Mu Chen had effortlessly dealt with Xu Lin, who had opened two meridians.
The atmosphere in the room fell silent.
Many people stared at Mu Chen in shock.
He showed no signs of having opened any meridians at all.
“His physical constitution must be at least two meridians, and he’s among the best at that level.” “Could be three meridians.
We’ve never heard of him before.” …
After the initial shock came heated discussion.
People whispered to each other.
Some of the female students even cast flirtatious glances at Mu Chen, which made Su Youwei pout in frustration.
But there was nothing she could do.
She had no real relationship with Brother Chen.
“Good lad.
Interesting.
So this is the Mu Chen His Majesty mentioned?” Headmaster Chu Tianyang clapped in approval.
Anyone Zhou Qing mentioned was worth remembering.
Mu Chen’s stance was clear; he wouldn’t side with the Qi Manor, and he knew Zhou Yuan.
“Mu Chen, you’re really something.
Sorry, I dragged you into this.” Zhou Yuan scratched his head.
If Mu Chen hadn’t been talking with him, he wouldn’t have drawn their attention and wouldn’t have been targeted.
Now Mu Chen was definitely on Qi Yue’s radar and might be targeted in the future.
“It’s nothing.
As long as the big shots don’t come, I’m not worried.” Xu Lin’s father, as a county governor, should be at the Heaven Gate Stage.
Against that level of expert, Mu Chen didn’t have much confidence yet.
If he went all out with the Devouring Ancestral Symbol, he could probably hold his own.
“The big shots won’t come.
My father wouldn’t allow it either.” Zhou Yuan said with certainty.
If a Heaven Gate Stage expert dared to attack a Channel Opening Stage student, especially one connected to the royal family, they would definitely suffer the consequences.
… At the Great Zhou Academy, West Hall.
A group of young boys and girls knelt at their desks.
Mu Chen wasn’t used to this posture.
He chose the back row, the king’s homeland, leaning against the wall with his legs crossed.
Among all the students, he stood out as a unique presence.
Why were there no chairs?
Didn’t kneeling for long periods hurt the knees?
Mu Chen’s unconventional behavior naturally caught the attention of the middle-aged lecturer, but he didn’t say anything.
The boy was a friend of the prince.
Turning a blind eye was fine.
When the lecturer began teaching Genesis Runes, Mu Chen listened while practicing in his mind.
“Releasing Soul Power in the form of runes is quite ingenious.
But drawing Genesis Runes takes time.
Not everyone can complete them instantly.
In battle, that actually becomes a weakness.” The little marten said with interest.
In the Martial Universe world, mental energy was often used directly in attacks, forming sharp shapes, or manipulating weapons from a distance.
This often caught opponents off guard.
“After the Divine Soul reaches the Materialization Stage, one can condense a Soul Flame.
It specifically damages the soul, extremely domineering.
Without special soul protection, one will be burned to nothing in an instant.” Mu Chen said inwardly.
Though he was now at the late Illusory Stage and hadn’t mastered Genesis Runes, he could still use Divine Soul shock to disrupt early and mid Illusory Stage souls for a period of time.
In battle, even a few seconds of hesitation could be the key to victory.
Su Youwei listened with a troubled expression.
This was her first time encountering Genesis Rune knowledge, so the lecturer’s words sounded like a foreign language.
She understood very little.
She suddenly felt useless.
A single Genesis Rune could be made up of so many Genesis Marks.
Just looking at it made her head spin.
Zhou Yuan listened intently, his fists clenched, eyes fixed on the lecturer.
For someone like him who couldn’t open his meridians, Genesis Runes might be his way to change his fate.
Unlike Su Youwei’s confusion, he understood everything and didn’t want to miss a single word.
The lecturer naturally noticed and sighed inwardly.
‘As expected of the Great Zhou prince, he listened with such focus.’ It gave him a sense of pride.
‘What a pity.
If His Highness could open his meridians, he would surely make a name for himself.’ Since Zhou Yuan was so interested, the lecturer didn’t hold back and explained in even more detail.
Mu Chen opened his mouth slightly.
The lecturer was already middle-aged, but why did he seem so passionate?
He looked like he was about to ignite.
‘Was this what they called a second youth?’ “Brother Chen, can you understand it?” Su Youwei whispered, her small face full of frustration.
Even though the lecturer explained more clearly and in greater detail than before, Su Youwei could only retain a limited amount.
“Sort of.
Youwei, if you can’t understand it, just listen to what you can.
Not everyone can become a Genesis Rune master.
Just remember the basic ones.” Mu Chen said.
It seemed Su Youwei’s comprehension of Genesis Runes wasn’t as good as her talent for cultivation.
Better to focus on what she was good at.
Learning too many things would only affect her other aspects.
When the lecturer told the students to start practicing, many wore bitter expressions.
Most hadn’t even reached the Illusory Stage yet, so practicing even once would exhaust most of their Soul Power.
A light of Divine Soul bloomed between Mu Chen’s brows.
Relying on his late Illusory Stage Divine Soul, after a few tries, he easily carved the runes the lecturer had taught onto the jade tablet.
He still had plenty of Soul Power left.
He could now draw third-grade runes.
He just needed guidance from a skilled teacher.
So these introductory Genesis Runes cost him very little energy.
The Rampaging Bull Rune increased physical power.
The Light Body Rune increased agility and speed.
The Metal Skin Rune increased the toughness of the skin, essentially defense.
Activating all three runes could allow someone who hadn’t opened any meridians to match someone who had opened one or two.
So the power of Genesis Runes was truly not to be underestimated.
In the early stages, they might not be as valuable as Genesis Masters.
But higher-grade Genesis Rune masters were highly sought after.
No matter where they went, they would be treated as honored guests.
The path of Genesis Runes was vast and profound.
The higher the grade, the more astonishing the power displayed.
“Brother Chen, you’re so fast.
Can you teach me?” Su Youwei said in surprise, her eyes filled with admiration.
“It’s skill, not speed!” Mu Chen said with a dark expression.
Don’t say things that could be easily misunderstood.
As she drew, he guided her.
In the end, she barely managed to carve these basic runes.
Seeing her finished work, Su Youwei’s face broke into a satisfied smile.
Zhou Yuan’s carving was much more skilled than Mu Chen’s.
Since he couldn’t open his meridians, he had put all his energy into learning Genesis Runes and had already surpassed most students.
The lecturer nodded.
There were a few good prospects who could carve these Genesis Runes.
But he couldn’t sense Mu Chen’s Divine Soul realm at all, despite being at the mid Illusory Stage himself.
This puzzled him greatly.
He would assume Mu Chen had some special treasure to block prying eyes, rather than believe that such a young boy could have a higher Divine Soul realm than a middle-aged man like himself.
(End of Chapter) —