Different Levels

An hour later, Azure City Railway Station came into view.

Azure City was only a third-tier town, with just two levitating trains bound for the Imperial Capital stopping there each day, one in the morning and one in the evening.

There was still an hour and a half before the morning train departed, but the square outside the station had already gathered quite a crowd, most of them students carrying luggage and merchants hurrying along.

Lin Yun walked over to a breakfast stall by the road. He had just ordered soy milk and fried dough sticks when a tentative voice called out behind him.

"Lin Yun?"

He turned around to find a young couple about his age standing there.

The boy wore a quick-drying tracksuit, with training wristbands wrapped around his wrists. He was Zhang Hao, a classmate from middle school.

The girl beside him had her arm looped through his, wearing light makeup. She was Chen Yu, another former classmate.

When Zhang Hao saw his face clearly, his eyes lit up briefly, a hint of curious scrutiny flashing through them.

Chen Yu, meanwhile, held her chin high and gave Lin Yun a once-over. Her gaze traveled from his ordinary casual clothes to the worn backpack in his hand, as though weighing something. It was rather unpleasant to look at.

"So it really is you. Long time no see."

Zhang Hao smiled and stepped forward, his tone casual.

"You're heading to report to a martial academy, right? By the way, what level is your cultivation at now? How did you do on the exams?"

Lin Yun accepted the fried dough stick handed over by the vendor and replied evenly, "First level Martial Apprentice. I did all right."

After graduating from middle school, Lin Yun had been kicked out of the class group chat. Zhang Hao seemed to have been the group owner back then. If not for their three years as classmates, Lin Yun would not even have bothered answering.

Zhang Hao, on the other hand, paused when he heard Lin Yun's answer. Then, as if relieved, he revealed an understanding smile.

"First level Martial Apprentice? Ah, that explains it. I heard someone say a while back that Azure City had a dark horse named Lin Yun this year who actually got into Imperial Capital First Martial Academy. I thought it was you. Turns out you just have the same name."

As soon as he said that, Chen Yu let out a scoff and rolled her eyes without trying to hide it, her lips curling downward.

The faint interest she had shown in Lin Yun vanished completely, leaving only disdain on her face.

The news that two people from Azure City had been admitted to Imperial Capital First Martial Academy this year had long spread throughout the local martial artist circles.

One was Su Nianhe, the eldest daughter of the Su family. The other was a common-born dark horse who had appeared out of nowhere.

They had thought it was their middle school classmate and intended to catch up with him. It seemed they had been overthinking things.

Zhang Hao's sense of superiority immediately rose. He lifted his wrist, flexed his knuckles, and spoke with a hint of showing off.

"That's normal. Imperial Capital First Martial Academy isn't easy to get into. I didn't perform that well this year and got into Jiangnan Martial Academy. Once I get to the provincial capital and polish myself up, I may not lack opportunities to move up in the future."

As he spoke, he turned his head and patted the back of Chen Yu's hand. His tone was teasing, but he deliberately raised his voice so Lin Yun could hear.

"Back in middle school, you used to go on and on about how good his grades were and how handsome he was. You insisted he'd definitely achieve great things someday. Looks like he's just average after all. He trained for so long and only reached the first level of Martial Apprentice. What a waste of all those feelings you had for him."

Chen Yu coquettishly slapped his arm, then shot Lin Yun a sidelong glance, her tone carrying a trace of disgust.

"That was when I was young and ignorant. Who knew he'd become more and more useless as he grew up? Good thing I never confessed to him."

The two of them played off each other, their mockery entirely undisguised.

In their eyes, a first-level Martial Apprentice was practically at the bottom of martial artist circles. Lin Yun had probably only gotten into some third-rate martial academy and would spend his life barely scraping by. He simply did not belong to the same world as people like them, who had been admitted to proper martial academies.

Lin Yun held his cup of soy milk, his expression unchanged.

He neither grew angry nor explained himself.

With people of different horizons, saying even one extra word was a waste.

Seeing that he remained silent, Zhang Hao assumed he had struck a sore spot and that Lin Yun did not dare refute him. His superiority only grew stronger.

With an arm around Chen Yu's shoulders, he deliberately raised his voice further. "I'm not saying this to be mean, but back then, you were only a little better than the rest of our class academically. But martial artists are ultimately judged by talent and cultivation. Studying yourself to death is useless. In the end, aren't you still stuck at the bottom?"

Chen Yu nestled against his chest and nodded along, the way she looked at Lin Yun now filled with nothing but contempt.

Just as the two continued their performance, a surprised voice suddenly sounded behind them.

"Lin Yun? It really is you!"

A boy in a martial arts gym training uniform hurried over, his face full of delight. It was Zhao Kai, another middle school classmate.

His family ran a small martial arts gym in Azure City, and he had grown up immersed in martial artist circles. His sources of information were especially well-connected.

He strode up to Lin Yun, his voice carrying genuine admiration. "I thought I was seeing things. You're heading to the Imperial Capital to report in? My dad was talking about you just a few days ago. He said Azure City had produced a dark horse like you, who forced his way into Imperial Capital First Martial Academy, and told me to learn more from you."

The smile on Zhang Hao's face instantly froze.

He stared blankly for a moment, then turned to Zhao Kai, his face full of disbelief.

"Zhao Kai, you've got the wrong person, right? He is Lin Yun, but he's only a first-level Martial Apprentice. How could he possibly get into Imperial Capital First Martial Academy?"

"First-level Martial Apprentice?"

Zhao Kai was stunned at first. Then his gaze fell on Lin Yun, and after sensing him carefully for a moment, his eyes abruptly widened. As if he had realized something, he sucked in a sharp breath.

"Damn, you dispersed your cultivation and started over?"

His words came out of nowhere, leaving Zhang Hao completely confused. "What do you mean, dispersed his cultivation?"

"You don't even understand that, and you still have the nerve to mock someone else?" Zhao Kai shot him a glance, unconcealed disdain in his tone. "The basic cultivation method Lin Yun practices must be one of those very special kinds. After cultivating it to its peak, he disperses his blood and qi, then cultivates again. His blood and qi condensation will improve by at least ten to twenty percent. He's aiming for perfect foundation establishment, maybe even extreme foundation establishment!"

He paused, then added another sentence, every word stabbing into Zhang Hao and Chen Yu's hearts.

"Don't be fooled just because he's only at the first level of Martial Apprentice right now. One hand would be enough for him to beat someone like you, a third-level Martial Apprentice. The two of you have been making snide remarks here, but he simply can't be bothered with you. You're not even on the same level."

Zhang Hao opened his mouth, but could not say a word for a long time.

He looked at Zhao Kai, then at the calm-faced Lin Yun. His face alternated between red and white as his earlier sense of superiority shattered completely.

Chen Yu's face had gone pale, her lips pressed tightly together.

She had never imagined that the person she had just looked down upon in every possible way was actually the genius dark horse whose name had spread throughout Azure City.

Dispersing one's cultivation and starting over, extreme foundation establishment—she had only heard such terms from her family elders. That was a path only true prodigies dared to take.

Remembering what she had just said, she felt her face burn with shame and wished she could crawl into a crack in the ground.

Only then did Lin Yun raise his eyes. He gave Zhao Kai a slight nod. "Are you heading to report in too?"

"Yeah, I'm going to Jiangnan Martial Academy." Zhao Kai scratched his head and smiled a little shyly. "I definitely can't compare to you. I'm just going to get myself a diploma."

"Jiangnan Martial Academy is very good already."

The two exchanged a few casual words before the station broadcast announced that ticket inspection was beginning.

Lin Yun picked up his backpack, gestured to Zhao Kai, then turned and headed for the entrance. From beginning to end, he did not spare Zhang Hao or Chen Yu another glance.