Freshmen Disciple Competition.
This was something that placed a suffocating pressure on the Celestial Academy’s new disciples as well as a few senior disciples.
Ever since these new disciples entered the Academy cultivating was the only thing on their minds until now.
The “now” in question was the day of the said competition. Both the new Outer Disciples and Inner Disciples would compete separately at different intervals over the upcoming days.
On one of the larger mountains within the Celestial Academy was where the Freshmen Disciple Competition would be held. A large stage with several smaller ones was already constructed in a massive open area on the mountain, as well as numerous pavilions that would accommodate the various power across the Maple Continent.
There was one noticeable Pavilion within the area that was much larger and more luxurious than all the other Pavilions. Within this grandiose Pavilion, Xi Shen was casually slumped within a chair that overlooked all of the disciples and the various VIP guests coming up the mountain.
Standing behind him was a haggard-looking Yang Su, who seemed like he had just barely managed to claw his way out of the Yellow Springs. A few strands of his ponytail were freely flowing along the sides of his face, and his clothes resemble what would happen if a blind man tried to put on his clothes on his own.
Even up until the day of the competition Xi Shen had not let Yang Su off the hook and had spent the whole week mercilessly “training” him.
Though to be honest, Yang Su wouldn’t call that training but more like torture.
Hoping to distract himself from remembering those dreadful memories, Yang Su’s gaze landed on Xi Shen’s side where another person was sitting.
Said person in the chair was the crown prince of the Maple Continent, Li Fu Wei himself.
He was a legendary figure who he had fanatically worshiped before, and even said the words verbatim, ‘Even if I don't get into the Celestial Academy, just seeing him alone is enough for me to brag about when I return to my village.’
That’s how highly he had once thought of the crown prince.
But to not get things wrong, as one of the top three geniuses on the Maple Continent and the crown prince, Yang Su would never say he wasn’t a shining star that lights up the night sky while dimming all others in its surroundings. He was extremely talented, and his looks were something any woman would want in a man.
However, it’s just that ever since he met his young master and elder brother Xi Shen, the crown prince seemed to come up short.
Sensing Yang Su’s stare, Fu Wei turned and looked at Yang Su for the first time despite Yang Su standing there for several minutes now.
The crown prince revealed a smile to Yang Su while simultaneously sending out his Divine Will to scan his cultivation.
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Even though the crown prince concealed his actions, Yang Su still felt a weird sensation when the crown prince’s Divine Will enveloped him.
After sensing that Yang Su was at the 6th level of the Qi Condensation Realm, Fu Wei started to retract his Divine Will. However, he suddenly paused as he sensed another portion of Yang Su’s cultivation base which was hidden away by a seal. But he couldn’t estimate how much was hidden with such a casual probe, even with his late-stage Nascent Soul Realm Divine Will he would have to openly use more of his Divine Will to see what level of cultivation Yang Su was really at.
But he wouldn’t do that, just this casual probe of his brother’s assistant was already slightly disrespectful, but forcefully infiltrating the seal that suppressed his cultivation was pushing it too far.
So Fu Wei decided to fully retract his Divine Will before turning to Xi Shen and asking, “Little Shen, is your new assistant going to participate in the Freshmen Disciple Competition? Seeing as he’s hiding a portion of his cultivation.”
Xi Shen had detected his brother’s Divine Will when he scanned Yang Su and seeing him retracting it after coming upon the seal, he couldn’t help but think to himself, ‘Well that’s very considerate of him, seeing as he wouldn’t hesitate to kill me if I came between him and his silly throne. I guess it’s starting to interfere with his emotions slightly. Hmm, or maybe I’ll stick to my plan and do it at the end of the year, it should be fully bloomed by then.’
“Yes, he is. In fact, first place isn’t out of his reach.”
Fu Wei lifted his brows slightly and said, “Well, you sure seem confident, is there perhaps something special about him that would make you so assured he could get first place?”
“He’s my assistant, isn't that a good enough reason to be self-assured in his capabilities?”
Hearing his little brother’s words, Fu Wei let out a small chuckle that eventually turned into a full laugh.
“Alright little Shen, you’ve only done and said things that you're 100% confident in and nothing less, this time I’ll take your words for it. Let’s see how your assistant can match up to this year's and the previous year's newly admitted Inner Disciple. The testing is already about to start, you should have him head to the stage.”
Yang Su who had become rather nervous when he heard Fu Wei’s words, saw Xi Shen nod at him before saying, “Go. And stop being so nervous, once you begin battling your opponents you’ll understand how weak they are compared to you.”
Fu Wei who had turned to the crowd of disciples below couldn't help but shoot a glance towards Xi Shen when he heard that. He then turned to look at Yang Su with a more attentive gaze than before.
‘During the Disciple Selection Ceremony, this boy had not completed his testing so no one knows his innate talent, only that his Soul grade was around the Heaven grade. But seeing that he was from a small backwater village his talent shouldn’t be comparable to the other youths that had received the pampering of their clans. They have been consuming large quantities of elixirs and pills even before they were out of their mother's wombs. And the other disciples that this youth would have to compete against have a Sky-grade innate talent. Unless that seal is hiding 1/5 of his cultivation, there’s no possibility of him reaching the top twenty, much less getting first place.’
Yang Su nodded his head at Xi Shen before he turned and left the room.
With the both of them now alone, Xi Shen without looking at Fu Wei asked, “Elder brother, is father coming?”
Fu Wei shook his head and answered, “He’s busy dealing with the matters involving the Four Borders.”
Hearing that, Xi Shen said, “Are they still claiming the High-grade Spirit Stone mine to be theirs? It might be close to their border but it’s still within our lands, and worst of all it was discovered by me. How dare they try and take what’s mine.”
As Xi Shen said that, his expression became ugly.
Hearing his brother’s words, Fu Wei turned to him and said, “Technically it’s father’s. And the pressure is mostly coming from the Clans within the Western Border. As for the three other Borders, they aren’t showing any signs of wanting to compete for it. What makes this situation difficult is that we are still heavily reliant on them, to stop the Sea Beast's invasion and the Star Bound Continent if they ever decide to attack.”
Hearing that, Xi Shen got curious and asked, “Elder brother, you’ve always been next to father dealing with these matters. Let me ask you, between our Maple Continent and the Star Bound Continent, which is stronger?”
“Little Shen, you’ve never been interested in these matters, why show interest now?” Fu Wei asked this with narrowed eyes.
Xi Shen casually answered, “I'm not, it’s just out of curiosity. The books I’ve read in the Ancestral Archive said we had spies within their ranks, but even they found it hard to estimate the actual strength of the Star Bound Continent. Especially that Holy Land, the Profound Sword Sect. Every spy we send to infiltrate their sect gets immediately cut down.”
Fu Wei’s mouth twitched when he heard Xi Shen’s words. That information was a piece of top-secret information that only a hand full of people should know about. Hearing his brother just casually divulging such information made him almost cough up blood in anger.
‘Slap!’
A hard and painful-sounding slap echoed out as Fu Wei’s hand shot out and hit Xi Shen over his head.