Chapter Nine: Establishing Authority at the Academy

Being so decisively refused by Xiao Yu, Yao Liang’s face changed slightly. He forced down his displeasure, put on a kindly smile, and said, “Xiao, why don’t you reconsider? Of course, I wouldn’t let you hand it over for nothing. I possess quite a few rare treasures myself—should any interest you, I’d be willing to exchange them with you.”

“I refuse,” Xiao Yu replied without hesitation.

Unless he’d gone mad, Xiao Yu would never believe that a mere background character from the original story could present any treasure comparable to the masterpieces produced by his system. Without the slightest politeness, he refused, “Teacher, you yourself said my cultivation method is unique. It’s a secret technique passed down in my family—absolutely not to be shared with outsiders.”

“You really are unwilling!” Yao Liang’s smile vanished instantly, his gaze turning fierce as he stared at Xiao Yu. His martial spirit manifested, revealing three yellow and one purple soul rings as he threatened, “Brat, don’t refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!”

On the viewing platform, Gao Huan and Gao Jue’s faces changed dramatically at the scene, cursing Yao Liang inwardly. Just as Xiao Yu had said, such a unique technique was certainly a family secret—who would ever share it? For a vice dean to attempt to coerce a student by force—if word got out, who would ever enroll in their academy again? Yet, before they could intervene, someone else had already acted.

“Courting death!” A cold snort rang out. The previously silent Miao had already stepped in front of Xiao Yu. From his back sprouted a pair of resplendent wings, and two yellow, two purple, and three black—seven optimal soul rings—rose slowly around him.

“A… Soul Sage!” Yao Liang staggered back several steps. The overwhelming pressure from Miao forced him to withdraw his martial spirit, his face turning deathly pale in an instant.

The academy did have sect backing, but within this continent, it was at best middling. Yao Liang had dared to ignore Gao Huan only because he was supported by a Soul Emperor-level elder from his sect, which gave him the confidence to covet Xiao Yu’s cultivation method. In his estimation, though Xiao Yu possessed a unique meditation technique, he couldn’t possibly hail from a powerful clan, or he’d have attended the academy run by his own sect. After all, such scions wouldn’t be sent out to hone themselves at the mere age of six or seven. Most likely, this child’s family had once flourished but had now fallen on hard times—thus, Yao Liang felt emboldened to use his position to snatch the secret. He never imagined he’d run up against an iron wall.

“You have a lot of nerve!” Miao’s cold voice echoed, killing intent radiating outward. Yao Liang felt as though he’d fallen into an ice cavern, unable even to utter a complete sentence.

“Respected Soul Sage, sir—”

Gao Huan and Gao Jue hurriedly rushed onto the stage, one after the other. They too were shocked—the usually silent man by Xiao Yu’s side was actually a Soul Sage! In their own sect, only the sect master himself had reached that level.

“Do you wish to take me on together?” Miao cast a cold glance at the both of them.

Fools, they cursed Yao Liang in their hearts. Their greed had brought disaster upon them. Hastily, they made their stance clear: “Sir, please see our sincerity. We have no designs on Xiao Yu’s technique. Everything was solely Teacher Yao’s doing. We will offer you and Xiao Yu a satisfactory explanation. Please, sir, be appeased.”

They pleaded at length, but seeing Miao unmoved, they turned their gaze to Xiao Yu. “Xiao Yu, we know you’ve suffered an injustice, but could you please persuade this sir on our behalf?”

Xiao Yu’s expression remained impassive, but inwardly, he was delighted. He had been wondering how to quickly establish his footing in the academy, and unexpectedly, someone had delivered him the perfect opportunity to assert dominance.

Still, goodwill should be extended to these two academy leaders. After all, to fulfill his system’s mission, Xiao Yu intended to formally enroll.

“Miao, stand down,” Xiao Yu said calmly.

“At once, young master!” Miao instantly withdrew his murderous aura and retreated behind Xiao Yu.

Gao Huan and Gao Jue exchanged a glance, their wariness and respect for Xiao Yu growing. The boy was surely a direct scion of some great sect, sent out to temper himself—he was absolutely not someone to offend. But if they played their cards right and built a good relationship with him, perhaps they might gain a powerful ally in the future.

The two of them, seasoned partners, needed no words to understand each other’s thoughts.

Without hesitation, Gao Huan, as dean, declared, “Yao Liang, as vice dean, you coveted a student’s secret art and even attempted to seize it through force. Such corruption of virtue cannot be tolerated. You are hereby dismissed.”

Expelling the vice dean was a decisive move, but Gao Huan was confident—no one would support a vice dean who had antagonized a Soul Sage-protected student, especially when that Soul Sage called the student ‘young master.’ Even their sect’s major sponsors would likely support this decision, perhaps even reward him for currying favor.

……

Thus, this little episode at enrollment drew to a close. After witnessing Xiao Yu’s mysterious background, Gao Huan personally arranged for him to have the academy’s finest single dormitory.

Xiao Yu was, of course, quite satisfied. A single dorm not only provided the best environment for meditation and cultivation, but also prevented his many secrets from being exposed to a roommate. If he ever needed to contact Miao or Hui Huo urgently, it would spare him much unnecessary trouble.

As night fell, Xiao Yu sat cross-legged on his bed, circulating his soul power through meditation.

The meditation method provided by the system truly surpassed most of those in the Douluo world. His soul power surged through his limbs at astonishing speed, and his meridians gradually widened under its impact. In just over ten minutes, he had completed a full cycle.

“Explode!”

He did not know how long he had been meditating. As dawn broke in the east, Xiao Yu suddenly opened his eyes and let out a low, forceful shout. The soul power he had been channeling for so long erupted in an instant, like gunpowder ignited by a fuse.

This was the essence of the meditation technique the system had adapted from the Saint Seiya world’s Microcosmos. The so-called Microcosmos referred to the vast energy latent within the human body, the very source of human strength. True Saints could unleash their inner Microcosmos in a burst to shatter stars and rend the earth with superhuman might.

Of course, Xiao Yu’s present level was far too low—he was nowhere near the point where his fist could split the sky or his kick shatter the earth, let alone the legendary feat of pulverizing stars. In fact, he was still a whole galaxy away from that power. He probably couldn’t even crush a slightly larger stone.

Crack!

At that moment, the sound of a breaking wooden plank came from beneath him.

Xiao Yu immediately realized what had happened and gave a wry smile. Well, at least it had some effect—the bed’s planks had cracked. For the next few days, he’d have to sleep on the floor.