In the blink of an eye, more than twenty days had passed. Two figures descended from the back mountain and returned to Qingzhou Academy.

Ye Futian had undergone noticeable changes. His eyes were sharper, and his physique had improved. As he walked along the stone paths of the academy, he felt as though he had been away for a long time, as if he had just woken from a dream.

"That guy finally came back after hiding for so long."

"There are only eight days left until the autumn exams. He probably can't hide anymore."

Whispers spread among the students as they saw Ye Futian. The incident from Qin Yi's lecture more than twenty days ago had already become widely known. The "legendary figure" who hadn't broken through a single realm in three years had publicly flirted with the goddess Qin Yi and later teased Feng Qingxue. The name "Ye Futian" was now extremely prominent in Qingzhou Academy.

"Seems like some people are looking for trouble with me?" Ye Futian's hearing had become more acute, and he could even hear the low murmurs.

"What do you think?" Yu Sheng gave him a sympathetic look. Both Qin Yi and Feng Qingxue were stunningly beautiful and had many admirers in the academy, especially Qin Yi, who was seventeen and had a fiery figure. Ye Futian had flirted with both beauties in a single day, so it was no surprise that many people wanted to settle scores with him.

"It's fine. You're here anyway," Ye Futian shrugged.

"Can't you handle it yourself now?" Yu Sheng said, feeling a bit frustrated. Ye Futian was now at the peak of the Divine Strength stage, and his combat power might even surpass those at the sixth level of awakening, the Peerless stage.

"Need to keep a low profile," Ye Futian said, striding forward with his hands behind his back. Yu Sheng looked at the figure in front of him, feeling speechless. Back when Ye Futian was at the first level of awakening, he had boldly claimed to be a Destiny Mage. Now that he actually was one, he wanted to keep a low profile? Could he be any more shameless?

Not long after the two returned to their courtyard, people began to approach their residence. And not just one group, but two.

The two groups seemed to have coincidentally met. They exchanged sharp glances, their eyes clashing in mid-air, before both headed toward the same courtyard.

"It's people from the Knight Order of the Martial Arts Palace and the Golden Element Hall of the Spell Palace." Many onlookers gathered, their eyes filled with curiosity. These newcomers were all formal disciples of Qingzhou Academy, from the Knight Order and the Golden Element Hall. They weren't here for petty rivalries.

The Martial Arts Palace had the Battle Tower, the Sword Pavilion, and the Knight Order, while the Spell Palace had seven elemental halls. One group wore silver robes that shimmered brilliantly—they were from the Knight Order, known for training powerful knights. The other group wore golden robes, contrasting sharply with the silver—they were from the Golden Element Hall of the Spell Palace.

"Senior Mo Lanshan, a Three-Star Glory Knight; Senior Han Ye, a Two-Star Glory Golden Element Mage. They actually came together." Someone recognized the leaders of the two groups and felt a chill. They quickly realized why these two groups had come.

What an honor!

The Martial Arts Palace and the Spell Palace sending people at the same time—this was clearly not about Ye Futian.

Inside the courtyard, Ye Futian stood to the side, watching the two groups face Yu Sheng. A faint smile played on his lips. The guy who had always stood behind him was finally stepping into the spotlight, and his brilliance would only grow brighter in the future. Ye Futian was absolutely certain of this, just as Yu Sheng had always believed in him.

Back in Qin Yi's lecture, when she mentioned that Yu Sheng could freely choose between the Martial Arts Palace and the Spell Palace without needing to take the spring exams, Ye Futian had wondered if the higher-ups would take the initiative to recruit him. Now, it had happened.

"You can leave first," Mo Lanshan said indifferently. Ye Futian naturally understood that this was directed at him. He smiled slightly, not minding, and walked out of the courtyard.

Outside the courtyard, a crowd had gathered. Qingzhou Academy had thousands of outer disciples, and fewer than ten were actively recruited as inner disciples each year. Envy and jealousy were inevitable.

"Yu Sheng is about to become a formal disciple of the academy, while he will be expelled. What a joke." Seeing that only Ye Futian was present, people didn't hold back their voices. Many in the academy were unhappy with him.

"He's only been able to stay in the academy for three years because of Yu Sheng's protection. Otherwise, he would have been kicked out long ago."

"I'm kind of looking forward to seeing how he performs in the upcoming autumn exams," someone said with a laugh.

"Instead of worrying about me, you should think about how you'll handle the autumn exams. If your performance is too poor, it'll be quite embarrassing," Ye Futian leaned against the wall, speaking casually.

"How arrogant."

"The rumors are true." Many eyes focused on Ye Futian. With Yu Sheng, who had always followed him, about to become a formal disciple, didn't he feel any shame?

Ye Futian closed his eyes, ignoring the voices. Not long after, people began to leave the courtyard—first the Knight Order led by Mo Lanshan. As they passed by Ye Futian, Mo Lanshan paused.

"I heard that Yu Sheng's father is a steward in your family?" Mo Lanshan asked indifferently, not looking at Ye Futian.

"Yes," Ye Futian nodded.

"Mundane backgrounds do limit one's vision. But as one grows older, they naturally come to understand that some people are simply not from the same world. The more prideful you are now, the more humbled you'll be in the future. Those who once crossed paths with you will eventually become figures you can't even look up to," Mo Lanshan said coldly. After speaking, he continued walking, his figure gradually disappearing.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

From beginning to end, he never once looked directly at Ye Futian, as if he were beneath his notice.

Ye Futian watched the retreating figure with some confusion. He believed that Yu Sheng wouldn't make a decision without consulting him first. Since Mo Lanshan knew about his relationship with Yu Sheng, why would he insult him like that? As far as he knew, they had never interacted before.

The people from the Spell Palace also came out. Han Ye glanced at the disappearing figure of Mo Lanshan, then turned his gaze to Ye Futian, smiling. "You even dared to flirt with Senior Sister Qin Yi. You've got guts."

"Uh..." Ye Futian was speechless. Had this incident already spread among the formal disciples?

"Mo Lanshan is from the Knight Order of the Martial Arts Palace. Although Qin Yi practices in the Sword Pavilion, she's also part of the Martial Arts Palace," Han Ye left with these words. Ye Futian's eyes flashed, and he immediately understood. So that's how it was.

When Ye Futian returned to the courtyard, Yu Sheng was about to speak.

"Don't overthink it. If they think they can make you choose so easily, they're underestimating your talent. Don't choose either. If there's no follow-up, then after the autumn exams, they'll naturally realize what kind of genius you are!" Ye Futian said casually. Yu Sheng was stunned for a moment, but seeing that Ye Futian didn't seem to care about the matter, it was clear he already had his own thoughts. Yu Sheng nodded.

He trusted Ye Futian more than he trusted himself.

Seven days remained until the autumn exams. In the early morning, the sound of a bell echoed through Qingzhou Academy.

Figures emerged from their courtyards, all heading in the same direction.

Every year at this time, Qingzhou Academy would summon its outer disciples to announce matters related to the autumn exams and to conduct a final review before the exams.

The outer disciples' training ground was enormous, capable of accommodating tens of thousands of people. Even as the outer disciples gathered, the space still felt vast.

The outer disciples' instructors had already arrived. Qin Yi was wearing a tight-fitting outfit that accentuated her fiery figure, drawing countless gazes.

"That guy's here." At that moment, a small commotion broke out in the crowd. Many people looked in the same direction, where two figures were approaching.

"I heard that yesterday, seniors from the Martial Arts Palace and the Spell Palace personally went to recruit Yu Sheng. Not many people receive such treatment. What right does that guy have to walk in front of Yu Sheng?" Many people were extremely displeased with the "legendary figure" walking ahead. Yu Sheng's future was destined for greatness, but what about Ye Futian? He was likely to become the most insignificant existence.

However, Ye Futian seemed completely unaware. His relationship with Yu Sheng was something others couldn't understand.

"Senior Sister Qin Yi," Ye Futian walked straight toward Qin Yi, his eyes shining. With her beauty and figure, it was no wonder someone like Mo Lanshan, a Glory Knight, would insult a "nobody" like him.

Qin Yi's expression darkened when she saw Ye Futian. "Where have you been these past few days?"

"Of course, I've been cultivating," Ye Futian said. "Since I promised Senior Sister Qin Yi, I had to work hard to pass the autumn exams."

Qin Yi's expression softened slightly when she saw that Ye Futian didn't seem to be lying. If he had truly been motivated to cultivate, as long as his performance in the autumn exams wasn't too poor, she might be able to plead for more time for him.

"Have you reached the Body Refining stage?" Qin Yi asked.

"Senior Sister, I've already reached the Divine Strength stage," Ye Futian said seriously.

However, upon hearing his words, Qin Yi's face instantly turned cold, and she glared at him. She had initially considered pleading for him, but now she realized she had been foolish to believe him.

"Pfft..." Someone nearby couldn't help but laugh. Ling Xiao, who had appeared at some point, looked at Ye Futian and said, "Senior Sister Qin Yi, why bother with someone like him?"

"Ye Futian, there's really no time left. If you still want to stay in the academy, you need to work hard to reach the Body Refining stage in the next seven days," Qin Yi said, feeling disappointed. Thinking back to the talent assessment three years ago, she couldn't help but feel it was such a waste.

Ye Futian seemed to sense Qin Yi's emotions, but a bright smile appeared on his face. At the very least, Senior Sister Qin Yi genuinely wished him well.

"Don't worry, Senior Sister. I won't let you down," Ye Futian said, a proud curve forming on his lips. The morning sunlight fell on his still-youthful, handsome face, making him look particularly striking.

Qin Yi felt a warmth in her heart, but then she heard Ye Futian add, "Senior Sister, don't forget the condition you promised me."

"You really..." Qin Yi stomped her foot in frustration and walked away. After all, she was still a seventeen-year-old girl.

Many people watched in a daze, their anger toward Ye Futian growing, mixed with a hint of jealousy. They were probably jealous that Ye Futian could joke so freely with Qin Yi, even if it was shameless...

"Why waste time on someone like him?" A male instructor walked up to Qin Yi and whispered.

Qin Yi glanced at him and said, "Actually, he has great talent. Even now, I don't understand why he hasn't broken through the Qi Gathering stage in three years. Maybe, just maybe, there will be a miracle during the autumn exams?"

"I really don't understand why you still hold onto hope for him," the instructor shook his head, his gaze toward Ye Futian filled with displeasure.

At that moment, Ye Futian was also feeling a bit frustrated. He turned to Yu Sheng and said, "Why does no one believe me when I tell the truth?"

Yu Sheng gave him a helpless look. In just over twenty days, he had gone from Qi Gathering to Divine Strength. Who would believe that?

"Next spring, both of us will officially enter the academy. Should we help Qingxue as well?" Ye Futian asked.

Yu Sheng glanced at Feng Qingxue and nodded. If she could cultivate with Ye Futian, she might have a chance to reach the seventh level of awakening, the Profound Mystery stage, before next year's spring exams.

Ye Futian found where Feng Qingxue was and walked over. Many people instinctively made way, largely because Yu Sheng was standing behind him.

However, as he approached Feng Qingxue, someone blocked his path—Feng Qingxue's friend, Murong Qing.

"What do you want?" Murong Qing asked coldly.

"I'm here to see Qingxue," Ye Futian said with a smile.

"I know. Whatever you have to say, say it here," Murong Qing replied.

Ye Futian looked up, ignoring Murong Qing, and said to Feng Qingxue, "I have something to tell you."

"You can say it there," Feng Qingxue avoided his gaze, seemingly unable to look him in the eye.

"Qingxue, what does this mean?" Ye Futian asked, puzzled.

"Don't you understand? It means Qingxue doesn't want to get too close to you. Keep your distance," Murong Qing said coldly.

Ye Futian's pupils contracted, and his gaze suddenly turned sharp, as if he were extremely serious. However, Feng Qingxue continued to avoid his eyes.

"Forget it," Ye Futian's brows gradually relaxed, and he spoke softly.

"Futian wants you to cultivate with him from now on," Yu Sheng suddenly spoke up, his gaze equally sharp.

Ye Futian was momentarily stunned, looking at Yu Sheng beside him. He was usually a man of few words, but at this moment, Yu Sheng seemed... angry.

Feng Qingxue finally looked up, meeting Yu Sheng's sharp gaze, and timidly called out, "Brother Yu Sheng."

Many eyes turned toward them. Ye Futian was inviting Feng Qingxue to cultivate with him? Ridiculous. The guy was daydreaming. However, since it was Yu Sheng who had spoken, no one dared to interject.

"I know Qingxue respects you, but do you really think Ye Futian is worthy of cultivating with her?" Murong Qing looked at Yu Sheng.

Yu Sheng didn't even glance at her, completely ignoring her words. He continued to look at Feng Qingxue and said, "I want to know your thoughts."

Feng Qingxue clenched her fists, her body trembling slightly. She looked at Yu Sheng, then at Ye Futian, and finally shook her head seriously. "Brother Yu Sheng, we're all adults now. It's better to keep some distance."

After saying this, she let out a long breath, as if she had just made an important decision and felt much lighter. But she also knew that she would lose something in the process.

Ye Futian had been waiting for her answer. When he saw Feng Qingxue's decision, he smiled bitterly and shook his head. She had truly grown up.