Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 112 - Joining The Academy Officially

“I refrained from hitting you earlier because I wasn’t a student of the Imperial Academy then. Now, we’re both students, and the academy doesn’t forbid fights. If you dare to prance around me like a monkey again, do you believe I won’t slap you to death?” Liu Wuxie’s words were laced with a potent murderous intent that filled the hall, causing many Xiantian Realm students to tremble in fear.

Liu Wuxie was like a god of war, as the murderous intent he gave off was enough to affect someone’s sanity. He had finally exploded after bearing it for two days. Did Xue Pinzhi think that he was a pushover?

It wasn’t convenient for Liu Wuxie to make a move before he became a student at the Imperial Academy. But now, it was different. Fan Yeping had said that the academy didn’t prohibit fights as long as there weren’t any deaths. Liu Wuxie could easily kill trash like Xue Pinzhi with a slap, no matter how many of them came at him.

Liu Kuo and the other students were stumped, unable to comprehend what had happened.

“Is he insane to slap Xue Pinzhi in public? Does he not want to stay in the academy anymore?!” An uproar exploded in the hall as Xue Pinzhi wiped the blood off his lips and slowly approached Liu Wuxie.

“Not only did he reject the elite classes, but he even slapped Xue Pinzhi. Let’s see how he’ll deal with this situation.” Gloating voices came from the crowd as Liu Wuxie had practically offended everyone who had just joined the Imperial Academy as a student.

Not only did he offend the three elite classes, but he also slapped Xue Pinzhi. This was akin to slapping the Xue Clan itself, meaning that his future in the Imperial Academy would become gloomy.

Chen Leyao covered her mouth in shock at Liu Wuxie’s audacious act of slapping Xue Pinzhi. The surrounding crowd speculated on how Liu Wuxie would handle this crisis. He had managed to avoid trouble on several occasions, but his luck seemed to have run out. Xue Pinzhi was likely to join forces with the elite classes to bring Liu Wuxie down.

Bai Yu and Liu Kuo were engaged in a covert conversation. Their discussion was unknown to all except Liu Wuxie, who wore a smirk on his face. While others were oblivious to their conversation, Liu Wuxie, skilled in lip reading, was privy to their discussion.

Liu Kuo nodded and stepped forward, declaring, “Brat, you’re dead now. How dare you assault a Profound Grade student and reject the elite classes’ offer. I will cripple you today!”

As expected, Liu Kuo wasn’t going to let Liu Wuxie off the hook easily. If he could cripple Liu Wuxie, the reward for topping the assessment would go to Bai Yu.

The students from the other two elite classes surrounding Liu Wuxie also stepped forward. They had reached some kind of agreement that each class would share Liu Wuxie’s rewards. After all, there were three, and each class could obtain one.

A murderous smile played on Liu Wuxie’s lips as he looked at the elite class students, including Bai Yu. His right hand reached for his interspatial pouch. Since he couldn’t kill them, he decided he would sever their tendons instead, ensuring they would kneel before him in the future.

“Who dares touch the student from my Advanced Class Seven?!” a cold bark echoed, interrupting everyone. Two students, representing Advanced Class Seven, emerged from the crowd. One was tall and hefty, the other short and lean, presenting a stark contrast. Their unkempt appearance was in line with the reputation of Advanced Class Seven.

“Zhao Cheng, Li Shengsheng, you two think you can stop us?” Liu Kuo’s gaze fell on the mismatched pair, his laughter filled with contempt. After all, the performance of Advanced Class Seven was barely above that of the elementary classes, even if they weren’t at the very bottom. The elite class students were formidable, and Xue Pinzhi was among them. These two students stood no chance against them.

“We may not be able to stop you, but this can!” Li Shengsheng dragged his plump body forward and took out a medal, slamming it onto the table.

“The Teacher Token!” Liu Kuo’s expression shifted at the sight of the token. This was the emblem of a first-class teacher, and its presence commanded the same respect as the teacher himself.

While ordinary teachers taught the Earth Grade, first-class teachers taught the Profound Grade, and star teachers taught the Heaven Grade. However, Advanced Class Seven was unique as their teacher, despite being qualified to teach the Profound Grade, Advanced Class Seven was unique as their teacher chose to teach the Earth Grade instead.

“That’s right. This is the token of our teacher. He’s busy and doesn’t have the time to teach us, and we’re tasked to handle the various affairs of the class. According to the academy’s rules, seeing the token was the same as seeing the teacher. Let me see who dares touch the students of our Advanced Class Seven!” Li Shengsheng’s voice was loud and penetrative, with a hint of emotions.

Bullshit. Busy? I bet he’s taking a nap somewhere! Liu Kuo nearly fell over upon hearing that. He only dared to think about it and not blurt it out.

“Junior Brother, you don’t have to worry about it. Once you join Advanced Class Seven, we will be one family in the future. With Teacher Jin on our side, we’ll stand up to anyone who dares to bully us!” Ignoring Liu Kuo’s fierce glare, Li Shengsheng tiptoed to pat Liu Wuxie’s shoulder. Advanced Class Seven was known for their unity and laid-back attitude.

Liu Wuxie’s forehead creased as he looked at the rotund figure before him. This person reminded him of Song Ling from Azure Billow City; the resemblance was striking.

“Thank you, Senior Brother Li!” Liu Wuxie was grateful for Li Shengsheng’s support and cupped his fists together to express his gratitude. Meanwhile, Zhao Cheng had already filled out the forms, officially making Liu Wuxie a student of Advanced Class Seven.

“Junior Brother, let’s go. The rewards will be distributed tomorrow, and I’ll take you to your dormitory!” Ignoring the hostile stares from Liu Kuo and Xue Pinzhi, Li Shengsheng took Liu Wuxie by the arm and exited the hall, leaving everyone else in a state of shock.

“Why didn’t you intervene, Senior Brother Liu?” Bai Yu asked, puzzled. As a new student, it would be problematic for him to confront Liu Wuxie at this point, especially since he had no personal conflict with him. He couldn’t act without a valid reason, but the situation was different for Liu Kuo.

“Junior Brother Bai, you may not be aware, but the teacher from Advanced Class Seven is notorious for being fiercely protective of his students. He’s a handful because he won’t hesitate to discipline anyone who bullies his students, regardless of their age.” This was why Liu Kuo refrained from intervening. As long as they remained in the Imperial Academy, they would find ways to deal with Liu Wuxie in the future and compel him to fight. If they could coerce Liu Wuxie into accepting a challenge, even the teachers wouldn’t be able to intervene.

With that, the ruckus ended, with Xue Pinzhi feeling aggrieved. Just as he was about to take action, Li Shengsheng stepped in and whisked Liu Wuxie away, causing him to grind his teeth in frustration, his cheek still swollen.

“Senior Brother Xue, we’ll be taking our leave now!” Liu Kuo held back his laughter and left with everyone from Elite Class One. Gradually, the hall quieted down as the other students also began to leave, leaving Xue Pinzhi alone in the hall.

As they navigated through a series of low-rise buildings, Zhao Cheng and Li Shengsheng continued their introduction without pause. They had managed to recruit a student earlier, but that student had requested a class change after learning about Advanced Class Seven. This meant that Liu Wuxie was the only student they had successfully recruited.

Liu Wuxie didn’t interrupt them as he had executed the Ghost Eye to observe the entire Imperial Academy, which was much bigger than he had imagined.

“Junior Liu, the Profound Grade is located in that area. It’s best not to venture there unless necessary,” they advised as they walked on a platform that provided a view of over half of the Imperial Academy, which was divided into several regions.

The Earth Grade was located at the outermost region of the academy, with a relatively elegant environment. Towering trees and spacious training grounds allowed students to practice their martial techniques.

The direction Li Shengsheng pointed to was on the right. This was a massive region with an even better environment. As for the region for Heaven Grade students, Li Shengsheng didn’t mention it, and Liu Wuxie didn’t inquire. Every student who made it to the Heaven Grade was considered a prodigy and a valuable asset to the academy.

Each semester lasted two years. If students of the Earth Grade failed their test, they would be sent back to their hometowns or enter the military.

They finally reached the dormitory after an hour of walking. The Earth Grade’s dormitories were concentrated together with buildings ranging from high to low. The treatment of students from the elite classes was naturally better than students from elementary classes.

“Junior Brother Liu, here we are!” Pushing open the door to a courtyard, they entered a reasonably sized courtyard with a centuries-old tree planted in the middle.

“Thanks for your guidance!” Liu Wuxie expressed his gratitude, acknowledging that navigating the academy would have been challenging without their help.

“No need to be so polite with us. It’s getting late, and you should rest. We’ll come to fetch you for dinner,” Li Shengsheng responded warmly, having already formed a bond with Liu Wuxie. New students often needed assistance from their seniors to familiarize themselves with the environment.

After bidding farewell to the two seniors, Liu Wuxie took a moment to survey the courtyard. The area was divided into four sections, with four Advanced Class students sharing a courtyard. For Elementary Class students, eight students shared a courtyard. Elite Class students enjoyed even better accommodations, with only two students per courtyard.

Upon entering the house, Liu Wuxie noted the modest size and simple furnishings, which included a bed, a table, and four chairs. The Imperial Academy’s training grounds were divided into several areas, some of which required gold coins for entry.

The Imperial Academy wasn’t entirely free. Aside from the spirit stones that would be distributed to the students, there were expenses for the training rooms, and each usage came at a considerable cost. The guidance from teachers was mainly focused on theories, meaning students had to largely rely on self-study, as Li Shengsheng had explained.

Aside from spending gold coins, students could also earn credits to exchange for resources. The Imperial Academy also boasted a library with books accumulated over several centuries, which were accessible to students.

Liu Wuxie now realized why people said that joining the Imperial Academy required a strong background. The expenses alone weren’t something ordinary people could bear; just the knowledge taught by the teachers wasn’t enough. The Imperial Academy provided a platform for everyone; the students could only rely on themselves to see how far they could go.