[Vol. 6] Chapter 187: Yu Dan'er
To prove she was truly skilled in both combat and intellect, the priestess decided to visit the [Literature/Skills] registration area first. She wanted to see if there were any interesting events before making her decision. Since she was already planning to participate in the [Martial Arts] competition, which she considered her safety net, there was no pressure. If she failed in [Literature/Skills], so be it. She wouldn’t mind.
Xiao Kong and Murong Yun went off to the [Martial Arts] area to line up, leaving Violet and Hen to head toward the [Literature/Skills] section together. They strolled side by side, moving slowly toward the registration point Violet had chosen, all while casually observing their surroundings.
“By the way, Hen. With your status, do you really need to join this ceremony? Once the Immortal Island opens, you could get in just by making a formal request. After all, your identity makes you a thorn in some people’s sides. Showing yourself in public like this is pretty risky, isn’t it?”
The silver-haired girl fell silent for a moment, then gave a small nod.
“You’re right. If I were to formally apply under my title as the Western Origin Spirit Maiden, I’d undoubtedly secure a spot on the island. But that wouldn’t reflect my own efforts. It would have nothing to do with me as an individual. I want to rely on my own strength to ascend the island, to be with all of you, rather than remain as some distant observer.”
The priestess tilted her head curiously, meeting the silver-haired girl’s slightly complex gaze.
“Can I interpret this as you being a little… stubborn? I never expected you to make such an irrational choice.”
“People change. Do you think it’s a bad decision, Violet?”
“Not at all! It’s great,” Violet replied with a laugh. “You’re a living, breathing person, not some machine or puppet that blindly follows pre-written commands. Letting yourself go and being a little willful every now and then is perfectly fine.”
“...Is that so?”
The fleeting complexity in the silver-haired girl’s eyes vanished as quickly as it appeared. She didn’t delve further into the topic and simply fell silent again.
Sensing her companion’s heavy thoughts, Violet skillfully changed the subject.
“Hey, look over there! A bunch of families are gathered around something. My fun radar is going off! Let’s check it out!”
Without giving the silver-haired girl a chance to protest, Violet grabbed her by the hand and ran toward the commotion. Before long, the two arrived at an area near one of the registration points, where a crowd of onlookers had gathered so tightly it was impossible to see what was happening inside.
The priestess tiptoed, pushed, and even jumped a bit to get through the crowd. After much effort, she finally managed to squeeze into the inner circle and get a clear view of the situation.
It turned out that a participant was loudly arguing with the staff at the registration desk, seemingly over some sort of conflict.
"Why are you saying I’m wrong?! My answer was clearly correct! You’re just picking on me on purpose!"
The speaker was a striking young woman, seemingly around 20 years old, with the distinct features typical of someone from the Eastern Kingdom. She wore an elegant dress made from fine silk and adorned her hair with a gold hairpin, exuding the refined air of a noblewoman. However, her temperament seemed quite fiery.
Her outburst was disrupting the normal registration process, and the staff member dealing with her appeared helpless but tried to respond politely.
"Miss… the answer you provided was indeed far off from the standard solution. It’s essentially nonsense. By the rules, this means you do not meet the qualifications. Please don’t make things difficult for me."
"Ridiculous! You’re the one who doesn’t know anything! If you want me to leave… fine, but you’d better refund my registration fee!"
"Miss… failed registrations are non-refundable. That’s a rule set by the [Eastern Origin Holy Sect]. I hope you can understand…"
"What’s that supposed to mean? Are you trying to intimidate me with the [Eastern Origin Holy Sect]’s name?!"
Watching the wealthy-looking young woman quarrel with the staff, Violet raised her head to glance at the nearby sign bearing the words [Geographical Spiritual Veins]. Her eyebrows lifted slightly.
'Huh. What a coincidence. I was heading here anyway, and now there’s a show to watch. Maybe I’ll register for this category. It seems fun.'
Although Violet seemed intrigued, registering for the [Four Saints' Immortal Selection Ceremony] wasn’t completely without barriers.
The "barriers" didn’t refer to social status but to personal financial resources and abilities. Hosting such a grand event required substantial funding, manpower, and resources. While the Immortal Island allowed participation from anyone within the [Ancient Spirit Realm], and even outsiders, a fixed registration fee was required, along with passing an initial screening.
Violet wasn’t entirely sure how things were handled on the [Martial Arts] side, but in the [Literature/Skills] categories, the preliminary screening seemed to consist of beginner-level questions related to the chosen field. This ensured participants weren’t entirely unqualified. As long as applicants answered a certain percentage of questions correctly, they could successfully register. The threshold wasn’t particularly high.
Of course, money wasn’t an absolute requirement. Considering some talented but financially struggling scholars, those who displayed exceptional ability during registration could have their fees waived.
On the flip side, if someone answered too many questions incorrectly, no amount of money could secure their spot. In fact, the registration fee would still be withheld. After all, they couldn’t allow people to waste the staff’s time for free.
Clearly, this young woman fell into the latter category.
"Miss, let me emphasize again. These are the rules. I’m just doing my job fairly. If you continue to cause trouble, I’ll have no choice but to call the [Eastern Origin Guard] to maintain order."
"Oh? Go ahead, call them! Bring them over! I refuse to believe there’s nowhere to get justice around here!"
As the crowd whispered among themselves, and the staff began preparing to call the guards to remove the troublemaker, a figure dressed in white suddenly stepped forward, inserting herself into the situation.
The staff members exchanged glances, surprised by the unexpected arrival. The young woman in charge of the desk glanced curiously at the white-robed girl who had approached.
"Miss, and who might you be? If you’re here to register, please queue up first. Rules apply to everyone, no exceptions."
Violet thought, 'This guy… what a rigid personality. No wonder he got into an argument with that girl. Why would the [Eastern Origin Holy Sect] assign someone like this to handle registrations?'
Violet had no intention of wasting words explaining herself. To be honest, she couldn’t even come up with a good excuse on the spot. Instead, she raised her voice slightly and put on a serious expression.
"Let me see it."
"Uh… well, okay."
The staff were ordinary people and couldn’t withstand the innate pressure emanating from Violet, even if it was just a faint aura from her deity race. Their faces turned pale, and almost instinctively, they nodded in agreement.
The lead staff member, a young man in a uniform, scrambled to retrieve a document from the top of the stack on the desk. With a mix of nervousness and respect, he held it out with both hands.
"Th-this is her test paper. Please have a look…"
Violet nodded, quickly taking the sheet before the staff could regain their composure. She glanced at it for a moment, scanning the contents.
As expected, the test paper contained pre-prepared questions related to [Geographical Spiritual Veins], covering basic knowledge of spiritual veins, seasonal changes, elementary methods of observation and management, as well as basic disaster prevention techniques. The difficulty was indeed at an introductory level.
While glancing through the paper, Violet’s eyes landed on the basic registration details written at the top by the young woman.
“Yu Dan'er, 19 years old, from Yide County, [Eastern Origin Mysterious Kingdom].”
“Yide County…”
If Violet remembered correctly, Yide County was located in the far eastern region of Eastern Kingdom. While it wasn’t directly by the sea, it was remote and isolated, with extremely limited access to the outside world. It was practically cut off from civilization.
There was even a rumor that the ancestors of this region had used the terrain to escape the slaughter during the ancient demon chaos, preserving relics from a past civilization.
However, these claims were unsubstantiated. Many who went there to investigate returned empty-handed, and some even lost their lives navigating the treacherous terrain. Over time, people stopped paying attention to the area. To most, Yide County was simply an unusually remote and unremarkable place.
As these thoughts crossed her mind, Violet shifted her gaze to the answers written by Yu Dan'er herself.
It didn’t take long for Violet to tilt her head slightly in surprise. She glanced at the young woman, who was now frowning and studying her in return.
"Where did you learn this information?"
"Who do you think you are, acting so cocky... If I answer your question, will you let me pass the registration?"
Though the other party's attitude was far from friendly, the priestess simply smiled.
"Of course, you can pass the registration. Even though these temporary workers are just going through the motions and can't accurately assess the results, as long as this answer sheet ends up in the hands of anyone who has done in-depth research on spiritual veins, the [Eastern Origin Holy Sect] will immediately send someone to find you."
"A seemingly ordinary girl being able to write such an answer. Perhaps those legends about Yide County might actually be true~"