When Su Ling and his group looked up at the West Branch seniors on the high platform, their momentum instantly weakened a bit. Especially when they saw the girl named Hong Ling, their eyes grew passionate, but they quickly lowered their heads. She was one of the most famous figures in the Northern Spiritual Academy, and she had no shortage of suitors even here in the East Branch.
"Brother Mu, isn't that Senior Sister Hong Ling from the West Branch... Rumor has it you liked her a lot when you were kids..." Su Ling stood close to Mu Chen, whispering with a grin.
Hearing this, Mu Chen rolled his eyes. When they were young, he had indeed played with Hong Ling, but they were too young to understand what liking someone meant; he had simply wanted a playmate. Furthermore, in recent years, his father had some friction with Hong Ling's father, so their relationship had gradually grown distant. He really couldn't understand when such a rumor had started.
Mu Chen could only shake his head in defeat, then turned to look at Liu Che, who was wearing a provocative expression over there. A faint glow of spiritual energy gradually emerged on Mu Chen's body as his hands slowly clenched into fists.
"If you have something to say, spit it out!"
Mu Chen glanced at the crowd on the high platform not far away. His gaze paused briefly on that beautiful, slender figure before immediately shifting away.
"Don't think that just because they are here, you can say whatever you want. Even if they try to stop me, you'll still suffer some physical pain!"
He truly disliked the arrogant attitude of the West Branch crowd.
"You!"
Hearing this, Liu Che's eyes flared with anger. Just as he was about to curse, he saw the corner of Mu Chen's mouth curl slightly. In that instant, the youth, who usually had a gentle and bright face, suddenly exuded a coldness. That coldness was like an icy, bone-chilling blade.
It felt like a sudden clap of spring thunder during Jingzhe breaking through the clouds, inadvertently revealing a terrifying sharpness.
This was absolutely not something a simple youth of his age should possess.
Liu Che swallowed the curses he was about to spit out. He looked at Mu Chen in shock, his expression shifting. In truth, he was quite wary of Mu Chen's strength, as he had been present when Mu Chen defeated Xue Dong of the West Branch.
"Haha, that was indeed a bit presumptuous."
The seniors from the West Branch's Heaven Division couldn't help but frown upon hearing this, feeling quite embarrassed, especially with Hong Ling present.
Hong Ling also looked at Mu Chen in surprise. She hadn't expected such a gentle youth to have such a fierce side; he seemed completely different from the little boy of the past.
One of the seniors from the West Branch's Heaven Division couldn't resist turning around and leaping down from the platform, slowly walking toward the East Branch students. Seeing this, Su Ling and his group quickly backed away, their eyes filled with wariness.
Hong Ling saw this but did not step in to stop him. Partly because she was also from the West Branch, and partly because she wanted to see if the boy who had seemed so ordinary in her eyes could display a brilliant radiance now that he had shed his childhood innocence.
"Brother Dong." Liu Che cheered up as this person approached, a hint of smugness entering his gaze as he looked at Mu Chen's group.
Mu Chen frowned slightly at this, but his face showed no fear. Although they were seniors from the Heaven Division, their strength was only at the Initial Stage of the Spiritual Movement Stage. If a fight really broke out, they wouldn't necessarily have the upper hand.
The young man walking over, addressed as Brother Tong, nodded slightly and looked at Mu Chen thoughtfully. Just as he was about to speak, a sharp shout suddenly rang out from not far away.
"Tong Guan, you guys from the West Branch's Heaven Division came all the way to the East Branch to bully Earth Division disciples. Aren't you looking down on our East Branch a bit too much?"
The sudden shout startled everyone, causing them to turn their heads. In the distance, a dozen figures were walking over quickly. Leading them was a tall, slender young girl wearing tight-fitting black clothes that accentuated her alluring, beautiful curves. She had a lovely face, long black hair tied up in a ponytail, and slender, exquisite legs. She was truly not inferior to Hong Ling in the slightest.
At this moment, the girl looked at Tong Guan's group with a cold sneer, and the expressions of those behind her were also quite grim.
"That's Senior Sister Qian'er."
Seeing the black-clothed girl arrive, Su Ling and the others immediately became excited, and the youthful faces of several young boys even flushed red. This girl and Hong Ling were considered the two flowers of the Northern Spiritual Academy. Both had countless pursuers, and no one expected to see both of them here today.
"Haha, so it's Qian'er."
Tong Guan was slightly dazed when he saw the black-clothed girl, his expression becoming somewhat unnatural. Tang Qian'er was not only pursued by many in the Northern Spiritual Academy, but her strength had even reached the mid-stage of the Spiritual Movement Stage, making her one of the outstanding figures in the academy's Heaven Division.
The girl, known as Tang Qian'er, walked over and stood beside Mu Chen. She knit her delicate brows as she sized up Tong Guan, then raised her head to look at Hong Ling on the high platform. The two girls faced each other without yielding an inch, sparks seemingly flying from their eyes.
"What are you guys doing here?" Tang Qian'er looked away and asked coldly.
"How can you say that? Although we are from the West Branch, the West Branch is still part of the Northern Spiritual Academy. So, what's wrong with us coming here?" Tong Guan shrugged slightly and replied with a smile.
Tang Qian'er let out a cold snort, then reached out her jade-like hand to pat Mu Chen's shoulder. Raising her chin, she said, "Mu Chen is from our East Branch. If you dare to come looking for trouble with him again, don't blame me for being impolite."
As soon as she finished speaking, she gave her ponytail a light toss, her heroic and valiant posture carrying the commanding presence of a big sister.
"It seems you have quite the luck with women." Tong Guan smiled at Mu Chen, his smile laced with a hint of sarcasm and jealousy. He had often paid attention to Tang Qian'er, but she had never given him any response.
"Having luck with women is also a form of strength." Mu Chen smiled, acting as if he didn't notice the sarcasm in Tong Guan's words. Compared to the people in the Spiritual Road, this Tong Guan was truly far too green.
On the high platform, Hong Ling also looked at Mu Chen. Feeling a sense of disappointment in her heart, she slowly averted her gaze. Perhaps she felt that he was still as cowardly and lazy as he had been in the past?
"Forget it. We didn't come here to cause trouble today anyway. We simply have something to inform you about."
Realizing he couldn't provoke Mu Chen, Tong Guan found it boring. He waved his hand to signal Liu Che behind him, who then sneered coldly, "Mu Chen, I am passing on a message to you on behalf of Big Brother Liu Yang. Ten days from now, he will choose you as his opponent in the competition between the two branches."
"Liu Yang?"
Hearing this name, the expressions of Su Ling and his group instantly changed. Senior Brother Liu Yang was the strongest person in the West Academy's Earth Division. It was rumored that not long ago, he had reached the Spiritual Movement Stage.
"Oh right, I forgot to mention something. Three days ago, during the examination, it was discovered that Big Brother Liu Yang possesses a spiritual meridian in his body, though it's only Human Grade..." Liu Che looked at Mu Chen with a smug grin, speaking with a smile.
"A Human Grade spiritual meridian?"
These words immediately caused the faces of Su Ling and his group to pale completely, and even Tang Qian'er, who was standing nearby, was slightly startled. In the entire Northern Spiritual Academy, the number of disciples who possessed a spiritual meridian could be counted on one hand. Who would have thought that Liu Yang would be one of them?
"It's a Human Grade spiritual meridian..." Dong Guan smirked, looking at Mu Chen with pity. Liu Yang was only at the early stage of the Spiritual Movement Stage, but if he truly possessed a Human Grade spiritual meridian, it was feared that even those at the middle stage of the Spiritual Movement Stage would find it difficult to defeat him. It seemed this guy Mu Chen was incredibly unlucky.
"Big Brother Liu Yang said that if you don't accept the challenge, it's fine. You just don't have to show up when the time comes, and he won't make things difficult for you," Liu Che laughed loudly. If Mu Chen really didn't show up on that day, his reputation in the East Academy would probably vanish into thin air.
"You guys are going too far!" Tang Qian'er barked, her willow-like eyebrows arching in anger.
"Senior Sister Qian'er, we aren't the ones bullying others. He had better know his place. He shouldn't think that just because he was lucky enough to qualify for the Spiritual Road, he can look down on everyone else," Liu Che said, curling his lip.
"You!"
Tang Qian'er was about to charge forward in anger, but her wrist was immediately grabbed by someone. Turning around, she saw a bright smile suddenly appear on Mu Chen's youthful face. "Alright, go back and tell Liu Yang that I'll be waiting for him."
"What backbone! Then we'll wait to see your outstanding performance on that day."
Liu Che gave Mu Chen a thumbs-up, a smirk playing on the corner of his lips, before turning around and walking away with a loud laugh. His demeanor made it obvious that he was eagerly anticipating the battle ten days from now.
After Liu Che, Dong Guan, and their group left, Hong Ling, who was standing on the high platform, also cast a brief glance at them before turning and walking away.
"Brother Mu, do you really want to accept Liu Yang's challenge? If he truly possesses a spiritual meridian, I'm afraid he'll be very difficult to deal with," Su Ling said in a worried tone, watching the retreating figures of Dong Guan and the others.
"I'll just do my best," Mu Chen replied casually.
"Hey, are you out of your mind? They were clearly provoking you. You could have easily rejected this kind of challenge," Tang Qian'er said, annoyed.
"Don't worry, Sister Qian'er, I know what I'm doing," Mu Chen said with a smile.
Tang Qian'er furrowed her willow-like eyebrows, her bright eyes staring intently at his youthful face, which wore a gentle smile. Yet, for some reason, she felt that there was something hidden deep within his eyes.
"Hmph, well, I'm not the one who's going to lose face anyway," Tang Qian'er snorted coldly, speaking in an irritated tone.
"It seems Sister Qian'er cares quite a lot about my reputation?" Mu Chen couldn't help but tease as he looked at the beautiful, sulking face in front of him.
"Why would I care about you?" Tang Qian'er's face flushed slightly. She rolled her eyes at Mu Chen and snapped, "I'm only worried that when you get beaten black and blue, you'll make our East Academy lose all its face."
Mu Chen smiled. Tang Qian'er's father was also one of the Territory Lords of the Northern Spiritual Realm, and he shared an excellent relationship with Mu Chen's father. Because their families frequently visited each other, the two of them were also very close.
"Oh right, I just got some news." Tang Qian'er waved her hand to dismiss Su Ling and his group, then looked directly at Mu Chen and said, "I heard from the Principal that the Spiritual Road has officially ended."
Mu Chen's body stiffened slightly. Then, he raised his head and let out a soft sigh. *Has it finally ended...*
"I heard that quite a few absolute monsters appeared in the Spiritual Road this time. What's even more terrifying is that there's someone with a Heaven-grade Spiritual Pulse, a rarity only seen once in a thousand years. The Five Great Academies fought tooth and nail to recruit him."
Spiritual Pulses are highly beneficial for cultivation and are divided into three grades: Heaven, Earth, and Human. If someone possesses a Spiritual Pulse, their cultivation speed will be far greater than that of ordinary people. Over the years, the Northern Spiritual Academy had never even produced anyone with an Earth-grade Spiritual Pulse, let alone a Heaven-grade one. This showed just how incredibly rare a Heaven-grade Spiritual Pulse was.
Tang Qian'er stuck out her rosy pink tongue, looking incredibly cute and beautiful.
"A Heaven-grade Spiritual Pulse... I've never seen one before. The people who entered the Spiritual Road are truly all monsters. Oh, by the way, you also participated in the Spiritual Road, do you know who that person is?"
"I think his name is Ji Xuan?" Mu Chen said nonchalantly, as a name deeply etched in his memory surfaced in his mind.
"You know his name?" Tang Qian'er asked in surprise.
"Yeah, I know him. That guy is very powerful."
Mu Chen smiled, his eyes narrowing slightly as he said, "I almost slaughtered him."
Tang Qian'er widened her beautiful eyes, staring in surprise at the youthful face before her that had suddenly turned cold. She asked, "Really?"
"Of course it's fake. How could you actually believe that? I'm just a guy who got kicked out halfway through. How could I compare to someone who made the Five Great Academies fight tooth and nail?" The coldness on Mu Chen's face vanished instantly. Seeing Tang Qian'er's stunned expression, he burst out laughing.
Tang Qian'er gritted her teeth as if she wished she could take a bite out of him, but she managed to compose herself and said softly, "You've just reached the Spiritual Movement Stage, so you probably haven't cultivated a Spiritual Art yet, right? I heard that Liu Yang has already started cultivating."
"It's just a Spiritual Art. I can practice it when I go home later. My dad once told me that when I reach the Spiritual Movement Stage, I have to make a trip back home," Mu Chen said with a smile.
"Okay, then I'll head out first." Tang Qian'er nodded slightly. For better or worse, Mu Chen's father was a Territory Lord in the Northern Spiritual Realm, so he would naturally choose the best possible Spiritual Art for Mu Chen. Tang Qian'er didn't think any further about it; she simply waved goodbye, tossed her ponytail, and walked away.
"Oh, I almost forgot."
Tang Qian'er suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned back to look at Mu Chen. After a moment of thought, she said, "If you really aren't sure of winning, I can help you teach that Liu Yang a lesson, okay? However, Liu Yang's older brother is quite troublesome..."
"Do you really think I stand no chance of winning?" Mu Chen shook his head helplessly. He couldn't believe she had actually come up with such an idea.
"Hmph, you shouldn't reject my good intentions."
Tang Qian'er replied in annoyance. In the Northern Spiritual Academy, others would beg for her help in vain, yet this brat was always so infuriating. With that thought, she huffed and walked away.
Mu Chen watched Tang Qian'er's beautiful figure walk away and smiled, wondering to himself, "Since the Spiritual Road has ended, she must have entered the Five Great Academies by now, right? I wonder which academy she is in?"
He recalled that before he left, in that lush green forest, the young girl with long silver hair had quietly looked at him with her deep blue eyes.
"I will wait for you at the Five Great Academies. If you don't come..."
The girl's delicate little hands tightly gripped a black longsword, slowly pointing it at his chest before placing the tip of the blade over his heart. "I will kill him for you, but..."
The girl gazed intently at him, her eyes as clear as glazed glass.
"I don't like people who easily accept defeat, but at least back then, you didn't lose. I was truly very happy."
A gentle breeze blew past, causing the girl's long silver hair to flutter. Her fair, delicate face, usually so cold, suddenly flushed with a hint of pink. Though it was only fleeting, it was enough to stir one's heart.
Therefore, he absolutely had to go!