Liu Mu Bai had long heard of Mu Yuan, the legendary figure who had not set foot on the path of cultivation for three years, had stirred up storms in the academy after being rejected while pursuing Hong Ling.
Sensing an oppressive gaze upon him, Mu Yuan raised an eyebrow and shifted his gaze from Liu Yang upward.
His eyes met that dazzling figure's.
Yet Mu Yuan did not show the fear that filled the other students' faces. His lazy calmness instead surprised Liu Mu Bai somewhat.
"It's only been a few days, and this kid's nerve has grown. But I don't understand where this trash got the confidence to fearlessly face Brother Mu Bai. Is it just because he's at the Sensing Realm?"
Tong Guan had come with Liu Mu Bai as well.
Hong Ling frowned. The two of them had shared years of friendship, and although she had begun keeping her distance from him, hearing others call Mu Yuan trash still grated on her ears.
She looked at Tong Guan.
"You have a prejudice against him?"
"Of course."
Tong Guan nodded without hiding it.
"I've always disliked how close you were with him. Hong Ling, you've already made a clean break with him. You should stay out of his affairs from now on."
Hong Ling's feelings were complicated, and she did not know how to respond.
Dong!
At that moment, a crisp bell chime suddenly rang out. The many students were instantly invigorated—the Academy Trial was finally about to begin.
Three figures sat upright at the northern end of the grounds. The man seated in the central position was an elderly man with grizzled white hair.
Looking at the spirited students below, he could not help but smile.
"Hehe, this Academy Trial is far livelier than the previous ones."
Yet his gaze seemed somewhat unfocused.
"Dean, this Academy Trial has quite a few highlights. What everyone is looking forward to most is the battle for first place among the lower-tier students."
Master Mo, seated on the far left, said with a smile.
"What's there to look forward to? Liu Yang possesses a spiritual vein and is already at the early Spiritual Movement Realm. Mu Chen may be good, but he still cannot shake Liu Yang's position as number one."
The stern man on the right curled his lip.
He was a mentor from the West Courtyard, so naturally he hoped the West Courtyard would achieve better results. That would reflect well on him too.
As for Mu Yuan's challenge, he naturally considered it a joke and did not take it seriously at all.
"Master Xi, underestimating someone who obtained a Spiritual Road qualification can cost you dearly."
Master Mo said calmly.
"One cannot cultivate spiritual energy within the Spiritual Road. If Mu Chen had passed the final trial and received the spiritual energy infusion, I naturally would not have said that. Unfortunately, Mu Chen was expelled from the Spiritual Road midway through."
Master Xi shook his head.
Master Mo frowned, feeling regret for Mu Chen.
If Mu Chen had successfully passed through the Spiritual Road and received its most precious reward, the spiritual energy infusion—
He would already have become the number one among the younger generation of the Northern Spiritual Academy.
Even someone like Liu Mu Bai could only rank beneath him.
A place in the Five Great Academies would surely have been delivered right into his hands. No one else would have been qualified to compete with him for it.
Watching the two argue, Dean Xiao merely smiled. He was clearly used to it.
His clouded eyes turned toward Mu Chen, seated among the East Courtyard students, and he gave a bitter smile.
"What a pity. I wonder what that brat did in the Spiritual Road. I heard he even alarmed the upper ranks of the Five Great Academies."
Both Master Mo and Master Xi were stunned.
They had clearly never expected Mu Chen to cause such a huge commotion in the Spiritual Road.
"How has that little fellow Mu Yuan been doing lately?"
Dean Xiao's gaze did not linger on Mu Chen for long before settling on Mu Yuan.
"Dean, why are you so concerned about that brat Mu Yuan? You've even protected him behind the scenes on several occasions."
Master Xi and Master Mo were both full of doubt.
"That little fellow..."
Dean Xiao stroked his beard, clearly unwilling to say more.
"All right."
Master Mo smiled helplessly and still told Dean Xiao about Mu Yuan's situation.
"He finally entered the Sensing Realm a few days ago. Many students are now looking forward to his performance today. He's also one of the major highlights of this Academy Trial."
Dean Xiao sighed with emotion.
"That little fellow finally entered the Sensing Realm. Being dean has truly not been easy for me. At last, I no longer have to bear that pressure."
In truth, no one knew that Dean Xiao of the Northern Spiritual Academy was Mu Yuan's loyal fan.
One important reason Mu Yuan had remained at the academy despite being unable to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for three years was that Dean Xiao had defied all objections to keep him there.
Why?
Because he had accidentally fallen into Mu Yuan's trap.
Back then, the stories of Battle Through the Heavens and Wu Dong Qian Kun had captivated Dean Xiao.
He stayed up reading by lamplight, obsessively following the stories day and night.
Then, just when the plot reached an exciting point, there was nothing left to read.
Dean Xiao remembered wanting to go to Mu Domain to demand the rest of the story from that little fellow.
But then he thought about it. As the dignified dean of the Northern Spiritual Academy, how could he lower himself over a mere story?
So he waited, and waited, until that little fellow finally came to study at the Northern Spiritual Academy.
Whenever Mu Yuan finished a new volume, he would be the first to go and read it.
"Being dean is really too hard."
Why else would he have stayed up reading by lamplight last night?
"That little fellow may seem easygoing and unrestrained, but he has a tiger in his heart."
"He has lain low at the Northern Spiritual Academy for three years and endured so many cold looks. With his temperament, after three years of silence, he is probably about to astonish everyone in a single burst."
A glint flashed through Dean Xiao's eyes.
"This time, first place among the lower-tier students may well exceed both of your expectations."
Hearing Dean Xiao mutter to himself, Master Mo and Master Xi were stunned.
Could something unexpected happen during today's Academy Trial?
Yet Dean Xiao was unwilling to reveal anything and was speaking in riddles again.
"The bell has rung. Announce the start of the Academy Trial!"
Dean Xiao immediately waved his hand.
Master Mo nodded, then rose to his feet. His gaze swept across the entire grounds as he spoke in a deep voice.
"The time has come. The Academy Trial begins. Students from the same academy may spar, but killing is forbidden. Remember that!"
"You already know the rules. Anyone who steps onto the stage has one chance to challenge an opponent, but only one. Therefore, know your limits and choose a suitable opponent."
His voice was like a great bell at that moment, shaking the air.
"Yes!"
All the students participating in the Academy Trial responded respectfully.
"Begin."
Dong!
As Master Mo's words fell, another resounding bell chime rang out, almost spreading through the entire Northern Spiritual Academy.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Figures leaped onto the arena one after another, followed by a constant stream of shouts.
"Liu Xiong, get down here! I've disliked the sight of you for a long time!"
"Chen Tong, you come out too! This time, I'll definitely settle the score from last time!"
"..."
These students had occasional conflicts in their daily lives.
However, compared with Mu Chen and the others, they were merely ordinary students.
The truly formidable figures had yet to appear.
Like Liu Che, who had provoked Mu Yuan before.
Although he was fairly talented, he was utterly ordinary when viewed across the entire Northern Spiritual Academy.
He had originally planned to challenge Mu Yuan, but who would have thought that Mu Yuan was no longer the same as before? He was no match for him at all.
He could only vent his anger on other students from the East Courtyard.
Unfortunately, his luck was poor. The student he chose was very strong.
His defeat was only a matter of time.
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