"Seed quotas?"
"Did I hear that right?"
Everyone in the courtyard was stunned. These were seed quotas! Last time, the Five Great Academies had granted them only three ordinary places.
Standing in a corner, Su Qing looked at Master Mo, a little surprised himself. I knew about the seed quota, but why are there two?
Was it because of me? Did my presence turn the original single seed quota into two?
Beside him, Tang Qian'er clung tightly to Su Qing's arm and shook it wildly.
"Su Qing! Su Qing! Did you hear that? Seed quotas! They're seed quotas!"
Feeling a soft fullness pressing against his arm, Su Qing tried to pull it free. It would not budge, and he sighed helplessly.
"Calm down and think about it. Can you beat me?"
"No," Tang Qian'er answered without even thinking.
"Can you beat Mu Chen?"
"Not him either," Tang Qian'er said dejectedly.
"Figured it out now?"
"Mmm..." Tang Qian'er leaned against Su Qing's shoulder, looking utterly aggrieved.
"Good girl."
Seeing that everyone had quieted down, Master Mo continued from the platform.
"Six students from this year's East Courtyard are eligible to compete: Chen Fan, Huo Yun, Mo Ling, Tang Qian'er, Mu Chen, and Su Qing."
When they heard that their names were not on the list, regret appeared on the faces of the others in the courtyard. Some students who thought themselves fairly capable and had held out a sliver of hope could not help sighing.
"Over the next month, Su Qing and I will give the five of you targeted guidance to help you successfully advance into the Spirit Wheel Realm within that time."
Master Mo spoke.
"Su Qing?"
A few puzzled voices rose from the crowd. Some of these children, sheltered in their ivory tower, were not particularly alert to news from the outside world.
"I've already advanced into the early stage of the Divine Soul Realm," Su Qing replied calmly.
At those words, the courtyard erupted.
Some of the better-informed students had already heard that Su Qing and his father, Mu Feng, had joined forces to kill Liu Jingshan, but hearing rumors and hearing it from the person himself delivered very different shocks.
"I also handled what happened at Mangyin Mountain alone. That should be enough to prove my qualifications."
Su Qing swept his gaze over the crowd and continued.
A deathly silence spread through the crowd. Even Master Mo gave Su Qing a startled look.
A few days earlier, all one hundred and twenty-seven people in the Mangyin Mountain stronghold had died. Corpses littered the stronghold; the weeds had truly been cut out by the roots.
The head of Yang Gui, the stronghold's chief, had been hung above its main gate, swaying back and forth in the cold wind howling through the mountains.
The outside world knew only that Mangyin Mountain had offended the Mu Domain. No one had known who had wiped them out.
So utterly without a sound.
"Mangyin Mountain took advantage of our vulnerability to kill Chen Xiong, a city lord of our Mu Domain. This was blood for blood, a tooth for a tooth."
"Our Mu Domain is not a land that acts with reckless abandon. We have always worked toward peaceful coexistence and mutual benefit with the surrounding powers."
"But neither are we afraid to fight. Swallowing our voices and bowing our heads will not buy even a moment's peace. We will retaliate harshly against any infringement upon the Mu Domain."
"Even the kindness of a single meal must be repaid, and even the grievance of a hostile glance must be settled. These are the principles by which our Mu Domain acts."
His forceful words rang through the courtyard, his handsome face unusually solemn and earnest.
The Northern Spiritual Academy's students came from all across the Northern Spiritual Realm. It could already be regarded as a miniature of the realm itself, with descendants of people from every creed and walk of life cultivating there.
Su Qing's words were meant not only for these students, but also for the people behind them.
With the Liu Domain gone, once the Mu Domain had weathered this period of rest and recovery, it would inevitably succeed the Liu Domain as the largest domain in the Northern Spiritual Realm.
These words represented the foreign policy that would govern the Mu Domain's dealings with the other powers from then on.
Standing on the platform, Master Mo looked helplessly at Su Qing and coughed twice. "All right, go back to your own cultivation. Su Qing, Mu Chen, come with me."
The two exchanged a glance and followed Master Mo out of the courtyard. As they left, the chatter among those remaining swelled into a full uproar.
Once they had followed Master Mo outside the courtyard, Mu Chen spoke first. "Master Mo, I shouldn't need that step anymore."
"Hmm? You've advanced into the Spirit Wheel Realm?"
Master Mo was taken aback at first, then focused his mind to sense the spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from Mu Chen.
With Su Qing's shining example before him, Master Mo did not show much surprise this time and spoke calmly.
"Even though you've entered the Spirit Wheel Realm, you should still stay at the Northern Spiritual Academy for this month. It ought to benefit you."
Mu Chen considered this and raised no objection, saying nothing more.
Seeing that Mu Chen had no further issues, Master Mo returned to the matter at hand.
"Mu Chen, I imagine you can guess why our Northern Spiritual Academy has been granted a seed quota this time."
"Is it because of me? But why are there two?" Mu Chen could indeed guess part of it, but he likewise could not understand why there were two.
Master Mo nodded. "One of the places does have something to do with you. But we can only speculate about the other. Most likely, it has something to do with you as well."
As he reached the end, Master Mo turned to look at Su Qing.
"Me?" Su Qing froze for a moment.
"So why is it?" Su Qing asked with a wry smile. "Don't look at me. I don't know either."
Master Mo sighed. "Then only the higher-ups of the Five Great Academies know. Su Qing, when you go to the Five Great Academies, make sure you ask why, then send us a letter to let us know."
"Sure. Don't worry, Master Mo." Su Qing smiled.
After that little joke, Master Mo returned to the subject. "Mu Chen, although one of the places is connected to you, Dean Xiao does not intend to give you the seed quota outright."
"As for you..." Master Mo looked at Su Qing. "Whether we give it to you outright makes no difference."
Mu Chen was not surprised by this either. "I understand. That place is far too tempting. If you gave it to me without any grounds, no one would accept it."
"Besides..." Mu Chen smiled calmly, yet with a young man's unmistakable pride. "I'll take back everything that belongs to me with my own two hands, one piece at a time!"
"What's more, apart from my brother, no one at the Northern Spiritual Academy can beat me now. That's hardly any different from giving it to me outright."
Master Mo could only laugh. These two brothers really were a pair of characters.
"Don't get cocky ahead of time. There's still a month left. Someone might just catch up to you. Cultivation is like rowing against the current-if you don't advance, you fall back."
Master Mo admonished him.
"Don't worry, Master Mo. My goal goes far beyond this!"
A gleam of resolve shone in Mu Chen's eyes, brilliant and radiant.
I promised Dad I'd bring Mom back.
And there was that girl, too.
The girl who always carried a dark black longsword on her back.
The girl whose silver hair shone like a river of stars, whose eyes were like colored glass.
The girl who had hunted him for over half a year for some inexplicable reason.
The girl who, when he had finally been forced to leave, had been the first to draw her sword without hesitation and stand in front of him.
"I can block every treacherous arrow aimed at your back. As long as you don't hurt me, I'll protect you, whether on the Spirit Road or in the Great Thousand World."
Luo Li, are you doing all right?