A War of Words Against the Heroes

That evening, as the host, Divine Martial Academy held a welcoming banquet at Star-Grasping Tower to entertain the distinguished guests.

The tower was brightly lit, its tables laden with delicacies. Students from every academy gathered together, youthful and high-spirited, in the full bloom of their prime—yet beneath it all, their sharp edges remained hidden.

Led by Liu Hongyan, Divine Martial Academy's team became the center of attention the moment they entered.

Li Yuan in particular—his reputation as a ninth-level talent had long since spread far and wide.

Countless curious and appraising gazes fell upon him. Some were unconvinced, some harbored veiled hostility, and others burned with fighting spirit.

Li Yuan wore a fitted indigo outfit today. He stood tall and composed, showing neither the slightest awkwardness beneath the attention of all sides nor any trace of arrogance.

His steady bearing drew secret admiration from quite a few observers.

Everyone took their seats, and the banquet began.

President Su gave a brief address, offering the usual pleasantries of welcoming the guests and wishing the league tournament every success before announcing the start of the feast.

After three rounds of wine, the atmosphere gradually grew more lively, and the youths could no longer keep their temperaments in check.

"I have long heard of Junior Brother Li Yuan of Divine Martial Academy. Seeing you today, you truly possess an extraordinary bearing."

A clear voice rang out from the representatives' table of Heavenly Strategy Academy.

The speaker wore Heavenly Strategy Academy's distinctive silver-white fitted uniform trimmed in blue. He was around sixteen or seventeen, handsome in appearance, and had already reached the middle stage of the Heart Inquiry Realm.

He raised his wine cup toward Li Yuan from afar, a warm smile on his face. "I am Zhao Lingyun of Heavenly Strategy Academy. I have heard that Junior Brother Li possesses astonishing talent. Would you honor us by exchanging pointers with fellow students of our generation?"

Li Yuan's expression shifted slightly. He had studied the information on his opponents beforehand. This Zhao Lingyun was Heavenly Strategy Academy's captain for this year, born into a military family. His talent was the Destructive Star Soul, an eighth-level talent.

Known for his fierce attacks and overwhelming momentum, he was also one of the favorites to win the championship this time.

The moment he spoke, the tower fell silent, and everyone turned to look at Li Yuan in unison.

It was an unmistakable probe, yet under the banner of friendly exchange, making it difficult to refuse outright.

Li Yuan set down his chopsticks, raised his cup in return, and smiled appropriately. "Senior Brother Zhao overpraises me. Li Yuan merely happened to gain such an undeserved reputation, thanks only to everyone's kind regard."

"The league tournament is close at hand, and there will naturally be opportunities then to seek Senior Brother Zhao's guidance. Today is a welcoming banquet; harmony should come first, and we should share fellowship together."

His words were watertight. He neither showed fear of battle nor declined, instead lightly kicking the ball back.

A sharp gleam flashed through Zhao Lingyun's eyes, and he laughed heartily. "Junior Brother Li is right. Zhao was simply too impatient."

"Very well, then when the league tournament comes, I shall properly seek Junior Brother Li's instruction." With that, he tilted back his head and drained his cup in one gulp.

Li Yuan drank his own wine with equal composure, his expression unchanged.

"Hmph, a ninth-level talent? Who knows whether some secret technique was used?"

A neither loud nor soft voice came from the table of Myriad Forms Academy. The speaker was a short youth with crafty eyes, dressed in a long robe embroidered with Bagua runes, several ancient bronze coins rolling between his fingers.

He was Myriad Forms Academy's vice-captain, Qian Junlin. His talent was Divination, and he excelled at deducing formations and mysterious arts. Though only at the initial stage of the Heart Inquiry Realm, his methods were strange and difficult to guard against.

"Junior Brother Qian, watch your words."

Myriad Forms Academy's captain was a gentle-tempered youth named Wen Ruoxu. He immediately stopped him in a low voice, yet there was not a trace of reproach in his eyes.

Wen Ruoxu's talent was Mountain of Books and Sea of Learning, an eighth-level talent. He was widely read and proficient in all manner of arts, renowned in actual combat for his ever-changing methods and unfailing calculations.

Qian Junlin curled his lips and offered a false apology. "Junior Brother Li, I have always spoken bluntly. My apologies if I offended you."

Anyone could hear that he was practically questioning Li Yuan to his face.

The atmosphere in the tower instantly froze.

The faces of Divine Martial Academy's group darkened. A chill flickered through Chu Yunhe's eyes, while Shen Lian tightened his grip on his blade and glared at Qian Junlin in displeasure.

Yet Li Yuan's expression remained unchanged. Instead, he smiled and looked at Qian Junlin, his tone calm. "It seems Senior Brother Qian is questioning Divine Martial Academy's Spirit-Appraising Stone."

That single sentence drew knowing laughter from the crowd, immediately easing the atmosphere.

"At the league tournament, the truth will reveal itself. When the time comes, I hope Senior Brother Qian will not hesitate to offer guidance and see whether Li Yuan's cultivation can withstand the test of actual combat."

Li Yuan neither defended himself nor showed anger. He merely redirected the matter to the arena and let facts speak for themselves.

That composure and confidence caused many of the doubtful gazes to withdraw.

"Well said!"

A bold voice rang out from the table of Grand Void Academy.

The speaker was Grand Void Academy's captain, a tall, burly youth built like an iron tower named Lei Lie. His appearance truly did not suit the gentle lands south of the Yangtze; he seemed more likely to have come from the bitterly cold northwest.

His talent, the Thunder Battle Body, was seventh-level. Straightforward and fierce by nature, he despised roundabout schemes the most.

His fan-sized palm slapped the table, making the cups and plates ring softly. His voice boomed like a great bell. "Whether it's a mule or a horse, you'll know once you drag it out for a run. What damned use is there in wearing out your lips here?"

He pointed at Li Yuan. "Li Yuan, I like the look of you. If we meet in the league tournament, let's have a proper fight."

Li Yuan smiled and cupped his hands toward Lei Lie. "Senior Brother Lei speaks swiftly and frankly. When the time comes, I will certainly oblige."

After several rounds of verbal exchanges, Li Yuan had remained neither servile nor overbearing, responding with perfect propriety and earning many people's secret approval.

At the very least, his temperament and bearing were already beyond those of ordinary youths.

The banquet continued. Cups were raised and exchanged as students from the various academies began moving about to offer one another wine. As the center of attention, Li Yuan naturally received no shortage of toasts and conversation, all of which he answered politely.

As captain, Li Yuan had been secretly observing his opponents. He noticed that over at Grand Void Academy's table, a young girl had remained quietly seated in the corner, seemingly utterly out of place amid the surrounding bustle.

She wore Grand Void Academy's plain white robes. Her beauty was exquisite beyond compare, carrying a cool detachment untouched by the dust of the mortal world. She merely sipped her tea quietly, indifferent to everything around her.

When Li Yuan looked her way, she seemed to sense it and raised her eyes, meeting his gaze for an instant.

In that instant, Li Yuan felt as if he had seen a vast, cold night sky in her eyes. A nameless chill ran through his heart. This girl was absolutely not simple.

Midway through the banquet, Li Yuan excused himself and stepped out beneath the corridor to get some air.

The night breeze was faintly cool, dispersing some of the wine's effects. He leaned against the railing, gazing absently at the swaying lights in the courtyard below.

"Captain Li, you have refined tastes."

A cool female voice sounded behind him.

Li Yuan turned around and saw that the white-clad girl from Grand Void Academy had somehow also come beneath the corridor. She was quietly watching him.

Moonlight spilled over her, lending her an elegant, ethereal air, like an immortal maiden stepping out of the Moon Palace.

"May I ask who you are, Miss?" Li Yuan cupped his hands politely, his mind rapidly searching through the information he had gathered.

"Grand Void, Leng Ningshuang."

The girl's voice held no fluctuation. "Li Yuan, there is a trace of temporal turbulence on you."

"You have come into contact with a spacetime fragment?"

Li Yuan's heart shook violently. This was one of his greatest secrets. Had this girl seen through it at a single glance?

Her insight was truly astonishing.

No, perhaps she had merely sensed a trace of something unusual?

He forcefully suppressed the turmoil in his heart, but his face remained impassive. "Miss Leng must be joking. The path of spacetime is profound and unfathomable. How could someone like Li possibly reach it?"

Leng Ningshuang gave him a deep look, then shifted her gaze toward the night sky and murmured, "Is that so... I hope it was only an illusion."