Xu Yi's heart, which had been aching, found some solace after learning the truth behind the exorbitant tuition fees.
She was not a purely good person, nor was she purely evil.
She could accept the fact that the spirit stones had been used for good deeds more readily than the thought of losing them without reason.
Wang Yao's answer received a round of applause from the entire hall.
Clearly, the youths were in full agreement with his response.
The second to stand was a young girl with a neat ponytail.
Her voice was clear and crisp, brimming with liveliness and vitality.
"The person I admire the most is Fairy Jinghong."
Caught off guard by the mention of Liu Jinghong's name, Xu Yi was stunned.
"Ah, Zhang Nannan said who I was going to say!"
"Exactly, I was also going to say Fairy Jinghong!"
"Fairy Jinghong is everyone's idol!"
"..."
The classroom erupted again at the mention of Fairy Jinghong's name.
Xu Yi once again felt the immense respect and adoration that cultivators of the Kyushu Continent held for Fairy Jinghong.
Unmoved by the general lamentations, Zhang Nannan continued, "Fairy Jinghong hails from Xuanji Gate, one of the five great sects. She reached the Core Formation stage at a hundred years old, the Nascent Soul stage at two hundred, and became a Tribulation Transcender by five hundred. By a thousand years old, she had already become a Mahayana Ancestor.
She not only developed numerous miraculous items that benefited the Kyushu Continent, such as the Transmission Disk and the Lightning Summoning Array, but also single-handedly maintained the stability of the Kyushu Continent, deterring the demon and fiend races from invading.
My dream is to become an outstanding female cultivator like Fairy Jinghong!"
Zhang Nannan delivered her final sentence with resounding conviction.
"Fairy Jinghong's good deeds extend far beyond this. It's rumored that Daoist Danzhai and Fairy Jinghong also had a personal relationship. Perhaps Fairy Jinghong played a part in the construction of Qiming Academy."
"That's right. I also heard that Fairy Jinghong once aided many cultivators who had been displaced due to the demon race. She is truly kind."
"Indeed, no wonder so many seniors on the Kyushu Continent favored Fairy Jinghong back then. She deserves it!"
"..."
The classroom transformed into a praise session for Fairy Jinghong, with endless accolades being showered upon her.
The instructor did not intervene; instead, he wore a smile, as if he would have joined the disciples in their praise if not for his position.
Xu Yi gazed blankly at the lively scene before her, her emotions a tangled mix of melancholy and complexity.
At times, she felt that the Liu Jinghong spoken of by these people was not the same person as the Liu Jinghong she had seen in her dreams.
Although her dreams had ceased upon her death, that was two hundred years in the future. For those two hundred years, her perspective had followed Liu Jinghong, witnessing her mercilessly eliminate any obstacle in her path.
Liu Jinghong possessed many virtues, such as a resolute will and decisive actions, but she also had undeniable flaws.
She was vindictive; if someone's actions displeased her even slightly, or if she perceived any slight, she would retaliate tenfold using all means at her disposal.
Xu Yi had witnessed numerous individuals who had crossed her meet their ends in various ways, either killed directly by her hand or by her countless admirers.
The fate Xu Yi met in her dream was not a coincidence, but an inevitability.
Because of this, upon waking from her dream, she had been desperate to escape Liu Jinghong and avoid any conflict with her.
However, she had not anticipated that by the time she emerged from the secret realm, Liu Jinghong would have already become a legendary figure sought after across the Kyushu Continent.
Liu Jinghong had performed many deeds that benefited the Kyushu Continent, and her past less-than-illustrious methods were all overshadowed by her later brilliance.
At times, Xu Yi even doubted herself, wondering if her dreams were false and if Liu Jinghong was truly pure-hearted and altruistic, acting solely for the sake of the Kyushu Continent.
And perhaps her dreams were merely malicious slander and conjecture about Liu Jinghong.
Xu Yi gently shook her head, suppressing the swirling thoughts deep within her heart. Liu Jinghong had already ascended, and they would no longer cross paths.
Whether Liu Jinghong was good or evil, righteous or wicked, had nothing to do with her.
She merely needed to be a diligent listener to everyone's praise.
"Xu Yi, who do you admire the most!"
Unbeknownst to her, a young boy noticed Xu Yi lost in thought and suddenly called out to her loudly. All eyes instantly turned to her.
Xu Yi looked up, meeting everyone's curious gazes. After a moment's thought, she softly replied, "The person I admire the most is True Lord Yuanming of Xuanji Gate."
Her master.
"Who is True Lord Yuanming? Why does he sound unfamiliar?"
"No, I've heard of him, but I can't recall."
"What are his outstanding achievements?"
The youths discussed amongst themselves, full of curiosity about this somewhat unfamiliar name.
"True Lord Yuanming once served as the sect leader of Xuanji Gate. He rescued an entire city of cultivators from the siege of ten Tribulation Transcending Great Demons. He also single-handedly infiltrated the demon lair, slaying a hundred demon generals. He led the disciples of Xuanji Gate in repelling the invasion of the demon and fiend armies, and he is one of the few ascension cultivators on the Kyushu Continent."
Xu Yi slowly recounted True Lord Yuanming's deeds, her gaze dimming.
She had not experienced these events herself, only finding records of them in the sect's archives.
Her master was both a teacher and a father figure to her.
She had been found by her master on a demon battlefield as an infant in swaddling clothes, and she had been raised by him.
At the time, she believed that if she could just evade Liu Jinghong, she would be safe. Therefore, she had forcefully left against her master's wishes. Their last meeting had been unpleasant and remained her only regret.
Fortunately, her master had not perished but had ascended to the Upper Realm. They would meet again someday, and she would kneel before him and beg for forgiveness.
"Ah, I remember now! True Lord Yuanming is Fairy Jinghong's master!"
"That's right, no wonder he sounded so familiar!"
"Ah, no wonder Fairy Jinghong is so outstanding. It turns out her master is also so formidable."
Hearing the boys' words, Xu Yi felt a pang of unhappiness.
Her master, the person she revered most, was regarded by the youths as merely an appendage related to Liu Jinghong.
When they mentioned True Lord Yuanming, their first thought wasn't of his life story, but that he was Liu Jinghong's master.
But Xu Yi also knew that she couldn't blame them.
Liu Jinghong's radiance was simply too blinding, casting a shadow over everyone in her presence.
Because of this interlude, Xu Yi lost interest in the subsequent answers from the other youths.
The boys, however, remained oblivious. Their eyes sparkled with bright light as they loudly shared their thoughts and aspirations, expressing their passionate and uninhibited emotions.
It was less about their praise for the seniors and ancestors and more about their ambition. They would strive to become like the figures they admired.
Xu Yi's melancholic mood was soothed by their impassioned voices.
She thought that if the youths could remain steadfast in their beliefs through any future difficulties, they might one day become the very people they admired today.