It Turns Out The Master's Wife Is Actually Me [GL] - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The elderly Headmaster stood before Yan Li, his hair a stark, flowery white. Through a gap in the sparse autumn leaves, one could see Yan Li’s snow-white hair and the Headmaster’s silver locks intermingling, their colors so similar they nearly dissolved into one another.

The Headmaster let out a weary sigh, offering no further rebuke. He simply murmured, The Immortal is indeed a person of deep sentiment.

Clasping his hands behind his back, he stepped back into the forest as silently as he had arrived. He walked with a steady, swift pace, showing none of the frailty of old age, yet as the wind rustled through the trees, his retreating figure appeared slightly hunched.

Yan Li gazed up at the indistinct, chaotic colors of the Library and spread her slender hand flat toward the sky. She lowered her eyes, then gently pushed her strength outward. A beam of radiance shot forth, plunging instantly into the heart of the Library.

The sword cultivator, with her snow hair and dark eyes, did not look back. She turned and vanished into the woods. Within a few breaths, no trace of her remained.

As Yan Li turned away, the long, multi-hued building began to shift violently. The chaotic outer walls seemed to be kneaded by invisible hands, blending the colors until a smooth, transitional palette emerged. The entire Library appeared to have been forcibly color-graded, gradually settling into a uniform, solitary shade of deep indigo.

At the same moment, on the Martial Field where the pre-test training was underway, Cheng Fu’s eyes sharpened. Her wrist gave a sudden tremor, and the Shutu Sword abruptly lost its unstoppable momentum, wilting toward a direction completely inconsistent with her technique.

Accompanying Chen Qianru’s confused gasp was a mechanical, flat female voice that rang only in Cheng Fu’s mind:

System 068 is obstructed by abnormal space-time fluctuations. Connection with headquarters lost. Entering standby mode! Entering standby mode!

Cheng Fu, what’s wrong?

Cheng Fu steadied her wrist and wiped a sudden bead of sweat from her forehead with her left hand. I’m fine. Just a bit out of sorts. My mind wandered.

“Take a rest.” Gu Da set down her jade bottle and, like a magician, plucked a small, shimmering glass cup from her storage pouch. The cup was exquisitely crafted with a unique structure that refracted brilliant light under the sun.

Holding the glass in one hand, she picked up the jade bottle with the other. With a light press of her finger on the rim, amber liquid flowed out, filling the crystalline cup beautifully. Gu Da handed it to Cheng Fu with an indifferent air. It’s for calming the nerves. No harm in it.

Liao Zilu stared at the tiny glass cup in disbelief, her eyes glued to it. That’s Less-Desire Brew! Sister Da, I’ve asked you for that so many times and you never gave me any. Why do you give it to Cheng Fu just like that?

“Nonsense, as if I’ve never given you any,” Gu Da coughed lightly, looking slightly uncomfortable.

Cheng Fu stared blankly at the wine in her hand. Its color was clear, and under the bright sun, ripples of light danced within it. Looking at the glass walls, she suddenly felt a dry stinging in her eyes a dense, prickling sensation that forced her to blink hard.

When she opened them again, the beautiful glass cup no longer refracted five-colored light. In that single blink, the reflected brilliance in her eyes had vanished entirely.

Cheng Fu snapped her head up.

The sky, which had been warm and breezy a moment ago, was now murky and dark. A heavy, somber gloom had crept in unnoticed, swiftly swallowing the entire Martial Field. A thunderclap boomed, causing the surrounding students to gasp or cry out in alarm, their faces filled with uncertainty.

On the vast field, a cacophony of frantic discussion erupted. Following the darkening sky came a violent gale. The mountain winds of Zhiwang were never small, but this current wind felt as if it had been birthed from thin air, colliding savagely with the existing gusts. The clash of the two winds produced a shrill, piercing shriek.

Unprepared, the students were tossed about by the force of the gale. Cheng Fu gripped her wine cup tightly, her expression cold and solemn. She drained the liquid in one gulp. She had a gut feeling that all of this was connected to the System entering standby mode.

Chen Qianru’s gaze was grave as she stared at the spot where the lightning had struck. The powerful pressure of a Spirit Severing stage cultivator radiated from her. Though she was a gentle medical cultivator, she was by no means defenseless. Her voice, usually soft, was now heavy with weight.

The Character Testing Realm has opened early for some unknown reason.

Xin Yunze, who had been practicing his swordplay, forcibly broke his stance. His sharp blade returned to its scabbard with a clack. His usually arrogant brows furrowed. “Why did it open early? This has never happened before. Has the Heavenly Dao grown jealous of this Young Master’s extraordinary talent and sent a tribulation specifically for me?”

Liao Zilu, enraged, slapped him. Xin Yunze, don’t make me scream. It’s this serious, and you still have time for narcissism?

The sky grew even darker. It should have been a clear morning, but it felt as if a thick, black curtain had been drawn across the world, completely blotting out the light.

Between the deep gray earth and sky, things were no longer calm. With a crack, a bolt of ghost-blue lightning tore through the firmament. The cold blue light reflected off the students’ faces, illuminating their varied expressions in stark detail.

Wherever the lightning touched, a blinding brilliance followed. After the flash, the howling mountain wind suddenly died down. In the spot where the blue light had passed, a massive, pitch-black hole emerged. It was deep and silent, belching out clouds of gray-black mist as it swirled slowly in concentric circles. It evoked a primal fear a sense that once you stepped inside, there would be no return.

Cheng Fu’s eyes remained dark as she watched the mist-shrouded hole. After a moment, she actually began walking toward it, approaching the mouth of the abyss step by step.

Beneath the sky where the black hole loomed, the other students sensed something was wrong. Most instinctively backed away, maintaining a cautious distance. No one dared to move. Although they were all participating for the first time, they had heard descriptions of the opening from seniors over the decades. The appearance matched the stories; the only thing out of place was the date. It was supposed to open in seven days.

As Cheng Fu neared the black hole, a flight of exquisite, steep spiral stairs began to descend from the center of the void, slowly extending toward the ground. The steps were a flawless, snowy white, narrow and short, twisting oddly into a helix. One would likely fall if they weren’t careful.

Gu Da’s brow knit together. She raised her voice, Cheng Fu, don’t go!

Cheng Fu seemed not to hear her. A very familiar scent was wafting from the vicinity of that black hole. She felt as though her feet were no longer under her control, compelled to move closer to that strange void.

Simultaneously, the silhouette of the black hole began to ripple and distort. Bizarre patterns emerged from within, growing larger and larger until they covered the entire leaden sky. It looked like a golden canary cage transcending the six realms, descending over Mount Zhiwang, inescapable.

A cold, pleasant female voice echoed clearly in every student’s ear.

The 168th Character Testing of Zhiwang Academy officially begins now. Due to special circumstances, we have opened early without prior notice. I offer my sincere apologies to everyone.

“There is no need for alarm. To ensure student safety and readiness, no dangerous events will occur on this first day of the early opening. This will allow you to better adapt to the first stage, the Team Trial, and serves as compensation for the early start.

Entry may now begin according to the team roster. Do not crowd or fight; enter the realm in an orderly fashion.

Cheng Fu listened, somewhat stunned, to the clear, cold voice of Yan Li.

The proctor for this year’s Character Testing Realm was actually Yan Li?