Reputation Precedes Arrival

Su Yu was working hard to cultivate, aiming to achieve his three goals.

At the same time, at Daxia Civilization Academy.

This was an incredibly vast academy, with pavilions and towers stretching out, encompassing commercial districts, residential areas, teaching zones, secret realm areas, exchange zones...

Each area was clearly divided, resembling a small city.

Admissions Office.

Bai Feng had just emerged from his seclusion. After more than a month, he stepped out of his home again to breathe in the fresh air.

Bai Feng ambled into the admissions office.

It wasn't the admissions season yet, but the place was already bustling. Soon, it would be time for recruitment assessments across various regions.

"Old Zhou, bend the rules a bit. That's my nephew. I'll take him in and train him myself! His grasp of the Myriad Races languages isn't bad, and he has talent in Divine Script. His willpower is also decent. Just give him a little special treatment then..."

"That won't do!"

A middle-aged man in the crowd shouted, "It won't do even if you train him yourself! If he can't pass the basic assessment, no one's nephew gets through!"

"Old Zhou, you're clearly trying to block me!"

"Cut the act. Tianfeng City has the records. Your nephew has been in a middle academy for five years and has mastered the three basic Myriad Races languages. You tell me he's not bad? Who are you trying to fool! If he has no talent, he'll just be a waste of resources here. If you're unwilling to let go, take him home yourself!"

"You!"

"What 'you'? What's wrong, you want to hit me?"

"I..."

"What 'I'? You, a junior researcher, want to challenge me, a mid-level researcher?"

"..."

The noise was deafening. Bai Feng shook his head. Within the entire Civilization Academy, this was probably the loudest place.

There were people trying to use connections, and people trying to recruit geniuses from various cities in advance.

This place truly required someone to keep order.

Bai Feng didn't join the commotion. He found a less crowded counter and waited for a while until it was his turn.

"Help me check Su Yu from Nanyuan Middle Academy. Have his recent records been updated."

Seeing Bai Feng, the young woman at the counter blushed slightly and quickly said, "Assistant Bai, I'll check for you right away."

Bai Feng smiled, but inwardly he thought, This girl is no good. I won't come to her for business next time!

Why call me Assistant Bai!

Can't they call me "Researcher Bai"?

"Su Yu, student in the pre-assessment class at Nanyuan Middle Academy. Passed 18 Myriad Races languages, Kaiyuan fifth level. Accumulated 21 merit points. Recommended by Instructor Liu Wenyan of Nanyuan. Comprehensive score: 300 points, below average."

"Below average?"

Bai Feng nodded slightly. This was the internal rating of Daxia Civilization Academy, based on recommendations from various cities. Below average wasn't good, but it wasn't too bad either.

"For this year's assessment, around 200 points should be enough, right?"

The girl quickly replied, "That's not certain yet, but based on previous years' records, 200 points should be about enough."

Mastering one Myriad Races language and passing the assessment was 10 points.

Kaiyuan first three levels, each level was 10 points.

Kaiyuan middle three levels, each level was 30 points.

Merit points, excluding rewards for Myriad Races languages, were awarded separately. 1 point counted as 10 points.

With Su Yu's comprehensive score of 300 points, admission wouldn't be difficult.

Of course, the students wouldn't be told this during the assessment. If a student made a mistake, they would be given a second chance to be assessed. This was the advantage of talents recommended by various cities; they didn't fear a single mistake.

Under normal circumstances, reaching Kaiyuan third level and mastering 17 Myriad Races languages guaranteed passing the assessment.

Some people who gained unexpected merit points had lower requirements, and could pass the assessment by mastering around 14 Myriad Races languages.

Or, reaching Kaiyuan fourth level and mastering 14 Myriad Races languages would allow them to pass.

Therefore, when Su Yu mastered 18 Myriad Races languages and reached Kaiyuan third level, he was almost guaranteed to pass without any issues.

In Nanyuan, Su Yu at that time was considered a genius for being able to pass the Civilization Academy's assessment. However, his rating at the Civilization Academy was then considered low, meaning that after enrollment, almost no researcher would take him as a student.

Now, below average, it was considered acceptable.

With good luck, an assistant researcher might take him on to help with tasks.

Bai Feng pondered for a moment and then said, "Assign Su Yu to me. I still have two student slots, right? Give him one."

"Ah?"

The girl exclaimed in surprise, doubting if she had heard correctly, and quickly said, "Assistant Bai, his comprehensive score is below average."

"Is there a problem?"

Bai Feng smiled. "Below average is also quite good. He was recommended by Nanyuan, and Instructor Liu Wenyan is my senior martial uncle. It's fine for me to take a student, isn't it?"

"No..."

The girl was a little anxious. Although the students with average to below-average scores were good for most people, it was too much of a waste of one of Bai Feng's student slots for him.

"Assistant Bai, before you get officially appointed, you only have a maximum of two student slots. Su Yu hasn't even enrolled yet, and his score is average to below-average, which means he'll be of limited help to you in your daily research..."

"Thank you, I know. The slot is for him."

Bai Feng still had a smile on his face. The girl in front of him was kind enough, but he didn't need her reminder.

"Then..."

The girl felt a bit regretful, but since it was Bai Feng taking on a student, she didn't say anything more.

Just as she was about to help him with the registration, someone next to her chuckled and said, "Bai Feng, you're taking on a student, but you're not choosing from the academy? And you're picking a newcomer? A newcomer is one thing, but one with an average to below-average score? What are you thinking?"

"This year, there are quite a few who reported scores of excellent, and even more who scored outstanding."

"When the assessments actually happen, even more might show up."

Bai Feng turned his head and frowned slightly.

He had planned to keep a low profile and leave after finishing his business, but this guy had to come and cause trouble again!

"Liu Hong, what business is it of yours if I take on a student?"

A young man about five or six meters away was looking at him with his arms crossed, a smile on his face. Upon hearing this, he chuckled, "It's none of my business, but... I do enjoy watching a good show!"

"If it's none of your business, then shut up!"

Bai Feng couldn't be bothered with him and turned to the girl, "Is the registration done?"

"It's done, Assistant Bai."

"Bai Feng!"

Seeing that Bai Feng was ignoring him, Liu Hong spoke up again, "Are you really going to take on a new student?"

"It has nothing to do with you!"

Bai Feng took a step to leave, but Liu Hong frowned and said, "It's true it has nothing to do with me, but Bai Feng, have you considered how many people will be unhappy when you take on this new student this year?"

Bai Feng looked at him with a frown.

"Last year, my brother wanted to join your tutelage, and you refused. Fine, if you kept refusing, or only took geniuses with outstanding evaluations, I wouldn't have any complaints. That would just mean my brother was useless."

"But this year, you're taking on someone with an average to below-average score. Bai Feng, tell me yourself, how will my brother react when he finds out? How will my family react?"

Bai Feng scoffed dismissively, "What's that got to do with me!"

"You're right, Bai Feng, it has nothing to do with you," Liu Hong said seriously. "I don't care. As for my family, whether they care or not, it's all the same. But it wasn't just my brother who wanted to join your tutelage before; there were many others."

"You even refused geniuses with outstanding evaluations."

"This year, you suddenly accept an average to below-average student. What do you think they'll think?"

"It's true it has nothing to do with you, but have you considered this? You're creating enemies for this new student. Others will think, 'Why did Bai Feng refuse us but accept a mediocre talent as a student? Are we not as good as him? Or what?'"

Bai Feng said coldly, "So what?"

"It's nothing. It's not a problem for you to take him. You still have one slot left. One person is too conspicuous. Why don't you take another one?"

"Your brother?"

"Not exactly. He's already joined Researcher Hu's tutelage. It's Wu Qi's sister. Her score is above average, which is quite good. You weren't interested in taking students before, so neither Wu Qi nor I approached you. Since you're willing to take students this year, taking one is the same as taking two. What do you think?"

"I think... get lost!"

Bai Feng said with obvious impatience, "What's wrong with above average! What's wrong with Wu Qi? Is her sister so great? I'll take whoever I want!"

"As for trouble... if you want to cause trouble, go ahead!"

"As long as you don't kill or cripple anyone, you can suppress them however you want!"

Bai Feng was unfazed, inwardly contemptuous. Suppress them?

If you have the ability, then go ahead and suppress them!

"Who I take as a student is none of your business! Get lost quickly, Liu Hong. Stop trying to get close to me, and stop pulling this stunt! I'm not just saying this to you, but also to Wu Qi and everyone else. If you want to take someone, go ahead and take them. If you keep eyeing my students, I won't be polite!"

Bai Feng's voice wasn't quiet. He had wanted to keep a low profile, but Liu Hong's disruption had drawn the attention of many people to him.

Bai Feng wasn't hesitant either. He announced loudly, "Who I take as a student is my freedom! Even if I take a cripple as a student, if he can get admitted, I'll dare to take him! What, you still want to dictate to me, Bai Feng?"

"Don't play those useless games with me!"

After Bai Feng finished speaking, he left. The hall fell silent for a moment, then people began to discuss in hushed tones.

"Bai Feng is taking on a student?"

"What is this guy thinking? He rejected so many people who approached him in the past two years. Why is he suddenly willing to take students this year?"

"I heard Liu Wenyan recommended him..."

"Liu Wenyan recommended people before, and he didn't seem to want to take anyone then."

"That's unclear, but... once this matter of Bai Feng's spreads, he's bound to have some trouble waiting for him. Many people are watching Elder Hong's side."

"It's not just Elder Hong's side; those few young talents are also watching Bai Feng. The competition for slots in three years... Bai Feng will definitely compete. And there's also the matter of researchers getting officially appointed, and the slots are limited. He'll compete for those too."

An old man chuckled, "What's this kid been up to lately? A lot of people are interested. You tell me, with him suddenly taking in students, how could people not pay attention? Plus, Elder Hong has a lot of his best stuff stored away. Who wouldn't be envious?"

"That's true."

Someone chuckled lowly, "But it's good, it'll be fun to watch. It's not good for the academy to be too quiet. Every ten years there's a cycle, and the competition for spots seven years ago caused quite a stir. I thought we'd have to wait at least another year or two for some excitement, but it looks like the show can start early."

"Great Xia Prefecture only has 20 spots in total. Our academy won't get many, maybe five or six. Bai Feng has strong competition, it just depends if he can hold on."

"He's already at Soaring Seven, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"Hard to say, who can be sure about these things? Besides, those few youngsters now are not to be trifled with. I think this year might be even more intense."

"..."

The crowd buzzed with discussion, but Bai Feng had already left the hall.

In the hall, Liu Hong watched him go, saying nothing. After a moment of thought, he went to a window and requested Su Yu's file.

A moment later, Liu Hong entered a small villa in the residential area.

"Wu Qi, Bai Feng is recruiting students this year."

In the living room, a young woman was sketching Divine Script with a pen. Without looking up, she said, "If he is, what does that have to do with me?"

"It's a student with a mid-to-low rating. I recommended your sister, but Bai Feng told me to... get lost."

Liu Hong said softly, "This guy is already at Soaring Seven. He's much more arrogant now than before."

"When is he not arrogant?"

Wu Qi remained calm, "He's only not been arrogant when he was beaten so badly he coughed up blood by that person from the War Academy a few years ago."

Speaking of that, Wu Qi smiled faintly, "I'm waiting to watch the show. In a few years, when he reaches Soaring Nine, he'll definitely go looking for trouble. It's best if that person doesn't break through to Lingyun too quickly, otherwise, there won't be much of a show."

Liu Hong hurried to say, "This isn't about watching a show now, it's about opportunity! Elder Hong is like a dragon that shows its head but not its tail. The research lab is still under Bai Feng's control. If we get under Bai Feng's wing, at the very least, the research lab alone will be enough for us to thrive."

"Hmm?"

Wu Qi looked up, her face like frost. She said coldly, "Get lost!"

"Wu Qi, you..."

"Get out!"

She snorted, a hint of disdain in her eyes, "I, Wu Qi, don't need these kinds of tactics. Bai Feng is no match for me. Whether it's the assessment for becoming a researcher this year, or the competition for spots three years from now, I... will definitely be there!"

"Liu Hong, don't entertain those little thoughts of yours, or you might regret it!"

Liu Hong clenched his fist and said in a deep voice, "If I truly wanted to scheme, I wouldn't have come to you! Competing for opportunities, for destiny, I don't care what others think or if they know. None of that matters!"

"The opportunity is right in front of me, and I'm fighting for it. That is my right!"

"Bai Feng controls Elder Hong's research institute. I want to fight for this opportunity. Even if Elder Hong finds out, he won't object, he'll only tacitly approve. If Bai Feng loses, it means I'm stronger than him, and that's irrefutable. Wu Qi, do you think this is base?"

Wu Qi looked up again, "You're right, it is your right. However... what does it have to do with me?"

"Don't you want your sister to have better resources and a brighter future?"

"Then I'll talk to Bai Feng myself. It's not your place to interfere."

"Talking to him is useless. He's stubborn. We can only force him to accept it grudgingly, and you can't do that alone."

Wu Qi scanned him. After a while, she said, "If you want me to lend you my strength, fine. Lend me your 'Strength' Divine Script for three months of research!"

"..."

Liu Hong almost gritted his teeth, "That's too much!"

"It's not too much. Otherwise... you can play by yourself. I have no interest in playing these low-level games with you. You're not even at Soaring Seven, so you're not qualified to participate."

Liu Hong took a deep breath and quickly made up his mind, "Fine!"

Wu Qi revealed a faint smile, "Tell me, how do you plan to do it?"

"Simple, reduce Bai Feng's authority!"

"Hmm?"

"If a student fails the monthly exam three times, and the academy's quarterly exam places last, and the annual exam is always behind, Bai Feng will lose 300 merit points in a year, and his authority will drop by one level! In three years, Bai Feng won't be eligible to register!"

"It won't take three years. After one year, I can apply for a position in Elder Hong's research institute. Because Bai Feng's authority won't be as high as mine, even if he's Elder Hong's student, Elder Hong's research institute was funded by the academy. No one will say anything if Bai Feng loses the institute himself."

"By then, he'll have to recruit new students to improve his authority rating, and they must be outstanding. If we do our work in advance, he'll have no choice but to accept whoever we send. If they're not good enough, he can only choose the outstanding ones. There's only one... or a few outstanding ones. What do you think he can do then?"

Liu Hong quickly added, "This is an open scheme, something Bai Feng brought upon himself. He also boasted, so we can do whatever we want. Since that's the case, I won't be polite!"

Wu Qi glanced at him and continued to sketch Divine Script. After a while, she said, "It's very crude, but the effect should be good. You want me to participate, are you trying to get me to block Bai Feng's retaliation?"

"Yes. That guy is very arrogant. If he really suffers a loss, he won't just sit by. I'm worried... he'll attack me directly and seriously injure me, forcing me to withdraw."

"That's something he would do."

Wu Qi smiled, "At least you know your limits and know you're not his match. If you ask me, you should give up. But if you insist on fighting, this is indeed an opportunity. He'll challenge you properly... How about this: he challenges you, and I challenge him. I'll injure him first, how about that?"

"Good!"

Liu Hong was overjoyed. This was exactly why he had sought out Wu Qi.

As for those stronger, they looked down on him, and those weaker lacked the qualifications.

There were also some from the Lingyun Shanhai Realm, who were all high-ranking officials and wouldn't meddle in their affairs; otherwise, Old Hong wouldn't be a pushover.

"Right, if that student Bai Feng fails the assessment repeatedly, he'll definitely recruit new students to balance the rating. If my sister joins his mentorship, she'll go all out to help him improve the score. This... I won't let my sister cheat deliberately; it would ruin her life!"

"Of course!"

Liu Hong chuckled, "The more outstanding your sister is, the better. The more outstanding she is, the more resources under Bai Feng will be tilted towards her. That's the rule. The other student will only get worse, further lowering Bai Feng's rating. Even if your sister can recover some of it, Bai Feng won't be able to prevent the penalty for the authority level downgrade."

Wu Qi nodded slightly, agreeing with his statement.

While the two were discussing, Bai Feng walked through the academy and suddenly laughed, "A few fools! Trying to lower my authority level?"

He hadn't heard them, but he had guessed what Liu Hong was planning.

"There'll be a good show then."

Bai Feng muttered, then shook his head. Su Yu's enrollment would probably cause some trouble, but... it was good.

How could one become talented without experiencing hardship!

If that kid wasn't suppressed, how would he understand that the Civilization Academy was full of talented individuals and that his arrival was nothing special.

"To sketch Divine Script in a day... I hope Liu Hong can help me suppress him properly. Otherwise, it won't be easy to handle this matter. Liu Hong, that idiot, won't be delivering himself as a head, will he?"

Bai Feng chuckled and shook his head; then it wouldn't be his concern.

"Wu Qi, Xia Yuwen..."

Muttering a few names, Bai Feng's mind was no longer on Liu Hong. This guy hadn't reached the seventh level of Soaring, so he couldn't be bothered with him. Those few were the real rivals.

Let alone that he was currently at the seventh level of Soaring, even when he was at the sixth level of Soaring, he hadn't paid attention to Liu Hong. That guy was clearly no match for him.

"Su Yu!"

Finally, Bai Feng uttered Su Yu's name and murmured, "Kid, you need to be reliable! It's best if you can suppress the students of those few guys, so I'll have a chance to be promoted early and lead a team as a researcher..."

As an assistant researcher, the limitations were still too many, and in many places, his authority was insufficient, preventing him from going at all.