Chapter 28: Entering the Armoury

The Royal Palace.

"Excellent, excellent! My Yuan'er truly lives up to his name as the dragon of our Zhou clan!"

At the dining table, Zhou Qing's face was flushed with joy, his usually stern expression now filled with unconcealed delight. He looked at Zhou Yuan with a beaming smile and said, "You wouldn't believe it, Chu Tianyang specifically came to the palace just to praise you extensively in front of me."

Clearly, he had learned about Zhou Yuan's performance in today's Grand Examination at the Great Zhou Institute.

Beside him, Qin Yu also gazed at Zhou Yuan with a joyful expression, her eyes full of gratification.

Zhou Yuan ate his meal, and in response to Zhou Qing and Qin Yu's praise, he merely smiled and said, "It was just a Grand Examination. The important thing is the Prefectural Examination at the end of the year."

Zhou Qing nodded upon hearing this, saying with satisfaction, "Winning without arrogance—your suffering over the years hasn't been in vain, my boy."

"As for the Prefectural Examination at the end of the year, it is indeed very important."

Zhou Qing slowly explained, "The Qi King's Residence has coveted the Great Zhou Institute and has been plotting in secret for a long time. If they claim first place again in the Prefectural Examination at the end of the year, I'm afraid they will start making trouble."

A cold glint flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes, clearly indicating his intense hatred for the Qi King's Residence.

"But Qi Yue has already opened six meridians, and he will undoubtedly be even stronger by the Prefectural Examination at the end of the year. Yuan'er started later than him..." Qin Yu looked at Zhou Yuan with a hint of heartache, hesitating.

To bridge this gap, Zhou Yuan would clearly have to put in an immense amount of effort.

Zhou Yuan's expression remained quite calm. He simply smiled at Qin Yu and said, "Father King, Mother Queen, please rest assured, I won't let them succeed."

In the past, he could only hide under his father's wing because he couldn't open his meridians. But now that he can cultivate by opening them, he will naturally do everything in his power to share some of his father's burden.

He knew very well how precarious the current situation of their Great Zhou was.

Seeing Zhou Yuan's sensible demeanor, Zhou Qing and Qin Yu felt relieved, but more so, they felt heartache and self-reproach. If they had discovered King Wu's conspiracy earlier, the Great Zhou would not have fallen to this state, and Zhou Yuan wouldn't have had to bear so much pressure at such a young age.

Zhou Yuan also noticed Zhou Qing and Qin Yu's somewhat downcast mood and quickly changed the subject, saying, "Speaking of my victory in this Grand Examination, it was largely thanks to Sister Yao Yao's guidance."

Beside them, Yao Yao, who had been quietly eating with Tun Tun in her arms, heard this and subtly glanced at Zhou Yuan, seemingly displeased that he had dragged her into the conversation.

Zhou Qing nodded upon hearing this, smiling, "Speaking of which, Miss Yao Yao is truly a benefactor to us. Come, I'll toast you."

No sooner had he spoken than Qin Yu shot him a displeased look. In her eyes, Yao Yao was just an underage girl, and Zhou Qing's actions were practically leading a child astray.

However, before she could speak, Yao Yao, who usually didn't engage in conversation, had her bright eyes subtly light up. Her delicate hand raised the wine cup, and she drank it down in one gulp, demonstrating unusual forthrightness.

Zhou Qing froze, then, seeing Qin Yu's displeased gaze, he awkwardly smiled and quickly finished his own wine, not daring to mention a toast again.

The Qi King's Residence.

In a study room, a flint glowed within an oil lamp, casting a dim, yellowish light.

Behind a desk sat a middle-aged man in yellow robes, flipping through books. His expression was indifferent, and there was a stern coldness between his brows. A subtle, almost imperceptible sense of oppression emanated from him, making it impossible to underestimate him.

In front of his desk, Qi Yue stood with his hands at his sides, his face respectful.

"Are you saying that the crippled prince can now cultivate by opening meridians?" After a long silence, the middle-aged man in yellow robes finally lifted his gaze from his book and said indifferently.

"Yes, Father King. He defeated Lin Feng, who had opened four meridians, with the strength of two opened meridians," Qi Yue immediately replied.

This middle-aged man in yellow robes was none other than King Qi of Great Zhou, Qi Yuan.

King Qi's eyes narrowed slightly, a venomous intensity in their depths. He slowly said, "He truly is someone who once possessed the Sacred Dragon's Fortune. To be ruined like that and still be able to get back up—his life force is indeed strong."

A murderous glint flashed in Qi Yue's eyes. He asked, "Father King, should we send the news to the Martial Dynasty?"

King Qi pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "The Martial Dynasty is currently warring with two neighboring great dynasties. How could they have the time to bother with a Great Zhou that's just waiting to die? As for that crippled prince, his Sacred Dragon's Fortune was abolished, and he was even afflicted with the Resentful Dragon Poison due to the backlash of his fortune. It won't be easy for him to recover. What we're seeing now might just be a dying flicker."

Qi Yue nodded slightly at this. Zhou Yuan had indeed been crippled too severely back then; it was truly difficult for him to recover.

"Furthermore, even if he truly recovers, would I, Qi Yuan, be afraid of a mere youth?" Qi Yuan sneered, "I have been preparing for years. Even Zhou Qing dares not do anything to me now. Can a boy who has only opened two meridians possibly change the overall situation?"

"If we have to report even a crippled prince to the Martial Dynasty, it would only make them look down on us. In the future, even if we take over Great Zhou, they might just snatch the spoils from us."

Qi Yuan tossed the book he was holding onto the desk and said, "As long as we secure first place in the B-Class Prefectural Examination at the end of the year, the Great Zhou Institute will be in my grasp. That is what's most important."

"Therefore, you must achieve first place in the Prefectural Examination at the end of the year."

Seeing Qi Yuan's resolute expression, Qi Yue nodded without hesitation, confidently stating, "Father King, rest assured. In the Prefectural Examination at the end of the year, no one in the Great Zhou Institute will be able to contend with me."

"As for Zhou Yuan, if he doesn't know his place, I will cripple him again. Let's see if he can still recover after that!"

As he spoke, a sinister smile appeared on Qi Yue's lips.

The next day.

Early in the morning, Zhou Yuan continued his uninterrupted practice of the Ninety-Eight Forms of the Dragon Forging Art, and then diligently completed all his daily meridian unblocking.

After finishing these tasks, he finally washed himself, left the Royal Palace, and headed straight for the Great Zhou Institute.

Now that he had entered the A-Class, he could no longer frequently skip classes as he used to.

The Great Zhou Institute, A-Class.

Dozens of figures gathered in the spacious academy, making it exceptionally lively.

When Zhou Yuan, Su Youwei, and another new student entered, dozens of gazes in the academy turned towards them, filled with curiosity and anticipation.

Zhou Yuan and the other two were momentarily stunned by such intense scrutiny.

As they stood there, two figures, a boy and a girl, approached them from within the academy. The boy was sturdily built with slightly dark skin and a somewhat rugged face that bore a rather good-natured smile.

The girl was quite pretty; though not as beautiful as Su Youwei, her long, slender legs were quite striking.

"Haha, welcome, all three of you. I'm Yang Zai, the head of the A-Class," the dark-skinned, good-natured boy said with a smile to Zhou Yuan and the other two.

"I'm Song Qiushui." The pretty girl also winked at the three and said with a grin, "We knew yesterday that His Highness Zhou Yuan and the rest of you chose the A-Class, so everyone has been waiting for you today."

Her beautiful eyes glanced at Su Youwei beside them, and she chuckled, "Of course, these guys are mostly looking forward to seeing the Great Zhou Institute's most beautiful student."

Hearing her teasing, Su Youwei's fair cheeks flushed slightly, and her exquisite beauty made many of the young men in the academy stare blankly.

Yang Zai also smiled, looking at Zhou Yuan. "His Highness Zhou Yuan's performance in yesterday's Grand Examination has spread throughout the Great Zhou Institute. With your addition to the A-Class, I believe it will greatly enhance our reputation."

Zhou Yuan cupped his hands and chuckled, "There's no 'His Highness' here. Just call me Zhou Yuan."

Yang Zai was momentarily taken aback by Zhou Yuan's unassuming manner, then he nodded with a good-natured smile. "Since His Highness puts it that way, I won't be formal."

Everyone introduced themselves to one another, and soon they had all met the A-Class students. The senior students of the A-Class were also young, kind-hearted, and enthusiastic, so there was no attempt to intimidate the newcomers. After getting to know each other, they quickly became familiar.

It was then that Zhou Yuan learned that Yang Zai was the top student in the A-Class and thus designated its head, possessing the strength of five opened meridians. Song Qiushui was slightly weaker but had also opened five meridians.

This level of strength was indeed inferior to Qi Yue's, which explained why Chu Tianyang was always worried about the Prefectural Examination at the end of the year.

As everyone was getting acquainted, Chu Tianyang walked into the hall. With a light cough, the noisy young men and women immediately quieted down and respectfully said, "Greetings, Dean."

Chu Tianyang nodded and said, "Starting today, our A-Class has three new members. I presume you've all met them already?"

The young men and women all replied in the affirmative.

"Good. From today onward, your training will be doubled," Chu Tianyang said calmly, with his hands clasped behind his back.

At these words, a chorus of complaints immediately erupted.

Chu Tianyang snorted coldly, silencing the various voices. He roared, "The Prefectural Examination at the end of the year is not far off! If you don't diligently cultivate, and none of you can reach six meridians by then, you won't even have the qualifications to contend with others! When the A-Class becomes the B-Class, what face will you have in the future?!"

Hearing the reprimand, many of the young men and women showed shame and quickly lowered their heads. Even Yang Zai and Song Qiushui, the strongest among them, gave bitter smiles. The B-Class was currently very strong, and they had tried their best to catch up, but Qi Yue was truly formidable and had always suppressed them completely.

Seeing that no one dared to speak, Chu Tianyang's expression gradually softened. He said, "Prepare yourselves. The Jade Spirit Waterfall will open today. Don't delay."

At these words, the eyes of many young men and women in the academy suddenly brightened, their faces filled with eager anticipation.

"Jade Spirit Waterfall..."

Hearing this, Zhou Yuan's heart stirred slightly, and a hint of interest and curiosity appeared in his eyes.

He had long heard his Father King mention that there was a cultivation treasure land in the Great Zhou Institute, and that treasure land was precisely the "Jade Spirit Waterfall" that Chu Tianyang had spoken of.

This was also one of the main reasons why Zhou Yuan was unwilling to miss classes after entering the A-Class.