Chapter 99: Shake the Heavens (1)
Throughout their journey here, Wu Yuan showed nothing but politeness and respect for his instructor. However, Zhao Baifan’s sharp senses detected an undercurrent of arrogance in his attitude.
Geniuses were proud creatures, and Zhao Baifan was resolved to temper some of that arrogance in Wu Yuan. A genius needed a certain level of self-assurance, but it should never cloud their judgment. She felt that Wu Yuan had allowed all that praise to get to his head.
“Wu Yuan, follow me,” Zhao Baifan said, leading the way as they ventured deeper into the martial academy. The path was paved with cobblestones, winding and branching off in all directions. Wu Yuan followed along, habitually committing the route to memory.
"Hehe, if it isn't Senior Sister Zhao?" A gruff voice broke the silence, as two figures emerged from a nearby courtyard house.
"Si Longliang?" Zhao Baifan's brow furrowed slightly, a flicker of displeasure crossing her features. Though brief, Wu Yuan didn't fail to catch it with his acute perception.
Si Longliang, ranked 195th on the Jiang Continent Human Rankings, a member of the Cloudstride Sect's Military Hall and currently an instructor of the Cloud Martial Hall... Wu Yuan's mind supplied him with the relevant information from the Jiang Continent Human Rankings.
Among the human rankers who serve as instructors of the Cloud Martial Hall, Instructor Zhao holds the highest rank, followed by this Si Longliang. More than 100 Cloudstride Sect members are ranked, of which only six are instructors of the Cloud Martial Hall.
The Jiang Continent was vast, home to thousands of first-rate Adepts. There were at least 200 first-rate Adepts under the banner of the Cloudstride Sect alone.
After a moment's thought, Wu Yuan understood that not all eighteen instructors of the Cloud Martial Hall were listed in the Human Rankings. Zhao Baifan and Si Longliang were among the more powerful instructors of the Cloud Martial Hall.
“Sister Zhao, it's still bright and early, yet you don't seem too pleased," a man with a squarish face approached with a hearty laugh. He stood nearly 1.9 meters tall, possessing a large and robust physique. This man was Si Longliang. Compared to him, Zhao Baifan appeared rather petite.
"Greet Instructor Zhao," Si Longliang instructed, a crafty grin stretching across his face.
The short-haired boy behind him obediently bowed. "Instructor Zhao."
"Wu Yuan, we cannot allow others to accuse my disciples of disrespect. Greet Instructor Si." Zhao Baifan instructed calmly.
"Yes." Wu Yuan nodded and bowed, "Wu Yuan pays his respects to Instructor Si."
Si Longliang's face stiffened. Traditionally, he detested being addressed as 'Instructor Si', as it sounded nearly identical to 'corpse' in Chinese [1]. As a result, most disciples of the martial academy referred to him as Teacher Si[2]. How could Zhao Baifan, a fellow sect member, not be aware of this? Yet the two held a grudge, and she took pleasure in irking Si Longliang. To make matters worse, Si Longliang could not lash out at Wu Yuan, a new disciple.
"Oh? You're Wu Yuan?" Si Longliang's face softened, his gaze shifting towards Wu Yuan. He chuckled, "I've heard of you. Both you and Haisheng are special recruits below fifteen years old."
"Haisheng?" Wu Yuan glanced past Si Longliang to the short-haired boy behind him.
The boy also turned his attention to Wu Yuan, both recognizing each other’s status. However, unlike Wu Yuan's inquisitive gaze, the short-haired boy's eyes held a challenging gleam. Geniuses were always defiant after all.
"Sister Zhao, these two young fellows are both special recruits who have just joined our sect. Why don't we let them have a little sparring match to test their combat abilities?" Si Longliang proposed with a smile.
His suggestion sounded perfectly innocent, but both Zhao Baifan and Wu Yuan understood the hidden agenda behind his words: he was looking for trouble!
"Wang Haisheng, enrolled in the academy just yesterday. Barely fifteen, yet already a martial virtuoso. I heard your one-armed punch exceeds 13,000 catties." Zhao Baifan commented with a smile, "Impressive indeed."
"Thank you for the praise, Instructor Zhao," Wang Haisheng replied, pride written all over his face. Ever since he was a child, Wang Haisheng had been hailed as a prodigy, and he carried that belief and arrogance with him even after joining the Cloud Martial Hall.
Wu Yuan, however, understood that Zhao Baifan's apparent praise for Wang Haisheng was actually a question directed at him. Would he be confident if they sparred?
"Instructor Zhao, we have other matters to attend to. Shall we proceed?" Wu Yuan suggested. Play with this youngster? He had no interest. It was just a waste of time.
"Hehe, Wu Yuan, don't be scared. Your abilities should be on par with his. A sparring match is also a form of assessment. There's no harm in losing," Si Longliang chuckled.
Zhao Baifan frowned slightly and said indifferently, "That's enough, Junior Brother Si. We do indeed have other matters to attend to. They are around the same age, and there will be ample opportunities for them to spar in the future."
Si Longliang lazily questioned, "Why the rush so early in the morning?" He was convinced that Wu Yuan was scared, which made him quite pleased. Though he couldn't outdo Zhao Baifan himself, it would still bring him great joy if his disciple’s performance surpassed Zhao Baifan's disciple.
"I wish to upgrade my residence to the Upper Courtyard, so I requested Instructor Zhao to take me to the Skystride Pavilion so I can challenge it." Wu Yuan smiled.
"Wu Yuan?" Zhao Baifan frowned slightly. She was reluctant to tell others about this. After all, Wu Yuan was sure to fail, and she merely wanted to teach him a lesson. However, Wu Yuan took it upon himself to share the news with others. Once word got out, Wu Yuan would surely become a subject of ridicule.
"You just joined the sect and you're already challenging the Skystride Pavilion?" As expected, Si Longliang looked at Wu Yuan with amusement, then turned to Zhao Baifan, "Senior Sister Zhao, is your disciple joking?"
"He's not joking, Wu Yuan wants to attempt it, so I will allow him to understand how difficult it is," Zhao Baifan replied indifferently.
"Teacher Si, what is the Skystride Pavilion?" Wang Haisheng couldn't help but ask.
"The Skystride Pavilion is a trial ground for disciples of the martial academy. It consists of three levels. Generally speaking, even passing the first level is considered quite an achievement for junior disciples," Si Longliang stated casually.
"Even most third-rate Adepts fail to pass." He said this in reply to Wang Haisheng, but more so for Wu Yuan.
"Even third-rate Adepts struggle to pass?" Wang Haisheng wore a shocked expression.
"Thank you for the information, Instructor Si," Wu Yuan smiled, "Instructor Zhao, let's get going."
Hearing 'Instructor Si', Si Longliang's face stiffened.
"Instructor Si," Zhao Baifan looked at Si Longliang's expression with a trace of amusement on her face, "We'll chat later." Without delay, she led Wu Yuan off.
"Hmph!" Si Longliang's eyes flashed with dissatisfaction, "Haisheng, let's go see how your Junior Brother Wu plans to pass the Skystride Pavilion trial."
"Yes," Wang Haisheng agreed. He wasn't foolish; he instantly realized that his instructor wanted to see Wu Yuan make a fool of himself. He was also curious about the Skystride Pavilion itself.
As Zhao Baifan led the way, she noticed Si Longliang and his group trailing behind them.
"This is all your own doing," she gave Wu Yuan a sidelong glance as she spoke softly, "Don't blame me when you lose face."
"Rest assured, Instructor Zhao," Wu Yuan responded with a faint smile.
"Oh?" A flicker of surprise flashed through Zhao Baifan's eyes. She had assumed that Wu Yuan would appear troubled and anxious upon learning about the difficulty of the Skystride Pavilion.
Unexpectedly, Wu Yuan remained calm. Was it because he had everything under control? Or was he just putting on a strong front?
1. in Chinese, both are pronounced 'Si Shi' ?
2. pronounced ‘Si Lao Shi’ ?
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