From an omniscient perspective, the Dao Palace resembled a meticulously rendered ink-wash painting, yet it was not lacking in fine brushstroke details.
Mountains and seas had always been synonymous with grandeur, so a sacred mountain standing tall amidst the boundless ocean seemed to naturally represent authority and order.
The ten-tier treasure ship could easily be described as a colossal vessel, yet moored at the foot of the sacred mountain, it appeared as insignificant as a speck of dust.
Everyone on deck tilted their heads upward. This moment of silence was a fitting tribute to the mountain's palace gates.
The treasure ship docked, and the disciples who were to enter the palace all disembarked, while their elders remained on board.
Unless one held a palace bell, outsiders were forbidden from entering without summons.
These heavyweight figures, whose mere presence could send shockwaves across the Tianheng Continent, all stood with hands clasped behind their backs, gazing with complex emotions at the spirited Dao Palace students.
With every intake, brilliant new stars would emerge, stirring up storms of excitement.
Their own stories had already passed; new legends would now be written by these young people.
Wangshu stood on the shore, exchanging a look with Chu Daixi on the deck.
Dark eyes met dark eyes, both holding smiles, with no hint of farewell.
Wangshu thought to herself that, in some ways, the simulator that had malfunctioned last night wasn't entirely without merit.
She did want to stay with the Chu family, to cling to her mother's side.
But she also yearned to experience the palace gates.
Having such contradictory feelings probably stemmed from the fact that she herself wasn't dazzling enough.
As she turned away, the corners of Wangshu's lips curved upward, and she gave a gentle wave.
Setting off now is for the sake of returning home better.
So, Mother, I'm off now.
-
The sacred mountain rising from the sea was, in essence, a smaller realm unto itself.
After disembarking, they found themselves at the mountain's foot. Gazing upward, they spied a narrow mountain path with a simple, weathered wooden archway at its entrance, bearing no inscription.
This appeared to be the so-called "palace gates."
Qinghe had been puzzled at the time, wondering why the gates weren't as grand and imposing as she had imagined.
Wangshu smiled lightly: "There is only one sacred mountain standing in the sea. Even without an inscription, everyone knows it is the Dao Palace."
Put simply, its confidence spoke for itself.
The moment she stepped onto the mountain path, Wangshu felt the palace bell at her waist instantly connect with this space.
The Dao Palace provided no guides; the palace bell would naturally point the way.
Wangshu and Qinghe exchanged a glance simultaneously, Qinghe's expression odd as she said: "We're going to the Affairs Hall to register?"
"Register what?"
Even Wangshu, who had over a decade of enrollment experience, wasn't entirely sure. She muttered: "Probably something like recording our names and family information."
The palace bell indicated that the Affairs Hall was still quite a distance away. Walking was out of the question, and even using qi manipulation, they'd likely have to fly for a good while.
Both Wangshu and Qinghe produced flying artifacts, as using artifacts to assist would be faster.
Qinghe's artifact was the golden plate she had used before. It was both offensive and defensive, capable of riding the wind. Apart from its slightly odd shape, there was nothing to fault about it.
Wangshu joked that when standing upright, it looked like a gong...
Qinghe herself, however, loved it, saying that in battle she could channel qi into it to enlarge it, then slam it down on an enemy's head, achieving a psychological advantage through sheer intimidation.
Well, if her sister liked it, then so be it.
Wangshu's own artifact was the Golden Butterfly, which Chu Daixi had won for her at an auction for a hefty sum.
In terms of appearance, the artifact was essentially a pair of exquisite hairpins, with golden butterflies perched at the tips, wings trembling as if ready to take flight.
In battle, one butterfly served to attack and the other to defend. At other times, they served as hairpins. At yesterday's evening banquet, she had worn these very butterflies.
As for flying — well, since they were butterflies, they certainly wouldn't disappoint.
However, Chu Daixi had only one reason for bidding on them: they were absolutely ethereal.
"These butterflies' elegance perfectly matches my daughter."
Wangshu had only smiled at the time, quietly commenting to herself: A golden riding prop.
Now, as the Golden Butterfly spread its wings, Wangshu stepped lightly onto it. Combined with the divine light between her brows, it was easy to understand what Chu Daixi meant by "matches."
After she stepped onto the artifact, Xu Miaoying and Lu Qi behind her simultaneously produced a green sword.
This was the reward that the Chu family gave to all surnamed disciples who awakened their talents — a mid-grade magical tool.
The family academy also taught sword flight techniques.
Wangshu turned and smiled at them, saying: "We'll break the wind up front. Follow behind, and you won't fall behind by much."
With that, she rode the wind and headed straight into the Affairs Hall.
A few gazes were fixed on her back, but they weren't worth turning around for, nor worth caring about.
Once inside the Affairs Hall, the group realized that the building's size could not simply be described as a "hall." It was at the very least a "tower," and a tower of more than six stories.
The interior was structured like a circular tube, with ancient, intricately carved beams of red sandalwood, and a sealed ceiling open nowhere.
On the circular walls, glowing jade tablets hung neatly like grid cells, each covered in writing.
Wangshu felt the place had somewhat the atmosphere of a mystical hidden library.
When the Affairs Hall's master flew down on a rolled scroll, she found four disciples standing there, staring stupidly up at the jade tablets on the walls.
She smiled, touched her toes to the ground, and the scroll automatically rolled up and floated into her palm.
She tapped the jade scroll holder on the desk, the sound finally snapping the four silly children out of their reverie. She beckoned with a smile and said: "Bring me your palace bells. I'll register you."
Hearing the voice, Wangshu turned her head and only then noticed that someone had appeared behind her without her realizing.
She was a woman with bright eyes, a faint smile seemingly lingering at the corners of her mouth. Following the trail of that smile, one would notice a small natural mole at the corner of her lips, which gave her an air of charm and languidness.
She was skilled at showcasing herself, and her attire amplified this very trait — a slim-fitting silk robe with a slanted placket, the hem embroidered with a profusion of blooming peonies.
Beyond these superficial details, what Wangshu saw was her composed and confident demeanor, her spine smooth and naturally erect.
Moreover, a pair of jade double rings hung from her waist.
Wangshu lowered her gaze and bowed respectfully: "Greetings, senior."
Wei Zhuxin smiled and said casually: "I'm the one in charge of the Affairs Hall. Just call me Hallmaster."
She reached out and gave a light gesture, and the palace bells at the waists of Wangshu and the others automatically detached and floated over to her desk.
A Hallmaster with double rings?
She was probably at the level of a summoner.
Wangshu blinked, expecting the Hallmaster to ask for their names and families next. Instead, she simply tapped each bell, causing glimmers of spiritual light to fly out like fine threads into the scroll she had unfurled.
Wei Zhuxin scanned it casually: Yingzhou Chu Clan, Chu Wangshu and Chu Qinghe.
Children of the Chu family, hmm.
Lowering her gaze, she grabbed four jade tablets from a basket under her desk — a gesture as casual as if she were scooping up a handful of rice.
The jade tablets had a certain thickness, square-shaped with rounded edges.
She guided the spiritual light from the scroll into the corresponding tablets, then stepped back onto her scroll and flew up to hang the four tablets in the empty slots of the circular wall.
Following her movement with their eyes, the group now understood — every tablet on the wall represented a disciple.
After returning, Wei Zhuxin collapsed back into her chair, let out a languid sigh, and waved a hand: "Alright, registration done. You can go now."
Just... go?
Qinghe couldn't hold back any longer and asked: "Hallmaster, may this disciple ask — what exactly does this registration mean?"
Wei Zhuxin propped her head up slightly on the rocking chair, a red-lipped smile curving across her face. "It means you can fight each other~" she said.
With a casual flick of her finger, the palace bells returned to Wangshu and the others.
"With a blood oath, you can unlock all the functions of the palace bell. There aren't many functions, actually—just that you can issue challenge letters and fight."
"Disciples of the Dao Palace may issue ten challenge letters per month. Once all ten are issued, your token locks automatically; fail to accept a challenge three times, and your token locks; lose a challenge three times, and your token locks as well."
"If you accept thirty challenge letters in a month, or win ten consecutive battles, your token also locks automatically. Dao Palace disciples usually call this being 'capped out.'"
Accepting thirty challenge letters a month... so you'd spend the whole month doing nothing but fighting, huh?
Winning ten consecutive battles sounded even more far-fetched.
Winning isn't hard, but winning streak after streak, ten times in a row... Lu Qi twitched at the corner of her mouth.
Wangshu had wanted to ask what "locked token" meant, but combining the Pavilion Master's words with the greyed-out jade tokens on the wall, she could figure it out on her own.
It meant...
"Pavilion Master, why are our jade tokens also in a locked state?" Wangshu pointed to the corner where their tokens hung, clearly grey and dim.
Wei Zhuxin looked at her, this time with an especially radiant smile.
"Because you've just entered the palace, so your tokens are automatically locked for a month to exempt you from battle."
Ah, beginner's protection period.
Wangshu nodded.
Wei Zhuxin watched Wangshu nod obediently, the golden butterfly wings on her head trembling slightly—there was a kind of crystalline loveliness to her. Delighted as a hunter finding prey, she couldn't help but offer a couple more pointers.
"Though the Dao Palace encourages combat, whether you issue a challenge or accept one, be cautious—especially regarding families with unresolved seals of authority." She looked at Wangshu meaningfully.
An unresolved seal of authority... Wangshu's expression didn't change.
A year before entering the palace, she already knew that the Chu family's seal of authority was in an unresolved state.
It should have been taken back directly, but the previous clan head of the Chu family, her "grandmother," had personally entered the Misty Sea, buying one term of Dao Palace time for the Chu family.
This term, meaning this cohort of new disciples.
Wei Zhuxin tapped the rocking chair lightly, starting to sway gently, as if casually sharing a bit of trivia: "For families like that, if they send a nominee to the palace, and that nominee is challenged and loses three times in a row, the Dao Palace will initiate an inquiry."
"If the inquiry assessment is not passed, the seal of authority is withdrawn."
Xu Miaoying and Lu Qi exchanged glances, their looks finally landing on Wangshu together.
Qinghe's expression grew solemn. Wangshu maintained her composure and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Pavilion Master."
She had long understood that entering the palace was never a simple, carefree "schooling."
Performance within the palace was closely tied to family interests.
Otherwise, why were the people on that boat fighting over things at the banquet as if their lives depended on it—was it just for a cup of wine?
Having entered the palace gates, she had already prepared herself to yield not an inch.
Leaving the Administration Pavilion, the four of them formed blood oaths with their palace bells outside.
It turned out these were spirit artifacts of extremely high quality. The Dao Palace was truly rich and generous.
After the bells were bound, everything divided their accommodations automatically.
Qinghe felt the information on her bell and said, "I'm at Plum Garden, Number Seven?"
Xu Miaoying smoothed her hair by her temples and said in a soft voice, "I'm at Peach Garden, Number Thirty."
Wangshu: "Pine Garden, Number Fifteen."
Lu Qi: "Bamboo Garden, Number Sixty."
Qinghe clicked her tongue. "Well, well, four people can't even fill out one garden."
Wangshu: "It's getting late. Let's first go to our dormitories to unpack. If anything comes up, we can regroup."
Xu Miaoying knew why Wangshu paused. She and Lu Qi had a kind of cooperative arrangement with the Chu family. They weren't Wangshu's subordinates—Wangshu wouldn't give them orders, and they didn't need to follow her either.
Selecting them, educating them, and recommending them to the Dao Palace—that had fulfilled the Chu family's "quota."
From here on, whether they distanced themselves from the Chu name or continued to lean on this great tree was entirely their own choice.
After a round of thought, a brilliant smile bloomed on Xu Miaoying's face, and she nodded heavily. "Mm."
Lu Qi scratched her head and said with a hearty laugh, "Sister Shu, Sister Qinghe, don't forget about me now."
The four scattered, and Wangshu headed alone to Pine Garden, Number Fifteen.
Pine Garden lived up to its name—pines set the scene, with a neat, square layout and green brick, emerald tile, and white walls.
Wangshu wove through the pebble paths, twisting left and right, until she finally found Number Fifteen. She thought to herself, this number's nice—just happens to be my birthday.
It was a spacious courtyard residence with a skylight, laid out in a four-section pattern: front yard, back yard, left wing, and right wing, with a tall, straight pine growing in the center of the skylight.
Clearly, this was a "quadruple occupancy" room. Wangshu took a turn through each room, a slightly odd look spreading across her face.
These four rooms were tiered, unmistakably so.
The back yard, the master suite, was the largest room with the best lighting, furnished with display shelves, bookcases, and most importantly, its own private bathing area.
The front yard was the second largest. The layout wasn't bad, but it was close to the outside and might be somewhat noisy.
As for the left and right wings, needless to say, they were narrow rectangular rooms, with lighting far worse than the front and back yards.
And besides the master suite, everyone else had to share a single bathroom.
After inspecting all four rooms, Wangshu smiled privately and, without a second thought, walked straight into the master suite.
She didn't rearrange anything. Instead, she waited.
Waited for her roommates.
About an hour later, her roommates trickled in one by one, and after touring the rooms, they clearly showed the same peculiar expressions.
One of them, a girl with a neat ponytail and brisk attire, saw Wangshu sitting directly on the round stool in the master suite and frowned slightly. She walked over on her own initiative, and the other two girls, seeing this, followed suit.
"This one..." She didn't know Wangshu's name.
Wangshu raised her eyes, her dark pupils calm and clear, and took the initiative to introduce herself: "My name is Chu Wangshu."
The two girls who had come in later exchanged glances. Who didn't know the surnames of the Twelve Seal-Power Families?
Her straightforwardness—was she planning to throw her weight around?
The ponytail girl frowned even harder. She was about to speak when this strikingly radiant Chu family member curled her lips and beamed a bright smile.
"The strong take precedence, ladies. How about we settle where we sleep by strength?"
There's no way around a fight.
Enter the palace, and you must contend.
And where is the first contention? Isn't the Dao Palace spelling it out right in front of them?
