For a moment, Chu Yun's heart surged, his blood boiling.
Since being reborn, he had hatched a perfect Heavenly Fox, claimed first place at the coming-of-age ceremony, rescued his adoptive father, slain Remnant Wolf, and obtained a Demon Weapon. Through danger and hardship, he had repeatedly brushed with death, changing the course of his fate.
Now he had officially set foot in Heavenly Song Academy. Looking back, he saw the towering gate, seeming to divide the past from the present, his former life from this one. Beyond it, his old fate howled and roared in anguish. Within it lay a new world and every possibility!
Everything was different now.
"Here is where I'll begin my rise to supremacy. One day, those who come after me will look back and remember that Chu Yun once walked this very path! Fate, you can't trap me, and you can't stop me!"
His gaze was sharp as a blade, as a sword. Chu Yun strode forward with his head held high and his chest thrust out, moving with the swagger of a dragon and the stride of a tiger!
Beside him, Jin Bihan's eyes widened as she witnessed Chu Yun's aura rise and transform. A brilliant light flickered in her eyes. The old Chu Yun had seemed weighed down by gloom, even after slaying Remnant Wolf. The suffering of his past life had left wounds that cut to the bone.
But now, stirred by the gate tower, the ardor in his heart burst forth, surging like a vast sea! His fighting spirit soared, and courage and fearlessness filled his heart. A fundamental change had taken place within him, making him seem entirely new, brimming once more with the youthful vigor of a young man!
Thud, thud, thud...
Rapid footsteps rang out along the mountain path. An upperclassman from Heavenly Song Academy sprinted with all his might, drenched in sweat and panting like a bellows.
He took a turn and, knowing the way by heart, hurried to a small courtyard.
Entering, the upperclassman paid no heed to the sweat on his face. He bowed his head to a handsome young master in the courtyard and reported, "Chu—Chu Yun is here!"
"What? The 'Young Tiger' has finally arrived? Heh, I've been waiting a long time!" The handsome young master had been savoring tea. At the news, his hand trembled, and some of the fragrant tea spilled from the cup onto his fine brocade robe.
The handsome young master usually took great care with his appearance, but now he paid it no mind. He nearly leapt from the bed, snatched up a fan, and hurried out in his wooden clogs.
"Good, good, good! A thirteen-year-old who earned the title of Spirit Beast Master, the strongest freshman in history. I, Hua Ying, have to get a good look at him."
"Hey, have you heard? That Chu Yun has finally appeared at Lower Gate Tower!" The news seemed to sprout wings, swiftly spreading throughout Heavenly Song Academy.
"Oh? You mean the fellow who publicly rejected a marriage proposal and even dared turn down the young lady Ning Yiyi?" Someone rubbed his hands together eagerly.
"He's thirteen and can wield the Great Demon Blade. He even slew the pirate Remnant Wolf. What a remarkable young man! I hear he's already been appointed Young Island Master of Shu Family Island. The strongest freshman in history—he lives up to the name!" someone exclaimed admiringly.
"Hmph. Defeating the Remnant Wolf Pirate Group was only possible because he caught the enemy off guard and fortune favored him. I want to see what this kid can really do. That title isn't something an ordinary person can earn." Others felt the urge to challenge him.
In a study, a scholar in a blue robe was practicing calligraphy, brush in hand.
A knock suddenly sounded at the door.
"Come in." The blue-robed scholar kept his eyes on his work, his brushstrokes precise and dignified, radiating an air of righteousness.
The visitor pushed open the door, panting. "Senior Yan Que, why are you still in here writing? Haven't you heard? Chu Yun has appeared at Lower Gate Tower. The news is spreading everywhere, and everyone wants to see the strongest freshman in history with their own eyes."
"Oh, I know." The blue-robed scholar replied mildly.
The visitor froze. "Senior Yan..."
"So what if he's the so-called 'Young Tiger'? He's just another child of a wealthy family. Once he grows up, he'll still become a noble lord who exploits commoners and looks down on them from on high. Just focus on yourself." Yan Que didn't even turn around.
The visitor blinked, standing there awkwardly. After a long while, he backed away with a few hesitant murmurs.
Once he had finished writing, Yan Que slowly set down his brush.
"Chu Yun..." He let out a deep sigh, a glint in his eyes revealing that his heart was far from calm.
"Hmph! Is this the brute from Shu Family Island who publicly rejected my Ning Family Island's marriage proposal?" Standing on a secluded hillside, Ning Yiyi looked down. Chu Yun's figure was reflected in her rippling eyes.
Though only fourteen, she already radiated feminine charm, her beauty unmatched.
Her glossy black hair fell straight to her waist. With sparkling eyes and peach-blossom cheeks, she looked as delicate as a flower. She wore a pale-yellow pleated silk dress, its hem embroidered with blooming flowers and butterflies in flight. A gold-and-jade lotus hairpin adorned her hair, while pearl earrings dangled from her ears. On her wrists were a pair of jade-green bangles, making her hands, white as polished jade, seem all the more translucent and smooth.
The mountain breeze swept by, setting her lotus hairpin and skirt hem swaying gently. She looked like a radiant green peach blossom, beautiful and alluring. If not for the contempt, arrogance, and resentment in her eyes, she would have been nearly perfect.
She gazed into the distance at Chu Yun, her eyes full of scorn and hatred.
She hated Chu Yun with all her heart.
Her beauty was peerless, her gifts exceptional, and she had been born into Ning Family Island, the wealthiest family of all. From the moment she was born, she had been every bit the favored child of heaven. As she grew older, her reputation as a breathtaking beauty spread far and wide. Her throngs of suitors could have filled several streets, and their endless sweet talk only fed her arrogance.
Unmatched beauty and a proud, lofty heart—those were the words that described her.
Back then, when the Ning Family had decided she should marry down and wed Chu Yun, the young master of Shu Family Island, they had sent her a letter. She had been utterly unwilling.
What was so great about Shu Family Island? It was tucked away in a remote corner of the All-Star Archipelago, and its islanders were crude. It was practically a barbarian wasteland!
At several year-end clan gatherings, she had seen her aunt Ning Qishuang. The wrinkles on her face, hidden beneath a thick layer of powder, had given Ning Yiyi the clearest impression yet of Shu Family Island. It was a wilderness of rugged mountains and treacherous waters, far from prosperity, a barren land waiting to be reclaimed.
Deep down, she looked down on a poor place like Shu Family Island.
She would rather die than marry there!
But the interests of the family came first. Every clan member was expected to serve those interests—even if it meant dying for them. Even Ning Yiyi herself could not live apart from her family.
The family had issued its order, and her own grandfather had personally proposed the marriage alliance...
Ning Yiyi had bitten her lip until it bled, tears in her eyes, and written back that she would obey. In her heart, she had already come to loathe Chu Yun, the upstart who had suddenly appeared. She had even resolved that after the wedding, she would use every means at her disposal to seize power and thoroughly put everyone on Shu Family Island in their place.
But then the unexpected had happened.
It had caught everyone by surprise. Even the Lord of Ning Family Island—her grandfather, who had always been supremely confident in himself—had never seen it coming.
Chu Yun had publicly rejected the marriage alliance!
When she first heard the news, she had frozen on the spot. Had she been relieved to escape her fate? No. She hadn't felt the slightest joy. Instead, she felt her pride had taken a tremendous blow!
She, Ning Yiyi, was as beautiful as a flower, her fame spread throughout the All-Star Archipelago, with suitors lined up for several streets. And yet she had been rejected by a penniless boy from some barbarian wasteland!
She might have accepted a tactful refusal, but he had turned her down so bluntly, without the slightest reservation, in such a harsh tone.
It was an insult! A colossal insult!
Her overwhelming vanity made her hate Chu Yun with all her heart.
He actually looked down on me! He actually looked down on me! You poor nobody, you just got lucky, and now you actually think you can look down on me, Ning Yiyi!