Dongshan Prefecture, Dongshan Martial Academy

Dongshan Prefecture City was the absolute core of Dongshan Prefecture, one of the eight prefectures under the Tianshan Sect.

Its city walls stood dozens of zhang high, towering and majestic. From afar, they looked like a giant mountain rising straight from the earth.

Its permanent population remained above six million year-round, while its floating population exceeded ten million.

With such a population, even in the ancient-style Jiuzhou World, it was an unquestionably super-sized city. Even in the modern world of Earth in his previous life, it would have been the same.

The waterways outside the city were extraordinarily developed, with countless ships docked at every port.

At the ports, porters and laborers moved like ants, endlessly unloading the vast quantities of supplies shipped in from throughout the prefecture and even all across Qingzhou.

Outside the towering city gates, groups of people, wagon convoys, and merchant caravans packed the roads thickly. People came and went in an endless stream, making the place exceptionally bustling.

"Neigh!!!"

Several horses let out sharp cries beyond the city gates. A group of seven or eight people dressed in light, fitted martial attire pulled their reins, bringing the fine horses beneath them to a halt.

"So this is Dongshan Prefecture City? What a magnificent, towering city!"

Within the group, a handsome youth gazed at the majestic city before him and could not help exclaiming:

"A few years ago, I followed my father to Nanshan Commandery City once. I had thought that commandery city was already enormous, far larger than Guangling Prefecture City."

"But I never expected Dongshan Prefecture City to be more than ten times grander than Nanshan Commandery City. It truly deserves to be the number one city of Dongshan Prefecture!"

"Heh heh! Naturally!"

Hearing Wang Kai's words, Zhao Hai Shan, the Dean at the front of the group, who rode an Azure Scale Dragon Blood Horse, immediately laughed.

"Dongshan Prefecture is one of the Eighteen Prefectures of Qingzhou. Among the eight prefectures ruled by our Tianshan Sect, it ranks in the middle. As its Prefecture City, this city is naturally immensely vast."

"Otherwise, how could this Prefecture City Martial Academy possess so many resources? How could its teachers and disciples be so formidable? If you can pass the assessment and join the academy later, you will understand everything."

"Understood!"

Wang Kai nodded, then exchanged a glance with Lin Yi. Both saw the anticipation in the other's eyes.

Seeing this, Zhao Hai Shan waved his hand and shouted:

"Go! Enter the city!"

"Yes!"

Everyone answered in unison, then followed Zhao Hai Shan as they paid to enter the city and headed straight for the Prefecture City's Dongshan Martial Academy.

What followed was simple. With Dean Zhao Hai Shan's clansman elder brother serving as the Vice Principal of Dongshan Martial Academy, no matter what the academy's teachers privately thought, they at least gave Lin Yi's group a rather warm welcome on the surface.

Afterward, Dean Zhao Hai Shan went directly to find his elder brother.

Meanwhile, Lin Yi, Wang Kai, and the other teachers who had accompanied them were arranged by the dormitory supervisor to stay in pairs within Dongshan Martial Academy's guest rooms.

"Lin Yi, do you think we can pass this assessment and enter Dongshan Martial Academy?"

Inside the guest room, Wang Kai had already eaten dinner and practiced martial arts for a while. He lay on his bed, gazing at the stars through the skylight overhead, his eyes gleaming with brilliance and his face full of yearning.

"I walked around Dongshan Martial Academy today and found that the Prefecture City Martial Academy's disciples are truly strong!"

"I casually observed some of them and found that many were stronger than me. Some had even comprehended Extreme Strength. I wonder just how they trained?"

"If we can truly enter Dongshan Martial Academy this time, how wonderful would that be!"

"Yes, Dongshan Martial Academy is very good."

Lying on his bed, Lin Yi looked at the dazzling Starry Sky above and nodded with a smile.

"I also saw many disciples with great strength today. One or two of them even made me feel threatened. If we can enter Dongshan Martial Academy, we will definitely achieve a higher ranking when we take the Tianshan Sect examination next year."

"But since Dongshan Martial Academy is so formidable, joining it probably will not be easy. Let's work hard together."

"Mm, let's work hard together!"

Wang Kai nodded heavily. The two chatted for a while longer before finally closing their eyes and falling into a deep sleep.

The next day.

"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

With a loud rooster's crow, Lin Yi and Wang Kai rose from their beds in the guest room.

Afterward, they washed up together, ate breakfast, rested for a while, and then followed a dormitory supervisor to one of Dongshan Martial Academy's training grounds to undergo the assessment.

At this moment, fifty or sixty Dongshan Martial Academy disciples were already training on the grounds.

When they saw Lin Yi and Wang Kai arrive, some remained cold-faced and ignored them outright, while others merely glanced at them before continuing their own cultivation.

Of course, some disciples watched the two with interest and whispered among themselves.

"Hey, Old Zhou, I heard those two over there came from Guangling Prefecture City."

"I heard the Dean of their academy has ties with our newly arrived Vice Principal, so he got the Vice Principal to secure them an opportunity. They were promised that if they passed the assessment, they could study at Dongshan Martial Academy. What do you think? Can those two pass?"

"Guangling Prefecture City? Tch! What backwater is that? I have never even heard of it!"

As soon as the disciple finished speaking, a burly youth snorted disdainfully and mocked:

"What kind of genius could possibly emerge from such a tiny place? I reckon their commandery academy cannot produce even one disciple capable of entering the Tianshan Sect in an entire year, can it?"

"And they want to cultivate at Dongshan Martial Academy? I think the two of them are dreaming!"

"True! What Old Zhou said may have been rough, but it was not without reason!"

Once the burly youth finished speaking, a handsome young man dressed like the son of an aristocratic family beside him smiled.

"I have heard of Guangling Prefecture City. It is a small commandery city in our Dongshan Prefecture. Apparently, the martial academy in that commandery city, including this year, has gone a full seven years without producing a disciple admitted into the Tianshan Sect."

"What? Seven years?"

"Ha ha ha!"

Hearing the handsome youth's words, the disciples present burst into laughter.

"A backwater truly is a backwater. It is even worse than I imagined!"

"Seven whole years without producing a disciple who got into the Tianshan Sect? My heavens! In the past, I would not even have dared dream of such a thing! Yet they actually managed it! That lousy Guangling Martial Academy really is trash. Today has truly broadened my horizons!"

"Exactly! With such a trashy academy, who knows why the Vice Principal agreed to let their disciples come to our academy for an assessment? Even if their academy's Dean has ties with him, he cannot be so blatantly partial, can he?"

"Shh! Do not spout nonsense! The newly arrived Vice Principal is a Dharma Transmission Elder of the sect. Not only is he formidable himself, but his disciples are spread far and wide. I heard that the Martial Arts Second Rank experts he has taught over the years number more than both hands. You dare speak ill of the Vice Principal? Are you tired of living?"

"I... I was just saying it casually! How could I possibly mean to speak ill of the Vice Principal? The Vice Principal is a man of high virtue and great prestige. I, Zhang Lin Quan, have always admired him deeply. Do not go spreading nonsense outside later!"

"Heh heh, do not worry! Old Zhang, today we only discussed Guangling Martial Academy, that lousy academy, and those two backwater disciples. When did we ever discuss the Vice Principal? We have always held the Vice Principal in the highest respect!"

"Right, right, right! When did we ever discuss the Vice Principal? Were we not always talking about those two backwater people? Old Zhang, do not worry!"

"Ha ha! Good, then I, Zhang Lin Quan, thank you brothers. After we watch those two backwater people get eliminated later, I will take you all to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion for wine and music."

"Ha ha! Brother Zhang is generous!"

"Ha ha! Good!"

"These bastards!"

On the other side of the training grounds, Wang Kai's face had reddened somewhat from anger upon hearing those piercing remarks.

He was still a youth in the end. Though he was usually rather mature, having been viciously humiliated by these disciples the moment he arrived at Dongshan Martial Academy, he could no longer endure it.

"Do not be hasty!"

Seeing that Wang Kai seemed ready to charge forward at any moment, Lin Yi reached out and stopped him. Then, narrowing his eyes slightly, he said softly:

"In this world, strength ultimately does the talking. If you rush up and fight them now, it will be fine if you win. But if you lose, you will only let the other disciples laugh at us for nothing."

"Once the official assessment begins, we will display our strength properly, then ruthlessly defeat these lofty martial academy disciples. Let these lofty Prefecture City disciples see just how formidable us 'backwater people' are!"

"Good!"

Hearing this, Wang Kai barely suppressed his fury and nodded fiercely.

"Then we will wait a little longer. After the official assessment begins, we will teach them a proper lesson."

"Still, I looked around yesterday. Among these Dongshan Martial Academy disciples, my strength can only be considered average. I would be doing well if I could defeat three or four out of ten."

"So in the end, whether Guangling Martial Academy—and even Guangling Prefecture City—can recover its honor will depend on you, Lin Yi!"

"Do not worry!"

Lin Yi nodded lightly, light flickering in his eyes.

If it had been a month and a half ago, he truly would not have been confident of defeating many of Dongshan Martial Academy's genius disciples.

But now, a month and a half had passed, and his strength had improved far too greatly.

So greatly that even though Dongshan Martial Academy was teeming with geniuses, Lin Yi was absolutely confident that he could trample the vast majority of its disciples beneath his feet, one by one!