Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 96 - Two Academies

Everything happened in the blink of an eye, so fast that even thoughts couldn't keep up.

Xue Changqing wanted to react but couldn’t control his body as his mind was in chaos. As a result, he could only watch as the blade descended, piercing through his skin. The blade passed through the gap between his cervical spine. Hearing his blood vessels exploding, he suddenly felt his mind becoming clear, and the pain was no longer that intense.

A head flew to the sky and landed on the patch of grass ten meters away, eyes wide open. Xue Changqing’s eyes bulged, staring at Liu Wuxie as his head slowly shriveled. The energies within his body, characteristic of a Marrow Cleansing Realm expert, were consumed by the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron and converted into a liquid that flowed into Liu Wuxie’s dantian.

Liu Wuxie’s cultivation began to rise as the liquid flowed into his dantian, pushing him to the late phase of the fifth-level Xiantian Realm.

When everything was over, it was already broad daylight. Liu Wuxie returned to the main road, assuming there would be no more ambushes, and quickened his pace.

The day of the Imperial Academy’s new enrollment had finally arrived. The entire Imperial City was abuzz with anticipation as countless prodigies from the thirty-six major cities converged, each aspiring to become a student of the prestigious academy.

Liu Wuxie arrived on the registration day to find a bustling crowd at the registration site. Close to a thousand people participated in this year’s enrollment. However, only a hundred were eligible to join the Imperial Academy each year, signifying that nearly ninety percent of participants would ultimately be unsuccessful in their efforts.

The registration site was located in a square, ten miles away from the Imperial Academy. Liu Wuxie, visibly fatigued from the journey, hastened to complete his registration as the process neared its end. With a sense of relief, he sighed upon successfully providing his name and birthplace.

He now had to wait for the Imperial Academy’s assessors to conduct the test. Those who passed would join the Imperial Academy, while those who failed would be directed to leave.

The square was filled with people, each accompanied by their families as they gathered for the test. Few came alone, making Liu Wuxie notably stand out. Despite the vastness of the square, capable of accommodating over ten thousand people without feeling crowded, individuals selected their areas—some seated, some standing, and others engaged in conversation.

“I’m not interested in joining the Heaven Govern Academy! Please leave!” A resounding shout cut through the crowd, grabbing Liu Wuxie's attention just as he was about to depart. Planning to find a quiet spot to wait, he observed the commotion originating from roughly ten meters away.

“The Heaven Govern Academy?” Liu Wuxie furrowed his brow, unfamiliar with this institution. Perplexed, he realized that many others in the vicinity were also unaware of the Heaven Govern Academy's existence.

“I am familiar with Heaven Govern Academy! It was founded several decades ago and has gained prominence recently. Prince Yongxian established it. But why are they here on the Imperial Academy's registration day?" A young man in his twenties shared his knowledge, attracting a swift gathering of curious onlookers.

“You’re talking about the younger brother of the current Emperor? Prince Yongxian, who commands a million-strong army? Many people in the court are leaning towards him, showing a trend of replacing the current Emperor.” Another youth walked over, lowering his voice to avoid being overheard by others.

“That’s right, it’s him! He’s ambitious to establish the Heavenly Govern Academy to nurture talents for himself. More people have joined the Heavenly Govern Academy in recent years, and their teaching quality is not inferior to the Imperial Academy’s.” The whispers hushed as the topic turned sensitive, with only a few daring to voice their opinions openly.

“Well, I’m willing to join the Heavenly Govern Academy if I can’t join the Imperial Academy. It’s at least a viable alternative.” Many people chose to join the Heavenly Govern Academy if the Imperial Academy rejected them.

The Imperial Academy symbolized the essence of the Great Yan Dynasty, while the Heavenly Govern Academy operated independently. Distinctions existed between the two institutions, with the Heavenly Govern Academy holding a slightly lower status compared to the Imperial Academy.

“Dream on. Do you believe the Heavenly Govern Academy is a catch-all and accepts anyone? They have their own set of assessments, though more forgiving criteria," someone scoffed. Both academies exclusively admitted exceptional talents.

"Enough with the chatter; they're approaching. They recruit students who didn't make it through the Imperial Academy's assessments, favoring those without influential backgrounds. Meanwhile, those with significant connections or those not aligned with Prince Yongxian's faction, even if highly talented, aren't their usual picks." As the crowd gradually dispersed, the Great Yan Dynasty found itself divided into several factions—those supporting the royal family, those recruited by Prince Yongxian, and many who opted for a neutral stance.

Those adopting a neutral stance became the focus of the Heavenly Govern Academy, aiming to enlist them under Prince Yongxian's influence. This included various clans from different cities that held no allegiance to the royal family, making them easy targets for recruitment into the Heavenly Govern Academy.

Everyone dispersed as they didn’t want to be too close to those from the Heavenly Govern Academy, and Liu Wuxie soon found himself isolated. After all, the Azure Billow City had a low ranking among the thirty-six cities in the Great Yan Dynasty. It was a city with a small population and didn’t have much talent. Apart from him, only the Song Clan probably sent someone to partake in the assessment.

It was obvious that Prince Yongxian intended to rebel, and many people didn’t want to get involved. Liu Wuxie also wanted to steer clear of this matter, but it was already too late as three people approached him with their sights set on him, capitalizing on his solitary position.

The assessors from the Imperial Academy hadn’t come yet, and many people could only wait here. So, this was a golden opportunity for the Heavenly Govern Academy to recruit students.

Faced with the fierce competition to join the Imperial Academy, where only a hundred students gained admission each year, many who recognized their slim chances opted to join the Heavenly Govern Academy when offered the opportunity, forsaking the rigorous Imperial Academy assessment. For those unable to secure a spot in the Imperial Academy, the Heavenly Govern Academy became a viable alternative.

An old man came with two youths who had been going around to convince more people to join the Heavenly Govern Academy. There were also people from the Heavenly Govern Academy in the other regions.

“Hello, young lad. How can I address you? Where are you from?” The old man with a hawk-like nose came over. From his appearance alone, anyone could tell he was ruthless.

Liu Wuxie was experienced and always sported a faint smile regardless of facing a good or a bad person. He replied, “I prefer not to reveal my name. I'm nobody from an insignificant city.”

He didn’t want to get too close to the Heavenly Govern Academy nor wanted to offend them. He had no interest in participating in the competition between the royal families. He was here to join the Imperial Academy for more resources to accelerate his cultivation and ascend to the Celestial Realm quickly. So, the power struggle was nothing but ants fighting for territories in his eyes.

“Brat, an excellent opportunity is in front of you. If you agree, we can exempt you from the assessment and admit you to Heavenly Govern Academy. Not only can you receive a third-grade pill as a reward, but you can also receive abundant resources.”

The young man on the right extended his invitation with an air of indifference. To him, those in the Xiantian Realm were insignificant, mere flies. He felt he was already being generous by personally extending an invitation. He was confident that a solitary figure like Liu Wuxie would succumb to his intimidation.

However, his arrogance was not entirely unfounded. Despite being only a few years older than Liu Wuxie, he had already ascended to the Spirit Cleansing Realm. This revelation took Liu Wuxie by surprise, forcing him to admit that he had underestimated the students of the Heavenly Govern Academy.

“And what if I decline?” Liu Wuxie inquired, his tone steady. His rejection was not born out of resentment; he bore no ill will towards the Heavenly Govern Academy. His refusal was primarily because Xu Lingxue was part of the Imperial Academy. His father-in-law had repeatedly entrusted him with Xu Lingxue’s care in the Imperial Academy before he left Azure Billow City, and he had no intention of breaking his promise.

Additionally, he was only familiar with the Imperial Academy and knew next to nothing about the Heavenly Govern Academy. It was not in his nature to join an institution about which he had little knowledge. These two reasons were sufficient for him to decline the invitation to the Heavenly Govern Academy.

“Brat, do you know the consequences of refusing the Heavenly Govern Academy?!” The youth on the left roared, his gaze threatening, as if he was ready to strike should Liu Wuxie dare to decline.

“Uh?” Liu Wuxie was briefly stunned. Was the Heavenly Govern Academy so overbearing that they would retaliate if he chose not to join? He responded with a smile, “And what might those consequences be?”

Regardless of whether it was the Imperial Academy or the Heavenly Govern Academy, he didn’t consider them a threat. He was confident that as long as he ascended to the Spirit Cleansing Realm, no one in the Great Yan Dynasty could harm him.

“Since you’ve chosen to decline, I have no choice but to incapacitate you. This way, you’ll lose your eligibility to join the Imperial Academy,” declared Gu Yunpeng, a student from the Heavenly Govern Academy, with a sinister grin. The hawk-nosed elder beside him remained silent, his eyes scanning the surroundings as if searching for something.

“Are you planning to attack?” Liu Wuxie questioned with an icy gaze. This was the Imperial Academy’s territory, and he couldn’t understand why no one from the Imperial Academy had intervened while the Heavenly Govern Academy was causing a disturbance.

“Since you are adamant to decline our offer, I will cripple your arm,” Gu Yunpeng said and threw out a punch at Liu Wuxie’s right arm. The sudden confrontation attracted the attention of everyone nearby, who turned to watch.

“Another one doomed for refusing the Heavenly Govern Academy’s invitation. His hand will be crippled, and he’s not the first one. Why aren’t the Imperial Academy teachers stepping in?” Many onlookers grumbled, their resentment towards the Imperial Academy growing. The teachers’ tardiness on the day of the assessment had allowed the Heavenly Govern Academy to openly intimidate the examinees, tarnishing the reputation of the Imperial Academy.

Such incidents were uncommon in previous years, with the Heavenly Govern Academy typically recruiting students discreetly. However, this year marked the first time they had adopted such an aggressive approach, suggesting internal issues within the academy that had delayed the assessment.

Gu Yunpeng’s aura bore down on Liu Wuxie, who remained unfazed. Despite Gu Yunpeng being at the first level of the Spirit Cleansing Realm, Liu Wuxie had already defeated countless individuals at this level. However, he was reluctant to reveal his true strength prematurely within the Imperial Academy.

Yet, Gu Yunpeng left Liu Wuxie with no choice. Liu Wuxie, being only at the fifth level of the Xiantian Realm, was considered to have a lower cultivation level compared to others present, some of whom had already reached the pinnacle of the Xiantian Realm.

“Stop!” Just in the nick of time, a roar echoed as three figures flew over to stop Gu Yunpeng.