Volume One, Chapter 15: Reject Me? Can Your Academy Afford the Loss?

The assessment for all the candidates began.

One by one, the men and women started to undergo the tests.

“No red light appeared—eliminated.”

Yet, among the first fifty tested, not a single person managed to pass even the most basic trial. They were all disqualified without exception.

But this scene did not surprise Mu Yi.

A year ago, when he had taken the freshman assessment at the Great Qian Academy, he had only triggered the orange talent light. However, now he had cultivated the Dragon Elephant Divine Demon Battle Body. Though only one acupoint had awakened, the immense power of a dragon-elephant within him was enough to shock the ages.

He was in no rush to act.

Half an hour passed swiftly.

Hundreds had approached the talent pillar test, yet only about ten had triggered even the lowest red light, demonstrating the immense difficulty of the challenge.

“All right, it’s time to make a move.”

Mu Yi had seen enough and was no longer interested in wasting time here. He stepped up beside the talent pillar.

“Wait! You are not qualified to participate in the freshman assessment!”

Suddenly, a fierce wind whipped above Mu Yi’s head.

A celestial crane appeared overhead and swiftly landed on the assessment plaza. A middle-aged man descended from it.

“Heh, Elder Han, you’ve finally arrived.”

Upon seeing the middle-aged man, the original assessment elder, Fang Lan, immediately showed respect. “Since you’ve come, I will leave the hosting of this freshman assessment to you. As acting elder, I shall take my leave.”

Fang Lan was merely a temporary host, not the true authority.

The real host of this freshman assessment was none other than the middle-aged man standing before them—Han Xiaofeng.

Mu Yi recognized him immediately, understanding what was about to unfold.

This was the very person Han Feng had mentioned—the brother of Han Wuji, whom Mu Yi had previously killed—Elder Han Xiaofeng of the Shenyin Academy, responsible for the freshman assessments.

Previously, Mu Yi had wondered where this man had gone. Now, it seemed the inevitable had come to pass.

“Heh, this freshman assessment is finally going to be interesting. Wonderful.”

Seeing Han Xiaofeng, Mu Yi did not feel any worry; instead, a faint smile curled upon his lips.

At last, there was something to play with.

“Mu Yi, you little bastard! Not long ago, you attempted to drug and assault a female disciple at Great Qian Academy, but were caught, your cultivation was destroyed by the Penal Hall, and you were expelled!”

“And now, less than a month later, you still have the audacity to participate in the Shenyin Academy’s freshman assessment? Do you take our academy for a garbage dump?”

As soon as Han Xiaofeng appeared, he immediately slapped a heavy accusation upon Mu Yi.

His voice thundered through the air, echoing over a thousand meters, ensuring everyone present heard every word clearly.

“What? He’s Mu Yi? The scoundrel who tried to drug and assault a female disciple at Great Qian Academy, was discovered, had his cultivation destroyed, and was expelled?”

“This man is infamous for his misdeeds, yet he dares to enter the Shenyin Academy’s freshman assessment?”

Upon learning Mu Yi’s identity, everyone was taken aback.

The scandal of Mu Yi’s expulsion from Great Qian Academy had already spread like wildfire throughout the city.

All eyes turned to Mu Yi, filled with contempt.

“Mu Yi, how dare you still stand here with any semblance of pride? Shenyin Academy does not admit villains. Get out at once, or be killed on the spot!”

Han Xiaofeng glared coldly at Mu Yi, a sinister smile twisting his lips.

If not for the many witnesses, he would have struck Mu Yi into dust by now.

“Villain?”

Mu Yi laughed heartily. “Han Xiaofeng, it’s true I was expelled from Great Qian Academy, but what does that have to do with my participation in Shenyin Academy’s assessment? Which rule in your academy forbids someone like me from taking the test?”

“You…”

Han Xiaofeng was momentarily speechless, unable to find a regulation that could bar Mu Yi.

“If you can’t find a reason, then step aside.”

Mu Yi was done with words. He strode over to the talent pillar.

“In this world, strength dictates respect. Let me show you clearly just how much of a loss it would be for Shenyin Academy to miss out on a peerless genius like me.”

With that, he punched the talent pillar.

Crack!

In an instant, the pillar’s light blazed from a faint red to a sudden surge of orange, yellow, then green!

Everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Previously, the best anyone had managed was to trigger the orange light.

But Mu Yi’s punch directly ignited the green light.

What did the green light signify?

It represented the very pinnacle of the Great Qian Dynasty’s limits—a legendary threshold that even the scions of the four major academies rarely reached.

“Han Xiaofeng, do you see now? Can your Shenyin Academy afford to lose a genius like me? Can you bear that responsibility?”

Mu Yi turned, coldly fixing his gaze on Han Xiaofeng.

“Nonsense! The talent pillar must be malfunctioning! Someone, replace it immediately!”

Han Xiaofeng’s voice erupted in a hysterical roar.

He refused to accept the scene before him, preferring to believe the pillar had broken.

Moments later, a new talent pillar was placed on the testing platform.

“Hmph, you really won’t cry until you see the coffin.”

Mu Yi sneered and stepped forward, punching again.

Boom!

This time, the new pillar did not glow but exploded with a deafening blast.

“Mu Yi actually shattered the talent pillar with a single punch!”

“How is this possible? According to historical records, in a thousand years of using talent pillars to test students at the four major academies, no one has ever broken one with a single blow! Could this mean Mu Yi’s talent and cultivation surpass even the green level by far?”

“Surpass green level? That’s unimaginable…”

Everyone was dumbfounded, utterly stunned.

Twice tested, once soaring to green light, once shattering the pillar as if it bore an unbearable weight.

It was beyond belief and impossible to accept.

“Han Xiaofeng, do you see clearly now? My talent has exceeded the maximum the talent pillar can measure. I suppose I’ve passed the first stage of the assessment?”

Mu Yi didn’t even glance at Han Xiaofeng anymore.

With a light tap of his toe, he moved like a breeze to the second test point.

Before him stood a sheer cliff stretching a thousand meters high, too steep even for monkeys to climb.

Yet that was not the greatest obstacle.

Above the peak, a powerful formation unleashed swirling tornadoes, preventing any from reaching the summit.

This was Shenyin Academy’s second assessment: the Trial of Perseverance—The Steep Cliff.

Those who passed the first stage had twenty minutes to scale the cliff; failure meant elimination.

“Han Xiaofeng, do you know the fastest time anyone in Shenyin Academy’s history has reached the summit?”

Mu Yi looked at him.

“Five minutes,” Han Xiaofeng replied coldly. “Are you trying to make history?”

“Make history? Whenever I, Mu Yi, please.”

Mu Yi laughed heartily, raising a single finger.

“If I can’t reach the top within one minute, I’ll leave on my own accord and vow never to set foot in Shenyin Academy again.”

“What? One minute to reach the summit?”

Han Xiaofeng had anticipated Mu Yi’s boast but never imagined someone would be so arrogant as to attempt it.

In the thousand-year history of Shenyin Academy, five minutes was a record deemed unbreakable.

Yet Mu Yi aimed to conquer it in one minute.

Han Xiaofeng truly wondered if he was facing a madman.