The Academy Does Not Keep Trash

Several dark figures looked up at once, only to see that someone had appeared on the roof ridge at some unknown moment, sitting there.

The man wore a dingy old gray robe, looking like a down-and-out middle-aged scholar. He held a wine gourd in one hand and tipped his head back to take a swig.

Moonlight fell across half his face. He looked utterly ordinary, even somewhat weary and dispirited.

Yet as he sat there so casually, a palpable aura of chilling slaughter bore down upon them like a mountain.

Everyone's expression changed.

They had lain in ambush for so long, yet they had no idea how this man had appeared.

The leader's body stiffened. Gritting his teeth, he threatened, "Who are you, sir? Do not meddle in others' business. What if I insist on going in today?"

The middle-aged scholar lowered his wine gourd and casually wiped his mouth with his sleeve, letting out an inscrutable cold laugh.

He did not answer the man's question. He merely uttered three words in an indifferent voice, accompanied by an undisguised icy killing intent.

"Kill. Show. No. Mercy."

The words exploded in their minds like thunder. They clutched their heads, their faces twisting in agony.

"Y-you... you're that Killing God..."

The black-clad man's face changed dramatically, as though he had remembered something. He did not dare linger any longer. He gave a deeply respectful bow, then fled in a sorry state as if running for his life.

Early the next morning, the main gates of Divine Martial Academy bustled with traffic. The students coming and going were all splendidly dressed, their steps light and brisk.

Li Yuan was still dressed in a somewhat worn indigo cloth robe. Alone, he followed a bluestone path toward an inconspicuous side gate.

He carried only a simple bundle of luggage: a few changes of clothes and the old cloth parcel Aji had given him.

With his head lowered, he entered soundlessly and presented his admission slip to the gatekeeper. After verifying it, the old man looked at him deeply before stepping aside.

"Go in. Walk straight ahead to the third courtyard and report to Pivot Star Pavilion."

"Thank you."

Li Yuan nodded and stepped over the threshold. Beyond it seemed to lie an invisible barrier; even the air felt several degrees fresher.

Following the directions, he soon arrived at Pivot Star Pavilion. It was a standalone three-story building with upturned eaves and ornate brackets, built with exquisite materials and utterly unlike the ordinary classrooms he had passed earlier.

There was no plaque above the entrance. Only an ancient Big Dipper emblem was embedded in the lintel, with the position of the Pivot Star emitting a faint glow.

Several people were already waiting inside. The moment Li Yuan entered, he heard a delighted voice call out, "Brother Li, over here."

He looked over and saw Wu Yu.

Wu Yu wore luxurious sapphire-blue robes that made his complexion look much rosier. He was waving at Li Yuan with an excited grin, drawing the attention of several people nearby.

Li Yuan walked over and nodded at Wu Yu.

"Brother Li, this is great—we've been assigned to the same class." Wu Yu could barely contain his excitement as he lowered his voice. "I heard everyone here is among those with the highest talent assessments."

Li Yuan swept his gaze across the pavilion. Including himself, there were eight people in total, both male and female. Most were quiet, each occupying a corner and maintaining a subtle distance from the others.

"Hey, are you the one with ninth-level talent?"

A crisp, lively voice suddenly rang out. It belonged to a doll-faced girl with large, round eyes. At some unknown point, she had already come over and was curiously looking him up and down.

"My name is Yu Ling'er. My talent is mutated spirit communication—I can communicate simply with some animals and spirit plants. Seventh level, you know."

She pointed at herself, then at Wu Yu. "You're Wu Yu, right? That seventh-level big turtle. I recognize you."

Wu Yu could not help blushing. He stammered, unsure how to respond, while Li Yuan gave her a slight nod. "My name is Li Yuan. Pleased to meet you."

"I know, I know. Who in Chang'an City doesn't know you now?" Yu Ling'er giggled and leaned closer with the easy familiarity of an old friend. "Let me tell you, there are thirteen people in our class in total, and none of them are simple."

"See that ice-faced guy over there, the one holding a saber?" She secretly indicated a youth in the corner with her eyes.

The youth stood tall and straight, dressed in a black fitted outfit. His features were cold and stern, his lips pressed tightly together, carrying a grave air that did not match his age.

He held a sheathed long saber in his arms, its style ancient and simple. Seeming to sense their attention, he cast them a cold glance. His eyes lingered on Li Yuan for a moment, sharp and faintly hostile.

"His name is Shen Lian. He came from Jade Gate Pass in the northwest," Yu Ling'er introduced mysteriously. "I heard he's the only son of Shen Ao, the Iron Wall General guarding the western frontier. His talent is the Silvermoon Wolf King bloodline—an offensive type, eighth level."

Li Yuan's expression remained unchanged. The relationship between frontier generals and the Chang'an court had always been delicate. Yet the other party had returned to Chang'an to study; perhaps there was another reason behind it.

As they spoke, the remaining students arrived one after another.

Just then, a rich fragrant breeze drifted in quietly. A beautiful woman entered through the pavilion's side door, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

She looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight. Tall and graceful, she wore a crimson, form-fitting long dress tailored perfectly to her figure, outlining breathtaking curves.

Her long hair cascaded like a waterfall, loosely pinned up with nothing more than a simple wooden hairpin. A few strands fell naturally by her neck, adding a touch of languid charm.

"All right, little ones." The woman walked to the center of the pavilion, her voice pleasant and naturally seductive.

Her beautiful eyes slowly swept over the group, pausing briefly on every face. Her red lips curved slightly.

"I am Liu Hongyan, the first-year lead instructor of Pivot Star Class."

She got straight to the point, without a single unnecessary word. "Pivot Star Class, as its name suggests, consists of promising talents the Academy has poured resources into cultivating."

"Here, everything centers on credits and actual cultivation progress."

As Liu Hongyan spoke, she turned her wrist, and thirteen palm-sized dark-purple tokens appeared in her hand.

"These are your identity plaques, as well as your credit plaques. After you recognize them as your masters with a drop of blood, they will bind to your souls and cannot be used by anyone else."

"Each has been issued one hundred initial credits."

"Credits are the most important currency you have in the Academy."

"Reading cultivation manuals and classics in the Scripture Repository, collecting pills from the alchemy hall, commissioning or repairing weapons at the artifact workshop, or even privately seeking instruction from an instructor—all of it requires credits."

"The main ways to earn credits are completing your studies and carrying out the various tasks issued by the Academy. The higher the task's difficulty, the more credits it rewards."

She paused, narrowing her phoenix eyes as a note of warning entered her tone. "Remember: the Academy does not keep trash. Those who exhaust their credits and cannot earn more will be demoted according to the circumstances, or even expelled."

"Do you all understand?"

"Understood."

Everyone answered in unison, their expressions turning solemn. One hundred initial credits sounded like a lot, but according to Liu Hongyan, they would likely not last long at all.

"Very good."

Liu Hongyan distributed the credit plaques one by one. "There are no classes today. Your dormitories are at Bamboo Listening Lodge behind this pavilion, two to a room. Your names are already written on the doors."

"Go get settled now. Use your plaques to collect basic supplies from the logistics office. Gather here tomorrow at the Hour of the Dragon. Do not be late."

After saying that, she spoke no more. Swaying her slender waist, she turned and departed gracefully.

Wu Yu held the credit plaque engraved with his name, unable to put it down. He moved beside Li Yuan and said, "Brother Li, let's go collect our things together, then take a look at the dormitories."

"Maybe we'll even end up in the same room."