A sword.
Another sword.
And yet another sword.
After twenty battles, Chen Mobai left the Minor Red Heaven with an indifferent expression.
The Foundation Establishment cultivators he was matched with came from various places—some from the hundred and twenty prefectures, others from the top ten academies, and even one from the Mending the Sky Academy.
But not a single one could withstand his sword.
"Same time tomorrow, I'll be waiting for you," he said before turning away from the square.
The dozen or so members of the Student Council immediately followed him.
Half of them wore the red and black robes of the academy, and their collective presence, like a fiery red and black cloud, exerted an unparalleled oppressive force.
"The sight of the Refining Department's red and black robes is indeed rare these days," a middle-aged man with grey-black hair and a gentle face mused as he stroked his long beard from atop a high building overlooking the square.
He watched as the dense crowd on the streets below instinctively parted to make way for the group from the Refining Department.
"This kid is not bad," he remarked.
Across from him sat an old man in the same red and black robes, and a beautiful woman in servant's attire was intently brewing tea for the two.
The middle-aged man was Gongye Zhixu, the deputy head of the Xianwu Hall.
The old man was Hong Mengkui, the master of Red City Cave Heaven and an alumnus of the Refining Department with a Forming a Golden Elixir cultivation. He was of a similar generation to Che Yucheng.
"What do you think of Pure Yang Academy's actions?" Gongye Zhixu asked after Chen Mobai had left.
"Before they want something, they always make a fuss," Hong Mengkui replied, taking a sip of tea and squinting as if savoring the moment.
"How will you handle it?" Gongye Zhixu's question caught Hong Mengkui by surprise, prompting a curious glance.
"Do you still care about such trivial matters?"
"Nangong Xuan Jade came to me before."
The current principal of Pure Yang Academy, Nangong Xuan Jade, was known as the number one person in the Forming a Golden Elixir stage.
Relying on the Pure Yang Scripture and the Yuan Yang Sword Scripture, he once sparred with the Elemental Infant Realm's Qingping Shangren. Although he ultimately lost, he did not fall short in terms of performance.
Many said that if Nangong Xuan Jade had summoned the "Yuan Yang Sword," even an Elemental Infant master might have been defeated by his sword.
"Is he going to form his Elemental Infant?"
With just a mention from Gongye Zhixu, Hong Mengkui understood the implication.
"If the realm gate remains stable, he might have already started his closed-door cultivation for his Elemental Infant."
Resources on Earth Yuan Star were scarce. As the deputy head of the Xianwu Hall, just below the three great hall masters, Gongye Zhixu only had one Elemental Infant elixir. Although Nangong Xuan Jade was the principal of Pure Yang Academy, if he were to form his Elemental Infant, he would likely have to rely on sheer force.
However, with the realm gate fluctuating, everything changed.
After all, no one knew how many resources the approaching otherworld contained.
Without any other options, Nangong Xuan Jade, the top cultivator in the Forming a Golden Elixir stage, naturally had to seek the slim chance of forming his Elemental Infant in closed-door cultivation.
Now that there was hope, who would be willing to risk a nine-in-ten chance of death to form their Elemental Infant?
"Alright, I'll try to persuade those Refining Department chiefs who have long since graduated," Gongye Zhixu said, and although Hong Mengkui was a bit displeased, he still had to give face to Gongye.
"Thank you."
After exchanging pleasantries, Gongye Zhixu left with a smile.
"Teacher, if we don't take action, I'm afraid that no Foundation Establishment cultivator in the academy will be a match for Xiahou Weihuan."
The beautiful woman in servant's attire, who had been brewing tea with her head down, raised her delicate chin and handed a new cup to Hong Mengkui after they were alone.
"Then let him be arrogant for a while."
"Teacher, the Refining Department's millennium reputation cannot be ruined in our hands."
The woman in servant's attire was somewhat dissatisfied, pouting as she dumped the tea leaves from the pot.
"Don't worry, I've seen it just now. This generation's chief has something special. I estimate he can achieve an unprecedented record."
Hong Mengkui thought of Chen Mobai's sword that had defeated twenty people just now.
With his insight, he could tell Chen Mobai's foundation at a glance.
Sword Rainbow Splitting Light, even those in the late stages of Foundation Establishment could fight, and the realm protection mechanism of the Minor Red Heaven would only match Chen Mobai, at the first level of Foundation Establishment, with opponents up to the sixth level at most.
Honestly, Hong Mengkui felt that Che Yucheng sending out his disciple Chen Mobai was a bit like bullying.
However, being sly was always the style of that model-playing man.
He thought that with age, his methods would no longer be so cunning, but it seemed that old habits die hard, and he was still as crafty as ever.
It was for this reason that Hong Mengkui agreed to Gongye Zhixu.
Because he knew that with Che Yucheng's style, after Xiahou Weihuan shouted "Red City's orthodoxy is in Pure Yang," there would be at least three waves of overt and covert moves.
"Next, we just sit and drink tea, watching how your Grandmaster suppresses Pure Yang Academy."
***
The next day.
Chen Mobai didn't bring a large group from the Student Council with him.
Apart from not liking being surrounded by people, it was also because after activation, he could project himself into the Minor Red Heaven from any location covered by the spiritual veins of Red City Mountain through his mobile phone.
The same time, the same result.
Facing the fair-skinned and beautiful senior sister in front of him, he regretfully maintained his persona of defeating opponents with a single sword.
It was a pity, as Chen Mobai was quite curious about the name of this senior sister from the Grand Origin Academy.
But even when he went easy, as soon as she was matched and saw him, she seemed to have lost her fighting spirit.
With one sword strike, she merely put up a symbolic shield before being burned to ashes.
This fair-skinned and beautiful senior sister seemed to be quite famous in certain circles. After Chen Mobai defeated twenty opponents as usual that day, he searched for himself online and found that many people were scolding him for having no compassion for the fairer sex.
Chen Mobai immediately logged into his alternate account and started to play the opposite role under that post.
The original trend of calming down the flower protectors was led astray by him, and they began to scold the Refining Department for being a bunch of brutes.
While leading the rhythm to soar, his experience climbed steadily.
Soon, Chen Mobai had completed a terrifying record of a hundred battles and a hundred victories in five days in the Minor Red Heaven.
A hundred percent win rate was not unheard of.
Before Chen Mobai, the ancestor of Yuan Yang had left behind a record of a hundred and nineteen battles with a hundred percent win rate in the Minor Red Heaven.
In the one hundred and twentieth battle, the then seventh-level Foundation Establishment ancestor of Yuan Yang was defeated by a pseudo-Golden Elixir cultivator from the Kunpeng Refining Department.
Could Chen Mobai break this record?
If someone had mentioned this topic five days ago, even the students of the Refining Department would have scoffed.
One hundred and nineteen battles, a hundred percent win rate.
Even if the ancestor of Yuan Yang was reborn, it was estimated that he could not do it again.
But today, everyone began to eagerly await the arrival of this day.
"One of the reasons I sent you out was to shatter and crush everything that Pure Yang Academy takes pride in," Che Yucheng said to Chen Mobai in the office of building number one on Red City Mountain.
"Teacher, did you already know that Pure Yang Academy was going to challenge our Refining Department's status?"
Chen Mobai was surprised, thinking that his becoming the president of the Student Council was just a coincidence, meeting Zuo Qiushi who wanted to run away, plus there was a teacher who happened to be the head of the academic affairs office.
"More or less. With the realm gate fluctuating, someone needs to be sent to the other side to scout the situation before the two realms officially connect."
"Nangong Xuan Jade is the closest to forming his Elemental Infant, and he definitely won't miss this opportunity. Gongye Zhixu has a good relationship with him and will lean a little in his favor."
"As long as Pure Yang Academy performs well in the Minor Red Heaven, then they will have a reason to insert their people into the team sent to explore the otherworld."
After listening to Che Yucheng's words, Chen Mobai patted his chest, understanding what he needed to do.
"Don't worry, teacher. In these five days, I've cut down more than twenty Pure Yang students. As long as I'm in the Minor Red Heaven, no one in the early and middle stages of Foundation Establishment will outshine me."
After saying this, Chen Mobai thought of Xiahou Weihuan and other Pure Yang Academy chiefs who had graduated many years ago.
"I might lose in the late stage of Foundation Establishment, and I can't be matched with them to strike at them."
As he was troubled, Che Yucheng smiled.
"We also have many chiefs who have graduated from the Refining Department, all busy exploring the path to the Golden Elixir. Although they would come out if I called them, if our Refining Department's former chiefs took action to suppress Pure Yang Academy, it would seem too deliberate and fall into inferior tactics."
Chen Mobai understood, but was also somewhat confused.
"So, teacher, what can we do to suppress Xiahou Weihuan and others who are rampant in the late stage of Foundation Establishment with superior tactics?"
Che Yucheng didn't keep his disciple in the dark and made two phone calls in front of him.
He called the academic heads of the Kunpeng Refining Department and the Mending the Sky Academy, first chatting about family matters, then casually mentioning the recent events in the Minor Red Heaven.
I heard your chief was beaten!
Who did it?
It was Pure Yang Academy's chief, are your academy's cultivators not as good as Pure Yang's?
Oh, it turns out it was Pure Yang Academy's chiefs from many years ago who graduated. Indeed, it's no wonder Ling Daoshi and Taishi Shu couldn't beat them.
After the two calls, Che Yucheng was hung up on with a smile on his face.
"If I had called a few days earlier to provoke them with this matter, they would have mocked our Refining Department for being sparse and cowardly, having fallen to the point where you, a first-level Foundation Establishment cultivator, had to be the chief."
Now it wouldn't be the case because Chen Mobai had won a hundred battles and was the most prominent figure in the Minor Red Heaven, bringing great glory to the Refining Department.
Che Yucheng looked at his disciple Chen Mobai, more and more satisfied, his old face beaming with a smile.
"Teacher, I've earned such great honor for you and the academy. Shouldn't the academy give me a couple of extra credits?"
Chen Mobai spoke as if his hand was a bit sore, as if the hundred swords he had swung in the past five days had been quite strenuous.
"Credits are the foundation of the academy's system, and no teacher has the authority to give students extra credits."
This time, Che Yucheng seriously refused Chen Mobai's request.
"I was just saying. By the way, teacher, when will Taoist Master Shaoyang come out of seclusion? My classmate Ming Yihua also cultivates the Pure Yang Scripture and has already established his Foundation. I haven't even met this advisor yet."
Chen Mobai immediately changed the subject. He knew that Che Yucheng, although a good teacher, was a bit conservative and traditional, the greatest upholder of the Immortal Gate's laws.
Because only in this way could the world of Immortal Gate's civilization and cultivation exist.
As cultivators' realms and powers increased, they would increasingly disdain secular laws and order, leading to a situation like in the Tianhe Realm, where rituals and music had collapsed, and the strong were revered.
The Tianhe Realm's order had deteriorated to such an extent that seniority was determined by cultivation level.
In contrast, the Immortal Gate maintained an effective set of heavenly rules and disciplines from top to bottom, ensuring the orderly transmission of Earth Yuan Star's civilization, with everyone aspiring to be like dragons.
The biggest difference between the Tianhe Realm and the Immortal Gate was this: Order!
"Speaking of which, I just remembered that Sister Duanmu has hidden a few third-tier Qi-Containing Orbs with artifacts. You haven't used your artifact piece yet, have you? You've also contributed to the academy this time. When school starts next year, I'll take you to the depths of Wanbao Cave."
Hearing Che Yucheng's words, Chen Mobai's eyes widened.
"Teacher, isn't it said that the artifacts in the Qi-Containing Orbs in Wanbao Cave are random?"
"They are random. Sister Duanmu's island has a Qi-Containing Orb that randomly produces a third-tier artifact."
Che Yucheng spoke with significance, some things didn't need to be said too clearly.
Chen Mobai gave him a thumbs up.
"Don't be too happy too soon. The third-tier artifact might not suit you. And I can only mention this matter; whether Sister Duanmu is willing is still a question."
However, Che Yucheng dared to say this, indicating that he was quite certain.
After all, this time Chen Mobai had also brought great prestige to the Refining Department in the Minor Red Heaven.
If the academy didn't reward something, where would the students find the motivation in the future?
***
That night, as Chen Mobai was looking at the third-tier artifacts and their introductions in the Wanbao Chart, someone he hadn't contacted in a long time called.
Lan Haitian.
"What's up?"
They had cooperated once, and on the matter of Yang Jing, he also owed him a favor, so Chen Mobai answered.
"Is it convenient to talk in person? I'm at Red City Mountain."
Lan Haitian's voice came through the phone.
At the entrance of the Refining Department, Chen Mobai looked at the familiar yet somewhat strange Lan Haitian with curiosity.
"What's going on? Could it be that cultists have infiltrated this opening of the Minor Red Heaven?"
Chen Mobai could only think of this reason. He had imagined that Gongye Zhixu, a big figure, was the target of the cult, and perhaps in the shadows unseen by ordinary people, the Mending the Sky Division and the Ascension Sect were already fighting a bloody battle.
"The academy's Director Nan asked me to come and take the first place in the Minor Red Heaven for the Kunpeng Refining Department."
Lan Haitian said casually.
Chen Mobai immediately gave a mental thumbs up to his teacher Che Yucheng.
This move was indeed superior in tactics!
Mad learning!
Proofreader & Editor:Peter Pan