Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 111 - Slap

The moment they crossed the threshold into the majestic hall, a wave of excitement washed over everyone’s faces. This was the moment they officially became students of the Imperial Academy.

The hall was bustling with people, tables scattered throughout, each bearing the name of a class. The first table was labeled ‘Earth Grade Elite Class One’, a class reserved for the absolute cream of the crop at the Imperial Academy. Following this table were the Elite Class Two and Elite Class Three, rounding out the trio of Earth Grade elite classes that housed the academy’s most gifted individuals.

Behind them were the advanced classes, which consisted of ten classes. A pair of youths manned each table, presumably class representatives tasked with recruiting new students.

As for the elementary classes, there were twenty classes in total. These classes had the highest student population, with each class accommodating anywhere from fifty to a hundred students. In contrast, an elite class was much smaller, with only about twenty students.

Chen Leyao pinned the assessment rankings, which were done every year, on the board. The top five would be guaranteed a spot in the elite classes.

“First in the three rounds, making it through the Profound Gate Pass, and triggering the Nine Stars Illumination. Holy shit, who’s this Liu Wuxie?” Everyone gasped when they saw the result: there was such a monstrous genius this year. Eyes widened in disbelief as everyone was eager to recruit this student into their class.

“Those two aren’t bad either. They might not be comparable to the first, but they have reached the Spirit Cleansing Realm and received a good score on the three rounds.” Going down the list, Bai Yu and Yu Yifan also caught everyone’s attention.

The top five would be recruited into the elite classes, those ranked sixth to twentieth into the advanced classes, and the remaining students would be distributed into the elementary classes.

Bai Yu walked to Elite Class One, saying, “Senior Brother Liu, Bai Qiong is my brother.”

The mention of Bai Qiong caused a stir among the crowd. Bai Qiong held a prestigious position within the academy’s Earth Grade, ranking in the top ten and securing the ninth spot. This meant his cultivation was strong, reaching the fourth-level Spirit Cleansing Realm, and had a high hope of advancing into the Profound Grade’s elite class.

“Ah, Junior Brother Bai Yu! Your brother has already informed me about your arrival, and I’m here to welcome you. Please forgive any shortcomings on my part,” responded the individual Bai Yu addressed as ‘Senior Brother Liu’, offering a respectful bow and a warm smile.

“Thank you, Senior Brother Liu!” Bai Yu was courteous as his elder brother had already made prior arrangements, and the process was smooth.

Yu Yifan, much like Bai Yu, had connections within the Imperial Academy and smoothly transitioned into the second elite class. The students ranked fourth and fifth opted for the third elite class, leaving only Liu Wuxie yet to make a choice.

Roughly an hour later, the eighty-seven students had picked their classes. The elite classes recruited four, the advanced classes recruited fifteen, and the rest were distributed among the elementary classes.

“Where’s Liu Wuxie? He’s not around?” It was customary for those in the top five to join the elite classes, but only four were accepted this year. That left Liu Wuxie, who had topped the assessment.

“What’s that fellow doing? Why isn’t he taking his pick? That’s the elite class we’re talking about! Star teachers will be coming to give lectures every week, something the other classes can’t receive!” Students who joined the elementary classes expressed envy when they looked at Liu Wuxie, urging him to pick quickly.

The students from the elite classes responsible for recruiting rushed over when they saw Liu Wuxie.

“You’re Liu Wuxie, right? Join the Elite Class One!” Liu Kuo, addressed as ‘Senior Brother Liu’ by Bai Yu, rushed over with a form, urging Liu Wuxie to fill it out quickly. Many students dreamed of joining the Elite Class One as it was a gathering place for geniuses of the Imperial Academy.

“Junior Brother Liu, join the Elite Class Two! We might not be comparable to the Elite Class One, but we’re no weaker than them. Our Elite Class Two boasts three geniuses on the Earth Ranking!” In terms of overall strength, the Elite Class Two ranked above the Elite Class One.

“Junior Brother, you should come to the Elite Class Three. I guarantee that you will receive the best resources.” The recruiters from Elite Class Three also made their pitch. The three students from the elite classes encircled Liu Wuxie, each eager to have him join their ranks. After all, it was a rare occurrence to encounter someone who had topped all three rounds.

“I appreciate the offers, but I’ve decided on Advanced Class Seven,” Liu Wuxie responded with a shrug, announcing his choice.

“What?!” Everyone was stumped when they heard Liu Wuxie’s choice. After all, no one expected Liu Wuxie to give up the opportunity to join the elite classes and choose Advanced Class Seven instead.

“That lazy Advanced Class Seven?” The crowd was perplexed. Advanced Class Seven had only recruited one student this time, fewer than even the elementary classes, and the student in charge of recruitment seemed on the verge of dozing off.

Advanced Class Seven was notorious within the Imperial Academy, and the lone student who had joined was already clamoring to switch classes.

“Is he insane? Wouldn’t he be ruined if someone of his talent joined Advanced Class Seven?” Many people, including Xue Pinzhi, were baffled by Liu Wuxie’s choice.

Xue Pinzhi had anticipated that Liu Wuxie would join Elite Class One and had been strategizing accordingly. However, he couldn’t suppress a smile upon hearing Liu Wuxie’s decision. If Liu Wuxie joined Advanced Class Seven, it would present an opportunity for Xue Pinzhi to eliminate him.

There was an uproar in the surroundings as everyone was baffled by Liu Wuxie’s choice.

“Liu Wuxie, explain why you’re giving up on Elite Class One!” Liu Kuo was furious. In the past, people had vied for a spot in Elite Class One, but this year he had been snubbed. He felt slighted that Liu Wuxie had shown him no respect.

“No explanation needed!” Liu Wuxie shrugged. He had just joined the Imperial Academy and didn’t want to make too many enemies. Furthermore, he never liked explaining himself to others.

“Brat, all three of our elite classes extended an invitation to you. You didn’t just reject one of us, you rejected all three. Are you belittling us?” The recruiter for Elite Class Two asked, his expression dark and his tone unfriendly.

“Uhm...” Liu Wuxie’s expression stiffened. They were either overly sensitive or had an inflated sense of self-importance. Was it really that strange to decline an offer? Who made the rule that the top scorer in the assessment had to join the elite classes?

“You may not know, but this brat was extremely arrogant during the assessment. He not only took a life but also severed the tendons of more than ten individuals. So, you should exercise caution when considering him for recruitment, lest he wreak havoc on everyone.” Xue Pinzhi wasted no time in fanning the flames, revealing Liu Wuxie’s past actions.

“I see...thank you for the heads up, Senior Brother Xue!” Liu Kuo cupped his fists at Xue Pinzhi for the warning.

As Liu Kuo and Xue Pinzhi conversed, Liu Wuxie noticed that Xue Pinzhi was subtly hinting at Liu Kuo, making things difficult for him with their well-coordinated act.

“In the history of the Imperial Academy, the top five have always joined the elite classes. If he chooses not to, it’s tantamount to disrespecting the elite classes. In that case, our only option is to incapacitate him.” Liu Kuo turned to the students from the other two elite classes, quickly reaching a unanimous decision.

If they couldn’t recruit Liu Wuxie, they would have to eliminate him. It was a harsh and straightforward approach, as the three elite classes wouldn’t allow students from other classes to outshine them, threatening their elite status.

Liu Wuxie’s talent was extraordinary, and if he joined the advanced classes and surpassed the elite classes, it would be a humiliation to the elite classes. Thus, how could students from elite classes possibly accept being surpassed by mediocre students?

“So, you’re all planning to make a move?” Liu Wuxie’s gaze turned icy as he looked at Xue Pinzhi. The latter had been a constant thorn in his side, flaunting his connections within the academy to suppress him. This was largely due to Xue Pinzhi’s status as a Profound Grade student and a member of the Xue Clan, which naturally made others eager to curry favor with him.

“If you’re willing to kneel and confess that you’re nothing more than trash, which is why you forfeited the chance to join the elite classes, we might consider letting you off the hook,” Liu Kuo proposed with a smirk. As long as Liu Wuxie was prepared to humble himself, Liu Kuo was willing to let him go.

“That’s right! Go down on your knees!” The students from the other two elite classes chimed in, thrilled at the prospect of seeing the assessment’s top scorer brought to his knees. The thought of witnessing such a spectacle filled them with a sense of superiority.

There weren’t many people supporting Liu Wuxie among the students present. The unexpected change of teacher had made the assessment significantly more challenging. Although they had managed to pass, they had depleted their true essence, and some had sustained injuries. Consequently, their resentment towards Liu Wuxie was palpable.

“Brat, kneel!” The command echoed through the crowd of over a hundred people as they had never seen something like this before.

Xue Pinzhi smirked at this scene. It just so happened that he had some ties with Bai Qiong, who had agreed to lend a hand after Xue Pinzhi explained the situation. If Liu Wuxie were to be incapacitated, the title of the assessment’s top scorer would naturally fall to the next in line, Bai Yu, along with the accompanying rewards.

This was their motive for suppressing Liu Wuxie. Even if Liu Wuxie were to join Elite Class One, they intended to make his life difficult.

Xue Pinzhi had orchestrated everything from the beginning, and there was no escaping this predicament for Liu Wuxie, regardless of his choice. The rewards this year were too enticing, and Bai Yu’s performance had outshone Yu Yifan’s. If Liu Wuxie were to be eliminated, the rewards from the three rounds would naturally go to Bai Yu.

There was no reason for Liu Kuo to refuse such a substantial reward. Even if Liu Wuxie was strong, he was only in the fifth-level Xiantian Realm, while the weakest students in the elite classes were in the ninth-level Xiantian Realm.

“Xue Pinzhi, you’re behind all this, aren’t you?” Liu Wuxie asked calmly, his gaze fixed on Xue Pinzhi, who had been targeting him since the first round of the assessment.

“Liu Wuxie, I advise you to leave the Imperial Academy obediently!” Xue Pinzhi’s lips curled into a mocking smile, not denying what Liu Wuxie said. In his opinion, Liu Wuxie was too tender to contend with him, and outsiders were oblivious to the deep-rooted influence of the Xue Clan within the Imperial Academy.

“What if I refuse?” Liu Wuxie responded with a devilish smile, his eyes locked on Xue Pinzhi. He had tolerated Xue Pinzhi’s antics for far too long, and now that his patience had worn thin, he saw no reason to hold back.

“You don’t have a choice!” Xue Pinzhi replied with a smirk.

In the blink of an eye, Liu Wuxie disappeared, followed by the sound of a resounding slap and a cry of pain echoing through the hall.