Contesting the Students

At Jinxiu Academy, any student of the Five Elements Arts who reaches the tenth level of Qi Refining may be inducted into the Wanfa Sect, becoming a true disciple. As for the Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Talisman Making departments, students who demonstrate unique talent or achieve a degree of mastery in their respective fields may also be inducted directly into the Wanfa Sect, regardless of their cultivation level.

Every student at Jinxiu Academy dreams of joining the Wanfa Sect. As the saying goes, it is easy to enjoy the shade under a great tree. Once inducted, not only does the sect provide a portion of the resources required for cultivation, but having the sect's protection also ensures an extra layer of safety when traveling through the cultivation world.

What entices students even more is that joining the Wanfa Sect grants access to superior, more suitable cultivation techniques, and perhaps even secret arts. Should a senior expert within the sect take a liking to them and accept them as a disciple, they would surely avoid many detours on their path to immortality and travel much further.

In short, joining the Wanfa Sect offers endless benefits. This sentiment is shared not only by the students of Jinxiu Academy but also by those at other academies under the Wanfa Sect's banner.

Luo Mu is no exception; he enrolled in Jinxiu Academy with the sole intention of joining the Wanfa Sect!

New students admitted to Jinxiu Academy are typically those who have just stepped into the world of cultivation, barely reaching the first level of Qi Refining. Someone like Luo Mu, who entered with the strength of the sixth level, is a rarity, so it is only natural that he caused a stir.

Most new students possess low strength, hovering between the first and third levels, while the strength of seniors is harder to gauge uniformly. Some enrolled later but possess exceptional talent, advancing by leaps and bounds. Others enrolled early but, due to personal limitations, have seen their cultivation stagnate.

Luo Mu's sixth-level Qi Refining strength would rank as mid-tier even among the seniors, making him a top-tier existence among the freshmen.

After making a few inquiries, Luo Mu spent a short while walking until he finally reached his destination. Looking at the scene before him, he frowned, feeling slightly puzzled.

The location was a large plaza, at the front of which stood eight long wooden tables, each with a person sitting behind it. On the table in front of each person sat a sign.

Metal Element Arts, Wood Element Arts, Water Element Arts, Fire Element Arts, Earth Element Arts, Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Talisman Making—the eight signs were arranged in order, with each table spaced a yard apart. Behind each table, aside from the seated cultivator—who appeared to be an instructor or similar figure—there were numerous students in school uniforms shouting incessantly, much like peddlers hawking their wares.

Standing in front of the wooden tables were a sparse few students who, judging by their attire, were, like Luo Mu, freshmen who had just enrolled this year. Luo Mu was one of these few. This scene was the source of his confusion.

"Junior, our Wood Element Arts are among the best for offensive spells; they are simple to learn and pack quite a punch. Join our Wood Element Arts, and you certainly won't regret it!" Just as Luo Mu was feeling puzzled, a senior at the front spoke to him in a loud, excited tone that gave him quite a start.

This senior was positioned behind the table marked for Wood Element Arts, clearly tasked with recruiting freshmen for their department.

Suddenly, the fog cleared for Luo Mu, and his confusion vanished.

Since few new students enroll at Jinxiu Academy each year, each department must naturally vie for popularity to secure more recruits. This scene was clearly a recruitment tactic employed by the various departments.

Before Luo Mu could even open his mouth to decline the senior's enthusiastic pitch, a woman's voice reached his ears. It was as melodious as heavenly music, causing Luo Mu's heart to tremble slightly.

"Junior, what's so good about the Wood Element Arts? Come to our Water department instead. Our Water Element Arts are capable of both offense and defense, ensuring you'll be at ease when battling cultivators of the same rank. Most importantly, the girls in our Water department are the prettiest of them all. Once you join us, you'll never want to leave."

"Hmph! Junior, don't listen to their nonsense. You seem like a smart person; among the five elements, the strongest offensive arts belong to our Fire department. You are new to cultivation and don't know the market, so don't be fooled by them. Eh? Why can't I see through this junior's cultivation level?"

A senior from the Fire Element Arts, having first dismissed the previous two with disdain and boasted about his own department, suddenly realized he could not discern Luo Mu's level. He had initially treated Luo Mu like any other freshman, but now he was startled and blurted out his surprise.

The seniors from the other departments, who had been preparing to praise their own fields to make a good impression and perhaps add fresh blood to their ranks, were struck dumb by the Fire senior's exclamation. They looked at Luo Mu in disbelief.

Soon, exclamations of shock rang out. A few older students with cultivation at the seventh or eighth level caught sight of Luo Mu's peak sixth-level aura and were filled with astonishment.

Luo Mu looked to be only eighteen or nineteen; how could they not be shocked to see a freshman with such innate talent?

It wasn't just the seniors who were stunned; even the instructors responsible for recruiting new students wore expressions of shock!

This is a rare gem! I must recruit him into my department at all costs. As long as he is nurtured properly, he will surely shine in the academy, and the rewards I receive as his mentor will be substantial.

This thought flashed through the minds of all eight instructors simultaneously. In an instant, Luo Mu became a hot commodity, while the other freshmen were left out in the cold.

Curiosity, envy, and jealousy flickered across the faces of those watching. Even with Luo Mu's steady temperament, he couldn't help but feel a little flustered and at a loss.

Happiness had arrived so suddenly that Luo Mu was truly unaccustomed to it.

In the moment Luo Mu stood dazed, the seniors, influenced by their instructors, swarmed toward him, enthusiastically introducing their departments and exaggerating their merits until they sounded like the best in the world. They seemed determined not to let him go.

Some seniors, with their instructors' permission, even made loud promises to Luo Mu, offering all sorts of benefits if he would only join them—pills, artifact-refining materials, and even entry-level magical artifacts!

The surrounding freshmen, all novices at the first level of Qi Refining, watched with wide eyes, their gazes toward Luo Mu shifting as they heard the promises being made.

What the other freshmen found most unbearable was that the seniors sent to recruit Luo Mu were all rare beauties. Luo Mu was enjoying quite a bit of luck, leaving the other male students green with envy, wishing they were in his shoes.

Luo Mu was stunned at first, but he quickly regained his composure. While he was tempted by the various promises, he never believed in things he hadn't yet received; promises were nothing but a joke.

As for the beauties, Luo Mu had been burned by a woman before and had yet to emerge from that shadow. Even if these "seniors" were attractive, he viewed them with purely aesthetic appreciation and was not the least bit bewitched.

Luo Mu's purpose for coming to Jinxiu Academy was clear, and he rarely changed his mind once it was set. No matter how flowery the seniors' words were, he would not deviate from his original intention.

Seeing Luo Mu go from startled to cold and silent, the "seniors" trying to recruit him began to lose their composure, some even looking visibly displeased.

"Heh, I didn't expect this year's freshman recruitment to be so lively. Oh? Junior Sister Yan Hong, when did you become so polite to freshmen? It truly surprises this senior." Just then, a man's voice, tinged with a smile, drifted over. Though not loud, it reached everyone present with perfect clarity.

At these words, the "senior" who had just been aggressively recruiting Luo Mu suddenly looked delighted and whipped her head around toward the source of the voice.

As for Luo Mu, upon hearing the voice, he felt a sense of familiarity. After a brief moment, his brow furrowed as if he had realized something; his expression darkened, and he, too, turned to look toward the source of the sound.