"Once we enter the Five Great Academies, we'll naturally get to experience it. Brother Yuan, let's go in."
Mu Chen smiled, then the group headed toward the most precious hall in the Northern Spiritual Academy.
After passing through the heavy gates guarded by sentries, the first thing they saw was a vast plaza.
Several stone pillars stood around the plaza, carved with intricate Spiritual Markings. As light flickered across them, they left behind magnificent trails that formed the veins of a Spirit Array Diagram.
It was like a solar panel that could actively absorb sunlight, gathering all the spiritual energy of heaven and earth from the outside world.
"Whew."
Mu Chen took a light breath. Feeling the dense spiritual energy entering his body with each breath, he could not help praising it. It truly deserved to be called a Level Three Spirit Gathering Array.
"It's almost cultivation time. Hurry and find a good spot at the center of the spirit array."
Tang Qian'er reminded them. The closer they got to the center of the spirit array, the denser the spiritual energy became.
She then pulled Mu Yuan along, leading Mu Chen and Tan Qingshan briskly into the cultivation grounds.
Mu Yuan gave the cultivation grounds his assessment:
"So many pretty girls."
Tang Qian'er felt the gazes cast their way and found it rather embarrassing.
Heaven Grade students occasionally passed by nearby, and quite a few of them glanced in their direction.
Mu Yuan was handsome, Tang Qian'er was beautiful, Mu Chen was resolute, and Tan Qingshan was imposing. Naturally, they drew attention.
"Hmm?"
At that moment, two people looked toward Mu Yuan and the others, faint mockery appearing at the corners of their mouths.
"So it's him."
One of them sneered.
"Tong Guan, you know him?"
A student beside him asked.
"Hehe, you don't even know who he is? He's Mu Yuan, the one who defeated Liu Yang in the Academy Trial a few days ago and entered our Heaven Grade as the top-ranked Earth Grade student."
Tong Guan looked at him with a smile that was not quite a smile.
To the Heaven Grade, Mu Yuan was merely a newcomer. Even if he was a dragon, he had to keep his head down.
"Does that have anything to do with you?"
Mu Yuan asked with a smile.
"Nothing. I was just saying."
Tong Guan smiled. Then he looked toward another part of the cultivation grounds and deliberately raised his voice.
"This guy had an unclear relationship with Hong Ling back when he was in the Earth Grade, and now he's acting so close to Tang Qian'er. He really is quite the ladies' man!"
Upon hearing this, many students began whispering among themselves.
"So he's the person whose name has been spreading around the Earth Grade. I heard he has the strength of the middle Spiritual Movement Realm."
"The middle Spiritual Movement Realm is quite decent, but it's not enough for him to run wild in the Heaven Grade... Heh, who knows how many people here like Tang Qian'er? Jiang Li and Teng Yong are all at the middle Spiritual Movement Realm too. Isn't this kid afraid of causing trouble?"
"..."
As the students murmured to one another, several figures in another part of the cultivation grounds simultaneously raised their heads. Their eyes fixed on Mu Yuan, their expressions all dark.
Mu Yuan swept his gaze around and took in every one of those looks. He immediately smiled helplessly. It seemed he had underestimated just how popular Tang Qian'er was in the Heaven Grade.
He then said to Tang Qian'er beside him:
"You saw that. I've never gone looking for trouble. Is it a problem if I beat someone up in the Heaven Grade?"
Tang Qian'er looked at Mu Yuan with her beautiful eyes. This guy wanted to stir things up on his very first day in the Heaven Grade?
Still, Tong Guan's words had indeed gone too far.
What he had just said had insulted even her.
"The Heaven Grade is different from the Earth Grade. As long as you don't hit too hard and don't cripple anyone, the academy won't interfere."
Tang Qian'er said softly, "But you just arrived in the Heaven Grade. If you provoke them like this, those veterans will target you. More likely than not... you'll get beaten up."
Seeing Tang Qian'er's expression, Mu Yuan felt rather awkward. She had so little confidence in him?
At the late Spiritual Movement Realm, if he went all out, it was not as if he could not put up a fight.
Seeming to have heard Mu Yuan's question to Tang Qian'er, the person beside Tong Guan spoke up.
"Tong Guan, it looks like he wants to beat you up."
Tong Guan looked at Mu Yuan with a teasing expression and laughed.
"Are you lashing out from shame? Was anything I said wrong?"
Mu Yuan looked at Tong Guan and said, "I'm very angry right now."
"So?"
Tong Guan looked at him with a grin. The people beside him also laughed. Very angry? So what?
"So..." Mu Yuan shouted, "Little Mu."
"I'm ready."
Mu Chen clenched his fists and stepped forward. Dark black spiritual energy surged around him, and every inch of him radiated danger.
"You're at the middle Spiritual Movement Realm. Surely you wouldn't dare refuse a challenge?"
Mu Yuan looked at Tong Guan.
"I'll do it."
At that moment, two slightly older youths approached from another part of the cultivation grounds behind them.
"Jiang Li, what are you doing?!"
When Tang Qian'er saw this, her beautiful eyes flew open in anger, and she shouted sharply with her brows raised.
"Qian'er, he was the one who initiated the challenge. I'm doing this for his own good too, teaching a newcomer like him some rules so he doesn't provoke jealousy."
Jiang Li shrugged.
As he spoke, he also shot Mu Yuan a glance.
Though Jiang Li disliked him, he understood that Mu Yuan was not easy to deal with.
Even they did not dare claim they could defeat Liu Yang, who possessed a spiritual vein, yet Mu Yuan had done so. Thus, Jiang Li truly had no confidence in beating Mu Yuan.
But Mu Chen stepping up had given him an opportunity. He clearly intended to use this to intimidate Mu Yuan with a show of force.
"You!"
Anger filled Tang Qian'er's beautiful eyes. Just as she was about to speak, Mu Yuan stopped her. Frowning as he looked at Jiang Li, he sneered.
"The East Courtyard's Heaven Grade really has opened my eyes. Not only do you fail to protect students from our East Courtyard, you even join forces with the West Courtyard to bully students from your own academy."
Mu Yuan's words reached the ears of many Heaven Grade students from the East Courtyard, immediately causing a commotion.
Every word struck home. This newcomer was truly formidable.
Jiang Li's face instantly darkened. Clearly, he had not expected Mu Yuan to be so eloquent.
If he had heard the rumors about Mu Yuan in the Earth Grade, he definitely would not have acted so rashly out of jealousy over Mu Yuan's relationship with Tang Qian'er.
Now he was caught between a rock and a hard place.
"Come at me together."
At that moment, Mu Chen spoke.
The surrounding students froze for a moment.
They recognized Mu Chen as well. He was that genius who had obtained a qualification for the Spiritual Road. He certainly had some ability, but was he not being far too arrogant?
Jiang Li and Tong Guan were both at the middle Spiritual Movement Realm. Did he want to fight two against one?
Mu Yuan, however, remained perfectly calm. Mu Chen's Great Pagoda Scripture had nearly reached the Foundation Establishment level. Combined with his middle Spiritual Movement Realm cultivation, his strength was only stronger than, not inferior to, what Mu Yuan had displayed when defeating Liu Yang that day.
Moreover, he understood Mu Chen's intention behind those words.
Jiang Li wanted to intimidate others with a show of force. Was Mu Chen not doing the same, using this chance to establish his own authority?
Jiang Li and Tong Guan's faces darkened until they seemed ready to drip water.
These Mu brothers were each more arrogant than the last. One person wanted to challenge both of them?
PS: Thanks to reader Heavenly Immortal, reader 1699458553, and reader Qian Li for the rewards!
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