Previous Chapter | Project Page | Next Chapter
Chapter 30: “Schemed Against”
The entrance to the cave was very narrow however, after entering it, the cave was wide enough to have three to four hundred people standing comfortably inside.
Sima You Yue had already experienced this with the Book Pavilion hence she wasn’t too surprised, however there were others around her who had experienced this for the first time and there were shouts of surprise erupting from the crowd every now and then, as excited chattering filled the cave.
She looked around , looking out for the three doors that Feng Zhi Xing had mentioned earlier, however all she saw was actually a few white rings of light that were faintly emitted from the ground.
“Everyone, quiet now.” A teacher hollered out and his voice echoed throughout the cave and everyone immediately hushed.
“Teacher, we don’t see any doors!?” A student asked.
“These rings of light are the teleportation arrays that are also the doorways that will bring you to the location of the Spirit Beast Eggs. Remember, once you’ve selected a Spirit Beast Egg, you’ll immediately be sent out. There is no second chance, so you must grasp hold of your own opportunity and not waste this chance and choose the one you want the most.” Another teacher added.
“You can only go through these three teleportation arrays, you cannot go to the fourth . Whoever goes to the fourth will be responsible for their own actions. If you encounter any problems, it’s going to be your own responsibility.” The first teacher stressed on this point.
“Teacher, is every teleportation array the same?”
“They are all the same, they will randomly send you to the location for your Spirit Beast Egg selection. Alright, spread out now, don’t crowd around and choose which array you want to enter from.”
After the teacher finished, everyone rushed forward to the arrays. Although the teachers had explained beforehand that everything was random and chances were all similar, they still felt that entering faster would still be a key factor in securing the best Spirit Beast Egg. Soon, some students had already disappeared upon activating the teleportation array.
When the other students saw this, they got more excited and soon everyone was rushing forward in a frenzy.
Sima You Yue was also forced to move forward and she was shoved and nudged and soon found herself close to the innermost array. This was also the fourth teleportation array which the teachers have repeatedly stressed that no one was to go to. Everyone also felt that there were no Spirit Beast Eggs inside so they also did not go near it.
That teleportation was not lit up and had been closed, however when Sima You Yue gave a casual glance at it, she thought she saw two faint flashes of light.
“Come …come…”
Sima You Yue heard that voice calling again and she froze. At this moment, she felt someone push her from behind and before she knew it, she was already standing above the fourth teleportation array.
At this time, the teleportation array emitted a dazzling red light. Sima You Yue quickly turned her body around and she was surprised to see He Qiu Zhi looking at her with eyes filled with hatred and grinning maliciously.
“You…!’ before she had the chance to say anything else. She disappeared into the red light.
One of the teachers who was nearby was shocked when he saw a red light flash and he shouted out in a panic: “Who! Who was it that entered the fourth teleportation array?!”
There were only around half the initial number of students who had yet to enter the teleportation array and they looked at each other with a puzzled expression on, wondering what was wrong with the teacher.
“Teacher, I think it was Sima You Yue from the elite class that entered it.” Someone said.
“Sima You Yue? Oh, alright, continue on.” said the teacher.
Since it was that waste, then there was nothing to worry about.
In order to prevent a similar occurrence, all the students began to enter the teleportation array in an orderly manner.
Feng Zhi Xing had been outside the cave all this while but when he saw the flash of red light, he had a bad premonition.
He entered the cave and immediately asked: “Who was it that activated the fourth teleportation array?”
“It’s your student, Sima You Yue.” One of the teachers answered, “Most probably, he was squeezed over during the chaos just now.”
“What?!” Feng Zhi Xing’s heart missed two beats, asked: “Isn’t inside…”
“Master Feng, once that student enters and realize that there are no Spirit Beast Eggs, he will come out very soon. There’s no need to be so anxious. Anyway there’s nothing you can do at this point, no need to be so worried.”
“Yes, although the Academy hasn’t opened the fourth teleportation array, it shouldn’t have any problems.”
No problems? How can it be?
Yesterday, the old principal had told him that the students who had entered before came back all delirious and meridians were destroyed, their whole future ended just like that. You call this no problem?
In fact, the old principal didn’t mention that some of those students who had entered, had never made it out.
“Master Feng, you are a new teacher, so you do not understand this. We have been here for so many years, these matters we’re most clear about it, there’s absolutely no problems.” Another teacher added. “Those stories about those students that entered before were just rumours, your student will be fine.”
“No, I have to go in.” All the comforting words the other teachers gave him were simply brushed off as he rushed straight to the fourth teleportation array. However, no matter how much Spiritual Qi he put in, the teleportation didn’t activate. There wasn’t the slightest reaction from the array.
By this time, almost all the students had entered the three teleportation arrays. When the teachers saw Feng Zhi Xing rush to the fourth teleportation array, they were all shocked silly, but calmed down once they saw that it didn’t activate.
“Master Feng, this teleportation array is very mysterious, not everyone can use it. You’re better off just waiting here.”
He stepped out and looked at the teleportation array for a moment more before turning back and he headed straight to the principal’s office.
Although this teleportation array look similar to the others, if one looked at it carefully, there were some differences. Maybe the principal had a way on entering it.
However, the principal’s answer shattered all his hope.
“That teleportation array has been there since the beginning of our Imperial Academy. It was initially a forbidden area that was cordoned off, only after they started with the Spirit Beast Egg selections, only then were the three other teleportation arrays added in. That particular teleportation array only activates when it recognizes that person.
“It? What do you mean?”
“I myself do not know, these were all handed down from my predecessors. There were no other explanations, other than the dead egg, there are other things in there which is why the students that have entered before all came back that way.” The principal sighed.
“Is there no other way to enter?” Feng Zhi Xing slammed both his fists down on the table as he asked anxiously.
The principal could only shake his head helplessly. When he saw this, Feng Zhi Xing fell back to his chair and slumped back in stupor.
The principal was perplexed as he looked at Feng Zhi Xing’s reaction. Since when did this guy ever show such an expression? His impression of Feng Zhi Xing was that he was cold,detached and had no emotions like a normal person.
“I will wait there.” Afterwhich, he turned and left.
When he was went back, many students had already selected their Spirit Beast Eggs and were excitedly holding onto their eggs.
He fixated his eyes worriedly over the fourth teleportation array and kept repeating to himself: “You You, you have to come out safely”
***********
Sima You Yue felt her surroundings disappear and felt light headed and her mind go blank. Before she could gather her thoughts, she felt her body land softly on the ground.
“Urghh! Damn it!” She got up and dusted herself as she surveyed her surroundings. Luckily she had landed on a thick bed of leaves that cushioned her fall.
“Damn it, dare to scheme against me?! Hmph! You better not let me find you or else!” She swore in the air angrily.
She swept away all the grass and leaves that were stuck on her and looked around the thick foliage that surrounded her. Didn’t they say that they would be sent to select the Spirit Beast Eggs, why had she appeared in a forest instead?
