Chapter 022: Academy Admissions

“This is… inner force!”
Xu Xuan carefully sensed the powerful energy born from the essence of his blood, feeling a leap in his physical constitution.
In that moment, his body trembled, his heart surged with unrestrained passion and exhilaration.
He took a deep breath, slowly raised his hand. His palm seemed dyed red, exuding a strange aura.
Infused with that unseen power, Xu Xuan’s hand and arm vibrated at a low yet rapid frequency—appearing slightly more robust than before.
Suddenly, a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes. His crimson-glowing palm slammed heavily onto the ground.
Boom! Crack—
The rock beneath him was smashed into a small pit, stone chips flying, the force scattering the birds and beasts nearby in fright.
Inner force—this was a power one could only hope to grasp upon reaching the fourth level of Body Refinement.
“Body Refinement, fourth level!” Xu Xuan drew in a deep breath, a fire-like brilliance flickering in his eyes. He threw his head back in laughter: “Xu Dahu, oh Xu Dahu—you thought you could kill me, crush the threat in its cradle, doom my family forever. Yet not only did you fail, you even pushed me to break into the fourth level ahead of time! Hahaha…”
At this moment, Xu Xuan was completely certain he had shattered the shackles of the third level, stepping into the fourth—a realm countless low-ranked mortals could only dream of.
To ascend to the fourth level of Body Refinement meant breaking free from the bitter fate of the lowly, and becoming one of the mid-ranked mortals envied by all.
Although Xu Xuan, now at the fourth level, was still but a mortal, he had already distinguished himself from the majority of mediocrities, taking a step forward.
This progress was not only a leap in strength, but a symbol of status.
Even among the adults of the village, few—perhaps one in ten—could be considered mid-ranked mortals.
What’s more, Xu Xuan was not yet sixteen. It was unimaginable what heights he might reach in the future.
At night, Xu Xuan sat cross-legged, regulating his breath, conserving his energy, waiting for dawn to seek a way out.
Deep in the mountain gorge, with beasts howling and reptiles crawling, he dared not sleep, using his breathing technique in place of rest.
At daybreak, Xu Xuan approached the cold pool, took a deep breath, and plunged into the icy water.
The morning water was bone-chilling, but he summoned his inner force, his blood warming him, and instantly entered a state of turtle-breathing.
Soon, he found the strange herb he’d discovered at the pool’s bottom the day before.
The entire herb gleamed like silver frost, radiating a faint, luminous aura. As Xu Xuan reached out, a biting cold almost froze his blood.
Startled, he quickly withdrew his hand, his gaze flickering with mixed joy and worry.
This silver-frosted herb was so rare that even the “Compendium of Spiritual Fragrances” from his past life did not record it.
A moment later, Xu Xuan surfaced, exhaling lightly, deciding not to pick the herb.
“This strange plant’s chill is overwhelming and hard to approach… Its grade is at least second-tier spirit material, maybe higher. Even if I managed to obtain it, I couldn’t preserve it. More importantly, with such a rare treasure, its value is staggering—I lack the strength to keep or use it safely.”
As the saying goes, a man’s wealth is his own ruin. For now, Xu Xuan gave up on harvesting the silver-frosted herb.
The pressing matter was to find a way out of the gorge and return to the village.
“One more day until the Academy’s enrollment— I must hurry back to the village.”
There was a trace of anxiety in his eyes.
He returned to the depths of the gorge, looking up at the steep, irregular cliff. Climbing it was unrealistic.
Though his inner force allowed him to gouge into the rock with his fingers at full strength, the power was fleeting and exhausting—best saved as a trump card. With fourth-level inner force, he could barely climb a few meters.
So climbing out was impossible.
Xu Xuan thought for a while, then chose to follow the gorge, searching carefully—it was only a matter of time before he found his way home.
After all, these wild mountains were within the area of Yangmu Village.
Pressing his lips together, Xu Xuan’s expression grew resolute as he strode forward through the unfamiliar canyon…
…
The eighth day of the third month.
It was the very day the Academy came to recruit across the region.

In the village school of Yangmu Village,
The once desolate and shabby courtyard was now packed with villagers—strong men, elders, women, children—all bustling with excitement.
These villagers belonged to the “Yang,” “Xu,” and “Zou” clans of Yangmu Village.
“Hah! Hah! Hah…”
At that moment, in the center of the school’s martial arena, two youths wrestled fiercely, while the onlookers shouted and cheered.
“Zou Hong, come on! Don’t lose to the Yang family!”
“Yang Fei, put him on the ground! Don’t let our Yang clan lose face!”
Spurred on by the crowd, the two boys fought even more desperately.
But soon, one of them began to flag, his stamina waning. He was battered, unable to fight back, forced to dodge in retreat.
“Stop!”
A clear, cool voice rang out from the central viewing platform—a woman in light green robes.
At her word, silence fell.
All eyes turned to the elegant woman from the Academy, her presence commanding respect and awe—even the village chief deferred to her.
She was the examiner in charge of recruitment in Yangmu Village.
“The winner, Yang Fei: score, sixty-five; advances to the next round. Loser, Zou Hong: score, fifty; eliminated.”
The examiner pronounced the result.
“Why! I haven’t lost yet…” the defeated youth protested.
“The main criteria for this examination are overall ability—physique, strength, reaction, agility. In all respects, you fell short.”
Her words were merciless, leaving the boy speechless. He walked away, crestfallen.
“Next match: Yang Xiaoqian versus Xu Gang.”
A loud male voice announced.
“Oh heavens, it’s Yang Xiaoqian—the eldest daughter of the Yang family!”
Many boys whispered, excitement in their eyes.
Two figures soon emerged from the candidates.
The much-admired girl, about sixteen, had an air of gentle beauty. She wore a pale yellow gown, her brows arched like painted strokes, her eyes clear as water. Composed and graceful, she gave her opponent a polite nod.
“Trouble—Xu Gang is up against the eldest Miss Yang. He doesn’t stand a chance.”
The Xu clan onlookers were deeply worried.
“Brother, why aren’t you back yet? Xu Gang is your best friend…”
Xu Huilan’s bright, soulful eyes were full of concern.
Her father, beside her, sighed heavily, his face haggard. Since Xu Xuan had gone to the mountains to train, he had not returned for two or three days.
They had searched everywhere in the area to no avail.
“Miss Yang, forgive me.”
Xu Gang gave a wry smile, inhaled deeply, and summoned all his strength for a Bear-Tiger Fist aimed at Yang Xiaoqian.
Facing this famed local beauty, Xu Gang dared not slacken—he had to give his best to avoid disgrace.
“Your pardon.”
Yang Xiaoqian smiled, her posture elegant as she extended a slender, jade-like finger in response.
The onlookers gaped as her delicate finger met the boy’s burly fist—many secretly worried for her.
Bang—
At the instant fist met finger, Xu Gang felt a gentle yet irresistible force surge into him, sending him flying three or four meters, dust swirling.
“…Thank you for the match.” Only after he landed did Yang Xiaoqian’s sweet voice fall.

Before acting, she had already foreseen the outcome.
For a moment, the arena was silent, all stunned by Yang Xiaoqian’s talent and strength.
Even the examiner’s eyes sparkled with delight. “Winner: Yang Xiaoqian, score: ninety-five. Due to her outstanding performance, she is immediately admitted into the Academy.”
Immediate admission!
The crowd erupted.
“Incredible—direct entry to the Academy. Truly a prodigy of Yangmu Village!”
The villagers exclaimed in admiration as the graceful young woman left the arena, bathed in glory.
Yet, Yang Xiaoqian’s beautiful face showed no joy—her clear eyes remained aloof, reserved, and dignified.
The entire competition proceeded in an orderly fashion.
Often, after only a brief bout, the sharp-eyed examiner would decide the winner and assign a score.
According to the rules, anyone scoring below sixty, win or lose, could not advance.
By midday, nearly half the candidates had competed, with some even withdrawing.
In the process, both Yang Xiaoqian of the Yang family and Zou Hongwu of the Zou family had been directly admitted to the Academy based on their strength.
As the sun set—
“Next match: Xu Xuan versus Xu Yuan.”
A sonorous voice rang out.
“It’s brother’s turn!”
Xu Huilan was anxious and tense.
Yet, scanning the courtyard, there was no sign of Xu Xuan.
Her father’s face darkened, hands clenching in silent tremor.
“Heh! My turn at last—facing Xu Xuan, too. I’ve been wanting to test his skills…”
A young man in blue scholar’s robes, handsome and refined, leaped lightly onto the arena.
“Xu Yuan, young master of the Xu family!”
“I hear he’s both talented and accomplished—a rising star in both martial and literary circles…”
Several young girls gazed at him, hearts fluttering.
“Rumor has it that half a year ago, Young Master Xu reached the fourth level of Body Refinement. In terms of talent, he’s second only to Yang Xiaoqian.”
Yet, on the arena, no second figure appeared.
“Hmm?” Xu Yuan’s genial smile faltered with surprise—where was his opponent?
Xu Xuan, who should have faced him, had not appeared.
“Candidate Xu Xuan!”
The middle-aged man hosting the matches called out.
For a moment, silence hung over the school courtyard—but… there was no response!
“Xu Xuan? Isn’t he the one who floored Xu Xiaohu recently?”
“Word is he’s had expert guidance and his skills have soared—so why isn’t he competing?”
“Ha! Clearly all reputation and no substance—he doesn’t even dare show up.”
…
(First update. If you have recommendation tickets, don’t let them go to waste…)