Chapter 023: Descending from the Heavens (New Book Seeking Recommendations)

In the sky above Yangmu Village, a graceful figure flitted like a swift swallow, leaping between trees and rooftops.

“I will not give up until the very end…”

Within Xu Xuan, his blood and energy surged turbulently. His mind merged seamlessly with the profound essence of the Floating Step technique.

Whoosh, whoosh!

The wind howled past his ears, rising in tandem with his rapid footfalls. His keen gaze locked on the very center of the village.

With a sudden push, his foot landed on a tree trunk, and his form soared upward, rising more than ten meters into the air like the wind itself. He continued to rebound swiftly, leaping from one perch to the next, climbing ever higher into the treetops. At last, a surge of internal force erupted beneath his feet, and with a resounding bang, his body shot like a stone into the air, flying dozens of meters skyward.

In that instant, his blood and energy converged to a single point, flowing with his inner force and dispersing throughout his limbs.

Swish—

The youth spread his arms and legs in a peculiar fashion reminiscent of a great bird, gliding from the dizzying heights, descending in a gliding arc toward the ever-closer village academy.

…

“Examinee Xu Xuan!”

The host’s clarion call rang out, but there was no response from the field.

Inside the village academy, around the martial arena, the assembled crowd murmured in amazement, marveling at the strange turn of events.

On the arena stood only Xu Yuan, alone, his face contemplative. “How odd…”

By rights, given Xu Xuan’s strength—the same strength that had recently bested Xu Xiaohu—he might not be a match for the sons and daughters of the village’s three great families, but passing the entrance exam for the town academy should have been no great challenge.

“Hahaha... Could it be that coward realized his opponent was Young Master Xu and dared not step onto the field?”

A mocking laugh sounded from the crowd.

Many villagers looked on with amusement and derision. And yet, facing the young scions of the three great families, how could an ordinary village youth hope to compete?

“Brother, this is the crucial moment—hurry up and appear!” Xu Huilan was frantic with worry.

Xu’s father stared fixedly at the academy’s main gate, torn between anxiety and anger. No matter what had happened, how could he miss such an important examination?

“Xu Xuan!”

The middle-aged man overseeing the contest grew impatient. “If the examinee does not present himself, he will be considered to have forfeited and will lose eligibility for entrance to the academy.”

“Chief Examiner, my son was delayed by pressing matters—would it be possible to postpone this match?” Xu’s father quickly stepped forward, bowing before the chief examiner seated at the center of the stands.

“Delayed by pressing matters?” The chief examiner, a refined woman, curled her lips in a faint sneer. “For you mountain folk, what could possibly be more important than entering the town academy? To be late even on exam day speaks volumes about this student’s character. At the very least, he shows no sincerity toward our academy. What use have we for such a pupil?”

Xu’s father was struck dumb, unable to respond.

The town academy was the dream of countless youths—wished for but rarely attained. To be late for the exam truly cast doubt on one’s character and resolve.

“In that case, I hereby strip him—” The chief examiner’s voice rang out, cold and unsparing.

“Please, examiner, show mercy! Give Xuan’er a chance!”

Xu’s father, desperate, dropped to his knees with a thud.

The chief examiner looked coldly down at him. “If you have raised such an unpromising son, what good does your kneeling do?”

Hearing this, Xu’s father’s face turned ashen, his eyes burning with indignation. He was about to retort, but Xu Huilan pulled him back.

“Please, examiner, grant my brother one more chance. Just postpone the match a few rounds—we would be eternally grateful!” Xu Huilan pleaded earnestly.

“Chief Examiner, this student Xu Xuan truly is a promising talent. In all his time at the academy, he has always been disciplined and respectful, never once absent or late,” said Elder Dong of the village academy with a gentle smile to the chief examiner.

“If even Elder Dong calls him promising, could it be this Xu Xuan is the equal of the three great families’ heirs?” The chief examiner’s demeanor softened a little; she had some measure of respect for Elder Dong.

Elder Dong smiled. “In just half a month, this child has broken through two levels, and at not yet sixteen, has reached the third stage of Body Refinement. At such a cultivation speed, none in the village can match him.”

“Two breakthroughs in half a month?” Even the chief examiner was surprised.

In truth, Xu Xuan had reached the third stage of Body Refinement in less than ten days, but Elder Dong, uncertain, had conservatively stated half a month.

Seeing the examiner and Elder Dong in quiet discussion, Xu’s father and Xu Huilan dared to hope, their eyes bright with anticipation as they continued to plead.

“Hmph! The academy’s examination is about fairness and justice. If everyone was late and we made exceptions for each, should we delay for them all?”

A booming voice, like muffled thunder, rang out from the edge of the martial arena.

The speaker was a burly, imposing man, his face rough and menacing, his gaze as sharp as a blade.

“Xu Dahu!”

Many in the village shuddered in secret. Xu Dahu’s fearsome reputation was well-known—no one dared cross him.

With his words, many of his cronies and sycophantic villagers joined in the outcry.

“That’s right, why should he get special treatment?”

“He’s just a pauper’s son—what right has he to special privileges?”

“If the town academy shows such blatant favoritism, how can it command respect in Pinghua Town?”

Amid this rising tide of opposition, the examiners and staff from the town academy turned grim. To openly show favoritism towards a single examinee—if word got out, it would be a stain on the academy’s reputation.

“Elder Dong, forgive me, but I have no authority to intervene,” the chief examiner said coolly.

Elder Dong could only sigh, regretful.

Seeing this, Xu Dahu, lurking in a corner of the arena, revealed a cold, satisfied smile.

Xu Xiaohu’s face shone with glee—Heaven favored him! With Xu Xuan out of the running, his chances of entering the academy soared. Yet his heart still fluttered with unease, his gaze shooting nervously to the academy’s entrance, as if fearing that the shadow of Xu Xuan—the one who had haunted his dreams—would appear at any moment.

“Don’t worry, Xu Xuan will not appear. Strive hard, my son, and do not disappoint me,” Xu Dahu said, his coldness receding as he gazed at his son with hope.

Just then, under the mounting pressure, the chief examiner announced coldly, “Xu Xuan! Disqualified from the examination—”

Disqualified!

Those words struck Xu’s father like a bucket of icy water, leaving him pale as death.

“Ah!” Xu Huilan’s beautiful face drained of color, despair clouding her features.

“...Disqualified from the examination!”

And just as the words fell—at the very nadir of father and daughter’s despair—

A sudden commotion!

“Wait—”

A sharp cry rang out from high above the academy building.

All eyes turned to see a dark figure, graceful as a bird, arching over the academy rooftop, gliding down from a height of dozens of meters.

“Heavens! A flying man!”

“What is that—someone’s flying!”

“Could it be an immortal come to earth?”

The martial arena erupted in chaos, all eyes riveted to the descending figure, godlike in his descent.

Swish—

With a piercing rush of air, the figure dove at a steep angle, surging over the crowd’s heads, drawing shrieks from the women and children.

“What mastery of lightness skill!” the chief examiner cried, visibly shaken. The other examiners tensed, nerves taut.

All watched in stunned silence as the figure hurtled earthward. Wouldn’t such a fall shatter every bone?

Many cried out, some even shut their eyes.

But as the figure plunged downward, still five or six meters above the ground, his limbs suddenly flexed midair, arresting his momentum. With two mysterious somersaults, he landed in the arena.

Boom!

Even so, the impact from such a height made the ground tremble. At the same time, a surge of force shot from the youth’s feet into the earth, sending dust billowing in all directions.

“Cough, cough…”

“Mercy—help!”

The swirling dust engulfed half the academy’s courtyard, causing panic.

As the haze settled, those with sharp eyes could make out a youth standing in a small crater at the center of the arena.

He balanced on the tips of his toes, his whole body twisted with serpentine grace, his torso bending to the very limit of human flexibility, nearly touching the ground but not quite.

The terrifying force of his descent had been channeled and dispersed by his agile, snake-like posture.

At that moment, the entire weight of his suspended body balanced on the very tips of his toes!

“It’s... it’s him!”

In the corner of the arena, Xu Dahu’s heart almost leapt from his chest. His face turned ashen, cold sweat pouring down his brow, horror etched into his features. He nearly screamed aloud, “Impossible! Didn’t he die? Didn’t I knock him into the abyss…”