The Great Thousand World. It is a place where numerous planes intersect, a place where many clans live, and a place where a group of lords assemble. A Heavenly Sovereign from a Lower Plane journeys to this endless world, playing out a legendary tale that people yearn for, pursuing the path of the Ruler.
In the Endless Fire Territory, the Flame Emperor rules, and ten thousand fires incinerate the heavens.
Within the Martial Realm, the might of the Martial Ancestor shocks the universe.
In the Northern Desolate Hill, the Thousand Tombs, the Undying Lord guards the heavens and earth.
In the West Heaven Temple, the Emperor of a Hundred Battles reigns supreme, his battle prowess unmatched.
…
A youth emerges from the Northern Spiritual Realm, riding the Nine Netherworld Bird into this chaotic and brilliant world. On the path of the Ruler, who shall rise and who shall fall?
In the Great Thousand World, ten thousand paths contend for supremacy. I shall become the Great Ruler.
The blazing sun rose gradually, its scorching rays baking the earth below until it was nearly parched. The weeping willows drooped, their leaves shriveled and lifeless.
In a bright, open clearing surrounded by rows of willows, hundreds of youths sat in silence. They were all young boys and girls in their adolescence. At this moment, they all wore solemn expressions, their eyes half-closed, breathing in a steady, rhythmic pattern. With each breath, tiny specks of light, barely visible to the naked eye, seemed to flicker around them.
A gentle breeze blew past, rustling their clothes and creating an extraordinarily beautiful scene.
In front of the hundreds of youths was a stone platform. On the platform, another figure sat in silence. His hands were clasped before his chest, and his eyes were tightly shut, seemingly immersed in some state of cultivation.
This was a youth with soft, slightly messy black hair. His slender face still held a touch of youthfulness, giving off a rather pleasant impression at first glance.
Currently, a faint glow visible to the naked eye enveloped the youth. Within this shroud of light, a strange energy seemed to be surging powerfully into his body.
Below the platform, several youths suddenly opened their eyes wide, staring at the glow surrounding the youth on the platform. They couldn't help but lick their lips, their faces showing a mix of envy and admiration. Soon, a wave of noisy chatter began to break the previous silence.
“Brother Mu is amazing. While we are still trying to sense the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth, he has already successfully reached the Spiritual Movement Stage. He truly deserves to be the number one in our East Academy Earth Class.”
“Haha, of course! Not just our East Academy, but in the entire Northern Spiritual Academy, I'm afraid there aren't many of his age who can compare to Brother Mu.”
A grey-clothed youth sitting in front seemed to know the person on the stone platform. Hearing these discussions, he couldn't help but smile proudly and whisper, “In the entire Northern Spiritual Realm, only Brother Mu was chosen to enter the Spiritual Road. Do you know how monstrous the people who enter the Spiritual Road are? Back then, our entire Northern Spiritual Realm was thrown into an uproar over this. Anyone who emerges from that place will be accepted by the Five Great Academies.”
“The Five Great Academies?” Hearing this extremely famous name, many youths couldn't help but gulp, their eyes filled with longing. That place was the dream and aspiration that every youth strived for. However, the selection process of the Five Great Academies was incredibly strict; those who could enter were without exception geniuses. Once inside, one's future would be boundlessly bright.
“Although Brother Mu is amazing, I heard that he was the first person to be expelled from the Spiritual Road before it ended. It seems he was only there for a year.”
Another youth hesitated for a moment before speaking, then quickly added, "We all know Brother Mu's capabilities. He couldn't possibly be inferior to those monstrous geniuses from all over the Great Thousand World in the Spiritual Road. He must have been expelled because of some unfair treatment."
The young boys and girls looked at one another. In the Northern Spiritual Academy, and even the entire Northern Spiritual Realm, this matter was not considered a secret. They felt regretful, but at the same time, they were curious to know what exactly had caused someone as outstanding as Brother Mu—someone who had won over even their proud selves—to be expelled from the Spiritual Road.
The grey-clothed youth curled his lips in disagreement and scoffed, "Hmph, someone in the Spiritual Road must have been jealous of Brother Mu and used underhanded tricks to force him out. But it doesn't matter. With Brother Mu's abilities, he will enter the Five Great Academies sooner or later. When that time comes, everyone will naturally understand the truth."
The group looked at each other. Although they all knew Brother Mu's talent was exceptional, the Five Great Academies were not places that were easy to enter. After all, he had only trained in the Spiritual Road for a year, and it wasn't even certain if he had completed his training successfully. Naturally, he would lag behind the geniuses who had emerged from the Spiritual Road.
*Thunk!*
While they were talking, a piece of wood debris suddenly fell from the stone platform, hitting the grey-clothed youth's forehead. A laughing, scolding voice followed: "Su Ling, do you guys treat me like air? Do you believe I'll tell Instructor Mo to make you guys do extra training in the East Division during the upcoming holidays?"
The youths quickly looked up. The youth who had been cultivating on the stone platform had opened his eyes. His pitch-black eyes were like the night sky, brimming with spiritual energy, and the corners of his mouth curled into a warm, gentle smile. It was like dotting the eyes of a painted dragon, making the youth's face instantly come alive with brilliance.
It had to be said, this youth was truly remarkable.
"Hehe, don't be like that, Brother Mu Chen. We finally got a break, and I'm looking forward to going home right away. If my dad finds out I caused such an embarrassing scene, I'm afraid he'll beat me to death." The grey-clothed youth rubbed his forehead, grinning sheepishly.
The surrounding youths burst into laughter, making the atmosphere incredibly lively.
"Since you know your father is so fierce, if you don't reach the Spiritual Movement Stage within three months, you'd better prepare for a beating." The youth named Mu Chen shook his head slightly, speaking with mock exasperation.
"How could it be so easy to reach the Spiritual Movement Stage? I'm not a freak who could easily enter the Spiritual Road like Brother Mu." Su Ling grinned, but then fell silent. Although this matter was not a secret in the Northern Spiritual Realm, and Mu Chen himself didn't mind it too much, being expelled was still not a glorious thing after all.
Hearing this, the youth named Mu Chen only smiled faintly, his expression not changing much. He merely raised his head to look at the cracks on the willow branches, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions and nostalgia.
The Spiritual Road!
He wondered how those fellows were doing now. Perhaps they had already finished their training? If so, it probably wouldn't be long before they entered the Five Great Academies.
As for her...
Mu Chen's lips parted slightly as the image of a girl in a black dress flashed through his mind. She always carried a black longsword on her back, possessing a slender, graceful figure and a cold yet beautiful face.
When that beautiful figure leaped, her dazzling silver hair, like a flowing galaxy, fluttered behind her.
The way this cold, mysterious girl cultivated was enough to drive anyone mad. Back in the Spiritual Road, for some unknown reason, she had hunted him down for half a year. And it was all for a reason that made Mu Chen incredibly furious—he had saved her.
Yet in the end, when he was forced to leave that place, she was the first one to draw her sword and stand in front of him without a single moment of hesitation.
Whenever he recalled her devastatingly beautiful face, which had never shown a shred of emotion but was always shrouded in a freezing, murderous intent, even Mu Chen couldn't help but feel a trace of fear.
How nostalgic.
"Haha, isn't this the only person from our Northern Spiritual Realm to participate in the Spiritual Road, Little Mu? Leading your brothers out to cultivate again? Instructor Mo really thinks highly of you."
While he was lost in his memories, a harsh, mocking voice suddenly rang out. Mu Chen calmly raised his head and saw a dozen or so figures slowly approaching from a distance. Leading them was a youth with an arrogant face, who was currently looking at Mu Chen with a smirk.
"Liu Che, what do you people from the West Branch want with our East Branch? Looking for a beating?!" Upon seeing this group, the face of the youth previously called Su Ling darkened. He stood up and sneered.
*Whoosh!*
On the open clearing, hundreds of East Branch disciples stood up in unison, glaring hostilely at the approaching group. They quickly gathered together, presenting an imposing front.
The Northern Spiritual Academy was divided into the East Branch and the West Branch, and conflicts frequently arose between the two. Overall, the West Branch used to be stronger than the East Branch, and most East Branch disciples would actively avoid them. However, over the past year, the situation had begun to change, and it was all because of Mu Chen's arrival.
Three months ago, during a competition between the Earth Division disciples of the two branches, Xue Dong, who was ranked third in the West Branch, was defeated by Mu Chen. This victory had vented a great deal of frustration for the East Branch disciples and forced the West Branch to tone down their arrogance.
Yet now, these West Branch fellows had actually come here to provoke Mu Chen. This was something Su Ling and the others could not tolerate.
"Haha, the East Branch sure is cocky these days. Do you really think that just because you have Mu Chen, you can challenge our West Branch?"
Seeing the East Branch's superior numbers, Liu Che showed no fear. Instead, he pointed toward a high platform not far away and smirked, "Do you dare to fight?"
Su Ling and his group followed Liu Che's finger and saw several figures on the high platform looking down at them. Once they clearly recognized those familiar faces, the expressions of Su Ling and his companions shifted.
"They are the seniors from the West Branch's Heaven Division."
The Northern Spiritual Academy was not only divided into two branches but also into two divisions: Heaven and Earth. Su Ling, Mu Chen, and the others belonged to the Earth Division, while those on the high platform were seniors from the West Branch's Heaven Division, whose strength far surpassed theirs.
As the expressions of Su Ling and his group fluctuated, the Heaven Division seniors on the high platform looked down at them with smiles, chatting among themselves.
"Is that Mu Chen from the East Branch? The one who's currently famous throughout our Northern Spiritual Academy, and even the entire Northern Spiritual Realm? To think that at such a young age, he has already reached the Spiritual Movement Stage. Even if it's only the Initial Stage, he's already qualified to enter the Heaven Division. Impressive, truly impressive."
"Hmm, not bad. I didn't expect the East Division to have a genius like him. Once he enters the East Division's Heaven Class in the future, I'm afraid our West Division's Heaven Class will feel the pressure."
"I heard this kid was chosen to enter the Spiritual Road, but then, for some unknown reason, he was kicked out. How hilarious, that's the first time I've ever heard of such a thing happening."
"Wasn't it just because they chose the wrong person, so they kicked the kid out?"
"Haha."
Among the crowd, a girl dressed in red leaned against the railing. She had a slender figure, skin as white as snow, and an extremely beautiful oval face. Her lovely phoenix eyes gazed toward the open ground before resting on Mu Chen with a look of interest.
"Haha, Hong Ling, you seem to know Mu Chen?" a senior brother asked with a smile. From the way everyone gathered around her, it was obvious that this girl was the central figure among these senior disciples.
"Oh, his father is one of the Territory Lords of the Northern Spiritual Realm, so he has some connection with my father. When we were kids, we used to play together," the girl named Hong Ling replied indifferently.
"I heard he used to have a crush on you too?"
Hong Ling's phoenix eyes blinked slightly as she looked at the straight figure sitting cross-legged not far away. At that moment, a shaft of light filtered through the willow branches, casting a soft, beautiful halo over the youth's handsome face. The sight left her momentarily dazed, bringing back a vague memory of a little boy who used to follow her around when they were children. Back then, however, he had been entirely unremarkable, so she had never paid him much attention. Yet, who could have imagined that the boy she had once kept at arm's length would become the only person in the entire Northern Spiritual Realm qualified to enter the Spiritual Road? During that time, Mu Chen's reputation in the Northern Spiritual Realm had soared, only beginning to wane after his sudden expulsion from the Spiritual Road.
"How can childhood antics count as liking someone?" Hong Ling laughed it off, but her clear eyes lingered on Mu Chen a bit longer. Since entering the Northern Spiritual Academy, Mu Chen had begun to show his talent. Although he was not yet the academy's top disciple, hearing that such an outstanding individual fancied her still gave her a sense of pride. Even though she knew deep down that most of it was just rumors, she was still a young girl, and not immune to a little vanity.
"Haha, how could Hong Ling's standards be so ordinary? This kid is decent, but he's far from being able to move Hong Ling's heart. Didn't you see Lian Linxiu? He's ranked seventh in our Northern Spiritual Academy and has already reached the Mid Spiritual Movement Stage—far superior to that kid down there—yet even he failed to win her over."
"It seems that in the entire Northern Spiritual Academy, perhaps only Big Brother Liu Mubai can sway Hong Ling's heart."
At the mention of Liu Mubai's name, the expressions of the senior brothers shifted slightly, clearly feeling a touch of pressure.
The top-ranked student in the Northern Spiritual Academy was Liu Mubai. His father was the Territory Lord of the largest territory in the Northern Spiritual Realm, possessing immense prestige.
Whether in terms of appearance, strength, or background, Liu Mubai was always the dream figure for the young girls of the Northern Spiritual Academy.
To the disciples of the West Division, it was common knowledge that Liu Mubai shared a close relationship with Hong Ling. Although he had not yet managed to pluck this proud flower of the West Division, everyone believed it was only a matter of time.
If Mu Chen had successfully passed through the Spiritual Road and qualified to enter the Five Great Academies, his reputation would naturally have overshadowed even Liu Mubai's. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, he had been expelled.
As such, if anyone were to compare the two of them now, it would only invite ridicule from others.