Chapter 171: Chapter 170: Celestial Academy Comes to Battle
THUD.
The old servant’s body collapsed to the ground.
The surrounding crowd fell silent, utterly quiet, frozen on the spot.
Why had the old servant stood there motionless, allowing Wen Qingye to slay him? Had his Primordial Spirit been extinguished by Wen Qingye?
......
News of Wen Qingye slaying a Yin-Yang Realm expert spread like wildfire. On top of that, word got out that Zhang Xiaoyun and Gao Yuerou had been accepted as disciples by a mysterious Sect. For a time, the entire Celestial Martial Country was in an uproar, with these events on everyone’s lips.
People especially delighted in discussing how the Yin-Yang Realm expert had simply stood there, unmoving, while Wen Qingye took his head.
Naturally, some were overjoyed, while others were worried.
The sun set, and the evening glow dyed half the sky red.
Wen Qingye sat on a stone chair. Before him was a cup of tea, and beside it, another cup filled with clear water.
Wen Qingye said nothing. Expressionless, he quietly gazed at the two cups on the table.
Now, there was no one beside him to drink that clear water, no one to watch the sunset with, no one leaning against the door waiting for his return. For some reason, Wen Qingye felt a little desolate.
He, who had once sat in silent meditation for countless ages, now found himself afraid of this feeling of solitude.
The night was as cold and clear as water, utterly silent.
Wen Qingye slowly reached out, picked up the cup, and drained the clear water in a single gulp.
"Taiyi Pavilion!"
A strange light flashed in Wen Qingye’s eyes, startlingly bright in the dark night and filled with an endless chill.
In the days that followed, Wen Qingye thought of nothing else, cultivating ceaselessly. His cultivation gradually stabilized at the Refining Spirit First Layer Heaven.
Wen Qingye had never been one for many words, but now, he was even more silent.
.......
Some time passed since Wen Qingye had returned from Qig Mountain Academy.
On this particular day, a major event occurred at Qig Mountain Academy: a group of uninvited guests had arrived.
A middle-aged man with a full beard smiled at Wang Tianming. "Brother Wang, it’s been too long. You’re as distinguished as ever."
Wang Tianming laughed heartily in return. "Brother Jiuyi, it has been a long time!"
This full-bearded man was none other than Shu Jiuyi, the Dean of Celestial Academy.
Wang Tianming led Shu Jiuyi and the students of Celestial Academy to the main peak of the Inner Courtyard. After they were all seated, tea was served.
Wang Tianming slowly asked, "Brother Jiuyi, your presence with your students brings great honor to our Qig Mountain Academy. But knowing you, I doubt this is a purely social call."
Before Shu Jiuyi could speak, Wu Jing, who stood beside him, said, "Dean Wang, you’re too kind. The trial our two academies held in the Hundred Break Mountains eight years ago is still fresh in my mind. In fact, that is why we have come."
Wang Tianming asked quizzically, "Oh? Does your esteemed academy wish to hold another trial in the Hundred Break Mountains?"
Shu Jiuyi and Wu Jing exchanged a smile and shook their heads in unison.
Shu Jiuyi smiled and said, "No. This time, we are here primarily for a friendly exchange with your academy."
"A friendly exchange?"
Everyone from Qig Mountain Academy was inwardly alarmed. ’A friendly exchange? It’s probably not that simple.’
"And what does this ’friendly exchange’ entail?" Nie Qinglan asked, her brow furrowed.
Wu Jing slowly explained, "As you are all aware, another eight years have passed, and the Thousand Rivers Secret Land will soon open. Even with its many chosen prodigies, Purple Sun Prefecture cannot guarantee that any of its students will be accepted into the Celestial Profound Sect this year. If someone from our two academies could enter the Celestial Profound Sect, our standing in the Celestial Martial Country would improve dramatically. Therefore, we propose a ’friendly exchange’ with Qig Mountain Academy to gauge the strength of our students. Each academy will select five participants for a series of matches. The loser of each match is eliminated, and the contest continues until one side has no one left. What do you say?"
As Wu Jing spoke, her gaze drifted to the Inner Courtyard students standing behind the academy elders, a subtle glint of excitement and smugness in her eyes.
Everyone instantly understood. ’This isn’t a friendly exchange at all; it’s a blatant provocation right on our doorstep!’
Everyone knew the three academies were not on equal footing. Purple Sun Prefecture was a veritable gathering place for geniuses, receiving the most resources in all of the Celestial Martial Country. Celestial Academy came second; while its resources couldn’t compare to Purple Sun Prefecture’s, they were still far more plentiful than Qig Mountain Academy’s.
Wang Tianming, Nie Qinglan, and Yann Shanjun’s brows twitched, and worry crept into their hearts. This was their home turf, after all. They knew how formidable Celestial Academy’s students were. A simple loss was one thing, but a crushing defeat would be a complete loss of face.
While the Qig Mountain Academy leaders worried, the Inner Courtyard students behind them were eager for a chance to prove themselves, their hearts filled with excitement and curiosity.
If they could defeat the prodigies of Celestial Academy, their fame would not only spread throughout Qig Mountain Academy, but they would also make a name for themselves at Celestial Academy. They were all young, after all. Who among them wasn’t impulsive and passionate?
Wang Tianming deliberated for a moment, then glanced at Shu Jiuyi and nodded. "Very well. Since you’ve come all this way, what harm is there in our Qig Mountain Academy students competing against yours?"
.....
「Among the Celestial Academy contingent.」
"Sis, are you looking for that Wen Qingye?" Zhao Mei asked in a low voice, a mischievous smile on her face.
Zhao Xia nodded, her beautiful eyes scanning the area. "Yes. Why isn’t he here? Has he not returned yet?"
Failing to get a rise out of her sister, Zhao Mei pouted. "He’s obviously not here, so just stop looking. It’s a waste of time. If you ask me, he’s probably holed up somewhere, cultivating his heart out."
Zhao Xia’s brow furrowed tightly at Zhao Mei’s words.
Zhao Mei continued, "Besides, isn’t it better that he’s not here? If he were, he’d have to fight for Qig Mountain Academy against us. What if he got completely crushed?"
Zhao Hao raised an eyebrow. "Second Sister, you underestimate Brother Wen."
Zhao Hao lifted his chin and said slowly, "His Swordsmanship is on par with our Inner Courtyard’s instructors. Have you really not realized that yet?"
Zhao Mei gave Zhao Hao a disbelieving look. "You’re exaggerating. Wen Qingye’s Swordsmanship is good, I admit, but it’s not *that* amazing."
"Ignorant! Clueless!" Zhao Hao shook his head, sounding helpless.
Zhao Mei huffed, "Hey, you brat, how dare you call me ignorant? I’m just calling it as I see it and giving my opinion! Besides, I was unconscious that day, so how could I have seen his Swordsmanship?"
"Alright, stop arguing," Zhao Xia interjected. Her words still carried weight. "The Dean of Qig Mountain Academy has agreed. Just focus on the competition." The two of them immediately fell silent.
