Chapter 21: Entrance Examination (Part III)

She looked at Lin Chen and nodded gently, a smile of approval tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Lin Chen clearly understood Instructor Liu Qingwan's mood, and despite being slightly weary, she still responded with a sweet, composed smile.

Just then, a sudden, urgent alarm sounded from nearby, piercing the tranquility of the air.

Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat, and she thought to herself, "Oh no, have I been discovered?"

Before she could think any further, she heard the door of the room next to her swing open with a "bang."

Immediately after, a male Disciple was seen being ejected in a sorry state. He was wearing nothing but a pair of oversized boxers, and with a trembling hand, he picked up the props scattered on the ground, his face full of embarrassment.

Upon seeing this, the female Disciples burst into laughter, their teasing gazes falling upon the disheveled "cross-dresser."

"Haha, so it was a man dressed as a woman, how utterly ridiculous!" one female Disciple laughed so hard she had to clutch her stomach.

"Look at him, he actually dared to come and take the examination; he has no shame!" another female Disciple couldn't help but mock.

The male Disciple's face turned bright red; he sheepishly gathered his clothes from the ground and fled the scene in disgrace.

Laughter rose and fell, and the scene was in chaos.

Instructor Liu Qingwan gave a light cough and said, "Quiet, continue the examination."

The Disciples quickly quieted down and lined up in an orderly fashion to wait for verification.

Whenever a door opened and someone passed successfully, some people felt disappointed that they hadn't gotten to witness any drama.

But occasionally, the alarm would sound again, and those cross-dressers would be quickly ejected, triggering another round of laughter and discussion outside.

"Another man! How interesting!" a Disciple teased.

"Do these people think we in the Xuanyin Qin Sect are blind? What wishful thinking," another Disciple retorted sarcastically.

This repeated, with alarms and laughter intertwining, and as time passed, more and more Disciples completed the check.

As for the men who fled in panic, it was as if their dignity had been stripped away, and they left the scene in embarrassment.

A quarter of an hour later, everyone had gone through the strict verification process. Only a few were eliminated for failing, and the rest successfully passed the second round of the test.

"Alright, everyone follow me for the third round. It is also the round that will decide your fate," Instructor Liu Qingwan said in a gentle yet solemn voice.

The Disciples followed Instructor Liu Qingwan to a vast performance stage, where the Senior Sisters of the Xuanyin Qin Sect were seated, ready to vote for the performers.

Instructor Liu Qingwan walked to the center of the stage and announced the start of the third round: "The third round is a talent competition. Each of you will have one chance to perform. Ultimately, the Elders and the Disciples will vote. Those with the highest number of votes will have the honor of becoming an Inner Sect Disciple, or even a Personal Disciple."

As soon as she finished speaking, the contestants stepped forward one after another, preparing to showcase their musical skills.

Everyone brought their beloved guqin and played their best pieces. The sound of the qin was sometimes gentle, sometimes melodious, and sometimes passionate, filling the air of the training grounds with an interweaving of melodies.

However, Lin Chen remained standing where she was, never stepping onto the stage.

Instructor Liu Qingwan noticed Lin Chen's hesitation and couldn't help but speculate: "This young lady must come from an ordinary family; after all, she arrived on foot to register. A guqin is worth a fortune; how could an ordinary family easily afford one?"

When Lin Chen triggered the sound of the Dao, she had already won Instructor Liu Qingwan's approval, who had long since regarded Lin Chen as her own Personal Disciple. Seeing Lin Chen in such a dilemma, a protective instinct arose within her:

"Lin Chen, if you have never played the guqin, it doesn't matter; you don't have to participate in this round. I have already decided to take you as a Personal Disciple, so there is no need to force yourself."

As soon as Instructor Liu Qingwan finished speaking, the entire venue fell silent instantly.

The gazes of all the Disciples immediately turned toward Lin Chen, many showing expressions of jealousy and dissatisfaction, especially Princess Jin Xuan, who stepped forward first and coldly questioned:

"On what grounds? Can she become a Personal Disciple directly without participating in the third round?"

Instructor Liu Qingwan's gaze turned cold, and her tone carried an unquestionable majesty: "Does my acceptance of a Personal Disciple require your consent?"

Princess Jin Xuan and the other Disciples were instantly rendered speechless, not daring to speak again.

However, Lin Chen smiled slightly at this moment and shook her head gently: "Teacher, there is no need to be troubled. I will participate in this round."

After speaking, Lin Chen walked onto the stage, extended her slender fingers, and took out a small nano cube.

Her fingers rapidly manipulated the cube, inputting complex commands.

Before long, the surface of the nano cube began to shimmer with light.

To the astonishment of everyone, the cube began to emit countless tiny nano-units, which automatically constructed a guqin.

Although this qin was simple, its lines were graceful, exuding a unique sense of refinement.

The Disciples in the audience could hardly believe their eyes.

Princess Jin Xuan's eyes revealed an expression of disbelief, and she muttered to herself: "How is this possible… Creating something out of thin air?"

In contrast, Yin Miaoxue appeared much calmer, her eyes revealing a hint of approval: "To think she could push alchemy to such an extent!"

Little did they know, what Lin Chen was using was not alchemy at all, but a creation of a Divine Rank technological civilization.

This was fundamentally different from the methods of the cultivation world and was completely incomprehensible to them.

Lin Chen walked onto the stage, having already made up her mind; what she was about to play was the peerless divine song, "White Fox."

Under the control of the nano-units, her cyan dress instantly turned white, leaving the crowd in awe.

She stood in the center, her gaze firm yet gentle, as if conversing with some emotion deep within everyone's hearts.

Amidst the awestruck gazes of the crowd, Lin Chen slowly sat down, her fingers gently brushing across the strings, producing a crisp, clear qin sound.

At first, the sound of the qin was like a misty morning; although it carried a hint of freshness, it could not hide the depth and loneliness hidden beneath.

As the melody deepened, the sound of the qin gradually became sorrowful and lingering, like a thousand-year-old white fox wandering alone under the moonlight, every step treading out endless sorrow and longing.

Lin Chen's fingers danced between the strings, sometimes as gentle as a feather brushing against the surface of water, stirring up delicate ripples; at other times, they were rapid and powerful, like a white fox running in the wilderness, carrying memories of the past and a yearning for freedom.

Every note carried a story, and as they intertwined, they painted a series of sorrowful and moving pictures: the white fox keeping watch in the cold wind, tears freezing into frost; singing softly under the moonlight, the song piercing the silence of the night, reaching the softest part of the human heart.

As the music deepened, Lin Chen's singing voice also rose, sounding like music from heaven:

"I am a fox that has cultivated for a thousand years, a thousand years of cultivation, a thousand years of loneliness. In the dead of night, can anyone hear me crying? In the fading lights, can anyone see me dancing? I am a fox that has waited for a thousand years, a thousand years of waiting, a thousand years of loneliness. In the rolling Mortal World, who has planted the Gu of love? In the vast sea of people, who has drunk the poison of love? When I loved you, you were destitute and studying hard in the cold window…"

Her singing stopped abruptly at this line, as if intentionally leaving a blank space, giving people endless room for imagination. Lin Chen knew well that art that stops at the right moment is the most charming, and being too explicit would only cause it to lose its mystery.