Chapter 211: The Secrets of the Seven Stars Academy

Chapter 211: The Secrets of the Seven Stars Academy

Within the Seven Stars Academy, Xu Yan and Meng Chong, a pair of martial brothers, wore expressions of shock. They had left Canglan Island for a while, and during that time, such a significant event had taken place, one that would directly impact the inner domain's situation.

"Our master is too strong. If I had even a fraction of his power at the same realm, I would be proud," Xu Yan remarked with a hint of shame.

Master had low expectations of him; he only wanted Xu Yan to attain half of his power at the same realm, and he would be content. Yet, Xu Yan felt ashamed. He hadn't even achieved a tenth of Master's strength at the same realm.

"No wonder Master was reluctant to accept me as his disciple. I truly couldn't meet his minimum requirements," Xu Yan said, now understanding why his master had hesitated to take him on as a student.

Although he possessed decent talent, he ultimately fell short of Master's expectations.

"It was my sincere heart for the martial path that moved Master, and he took me in as his disciple, leading me out of seclusion and into the world to experience life," Xu Yan continued. "I must not let Master down. I will continue to improve my strength!"

Meng Chong also felt ashamed, as he, too, lacked even half of their master's power at the same realm.

Bai Yunkong and Pang Yu, who were facing them, twitched their lips. They wondered what was going on with these two martial brothers.

"Brother Xu, the turmoil has passed, so there's no need to worry anymore," Bai Yunkong said, trying to reassure Xu Yan.

"You don't understand!" Xu Yan shook his head and sighed. "Master's expectations of me are already very low, but I still failed to meet them."

Intrigued, Bai Yunkong asked, "What were your master's expectations?"

"Master said that if I could attain half of his power at the same realm, he would be satisfied. But I don't even have a tenth of his strength at the same realm!" Xu Yan shook his head and sighed again, his face filled with shame.

Meng Chong nodded in agreement, "Big brother is right."

Bai Yunkong and Pang Yu were at a loss for words. Their hearts had just suffered a million tiny explosions, and they barely refrained from cursing out loud.

The two of you are already ridiculously strong, crushing peers in your realm as if they were mere ants. And yet, you don't even have a fraction of your master's strength at the same realm?

Damn! By the time I reached the same realm, I had already surpassed my master. Are our masters just that weak?

For a moment, Bai Yunkong and Pang Yu didn't know how to feel. The atmosphere turned silent.

"The door to the Spirit Realm has opened, and a Martial Heavenly Being has emerged," Xu Yan said, breaking the silence.

"I am already aware of this," Bai Yunkong said gravely. "The opening of the Spirit Realm's door brings uncertainty—a blessing or a curse. We don't know what a Martial Heavenly Being entering the inner domain intends, whether it will bring disaster or not. We can only be cautious and hope to avoid attracting their attention."

Pang Yu nodded, "The door to the Spirit Realm has opened more than once. The Demon Lord emerged from there, bringing chaos to the inner domain. The evil sect's legacy of killing techniques still lingers."

He sighed, "I hope this Martial Heavenly Being isn't like the Demon Lord."

He then looked at Xu Yan and added, "Young friend Xu, you must be cautious in your actions to avoid attracting the attention of the Martial Heavenly Being!"

Xu Yan smiled, "You two don't need to be so tense. It's just a Martial Heavenly Being, not a serious matter."

Hearing this, Bai Yunkong's expression turned solemn. "Young friend Xu, I know you are strong, but a Martial Heavenly Being is no joke. To them, a Half-step Heavenly Being is like a cripple, the gap between them is like the difference between heaven and earth!"

Xu Yan waved his hand dismissively, "It's not that serious. That person isn't a strong Heavenly Being, so there's no need to worry."

Bai Yunkong sighed inwardly. Xu Yan was young and proud, his strength having brought him an untouchable aura. He had killed a Half-step Heavenly Being, and now he thought that a Martial Heavenly Being was no big deal. It was the arrogance of youth, a bit of an overinflated ego.

"Young friend Xu, listen to my advice. Try not to provoke that Martial Heavenly Being. Although your master is powerful, there's no need to bring him trouble, is there?" Bai Yunkong advised.

Xu Yan looked innocent, "I didn't provoke him; he provoked me. This really isn't a big deal. I've already killed him."

Killed... killed?!

Bai Yunkong and Pang Yu's eyes widened in shock, almost popping out of their sockets.

A Martial Heavenly Being, an incredibly powerful and lofty existence, had been killed by Xu Yan?!

"Young friend Xu, what did you say?" Pang Yu asked, wondering if he had heard correctly.

Xu Yan looked exasperated, "It's just killing a minor Heavenly Being. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?"

It's not like he killed a Divine Heavenly Being!

"I killed him with just three swords," Xu Yan said as he took out Jiao Ming's storage bag. He scowled in disgust, "This guy was a pauper. There aren't any valuable treasures in here, just a few fifth-grade spiritual herbs..."

Bai Yunkong looked up at the sky, his face frozen in disbelief.

A Martial Heavenly Being, as rumored, had just entered the inner domain and was killed by Xu Yan? Moreover, Xu Yan despised and disdained the Heavenly Being, calling him a poor ghost...

Pang Yu tugged at his hair, unable to describe his emotions at that moment.

After a long while, Bai Yunkong took a deep breath and asked in a low voice, "Young friend Xu, how did you provoke... No, how did he provoke you?"

That Martial Heavenly Being had entered the inner domain, but surely he hadn't come specifically for Xu Yan?

Xu Yan frowned, "Who knows what his problem was? After I killed that evil Ice Master in the Ice Pavilion, he showed up and asked about someone's whereabouts. How was I supposed to know who he was looking for?

"I only asked him one question, and he insulted and cursed at me, calling me a pig or a dog.

"I couldn't tolerate that, so I killed him."

Bai Yunkong and Pang Yu paused for a moment to mourn the unknown Martial Heavenly Being. He had truly brought his death upon himself by provoking Xu Yan.

At that moment, the two of them felt a sense of desolation. They had cultivated their entire lives, and before Xu Yan's appearance, they considered themselves among the best in the inner domain, with few rivals.

But after Xu Yan's arrival, they realized that their strength was insignificant.

Suddenly, they felt a pang of sadness.

Xu Yan was so young, and yet he had killed a Martial Heavenly Being with just three swords.

If Xu Yan said it took three swords, then it was undoubtedly true. In contrast, they knew that even if they faced a Heavenly Being, they wouldn't be able to take down a single finger.

This gap in strength filled them with despair.

"The Seven Stars Academy has a long history, and I came here to learn about the Spirit Realm," Xu Yan said.

This was his primary purpose for visiting the academy.

Meng Chong nodded in agreement.

With the appearance of the door to the Spirit Realm, they knew that one day, they would venture into that realm.

As their strength grew, they realized how small the inner domain was.

"For that, you'll have to ask Old Pang here," Bai Yunkong shook his head. "Some of the academy's ancient texts about the Spirit Realm have been erased, but the Martial Scholar lineage has passed down some knowledge orally."

He paused, then added, "The Seven Stars Academy's principles are not baseless. Although the founder came from humble beginnings, he obtained the opportunity of the Spirit Realm."

Having said this much, Bai Yunkong sighed. Since he had started, he might as well tell them everything.

"It is a closely guarded secret of the Seven Stars Academy that, after hunting down the Demon Lord, the door to the Spirit Realm will reopen, and the academy will once again be granted entry.

"This is the core secret of the Seven Stars Academy. Aside from me, no one else knows of this." Bai Yunkong spoke solemnly.

"Is that true?" Pang Yu exclaimed in shock.

"It's been almost ten thousand years since the Demon Lord was hunted down, right? Come to think of it, for those old monsters like the Demon Child to still be alive today, they sure are formidable," Pang Yu marveled.

The peers of the Demon Child had long passed away.

The events of those days had been buried along with those who died.

"The Demon Lord was truly extraordinary!" Pang Yu exclaimed sincerely.

The longevity of the Demon Child and his peers was indeed linked to the Demon Lord. Otherwise, Half-step Heavenly Beings wouldn't normally live for ten thousand years!

It all came back to the Demon Lord!

Xu Yan and Meng Chong exchanged glances, marveling at the Demon Lord's prowess.

If not for his bad luck in encountering Meng Chong, the Demon Lord might have risen again.

Xu Yan, who had seen the murals depicting the Demon Lord's life, knew that he had risen from the ashes more than once.

Each time he was crushed, he eventually rose again, stronger than before.

"The door to the Spirit Realm was probably closed to prevent the Demon Lord's return," Xu Yan speculated.

Pang Yu then shared everything he knew about the Spirit Realm.

"Those from the Inner Domain who venture into the Spirit Realm won't fare well. It is said that unless you obtain a token of allegiance from a Spirit Realm faction, you will become a servant upon entering.

"Even with a token, there's no guarantee you'll be accepted as a disciple. You could still end up as a servant.

"The Spirit Realm factions are very domineering!" Pang Yu sighed. "Ever since the news of the Spirit Realm's door spread, countless people have yearned to enter. But they don't realize that in the Inner Domain, they are revered and respected, whereas in the Spirit Realm, they would be nothing but servants."

Xu Yan and Meng Chong fell silent. They couldn't believe that the strong cultivators of the Spirit Realm would treat Inner Domain warriors so poorly.

Recalling Jiao Ming's arrogant demeanor and his condescending words, "pig or dog," Xu Yan knew that Pang Yu wasn't exaggerating.

"Hmph! Those Spirit Realm cultivators are asking for a beating. Just wait until I enter the Spirit Realm. Let's see how they act so high and mighty then. I'll trample those arrogant fellows into the dust!" Xu Yan sneered.

As for the token Pang Yu mentioned, it was most likely the jade token.

The Seven Stars Academy must have possessed a jade token in the past, given that they had a quota. However, it was unclear which faction in the Spirit Realm the academy was affiliated with.

Even with a token, the treatment they received would undoubtedly be inferior to that of native disciples of the Spirit Realm.

They would also likely face unfair treatment and oppression, which was inevitable.

Bai Yunkong and Pang Yu exchanged glances, both believing Xu Yan's words. If he entered the Spirit Realm, those who dared to make him their servant would surely regret it.

After all, Xu Yan already possessed the power to slay Heavenly Beings.

One could only imagine how much stronger he would become in the future.

"We Inner Domain warriors are counting on you, Xu Yan, to help us rise again," they thought.

"Since you are a Martial Scholar of the Seven Stars Academy, you may enter the Scholar's Library and peruse the collection of ancient texts. Perhaps you'll find something useful," Pang Yu offered.

"Thank you so much!" Xu Yan's eyes lit up, and he excitedly bowed in gratitude.

The Martial Scholars were the core of the Seven Stars Academy, and the library undoubtedly housed a vast collection of ancient texts covering a wide range of martial arts secrets.

"Can my junior brother also take a look?" Xu Yan asked.

Pang Yu glanced at Meng Chong. Although he was slightly weaker than Xu Yan, there was no one else who could match him aside from Xu Yan.

"We cannot break the rules of the Seven Stars Academy. If Meng Chong wants to enter, he can be granted the title of Martial Scholar as well," Pang Yu said solemnly.

"No problem!" Meng Chong readily agreed.

He then fixed his gaze on Pang Yu and asked, "What's the annual stipend for a Martial Scholar? I'm not asking for much; even if it's a little less than my senior brother's, that's fine with me."

Bai Yunkong and Pang Yu twitched their lips. These two were truly cut from the same cloth!

"No problem!" Pang Yu readily agreed once more.

Having Xu Yan and Meng Chong hold the title of Martial Scholar was actually a benefit to the Seven Stars Academy, and they would gladly pay the small stipend of spirit crystals.

Who knew? Perhaps one day, these two would make a name for themselves in the Spirit Realm, and the reputation of the Seven Stars Academy would soar.

At worst, they could always recoup the spirit crystals from the wealthy students they admitted in the future!

Led by Pang Yu, Xu Yan and Meng Chong entered the core area of the Seven Stars Academy—the Scholar's Library.

Inside, a group of Martial Scholars, with dark circles under their eyes, were scribbling notes, researching martial arts, and even attempting to cultivate newly developed martial arts secrets.

Xu Yan and Meng Chong couldn't help but twitch their lips at the sight of these martial arts fanatics.

They wondered where the Seven Stars Academy had found so many obsessed individuals.

Upon seeing Xu Yan, the group of Martial Scholars rushed over, surrounding him.

"Teacher Xu, long time no see! I have a question about the Great Wilderness Martial Arts..."

"Teacher Xu, you look even more handsome than before! I've recently developed a martial arts secret technique based on the Great Wilderness Martial Arts. What do you think of it?"

"Ah, Teacher Xu, I've been dreaming about you every day lately..."

Xu Yan stood there dumbfounded as the group of Martial Scholars bombarded him with questions, each one more enthusiastic than the last.

Among them was a young woman with dark circles under her eyes and disheveled hair, who claimed to have been dreaming about him every night. Despite her unkempt appearance, her features were rather delicate.

"Quiet down, all of you!" Pang Yu's voice boomed, silencing the room.

"Why are you so fierce, old man Pang? You're such a coward! I created a new martial arts secret technique the other day, and you didn't even dare to cultivate it!"

"That's right! You're an old fogey with no sense of adventure!"

"If it weren't for your strength, I would have kicked you out already!"

Pang Yu's attempt to maintain order was met with ridicule from several white-haired Martial Scholars.

One of them, with a slightly deformed leg and a withered arm wrapped in healing medicine, was particularly vocal in his criticism.

Pang Yu's face darkened, and he released a suppressing aura, intending to intimidate the entire room.

"Let's go. Seeing old man Pang just dampens my mood."

"Break it up, everyone. Let's go..."

The group of Martial Scholars scattered, each returning to their own tasks.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end