

This heightened their anticipation for his subsequent performance.

Gu Yue Mo Bei and Gu Yue Chi Cheng both wore slightly stern expressions.

Only the academy elder and Fang Yuan could see that Fang Zheng had made a mistake.

"That was close!" Fang Zheng thought to himself, secretly feeling lucky.

He took a few deep breaths to calm himself and launched two more Moon Blades. This time, he didn't make any mistakes, and both Moon Blades hit the dummy's chest accurately.

This result made the academy elder nod in approval, while Mo Bei and Chi Cheng also relaxed. Fang Zheng's performance was on par with theirs, so it would be up to the academy elder to decide the score.

The other students, however, sighed. Fang Zheng's subsequent performance wasn't as dazzling as they had hoped, leaving them slightly disappointed.

The remaining groups didn't offer much excitement. No one performed better than Mo Bei, Chi Cheng, or Fang Zheng.

The boys started whispering among themselves.

"It looks like today's top spot will be between those three."

"They all hit the dummy. I wonder who the elder favors more."

"Wait, it's the last group now, and Fang Yuan is up."

"Oh, the C-grade 'cold genius'? Haha."

Finally, in the last group, Fang Yuan leisurely stepped onto the field.

"It's Fang Yuan…" Gu Yue Mo Bei glanced at him and then looked away, not very concerned.

"Last time you got lucky and unexpectedly picked a weak-willed Moonlight Gu, which let you take first place. Let's see how you do this time!" Gu Yue Chi Cheng folded his arms, waiting to see Fang Yuan make a fool of himself.

"Brother…this time is different from last time. I've worked hard and practiced a lot. I will surpass you," Gu Yue Fang Zheng muttered, his fists clenching unconsciously.

During the last test of refining their life-bound Gu, he, with his A-grade aptitude, came in second place, which naturally made him unhappy.

Especially after learning that Fang Yuan won because of sheer luck, it made him even more unwilling to accept it.

For Gu Yue Fang Zheng, defeating his brother Fang Yuan had a special, significant meaning.

Many eyes were fixed on Fang Yuan, including the academy elder's gaze.

Fang Yuan remained impassive, his expression cold.

After taking his position, he channeled his primeval essence into the Moonlight Gu in his palm and launched his first Moon Blade.

The Moon Blade flew high, not only over the dummy's head but also above the bamboo wall, traveling almost fifteen meters before its light dimmed and it disappeared into the air.

"Pfft…" someone couldn't help but laugh.

"That was way off target," someone sneered.

"He really is a genius, huh? No wonder he got first in the Gu refining test," someone said sarcastically.

Years ago, Fang Yuan's early intelligence and poetry creation had already caused resentment among these people. His later "lucky" win in the Gu refining test added jealousy to their dissatisfaction.

Many were waiting to see Fang Yuan, the "genius," embarrass himself, and this first Moon Blade didn't disappoint them.

Laughter spread through the crowd.

The academy elder shook his head slightly, laughing at himself inwardly. Why had he bothered to pay extra attention to Fang Yuan? He was just a C-grade talent who had won the Gu refining test by luck.

The elder had already decided that although Mo Bei, Chi Cheng, and Fang Zheng's performances were all the same, he would choose Fang Zheng as the winner.

The struggle between Mo Bei and Chi Cheng mirrored the political struggle between the two major factions in the family. The academy elder had always been neutral and didn't want to get involved in the political whirlpool.

He leaned towards the clan leader Gu Yue Bo, and Fang Zheng belonged to the clan leader's faction. Given his A-grade aptitude, selecting him as the winner and showing some favoritism would be acceptable to the family's higher-ups.

A warm spring breeze blew in, carrying the scent of flowers into the martial arts field.

Sunlight shone on Fang Yuan, casting a solitary shadow on the ground.

His expression remained cold as he quietly stared at the straw dummy ten meters away. The Moon Blade mark in his palm emitted a faint blue glow.

The first Moon Blade was intentionally aimed off-target. Now, with only two chances left, and considering the academy elder's stance, to take first place, he needed to create an overwhelmingly impressive effect with his remaining attacks.

"Only two chances left. It's impossible. Brother, I've finally beaten you," Gu Yue Fang Zheng thought, his eyes fixed on Fang Yuan without blinking.

The shadow his brother had cast over his life since childhood was finally dissipating at this moment.

Fang Zheng felt that victory was within reach. His fists clenched unconsciously, and his whole body trembled slightly with excitement.

"Brother, this is just the beginning of me beating you. I will continue to win, time and again, until I eliminate the shadow in my heart. I will prove to the clan that an A-grade genius excels!" Fang Zheng vowed to himself.

However, at that moment, Fang Yuan made his move.

His right hand moved like a knife, slicing through the air.

With a soft whoosh, the blue glow enveloping his palm detached, flew into the air, and transformed into a crescent-shaped blue Moon Blade, shooting towards the straw dummy.

In the next second, Fang Yuan's right palm lit up with another blue glow.

He flipped his hand and slashed out a third Moon Blade.

The seamless transition between the two attacks was flawless.

The two Moon Blades flew through the air, only half a meter apart.

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, both Moon Blades struck the dummy's neck precisely.

"This..." Fang Zheng's pupils contracted sharply, and a sense of unease surged within him.

The students' faces filled with amazement as they slowly opened their mouths.

They watched as the dummy's head first tilted to one side, then fell off its neck, hit the ground, and bounced two or three meters away.

Fang Yuan had decapitated the dummy!

The result was beyond everyone's expectations.

"Was this luck or skill?" The academy elder frowned.

This question also lingered in the minds of the other students.

For a moment, the martial arts field fell silent.

"How could this be..." Fang Zheng muttered to himself, staring blankly at Fang Yuan, his heart's previous excitement now a deep void.

Fang Yuan squinted slightly, seemingly oblivious to the gazes directed at him.

Coo, coo, coo...

Under the blue sky and white clouds, a flock of colorful parrots suddenly flapped their wings and flew into the air. With their beautiful long tails, they chirped and frolicked, circling in the sky.

Standing in the center of the martial arts field, Fang Yuan looked up. In the brilliant sunlight, the birds' iridescent feathers appeared even more dazzling.

His expression remained indifferent, as if he hadn't just decapitated the dummy.

"The spring sunshine is indeed bright..." he sighed inwardly.