Returning to the Academy to Slap Faces

Tang San obediently retreated behind Zhu Shen, though there was not a hint of worry in his eyes.

He had witnessed his teacher's strength; all these students combined were not worth a second glance.

Seeing that Zhu Shen did not resist, Teacher Wang assumed he was afraid and grew even more smug. "Know fear now? Too late! Impersonating a master and injuring members of the Nuoding Family—these two charges are enough to keep you in prison for a few years!"

As he spoke, he released his own spirit. A long whip appeared in his hand, circled by one white and one yellow spirit ring.

"First Spirit Skill, Binding Whip!"

The long whip transformed into a black shadow, lashing out toward Zhu Shen.

Zhu Shen did not even move; he merely raised a hand.

"Snap!"

He caught the tip of the whip with his bare hand.

Teacher Wang froze. Although his first spirit skill was not powerful, it was still a control-type skill. How could it be caught so easily with bare hands?

He tugged hard, intending to retract the whip, only to find it remained motionless.

"You..." A flicker of panic crossed Teacher Wang's face.

Zhu Shen flicked his wrist, and a massive force surged through the whip. Teacher Wang felt a sharp pain in the web between his thumb and forefinger, and the whip flew from his grasp, tracing an arc through the air before landing on the ground.

The entire scene fell silent.

In a single exchange, his spirit skill was broken and his weapon seized.

Teacher Wang's face flushed red with a mix of shame and rage. "You—you dare to use force at the academy!"

"You were the one who struck first." Zhu Shen released the whip tip, letting it drop to the ground. "I was merely defending myself."

"Good! Very good!" Teacher Wang was trembling with fury. "Do you think that just because you can beat me, you can run wild at Notting Academy? Let me tell you, the academy dean is a five-ring Spirit King! And there are several teachers at the four-ring Spirit Ancestor level! You aren't walking out of these gates today!"

"Oh?" Zhu Shen raised an eyebrow. "Then please, invite the dean out."

"You..." Teacher Wang was choked into silence.

Just then, a gentle voice rang out.

"What is going on? Why is everyone gathered here?"

The crowd parted as an old man in his sixties walked over. The old man had white hair and a beard, a kind face, and wore a simple gray robe while leaning on a wooden staff.

Seeing the old man, Teacher Wang's eyes lit up, and he hurried forward. "Dean! You've come just in time! This person is impersonating the master Yu Xiaogang and has injured the students. Please, take him down!"

The dean looked toward Zhu Shen, his gaze filled with scrutiny.

Zhu Shen also looked at the dean, a flash of surprise in his eyes. This dean's aura was quite unique; it appeared gentle but was actually deeply restrained. A five-ring Spirit King's strength was considered top-tier in this small city.

"You say you are Yu Xiaogang?" the dean asked slowly.

"I am." Zhu Shen nodded.

"Do you have proof?"

Zhu Shen thought for a moment and retrieved a badge from his robes. It was the four-ring Spirit Ancestor badge that the fat branch head had remade for him during his test at the Spirit Hall Branch earlier.

The badge was engraved with the pattern of four spirit rings: two purple and two black.

The dean took the badge and examined it closely, his expression shifting slightly.

A four-ring Spirit Ancestor was nothing rare, but a configuration of two purple and two black...

"Is this badge your own?"

"I just had it tested at the Spirit Hall Branch today," Zhu Shen said calmly.

The dean was silent for a moment before returning the badge. "A spirit power badge can be forged, but a spirit cannot. Yu Xiaogang's spirit is Luo Sanpao. If you are truly him, release it and let me see."

The surrounding crowd held their breath.

Teacher Wang wore a look of schadenfreude, waiting to see Zhu Shen make a fool of himself.

Zhu Shen smiled. "Very well."

With a thought, golden light erupted behind him.

But it was not Luo Sanpao; it was the phantom of a golden dragon.

The dragon shadow coiled, its scales gleaming, its golden eyes like the sun, and a majestic dragon might swept outward.

Every student on the plaza who had released their spirit felt their spirits begin to tremble violently. Those with beast spirits felt their legs go weak, and several even collapsed to the ground.

The dean's face changed.

This was not Luo Sanpao.

But this pressure... it could not possibly be fake.

"Your spirit..." the dean's voice sounded somewhat dry.

"It evolved." Zhu Shen retracted his spirit, and the pressure dissipated. "I've had some fortuitous encounters over the years."

Zhu Shen spoke simply, but those around him gasped.

The dean looked at Zhu Shen deeply, then suddenly smiled. "Good, a truly excellent evolution. Master Yu, welcome to Notting Academy."

"Dean!" Teacher Wang grew anxious. "He..."

"Shut up." The Dean glanced at him, his gaze stern. "I can vouch for Master Yu's identity. When he came to Nuoding City ten years ago, we met once. Although his appearance and martial soul have changed, these eyes and this bearing cannot be wrong."

Teacher Wang opened his mouth, but in the end, he dared not say anything more.

The Dean turned to Zhu Shen with a warm smile. "Master Yu, since you are here, please stay at the academy. I happen to have some matters I would like to consult you about."

Zhu Shen nodded. "Then I shall impose upon you."

"Not at all, not at all." The Dean waved his hand. "Teacher Wang, take Master Yu to the faculty dormitory and arrange the best room for him."

Teacher Wang responded reluctantly and led Zhu Shen and Tang San away from the plaza.

Watching the three figures retreat, the smile on the Dean's face gradually faded, and a complex expression flashed in his eyes.

Dean Su Nuo unconsciously rubbed a dark red metal emblem on his cuff with his withered fingers. The emblem was twisted in shape, vaguely resembling a blood-dripping eye.

He turned around, his gait appearing to stumble, yet his speed was incredibly fast, and his figure soon vanished into the depths of the academy.

Teacher Wang, nursing a belly full of anger, led Zhu Shen and Tang San toward the faculty dormitory area. The silence along the way made the atmosphere awkwardly thick. A few students peered curiously from afar, only to be glared back by Teacher Wang's gloomy eyes.

"This is it." Teacher Wang stopped in front of two adjacent rooms that were clearly more spacious and brighter than the ordinary dormitories, his tone stiff. "Master, you stay in this one, and your disciple stays next door. If you need anything... handle it yourself." Having said that, he turned and walked away quickly without looking back, as if staying for even one more second was torture.

"Tsk, this hospitality isn't even as warm as a tavern landlady's." Zhu Shen curled his lip and pushed open the door. The room was simply furnished but clean and tidy, with sunlight streaming through the window, feeling warm and cozy.

[Ding, detected that the host has successfully checked into Notting Academy. New environment mission triggered: Establish initial prestige within the academy (0/1). Reward: One Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo Spirit Bone at a random, non-repeating location.]

Zhu Shen's eyes lit up. "Little San, see that? The system is urging us to stir up trouble. This spirit bone—it's fragrant and sweet!"

"Ahem, Little San, you've just entered the academy; you need to establish some prestige."

Tang San's mouth twitched imperceptibly. "Teacher, we just arrived. Wouldn't it be better to... keep a low profile?"

"Low profile?" Zhu Shen patted his shoulder, looking profound. "Little San, a low profile is the protective color of the weak. What are we, master and disciple, right now? We are... ahem, we are high-potential stocks! When it's time to flex our muscles, we must, otherwise, any Tom, Dick, or Harry will dare to step on us. Look at that Teacher Wang from earlier, and that so-called young master of Nuoding—aren't they just begging for a beating?"

As he spoke, a burst of clamor and jeering rose from below the dormitory building.

"Boss Xiao, beat him! Let him know who the boss of Nuoding City is!"

"A work-study student dares to talk back? Finish him!"