Chapter 284: The Reaction of Former Classmates

Shanhai Academy.

On a sword peak, Yan Feng sat before a several-meter-high stone sword, a look of emotion on his face as he put down his phone.

"Fengzi, was it true that you were evenly matched with that 'Dou Fa Sheng' from Wuqi Daoist Academy during the entrance exam?"

Beside Yan Feng, a man and a woman were also seated, one of whom asked in disbelief. Today was their turn to practice their internal sword qi in front of the stone sword. After completing their cultivation, they started watching the live broadcast of the Little Chitian combat competition that had just been pushed to their phones.

"Believe it or not, you can search online for the entrance exam videos from that year in Danxia City. Look for the semi-final match – that was my peak showdown with him."

Initially, Yan Feng was very indignant about losing to Chen Mobai. He held onto that frustration and came to Shanhai Academy, the top sword cultivator academy, hoping to master world-shaking sword arts and prove that he should have been the top student from Danxia City that year. It's worth noting that at the time, Yan Feng's score was high enough for him to enter any of the Four Great Daoist Academies. If he had been first in the combat competition during the entrance exam, he could have chosen any one of them.

Not just him, but also Gong Xiangyu, and even Kong Feichen and Yang Jing. Any one of those four, all at Qi Cultivation Layer 9, could have reached the end, replaced Chen Mobai, and become the favored genius of the Four Great Daoist Academies. That's why every genius who lost to Chen Mobai that year was filled with resentment, unwillingness, and defiance. They all believed that their loss to Chen Mobai wasn't because their opponent was too strong, but because they had made serious mistakes during the combat, which their opponent then exploited to turn the tables.

If they could do it again, both Yan Feng and Gong Xiangyu believed they would win 100% of the time. Kong Feichen even thought in previous years that if Yang Jing hadn't stubbornly insisted on going to the final, and it had been him facing Chen Mobai, he would have had several ways to win.

However, this idea was shaken when news of Chen Mobai's Foundation Establishment reached them. Although they were students of the Ten Great Academies, they had all been admitted with scores equivalent to the Daoist Academies, granting them core student treatment upon admission. They were taught the Critical Method, meaning that their resources and cultivation techniques before Foundation Establishment were essentially on par with those of Daoist Academy students. It was precisely for this reason that they clearly understood how difficult Foundation Establishment was.

Kong Feichen, with the best talent, initially failed Foundation Establishment due to inner demons. Yan Feng and Gong Xiangyu only comprehended the Critical Method last year, and have now reached the stage of condensing qi into liquid. Even so, their progress is already very close to the average for the Four Great Daoist Academies. According to Yan Feng's own estimation, he should be able to achieve Foundation Establishment next year. Knowing the difficulty of Foundation Establishment, their internal assessment of Chen Mobai, who had already succeeded, began to change.

Perhaps, he was the true genius. Yan Feng even wondered if, during the entrance exam, it was because he himself had superior talent and more resources at the time that he was able to gain an advantage in cultivation level and thus barely manage to trade blows with Chen Mobai. At that moment, he began to doubt himself. Then, not long ago, when Little Chitian opened and Chen Mobai, as the chief disciple of Wuqi Daoist Academy, swept through early and mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators, Yan Feng's conviction solidified.

"Yes, that's exactly it!" Gong Xiangyu, who was the most defiant and felt as if he had been robbed of what was rightfully his, completely lost all his fighting spirit after seeing Chen Mobai defeat Lu Qiulong. As a student of Zhenling Academy, he knew best the true worth of the name Lu Qiulong. That was their academy's most promising talent for Core Formation in a century. Not to mention everyone else. And after Yan Feng saw Chen Mobai officially break Patriarch Yuanyang's winning streak record, his thoughts changed once again.

"I actually managed to push 'Dou Fa Sheng' to a desperate situation back then, making him barely win by just one move!" If Yan Feng had previously felt humiliated by his defeat to Chen Mobai, which prevented him from entering the Four Great Daoist Academies, now he felt only relief.

"It really exists." At this moment, the female classmate beside him had already found the Danxia City entrance exam combat video from that year, locating the peak showdown between Yan Feng and Chen Mobai in the semi-finals.

"You actually used a Heavenly Heart Sword Talisman, you spendthrift!"

The female classmate was Yan Feng's girlfriend at Shanhai Academy. After watching, her beautiful eyes widened, and she was so heartbroken that she gasped for breath, almost fainting. "What? You used a Heavenly Heart Sword Talisman and still couldn't become invincible in Qi Cultivation?!"

The other male classmate exclaimed in surprise upon hearing this, looking at Yan Feng with a disbelieving gaze. "What do you know? That's 'Dou Fa Sheng.' His talent in combat is monstrous. Any slight mistake you make will be spotted by his eyes, which see through all weaknesses, leading to your defeat."

Yan Feng retorted, becoming defensive. "Well, that's true, after all, your opponent back then was him."

The male classmate's gaze shifted to the center of the Little Chitian live broadcast on the phone screen. After seeing the refined young man in the red and black robe, he couldn't help but nod. The title 'Dou Fa Sheng' (Combat Champion) was precisely what Chen Mobai's opponents from the Danxia City entrance exam had spread.

They were distributed among various academies and schools throughout the Immortal Sect, and now, with Little Chitian at its peak popularity, the title quickly became widely known. Even the Scarlet-Robed True Lord, quietly cultivating in Danxia City, wouldn't have imagined that a casual compliment he once gave would now be Chen Mobai's widely recognized title.

At the cafeteria of Nature Academy.

Yan Bingxuan, who was quietly eating alone in a corner, put down her chopsticks after seeing Chen Mobai break the record. With a grain of rice at the corner of her mouth, a beautiful smile appeared on her usually composed face. This left many male students at nearby tables, who noticed the scene, utterly stunned. She looks so stunningly beautiful when she smiles!

At the Mending Heaven Group.

Qing Nü watched the spirited young man on the screen. Her eyes, which had grown indifferent since Kong Feichen and Yang Jing left, now showed a hint of pride that she herself didn't notice. Zhong Liyi, who was nearby, saw it and looked thoughtful. Chen Mobai was completely unaware of this. After breaking the record, he immediately went offline.

"Teacher, I did not disappoint you." In the office, after opening his eyes, he spoke to Che Yucheng.

"Good. Now you can rest for a while and focus on using the Spiritual Artifact Dual Cultivation Art to improve your cultivation of the Pure Yang Scroll. The Alchemy Department just finished refining a pool of second-tier Qi-Supplementing Spiritual Water during the break. Go and collect 100 vials of it. I've already spoken with Luo Hezheng." Che Yucheng looked at his disciple with a satisfied expression.

"Thank you, Teacher."

Chen Mobai was also very happy to hear this. In Immortal Sect alchemy, water-based methods are superior, and "Qi-Supplementing Spiritual Water" is precisely the best-selling spiritual water in all Immortal Sect pharmacies.

This spiritual water has a simple formula, and its three main spiritual herbs are easily found. Depending on the grades of the main and auxiliary herbs, it can be refined up to the third tier. However, the four auxiliary ingredients are industrialized spiritual materials. First-tier ones are fine and can be produced by small workshops, but second-tier and above can only be manufactured by large pharmaceutical factories. Coincidentally, the six major pharmaceutical factories of the Immortal Sect are: Jinzhan, Lingxiao, Guangbai, Chanyi, Shanglu, and Kongqing. Among them, "Guangbai" belongs to the Wuqi Daoist Academy.

The operation of the Guangbai pharmaceutical factory is overseen by Luo Hezheng, the Director of Logistics at the Daoist Academy. Every student in the Daoist Academy has interacted with Luo Hezheng; at the end of each semester, they exchange their academic credits with him for the pills and other spiritual items they need. Generally, students of the Daoist Academy can only claim rewards and make exchanges at the end of the semester.

However, since Che Yucheng had already made arrangements, it was naturally different.

"Here you go, sign here." Luo Hezheng's office was also in Building One, so Chen Mobai went straight there after going downstairs. Luo Hezheng was already waiting for him and, upon seeing him enter, directly handed him a large bottle, equivalent to one liter, of Qi-Supplementing Spiritual Water. Each vial of Qi-Supplementing Spiritual Water is approximately 10 milliliters. Since he was receiving a large quantity, Luo Hezheng didn't bother with small glass tubes and simply gave him a large bottle. Chen Mobai weighed it in his hand and felt it was probably a bit more than 1 liter. Perhaps Luo Hezheng's hand shook a little out of respect for Che Yucheng.

"Thank you, Teacher Luo." Chen Mobai happily accepted it and signed his name on a collection form.

He glanced at the reason for collection, which stated: "Reward for bringing glory to the Daoist Academy and completing the task assigned by the Dean." "How did the Dean get involved again?"

Chen Mobai had never personally met a Nascent Soul Grandmaster in his life. Although he had seen images of the Grandmaster in video materials, he still wished to meet them in person if given the opportunity. One must know that cultivators who have achieved Nascent Soul are already considered semi-immortals. It is almost the pinnacle of Qi cultivation in the mortal realm.

"Drink no more than one vial every three days. Use it sparingly. If this batch hadn't just been refined, it would have been snatched up long ago." Luo Hezheng reminded him. The second-tier Qi-Supplementing Spiritual Water contained far more pure spiritual energy than the first-tier. At Chen Mobai's current cultivation level, it would take him three days to refine just one vial.

"Teacher Luo, can I purchase some more myself?" After accepting the large bottle, Chen Mobai shamelessly asked again.

"No, that won't do. I operate on the principle of fairness and impartiality. If all the resources were taken by you geniuses, wouldn't the lower-level cultivators have no chance to advance?" Luo Hezheng shook his head, unequivocally disagreeing.

Chen Mobai bringing glory to the Daoist Academy in Little Chitian, and Che Yucheng applying for a reward of 100 vials of Qi-Supplementing Spiritual Water for him, was entirely reasonable, and Luo Hezheng had no objections. However, besides Chen Mobai, there were also teachers in the Daoist Academy who worked hard and were waiting for this batch of Qi-Supplementing Spiritual Water. After these reserved portions were distributed, the remaining Qi-Supplementing Spiritual Water would not be kept until the end of the semester for Daoist Academy students to exchange. Instead, it would be put on sale at the Wuqi Daoist Academy's flagship store online and at offline Guangbai pharmacies at the beginning of the semester. Only if there was unsold stock would students be allowed to exchange for it at the end of the semester.

However, this was impossible; as soon as this item was put on sale, it would be snapped up within two or three days. The main reason was that every Foundation Establishment cultivator could use it, and the price was not expensive—20,000 meritorious deeds for a low-grade second-tier vial—to ensure it was affordable. Leaving other Daoist Academies aside, at least Wuqi Daoist Academy, for the past five thousand years, has always adhered to the principle of allocating a portion of resources to lower-tier cultivators, ensuring space for upward mobility between the upper and lower echelons of the Immortal Sect. If students of the Daoist Academy wanted Qi-Supplementing Spiritual Water, besides collecting materials for the Alchemy Department to refine, their best option was to know the release date and wait in advance to snatch it up.

Luo Hezheng could only turn a blind eye to this, as the flagship stores of the various Daoist Academies on the Immortal Sect Network all limited individual purchase quantities, which ensured that at least some portion could flow into the market.

After thanking Luo Hezheng again, Chen Mobai left Building One, carrying the large bottle of second-tier Qi-Supplementing Spiritual Water. The value of this bottle was not high, roughly equivalent to 10 academic credits.

However, most items that could be exchanged with academic credits at the Daoist Academy were both affordable and excellent, and students usually deeply regretted not having enough credits. After all, the Daoist Academy's treasury contained many elixirs and miraculous medicines that offered even better value than Qi-Supplementing Spiritual Water. For example, the "Spirit Restoration Pill" that Chen Mobai exchanged for at the end of last semester.

It was also priced at 10 academic credits, yet it led to his Spirit Control Art almost reaching grand completion, making its value certainly higher than that of Qi-Supplementing Spiritual Water. Previously, Chen Mobai had not focused on improving his spiritual power to break through cultivation realms because his Pure Yang Scroll had not yet achieved Foundation Establishment, and the Everlasting Life Sutra offered a faster method of advancement.

Now that he had achieved Foundation Establishment through enlightenment, obtained the Fire Spirit Body, and possessed the Spiritual Artifact Dual Cultivation Art, bottlenecks between realms were easier for him to break through than for ordinary people, making this Qi-Supplementing Spiritual Water particularly crucial. His experience in the Little Chitian combat competition made Chen Mobai deeply feel the low level of his cultivation.

He felt somewhat apologetic to Grandmaster Qingping, his benevolent teacher. If he were at Foundation Establishment Layer 9 now, why would he need to bully weaker opponents? He would simply dominate the upper-level matches. Nor would he need Lan Haitian's help to suppress Xiahou Weihuan and Sima Xingyu of Chunyang Academy.

As he pondered, Chen Mobai finally remembered his initial purpose for participating in the exchange conference. "The exchange conference? It's proceeding as normal. It's in the same plaza we first visited. Besides the fourteen universities from Chicheng Grotto-Heaven, there are also the three invited Daoist Academies and nine great academies. Do you want to go take a look?"

In the three-story building of the student union, Chen Mobai called over Hua Zijing and asked her. She then gave him the good news. "Of course! My initial intention was to exchange ideas with geniuses from other universities and, by analogy, learn more knowledge."

Chen Mobai didn't mention that his main goal was to inquire about extending lifespan from people at the Longevity Academy. "Then go ahead and look around."

Hua Zijing left this remark and turned to leave, but Chen Mobai called her back. "I'm not very familiar with the place. How about you come with me?"

Why should I? If this had been a few days ago, Hua Zijing would have blurted out those very words: "Why should I accompany you to the exchange conference? Wouldn't it be better to watch another episode of a drama with that time?" "Alright, I'll go change my clothes."

In the end, Hua Zijing didn't know why she had said that.

Never mind, never mind. After all, he worked hard to bring glory to the Daoist Academy. I'll just consider it my duty as the Secretary-General of the Student Union to show a guest of the Daoist Academy around Chicheng Grotto-Heaven properly. Thinking this, Hua Zijing went down and changed into her Wuqi red and black robe. She had specially commissioned a senior sister from the Artifact Forging Department to custom-make it; the wide-sleeved robe was cinched at the waist, perfectly accentuating her tall and graceful figure.

"Let's go." Chen Mobai's eyes lit up when he saw her attire. After admiring it, he stood up, ready to take her away.

"Are you just going to go openly like that?" But Hua Zijing's eyes widened, and she grabbed him.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem? Am I not presentable?" "Don't you know how popular you are right now? The trending topics on the Immortal Sect Network recently have all been about you and Lan Haitian. The moment you show your face, you'll probably be mobbed by everyone at the exchange conference."

Chen Mobai's face showed understanding when he heard this. He hadn't considered that point and humbly asked, "So, what do you suggest...?"

"Get dressed up, put on a bit of a disguise, maybe wear a mask or something. That way, people will just think you're from Wuqi Daoist Academy." Hua Zijing thought she had come up with a good plan, but she was met with faint opposition from Chen Mobai.

"Then they won't recognize me, will they?" "What do you mean?"

Hua Zijing's eyes widened when she heard this, somewhat unable to follow Chen Mobai's train of thought.