I Ruined the Long Ao Tian Script-Chapter 74

Xuan Cang Academy

Peng Wanxi also offered to give Xu Shoulou a massage to relax her muscles and improve circulation.

Though Xu Shoulou wasn’t entirely sure what kind of ailment required both nourishment and muscle relaxation, she gladly accepted the gesture—it was also a good excuse to set aside that enormous bowl of suspicious-looking concoction for now.

Pinned to the bed and subjected to a few kneading motions, Xu Shoulou’s hair stood on end. "Peng Wanxi, have I offended you recently?"

"Why would you say that?" Peng Wanxi looked surprised.

Xu Shoulou studied her face, finding no trace of deception, and could only ask, "Have you ever tried massaging anyone else before?"

Peng Wanxi nodded. "I often give Xi Cheng massages. He loves them."

Xu Shoulou glanced over in astonishment, only to see Xi Cheng, from an angle Peng Wanxi couldn’t see, give her a pained smile and a helpless wave.

"…" So this was a couples’ thing. Xu Shoulou was at a loss for words. Defeated, she slumped onto the bed, caught between Yue’er’s dubious "tonic" and Peng Wanxi’s bone-crushing grip—truly a dilemma.

Fortunately, her adorable junior sister returned just in time.

"What are you doing to her?" Bai Roushuang rescued her gritting-teeth, thoroughly tormented senior sister. "I leave for just a moment, and you’ve already started torturing her?"

Xu Shoulou weakly rested her head on her junior sister’s shoulder and let out a pitiful whimper for effect.

Bai Roushuang leaned over to sniff the blue-green concoction in the bowl and nearly staggered back from the pungent smell. "What is this?!"

"A tonic from the demon realm."

"Senior Sister, you drank it?"

Xu Shoulou nodded tearfully.

Bai Roushuang quickly pulled a small box of candied fruit from her storage ring and handed it to her.

Xu Shoulou sighed in relief. "You’re the only one who truly cares."

Bai Roushuang smiled. "I went to gather some medicinal herbs earlier—"

Xu Shoulou popped a salted plum into her mouth and hastily shook her head. "No need to worry, everyone. My injuries have already healed."

"But didn’t you say it would take a few days of cultivation?" the others asked in confusion. "We haven’t seen you meditating at all." freēwēbnovel.com

"Who said cultivation requires sitting in meditation?" Xu Shoulou countered. "Breathing exercises while lying down work just as well."

"…" The group collectively decided they didn’t want to talk to her anymore.

Now that she was "healed," she no longer had the privilege of traveling while lying down. Xu Shoulou watched helplessly as Bai Roushuang put away the bed, leaving her no choice but to fly under her own power—much to her dismay.

Bai Roushuang, noticing their pursuers, frowned. "The Incense Burner Valley people have been tailing us this whole time, but they’re not making a move. What are they planning?"

"I deliberately showed weakness earlier," Xu Shoulou said. "Stumbled a bit, coughed up some blood—yet they still didn’t take the bait. They’re surprisingly patient."

"So what should we do?"

"Can’t be bothered with them. Let’s just shake them off." Xu Shoulou grabbed Bai Roushuang and Yue’er with her left hand, took Peng Wanxi’s hand with her right (who in turn held Xi Cheng’s), and with a burst of speed, the five of them shot forward like a bizarre family caravan.

Xu Shoulou’s speed wasn’t something ordinary cultivators could match. In less than half an incense stick’s time, their pursuers had vanished without a trace.

When they passed by a city, they initially planned to rest briefly—until Yue’er suddenly tensed. "Wait. I smell demonic energy here."

This was a mortal city, bustling with ordinary people. If a malicious demon lurked within, it could spell disaster for the residents. The group immediately went on high alert.

"Can you track it?"

Yue’er hesitated briefly before nodding. "Yes."

They followed her lead, sometimes rolling on the ground, other times crawling unnecessarily, until they stealthily infiltrated a small courtyard in the city.

Yue’er sniffed the air. "This is a particularly vicious demon—one that devours the essence of mortals and cultivators alike. Be careful!"

Everyone drew their weapons and crouched beneath the window in a neat row.

Bai Roushuang whispered to her senior sister, "For some reason, our adventures never seem very… dignified."

"…" Xu Shoulou had no rebuttal and could only stare silently at the sky.

Peering through the window, they were met with a startling sight: a high-ranking demon was crouched over a plump woman, its elongated proboscis inserted into her abdomen, greedily sucking out something.

It was so engrossed in its feast that it didn’t even notice the spectators outside.

The scene was horrifying, and the group was ready to intervene—until Xu Shoulou, with a strange expression, held them back. "Wait. Look closer."

Trusting her judgment, they observed more carefully and soon realized: "The woman is letting it do this?!"

Moments later, the demon finished its meal, retracted its proboscis, and wiped its mouth with a handkerchief. With the appendage hidden, it looked almost human.

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‍woman scrambled up from the bed, not even bothering to straighten her skirt before rushing to a full-length bronze mirror. She turned left and right, pinched her waist, and beamed. "I am thinner! The fat around my stomach is gone!"

The demon nodded. "Of course. I run an honest business—no tricks here."

The woman pouted. "But Dan’er said you could make me as slim as her."

The demon shook its head. "That’d take multiple sessions. If I took too much at once, your body wouldn’t handle it."

The woman frowned. "But I’m getting married in a few days. Can’t you just fix it all today?"

"Absolutely not. That’d be dangerous," the demon insisted. "You’ll need at least a month between sessions."

"Fine, fine." The woman handed over some silver. "The results are good, though. Next time, I’ll bring my little brother—he’s so heavy he can barely walk, and my parents are worried sick."

"No problem. Take care." The demon politely saw her out.

The eavesdroppers outside were rendered speechless. So this demon had turned its unique abilities into a weight-loss business in the mortal realm—a no-cost venture that filled its stomach and its pockets. Truly an entrepreneurial genius.

And it even prioritized customer safety, only taking small amounts at a time. Its ethical business practices were almost admirable.

The group silently sheathed their weapons and turned to Yue’er in unison. "This is the ‘vicious demon’ you warned us about? Your kind…"

Yue’er stammered, "This is an exception! Demons are mysterious and terrifying! We’re all fanged and monstrous, the stuff of children’s nightmares—"

"Right, right. Absolutely horrifying," the others humored her.

"…Never mind." Yue’er gave up, waving a hand. "There are dancing bears in the demon realm. They’re fun. If we meet again, I’ll get you one."

"…"

Since this was such an upstanding enterprise, the group saw no reason to interfere. They quietly slipped out through the demon’s backyard while it was busy bidding farewell to its customer.

Yue'er gave the promised Thorn Phoenix Flower to the group and bid farewell to her companions. Her journey to the mortal realm had, in a way, been quite eventful—after all, she had inadvertently caused the male protagonist of a beloved story to lose a certain body part.

The group found a tavern to host a farewell banquet for her. Xu Shulou said her goodbyes and kept Yue'er’s enormous bowl of blue-green drink in her Qiankun Bracelet as a memento. Before leaving, Yue'er hugged Xu Shulou and said, "Thank you. I’ll remember you."

Xu Shulou smiled as she watched Yue'er depart.

Now alone, Yue'er set off on her journey, her thoughts lingering on Li Muci. Her emotions were complicated. Since childhood, she had adored love stories, always imagining that one day she, too, would love someone recklessly, devoting herself without regret. But then—she suddenly spun around:

"Who's there?!"

The group secretly following her was startled, thinking she had discovered them. They hesitated over whether to reveal themselves—until they realized that every few steps, Yue'er would whirl around and shout, "Who's there?!"

So she was just bluffing. Amused, they decided there was no need to escort her further. If she was this vigilant, she’d be fine on her own.

———

Xu Shulou handed the Thorn Phoenix Flower to Xi Cheng and his wife, preparing to take her leave. "If the opportunity arises, I’ll visit you both in the Nightless City again."

The couple insisted that once the Thorn Phoenix Flower was exchanged for spirit stones, they would send Xu Shulou and Bai Roushuang’s share to Dustless Island. Unable to refuse, the two women accepted graciously.

The four then parted ways. As cultivators, they didn’t indulge in overly sentimental farewells—just a clasped-fist salute and wishes for future reunions across mountains and rivers.

Xu Shulou returned to Dustless Island with her junior sister, heading straight to her residence on Bright Moon Peak.

A letter sat neatly on her desk. When she opened it, she found it was a letter of annulment from Lu Beichen.

She wasn’t surprised. Given that she had killed his master, it was only logical that their engagement couldn’t continue.

Besides, she had thoroughly offended several elders of the Lingxiao Sect. No doubt they had been pressuring Lu Beichen to send this letter.

Xu Shulou considered writing a polite reply but, after some thought, could only manage a single word: "Fine." She sealed it in an envelope and sent it off.

Thus, the engagement—one neither party had ever intended to honor—ended without fanfare, without even a ripple of emotion from either side.

From then on, neither of the two female disciples of Bright Moon Peak had any further ties to Lu Beichen.

Xu Shulou stretched lazily, entirely unbothered, and went to find her junior sister for a meal.

Bai Roushuang had prepared several of her senior sister’s favorite dishes, calling it a "welcome-back feast" in an attempt to anchor Xu Shulou’s wandering heart—lest she keep thinking about "little temptresses" outside.

———

The night she received Lu Beichen’s annulment letter, Xu Shulou suddenly revisited a long-dormant dream.

In it, she witnessed an argument between Lu Beichen and Wei Xuandao.

The dream began with Wei Xuandao sneering, "Now that your wings have hardened, you no longer heed your master’s words?"

Lu Beichen seemed discontent. "I just don’t understand—why resort to such underhanded methods? Couldn’t you achieve ascension through diligent cultivation, like my parents?"

"Your parents?" Wei Xuandao’s tone was mocking. "What makes you think they could ascend?"

"What do you mean?" Lu Beichen retorted arrogantly. "The Lingxiao Sect rose to prominence because of my parents’ ascension! And I will inherit their legacy, becoming the next ascended cultivator, bringing glory to the sect!"

Wei Xuandao laughed. "With your parents’ vindictive nature, Lu Beichen, do you truly believe they succeeded?"

"Don’t spout nonsense! They ascended—witnessed by the sect elders!"

"Oh yes, they 'ascended' on the same day, just when the Lingxiao Sect desperately needed a notable achievement," Wei Xuandao sneered. "Since when does fate work so conveniently? Have you never once doubted—who’s there?!"

Hearing a suspicious noise, Wei Xuandao lunged forward and, in the next instant, struck down a young disciple.

In the dream, Xu Shulou held her breath, gripping the concealment talisman in her hand tightly.

The dream ended there. Xu Shulou woke with a start, sighed softly, and collected herself.

———

Back on Dustless Island, Xu Shulou resumed her leisurely routine—morning meditation, instructing her juniors in swordplay, strolling along Bright Moon Peak, drifting in the wind for a while, then chatting with the nameless painting at the peak.

But fate, it seemed, disapproved of her idleness. One day, as she was happily devouring the steamed beef buns her junior sister had made, she received an invitation to visit the newly established Profound Azure Academy in the cultivation world.

She had heard of this academy. The major sects had debated its establishment for years—some in favor, others opposed. The proponents argued that pooling knowledge would increase the chances of ascension. The opponents, predictably, were reluctant to share their secret techniques.

After years of contention, the Profound Azure Academy had finally been built, spearheaded by the Qingcheng Sect, the current leading faction. Other major sects, including the Lingxiao Sect, had also secured a stake.

The academy’s operations were still under debate, but for now, it had just opened its doors, inviting cultivators to visit.

Xu Shulou wasn’t the only one invited—her master, Elder Changyu, had also received a summons. But as usual, the elder had no intention of leaving seclusion, instead entrusting his head disciple to lead the junior disciples on the trip.

Xu Shulou didn’t refuse. If the academy succeeded, it would be a monumental contribution to the cultivation world. A visit to show support was only right.

Before their departure, Elder Changyu had even remarked that if any of his "little rascals" wished to enroll, they needn’t seek his permission—they were free to do as they pleased.

If the academy took off, every major sect would send disciples to exchange knowledge. It wasn’t betrayal—just an opportunity to broaden their horizons, benefiting both themselves and their sects.

Other disciples from Dustless Island had also received invitations, but since their groups were led by senior masters, Xu Shulou’s party traveled separately.

This time, all seven disciples of Bright Moon Peak set out together, flying sword-in-hand toward the Profound Azure Academy atop Mount Taihua. Side by side, silent and poised, they cut an impressive figure—true exemplars of a prestigious orthodox sect.

As they approached Mount Taihua’s summit, they saw crowds already gathered. Upon landing, an attendant greeted them. Xu Shulou presented the invitation, and the attendant smiled. "Ah, honored guests from Dustless Island! Please, come in."

The group raised their heads to gaze at the mountain gate, a grand structure perched atop the precipitous cliffs of Mount Taihua, with swirling clouds veiling its midsection. At the highest point of the gate, an imposing plaque bore four bold, silver-stroked characters: "Profound Azure Academy."

Passing through the gate, they were met with towering halls adorned in golden tiles and azure walls. The grand pavilions stood far apart, with no suspended bridges connecting them—those who had yet to master sword flight would find traversing this place nearly impossible.

Xu Shulou couldn’t help but ask, "Might I inquire how one secures a place at Profound Azure Academy?"

The attendant smiled. "Our Qingcheng Sect serves as the organizer, so our disciples naturally receive priority. As for other sects, if they wish to send their disciples here, they must first provide an instructor in exchange."

"I see," Xu Shulou chuckled. "That seems fair."

The attendant turned to her. "Might Daoist Xu be interested in staying here as a lecturer?"

"Me?" Xu Shulou blinked in surprise. "I assumed I was invited to be a student."

The attendant shook his head with a smile. "The indigo invitation you hold signifies your qualification to instruct."

"I’m hardly worthy—there’s still much for me to learn."

"You’re too modest, Daoist Xu." The attendant offered a polite reply before guiding the group further.

Ahead stood the Resting Azure Pavilion, the dormitory prepared for students. It offered single rooms, doubles, quarters, six-person rooms, and even communal bunks.

The attendant explained, "This was decided through discussions among the major sects. After enrollment, examinations are held every three months, and rankings determine room assignments. The highest performers may choose single rooms, while the rest follow accordingly."

The disciples of Bright Moon Peak, accustomed to a more relaxed lifestyle, couldn’t help but murmur, "That’s rather harsh."

Feng Yi stroked his chin. "Can one spend spirit stones to secure better accommodations?"

The attendant shook his head. "No."

After touring the dormitory, they flew along the cliffs to visit the lecture halls.

Bai Roushuang voiced a question. "Does Profound Azure Academy not accept disciples who haven’t yet built their foundation or mastered sword flight?"

"Of course we do," the attendant reassured her. "Such disciples are given a temporary token upon enrollment to ride spirit boats. However, these tokens last only six months—students are best advised to master sword flight within that time, or they’ll face difficulties."

"..."

In the lecture hall corridors, several portraits had already been hung. The attendant elaborated, "We’ve already secured renowned cultivators of our time—some to lecture on swordsmanship, others on mental cultivation, Confucian teachings, and even specialized instructors for musical and medical cultivation. Once the academy officially opens, they will begin teaching."

As sword cultivators, the group was then led to the Sword Testing Grounds, a vast arena carved into the heart of the mountain. Divided into multiple zones, it was fortified with protective formations, allowing practitioners to spar at full strength without fear of fatal mishaps.

After the tour, the group had to concede that Profound Azure Academy’s structured approach was far more formal than Bright Moon Peak’s laissez-faire methods.

"Further details will be discussed between Qingcheng Sect and your respective sects," the attendant said. "If you wish to enroll, return here in one month for the entrance examination."

"An examination?"

"Don’t worry—it’s merely to assess your level and determine which instructor suits you best," the attendant clarified. "Since the academy is newly established, we won’t be too selective yet."

The implication was clear: once the academy was fully operational, admissions would become far more stringent.

The Bright Moon Peak disciples, accustomed to freedom, were reluctant to submit to such rigid discipline. In contrast, disciples from other sects they encountered along the way were brimming with enthusiasm. Bai Roushuang later learned that many major sects already imposed similarly strict demands on their disciples.

"So? Any interest?" Xu Shulou asked her junior disciples.

Song Ping was tempted. "Listening to erudite instructors, refining our swordsmanship, and exchanging insights with fellow students—it does sound worthwhile."

"That’s true," Jiang Yan sighed. "But I wonder if we can adapt to the rules here?"

Such a rare opportunity, yet they hesitated.

Xu Shulou smiled. "We still have a month to decide. No need to rush."