Skyreach Academy Admission Slot

It was clear that Xu Yin had been living extremely comfortably these days. Her old injuries no longer acted up, and with the five hundred Lesser Origin Pills Su Chen had given her, she had no worries about cultivation resources for the time being.

Xu Yin studied Su Chen again, her willow-leaf brows knitting slightly without her noticing. She always felt that Su Chen seemed somewhat different today, but she could not put her finger on exactly how.

After a long while, Xu Yin finally asked tentatively, "Xiao Chen, you... broke through to the Tenth Layer of the Qi-Attraction Realm?"

Su Chen hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes, I broke through."

"Good, wonderful!" Xu Yin's face blossomed into a smile. She had thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but Xiao Chen really had reached the Tenth Layer of the Qi-Attraction Realm. This trip into the mountains for training had actually brought him such tremendous gains.

Xu Yin was deeply gratified, her face overflowing with joy. She was practically happier than if she had broken through herself.

What Xu Yin did not know was that Su Chen had still concealed his true cultivation. Rising from the peak of the Eighth Layer of the Qi-Attraction Realm to the Tenth Layer in half a month was already shocking enough. If people learned that he had actually reached the First Layer of the Essence Condensation Realm, would that not scare them to death?

"Oh, right, there are two things I need to tell you," Xu Yin said, getting to the point.

"What things?" Su Chen asked.

"The first is that Tingyi is going to Skyreach Academy. A teacher from the academy has already come to Clear River City to pick her up." Xu Yin revealed a hint of delight as she spoke of it.

"A teacher from Skyreach Academy?" Su Chen was stunned when he heard that, an odd feeling rising within him.

"Yes." Xu Yin nodded. "You should have heard your parents mention this. Tingyi's father, your uncle by marriage Jiang Hai, once made an agreement with Skyreach Academy. Jiang Hai would enter a forbidden area deep within to find something for them, and in return, Skyreach Academy would give Tingyi an admission slot when she turned fifteen."

"You know what happened afterward. Although Jiang Hai completed the task, he vanished. In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed. Tingyi is now fifteen, and Skyreach Academy has sent someone to fulfill its promise from back then," Xu Yin said.

"A teacher from Skyreach Academy..." Su Chen murmured. He remembered now. This had indeed happened in his previous life.

Before Su Chen could think further, however, Xu Yin brought up the second matter.

"The second matter is that the old madam's seventieth birthday banquet will be held five days from now." Xu Yin was far less happy when discussing this topic, even curling her lips in displeasure.

Su Chen knew that the old madam Xu Yin referred to was the Jiang Family's old madam, the wife of the late Jiang Family head.

The old madam was Jiang Shan and Jiang He's biological mother, but she was not Jiang Hai or Jiang Feng's biological mother, since Jiang Hai and Jiang Feng had been born to a concubine.

The old madam had always disliked Jiang Hai and Jiang Feng, who were not her own sons. However, the Cloud Abyss Empire honored the principal wife above all else. Even if she was not Jiang Hai and Jiang Feng's birth mother, she was still their mother in name.

Moreover, she was currently the highest-ranking elder in the entire Jiang Family, and her strength was unfathomable. Thus, everyone in the Jiang Family treated her with reverence.

"The old madam's birthday is five days from now, Xiao Chen, you should go too," Xu Yin said. Since Su Chen was living under the Jiang Family's roof, he could be considered half a member of the Jiang Family. If he did not go to offer birthday wishes to the old madam, people would inevitably accuse him of disrespecting her.

"As for the birthday gift, I'll help you prepare it... Xiao Chen?"

As Xu Yin spoke, she suddenly noticed that Su Chen's expression had darkened, cold light bursting from his eyes.

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She had never seen such an expression on Su Chen's face before, and she could not help but freeze.

While Xu Yin was still dazed, Su Chen fixed his eyes on her and said word by word, "Aunt Xu, listen carefully to what I am about to say."

"What?" Locked beneath Su Chen's gaze, Xu Yin could not help but turn serious as well.

"Jiang Shan and Jiang He are planning to use the old madam's seventieth birthday as an opportunity to join forces with her and seize my cousin's admission slot, giving it to Jiang Shan's daughter, Jiang Yuewu!"

The moment Su Chen finished speaking, Xu Yin was stunned.

"What? Xiao Chen... is what you said true?"

Xu Yin found it utterly unbelievable. Jiang Shan and Jiang He actually harbored such intentions?

"Absolutely true."

Su Chen's tone was utterly certain, because this had truly happened in his previous life.

In his previous life, because Skyreach Academy's teacher had also attended the old madam's seventieth birthday banquet, Jiang Shan and Jiang He had wagged their tongues like spring flowers at the feast, persuading the teacher that as long as a Jiang Family descendant enrolled—whether Jiang Tingyi or Jiang Yuewu—it would count as fulfilling Skyreach Academy's promise to Jiang Hai from years ago.

As for Jiang Tingyi herself, Jiang Shan and Jiang He attacked her confidence from every angle, making her believe that her talent was inferior to Jiang Yuewu's and that even if she entered Skyreach Academy, she would only disgrace the Jiang Family.

Thus, Jiang Tingyi ultimately missed Skyreach Academy by a hair, while Jiang Yuewu took her place and happily went to Skyreach Academy instead.

In his previous life, Jiang Tingyi's engagement had been arranged after this incident. In other words, after losing her Skyreach Academy admission slot, Jiang Shan and Jiang He had forcibly married her to Wang Sheng, beginning the tragedy of her life.

"The old madam actually conspired with them to scheme against my Tingyi?" Xu Yin muttered. She knew that the old madam had always disliked the second and fourth branches, but she had never imagined that the old madam's heart could be so biased.

Though the second and fourth branches were not the old madam's own flesh and blood, they still carried the Jiang Family's bloodline!

"Aunt Xu, do not expect that old madam to do anything good," Su Chen said with a cold laugh. There was another major reason he disliked her: the old madam's surname was Wang. Back when the Wang Family and the Jiang Family had formed a marriage alliance, she, a collateral member of the Wang Family, had married into the Jiang Family.

Su Chen had no favorable impression of anyone in the Wang Family.

"Xiao Chen, what should we do now? Tingyi's admission slot absolutely cannot be taken away!" Xu Yin had always trusted Su Chen without condition. Even now that he had told her what would happen at the birthday banquet, she believed him without asking how he knew.

Su Chen said, "This time, we must rely on my cousin herself."

"Rely on her?"

"That's right. Skyreach Academy's teacher values strength. If my cousin can display strength that utterly crushes Jiang Yuewu's at the birthday banquet, I believe no one will dare make irresponsible remarks about her entering Skyreach Academy!"

"But Tingyi's current strength is no weaker than Jiang Yuewu's." This was also what puzzled Xu Yin. If Jiang Shan wanted to give the slot to Jiang Yuewu, Jiang Yuewu had to be powerful enough; otherwise, how could that teacher possibly agree?

"My cousin is indeed no weaker than Jiang Yuewu right now. However, the day before the birthday banquet, Jiang Shan will find a way to put Sinew-Softening Powder in her food. At that time, my cousin will be weak all over. By the day of the banquet, she will be able to wield at most thirty or forty percent of her usual strength." Su Chen spoke calmly. This was Jiang Shan's true venomous scheme!

Xu Yin was utterly shocked. "They are actually this vicious!"

It was clear that Xu Yin had been living extremely comfortably these days. Her old injuries no longer acted up, and with the five hundred Lesser Origin Pills Su Chen had given her, she had no worries about cultivation resources for the time being.

Xu Yin studied Su Chen again, her willow-leaf brows knitting slightly without her noticing. She always felt that Su Chen seemed somewhat different today, but she could not put her finger on exactly how.

After a long while, Xu Yin finally asked tentatively, "Xiao Chen, you... broke through to the Tenth Layer of the Qi-Attraction Realm?"

Su Chen hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes, I broke through."

"Good, wonderful!" Xu Yin's face blossomed into a smile. She had thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but Xiao Chen really had reached the Tenth Layer of the Qi-Attraction Realm. This trip into the mountains for training had actually brought him such tremendous gains.

Xu Yin was deeply gratified, her face overflowing with joy. She was practically happier than if she had broken through herself.

What Xu Yin did not know was that Su Chen had still concealed his true cultivation. Rising from the Peak of the Eighth Layer of Qi-Attraction Realm to the Tenth Layer of Qi-Attraction Realm in half a month was already shocking enough. If people learned that he had actually reached the First Layer of Essence Condensation Realm, would that not scare them to death?

"Oh, right, there are two things I need to tell you," Xu Yin said, getting to the point.

"What things?" Su Chen asked.

"The first is that Tingyi is going to Skyreach Academy. A teacher from the academy has already come to Clear River City to pick her up." Xu Yin revealed a hint of delight as she spoke of it.

"A teacher from Skyreach Academy?" Su Chen was stunned when he heard that, an odd feeling rising within him.

"You know what happened afterward. Although Jiang Hai completed the task, he vanished. In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed. Tingyi is now fifteen, and Skyreach Academy has sent someone to fulfill its promise from back then," Xu Yin said.

"You know what happened afterward. Although Jiang Hai completed the task, he vanished. In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed. Tingyi is now fifteen, and Skyreach Academy has sent someone to fulfill its promise from back then," Xu Yin said.

"A teacher from Skyreach Academy..." Su Chen murmured. He remembered now. This had indeed happened in his previous life.

Before Su Chen could think further, however, Xu Yin brought up the second matter.

"The second matter is that the old madam's seventieth birthday banquet will be held five days from now." Xu Yin was far less happy when discussing this topic, even curling her lips in displeasure.

Su Chen knew that the old madam Xu Yin referred to was the Jiang Family's old madam, the wife of the late Jiang Family head.

The old madam was Jiang Shan and Jiang He's biological mother, but she was not Jiang Hai or Jiang Feng's biological mother, since Jiang Hai and Jiang Feng had been born to a concubine.

The old madam had always disliked Jiang Hai and Jiang Feng, who were not her own sons. However, the Cloud Abyss Empire honored the principal wife above all else. Even if she was not Jiang Hai and Jiang Feng's birth mother, she was still their mother in name.

Moreover, she was currently the highest-ranking elder in the entire Jiang Family, and her strength was unfathomable. Thus, everyone in the Jiang Family treated her with reverence.

"The old madam's birthday is five days from now, Xiao Chen, you should go too," Xu Yin said. Since Su Chen was living under the Jiang Family's roof, he could be considered half a member of the Jiang Family. If he did not go to offer birthday wishes to the old madam, people would inevitably accuse him of disrespecting her.

"As for the birthday gift, I'll help you prepare it... Xiao Chen?"

As Xu Yin spoke, she suddenly noticed that Su Chen's expression had darkened, cold light bursting from his eyes.

She had never seen such an expression on Su Chen's face before, and she could not help but freeze.

While Xu Yin was still dazed, Su Chen fixed his eyes on her and said word by word, "Aunt Xu, listen carefully to what I am about to say."

"What?" Locked beneath Su Chen's gaze, Xu Yin could not help but turn serious as well.

"Jiang Shan and Jiang He are planning to use the old madam's seventieth birthday as an opportunity to join forces with her and seize my cousin's admission slot, giving it to Jiang Shan's daughter, Jiang Yuewu!"

The moment Su Chen finished speaking, Xu Yin was stunned.

"What? Xiao Chen... is what you said true?"

Xu Yin found it utterly unbelievable. Jiang Shan and Jiang He actually harbored such intentions?

"Absolutely true."

Su Chen's tone was utterly certain, because this had truly happened in his previous life.

In his previous life, because Skyreach Academy's teacher had also attended the old madam's seventieth birthday banquet, Jiang Shan and Jiang He had wagged their tongues like spring flowers at the feast, persuading the teacher that as long as a Jiang Family descendant enrolled—whether Jiang Tingyi or Jiang Yuewu—it would count as fulfilling Skyreach Academy's promise to Jiang Hai from years ago.

As for Jiang Tingyi herself, Jiang Shan and Jiang He attacked her confidence from every angle, making her believe that her talent was inferior to Jiang Yuewu's and that even if she entered Skyreach Academy, she would only disgrace the Jiang Family.

Thus, Jiang Tingyi ultimately missed Skyreach Academy by a hair, while Jiang Yuewu took her place and happily went to Skyreach Academy instead.

In his previous life, Jiang Tingyi's engagement had been arranged after this incident. In other words, after losing her Skyreach Academy admission slot, Jiang Shan and Jiang He had forcibly married her to Wang Sheng, beginning the tragedy of her life.

"The old madam actually conspired with them to scheme against my Tingyi?" Xu Yin muttered. She knew that the old madam had always disliked the second and fourth branches, but she had never imagined that the old madam's heart could be so biased.

Though the second and fourth branches were not the old madam's own flesh and blood, they still carried the Jiang Family's bloodline!

"Aunt Xu, do not expect that old madam to do anything good," Su Chen said with a cold laugh. There was another major reason he disliked her: the old madam's surname was Wang. Back when the Wang Family and the Jiang Family had formed a marriage alliance, she, a collateral member of the Wang Family, had married into the Jiang Family.

Su Chen had no favorable impression of anyone in the Wang Family.

"Xiao Chen, what should we do now? Tingyi's admission slot absolutely cannot be taken away!" Xu Yin had always trusted Su Chen without condition. Even now that he had told her what would happen at the birthday banquet, she believed him without asking how he knew.

Su Chen said, "This time, we must rely on my cousin herself."

"Rely on her?"

"That's right. Skyreach Academy's teacher values strength. If my cousin can display strength that utterly crushes Jiang Yuewu's at the birthday banquet, I believe no one will dare make irresponsible remarks about her entering Skyreach Academy!"

"But Tingyi's current strength is no weaker than Jiang Yuewu's." This was also what puzzled Xu Yin. If Jiang Shan wanted to give the slot to Jiang Yuewu, Jiang Yuewu had to be powerful enough; otherwise, how could that teacher possibly agree?

"My cousin is indeed no weaker than Jiang Yuewu right now. However, the day before the birthday banquet, Jiang Shan will find a way to put Sinew-Softening Powder in her food. At that time, my cousin will be weak all over. By the day of the banquet, she will be able to wield at most thirty or forty percent of her usual strength." Su Chen spoke calmly. This was Jiang Shan's true venomous scheme!

Xu Yin was utterly shocked. "They are actually this vicious!"