The one harboring such intense murderous intent toward Mu Chen was naturally the Holy Spirit Academy.
"Oh? He violated the rules of the Spirit Road? Pray tell, what exactly are these Spirit Road rules?"
"I've overseen the Spirit Road Trial eighteen times, and I've never heard of any trial rules. Could it be the Holy Spirit Academy settled them overnight? Why wasn't I informed?"
"Cruel methods, vicious nature? If no one died on the Spirit Road, what would the countless deaths our Five Great Academies stipulate for the trials each year even be for?"
"Defying the will of Heaven? What is the will of Heaven? Is your Holy Spirit Academy the will of Heaven?"
"Good heavens, even super factions with Heavenly Sovereigns at their helm don't dare claim to be the embodiment of Heaven's will, carrying out its justice. And your Holy Spirit Academy dares?"
"Showing contempt for the Five Great Academies? Who are the Five Great Academies?"
"Anyway, the Northern Heavens don't feel slighted!"
The moment his old rival put forward the proposal, Elder Zhu Tian was practically bursting with excitement. Without a second thought, he turned to the white-robed man's big face and let loose, spraying spittle everywhere.
Good heavens, his mouth moved faster than his brain.
The Five Great Academies weren't set in stone; they operated on a rotation system with the weakest being eliminated.
Any academy that placed last among the Five Great Academies three times in a row at the Great Thousand Million Spiritual Academy Tournament would lose its place, to be replaced by another top academy.
To be honest, the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy had the shallowest foundations and shortest history among the Five Great Academies. Its overall strength had always been on the rise, flourishing more with each passing day.
Given time, it would surely secure its place among the Five Great Academies for good.
Because of the Holy Spirit Academy's continued suppression, the Northern Heavens had placed last among the Five Great Academies in the Academy Tournament for two consecutive events in recent years. Its ranking had even fallen below that of some top academies.
If it remained in decline at the next tournament, the Northern Heavens would fall out of the Five Great Academies altogether.
How could they endure that? It was no less than a blood feud.
If the rational academy leaders hadn't consistently exercised restraint, whenever experts from the Holy Spirit Academy and the Northern Heavens crossed paths, they would surely have beaten each other into a pulp.
The newly ascended Sovereign from the Ten Thousand Phoenix Spiritual Academy stared at the scene, dumbfounded.
Why did a usually revered and respected senior behave like this in private?
And wasn't Elder Zhu Tian supposed to be refined, easygoing, and kind?
He was nothing less than an old, spittle-flinging menace!
The graceful woman felt as if her entire worldview had crumbled.
The two Sovereigns from Wu Ling Academy and Azure Heaven Spiritual Academy wore expressions of calm familiarity, even looking on with the cheerful air of spectators enjoying a show.
They reassured the newcomer that there was no need to panic. This was a regular feature every year.
Going by past experience, the more furiously Elder Zhu Tian ranted, the safer things were.
Elder Zhu Tian refuted the white-robed man's proposal point by point. He cited chapter and verse, argued methodically, and pressed his case step by step, leaving the other man speechless.
"I propose removing the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy from the Five Great Academies!"
The white-robed man wiped the flecks of spittle from his face and said furiously.
"The Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy opposes the proposal. It's invalid."
Elder Zhu Tian bared his teeth in a grin and tossed back his reply lightly.
What a pleasure. Just seeing his opponent's chagrined expression left him feeling utterly satisfied.
When it came to proposals involving certain major affairs, each of the Five Great Academies had the right to veto.
"All right, all right. Both of you, calm down. Stop arguing."
After getting their fill of the spectacle, the two Sovereigns from Wu Ling Academy and Azure Heaven Spiritual Academy stepped in to smooth things over, pulling the pair apart just as they were about to come to blows.
Elder Zhu Tian in particular had his mouth practically pressed against the other man's face. He was one step away from climbing onto his shoulders.
After calming down, the white-robed man took a deep breath. "Everyone, let's put everything else aside. Is it a fact that the Five Great Academies suffered heavy losses because of Mu Chen alone?"
He had cast aside all those high-sounding excuses and gone straight to the naked truth: their interests.
Elder Zhu Tian sensed trouble as soon as he heard that and immediately looked around to gauge the others' reactions.
As expected, the three Sovereigns fell into thought.
The Holy Spirit Academy had suffered the greatest losses in the battle in the Black Demon Forest, but the other academies had lost people as well.
Peerless kings, Level 7 Quasi-Kings, and elite Level 5 and 6 seeds—every side had suffered casualties.
Especially the Azure Heaven Spiritual Academy.
Although borrowing the prodigy Liu Qingyun from the Wind Spirit Clan, the super faction behind the academy, was already a done deal, who would ever complain about having too many talents of their own?
Qiu Beihai, the trusted right-hand man Ji Xuan relied on to help him encircle Mu Chen and the others, had been one of the few peak kings on the Spirit Road. He had plenty to be proud of.
The Azure Heaven Spiritual Academy's leaders had intended to make him a complement to Liu Qingyun, their top student—the most powerful ally this Ancient Clan prodigy could have in the Academy Tournament.
But now that Qiu Beihai was dead, all of that was gone.
"I propose that Mu Chen be executed for violating the rules of the Spirit Road, as a warning to those vile schemers lurking in the shadows and to uphold the prestige of the Five Great Academies."
Seeing that his plan had worked, the white-robed man's eyes immediately flashed with satisfaction.
"Unacceptable. The punishment is too severe; it could invite public condemnation."
The Azure Heaven Spiritual Academy's Sovereign was a human elder in a gray robe. He stooped and looked thoroughly unremarkable.
He furrowed his brow and shook his head. "Better to strip him of his trial qualification and expel him from the Spirit Road. A small punishment should be enough to teach him a lesson."
"Fine. To prevent anyone from questioning the result, we should settle it with a vote."
"As for the proposal to expel Mu Chen, the Holy Spirit Academy votes in favor."
The white-robed man glanced at that old ranter, Elder Zhu Tian, his voice rising.
Originally, he hadn't planned to take things this far. That man had forced his hand.
He had to reiterate once more: the Holy Spirit Academy's authority could not be challenged!
The gray-robed elder felt that he had already softened the punishment somewhat and that it was now moderate, so he immediately agreed.
The graceful woman from the Ten Thousand Phoenix Spiritual Academy had only just taken up her post as a guardian. She was a cautious sort, and after mulling it over, decided to abstain.
As long as Phoenix Girl from the North Desert Wen Clan remained unharmed, everything else was unimportant.
Wu Ling Academy held a lofty position and had always remained neutral, so it abstained as expected.
Elder Zhu Tian held the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy's vote. His lips tightened in a bitter line as he hesitated.
In this situation, whether he voted or not, for or against, the result couldn't be changed.
Now, everyone's eyes were fixed on him.
Just then, an armed warrior dressed in the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy's uniform approached quietly and whispered something in Elder Zhu Tian's ear.
"Everyone, I have some news to share with you."
The dejection immediately vanished from Elder Zhu Tian's face, and he spoke up.
What the Northern Heavens expert had brought was information about Mu Chen's background and origins.
His father was King of Hundred Spirits Mu Feng, a Seventh Grade Sovereign who had recently broken through.
He occupied the Hundred Spirit Continent, a high-grade continent in the Great Thousand World's northwestern territory. He commanded the Four Great Legions, with an army of several million under his banner, and had many Sovereign experts serving him.
It was worth noting that the Hundred Spirit Continent had once been a subordinate territory of the Northern Profound Sect, the super faction that dominated the northwest. A Earth Sovereign had once held sway there.
More than a decade ago, a transfer of power took place within the Hundred Spirit Continent. The previous King of Hundred Spirits had withdrawn at the height of his power and stepped down in dejection. The newly ascended king, Mu Feng, was crowned in the capital.
Those few words concealed the bloody storm that had raged in the darkness back then.
In other words, an Earth Sovereign might well be backing the royal house of the Hundred Spirits.
PS: One piece of good news, one piece of bad news.
The good news is that after more than half a month on Qidian's recommendations, my collection count has finally scraped past a thousand.
The bad news is that hitting a thousand is no use at all. I failed the trial recommendation, and I don't know if I'll get another one later.
Before you continue