Praise and Criticism

"Young man, you're full of spirit. I watched your group's part of the monthly exam with great interest. Excellent work."

Lin Weiliang praised him.

"You're too kind. I relied on firearms and my teammates' help," Xu Yuan said.

"Don't be modest. Making use of every resource available already puts you ahead of many people. I have high hopes for you."

Lin Weiliang spoke with a warm smile.

Yang Xiaobing beamed and hurriedly took her arm.

"Teacher Lin, he really is amazing, and he works so hard. He's the most talented of all my classmates—no worse than Jiang Xueyao!"

Xu Yuan shot Yang Xiaobing a surprised glance.

Wasn't that laying it on a bit thick?

Keep praising me like that and I'll blush.

Lin Weiliang turned to Yang Xiaobing too, amusement in her eyes.

"It's true!"

Yang Xiaobing shook Lin Weiliang's arm like a child pleading for a favor.

Lin Weiliang thought for a moment, took out a form, and handed it to Xu Yuan with a smile.

"Xiao Bing, I'm doing this for your sake. Of course, Xu is promising in his own right. Think it over."

Xu Yuan looked down.

The heading read: "Nine Luminaries-Luofu Joint Early Admission Training Camp: Individual Registration Form."

It was an invitation to an early admission assessment.

Ordinarily, only students at the Qi Refining Third Layer or above had a chance of receiving one!

Show enough potential in the assessment, and they could earn early admission.

Early admission meant being accepted ahead of the regular intake.

Of course, getting the form only meant Xu Yuan had qualified to take the assessment!

But that already put him streets ahead of everyone else.

Xu Yuan and Yang Xiaobing exchanged a glance and saw the delight on each other's faces.

"Thank you, Teacher Lin."

They spoke in unison.

"Oh, what are you thanking me for? Just work hard. Xu Yuan, remember to bring me the form once you've filled it in," Lin Weiliang said.

"I will, Teacher Lin," Xu Yuan said.

Lin Weiliang waved to them with a smile, then turned to greet other students and soon fell into conversation.

Yang Xiaobing pulled Xu Yuan out of the crowd, barely able to contain her smile.

"Yang Xiaobing wants a feast."

She clasped her hands behind her back and raised her chin high, looking thoroughly pleased with herself.

"As you command. I'll make sure Fairy Yang eats until she has a double chin and a belly full of fat!" Xu Yuan said.

"Xu Yuan, you're awful!" Yang Xiaobing swatted his back.

Xu Yuan grinned and let her hit him a couple of times.

Warmth stirred in his chest.

She had practically pitched him like a product. He hadn't expected it to work.

Come to think of it...

Deep down, Xu Yuan really did want to see what the "Qingbei" early admission training camp was like.

And meet the top contenders from across the country!

He would definitely treat Yang Xiaobing to a meal this time.

But then Yang Xiaobing's gaze shifted. She tugged at his sleeve and whispered:

"Come with me. I'll introduce you to someone."

"All right."

They walked to the other side of the Auditorium.

A dashing young male teacher stood there. While everyone else wore various cultivation-style outfits, he was dressed in black casual clothes and leather shoes.

"Teacher Han! This is my classmate Xu Yuan. He's very strong, and he works hard too."

Yang Xiaobing made the introduction.

The teacher glanced at Yang Xiaobing and smiled.

"Xiao Bing, your own early admission result hasn't even come out, and you're already introducing classmates."

"Because he's amazing!" Yang Xiaobing said. "Xu Yuan, Teacher Han is from Nine Luminaries University."

"Hello, Teacher Han," Xu Yuan said quickly.

They were all universities now.

But in this world's ancient past, they had been sects.

The greatest sect under heaven—

Nine Luminaries Sect!

As time passed, though, the sect had kept pace with the times and renamed itself a university.

"Xu Yuan, is it? I'm Han Chaoshen. I watched your monthly exam. Your performance was impressive."

Han Chaoshen spoke.

"Thank you for the praise, Teacher Han. I'm not worthy of it," Xu Yuan said.

"But remember, the best students under heaven all want to attend Nine Luminaries University. You must keep your feet firmly on the ground and work hard. Don't reach for the stars before you can stand," Han Chaoshen said.

That made sense.

He could never underestimate his opponents in any match.

One monthly exam was no reason to get full of himself.

"I'll remember that."

Xu Yuan answered humbly.

"In fact, that monthly exam was flawed to begin with. If you'd happened to encounter a Foundation Establishment Realm monster, what do you think would have happened?" Han Chaoshen asked.

"We would've lost on the spot," Xu Yuan said.

"You're fond of using all kinds of firearms. But a cultivator must rely on their own strength, not those things. Do you know why?" Han Chaoshen asked.

"Please enlighten me," Xu Yuan said.

"Once you reach the Foundation Establishment Realm, firearms won't do much. Relying on them means you've taken the wrong path," Han Chaoshen said.

"I see," Xu Yuan said.

"How would you rate your own strength?" Han Chaoshen asked again.

"It's nothing worth mentioning. I still need a great deal of training and study. I'm working on it," Xu Yuan said.

"That's the right attitude. All right, go look around. Meeting teachers from other schools will do you good." Han Chaoshen waved him away.

That brought the conversation to an end.

"Xiao Bing, stay a moment. I have a few more things to tell you," Han Chaoshen added.

"All right," Yang Xiaobing said.

She glanced at Xu Yuan, at a loss.

Xu Yuan gave her a look that said, It's fine, then turned toward the other teachers.

Only then did Han Chaoshen smile and speak.

"Xiao Bing, I couldn't say this just now. I can tell you now."

"Teacher Han, what is it?" Yang Xiaobing asked.

"You didn't pass early admission," Han Chaoshen said.

Yang Xiaobing let out a startled "Ah" and couldn't help saying, "But my scores and performance before this were all A+. Why—"

"After weighing everything, we decided you don't have enough potential. In other words, you don't have much of a future," Han Chaoshen said.

"Yes. I understand." Yang Xiaobing lowered her head.

"Keep working hard. Perhaps you'll do well in the national College Entrance Examination. Then you'll still have a chance," Han Chaoshen said.

"Yes, Teacher."

"And let me tell you about Xu Yuan. He's gone down the wrong path. You need to be more careful from now on..."

On the other side of the Auditorium.

Xu Yuan wandered around for a while.

He asked several teachers for advice on a few questions.

Then Yang Xiaobing came over.

Her eyes were red.

"What happened?" Xu Yuan asked in surprise.

"Nothing." Yang Xiaobing forced a smile.

"Tell me."

"It's fine."

"Then I'll ask that Han myself."

Xu Yuan started toward him.

Yang Xiaobing jumped and hurriedly said:

"Don't—he just thought I was too rash. He told me to reflect on it, not to let people use me so easily, and never to bring anyone to see him again."

"I argued with him. I told him you weren't like that."

"He said you haven't even reached the Qi Refining Third Layer, and you have Dual Metal-Dark Roots. He told me to watch out for you."

As if afraid Xu Yuan would take it to heart, she tugged his sleeve and whispered:

"I didn't think it through. Don't let it discourage you."

Xu Yuan glanced into the distance.

Han Chaoshen was talking to the principal, looking every bit the courteous gentleman.

Something was off.

"What else did he say, Xiao Bing? Tell me everything," Xu Yuan said.

"...I didn't pass early admission," Yang Xiaobing said quietly.

Xu Yuan turned sharply to look at her.

"It's fine. There's still Luofu," Yang Xiaobing said.

As though afraid he would try to comfort her, she hurried on:

"Keep working hard, and you'll definitely reach the Qi Refining Third Layer by the end of this year—or next year!"

"Don't take Teacher Han's words to heart."

"We'll both keep at it. We'll be fine."

Yang Xiaobing kept up her stream of reassurance.

Xu Yuan listened in silence, then glanced at Lin Weiliang on the other side of the Auditorium.

Suddenly, his guard went up.

Strange.

If Yang Xiaobing really had no future and wasn't worth nurturing—

Then why had Lin Weiliang been so warm to her?

Lin Weiliang had not only praised me, but made an exception and given me an early admission training camp registration form!

And I'm only at the Qi Refining Second Layer. I shouldn't have been eligible!

Two top universities.

One praised, the other condemned.

...Something didn't add up.

Where was the problem?

Tsk.

He had never gone through early admission before. With so little information, he couldn't make a sound judgment.

If only Jiang Xueyao were here.

Wait.

Jiang Xueyao...

She had been picked up by a flying vessel right after the exam. They'd said something had happened at home.

Zhao Afei had said that vessel was extraordinary, beyond the reach of ordinary people. What exactly had he said?

Xu Yuan searched his memory.

"An Azure Sky S-Class Flying Vessel—you can't buy one even if you have the money. Her family seems pretty powerful..."

Which meant...

Jiang Xueyao must have a formidable family background.

They had given away the Qiong Jia Sword without a second thought.

How could a family like that just happen to run into trouble right after the monthly exam?

The monthly exam...

A vague premonition stirred in Xu Yuan's mind.

It came entirely from a sliver of instinct honed through all the years he had spent scraping by in the martial world in his previous life.

But it was too hazy.

He had no evidence and no answer.

But—

Even Jiang Xueyao had been called home. That meant her family had to handle the situation carefully too.

So he couldn't rely on her either.

Yang Xiaobing and he both came from ordinary families.

Neither of them had anyone to lean on.

Xu Yuan drew back his gaze and looked at Yang Xiaobing again.

Her beautiful eyes were red, but she tried her hardest to smile and said lightly,

"Come on. Let's look around some more."

"Wait," Xu Yuan said.

"What is it?" Yang Xiaobing looked up at him.

"Xiao Bing, there's something I need to tell you."

"What?" Yang Xiaobing asked.

"I'm declaring Nine Luminaries University my sworn enemy," Xu Yuan said.

That sounded a little childish.

An ordinary high school student, making a sworn enemy of a top university?

Anyone who heard it would probably laugh.

"Oh, I'm fine. Don't do anything rash on my account."

Yang Xiaobing spoke softly, giving his sleeve a gentle tug and swaying it back and forth.

Xu Yuan smiled and said,

"From now until next year's College Entrance Examination, if I meet anyone who wants to get into Nine Luminaries University, I'll beat them until they admit defeat."

"Why?" Yang Xiaobing asked in surprise.

"When you introduced me to those people just now, you kept saying how strong I was." Xu Yuan put emphasis on the words.

Did that bother him?

Had she praised him so much that she'd rubbed Teacher Han the wrong way?

Was he blaming her now for talking too big?

Yang Xiaobing froze, then hurried to explain.

Xu Yuan followed her hand along his sleeve and took it in his own. He shook his head and slowly went on:

"You don't have to explain. That Han Chaoshen doesn't know a thing. You were right to keep telling people I'm strong."

"I was right?" Yang Xiaobing didn't understand.

"Yes. You really do have a good eye—even if you don't know anything." Xu Yuan rocked on his feet, looking smug and utterly carefree.

"I... don't understand." Yang Xiaobing stared at him.

He stopped moving, leaned close to her ear, and whispered,

"The person you've been introducing to everyone is actually a hero without equal."

A hero without equal.

Yang Xiaobing repeated the words silently.

He continued, his voice soft and quick against her ear:

"Every final-year student Nine Luminaries University has its eye on will lose to me. I swear I'll make it happen."

"With every victory, I'll prove that you were right about me."

"And I'll prove something else, too—"

"The man who said you weren't good enough has something wrong with his head."

"Xiao Bing, you're bound for great things. You're a natural-born cultivation prodigy. You'll soar straight into the blue heavens and become a top female cultivator everyone looks up to."

"I've said it now, and I promise that day will come."

"Trust me."

Yang Xiaobing fell silent for several breaths. Her lips pressed gently together, and her eyes shone as she looked at him.

"Do you really have to fight so many people? It's too dangerous, Xu Yuan."

Her voice was full of worry.