Within the Rules

When Lin Xiao's calm voice, devoid of any ripples, echoed clearly through the deathly silent mission hall, time itself seemed to freeze at that moment.

Everyone's actions, whether mocking or sneering, watching or disdainful, instantly solidified on their faces, forming a tableau of absurdity and comical expressions.

What... did they just hear?

After Zhao Wuji, the chief of Heaven Class Three and vice-president of the outer court's top power, the Heavenly Martial Society, had openly issued a threat and declared this mission "reserved," this unknown youngster from Yellow Class Nine actually... actually dared to openly apply to take on this mission in front of everyone?!

He... completely disregarded Zhao Wuji, completely disregarded the entire Heavenly Martial Society!

Madness!

This fellow named Lin Xiao was an absolute, unrepentant madman who courted death!

Following a brief, dead silence, the entire hall was instantly drowned out by a collective gasp of "hissing" sounds!

Everyone's gaze subconsciously shifted from Lin Xiao to the Heaven Class genius he had utterly ignored – Zhao Wuji.

As expected.

At this moment, Zhao Wuji's face, which had been wearing a smile of arrogance and mockery, had completely darkened, so dark it looked like it could drip water!

A killing intent, more terrifying and ferocious than ever before, erupted from within him, soaring towards the heavens!

The powerful pressure belonging to a mid-stage Body Refinement Seventh Level expert was no longer held back, sweeping towards Lin Xiao's back like a breached dam!

"You... brat!"

Each word, as if squeezed from between his teeth, was filled with endless menace and coldness.

"Did you... not hear what I just said?!"

Under this terrifying pressure, potent enough to crack stones, even the elder in charge of registration behind the counter couldn't help but groan, his face instantly turning pale.

However, Lin Xiao, who bore the brunt of this pressure, remained with his back to them, his posture as straight as a spear, without the slightest tremor!

It was as if the terrifying aura, capable of shattering the courage of countless people, was merely a gentle breeze brushing against his clothes.

He didn't turn around.

He didn't even spare a single extra glance for Zhao Wuji, who was already enraged like a maddened lion behind him.

His gaze remained calmly fixed on the elder behind the counter, whose expression flickered with shock and hesitation.

"Elder,"

He spoke calmly again.

"According to the academy's regulations, all missions in the mission hall operate on a 'first come, first served' principle. No person or force has the privilege to 'reserve' a mission."

"Currently, we from Yellow Class Nine are the first to formally submit an application to accept this mission."

"You simply need to register it for us according to the rules."

"As for certain people's 'verbal reservation' and... his current malicious act of using his influence to pressure fellow disciples within the mission hall, I believe that is not within your scope of consideration, is it?"

Lin Xiao's words were neither humble nor arrogant, reasoned and well-founded!

Each word was like the sharpest knife, fiercely piercing the arrogant faces of Zhao Wuji and the entire Heavenly Martial Society!

Furthermore, it tossed this difficult dilemma and everyone's gaze back onto the elder in charge.

A fine sheen of cold sweat instantly broke out on the elder's forehead.

He... he was truly at his wit's end!

By the rules, Lin Xiao was absolutely correct! The mission hall had always recognized jade tokens, not favors! Whoever registered first got the mission!

But in terms of strength, in terms of background, even if he had a hundred more guts, he wouldn't dare offend the behemoth that was the Heavenly Martial Society!

Who was Zhao Wuji? The chief of Heaven Class Three! And the Heavenly Martial Society behind him was a top force founded by the chief of Heaven Class One, that true number one of the outer court – Wu Tianxiong! Its strength had already permeated every aspect of the outer court, and even they, the elder registrars, had to show them some respect at times!

On one side stood the unshakeable rules of the academy.

On the other side stood a powerful force that absolutely could not be offended.

This... this was simply a life-or-death question!

"Brat! You're courting death!"

Just as the elder was caught in a dilemma, dripping with cold sweat, Zhao Wuji, who had been publicly contradicted and cornered by Lin Xiao, finally exploded!

He roared, no longer caring about the academy's rules. His right hand, already filled with surging spiritual energy, transformed into a claw burning with fierce flames, and he viciously swiped towards Lin Xiao's back!

"Blazing Sun Claw!"

This claw strike was powerful and swift as lightning! As the claw wind passed, the air itself let out a "hissing" sound of scorching!

He was genuinely intending to cripple Lin Xiao under everyone's watchful eyes!

"Stop!"

The elder's face turned ashen with horror upon seeing this, and he tried to intervene.

But it was already too late!

The moment the flaming claw was about to touch Lin Xiao's back.

Lin Xiao, who had been facing away from him, finally moved.

He didn't look back, nor did his footsteps falter even slightly.

Behind him, the twenty-nine members of Yellow Class Nine, who had been standing still like statues, simultaneously took a step forward with incredible coordination at this moment!

"Boom--!"

Twenty-nine streams of iron-blooded killing aura, which weren't particularly powerful individually but originated from the same source and were condensed into one, erupted at this instant!

They rapidly converged and merged in mid-air, ultimately transforming into a ferocious black wolf's head formed from pure killing intent and battle spirit!

"Awooo--!"

A silent, yet soul-shattering wolf howl exploded from the mouth of the black wolf's head!

The moment the Blazing Sun Claw, which was lunging towards them, came into contact with this ferocious wolf's head, it was as if it had met its nemesis. The raging flames attached to it were instantly extinguished by that cold, iron-blooded killing aura!

Following that, an unstoppable, terrifying impact force, filled with brute strength and dominance, emanated from the wolf's head!

"Bang!"

A dull thud!

Zhao Wuji felt as if he hadn't grabbed onto a person, but had instead violently collided with a steel fortress built from mountains of corpses and seas of blood!

He was actually forced back a full three steps by that terrifying combined force!

Each step left a deep, shocking footprint on the hard bluestone floor of the Mission Hall!

When he finally managed to steady himself, he felt a tingling numbness in his right arm, the one he had used to attack, and his internal Blood Essence churned incessantly!

He... he, the chief disciple of Heaven Class Three, a dignified cultivator at the mid-stage of Body Refinement Seventh Level, was... was actually forced back by a group of Yellow Class trash whose average cultivation was not even below Body Refinement Fifth Level?!

This... how is this possible?!

Dead silence.

The entire Mission Hall fell into a deathly quiet once more.

If Lin Xiao's earlier arrogance had only shocked and bewildered everyone.

Then the terrifying, army-like combined attack power displayed by the twenty-nine students of Yellow Class Nine at this moment stirred a storm of "awe" in everyone's hearts!

...Were they... were they really the legendary Yellow Class Nine, composed of a bunch of trash?!

That iron-blooded killing aura that had almost condensed into a tangible form!

That coordination, devoid of any hesitation, as if it had been practiced thousands of times!

And those twenty-nine pairs of eyes, now fixed on Zhao Wuji, cold and devoid of any emotion, like those of wolves!

All of this completely overturned the understanding of everyone present!

Even the elder supervising the hall, looking at this team that seemed to have instantly transformed from sheep into wolves, had his cloudy old eyes filled with disbelief and shock!

"You... you guys..."

Zhao Wuji's face turned pale and then flushed. He pointed at the twenty-nine stern faces behind Lin Xiao, trembling with anger, unable to utter a single word.

Humiliation!

This was the greatest humiliation he had suffered since entering Cloud Creek Academy!

"Senior Zhao."

Just then, Lin Xiao finally turned around slowly.

He calmly gazed at the furious genius of Heaven Class Three, a cold curve forming on his lips.

"Do you still think we are trash now?"

"You...!" Zhao Wuji was so choked he almost couldn't catch his breath.

"According to the academy's rules, openly attacking a fellow disciple within the Mission Hall is a serious offense. At best, it results in the forfeiture of cultivation and expulsion from the academy; at worst, it leads to immediate execution as a warning to others."

Lin Xiao's tone remained calm, but each word pressed down on Zhao Wuji's heart like the heaviest of mountains.

"If my companions hadn't reacted quickly just now, I, Lin Xiao, might already be a cripple."

"So, Elder."

Lin Xiao slowly turned his gaze back to the elder behind the counter, who was already stunned into silence.

"How does the academy intend to handle this matter?"

It's over.

When Lin Xiao's question, filled with "killing intent," was spoken, the supervising elder's heart was filled with only these two words.

He knew the feud was set today!

On one side was the "Heavenly Martial Society," whom they couldn't afford to offend.

On the other side was a "dragon crossing the river" whose own strength was unfathomable, whose background was mysterious, and whose subordinates were leading a pack of "evil wolves"!

Of two evils, choose the lesser!

In an instant, the elder steward made up his mind!

Rules are rigid!

But people are flexible!

He slammed the table, his face a mask of righteous indignation, and pointed at Zhao Wuji, whose expression had already changed drastically. He roared, "Zhao Wuji! How dare you! You dare to commit violence in the mission hall! Do you... do you still have any respect for the academy's rules?! Do you still have any respect for me, the elder steward?!"

This sudden reprimand completely stunned Zhao Wuji and the followers from Heaven Class Three behind him.

They never dreamed that this old guy, who usually turned a blind eye to their "Heavenly Martial Society," would... have a screw loose today?!

"You..." Zhao Wuji, both shocked and enraged, was about to retort.

But the elder steward didn't give him a chance to speak!

He walked out from behind the counter and quickly approached Lin Xiao, his face instantly breaking into a cordial smile like a blooming chrysanthemum.

"Student Lin Xiao, you... you must have been frightened. Don't worry, I will definitely report this matter to the Disciplinary Hall and give you and Yellow Class Nine a satisfactory explanation!"

With that, he turned back to Zhao Wuji, his face hardening again as he continued to scold, "As for you! Get out of the mission hall with your people immediately! Otherwise, don't blame me for taking you down myself!"

This smooth, almost theatrical display of changing faces stunned everyone present.

Zhao Wuji was so angry he felt like his lungs would explode!

He clenched his fists tightly, his bloodshot eyes glaring at Lin Xiao with intense malice.

His gaze seemed to say: Kid, you just wait!

In the end, he chose to swallow his pride.

After all, he was in the wrong. If this matter were to escalate to the Disciplinary Hall today, even with the backing of the "Heavenly Martial Society," they would likely suffer significant repercussions!

"Let's go!"

He gritted out three words through clenched teeth, then, with his equally crestfallen followers, he left the mission hall in a sorry state under the gaze of everyone present, filled with schadenfreude and amusement.

A top-tier conflict that could have ignited the entire outer court ended in such a dramatic and unexpected way.

And from beginning to end, Lin Xiao hadn't even bothered to look directly at the arrogant Zhao Wuji.

"Cough cough..."

After Zhao Wuji was driven away, the elder steward cleared his throat and returned behind the counter.

He looked at Lin Xiao, and the disdain in his eyes was gone, replaced by a deep sense of apprehension.

"Student Lin Xiao, regarding your application to accept the 'Clear Black Wind Mountain Range' mission..." he paused, then couldn't help but say in a cautionary tone, "I still have to remind you that this mission is not trivial. Its danger level far exceeds your imagination. Do you... really not want to reconsider?"

"No need."

Lin Xiao's answer was still as crisp and decisive as ever.

"We have made up our minds."

Seeing Lin Xiao's unwavering gaze and the twenty-nine determined and battle-ready eyes behind him, the elder steward finally sighed deeply.

He knew he couldn't persuade these lunatics any further.

"Very well."

He no longer hesitated, picked up Lin Xiao's jade token, and quickly operated the light screen in front of him.

"Beep!"

A soft chime.

The blood-red mission, which had been hanging at the very top of the B-grade mission area for three months and was considered a "taboo" by everyone, finally dimmed.

It was replaced by a brand new, gilded text that made everyone's heart skip a beat.

[Mission Accepted]

[Team: Yellow Class Nine]

The moment this line appeared on the mission hall's light wall.

The entire outer court fell completely silent.

Then, a deafening uproar erupted, enough to blow the roof off Cloud Creek Academy!

Lin Xiao ignored the tsunami of discussion erupting behind him.

He calmly retrieved his jade token and bowed slightly to the elder steward.

"Thank you, Elder."

With that, he turned around and calmly issued an order to his companions, who were already filled with burning passion and soaring battle spirit.

"Target: Black Wind Mountain Range."

"Depart."

"Yes!"

Twenty-nine unified roars deafened the ears!

Immediately after, under the complex gazes of hundreds, even thousands, in the entire Mission Hall filled with shock, confusion, fervor, and pity.

This team, composed of a group of youths who, not long ago, were all regarded as "trash."

Was like a black, sharp sword that had finally broken free of all restraints, ready to taste blood.

They strode proudly out of the Mission Hall.