Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Dean’s Forest
This eerie silence lasted for who knows how long before a deafening roar swept through the entire Celestial City Academy, like a tidal wave crashing down.
"My God! The stone statue actually shattered!"
"What in the world is going on!?"
"Could it be because of Shen Daoxing?"
.....
Everyone was utterly shaken to the core.
Luo Fei’s brow furrowed deeply as he stared intently into the Dean’s Forest.
Shen Daoxing continued walking forward.
The white smoke gradually dispersed, and the stone statues ahead became clear.
Then, a shocking scene unfolded. As Shen Daoxing approached, the stone statues began to retreat, step by step, as if they had encountered something terrifying.
"This...!"
The teachers of Celestial City Academy stared wide-eyed, their breath catching in their throats.
’The stone statues are actually... avoiding him!?’
Keep in mind, each statue contained the lingering will of a past dean. Even Grotto Heaven masters would struggle to withstand their formidable pressure. Yet now, in the face of Shen Daoxing, the statues were retreating.
’Could Shen Daoxing be even more terrifying?’
The more they thought about it, the more terrified they became.
The smile on Luo Fei’s face froze completely.
With the statues parting for him, Shen Daoxing had an unimpeded path and quickly reached the final section of the Dean’s Forest.
Here lay the lingering will of the first-generation dean.
The statue towered twenty feet high, standing firm in the middle of the path. Its entire form emanated a brilliant radiance, so bright that no one dared to look at it directly.
Shen Daoxing glanced at the statue and stepped forward.
The statue of the first-generation dean was unwilling to yield. It released an even more powerful might, attempting to obstruct Shen Daoxing from moving forward.
’Then bring it on!’
Shen Daoxing’s eyes were deep pools of darkness as the Venerable Bloodline within his body surged forth once more.
The one hundred and eight acupoints in his body shone brilliantly.
A wisp of the Venerable Supreme’s majesty drifted down upon the forest of statues, an aura far beyond what the statue before him could possibly withstand.
BOOM!
The statue of the first-generation dean exploded, turning to dust.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Then, before everyone’s horrified eyes, all the other statues exploded into fragments.
With a perfectly calm expression, Shen Daoxing walked out of the Dean’s Forest.
Outside Celestial City Academy, everyone was stunned.
The teachers, especially, looked on in utter disbelief, as if they were dreaming.
’Even the first-generation dean’s statue shattered into dust!?’
After a long while, the murmurs of discussion gradually began to rise.
"He... he passed the Dean’s Forest?"
"My heavens! He really walked out."
.....
Everyone was trembling with shock.
Ever since the Dean’s Forest was established, no one had ever managed to walk out.
But now, Shen Daoxing had emerged, completing an unprecedented feat!
Just then, Luo Fei roared in anger, "How dare you! You actually dared to destroy the statues of the past deans!"
Shen Daoxing asked, "Does Celestial City Academy have such a rule?"
"You!"
Luo Fei was about to explode with rage, but then a sense of terror washed over him.
’Shen Daoxing passed through the Dean’s Forest... Doesn’t that mean he’s going to become a student at Celestial City Academy!?’
Luo Fei couldn’t imagine how terrifying Shen Daoxing would become in the future, having conquered the Dean’s Forest.
’No, I absolutely cannot let this kid into Celestial City Academy.’
Shen Daoxing scanned the surroundings and asked, "I’ve walked out of the Dean’s Forest, so does that mean I’ve passed this special assessment?"
Luo Fei shouted, "The deans’ statues are relics left by generations of deans! But today, you deliberately destroyed them! In my view, you have no respect for the deans of the past and show contempt for our Celestial City Academy. And you still dream of joining us?"
Wang Hu roared, "Luo Fei, that’s a load of crap!"
"A load of crap? The first dean’s statue was destroyed. Can you bear that responsibility?"
Luo Fei sneered, "Besides, Shen Daoxing is only at the Profound Platform realm. How could he shatter statues cast from Profound Stone? There must be something fishy about this!"
As soon as Luo Fei said this, everyone turned to look at Shen Daoxing.
Their eyes filled with a mixture of doubt and curiosity.
How on earth did Shen Daoxing walk out of this forest of statues?
And how did he make the statues explode?
Just as Shen Daoxing was about to speak, an ethereal-looking elder approached from a distance.
The expressions of the Celestial City Academy teachers turned solemn, and they quickly bowed. "Greetings, Vice Director Chen!"
"Greetings, Vice Director!"
Luo Fei also scrambled to bow.
Celestial City Academy had two vice directors. Not only were their strengths formidable, but they also held real power. Even the Royal Nobility and the great Noble Families dared not offend them easily.
One of the vice directors was named Bai Bo, who was Xia Chen’s teacher. The other was the elder before them, Chen Guanggu.
’A true master has appeared!’ Shen Daoxing took a deep breath, thinking to himself.
But this was his goal all along. He had challenged the Dean’s Forest precisely to get Vice Director Chen’s attention.
Wang Hu had once told him that it was Vice Director Chen who had proposed going to Baiyun City to recruit Shen Daoxing.
Chen Guanggu looked coldly at Luo Fei. "Our Celestial City Academy has always prided itself on fairness and justice in its recruitment, serving as a model for the Martial Kingdom. Yet you have mixed in personal grievances and obstructed recruitment. This crime is truly unforgivable. Resign from your current position and go to the back mountain to reflect on your actions for a year."
The back mountain was the Forbidden Land of Celestial City Academy. Once inside, one would wish for death.
Luo Fei’s face paled, and he hurriedly tried to argue, "Vice Director, I really didn’t see Shen Daoxing’s name, and besides, he damaged the statues left by the past deans..."
"Insolent!"
Chen Guanggu’s eyes narrowed. "I wrote it myself; would I not know? In the entire Celestial City Academy, only the Director and Vice Directors have the authority for special recruitment. Are you implying that Vice Director Bai or the Director himself erased what I wrote?"
"Besides, the statues are inanimate objects, while people are living beings. Are we to kill a fine young man for the sake of dead things?"
Luo Fei’s heart trembled, and he quickly said, "I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare!"
He certainly wouldn’t dare to implicate Vice Director Bai Bo.
In the distance, Xia Chen’s face was ashen.
Wang Hu stepped forward at this time and said, "Vice Director Chen, he is the Shen Daoxing who drew forth the Blessing of Heaven and Earth."
"Indeed."
Chen Guanggu sized up Shen Daoxing and began to laugh. "Not only do you possess a first-rate bloodline, but you were also able to walk out of the Dean’s Forest. Truly remarkable. I wonder, are you willing to accept me as your master?"
’Become the Vice Director’s disciple!?’
Hearing this, the surrounding crowd was utterly stunned.
Celestial City Academy had one Director and two Vice Directors. The Director was usually as elusive as a phantom, so matters were generally handled by the Vice Directors.
To become a Vice Director’s disciple meant one was a cut above the rest in Celestial City Academy.
And with this background, conducting oneself in the imperial city would be much more convenient.
Instantly, all the students’ faces filled with overwhelming envy.
He Ku felt as if he were in a dream. ’Daoxing... was actually accepted as a disciple by the Vice Director?’
Seeing this, Qin Xiaoyue was overcome with jealousy.
She had originally thought Shen Daoxing was just a genius from a small city, but now he had won the favor of Celestial City Academy’s Vice Director. This was practically reaching the heavens in a single step.
Xia Chen lowered his head, and no one saw the cold glint that appeared in his eyes.
’This has backfired spectacularly. Not only did I fail to stop Shen Daoxing from entering Celestial City Academy, but I actually pushed him into becoming Chen Guanggu’s disciple. It seems getting revenge for today will be extremely difficult now.’
Everyone present had a different expression: some of envy, some of jealousy, and some of sheer awe.
Shen Daoxing cupped his hands in a salute and said, "I am, of course, willing."
"Good, good, good!"
Chen Guanggu laughed heartily. "There’s no time to lose. We will hold the disciple acceptance ceremony right now!"
