The academy plaza was silent.
Hundreds of disciples stood in orderly rows as the elders collected the Verdant Tokens.
One by one, the names and totals were announced.
"Earth Courtyard, Zhao Tian... fifteen tokens."
"Profound Courtyard, Chen Rui... seventeen tokens."
"Heaven Courtyard, Chen Xuan... twenty-eight tokens."
A wave of applause erupted.
Chen Xuan folded his arms confidently.
Twenty-eight tokens was the highest total announced so far.
Then Mu Qingxue stepped forward.
The elder counted carefully before raising his voice.
"Heaven Courtyard, Mu Qingxue... thirty-one tokens."
The crowd gasped.
"As expected of Senior Sister Mu!"
"She's first again!"
Chen Xuan merely smiled bitterly.
"I still couldn't surpass her."
Finally, Elder Sun looked toward Lin Yuan.
"Yellow Courtyard... Lin Yuan."
All eyes turned toward him.
Lin Yuan calmly emptied his storage pouch.
One token.
Then another.
Soon, a small pile formed on the table.
The elder counted them twice to make sure he hadn't made a mistake.
After a long silence, he announced,
"Thirty-four Verdant Tokens."
The plaza exploded with astonishment.
"He ranked first again!"
"A Yellow Courtyard disciple?"
"How is that even possible?"
Even the Heaven Courtyard disciples stared at Lin Yuan in disbelief.
Mu Qingxue looked at him quietly before smiling.
"So... you've surpassed me."
Lin Yuan simply nodded politely.
"It was good fortune."
Several disciples rolled their eyes.
After two consecutive first-place finishes, no one believed it was merely luck anymore.
Once the counting ended, Elder Sun stepped onto the platform.
"The twenty disciples whose names were announced will represent Azure Maple Academy in the Four Academy Tournament."
He paused before continuing.
"You have one month to prepare."
"The tournament will be held in the royal capital."
"For many of you, this will be your first journey beyond Azure Maple City."
A murmur of excitement spread through the crowd.
The royal capital was a place they had only heard about in stories.
It was home to powerful clans, renowned sects, and cultivators far stronger than anyone in Azure Maple City.
For many disciples, this was the opportunity of a lifetime.
After the assembly dispersed, Instructor Han called Lin Yuan aside.
"You've exceeded all my expectations."
He handed Lin Yuan a small wooden box.
"Open it after you return."
Lin Yuan bowed respectfully.
"Thank you, Instructor."
Back in his residence, he opened the box.
Inside lay a simple jade bottle and an old map.
A note rested beneath them.
The bottle contains three Meridian Cleansing Pills. Take only one at a time.
The map marks an abandoned valley on the edge of Mistwood Forest. I discovered it many years ago but never managed to uncover its secrets. Perhaps fate will favor you instead.
—Han
Lin Yuan folded the map carefully.
The valley was located beyond the area he had explored before.
It would take at least two days to reach.
The Green Spirit Sapling stirred the moment he looked at the map.
Its leaves pointed toward the marked location.
Lin Yuan smiled.
"So even you think it's worth visiting."
He had an entire month before departing for the royal capital.
Rather than remaining in the academy, he had already made his decision.
He would use every remaining day to grow stronger.
Because once he left Azure Maple City...
The enemies he faced would no longer be local geniuses.
They would be the finest talents of the entire Azure Wind Kingdom.