Test to enter the treasure vault

“Hah…”

Seated atop the Spirit Gathering Platform, Shangguan Xue exhaled a long breath.

“Success.”

She sensed the newly condensed Spirit Seal within her body, biting her lip in thought.

‘What should I name it…?’

‘It’s similar to a lightness skill.
Should I call it Rippling Step?
Divine Hundred Changes?
Traceless Step on Snow?
Faint Dream Dancing in Flower Shadows?’

‘Hah, what am I thinking… giving a one-ring Spirit Seal such a name?’

The Martial Saint activated the new Spirit Seal, and her form flickered, reappearing in another spot without even lifting her feet, as if she had simply shifted over.

‘I’ll just call it Sliding Step.’

Shangguan Xue gave this new, self-created Spirit Seal a name completely devoid of depth.

“Hm?”

A stir in her senses caught her attention.

She looked up to see Qin Yueyan approaching.

“The president wants to see us.”

Qin Yueyan’s face was perpetually devoid of expression.

It made Shangguan Xue wonder if Shi Ledong would take her on as a student because they were both ice queens.

“What’s it about?”

Shangguan Xue followed her towards Tianhui Tower, where the Martial Arts Society was located, asking curiously.

“The slots for the Treasure Vault.”

‘Oh, right.
It’s the end of the year, the holidays are about to start, so the Treasure Vault should be opening soon.’

Having realized this, Shangguan Xue nodded.

In no time, the two of them arrived at the training hall and saw Dugu Ling, who had been waiting for them.

“You two should already know, the Martial Arts Society has three slots for the Treasure Vault.”

After receiving an affirmative reply, Dugu Ling spread her hands.

“But the only ones who need a slot are the two of you.
The vice-president and I have already been to the Treasure Vault, and you only get one chance each.”

‘When did I ever see the vice-president?
I remember his name was… what was it again?
I forgot.’

‘But I think I have some impression of him… ah, yes, on the list of those who died resisting the invasion.’

‘The Martial Arts Society is full of martyrs!’

Shangguan Xue felt the reason for this was that the Martial Arts Society worshipped her.

“However, the assessment still needs to happen, which is to withstand three of my moves,” Dugu Ling reminded them.

“Go to the storeroom and pick out some spirit treasures.”

The storeroom of the Martial Arts Society didn’t contain many spirit treasures, but considering it was a student club, that was understandable.

Most were eighth and seventh-grade, but to her surprise, there were even a few sixth-grade ones… Shangguan Xue was genuinely a little astonished.

The grade of a spirit treasure was inversely related to its number; first-grade was the best, and ninth-grade was the worst.

Ninth-grade was for ordinary people with a hint of spiritual energy; most life-improving spirit treasures were of this rank.

Eighth-grade through first-grade corresponded one-to-one with the Body Tempering Realm through the Heaven Access Realm.

“This assessment really isn’t that hard, especially since we can borrow sixth-grade spirit treasures that correspond to the Free Roaming Realm,” Shangguan Xue murmured to herself.

Qin Yueyan made a gesture, indicating for her to choose first.

Shangguan Xue accepted her goodwill and, under Qin Yueyan’s bewildered gaze, chose three seventh-grade spirit treasures.

‘Challenging a higher difficulty is what makes it interesting…’ the young Martial Saint thought to herself.

“Uh…” Dugu Ling looked at the returning Shangguan Xue, also a bit stunned.

“Do you want to reconsider?
How about picking a sixth-grade one?”

“No need.”

Shangguan Xue shook her head.

“Let’s begin.”

“I’ll only use spiritual energy, no Spirit Seals.”

Dugu Ling walked to the side and activated a recording spirit treasure.

“The academy requires a record.”

‘What, you even need to keep a record? Are you guys afraid of being held responsible too?’

Shangguan Xue complained inwardly, then gave a slight nod to show she understood.

She pushed her “Bright Jade Body” and “Purple Qi from the East” to their absolute limits, her spiritual sense quietly taking control of the three spirit treasures.

Although she wanted to challenge a higher difficulty, she wasn’t a fool.

She knew the gap between her and the Free Roaming Realm was immense, and had carefully selected these three items.

First was the Wolf Fang Blade in her hand.

As spiritual energy was injected into it, the curved blade, shaped like a wolf’s fang, began to glow with a bloody light.

This bloody light traveled along the hilt and was transmitted to Shangguan Xue’s body.

“Be careful!”

Dugu Ling shouted a warning and shot a palm strike forward.

This strike used no Spirit Seals, just pure spiritual energy.

But Shangguan Xue felt as if a high mountain was crashing down on her, as if she were in the eye of a storm.

‘The spirit-body unity of the Free Roaming Realm greatly increases the density of one’s spiritual energy…’ Shangguan Xue mused, cleaving her blade into the palm wind.

Bang!

With a loud crash, Shangguan Xue’s body was thrown back five or six steps, both of her arms trembling slightly.

That slash had landed perfectly on a weak point in the palm wind, carving a path that allowed it to slide past her side.

This blade could stimulate one’s physical potential, and combined with her “Bright Jade Body” augmented by “Purple Qi from the East,” it allowed her to successfully receive the first move.

‘Thanks to Yanzi’s Nine-Flower Marrow Burning Dew for enhancing the effect of my “Bright Jade Body.”
For that single instant, my body’s strength was raised to the Free Roaming Realm.’

Shangguan Xue felt that if Ziyan were here, she would rush over and give her a hug.

“The impact was absorbed by the Spirit-Storing Pearl,” Dugu Ling nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over the pearl at Shangguan Xue’s waist.

That seventh-grade spirit treasure could absorb the impact received by the wearer and store it as spiritual energy.

She gathered her spiritual energy once more.

“Watch out!”

This time she thrust out a finger, spiritual energy converging at its tip.

If Shangguan Xue tried to block it the same way as before, she would just be knocked unconscious by the force of the finger.

But Shangguan Xue, as if she could predict the future, flicked the curved blade in her hand downwards, the body of the blade precisely grazing past Dugu Ling’s finger.

Dugu Ling felt as if the blade were coated in oil, and her finger slid uncontrollably to the side.

“Is this… some kind of force-redirecting technique?”

Her eyes lit up, and she immediately shifted her footing, using her finger as a sword to stab at Shangguan Xue.

But a strong gust of wind burst from the cloth pouch at Shangguan Xue’s waist, pushing the two apart.

“A Wind Pouch,” Dugu Ling had already seen this spirit treasure.

Aided by the push from the wind, Shangguan Xue pushed the newly named “Sliding Step” to its limit, retreating at high speed.

She was like a withered leaf, blown backward by a fierce wind.

Dugu Ling pursued her relentlessly, yet always remained a step away, as if they were inches apart yet worlds away.

Unfortunately, Shangguan Xue was ultimately only in the Body Tempering Realm, and her strength soon failed her.

Dugu Ling caught up, but the force of her finger had also been greatly diminished by the wind resistance.

The blade’s edge and the fingertip collided, and the Martial Saint was once again knocked back several steps, her hands trembling uncontrollably.

“Not bad, that’s two moves,” Dugu Ling nodded, feeling that Shangguan Xue had handled it well.

The first move was an area-of-effect attack; she had struck a weak point to create an opening, letting the attack bypass her.

The second move was a single-target attack; she had used evasion to wear it down, only blocking it head-on at the very end.

“You’ve used all your spirit treasures,” Dugu Ling reminded her.

“Can you take the third move?”

Just then, Shangguan Xue revealed an eerie smile.

“It’s my turn now, Senior Sister.”