Original subtitles

ADAPTED FROM ZHU YAN BY CANG YUE

I, Zhu Yan,

am not someone you can summon

however you want.

You little brat…

Your Supreme Majesty.

Where did he hide me?

You'll be teaching

this batch of disciples.

If you've tasked me with that,

Your Supreme Majesty,

please don't interfere with my teaching.

Most importantly,

you can't harm any of them.

I'll listen to you.

This is such a strange place.

How did he hide me inside here?

I feel like

he has hidden me here like this before,

but I can't remember anything about that.

I sense something in this hall.

I wonder who casts a spell.

Perhaps it's the cicadas

or ants in the mountain

who engage in cultivation.

Or maybe it's Chong Ming's food.

If there's nothing else,

I'll proceed with my cultivation.

It turns out

that I'm inside his sleeve.

Ying'er.

I was too cautious

and caused you some misunderstandings.

I hope you don't mind it.

For the first disciple,

you should choose someone you like.

May I know

who do you prefer more

out of the four of them?

I just met them today and I don't know much about them.

I can't decide now.

It's fine.

Let's discuss it briefly.

Let's start with the princess of the Western Huang.

I did spend a short while

with the princess

inside Hundun.

She's daring and righteous,

but deep down,

she's foolish,

reckless, and mischievous.

She might need some time

before she can achieve something.

He's insulting me again.

Foolish, reckless, and mischievous.

He added "mischievous" this time.

What do you think

about Bai Xuelu of the White Clan?

Bai Xuelu

has a firm determination

inside her delicate look.

She has potential.

You have a bad taste.

I'll show you

what foolish, reckless,

and mischievous people do.

FOOLISH

RECKLESS

MISCHIEVOUS

I thought I was in paradise.

I couldn't help but dance.

Let go.

FOOLISH, RECKLESS, MISCHIEVOUS

What have I done wrong

to deserve such comments from you?

So I wrote it down to remind myself.

You can write so well.

Your handwriting is unique and has flair.

I believe you'll find them appealing as well.

Let me do you a favor.

Hey.

FOOLISH, RECKLESS, MISCHIEVOUS

Since you admit

that you're foolish, reckless, and mischievous

and wrote these by yourself,

take that as gospel that spurs you on.

Get out.

Preceptor.

I know you're generous.

Please remove these characters for me.

You should keep them

to prove that you're not

and these characters will disappear naturally.

I…

You…

Are you threatening me to stay?

I told you.

You can go down one month later

when the lesson ends.

You…

FOOLISH, RECKLESS, MISCHIEVOUS

Balsam shade?

I'm the peerless beau.

How could I ask for the shade from an underachiever like her?

No way.

I want to remind you

that the characters on your hands

won't disappear after one month.

If you can't meet the requirement raised by Preceptor,

you're leaving here with them one month later.

Seriously.

Why did he humiliate me

when he didn't allow me to leave?

Is he trying to make me feel embarrassed?

I won't let you have your way.

Isn't that Princess Zhu Yan?

What are you doing here?

What are you hiding?

What's this?

"Foolish, reckless, and mischievous."

Why did you write that on your hand?

I thought you would receive some kind of reward

from Preceptor this morning.

It turns out to be a punishment.

Craving words on faces is known as the facial tattoo penalty.

What about the ones on your hand?

Let me see.

These words describe you so well.

I have some good soap.

I'll send it to you.

Why? You sounded like this is something embarrassing.

We're not allowed to wear accessories here.

Isn't it unique to have prints on my hand?

Who knows if it will become a fashion tomorrow.

You have a unique behavior that stands out from others.

Interesting.

I've never seen someone

who enjoys flattering themselves like you do.

It's clearly a punishment,

yet you try to make it sound better.

It's nothing to be ashamed of.

You can seek this punishment from Preceptor too

and see if he bothers to guide you.

You…

I think we shouldn't disturb Preceptor.

We shall see him

during the lecture.

Thank you for lending me the scarf the other day

to cover my shoulders.

I've washed it myself

and had someone deliver it to your room.

Deliver it to his room?

This…

Stop it, please.

Zhu Yan.

Zhu Yan.

Why haven't you gotten up yet?

You're almost late.

Why is your hair wet?

It's already seven in the morning?

Why are the characters still there?

I gave you the soap, right? Didn't you wash it?

No worries. It's fine.

Maybe we'll expect something fun later.

All right.

Hurry up. Let's go now.

Preceptor has arrived.

CUNSI HALL, JIUYI MOUNTAIN

RECKLESS

- Greetings, Preceptor. - Greetings, Preceptor.

Greetings, Preceptor.

RECKLESS, MISCHIEVOUS

I didn't expect that from you.

You're so considerate.

We've been partners before.

I'll take the punishment with you.

Please take your seat.

Zhu Yan is late. Deduct one point.

Zhu Yan isn't ashamed of her mistake.

Deduct another point.

Instead of being shameful, Zhu Yan is proud of her behavior.

Deduct another point.

Zhu Yan's current ranking

is the last.

Preceptor.

Why do you ridicule me in this way?

Princess Zhu Yan.

This artifact is an automatic scoring system.

Not even Grand Preceptor can control it.

Why do you blame Preceptor?

That's right.

This scoring system

has been widely used in Ye City.

Haven't you seen it before?

I forgot about that.

Princess Zhu Yan comes from Western Huang.

It's a remote place,

so please don't blame her.

Both of you are right.

Western Huang is a remote place and lacks educational supplies.

Since the artifact is useful,

do you mind donating this

to 180 academies in Western Huang?

People there will surely appreciate

the favor extended by both White and Dark Clans.

Both princesses of White and Dark Clans

help to clear their peer's doubts

and they abide by the rules.

They're worthy of being the role model.

As a reward,

I grant each of you one point.

- Thank you, Preceptor. - Thank you, Preceptor.

Magic techniques are a form of art too,

so you should at least have a basic aesthetic taste.

Maybe I'm being paranoid.

Shi Ying will never

take an interest in Zhu Yan.

Greetings, Grand Preceptor.

- Greetings, Grand Preceptor. - Greetings, Grand Preceptor.

At ease.

Preceptor, please come over.

I'd like to have a word with you.

Yes, Your Supreme Majesty.

What's the matter, Your Supreme Majesty?

Have you heard of Magpie Branch?

Magpie Branch?

Are you referring

to the long-lost powerful toxic

of Azure Clan?

Exactly.

I received news

that Qing Gang brought Magpie Branch

into the mountain.

It's highly poisonous

with no taste or color.

No one has ever seen it,

except for those who drop dead

after seeing it.

This is why

Qing Gang could pass through

the strict search when entering Jiuyi Mountain.

During the assessment in Qianyue Peak,

you blamed me

for ordering two Grand Marshals to take action against him.

Now that he has already passed the assessment,

we have no right

to disqualify him from attending the lectures,

so he will stay in Jiuyi Mountain

for the time being.

I've observed Qing Gang

and I found that he's kind of single-minded.

However, he's upright.

He doesn't seem like someone who will kill me.

Never judge a book by its cover.

I want to remind you

that he's very likely to make a move against you in the coming month.

You ought to keep a close eye on him.

Yes.

There are four states.

Virtuous, saint, supreme, and real.

Those who attain the virtuous state can distinguish star signs,

and comprehend the principles of Yin and Yang.

Those in the saint state

integrate with the harmony of heaven and earth

and make peace with the Eight Worldly Sufferings.

As for those in the supreme state,

they can freely roam around the world

and boast extensive perception throughout the world.

Experts in the real state can control the changes in heaven and earth,

the laws of Yin and Yang

and the celestial movement.

They can alter the course of the world.

Throughout thousands of years,

the expert who attains the real state

is only Emperor Xingzun, Lang Gan.

Zhu Yan sleeps in class.

Deduct one point.

ZHU YAN

Another point is deducted.

Princess Zhu Yan, please stand up.

Do you think

my lecture is dull and unbearable to listen to?

I…

If I tell him that I don't understand a word,

they're going to mock that I'm lacking

because I'm from Western Huang.

It's fine for them to embarrass me,

but I can't bring disgrace to Western Huang.

I think

these theories aren't useful.

They're just some rigid teachings.

I want to learn

more advanced magic techniques.

Preceptor.

Do you want to learn magic techniques?

Very good.

Tell me.

What's the most powerful

magic technique in Jiuyi Mountain?

Does anyone know the answer?

Preceptor.

Celestial Assault

is the ultimate attack technique in Jiuyi Mountain.

Once Celestial Assault is launched, no lives remain.

Not even the divines or demons.

Celestial Assault is an attack technique,

but is the attack technique the most powerful magic technique?

What will happen

if Celestial Attack confronts

the most formidable defense technique?

So this answer is invalid.

Impressive. Well said, Princess Zhu Yan.

Now tell me.

What do you think is the most formidable defense technique?

Preceptor.

The ultimate defense technique in Jiuyi Mountain

is Sprawling Roots.

It can summon the earthly spiritual power

deep under the ground.

The person acts as the center

and stands on the ground

to absorb limitless energy

to resist attacks.

Bravo. Well said.

Still, everything she said is theory.

What if Celestial Assault

confronts Sprawling Roots?

If they can't defeat each other,

it means the most powerful magic technique doesn't exist.

So I'll conclude

that question posed by Preceptor is flawed.

She has a point.

The divine official

has explained

the question you asked,

but you were sleeping just now.

Experts in the real state can control

the changes of heaven and earth,

the laws of Yin and Yang…

- And the celestial movement. - And the celestial movement.

- They can alter the course of the world. - They can alter the course of the world.

We practitioners are tiny,

but we are determined to shake the world.

Thus, we have to learn to borrow external forces.

Everything in this world

is bound by rules.

The only thing that exists beyond the rules

is the ever-changing nature

and the flowing time.

Hence, the ultimate magic technique

is to borrow the power from the intangible time.

That's enough to alter the course of all things.

This point

has been clearly explained in

"The changes of celestial movement

and they can alter the course of the world."

You mentioned we could borrow the power from intangible time.

Does that mean we can control the time?

In other words,

Time-Reversing Spell does exist.

However,

I remember someone told me there's none.

Everything in this world has a boundary.

With the boundary,

we are born,

flowers and trees grow,

nature is created,

and so do all sentient beings

in the world.

Without the boundary,

the world

will be chaotic.

Life and death

are the highest boundary of all

that nothing can go beyond its rule.

This is stated in black and white in the magic technique scroll.

Had you listened carefully,

you wouldn't have said that.

If you can tell me the gist of magic technique,

I can easily acquire that

if I learn it diligently.

The divine official has taught

about the four states of practitioners.

In fact,

it's the intelligible way to learn

the operational principle of the entire world.

If you don't know about the way of heaven and earth

and the laws of Yin and Yang,

you can't understand it

even if I tell you the gist directly.

I…

Zhu Yan.

Do you admit your mistake?

I won't punish you.

All you need to do is

copy the introductory chapter of Yuanxu Scripture three times.

The introductory chapter is too long.

Send it to Cultivating Hall in three days.

How could I finish all these just in three days?

Thank you for reminding me.

You might as well skip your meal

to finish your work.

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER OF YUANXU SCRIPTURE

Zhu Yan.

You should take a break.

You've been copying that for half a day.

You skipped your breakfast earlier

and now the lunchtime is over.

Preceptor isn't here.

Why don't you eat something?

Forget it.

I can't let that person look down on me.

I must finish copying as soon as possible

before I can enjoy the food peacefully.

Princess Xueying.

General Qing.

Princess Zhu Yan.

I'd like to have a word with Princess Zhu Yan.

Princess Xueying, could you leave us, please?

Remember to eat.

Princess Zhu Yan.

I'd like to ask you a favor.

Are you going to Cultivating Hall tomorrow

to meet Preceptor?

Could you…

Could you help me to get a strand of his hair?

In return,

I'll help you with the copying.

Preceptor's hair?

It's said that Preceptor is a mage prodigy

and his hair can help us to improve our skills,

so I…

It's fine if you don't want to.

Forget what I said.

Hold on.

Will you help me?

If so, I'll do the copying right away.

You don't have to.

Just tell me what's the meaning of those characters

when put together.

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER OF YUANXU SCRIPTURE

Your Supreme Majesty, Princess Xuelu is here.

Greetings, Grand Preceptor.

Bai Xuelu,

your performance

has been excellent lately.

Thank you for your compliment.

Tell me.

What did your father

tell you

before you set out for Jiuyi Mountain?

Yes, Grand Preceptor.

My father asked me and my sister

to go back as soon as possible.

If he has said so,

why did you compete for the position of the first disciple?

I stay here

because my will is different from my father's.

I admire Preceptor very much

for his virtuous character and robust abilities.

I'm willing to follow him to cultivate.

Very well.

I appreciate your ambition as a woman.

This bamboo slip is the basic principle

of Jiuyi Mountain's magic techniques.

You may study it.

JIUYI YUJI TECHNIQUE ANNOTATION

Thank you, Grand Preceptor.

If you're grateful to me,

keep an eye

on the general from Azure Clan.

Do you mean Qing Gang?

As you command.

I'll report to you

on his slightest movement.

You may leave.

Finally, I've finished the copying.

Where's Lord Chong Ming?

He went up to the mountain to search for some fruits

to replicate the color of your balsam shade.

That's easy.

Why can't he ask me?

Chong Ming has his own dignity.

True.

He's an ancient divine bird.

How could he seek advice from a foolish, reckless,

and mischievous person like me?

GREEN

What are you doing?

Four wrong words and five phrases are missing.

They're related to the circulation of the microcosmic orbit.

You should revise more on this theory.

You can borrow the Explanation of 24 Meridians

in Pavilion of Books.

I thought you had no expectations of me.

Why did you review my work so meticulously?

I know why you dozed off during the lecture.

It's because you had no master to teach you these theories

from a young age

and you have no interest in them either.

You couldn't understand a word from the divine official.

You fell asleep because of boredom.

I asked you to copy the scriptures

to make up for your lack of knowledge

and I'll remark on your mistakes

so that you can learn from them.

How did you know I…

As the master,

I know the strengths and flaws of my disciples.

Including me?

Since you're my nominated disciple,

in the coming month,

I'll fulfill my duty as your master.

This is my principle.

I won't want to disappoint myself.

However,

it depends on yourself how you learn.

Could you help me to get a strand of his hair?

I was too focused on listening

that I almost forgot about Qing Gang's request.

Preceptor, you're serious in your word and deed.

All of us should learn from you.

Seeing that you work so hard

to correct my stuff,

I think

I should do something for you.

Maybe I can give you

a shoulder massage.

I get you.

You want me to use

the jade ruyi.

No.

Well, you want me to use the jade ruyi

- to massage your back. - No.

I know it.

You want me to take the jade ruyi and stand away from you

so that I can listen to your guidance clearly.

I said no.

Understood.

Since you ordered me not to stand away from you,

I'll come closer

and listen to your guidance.

What are you up to?

Can you bear to see me

being foolish, reckless, and mischievous

throughout my whole life?

Can't I have a chance

to get enlightened

and learn from wise minds?

You're serious about correcting my mistakes.

I want to do something to express my gratitude,

but you're so guarded against me.

Look at the mistakes you made in this bamboo slip.

They're the same as the last one.

You were just copying the scripture without truly understanding the meaning.

You need to read extensively

to compensate for the knowledge you've missed in the past.

Please make a reading list for me.

Come with me.

Me? Now?

Why?

Where are we going?

It's already noon.

Looks like you're taking me to eat something delicious.

If you intend to read,

I'll teach you a way to read.

Million Books Transmission

can speed up

your reading substantially.

Million Books Transmission?

What's that?

The most basic reading skill.

Kin of the Six Ministries have already acquired this

during the first month of schooling

in their own place.

They know that but I don't.

Well, I'll learn this.

I'm sure I'll get the hang of it

when I go down in a month.

Very good.

You should master it by nightfall.

But there's only six hours left.

I'll teach you.

Six hours are enough.

UPHOLDING VIRTUE

NAMED AS PREFECTURE AND COUNTY

WORLD

Receiving information through Million Books Transmission

only creates confusion in my mind,

lest I truly understand them.

Practitioners should improve

their seven sensations and five aggregates,

sensation, perception, mental activity, and consciousness

beyond ordinary levels.

Million Books Transmission

merely expands your hearing sense.

There are still many things to acquire

that go beyond the common perception of mortals.

I see.

Learn according

to the method I taught you.

If you can master it

and study up on the theoretical knowledge,

you can at least not fall asleep

during the lectures.

When you return to Extreme Wind City

one month later,

your trip can be a fruitful one.

However, if you can't persist,

the exit is over there.

All right. I'll learn.

It's a piece of cake.

Great.

I haven't been eating

a satisfying meal these days.

I'm looking forward to my dinner.

Preceptor, what delicious food have you prepared?

Sit.

Thank you, Preceptor.

It's bland though.

Preceptor,

are you using this soup to cook fish?

I don't eat meat.

If so,

have you prepared other ingredients?

There are many wild ginseng and mushroom in the mountain.

Please pardon me.

I have no clue about the new dish you're cooking.

Just this?

Rice with tea broth.

I didn't eat much in the morning.

This dish

isn't delicious enough.

I mean, it won't make me full.

This is the last dinner

served in Jiuyi Mountain.

I won't force you to eat this.

No, I want to eat.

Otherwise, I won't have anything to eat.

Have you mastered Million Books Transmission?

Your method is indeed incredible.

Don't try to butter me up.

What have you gained?

I just learned

that everything in this world

is maintained

through balance.

If we borrow strength from nature,

we must return to it.

If we borrow time,

we must return to it too.

The more powerful and trickier the magic techniques are,

the more damage they return to the practitioners.

If one blindly uses the skills without knowing the theory behind them,

they're very likely to suffer from the backfire,

let alone achieve mastery.

There was once a senior practitioner,

whose power was about to disperse,

forcefully launched Celestial Assault,

which led up to his soul being diminished into thin air.

A few days ago,

I have offended you in class.

Thank you for enlightening me.

As long as you learn from your mistakes.

The magic techniques of Kongsang are profound and immeasurable.

If you encounter anything you don't know,

you can ask me at any time.

Really?

As stated in Yunhuang Compendium,

there's a powerful Mind-Reading Spell

that can decipher the thoughts of the Kongsangs.

Do you know about this, Preceptor?

Does that mean

he can read my mind too?

I know your character,

so I won't use it on you.

"Mischievous."

Why are some words missing?

I know you're not inferior to others

and you can be good too,

so I'm willing to enlighten you.

Is this a reward for my hard work?

No, this is the reward.

Wonderful.

I have fish now.

This is mine.

Yummy. It's so yummy.

That's my reward.

Lord Chong Ming.

Since you only like to eat the fish head,

you can give me the fish meat.

No.

I can help you to search

for the pigments of the gold balsam shade.

But I took the fish first.

- Chong Ming. - Come on. You can't reach me.

You're a divine bird and you can catch any fish you want.

- Come on. - Stop right there.

You can't catch me.

Father said

our eyes emit blue light

when they sense the existence of God of Dragon.

No wonder I always get giddy recently.

Does it mean that God of Dragon

is around here?

I came here 200 years ago,

but I didn't sense anything like now.

Could it be that

the God of Dragon is about to awaken?

JIUYI HALL, EMPEROR VALLEY

EASTERN CREEK OF JIUYI

Is the place where God of Dragon rests

around Jiuyi Mountain?

Preceptor.

I have a gift for you.

Thank you for your tutelage.

This is my gift of being your disciple.

I just learned it from the books.

A stubborn stone can bow.

This is the first step.

You have already bowed to me

in the hall last time.

There's no need to do this again.

No, it's different.

Previously, I held grudges against you

and I wasn't convinced.

Today,

I must sincerely perform the bow to you

to show my sincerity.

You're just a nominated disciple.

You're leaving after one month.

Don't be so ceremonious.

Like you said when you were reviewing the bamboo slips,

"If I'm a master for a month,

I'll fulfill my duty for a month."

Likewise, I'm now your disciple for a month.

I shall serve you for a month.

Master,

please allow me

to comb your hair.

Comb my hair?

Hair-combing is a tradition

in the disciple ceremony.

Hadn't you imparted me

with Million Books Transmission,

I wouldn't have read about

the disciple ceremony and the speech

in the Four Virtues.

It's a tradition in the ancient past

and has already been abolished.

That's why I must do it

to show my sincerity.

Please, Master.

You owe me a wish, don't you?

Well, this is my wish now.