After settling into Lingxi Academy, Ye Lingyun quickly threw himself into a demanding yet fulfilling routine of study. Every morning, as the first rays of sunlight fell across the academy buildings, he arrived early at the training grounds to begin his morning spiritual power exercises. He practiced the Nine-Turn Spirit Illusion Art, circulating spiritual power through his meridians again and again, sensing its subtle changes as he worked to improve its purity and strength.
As time passed, Ye Lingyun grew increasingly adept at controlling spiritual power. During one cultivation class, the instructor asked the students to condense their spiritual power into specific shapes and maintain them for a set period. Most could only produce rough shapes that lasted briefly. Ye Lingyun, however, easily condensed his spiritual power into an exquisitely formed star, its light shining brightly as it remained stable for a long time. The instructor watched his performance with approval, praised him on the spot, and urged the other students to follow his example and work harder at controlling their spiritual power.
Beyond spiritual power cultivation, Ye Lingyun also excelled in martial technique classes. During a practice session, he demonstrated the Star-Splitting Void Sword Technique infused with Star-Palm Illusion Sword Intent, his sword moves fierce and ever-changing. His figure darted about, and as his longsword swept through the air, streams of sword energy crisscrossed like stars dancing through the void, drawing gasps of wonder from the surrounding students. When sparring with his classmates, Ye Lingyun easily defeated his opponents with his refined swordsmanship and agile footwork, making them see his abilities in a new light.
Among his elective courses, Ye Lingyun was particularly enthusiastic about alchemy and spiritual formations. In alchemy class, he listened carefully as the instructor explained how to refine various pills, the properties of spiritual herbs, and the control of heat. On his very first attempt at refining a basic Spirit-Gathering Pill, Ye Lingyun displayed extraordinary talent. He controlled the heat precisely and added the spiritual herbs in an orderly sequence, successfully producing a high-quality Spirit-Gathering Pill. The instructor could not stop praising his work and declared that he had tremendous potential in alchemy.
In spiritual formation class, Ye Lingyun was even more like a fish in water. He had unique insights into the layouts of various formations, the inscription of runes, and the methods of channeling spiritual power into them. When the instructor assigned the construction of a small defensive spiritual formation, Ye Lingyun not only completed it quickly but also improved it, increasing its defensive strength severalfold over the original design. Amazed by his innovative thinking and deep understanding of spiritual formations, the instructor specifically arranged for him to share his approach and methods in class, greatly benefiting the other students.
With Ye Lingyun's outstanding classroom performances, his reputation gradually spread throughout Lingxi Academy. Many students took the initiative to befriend him, hoping to learn cultivation techniques and insights from him. Humble by nature, Ye Lingyun always engaged warmly with his classmates, sharing his experiences and understanding.
However, Ye Lingyun's rise to prominence also stirred jealousy in some people. Lingxi Academy had a student organization called the Fengyun Club, whose members were mostly descendants of major powers. They considered themselves noble by birth and habitually acted with overbearing arrogance. The club president, Lin Yu, was particularly prone to jealousy. Seeing Ye Lingyun, a student of ordinary origins, enjoying such glory at the academy displeased him immensely.
"This Ye Lingyun is nothing but a nameless nobody, yet he's stolen all the limelight at the academy. We have to find a way to put him in his place," Lin Yu said darkly, seated in the Fengyun Club's meeting hall.
"President, what should we do?" a club member asked ingratiatingly.
Lin Yu pondered for a moment, a vicious glint flashing in his eyes. "I hear the academy will be holding a Freshman Spiritual Power Control Competition soon. We can use that competition to our advantage. Have a few of our club's experts sign up. They must defeat Ye Lingyun and leave his reputation in the dust."
News of Lingxi Academy's Freshman Spiritual Power Control Competition soon spread across campus. Designed to test the students' precise control and application of spiritual power, the competition featured a wide variety of events, including spiritual power shaping, spiritual power racing, and spiritual power puzzle-solving. Upon hearing the news, Ye Lingyun signed up without hesitation. He considered it a good opportunity to improve himself while also testing what he had learned over the past weeks.
On the day of the competition, the field was a sea of people, with numerous students gathered to watch. Ye Lingyun stood in the center of the competition area alongside the other contestants, waiting for the events to begin. Lin Yu also arrived with members of the Fengyun Club. He watched Ye Lingyun coldly, inwardly gloating. Ye Lingyun, today is your unlucky day. Let's see whether you can still bask in all that glory.
Once the competition began, the first event was spiritual power shaping. Within the allotted time, the contestants had to condense their spiritual power into a specified intricate design. Fully focused, Ye Lingyun rapidly formed hand seals, and spiritual power swiftly condensed under his control. Before long, a lifelike phoenix appeared in his palm, every feather clearly visible, as though it might spread its wings and soar at any moment. The moment his creation appeared, waves of cheers rose from the audience.
Ye Lingyun performed just as impressively in the spiritual power racing event that followed. Skillfully manipulating his spiritual power, he sent his spiritual power sphere darting along the complicated course at tremendous speed, reaching the finish line first by an overwhelming margin.
Seeing Ye Lingyun take first place in both opening events, Lin Yu's expression grew increasingly ugly. He spoke quietly to the club member beside him. "The next event is spiritual power puzzle-solving. That's our club's Li Qiang's specialty. Make sure he finds a way to defeat Ye Lingyun."
The spiritual power puzzle-solving event began, and a series of spiritual power puzzles appeared before the contestants, requiring both spiritual power and intelligence to unravel. Li Qiang went all out from the start, trying to open a gap between himself and Ye Lingyun. However, drawing on the knowledge he had gained in spiritual formation class and his keen perception of spiritual power, Ye Lingyun swiftly solved one puzzle after another. In the end, he finished the event successfully with a narrow lead over Li Qiang.
After fierce competition across several events, Ye Lingyun's outstanding performance earned him the championship in the Freshman Spiritual Power Control Competition. The moment he stood on the awards podium and accepted the championship trophy, thunderous applause and cheers rang out across the field. Lin Yu stared at Ye Lingyun, his eyes filled with resentment, but there was nothing he could do.
Through this competition, Ye Lingyun's reputation at Lingxi Academy grew even brighter, and he became a role model in the eyes of many students. He also understood that challenges and jealousy would continue to confront him on the road to greater strength. Yet he would not retreat because of them; instead, he would advance toward his goal with even firmer resolve...
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