“What?!
The Dean…
the Dean is actually here?!” someone in the crowd gasped, their voice cracking with disbelief.
“Intern Jiang, you truly possess sharp senses,” a deep, calm voice resonated through the sky.
A moment later, a plain-looking, middle-aged man in simple grey robes descended softly from above, stepping onto the library floor without making a sound.
“D-Dean!” Master Ma squeaked, his knees buckling as he hit the ground, trembling from head to toe.
“You flatter me, Dean,” Jiang WuShang replied, bowing respectfully.
Sharp senses my foot, WuShang thought, a hidden smirk tugging at his mind.
If the System hadn’t scanned the surroundings and alerted me to a Qi Ocean realm presence hiding above, there’s no way I would have sensed him!
The Dean looked at Jiang WuShang with an inquisitive smile.
“Intern Jiang, when exactly did you notice my presence?” “When I woke up from my enlightenment state, I seemed to gain the ability to perceive subtle flaws and shifts in the Qi of my surroundings,” Jiang WuShang replied smoothly, lying without batting an eye.
Perceive Qi flaws?
The Dean mused quietly, his smile remaining fixed.
I am a Qi Ocean realm cultivator—my Qi control is absolute.
Without my conscious permission, no ordinary junior could possibly sense me.
“Tell me,” the Dean continued aloud, “how do you wish for me to handle this situation?” Jiang WuShang sighed helplessly, putting on a deeply troubled expression.
“I am merely a low-ranking intern, Dean.
I lack the authority to decide anything.
After all, calling Intern Bai by his birth name is apparently a heinous crime worthy of immediate expulsion…
isn’t that right, Master Ma?
And enforcing royal status over academy laws is our solemn duty, right?” [System Notification: Gained +5 Emotion Points!] [System Notification: Gained +5 Emotion Points!] [Total Emotion Points: 70] The Dean turned his gaze down toward Master Ma, his expression turning terrifyingly cold.
“Master Ma…
you enforce the royal status of an intern over the laws of Azure Academy.
What is the meaning of this?
Are you openly challenging the academy’s authority?” “D-Dean!
I would never!” Master Ma stammered frantically, banging his forehead hard against the floor.
“Intern Jiang is lying!
I…
I was merely guiding him!
I protected Intern Bai, but not because of his status as a prince!” “I have been watching from above since the beginning,” the Dean said, his voice laced with absolute frost.
“Do you think I am blind and deaf?
I know full well what dirty tricks you people have been pulling behind my back.” Before Master Ma could beg another word, the Dean flicked his wrist.
A razor-thin blade of condensed Qi flashed through the air.
Swish!
Blood sprayed across the polished floor as Master Ma’s head rolled away, his eyes frozen in wide horror.
[System Notification: Gained +5 Emotion Points!] [System Notification: Gained +5 Emotion Points!] [Total Emotion Points: 80] The entire library fell dead silent.
No one dared to even breathe.
The Dean turned his stern gaze toward the Vice-Dean.
“Vice-Dean…
knowing full well the extent of Master Ma’s actions, you still shielded him.
You also assigned Intern Bai to Class A1 despite him lacking the qualifications to instruct top geniuses.
Are you betraying Azure Academy to side with the Royal Clan?
Do you understand the severity of your crime?” The Vice-Dean’s face paled, but he quickly bowed, speaking rapidly.
“Dean!
Please hear me out!
It was the Class A1 disciples themselves who begged for Intern Bai to teach them!
You can ask them directly if you think I am lying—they knelt and begged me to make him their instructor!” The Vice-Dean shot a sharp, threatening glare toward the Class A1 disciples gathered in the crowd.
Gulping nervously, the Class A1 disciples hastily nodded.
“Y-Yes, Dean!
It was our own request to study under Intern Bai!” “That’s right, Dean!
We forced the Vice-Dean’s hand by kneeling!” another disciple added, sweating profusely.
The Dean narrowed his eyes.
“Very well.
If the disciples insisted, so be it.
But why did you assign Intern Jiang to Class C9?
With his terrifying talent and comprehension, he is qualified to teach any upper-tier class.
Why not reassign Class A2 as the new Class A1 and put Jiang WuShang in charge of them?” The Vice-Dean wiped cold sweat from his forehead.
“It…
it was Master Ma who reported that all Class A and Class B slots were filled!
I instructed him to find a suitable Class B slot, but he went behind my back and placed Intern Jiang in C9!
This was a grave oversight on my part due to negligence, but I swear I had no part in Master Ma’s scheme!” The Dean remained silent for a moment before turning back to Jiang WuShang.
“Intern Jiang, what do you think?
Would you be willing to take over Class A2 and have them reassigned as the top class?” Jiang WuShang shook his head with a calm smile.
“Dean, I have already accepted the disciples of Class C9 as my personal disciples.
I will not abandon them.
However…
I propose a Class Assessment Tournament held one month from today!
The winning class must be granted the highest resource allocation in the academy, along with a special title and unique privileges.” The Dean raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
“A Class Assessment in one month?
Interesting.
And what title and privileges do you seek for the winning class?” “The title shall be the Elite Class: Azure Dragons,” Jiang WuShang answered smoothly.
“As for the specific privileges…
I will discuss those with you after my class wins.” With my training and root upgrades, my disciples will turn into absolute monsters in a month, Jiang WuShang calculated in his mind.
Once we secure those special privileges, I can officially establish my own faction within Azure Academy!
“Very well,” the Dean declared loudly.
“The Class Assessment Tournament is officially set for one month from today!
As for your negligence, Vice-Dean…
you are sentenced to transcribe the Azure Academy Rulebook one hundred times inside the Punishment Chamber!” “S-One hundred times?!” The Vice-Dean’s face went completely ash-white, but he bowed deeply.
“I…
accept the punishment.” With a sweep of his sleeves, the Dean vanished into thin air.
[System Notification: Gained +5 Emotion Points!] [System Notification: Gained +5 Emotion Points!] [Total Emotion Points: 90] “Brother Jun, let’s head back,” Jiang WuShang said, stretching his arms.
“We have classes to teach tomorrow.
By the way…
just how thick is the Azure Rulebook?
How long will it take him to write it a hundred times?” Lu Jun chuckled as they walked out of the library.
“I’ve never read the whole thing myself, but rumor has it the Rulebook is fifteen thousand pages long, with a thousand lines per page…
Writing it once takes months.
Writing it a hundred times?
He won’t be coming out of that chamber anytime soon!” Behind them, Jiang Bai stood shaking with rage, his fists clenched so tightly his fingernails drew blood.
He glared at the Vice-Dean, shouting in frustration, “Look at the mess you’ve caused!
Couldn’t you even defend Master Ma?!
Because of your uselessness, we lost a key ally!” “Shut your mouth!” the Vice-Dean snapped back furiously.
“It was your Royal Mother who arranged the class placements in the first place!
If you want to blame someone, blame her!
And if you hadn’t opened your arrogant mouth in front of everyone, none of this would have happened today!” With a snort of anger, the Vice-Dean turned and stormed off toward the Punishment Chamber.
[System Notification: Gained +5 Emotion Points!] [Total Emotion Points: 95] Jiang Bai stared in the direction Jiang WuShang had left, his eyes burning with venomous hostility.
“Jiang WuShang…
just you wait!
Sooner or later, I will personally kill you!” [System Notification: Gained +5 Emotion Points!] [Total Emotion Points: 100 — Max Limit Reached!] Later that night, deep within a secluded, spirit-rich chamber inside the Dean’s private residence, rich ambient Qi swirled in dense, glowing mist.
The Dean sat in meditation, surrounded by glowing natural treasures.
Across from him sat Grand Master Bai.
“Grand Master Bai,” the Dean spoke softly without opening his eyes.
“What are your thoughts on Jiang WuShang?” Grand Master Bai bowed slightly.
“Dean, if I am not mistaken, he possesses absolute confidence in winning the assessment.
A genius who can remain in a state of Sudden Enlightenment for six full hours—breaking the ancient two-hour record—is a monster among monsters.
I dare say he has the potential to ascend to the Upper Realms in the future.” “I hold the same view,” the Dean replied, opening his eyes, which glinted with deep concern.
“However, the currents moving beneath us are far more dangerous than just a teacher’s rivalry.
The Mortal Emperor is secretly consolidating unknown dark forces.
He has not openly attacked Azure Academy only because of our backing in the Upper Realms.
If the Vice-Dean had taken control of the academy, the Mortal Emperor’s faction would have usurped everything.
We have tolerated their arrogance only to avoid sparking a war that could destroy the Mortal Realm…” “Dean, should we step in and assist Jiang WuShang against the Vice-Dean’s faction?” Grand Master Bai asked.
“No need,” the Dean shook his head.
“Lu Jun’s father recommended him, so we can trust his loyalty.
Go prepare the arrangements for the Class Assessment Tournament.
I have a strong feeling that young man is planning something massive.” “Understood, Dean.
I will announce the assessment to the entire academy at dawn,” Grand Master Bai said before taking his leave.
Night passed, and the moon gave way to the morning sun.
Inside his quarters, Jiang WuShang sat cross-legged on his bed in a lotus position.
Throughout the night, he had systematically reviewed, cataloged, and perfected every single martial manual he had memorized from the library’s ground floor, eliminating their flaws and fusing their essences into his mind.
Opening his eyes as the sun broke over the horizon, Jiang WuShang stood up and stretched.
I’ve completely mastered everything…
except for that mysterious primordial body manual, he thought.
To unlock even its first stage, I need to collect rare, specialized materials.
I don’t even know what kind of terrifying technique I’m holding onto…
Over in Class C9, the four disciples were already seated, chatting excitedly.
“Qin Fan, did you hear about yesterday?!” Long Chen said eagerly.
“Master entered Sudden Enlightenment for six whole hours and completely humiliated the instructor of Class A1!” “Of course I heard!” Qin Fan grinned broadly.
“Becoming his personal disciple is the greatest blessing of our lives!” Click.
The classroom door swung open, and Jiang WuShang strolled inside with a bright smile.
“Good morning, everyone!
Did you all miss me?” “Good morning, Master!” Lu Ruie and the others greeted him instantly, bowing in respect.
Jiang WuShang looked at Lu Ruie.
“Ruie, how are you feeling?
Have you adjusted to your upgraded talent root?” Lu Ruie’s eyes sparkled.
“Master, my Qi cultivation speed is at least ten times faster than before!
It feels incredible!” “Good,” Jiang WuShang nodded, stepping up to the podium.
“Now, pay attention.
As you may have heard, an academy-wide Class Assessment Tournament will take place in one month.
The winning class will receive resources surpassing even Class A1!
But more importantly, as my personal disciples, I will be upgrading all of your spirit roots so you can cultivate at lightspeed.” He paused, his gaze turning stern.
“However, do not become complacent.
An upgraded root is merely a tool—you must work twice as hard.
I have specifically tailored flawless cultivation techniques for each of you from the library.
You won’t just be following instructions; you will master the pure essence of these martial arts!” “Yes, Master!
We will cultivate with all our strength!” Long Chen declared passionately.
“We will never let you down, Master!” Lu Ruie added.
Jiang WuShang smiled, then turned his eyes toward Qin Fan.
“Alright, Qin Fan…
it’s your turn.
Strip off your shirt and step forward.” Jiang WuShang smirked slyly.
“I’m going to upgrade your talent root now.
But a word of warning—if you scream like a dying pig, I’m throwing you out of that second-floor window.
And if that doesn’t break your bones, I’ll throw you out a second time!”