Braised Dragon with Soy Sauce

Chapter 280 Provocation

After a full day of intense testing, the results of the students who participated in the assessment have finally come to light. Although the academy had appropriately relaxed the relevant conditions for various reasons, the final result was still somewhat unexpected—out of more than two thousand students who came to take the test, fewer than five hundred were actually found to have martial arts talent!

Even within this relatively low percentage, more than half of the students possessed below-average aptitude; among the remaining students, the vast majority could only be considered slightly above average. As for those with superior talent, they were extremely rare, numbering only a dozen or so.

In other words, although these five hundred or so lucky individuals were able to successfully enter the martial arts academy and begin studying various profound techniques, in the long run, the highest achievement that more than two-thirds of them could attain would probably only be at the peak of the Earth Rank.

It is estimated that no more than one hundred people will be able to successfully break through to the Heavenly Rank. Among them, only a handful of exceptional individuals, perhaps a dozen or so, will truly shine and achieve extraordinary success in the path of martial arts.

However, even though the situation doesn't seem so optimistic, it's still quite good for these students to have such a rare learning opportunity.

It's important to know that most of them came from ordinary families. If it weren't for this assessment giving them a chance to shine, they might have spent their entire lives like millions of other ordinary people, living quiet and uneventful lives, never having had the opportunity to come into contact with the world of martial arts.

The 1,500-plus individuals who were eliminated will participate in the Literature Academy's assessment. While these individuals lack talent in cultivation, they possess extraordinary abilities in other areas. Mo Yuming established the Literature Academy to maximize the discovery of talent and enhance the overall national strength of the Great Xia Empire. These individuals with mediocre martial arts aptitude, after undergoing a series of training programs, can make significant contributions to the economic development of the Great Xia Empire, fundamentally changing the continent's long-standing pattern of low productivity.

"I never expected this test to reveal over a dozen geniuses with top-tier martial arts talent! What a surprise! This result is even better than the noble scions of those great families. As far as I know, even the Dao family, which created this testing platform, only produces a few top-tier geniuses in their talent tests each year. If they could produce more than ten in a year, the Dao family would definitely throw a grand banquet. Those are the top families in the Tianxuan Continent! Haha..."

Duan Shichen couldn't help but burst into laughter after receiving the results. As the first university president, the fact that the college was able to recruit so many geniuses was undoubtedly his greatest honor.

"That little girl with mutated fire-attribute spiritual power is mine now. Lightning-attribute spiritual power is perfect for learning formations!"

Upon learning that Lingyun possessed a mutated lightning-attribute spiritual power, Wang Baichuan, the only array master in the Great Xia Empire, immediately asked Duan Shichen for Lingyun to be his personal disciple.

After Wang Baichuan set this precedent, several Heavenly Rank elders who wanted to take on disciples came to recruit personal disciples. More than a dozen exceptionally talented geniuses were quickly snapped up. Even Shi Potian couldn't resist his envy and forcibly took the metal-attribute youth away. From then on, the university had a new class called the Personal Disciple Class, and each student in this class had their own dedicated teacher.

"Young Master, I also wish to cultivate profound skills. May I enter the academy to study?"

After the opening ceremony, Mo Yuming returned to her residence. Ah Hao was already waiting at the door. Upon seeing Mo Yuming return, he couldn't wait to share his thoughts.

"But you're already over twenty, that testing platform can't assess your aptitude anymore, and the college's teachers can't assign you to a class!"

Ah Hao is past the school's enrollment age and has never received any training. He doesn't even know the basics of breathing techniques, while universities teach students who already have a certain level of foundation. If Ah Hao were to go to the elementary or middle school, his age would be even more awkward, and Mo Yuming wouldn't know how to answer.

"It's okay, I don't care about the class, I'll just assign you to the lowest grade class."

Ah Hao was aware of his own limitations. However, unable to resist his strong desire to cultivate, he had no choice but to ask Mo Yuming for a favor.

"How about this? The teachers at the university already have a certain foundation, so you won't learn much there. I'll talk to the teachers at the middle school and ask if you can audit a class there. You don't need to join any class. Once you're there, I'll give you the job of a janitor. You can sit in on classes while the teachers are teaching, and after class, you can do whatever you want for the school. That way, those kids won't dare to make fun of you, and you can learn some basic knowledge too, okay?"

Mo Yuming considered for a moment and then said.

"Alright, thank you, young master!"

Ah Hao left happily.

"Ambition knows no age! I hope you gain something from this!"

Watching Ah Hao's retreating figure, Mo Yuming sighed.

After entering the quiet room in the backyard, Mo Yuming drank a drop of Water Essence. Taking advantage of the abundant and extreme water spiritual power emanating from the Water Essence within his body, he began to cultivate the water-based profound art. His water-based profound art had just advanced to the peak of the fifth level of the Earth Rank. He hadn't paid much attention to it before, but after using his own method to refine pills in Jingzhou, he discovered that his unique pill-refining technique had very high requirements for the water-based profound art. Even when refining the lowest-level 'Detoxification Pill', it consumed a lot of his water-based profound art.

Mo Yuming possessed the richest resources for cultivating water-based techniques, his storage bag containing over a hundred kilograms of the sacred treasure 'Water Essence,' a legendary supreme water-based artifact. However, for years, Mo Yuming had used it solely for healing and restoring his spiritual energy, failing to utilize even one percent of its true value. Superficially, each time he absorbed a drop of 'Water Essence,' the remaining energy would remain within his meridians, never dissipating and eventually being absorbed, but in reality, it was completely wasted. Its value as a sacred treasure was entirely unrealized.

After absorbing this drop of 'Water Essence,' Mo Yuming actively began cultivating water-based techniques. The extreme water spiritual power contained within the 'Water Essence' was fully unleashed. This water-based profound technique was learned from Chu He. Before falling into the canyon, Chu He's father was also a disciple of a minor aristocratic family. This ancestral water-based technique was extremely advanced, and even with mediocre talent, he had cultivated it to the early stage of the Heavenly Rank. Later, it was passed down to Chu He in the canyon. With this profound technique, Chu He raised his cultivation to the fourth level of the Heavenly Rank. Although the spiritual energy in the canyon was abundant and particularly suitable for cultivation, the prerequisite was not only a good physique but also a good cultivation technique.

After the 'Water Soul' was activated by the cultivation technique, its original gentle characteristics completely changed. The pure black spiritual power was released explosively, quickly filling Mo Yuming's meridians. The meridians, which had been expanded very wide during the Transformation of the Star, were now somewhat strained. Every meridian was filled with the extreme water spiritual power. The spiritual power did not stop there, but continued to increase, and every meridian was stretched and bulged.

The water elemental power that people usually see is blue because it is relatively thin or impure, while black is the true, purest and ultimate water elemental power.

If one were to look inward now, all of Mo Yuming's meridians would appear pitch black. Mo Yuming never imagined that the 'Water Spirit,' which he usually drank like water, would have such a terrifying side. The powerful spiritual energy was causing Mo Yuming unbearable swelling and pain throughout his body, and fine blood vessels were visible on his skin, a sign that his blood vessels were about to burst.

Despite the pain, Mo Yuming maintained a sliver of clarity in his mind. He gritted his teeth and continued to circulate the Water Element Mystic Art, slowly guiding the spiritual energy in his meridians along a specific route, through each acupoint, and then introducing the spiritual energy into his dantian.

It took Mo Yuming a full hour to complete one cycle of this process. Only after completing a full cycle did Mo Yuming's pain lessen slightly. By then, Mo Yuming was completely soaked in sweat, his body drenched in sap.

Although the pain had lessened slightly, the spiritual energy in his meridians hadn't diminished. Mo Yuming dared not stop cultivating and had to force himself to continue. After four hours of this cycle, Mo Yuming finally recovered from the pain. Ignoring his exhaustion, he circulated his energy and examined his inner self, discovering that his cultivation that night had yielded significant results. His water-based profound technique had noticeably improved, and the blue water-based spiritual energy area in his dantian had also increased considerably, its color deepening. His cultivation was beginning to approach the peak of the fifth level of the Earth Rank. He estimated that he would soon be able to cross the threshold of the fifth level's peak.

It was already the early hours of the second day. Mo Yuming finished his practice, took off his clothes that were soaked with sweat, washed off all the sweat and dirt from his body, and put on some dry clothes before leaving the room.

When Mo Yuming arrived at the academy, the martial arts department had already completed its enrollment. Today, the literature department was conducting its enrollment. In this martial arts-oriented world, people clearly had little passion for literature. Apart from the students waiting to take the exam and the staff, there was practically no one else in the academy today.

The Faculty of Arts primarily assessed students' divination and analytical skills, as well as practical abilities. Nearly a thousand students participated in the assessment. The exams were held on the second floor of the academy building; the second, third, and fourth floors of the teaching building were all classrooms, each floor containing hundreds of enormous classrooms. Two classrooms were sufficient to accommodate a thousand candidates.

At this moment, the examinee is answering the questions seriously, while the invigilator stands quietly around to monitor the situation.

Mo Yuming quietly walked past the examination hall and headed towards the top floor. When he arrived on the fourth floor, he found a dozen or so young people gathered in the corridor, discussing something. These young students were probably from the Martial Arts Academy. Today, the academy was starting to organize classes. More than 500 students would be divided into ten classes according to their respective Xuan Gong attributes and cultivation levels. Each attribute would be further divided into beginner and intermediate classes. Based on their cultivation levels, those below the seventh level of the Human Rank would be in the beginner class, and those above the eighth level would be in the intermediate class. After completing a year of study, they would take an exam, and those who successfully advanced to the Earth Rank would be promoted to the advanced class.

Among these 500-plus students, a few have already advanced to the Earth Rank, but these are mostly older students with slightly better aptitude. However, they have only just advanced to the initial Earth Rank, and their realm is not yet stable. Therefore, the academy has decided to classify this term as the intermediate level, and to open an advanced class a year later when more students have advanced to the Earth Rank.

"Hey, friend, which class are you in?"

Just as Mo Yuming was about to walk past these teenagers, the young man surrounded by a group of students saw him, pushed through the crowd, and stood in front of Mo Yuming, blocking his way.

"Why should I tell you?"

Mo Yuming found it amusing that he was blocked and provoked by a certain academically challenged student. The academy hadn't even started yet, and this scene had already occurred? Was it impossible to escape this kind of academic culture once you were associated with the academy?

“I recognize him. He’s the one who stood next to Ling’er yesterday to test her aptitude. He’s the one who broke the academy’s testing platform.”

A thin, small boy quickly spoke up.

"I felt like I recognized him too. Oh, it's him! I heard the academy decided to test his aptitude again. I wonder if they did?"

"That's what another young man said."

"So what if the principal is biased? He's just a commoner disciple! How can he compare to Young Master Yuan? Young Master Yuan is the eldest son of the Yuan family, one of the most prominent families in Zhongyuan City, with shops on several streets. Moreover, Young Master Yuan has superior martial arts talent; he was one of the few Earth-rank students in this assessment. If it weren't for the small number of students, Young Master Yuan would be a senior in the advanced class. Whether it's status, position, or talent in profound arts, no one can compare to Young Master Yuan."

Another young man in brocade robes said obsequiously.

"What does your talent and family background have to do with me? We've only just met, haven't we?" Mo Yuming was somewhat puzzled.

"Since you have the self-awareness, then please stay away from that little girl. She's way out of your league!" Yuan Gou said in a low voice.

Mo Yuming almost burst out laughing. So this guy had his eye on Xiaoxiao. Recalling yesterday's events, Mo Yuming remembered that he had indeed whispered a few words to Xiaoxiao when he went on stage. He had even told her to be discreet and cover her face with a scarf during the test. After all, Xiaoxiao had connections with many merchants in the Great Xia Empire, and many people knew her as the Great Xia Empire's God of Wealth. Her identity was sensitive. He hadn't expected that these few words would be overheard by this guy. It seemed he had been infatuated with Xiaoxiao for a long time.

"Heh, it's none of your business who I'm with!" Mo Yuming didn't want to waste time with these people, and after saying that, he wanted to leave.

"Did I tell you to leave?" Yuan Gou took a step back and stretched out his hand to block Mo Yuming.

"What? Trying to cause trouble? The academy hasn't even started teaching yet, and you're already violating school rules?" Mo Yuming sneered.

"What school rules? Those are just for commoner disciples like you. What right do those lousy rules have over me? Let me tell you, our Yuan family is one of the academy's sponsors, sponsoring a whopping ten thousand gold coins! Kid, do you know what ten thousand gold coins means? You probably won't earn that much in your entire life! My father and I gave those ten thousand gold coins to the little girl!"

"Is that so? Then we must thank Elder Yuan properly. However, even the sons of merchants who have donated money do not have any special privileges in the academy. This is a rule of the academy, and all students are treated equally. Anyone who violates the school rules will be severely punished by the academy. However, since we are all martial arts practitioners, various frictions are inevitable. Therefore, the academy has set up a competition arena on the fifth floor. Students who want to exchange skills can go to the competition arena to compete. If you want to have a life-or-death duel, there is a ring in the west square of the academy where you can have an unrestrained duel. However, you must register with the school administration in advance and sign the agreement."

Mo Yuming said to Yuan Gou in a mocking tone.