"I'll cooperate with you. I don't want the treasures inside, but I must have a share of the Dragon Saliva Liquid," Ji Mo stated his terms.
He was indifferent to heavenly treasures and earthly materials, his heart consumed by a deep obsession with cultivation. The Dragon Saliva Liquid offered him a glimmer of hope, provided Lu Wukai's words were true.
"Deal," Lu Wukai agreed readily and began to recount everything he knew to Ji Mo.
He channeled spiritual energy again, and the scale in his hand emitted a golden radiance, accompanied by faint dragon roars. A map then materialized from the scale.
"This marks the location of the Dragon's Lair," Lu Wukai said, pointing to a glowing spot on the map. "Due to the immense passage of time and the resulting geological changes, the mountains and terrain recorded on the map have been drastically altered. After my years of searching and exploration, the Dragon's Lair should be somewhere beneath this city."
Ji Mo couldn't help but roll his eyes. Lu Wukai was as unreliable as ever.
This city was named潛龍城 (Qianlong City), vast in its expanse. Finding a Dragon's Lair deep underground was akin to searching for a needle in a haystack.
"Don't worry, I've actually deduced the general location. The Dragon's Lair must be situated in the place with the densest spiritual energy. Beneath Qianlong City runs a spiritual脉 (lingmai), and if nothing unexpected occurs, the Dragon's Lair should be located within it," Lu Wukai analyzed.
Seeing the logic in his reasoning, Ji Mo felt it made sense and eagerly said, "Then let's not delay. Tell me where the spiritual脉 is, and we'll go treasure hunting."
"We can't rush. This matter requires careful planning, and I might need your help," Lu Wukai said with a sheepish grin. "The琅琊书院 (Langya Academy) is situated above the spiritual脉. You'll need to infiltrate the academy and find the entrance to the Dragon's Lair."
Although he had known for a long time that the Dragon's Lair might be beneath Langya Academy, he had never dared to explore it. Langya Academy was teeming with experts, and with his current cultivation, he couldn't evade the divine senses of those Emperor-level powerhouses. Moreover, having offended too many people in the past, it was possible that old enemies resided within the academy, making him hesitant to act rashly. Ji Mo's appearance was the perfect opportunity to enter Langya Academy.
"Alright, I'll infiltrate Langya Academy and find the Dragon's Lair," Ji Mo nodded, deciding it was better to handle it himself. Old Lu was simply too unreliable.
"I have contacts within Langya Academy. I guarantee you can smoothly infiltrate it without arousing any suspicion," Lu Wukai said with a peculiar smile. He then asked Ji Mo to wait at home, stating he would go make arrangements.
"Langya Academy, could it be that I'm about to experience a blissful campus life!" Ji Mo's heart burned with anticipation. His mind conjured images of future happiness: beautiful campus belles falling for him, senior students asking him to be serious, and his secret with the tsundere junior student... The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.
After some time, Lu Wukai returned, bringing with him a token.
"This is the entrance examination token for Langya Academy. With this token, you can participate in the assessment and gain entry," Lu Wukai handed the token to Ji Mo, reminding him, "During the assessment, restrain yourself. Don't be too ostentatious. Keeping a low profile will allow you to act more freely later on."
"I understand," Ji Mo nodded. If there was one thing he was confident about, it was his skills in calligraphy, painting, music, and chess, as well as singing and playing instruments. He believed that using just thirty percent of his strength would be enough to pass smoothly. He had wandered around the city before and had a general idea of Langya Academy's location. After bidding farewell to Lu Wukai, he prepared to leave.
"Be careful with everything," Lu Wukai scratched his head, a hint of worry in his eyes.
"Don't worry, wait for my good news," Ji Mo waved his hand.
"No, no! If things go wrong, you must hold firm and absolutely not betray me!" Lu Wukai couldn't help but remind him.
Ji Mo stumbled, cursed, and left decisively.
Langya Academy, once glorious and renowned throughout the Xuanling Realm, had long since declined, becoming increasingly insignificant. Its reputation in the Southern Domain was even negligible, not worth mentioning. Since the severance of the immortal path, the spiritual energy in the Xuanling Realm had become increasingly sparse, and the number of people suitable for cultivation dwindled. This led to a scarcity of students for Langya Academy, consequently lowering its admission standards. Now, anyone with even a trace of spiritual energy in their body could be easily admitted.
At the admissions office of Langya Academy, dozens of young men and women had gathered, Ji Mo among them. The two instructors in charge of the assessment scanned the dozens of young people with impatience.
"Another batch of misfits, only one or two seem decent," Zhuang Changming snorted, his gaze falling on Ji Mo. "Even a commoner has managed to sneak in."
The other instructor, Cui Pei, remarked, "This young man has an extraordinary appearance; perhaps he has a powerful background."
"Hmph, I think he's just a rich kid trying to get a degree from the academy," Zhuang Changming said dismissively, deeply despising commoners infiltrating the academy. The difference between cultivators and mortals was like that between heaven and earth; he had always looked down on mortals.
"Everyone, there is a spirit-testing stone here. As long as you place your hand on it and the stone glows, you pass," Cui Pei pointed to a stone about the size of a head. In reality, possessing an assessment token already made one half a student of the academy. The spirit test was merely a formality, primarily to identify potential geniuses.
The candidates went up one by one, and indeed, each managed to illuminate the spirit-testing stone, albeit with varying degrees of brightness. This indicated differences in their cultivation talent; the brighter the light, the stronger their talent. Among the dozens, two individuals, a young man and a young woman, performed exceptionally well, the spirit-testing stone emitting a halo three feet thick, signifying their outstanding cultivation talent. The crowd looked at them with admiration, fawning over them in an attempt to forge connections. Even the usually harsh Zhuang Changming offered rare praise, while the other students maintained their sullen expressions.
Finally, it was Ji Mo's turn to be tested. He felt a bit apprehensive, having expected an assessment of calligraphy, painting, music, or chess, not a spirit test.
Cui Pei spoke, "You don't need to be tested. May I ask which family you come from, young sir, and what prominent figures your family has produced?" In his eyes, Ji Mo was just a mortal and wouldn't be able to illuminate the spirit-testing stone. As long as the young man had a strong background, he would be allowed to pass. Cui Pei had already discerned that Ji Mo had gotten in through connections.
Family? Prominent figures? Ji Mo shook his head blankly. He was an orphan, with no such ties. Cui Pei frowned, realizing his assumption might be incorrect, and that the young man had no background. He then raised his eyebrows at Ji Mo, making a gesture of counting silver notes with his thumb and index finger, clearly hinting at accepting a bribe.