Chapter 10: Accepted into the Tiangji Palace

Perhaps due to overwhelming excitement, that night Jiang Xiao had a dream.

In the dream, a ghostly woman in flowing white clothes tenderly nestled in his arms—but then a dark, mountain-old demon appeared from behind and snatched her away. Enraged, Jiang Xiao suddenly opened his eyes and shouted, "Let go of my Xiaoqian!"

At breakfast that morning, Jiang Xiao was in a sour mood.

"What's wrong? You look so preoccupied," someone asked.

Today, Jiang Chan had styled her hair into a playful single ponytail and was dressed in casual clothes that showcased her refreshing youthful energy. Her white top accentuated her enviable bust, and her graceful figure was utterly captivating.

Jiang Xiao replied gloomily, "Can it really be that humans and ghosts can never be together?"

"Ha?"

After breakfast, while Jiang Xiao was on his way to school, he happened to notice a street vendor selling pan-fried buns using her innate spirit tool in place of a gas canister to heat the food.

"Is there really such a trick?" Jiang Xiao was dumbfounded.

The elderly vendor, skillfully operating her flat-pan spirit tool, said to him, "Young man, have you had breakfast? Old-Brand pan-fried buns—pure green, smokeless, guaranteed to leave you wanting more."

This showed Jiang Xiao another side of the innate spirit tool.

In this world, from the grand scale of Spirit Masters to the minutiae of daily life, everything was strikingly different from Earth in his previous life.

If it weren't for the chaos caused by ghostly disturbances, ordinary people could live quite comfortably…

No sooner had he entered the classroom than chubby Zhang Dongdong pulled Jiang Xiao aside into a corner, whispering, "Jiang Xiao, I'm telling you—I saw a ghost last night!"

"Hmm?" Jiang Xiao furrowed his brows, "You saw a ghost too?"

That Night Road Ghost from yesterday had left a very deep impression on him.

Zhang Dongdong nodded, his face still showing traces of fear, "On my way home last night, I encountered an old fruit vendor. I asked her whether the apples were sweet, and she said, 'If they're not sweet, they're free!' I thought, 'There's no way that's true!'"

"So I bought two, and after eating them I said they weren't sweet and asked for my money back—she actually asked if I had no shame!"

At that, Zhang Dongdong's plump body shuddered. "Jiang Xiao, you don't think that old lady might be a ghost involved in trafficking human organs, do you?"

"…"

Jiang Xiao thought that if no one had beaten you up, that would be enough.

That guy is just incredibly unreliable.

Jiang Xiao simply added, "Lately, when you meet strangers at night, don't engage in conversation too lightly."

"Why?" Zhang Dongdong asked, confused.

Jiang Xiao, too tired to explain, simply sat back at his desk.

At that moment, a commotion erupted outside the classroom.

A girl, surrounded by a radiant aura, arrived at Class 3 of Grade 1—the very same Bai Qimeng.

She had just tested her Heavenly-grade spirit tool yesterday and was unquestionably on track to enter the Tiangji Palace—a future filled with promise.

Immediately, Zhang Hai stood up and eagerly said, "Miss Bai, did you come here for something?"

"I'm looking for Jiang Xiao."

Bai Qimeng glanced at him coldly and then approached Jiang Xiao.

"Oh? Looking for me?"

Jiang Xiao looked up at this proud white swan and asked coolly, "What's the matter?"

At that moment, everyone watched curiously, wondering why she would seek Jiang Xiao.

Zhang Dongdong, standing beside Jiang Xiao, fidgeted nervously with his hands, wanting to say something to Bai Qimeng but feeling shy.

Bai Qimeng said, "The blue-ranked soul bead that Chen Fan gave you yesterday—I want it, how about thirty thousand?"

So that was the reason for her visit.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Hai immediately recalled their trip to the northern suburbs yesterday, and jealousy, envy, and hatred surged in his heart.

Who would have thought that that blue-ranked soul bead would be taken in by Jiang Xiao—someone with only three skill slots?

Now Bai Qimeng was willing to pay money to buy it from him, which meant that Jiang Xiao could get thirty thousand yuan for nothing.

Everyone in school was still an ordinary high school student, and thirty thousand was a huge sum!

But to everyone's surprise, Jiang Xiao lazily replied, "You're too late—I've already absorbed that blue-ranked soul bead."

At this, a trace of displeasure flickered in Bai Qimeng's bright eyes, but she said little more and turned to leave.

"Humph! Jiang Xiao, you really don't know your place. Even if you absorb that blue-ranked soul bead, what use is it to a loser like you with only three skill slots? It'd be better to hand it over to Miss Bai, so she can enhance her strength—she's the future pillar of humanity."

Jiang Xiao chuckled, "Bai Qimeng is so formidable—why doesn't your family break the bank and donate some soul beads to her?"

Zhang Hai retorted, "I'm not like you; at least I have seven skill slots. No matter what, I can contribute to humanity's future!"

"But look at you—when you were slaying those wandering spirits yesterday, you weren't that impressive either," Jiang Xiao said with a wry smile as he glared at Zhang Hai.

Zhang Hai's face turned red with shame and anger, "That was only the beginning! With your aptitude, our gap will only widen in the future!"

After saying this, he angrily swept his sleeve and left.

Watching his back, Jiang Xiao narrowed his eyes.

Bai Qimeng's willingness to offer thirty thousand yuan for the blue-ranked soul bead was astounding.

Jiang Xiao had researched last night: the blue-ranked soul bead he obtained was dropped after a Spirit Master slayed a Qingmu Ghost.

The Qingmu Ghost is a type of ghost that possesses locust trees or willow trees; it is quite dangerous and is classified as a blue-ranked ghost.

The market price for the Qing Light Flash skill soul bead is over fifty thousand yuan.

I really wonder if Bai Qimeng is ignorant or if she's taking advantage of my ignorance?

"Jiang Xiao, Miss Bai specifically came looking for the blue-ranked soul bead in your hand. Why aren't you giving it to her? She's so beautiful, and her talent is top-notch…"

At that moment, Zhang Dongdong spoke up.

Jiang Xiao, furious, slapped Zhang Dongdong's head, "No simp shall get a house!"

Zhang Dongdong smirked secretly and then added, "By the way, didn't we test our innate spirit tools yesterday? I heard the results come out today."

"What results?" Jiang Xiao asked.

Zhang Dongdong replied, "Of course, the selection quota for the Tiangji Palace."

Hearing this, Jiang Xiao's heart stirred.

In this world, ghosts have long existed, and the history of Spirit Masters is ancient.

And it is said that the Tiangji Palace was established during the Han Dynasty.

Through thousands of years of dynastic change, only the colossal Tiangji Palace has stood firm in the river of time—this shows just how terrifying its legacy is.

Before long, Zhou Haiyan entered the room and began to announce the names of the students selected by the Tiangji Palace.

The students whose names were called were overjoyed, as if they had been accepted into their dream university.

Those not called looked pale and tense, their hearts heavy with anxiety.

Suddenly, Jiang Xiao, looking thoughtful, said, "Zhang Dongdong, haven't you noticed that all the students whose names were called went to the northern suburbs' ghost labyrinth yesterday?"

"Uh… really?" Zhang Dongdong appeared confused.

Jiang Xiao smirked; this guy truly had no sense at all.

Chen Fan was right—Tiangji Palace really does value courage.

Yesterday, when they suddenly announced a live test in the ghost labyrinth, a large number of students lacking the guts to face ghosts were immediately filtered out—even among those with excellent aptitude, the so-called geniuses.

Gradually, those students with six or seven skill slots also noticed this detail and were filled with regret.

A single thought can split two entirely different futures.

In this world, as long as you can enter the Tiangji Palace, it is as significant as being admitted to Tsinghua or Peking University in your previous life!

"Zhang Hai."

On stage, Zhou Haiyan called out Zhang Hai's name.

Zhang Hai's lips curled; he was already eighty percent sure of himself and was not surprised.

Surrounding him, people shot him envious glances, with words of flattery aplenty.

"This guy…"

Zhang Dongdong gritted his teeth in bitterness; his name hadn't been called at all—it seemed he would be rejected.

Suddenly, Zhang Hai turned his head toward Jiang Xiao and mouthed silently, "You...are going to be rejected."

Jiang Xiao merely smiled without any reaction.

Although everyone possessed an innate spirit tool, the selection criteria for the Tiangji Palace were even stricter.

So far, in Class 3 of Grade 1, only four students—including Zhang Hai—had their names called, and all of them had at least six skill slots in their aptitude.

In Zhang Hai's eyes, even though Jiang Xiao went to the northern suburbs' ghost labyrinth yesterday, his three skill slots were absolutely insufficient for the threshold of the Tiangji Palace!

However, at that moment, Zhou Haiyan called out the final name,

"Jiang Xiao."

...