Chapter 138: Seven Star Academy, Performance Stage

Chapter 138: Seven Star Academy, Performance Stage

Cui'er was so angry that her face turned red, and her eyes blazed with fury. Upon hearing that Young Master Xie had arrived, she was thrilled and fantasized about being his concubine for the night.

However, it turned out that someone was impersonating Young Master Xie!

This was unforgivable!

Although this person looked young and handsome, he fell short of Young Master Xie in more ways than one, especially in the bearing and aura he carried, which were far beyond his reach.

Who gave him the audacity to come here and pretend to be Young Master Xie?

Cui'er was so furious that she jumped up and screamed, "You despicable thief! How dare you impersonate Young Master Xie? Someone, help me! Beat him up! Senior Zongshi, please come quickly!"

Xie Lingfeng was bewildered and hurriedly explained, "I really am Xie Lingfeng from Jianzun Cliff, and I came here..."

"You audacious thief! How dare you pretend to be Young Master Xie! You deserve to die!"

Before he could finish his sentence, a furious roar interrupted him.

A powerful Zongshi's aura fluctuated, and a giant palm struck down from mid-air.

Yan Kuan!

He had heard Cui'er's scream, especially the part about impersonating Young Master Xie, which startled him. He immediately came out.

When he saw what was happening, he flew into a rage. He couldn't believe someone dared to impersonate Xie Lingfeng right at their doorstep. This person deserved to die a thousand deaths!

Without another word, he took action!

Boom!

Xie Lingfeng struck out with a palm, and his formidable power instantly sent Yan Kuan flying.

"You third-rate Zongshi, how dare you be so arrogant in front of our young master?" Hu Shan glared at Yan Kuan indignantly.

Yan Kuan was livid. "How dare you look down on me again!"

"Help!" He roared, calling for assistance.

This was the Duhou Wangfu's subsidiary courtyard, and there was more than one Zongshi present. There were even Zongshi at the Dacheng and peak levels!

"With your meager abilities, you dare to impersonate Young Master Xie? Young Master Xie could kill me with a single palm strike!" Yan Kuan said coldly.

"I am indeed Xie Lingfeng from Jianzun Cliff, and I came here to look for a friend..." Xie Lingfeng was exasperated. Why wouldn't these people let him explain?

Boom!

"Die!"

A blade light flashed as a Zongshi warrior struck.

"Hmph!"

Hu Shan drew his sword, and the Crazy Wind Sword Technique was unleashed, giving him the upper hand in an instant.

"How bold!"

A powerful presence emerged from the Duhou Wangfu—a Dacheng Zongshi!

Xie Lingfeng's expression turned solemn as he thrust his sword, executing the Flying Rainbow Sword Technique!

In the blink of an eye, the sword light flew, forcing the opponent to retreat.

However, another Dacheng Zongshi immediately joined the fray, and the two of them launched a joint attack.

Xie Lingfeng coldly hmphed. With his Myriad Rivers Sword Technique, the sword qi surged like waves as he fought alone against the Dacheng Zongshi, showing no signs of being outclassed.

At this moment, Yan Kuan sneered, "How can an insignificant ant like you know of Young Master Xie's true strength? To Young Master Xie, a Dacheng Zongshi is but a palm-sized insect. With your abilities, you dare to impersonate someone?"

He drew his weapon and attacked Hu Shan, joining forces with the Zongshi.

Boom!

The intense battle caused Hu Shan and Xie Lingfeng to draw closer together.

"Young Master, let's retreat. There are Dacheng Zongshi in the Duhou Wangfu. If this misunderstanding isn't cleared up, and they don't differentiate between right and wrong, it'll be terrible!" Hu Shan said with a mournful face.

"Alright!"

Xie Lingfeng was also at his wits' end, unable to explain the situation.

How could he, the impersonator, be looked down upon like this?

Damn!

I'm a beginner Zongshi, and I can fight two Dacheng Zongshi alone without falling behind. In the inner domain, which beginner Zongshi can do this?

And yet, he was still being looked down upon. This was utterly unreasonable!

Boom!

The Myriad Rivers Sword Technique suddenly intensified, and the sword light, shrouded in surging sword qi, shot out.

Flying Rainbow Sword Technique!

Thud! Thud!

In an instant, the two Dacheng Zongshi were forced to defend and retreat hastily.

Xie Lingfeng struck out with his sword again, forcing one of the Zongshi to retreat and casually slashing Yan Kuan's shoulder!

"With your third-rate Zongshi abilities, you have no right to speak!"

After forcing back the Duhou Wangfu's Zongshi, Xie Lingfeng and Hu Shan hastily left.

Yan Kuan was furious. "Third-rate Zongshi?"

This was going too far. If Young Master Xie were here, he would definitely offer two seventh-grade spirit pills to take that person's life!

In the Listening to the Sound Pavilion, Du Yu Ying placed a zither in preparation for playing a piece to entertain her guests later.

Cui'er returned, seething with anger.

"Miss, it's terrible! Someone dared to impersonate Young Master Xie!"

"What?"

Du Yu Ying immediately showed a furious expression.

"Where's the person?"

"The Zongshi are trying to capture him. I don't know what the situation is."

"Let's go and see who this daring thief is!"

Du Yu Ying rushed out of the mansion, her anger evident.

The battle had already ended.

"Where's the person? Did you capture him?" Du Yu Ying asked.

Yan Kuan was bandaging his wounds. "He escaped. The opponent is not weak!"

"He escaped? We must not let him get away from Du County! I'll go find Grandpa and ask him to send a peak Zongshi to pursue and kill him!" Du Yu Ying said urgently.

"The Duhou Wangfu is going too far! Young Master, let's return to Jianzun Cliff and ask my father to teach Duhou Wang a lesson!" Hu Shan couldn't contain his anger and cursed.

"Qianxing Lake's Wushuang Pavilion?"

Hu Shan exclaimed in surprise, "Who would have thought that Xu Yan knows how to enjoy life!"

Xie Lingfeng confirmed that Xu Yan had indeed come to the inner domain and had gone to the Wushuang Pavilion under his name.

"Brother Xu must have gone there to temper his mental state."

Xie Lingfeng's eyes lit up as he said, "Why didn't I think of going to Wushuang Pavilion to temper my mental state?"

"Let's go to Wushuang Pavilion!"

And so, Xie Lingfeng and Hu Shan set off toward Wushuang Pavilion.

Back at the Duhou Wangfu, Cui'er was packing her luggage while grumbling, "Miss, that evil thief managed to escape. He's so despicable. Who knows what kind of trouble he'll stir up and how he'll tarnish Young Master Xie's reputation.

"The latest rumor in the martial arts world is that Young Master Xie went to Wushuang Pavilion and didn't spend a single penny. It must have been that imposter ruining Young Master Xie's name.

"How could Young Master Xie possibly go to Wushuang Pavilion?"

"With his youthful charm, how could it not be him? Besides, didn't they say he went to temper his mental state?" Du Yu Ying replied with a smile.

"Hurry up and finish packing. It's about time we returned to the Seven Star Academy. Our teacher has probably found a solution to my problem by now."

"Does that mean, Miss, that you'll be able to break through to the Zongshi realm soon?" Cui'er asked excitedly.

"Hopefully," Du Yu Ying replied with a sigh. In her heart, she knew that breaking through to the Zongshi realm was not going to be easy.

...

The Seven Star Academy could be considered the holy land of martial arts in the inner domain. It recruited martial arts students from all over the land and had produced countless Zongshi warriors, even Great Zongshi masters.

Throughout the inner domain, many influential factions and sects had their founders as alumni of the Seven Star Academy. These founders had studied and achieved success at the academy before establishing their own sects.

The Tianbao Pavilion was the largest commercial force in the inner domain, with a deep heritage. It could be considered the number one superpower in the inner domain, and its influence was rivaled only by the Seven Star Academy.

The Seven Star Academy had always stayed out of the disputes in the martial arts world. Its mission was to spread and research martial arts, and it recruited talented individuals regardless of their background or origins.

When it came to the prosperity and breadth of martial arts, the Seven Star Academy was unparalleled.

Even the royal families of the three great nations had their founding ancestors as alumni of the academy. The current emperors had also studied at the Seven Star Academy in their youth.

Many students from humble backgrounds had come to the academy to pursue martial arts. Through hard work and diligent cultivation, they soared to great heights, reaching the Zongshi realm and even the Great Zongshi realm.

Over the long years in the inner domain's martial arts world, there had been top-tier factions that crumbled and faded away, as well as once-powerful sects that fell into decline and lost their prestige.

Only the Seven Star Academy remained unwavering, no matter how turbulent the inner domain became. It continued its legacy of excellence and always stood at the pinnacle.

Throughout history, there had been martial arts techniques and secret arts that were lost to time in the outside world, but one could still find these forgotten practices at the Seven Star Academy.

If the Seven Star Academy did not possess a certain technique or art, then it was truly lost forever.

In its long history, the Seven Star Academy had faced threats, but none of them could even leave a scratch on the academy.

Instead, those who dared to provoke the academy met their demise.

Like the dynasty that once unified the inner domain, crushing countless powerful factions and forcing ancient aristocratic families and sects to submit—they too had tried to bring the Seven Star Academy under their rule.

Their goal was to make the academy a part of their dynasty, governed and controlled by the royal family.

However, the final outcome was the collapse of that very dynasty!

It was this incident that revealed to the world a glimpse of the terrifying foundation of the Seven Star Academy.

One after another, Great Zongshi masters emerged from the academy.

Long-lost, peerless techniques and never-before-seen secret arts were displayed by these masters, who overwhelmed the dynasty's warriors with absolute superiority.

The dynasty was forced to bow down and acknowledge the Seven Star Academy's exceptional status, free from royal jurisdiction.

This event also weakened the dynasty, eventually leading to its fragmentation into the three great nations of today.

After this incident, people came to realize that within the Seven Star Academy, there existed a group of scholars obsessed with martial arts. They dedicated their lives to researching and preserving the martial path.

In terms of the depth of their martial arts knowledge, the power of the techniques they mastered, and their profound understanding of the martial way, no other faction in the world could compare.

Only the top Grand Masters might have a chance to know their true identity.

The three Vice Palace Masters were also renowned Grand Masters of formidable reputation.

Within the Seven Star Academy, the highest-ranking officials one could normally interact with were the Supervisory Scholars, Chief Instructors, and Instructors. As for the legendary Martial Arts Scholars, one could only encounter them by chance.

Moreover, it was possible that even among the Supervisory Scholars and Instructors, there were some who were Martial Arts Scholars in disguise.

The Instructors' strengths ranged from Grand Master to no lower than a third-rate warrior, and they were responsible for teaching the fundamentals of martial arts to new students.

The Chief Instructors were Grand Masters or above, with no exceptions, and they were in charge of teaching students at the third-rate level and above, as well as those with exceptional talent.

The Supervisory Scholars were the backbone of the Seven Star Academy, responsible for overseeing the entire academy, maintaining its rules, and disciplining Instructors who violated the established norms.

Every Supervisory Scholar was undoubtedly a powerful Grand Master.

Students who were fortunate enough to have a Supervisory Scholar as their teacher were invariably geniuses with exceptional talent.

Seven Star City was comprised of seven surrounding cities, forming the outer perimeter of the Seven Star Academy. Many warriors came here seeking opportunities, to make martial arts friends, or even to hide from enemies.

Built against the mountainside, the Seven Star Academy was a sprawling complex of pavilions, towers, and buildings. At regular intervals, there were martial arts stages constructed for students to exchange and practice their skills.

These stages also served as arenas for outsiders to challenge and spar with the academy's students.

The Seven Star Academy always welcomed external challengers, encouraging the exchange and improvement of martial arts skills, and countless geniuses from various powers and factions came here every year, hoping to make a name for themselves.

To gain access to the Seven Star Academy's collection of martial arts manuals, one had to undergo a series of challenges and spars. Victory in each challenge granted access to the corresponding level of the collection.

Since its founding, the strongest outsider to challenge the Seven Star Academy had only managed to pass seven layers of challenges and reach the seventh level of the collection.

After leaving Qianxing Lake, Xu Yan gathered the resources from the small island courtyard, instantly becoming quite wealthy. He now had over 300,000 spirit crystals and more than 20 spirit herbs.

With this newfound wealth, Xu Yan could now afford to spend a little more freely.

On his way to the Seven Star Academy, he stored his spirit herbs and other items in a branch of the Tianbao Pavilion.

After a long journey, he finally arrived at the Seven Star Academy, his destination for gaining a deeper understanding of the martial arts of the Inner Domain.

He intended to absorb the essence of these arts and integrate them into his own path.

Boom!

On the first level of the Seven Star Academy's martial arts stage, a figure was sent flying and crashed to the ground.

On the stage, a student of the academy bowed respectfully and said, "My apologies."

The young man who had been knocked down climbed to his feet, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, his expression dejected. He hadn't even been able to pass the first level.

"Another failure," sighed a spectator.

"The martial arts stages of the Seven Star Academy are not easily overcome, even the first level," another spectator added.

"Indeed, it's incredibly difficult. Back in my county, I was considered one of the top geniuses, yet I couldn't even get past the first level!" said a disappointed young warrior.

The onlookers shook their heads and discussed their thoughts.

The challengers who came to the martial arts stage were all young, and they were all top geniuses in their respective regions. Before arriving, they had been full of enthusiasm and confidence.

However, most of them met their match at the first level.

"Here comes another challenger," someone in the crowd said.

"He looks very young, a few years younger than me. I wonder if he can pass the first level," said another spectator.

"I doubt it," chimed in a third voice. "Given his age, he's probably only a third-rate warrior. His martial arts skills are insufficient, and he'll likely be defeated within ten moves on the first level!"

As Xu Yan ascended the steps to the stage, the young warriors in the crowd discussed him, and none of them held high hopes for his success.

On the first level of the martial arts stage, a student of the Seven Star Academy stood proudly, awaiting Xu Yan's arrival.

Xu Yan looked around, a hint of surprise crossing his face. "Why isn't there a Grand Master here? The strongest one here is only a first-rate warrior."

He had already killed several Grand Masters, and he had begun to think that they were commonplace. Now he realized that even at the first level of the Seven Star Academy's martial arts stage, there wasn't a single Grand Master in sight.

"Looks like Grand Masters aren't as common as I thought," Xu Yan mused.

He had no interest in challenging the first level, as the first-rate warriors were too weak to pose any challenge. It wouldn't even be a contest; a single breath of his would be enough to defeat them.

So, he simply bypassed the first level and continued upward.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end