Chapter 40: A Carefree Entry into the Primordial Beginning

The divine fire manifested, instantly chilling the entire arena to the bone.

"What strange flame is this? It’s unnervingly cold. What kind of fire could it possibly be?"
"To control such a terrifying flame while still in the Spirit Entrance Realm... we were all wrong about him. This guy is no good-for-nothing!"
"Possessing fire-attribute spiritual energy at the Spirit Entrance Realm—his future path in martial arts is truly limitless!"

Envy and admiration filled the air. Countless gazes flickered, but there was no longer a shred of contempt or disdain. The moment the divine fire appeared, the reputation of the "good-for-nothing young master" was utterly incinerated. From this day forward, everyone would remember him as the heaven-defying prodigy of the Mu family in Yuanzhou City who controlled divine fire while still in the Spirit Entrance Realm!

"So it was you! It was you all along!" Jiang Wuying could no longer sit still. He stood up and lashed out at Mu Feng. He had searched painstakingly for the Void Purple Flame, only to realize it had been snatched away by Mu Feng! How could he not be furious?

Even Xiao Ruoxin watched the scene in shock. That divine fire, which had been nurtured by the Xiao family’s heritage for a thousand years, was actually in Mu Feng's possession! She was overcome with rage. If the divine fire hadn't vanished, she wouldn't have been forced to break through prematurely at the tenth level of the Spirit Entrance Realm. She could have even reached the Great Perfection of the Spirit Entrance Realm! Although she had now entered the Profound Yellow Realm, her foundations were unstable, leaving her significantly weaker than other disciples of the Sword Sect at the same level. She owed all of this to Mu Feng!

Boom!

As she pushed her spiritual energy to the limit, Xiao Ruoxin’s eyes turned bloodshot. Her giant sword struck with even greater force, yet she could not advance even an inch against Mu Feng, who was shielded by the divine fire!

"Go!" Mu Feng raised his hand slightly. The Void Purple Flame surged from behind him, rushing toward Xiao Ruoxin.

"How is this possible! How!"
"I refuse to accept this!"

Seeing the incoming Void Purple Flame, Xiao Ruoxin lost all composure. Since childhood, she had always been overshadowed by Mu Feng, and she had believed that by joining the Sword Sect, she would finally surpass him. She never expected that in just three short months, Mu Feng would grow to such a terrifying level. She wouldn't accept it! She had to kill him!

In her panic, Xiao Ruoxin lost all form, swinging her longsword in a chaotic, desperate frenzy against Mu Feng. But against his divine fire, she stood no chance. The purple flames surged forth, targeting her from all sides, intent on burning her to ashes.

"Xiao Ruoxin, today you will pay for everything you’ve done!" Mu Feng declared. "This strike is for the entire Mu family, and it is also what you owe my sister!"
"Damn you!"

Boom!

The flames swept over. Realizing she had nowhere to hide, Xiao Ruoxin closed her eyes in agony, bracing for death. Suddenly, a figure moved with the wind. Raising a palm, he gathered a monumental force, shattering the Void Purple Flame before her!

"How dare you attempt such a lethal move against a disciple of the Sword Sect? You are courting death, Mu Feng!"

Jiang Wuying’s face was twisted with immense rage as he charged at Mu Feng. The absolute pressure of a fifth-level Profound Yellow Realm expert left Mu Feng struggling to breathe. Countless sharp blades of spiritual energy enveloped him, leaving bloody lacerations on his cheeks.

"How terrifying. Is this the true power of a Sword Sect disciple?" Mu Feng narrowed his eyes. He had known Jiang Wuying was strong, but not to this extent. Even the Void Purple Flame had been shattered by a single blow!

Boom!

A massive explosion shook the arena, kicking up a thick cloud of dust. The ferocious spiritual energy rippled outward, causing low-level spectators to vomit blood and collapse in dizziness. As the dust settled, Elder Xiong appeared before Mu Feng, having blocked Jiang Wuying’s attack.

"Jiang Wuying, it was one thing to let your disciple fight with all her might, but now you personally intervene to kill a disciple of the Taichu Martial Academy? Is that not going too far?"

Boom!

Spiritual energy soared into the sky, manifesting as a colossal bear that roared madly at Jiang Wuying. The audience below could not help but spit on Jiang Wuying:

"What kind of 'Sword Sect' is this? They resort to such underhanded tactics against an examinee—so much for being a righteous sect!"
"A disgrace to the Sword Sect. When his woman can’t win, he steps in himself. He has no martial honor at all!"
"To hell with the Sword Sect!"

Hearing the insults from all directions, Jiang Wuying turned crimson. He clenched his fists so tightly that he couldn't utter a word. His loss of composure had failed to kill Mu Feng, and now the reputation of the Sword Sect was utterly ruined.

"Hmph!" With a cold snort, Jiang Wuying scooped up the trembling Xiao Ruoxin and stood up. "Mu Feng passes the examination!" Suppressing his rage, he threw the words over his shoulder and strode away.

Watching his retreating back, Mu Feng felt a surge of killing intent. He gripped his sword, ready to strike, but Elder Xiong stopped him, his expression blank. "The examination is over. The priority is joining the Taichu Martial Academy. Getting injured over this would not be worth it."

Mu Feng released his grip. "Understood." Even so, the murderous intent in his heart remained undiminished. He had failed to kill Xiao Ruoxin today, but in the future, he would ensure her total destruction!

Meanwhile, the results of the other two arenas were in. Ji Tu passed the examination as expected. As for the last unfortunate soul, he hadn't even lasted three moves against the Sword Sect disciple. In the distance, Xuan Yuanting was trembling with fury.

"Useless trash! He couldn't even last the time it takes to burn an incense stick! If I had gone up there, I would have passed!"
"Young Master, you no longer have the qualifications," a servant whispered.
"Shut up!" Xuan Yuanting barked, his eyes filled with resentment as he looked at Mu Feng with a complex expression. "What secret does this guy have to be able to defeat an opponent in the Profound Yellow Realm?"

Seeing the Sword Sect disciples leave, Elder Xiong returned to the high platform with his hands behind his back. He scanned the remaining two, nodding expressionlessly. "Congratulations to you both for passing the Taichu Martial Academy examination. These are your rewards."

With a wave of his hand, two spheres of light flew from his palm and landed in their hands. They were tokens, each engraved with the characters "Taichu."

"These are Taichu Tokens. They possess storage functions; your rewards are inside."
"Many thanks, Elder Xiong," the two replied in unison, bowing.

Elder Xiong nodded slightly, looked up at all the disciples present, and announced in a clear voice: "Congratulations to everyone on becoming disciples of the Taichu Martial Academy. You may report to the academy in three days. Failure to do so will be considered a forfeit."

Upon hearing this, the successful disciples’ eyes shone with anticipation. Even Mu Feng felt a spark in his gaze, unable to help but imagine what life would be like once he joined the academy.

"The Taichu Martial Academy, is it? Interesting."
"It won't be long before the name Mu Feng resonates throughout the entire Imperial Capital!"
"Father, Mother, very soon I will uncover who the murderers were who took your lives!"