A full decade had passed since Ye Feng took the saint force test. Ever since he displayed his astonishing cultivation talent that day, his name had soared to new heights within the Ye clan.
All his siblings grew jealous of him, except for his eldest brother, Ye Long. Despite his rising reputation in the clan after the saint force test, Ye Feng did not become arrogant. Instead, he continued to cultivate diligently and refine his swordsmanship under De's guidance.
It took Ye Feng only two years to surpass De in swordsmanship. When Ye Gou heard this, he was astonished and decided to test Ye Feng's talent personally. He invited his son to spar, wanting to test his son's swordsmanship.
After crossing blades with him, Ye Gou was left speechless. Ye Feng's talent was nothing short of monstrous—his learning curve was so sharp that he could replicate an opponent's sword style after seeing it only once.
Having witnessed Ye Feng's astounding talent, Ye Gou decided to undertake his son's swordsmanship training personally. Though he was not a true sword cultivator, he had once practiced the sword before forging his path with a heavy spear as his saint weapon. Furthermore, during his wanderings across the vast Tian Yuan Continent and his tenure within the Celestial Mountain Sect, he had battled many extraordinary sword cultivators, accumulating valuable knowledge.
Relying on his long-standing ties to the Celestial Mountain Sect, Ye Gou obtained a number of swordsmanship books and scrolls, which he presented to Ye Feng to aid in elevating his swordsmanship.
Using the books and swordsmanship scrolls gifted by Ye Gou, Ye Feng immersed himself in constant practice. With each passing day, his mastery advanced with remarkable speed, leaving Ye Gou astonished at how quickly his son absorbed and refined every technique.
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Ye Feng, now fifteen years old, stood outside the Ye mansion with Mu and the silver eagle monster beast perched calmly beside them. Mu waited patiently as Ye Feng finished saying his goodbyes to his parents, ready to begin their journey toward the Azure Dragon Academy.
The Azure Dragon Academy stood as the largest and most prestigious cultivation academy in the entire Hidden Dragon Kingdom. Its reputation was unmatched, drawing countless geniuses from every corner of the kingdom.
The academy's current headmaster was an expert who had stepped into the early Heaven Saint Master Realm, this cultivation realm few in the kingdom could ever hope to reach. As one of the foremost experts in the Hidden Dragon Kingdom, his presence alone was enough to deter enemies and command the respect of all cultivators in Hidden Dragon Kingdom.
Ye Gou looked at his son with pride. "Remember, Feng'er—don't slack off. Focus on your cultivation in the academy."
Ye Feng smiled confidently. "Don't worry, Father. I promise I won't disappoint you."
Seeing his son's determination, Ye Gou nodded with a satisfied smile.
Ye Feng had grown into a strikingly handsome young man. His long black hair fluttered gently in the wind, and his clear, obsidian eyes brimmed with vitality. His slim yet muscular physique, paired with his fair complexion, gave him an elegant but imposing presence.
His mother walked over and smiled warmly at Ye Feng. "Remember to show respect to your teachers, Feng'er."
Ye Feng returned her smile and nodded. Then he turned to Mu and said, "Uncle Mu, let's go."
Mu smiled in response and nodded.
Both of them leapt onto the back of the silver eagle monster beast. At Mu's command, the beast soared into the sky, heading toward the Azure Dragon Academy.
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Mu and Ye Feng rode atop the silver eagle monster beast as it soared at full speed toward the academy.
Mu was quite impressed by Ye Feng, who sat relaxed atop the silver eagle monster beast, completely unbothered by its high-speed flight. Smiling at him, Mu said, "Young Master Feng, when you arrive at the academy, I suggest that the first thing you do is meet Young Master Long. He's been at the Azure Dragon Academy for quite some time and must be very familiar with its ways."
Ye Feng considered Mu's words and nodded. 'You're right, Uncle Mu. Once I arrive at the academy and settle in, I'll look for him first.'
Mu smiled at Ye Feng, and together they continued their flight toward the Azure Dragon Academy.
After two hours, they finally arrived. As Ye Feng dismounted from the silver eagle monster beast and prepared to bid farewell to Mu, a familiar voice suddenly rang out, calling, "Fifth brother!"
Ye Feng turned toward the voice and smiled when he saw the figure waving at him—it was his eldest brother, Ye Long. Mu watched the scene with a gentle smile and said to Ye Feng, "Take care, Young Master. I'll return to the clan." With that, he signaled the silver eagle, which promptly turned and soared back toward the Ye clan mansion.
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After Mu flew away, Ye Long walked over to Ye Feng and smiled. "Good to see you, Fifth Brother."
Ye Feng returned the smile. "Good to see you too, First Brother."
After the two brothers entered the academy, Ye Feng turned to Ye Long and asked, "First brother, what can you tell me about the academy? You've been here for quite some time now."
Ye Long smiled at Ye Feng, considering his question. "Alright," he began, "let me start with the basics about the academy."
Ye Feng nodded attentively.
"The academy accepts anyone, regardless of their background," Ye Long continued. "But there are two requirements you must meet to be admitted. First, you need to have reached at least the 8th layer of the Saint Force realm. Second, you must be no older than eighteen."
When Ye Feng heard this, he nodded; he was already familiar with these two requirements. Ye Long continued, "Once you reach the Great Saint Master realm, you will be required to graduate from the academy. Even if you wish to stay, graduation is mandatory. After leaving, most graduates have three paths to choose from: joining the Hidden Dragon Army as a soldier of our kingdom, becoming a mercenary, or pursuing life as an independent cultivator."
Ye Feng thought for a moment. He didn't want to join the army; his dream was to travel across the Tian Yuan Continent. That left him with only two options: becoming a mercenary or pursuing the path of an independent cultivator.
Ye Long continued, "Most students here choose to join the army because of the financial benefits and cultivation resources the king provides. I've heard he is quite generous with his rewards."
Ye Feng nodded in understanding. Ye Long continued, 'A small number of students here choose to join the mercenary union to become mercenaries, while others roam the Tian Yuan continent as independent cultivators.'"
"The mercenary union places no restrictions on its mercenaries, except that if you complete a mission assigned by the union, you must pay 10% of the reward to them."
Ye Feng nodded and continued listening. Ye Long went on, "The academy has a vast library filled with books on a wide range of subjects. The library spans five levels, but only the first two are open to all students. The third level, however, is reserved for those who win the freshmen competition."
Ye Feng looked puzzled. "What is the freshmen competition?"
Ye Long smiled. "All the new students compete against each other. They enter the Azure Fang Pagoda, which has ten levels, and face off against puppets on each floor. The student who reaches the highest level among all participants is declared the winner. The rewards are generous: the champion receives a Rank 3 monster core, the runner-up gets a Rank 2 monster core, and the third-place finisher takes home a Rank 1 monster core."
Ye Feng's eyes shone with excitement as he said, "I can't wait for the competition to start!"
Ye Long chuckled, but his expression quickly turned serious. "Fifth brother, there's something important you need to know about the pagoda: only the first five levels are accessible."
Ye Feng frowned in surprise. "Why is that?"
Ye Long shook his head. "No one knows the reason. Only the founder of the academy knows why the higher levels remain sealed. I heard the headmaster tried countless times to unlock the sixth level, but all attempts failed. This pagoda… it's incredibly mysterious."
Ye Feng was deep in thought after hearing about the Azure Fang Pagoda, but Ye Long snapped him out of it. "Fifth brother, snap out of it," he said.
Ye Feng chuckled and nodded. Ye Long continued, "Every morning there are classes, though attendance isn't compulsory. The teacher covers various subjects related to cultivation and also answers students' questions or clarifies doubts about their personal cultivation. It's a good idea to attend these classes, because it gives you the chance to get guidance whenever you're stuck in you bottleneck."
Ye Feng nodded, and soon they arrived at the place where he would be staying. The room was simple—just a bed, a desk, and a chair. Ye Long smiled. "We'll part ways here, fifth brother. If you need anything, come find me. And don't forget, tomorrow is the start of the freshmen competition. I'm looking forward to seeing how you do."
Ye Feng returned his smile and nodded. After bidding each other farewell, he entered his room, deciding to rest for the day and prepare for the competition tomorrow.