Chapter 131: Sun Yiqiu

"Take him to collect his disciple robes."

Hua Zheng did not answer Li Jiansan's question; instead, he offered a faint smile and turned to leave.

Li Jiansan, however, remained deeply curious. Having just arrived, he had no connections here whatsoever. Who could possibly have such influence, and who would go out of their way to help him? He pondered for a long time without finding an answer, so he eventually let it go. After all, if the esteemed Dean of the Azure Dragon Academy had harbored any ill intentions toward him, he would not have needed to go to such trouble.

Guided by someone else, Li Jiansan passed through a cloister and arrived at a small courtyard.

"This is the Administrative Pavilion. Go on in."

As soon as Li Jiansan stepped inside, he saw a middle-aged man dozing off. The man had a sharp, rat-like face and a thin, scraggly mustache. Li Jiansan stared at him for a long time, but the man didn't even want to open his eyes. He asked in a lazy, indolent tone, "What is it?"

"I am a new student from this intake, here to collect my disciple robes," Li Jiansan replied coolly.

The middle-aged man pulled out a form and ignored him further. "Fill this out first."

The form asked for basic information, such as cultivation level, practiced martial arts techniques, and place of origin.

"How is this any different from a census..."

Li Jiansan scribbled down some information and handed it back. He had no intention of revealing his true strength yet, so most of the details on the form were fabricated. They couldn't verify them anyway, so why bother?

The man scanned the paper perfunctorily and then glanced at Li Jiansan. "You are not from the Imperial City?"

"No," Li Jiansan replied.

After Li Jiansan spoke, the man became even more impatient. "Do you not know the rules?"

"Rules?" Li Jiansan asked. "What rules?"

Hearing this, the man yawned, opened his eyes to look at Li Jiansan, and made a gesture of counting money. "This is the rule I'm talking about. Do you understand now?"

"I don't understand!" Li Jiansan said coldly.

"Tsk tsk, the rule is money. Do you get it now?" Seeing that, the elder rested his hands on the table, picked up his teacup, slurped a few mouthfuls of tea, and said impatiently, "Why do the newcomers this year seem so dense?"

"I understand, but I'm not paying!"

Li Jiansan ignored him entirely. What a joke—trying to extort protection money from him? He was the grand villain here; if anyone was going to collect protection money, it should be him.

The elder grew angry. He glared at Li Jiansan and pointed to the room on the right. "In that case, go in and get them yourself. They’re in the fourth compartment of the cupboard on your left."

*Hmph*, I’ll let you suffer a little first. I’ll be waiting for you to come crawling back and beg me.

Li Jiansan followed the direction the elder pointed. As he approached the doorway, he immediately sensed a fierce fluctuation of spiritual energy.

"Old man, you're too inexperienced to play these games with me."

Li Jiansan glanced back and caught the elder’s malicious gaze. He had known all along that the doorway was guarded by a formation; anyone who entered without permission would be blasted away. It was clear the elder was trying to make things difficult for him.

Li Jiansan was a highly accomplished Third-Rank Spirit Array Master. For this elder to try and tease him with a spirit array was truly laughable.

A flicker of light vanished from Li Jiansan’s hand, and he walked straight inside. Nothing happened.

"Hmm... how can this be? Where is he? Why hasn't he been blasted out? Did he already get in?"

"Good heavens! How did he get in? He wasn't blasted out at all!"

Seeing this, the elder was stunned and hurriedly rubbed his eyes in disbelief. He stood up, shocked and puzzled, and approached the room.

Soon, Li Jiansan retrieved his robes and walked back past the doorway, slowing his pace deliberately. He looked at the elder outside and said with a faint smile, "I’ve got my clothes. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be heading back."

"Right, right..." The elder watched Li Jiansan leave, still filled with shock and confusion.

"That shouldn't be. There was clearly a formation in that room. How on earth did he get in?" He looked at the doorway strangely and muttered, "Could the formation be broken?"

"I'll test it out first."

He slowly approached the entrance.

"Ah!"

In an instant, a ferocious force blasted him away. His internal organs were severely injured; he would likely be bedridden for at least ten days or half a month.

The elder, completely bewildered, groaned, "What happened? Why did the power of the formation suddenly become so strong?"

When Li Jiansan had approached the room earlier, he had modified the formation, turning it into a one-time offensive trap that would unleash a terrifying strike the moment it was triggered.

...

"Hey, have you heard? There’s a monstrous genius in the Azure Dragon Academy this year. He broke the record during the very first strength test, and he's taken first place in every assessment since."

"I heard that too. He’s called Li Jiansan. He has terrifying talent and is the most formidable among all the new students at the Azure Dragon Academy."

"Li Jiansan's strength is fearsome; he’s practically the leader of the new students. And in the final assessment, the Dean himself came out to recruit him and even made huge concessions."

Li Jiansan heard these whispers as he walked down the path, but he didn't care. He soon found the new students' quarters and returned to his room.

Meanwhile, at the Azure Dragon Academy's training grounds:

"Haha, Sun Yiqiu’s talent is truly monstrous. His strength is terrifying, too! He’s been first in several assessments!"

"Perhaps it won't be long before Sun Yiqiu becomes an Inner Sect disciple."

New recruits to the Azure Dragon Academy began as Outer Sect disciples. They were the most numerous, numbering thirty thousand. Above them were the Inner Sect disciples. To advance, one needed to reach the fifth level of the Foundation Establishment stage, but more importantly, one had to be favored by an elder and taken on as an apprentice.

"Becoming an Inner Sect disciple isn't that easy. Don't forget that this year's new intake is full of hidden talents. I heard that during the morning assessment, a genius appeared who took first place in several rounds—he's practically the top of the new students!"

"I know who you mean. He's called... Li Jiansan!"

Hearing these voices, the arrogant expression on Sun Yiqiu’s face, who had just finished his assessment, slowly turned icy.

"Li Jiansan, I will go and meet you myself!"

A chilling hostility flared in Sun Yiqiu’s eyes.