Three days later.
【Ding! Host is detected studying diligently. Obtained Noble Qi * 40.】
Chen Ning glanced at his system panel.
【Noble Qi: 200】
After studying diligently over the past few days, he had easily accumulated another two hundred points of Noble Qi.
At the same time, Chen Ning consolidated his various Divine Abilities.
The Divine Phoenix Bloodline, which had previously been overly potent and somewhat overwhelming for his body, had now been almost completely absorbed.
Though his arms appeared slender, a light squeeze was all it took for his muscles to swell and unleash a surge of tempestuous power.
The repertoire of characters he could write using Condemn by Word and Pen had also expanded significantly.
Chen Ning picked up a brush and wrote the character for “Fire” in the air.
In the very next instant, a fireball shot forth.
Waiting nearby, Xiao Jiu leaped into the air with expert timing and swallowed the fireball whole.
Delicious!
A fireball manifested from poetic Confucian Qi was truly delicious—far more fragrant than ordinary flames!
Xiao Jiu savored the taste with a look of pure bliss.
Over the past two days, it had stayed by Chen Ning's side while he read, and as a reward, it had eaten quite a few tasty treats written via Condemn by Word and Pen.
Xiao Jiu raised its head and stared at Chen Ning for a moment before suddenly scampering onto the desk, opening its mouth, and spitting out a pale green, lustrous pearl.
Chen Ning asked in surprise, “Is this for me?”
Xiao Jiu nodded happily.
It seemed the pearl had been carefully polished inside its stomach over a long period before finally taking shape.
The pearl boasted a rare peacock green hue, its surface smooth, round, and virtually flawless.
A gem of such quality would likely fetch at least one to two hundred taels of silver.
Of course, far more valuable than its price was Xiao Jiu's sentiment.
Though Xiao Jiu could not speak, it understood the importance of repaying kindness.
“Not bad. It seems reading alongside me has taught you quite a few things.”
Chen Ning patted Xiao Jiu's head rewardingly, and the little snake nuzzled affectionately against his palm like a spoiled child.
“Young Master, Young Master Murong sent a letter over.”
At that moment, Qing Yan brought over a letter.
The letter was a congratulatory message from Water Cloud Academy.
In addition to notifying him that he had passed the Noble Scholar assessment, it informed him that he could head to Mount Jinding this afternoon to collect his token and have his Noble Scholar rank determined.
...
After finishing his meal, Chen Ning set off for Mount Jinding.
Looking up, he saw dazzling golden light constantly radiating from the mountain summit.
Waves of potent Confucian Qi spread out in every direction.
“As expected of an academy Noble Scholar! Such Noble Righteous Qi is truly admirable!”
“Young Master Murong has already held out for a full ten seconds! In the last five years, he might be the only Noble Scholar capable of reaching this level!”
The person surrounded in the center of the crowd was none other than Murong Yu.
Hearing the praise, Murong Yu grew even more invigorated.
He took two deep breaths, suddenly raised his palm, and let out a loud shout.
In the next instant, the golden qi surging from Murong Yu transformed into a spirited steed.
The steed galloped through the air, charging straight toward the Golden Tripod.
At the same time, above the Golden Tripod, a golden phantom of a Grand Confucian clad in scholar's robes—standing a full two zhang tall—abruptly materialized.
As the golden statue brandished its brush, sky-covering golden light instantly pressed down.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
In just five seconds, the steed had reached the end of its strength.
No matter how much Murong Yu tried to pour in more power, he could not stop the steed's body from gradually crumbling away.
“Withered Wood Meets Spring!”
Right then, Murong Yu shouted sharply.
The next instant, a tender sprout actually grew from within the shattered remains of the steed.
The sprout grew at a terrifying speed, transforming in the blink of an eye into the phantom of a towering tree.
This phantom managed to endure for another full five seconds before finally vanishing under the Golden Tripod's terrifying power.
This time, Murong Yu had held out for over twenty seconds in total.
Stumbling back several paces, he exhaled a long breath of relief. The Noble Scholar Token hanging at his waist began to glow with a layer of cyan.
Water Cloud Academy classified Noble Scholars into seven ranks:
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, and Purple.
Having successfully broken his previous record, Murong Yu could now receive a full four thousand taels of silver as his stipend this year.
“Aside from the Grand Confucians, I've never seen anyone hold out for more than twenty seconds!”
“As expected of Young Master Murong, he's far too impressive!”
An uproar erupted among the onlookers.
Murong Yu was also thoroughly pleased with his performance today.
The criterion Water Cloud Academy used to assess a Noble Scholar's rank was precisely their Noble Righteous Qi.
Noble Righteous Qi was originally a formless, intangible aura similar to Sword Intent.
However, this Golden Tripod could materialize it, revealing its exact strength.
For scholars, Noble Righteous Qi was not only an expression of character and erudition, but also a reflection of potential.
Murong Yu had grown up in Water Cloud Academy, reaching the Benevolence Realm at twenty and becoming a Noble Scholar at thirty.
Cultivating self, establishing virtue, and performing good deeds.
Although staying near Chen Ning recently had inexplicably left him feeling somewhat inferior,
when it came to his Noble Righteous Qi, Murong Yu held absolute confidence.
So far, he had never managed to beat Chen Ning in any area.
This time, however, Murong Yu felt he finally saw a glimmer of hope.
“At this hour, he should be arriving soon...”
Scanning his gaze across the crowd, Murong Yu immediately spotted Chen Ning, who had just arrived.
He really did come!
He quickly stepped forward, handed a Noble Scholar Token to Chen Ning, and smiled.
“Brother Chen, are you interested in having a small contest with me this time?
This Golden Tripod tests Noble Righteous Qi, materializing the Noble Righteous Qi within a scholar.
I managed to hold out for a full twenty seconds just now. If Brother Chen can surpass me, it would be equivalent to setting a new record for the past five years!”
Murong Yu appeared brimming with competitive spirit, clearly having yearned for a victory for a long time.
Chen Ning, however, remained silent for quite a long moment.
“What did you say... the Golden Tripod tests?”
“Noble Righteous Qi.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course.
I grew up in the academy, and while my combat ability pales in comparison to yours, Brother Chen, I still possess some confidence in this aspect at least.”
Although Chen Ning's combat power was ridiculously strong like a monster's, Noble Righteous Qi had nothing to do with raw strength.
Murong Yu firmly believed this was his rare chance to score a win!
“If you want to compete, then let's compete.”
Chen Ning gave a subtle smile.
He originally hadn't wanted to hurt Murong Yu's self-esteem, but since Murong Yu was practically begging for it, he couldn't be blamed.
When other scholars wanted to accumulate Noble Righteous Qi, they had to build it up bit by bit through reading and cultivating their character.
And if they accidentally committed an evil deed or harbored malicious thoughts one day, their Noble Righteous Qi might even plummet sharply.
But for Chen Ning...
Reading yielded Noble Qi, slaying demons yielded Noble Qi, practicing swordplay yielded Noble Qi...
It was practically no different from eating or drinking water.
Although Chen Ning had never tallied up how much Noble Qi he currently possessed in total,
it was safe to say he had several thousand, if not ten thousand points.
If he released all of it at once...
To be honest, even he didn't know what would happen.
Chen Ning calmly took a step toward the Golden Tripod.
In the very next instant, the sky suddenly underwent a dramatic shift as wild winds and surging clouds whipped up!
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