Academy Grand Competition, Begins!

"Hiss..."

When Ling Mu placed a large box of pills in front of Hao Meng, the young master of the Hao family, who had experienced great ups and downs in life, couldn't help but gasp.

"Ling... junior, are these all for me? How much do they cost? I've never seen so many pills."

In Hao Meng's eyes, this box of pills emitting a faint glow brought him immense shock. Even though he was born into the well-established Hao family, he had never seen such a quantity and quality of pills. Even his father might not have been able to produce them all at once.

And this unbelievable scene had become a reality in just one month, with the miracle-maker being the famous prodigal son of Qinglan City standing before him.

"Senior, these are Golden Crow Qi Replenishing Pills. I think they're very suitable for you to replenish Blood Essence during battles. And these Nine Bends Spirit Ginseng Pills can temporarily enhance your vital energy flow. And these..."

Ling Mu introduced the pills in the box to Hao Meng as if he were counting his own treasures. Although he was mostly reciting what Xiao Yu had explained to him earlier, to Hao Meng, every word and sentence conveyed the sincerity of brothers.

After introducing the pills, Ling Mu didn't stop and took out three black boxes, opening them one by one. Instantly, brilliant multicolored light filled the room. These were the three magical weapons Ling Mu had redeemed from the Simulation System store.

Whether it was the crystal-clear White Tiger Glazed Gauntlets, the Madman Armor enveloped in a faint purple glow, or the most mysterious Quicksilver Belt, they all emanated waves of energy.

"Junior Ling, are these the magical weapons you mentioned? Such powerful auras! Even the ambient vital energy in the room has become restless. How did you obtain all of this?"

Hao Meng, after all, came from a thousand-year-old aristocratic family. He could tell at a glance that the three magical weapons before him were extraordinary. Just this pair of gauntlets made him feel a palpitation, a feeling he had never experienced even when facing his father's ancestral gauntlets. Mind you, the Hao Family Patriarch used a genuine immortal artifact of the lower Yellow grade.

As for the purple armor and the belt, whose nature he didn't even know, they were even more unfathomable, completely beyond his comprehension. Such weapons and magical artifacts could absolutely not be bought with money. Even a lower-grade Yellow-tier immortal artifact was something only outstanding outer disciples of immortal cultivation sects could possess, not something mortals could easily covet.

"Senior, don't worry. These magical weapons are all fine. I asked my master to purchase them for me."

Ling Mu pretended to be conflicted, pondered for a moment, and then said to Hao Meng.

"Your master? I've never heard you mention having a master."

"Senior must also know that I gave up cultivation for the past ten years. I won't go into the reasons, but a few months ago, I happened to meet a reclusive expert who was traveling to Qinglan City. For some reason, this enlightened master insisted on taking me as a disciple, saying we had a master-disciple fate. After my master's guidance, I resumed cultivation and gained my current strength. Even I find it incredible when I think about it, like a dream."

Ling Mu's earnest fabrication perfectly explained his transmigration with the appearance of a mysterious master. The changes he would undergo in ten years would eventually arouse suspicion. This was the perfect opportunity to use Hao Meng as a stepping stone.

"So that's how it is. No wonder I felt that junior's talent and demeanor were so different from the rumors. Since this expert could guide junior onto the immortal path, he must be a senior of immense power. It's truly fortunate that junior could become his disciple."

Hao Meng's words rendered the elaborate story Ling Mu had prepared in his mind useless. This Senior Hao accepted Ling Mu's tale without any hesitation. This trust and sincerity made Ling Mu feel a pang of guilt, but the Simulation System was too important. Unless absolutely necessary, Ling Mu would never reveal it to anyone.

"Junior, I, Hao Meng, won't say anything else. I acknowledge your kindness. From now on, if you ever need this big brother for anything, just say the word, and I'll descend into the abyss for you, and I'll brave mountains of knives and seas of fire."

Faced with such valuable pills and magical weapons, Hao Meng knew that vulgar pleasantries would be an insult to Ling Mu's friendship. True brothers kept everything in their hearts.

The night was deep. In the sky, two bright stars, unnoticed by anyone, slowly converged, echoing each other.

July 15th, auspicious for renewal.

The biannual Qinglan Academy Grand Competition, a major event in the city, naturally attracted countless gazes. Spectators came not only from Qinglan City itself but also from various forces in nearby regions, all attending to discover a promising talent or two.

The martial arts arena was already packed with people, but most spectators could only sit far away on the periphery. The towering grandstands to the east, near the inner arena, were reserved for the academy's high-ranking officials and major aristocratic families.

"Look, it's the Hao Family Patriarch, a peak Core Formation Realm expert. His Dragon Tiger Fighting Saint Fist is masterful, and his combat power is immense."

"Is that Nangong Wuqing, the First Elder of the Nangong Family? He's actually out of seclusion. It seems the Nangong Family places great importance on Nangong Qi, as even the First Elder has come to watch a mere academy competition."

"And the beautiful Dean of Cangyun Academy? I heard she had a tumultuous past with Dean Ling Yubai of Qinglan Academy? Why is she here to observe as well?"

Discussions were happening everywhere among the crowd. After all, those seated on the stage were figures who could shake Qinglan City with a stomp. They were rarely seen in person, and their gathering today naturally provided ample topics of conversation.

Suddenly, a clear sword cry echoed through the air. Everyone looked up and saw three figures appear in the clouds. All three were clad in green daoist robes and were flying on swords. The elder leading them had a beard that reached his knees, his three thousand silver strands fluttering in the wind, exuding an immortal aura and the demeanor of a grandmaster.

Following closely behind the elder were two individuals, one carrying a long sword and the other holding a horsetail whisk. Both appeared to be in their early twenties, clearly the elder's disciples.

The three landed directly on the grandstand. The prominent figures of Qinglan City all rose, showing great respect.

"Elder Qin, why have you come?"

Mu Bai spoke first. As the host, he was acquainted with the visitor and was surprised by his sudden appearance.

"Brother Mu, I heard that your Qinglan Academy has produced many promising talents this year. On an impulse, I brought two disciples to observe and to select potential talents for our Xuantian Sword Sect who are suitable for Core Formation and joining our sect. Forgive my uninvited visit, Brother Mu, hahaha."

The elder's words immediately caused a stir throughout the entire venue. The Xuantian Sword Sect was a true immortal cultivation sect. It was rumored that their Sect Master had successfully opened the Immeasurable Sea and reached the Immeasurable Realm, making it one of the most prominent large sects within a radius of ten thousand miles. The elder who had arrived was named Qin Yu, an outer sect elder of the Xuantian Sword Sect, whose strength had also reached the Half-step Nascent Soul level.

"Elder Qin is too kind. It is the immortal destiny of our academy's students to be appreciated by the Xuantian Sword Sect. As a teacher of the academy, I am naturally delighted. Come, please sit."

Given that he was an elder from a powerful sect, Mu Bai dared not be negligent. He quickly arranged for the three to sit next to his own seat and instructed someone to brew a pot of good tea for Elder Qin.

"Brother Mu, I've long heard that your academy's Heaven Tier Class has several exceptionally talented individuals. At such a young age, they are already one step away from Core Formation. Your teaching ability is truly remarkable."

After taking a sip of tea, Elder Qin was clearly very satisfied and initiated further conversation with Mu Bai.

"Elder Qin flatters me. However, it is true that several students in this batch possess astonishing talent. The most outstanding among them are Liu Yu and Xiang Chu from the Heaven Tier Class, and Nangong Qi from the Earth Tier Class. They are all at the Half-step Core Formation stage and are not yet eighteen years old. It's a certainty that they will reach the Core Formation Realm before the age of twenty."

A smile spread across Mu Bai's face as he spoke of his academy's excellent students. In previous years, Qinglan Academy would typically produce one Core Formation Realm student annually. This year, they had produced three at once. Such achievements were enough to firmly suppress Cangyun Academy.

"Elder Qin, the Nangong Qi that Teacher Mu mentioned is precisely our Nangong Family's young master. Although he is in the Earth Tier Class, he has already reached Half-step Core Formation and only needs a slight opportunity to form his core."

Upon hearing Mu Bai mention his family's young master, the First Elder of the Nangong Family quickly chimed in. The Xuantian Sword Sect was powerful. If their young master could join them after graduation, it would greatly benefit the Nangong Family's development.

"Excellent, excellent. Today, I shall thoroughly appreciate the demeanor of your academy's geniuses, haha."

Although Elder Qin had come uninvited, he immediately became the center of attention. The ancestors of these aristocratic families had, more or less, all had predecessors who reached the Nascent Soul stage, surpassing Elder Qin in cultivation. Yet, they all treated him with deference, simply because they were impressed by his sect's powerful background.

In this vast Immortal Realm, sects remained the core, followed by empires, aristocratic families, and other forces. Even a powerful entity like the Cangyun Empire Imperial Family had to obey the Misty Cloud Sect. The sects' control over the secular world was evident.

Of course, there were also some reclusive families whose strength was equally formidable, not inferior to the sects. However, these families mostly remained hidden from the world, which is why the general populace widely believed that immortal cultivation sects were the true rulers of the Immortal Realm.

The social dynamics in the grandstands did not affect the students below. Ling Mu and Hao Meng stood at the very front of the Profound Tier Class team, with a vast number of Profound Tier Class students behind them.

To their left was the area for the Heaven Tier Class, consisting of only a dozen or so individuals. Leading them was a young girl in a green robe, standing with her hands behind her back. She had smoky eyebrows, autumn-like eyes, and plump red lips. A snow-white long sword hung at her waist, and a powerful aura emanated from her, subtly revealing her presence. She was none other than the current top student of the Heaven Tier Class, Liu Yu.

"You brat! I finally found you, die!"

Just as Ling Mu was carefully observing the senior students of the Heaven Tier Class, a sharp, angry shout came from the other side.