Li Xuan, after causing so much chaos at the tavern, walked down the narrow path that cut through mingdu city. It was crowded as usual with food vendors shouting, children running around and a few people who simply liked making noise for no reason.
The path stretched further down toward a huge mansion with its gates closed. Flowers lined both sides of the walkway, making the place look almost like a palace. But it wasn't. It was just another academy in mingdu grand in Jian empire but ordinary to those who lived nearby.
The closed gates meant only one thing: he was late. And if he went back home, that would be counted as absenteeism again. Too many absences and his admission would be cancelled or worse punishment offered by the vice chancellor which was unlikely as he usually worked in the inner academy but who really cared about the poor in a society of the rich?
Even this academy only existed because of the eight great families that lived in mingdu, just another institution, owned by the elites from the higher states to train their children.
Li Xuan stopped at the gates, staring at the heavy metal rails. A man leaned lazily against the wall nearby, staring at a flock of birds perched in a tree.
"It's past time. Go home," the man said, not even bothering to look at him.
"Oh, I forgot. This is your rented possession, right? Just a gate," Li Xuan replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
The man clenched his fist against the wall and stepped forward.
"Who do you think you are?"
"You, this isn't your father's school either. Just carry your pride and get out of my sight before I call security," the man bellowed.
Li Xuan casually reached into his pocket, pulled out a coin, and flicked it at his face.
The man's reflexes caught it midair. His expression froze.
"An… emerald gold coin?" he breathed out, stunned.
He looked at Li Xuan again. The boy didn't look like someone who would casually throw away emerald coins. Only high-class brats did that and even they were stingy. The exchange rate of one emerald gold coin was nearly a hundred gold coins. Li Xuan had only three emerald gold coins left but still enough to bribe his way through the academy poor servants .
He walked into the academy. The outside was quiet, but inside was bustling with activity. Students rarely lingered outside during class hours unless they wanted to listen to the old women drone through boring lectures.
Everyone in the courtyard was dressed like a prince or princess. The only one who looked out of place like a beggar was him. No wonder he hated attending this school full of spoiled brats who slept on beds made of money and probably used the same to wipe themselves clean.
Many students saw him walk in, but none dared to look directly at him, as if he were a fly they couldn't quite swat away.
The only person who seemed remotely concerned was that little darling from the Xiao family , the girl born from a line of elegant nobles. Somehow, their genes had perfectly combined to erase even a trace of fat, producing this beauty.
As usual, he ignored her. No time to waste on elite beauties, let alone join the crowd of fanboys already worshiping her. One of them, Feng Lei, was already glaring at him like he owed him a fortune.
Li Xuan stood quietly at the edge of the raised circular platform, pretending not to notice anything.
Like an unwanted fly, the Xiao girl hopped her way toward him. He straightened his posture, trying to act composed and unaffected like a man who didn't care.
"You've been absent for three days," she said, standing next to him, smiling as if they talked like this every day which they didn't.
"Ready for disciplinary action?"
Li Xuan turned slightly to glance at her. She leaned closer, like she wanted to whisper a secret, grinning with that same charm she always carried.
"Ah, yeah. I'm ready," he said, turning his face away, hoping she'd take the hint and leave.
"What if I could help you?" she said softly. "Maybe talk to the vice chancellor to reduce your punishment?"
The Xiao family was among the highest of the elites influential even in Mingdu State Soul Academy. She was used to bragging about her family, so this sudden offer to help felt strange, almost like a burden.
"Madam Xiao Fengqi, don't you have anything better to do today?" Li Xuan asked casually.
Xiao Fengqi tilted her head with a faint smile. "Well, we're just waiting for our grades to come out."
Li Xuan blinked. "Grades? What grades?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Really? You've been absent for a few days, not a year. At the end of every month, new grades are released and students are reassigned to different classes."
Li Xuan frowned. He had found himself in a new class every few months but had always thought it was some sort of academy ritual — not a real test. If it was based on grades, then how had he kept landing among the talented elites each time?
He sighed. Whatever the reason, he had a bad feeling. And soon, the heavens answered.
A bolt of lightning struck the central pavilion, sending rubble flying in all directions.
"Everyone, the assessment begins!" a booming voice echoed from within the light as a figure stepped out. His hair was gray, streaked with blue at the sides. He wore a white robe marked with a silver clock emblem on his shoulder and another on his wrist.
"We shall begin," the man declared. " All those whose soul power has reached spirit lord level should step aside. You'll be graded into Class 4H under Doctor Zhao."
The students gasped. That was a rare opportunity to be trained by Doctor Zhao, one of the finest mages in Mingdu State. Those with King-level soul strength immediately moved to a corner, standing proudly. Li Xuan noticed that Xiao Fengqi wasn't among them. That surprised him.
"All those whose soul power has reached Guardian level, step aside," the man continued. "You'll be graded into Class 3H."
These were definitely one turn spirit lords or peak foundation level master but unlike the older King-level students who has reached soul lord level,these ones were barely thirteen. The rest who remained were around twenty-five and in a class of sixty, the lowest ranks , the so-called "trash" would be sent to 1H.
The man looked at the remaining twenty-five students and sighed. If half of them were sent to Class 2H, it would still be embarrassing. Those in 1H were considered failures. In a school that worshiped success, that was the lowest disgrace.
"Alright," he said finally, "anyone whose soul power is below Guardian level — go directly to Class 1H."
The remaining students exchanged confused glances. All of them were being thrown into 1H without even a mention of 2H.
"But sir," Xiao Fengqi protested, raising her hand. "You're demoting us all to the beginners' level!"
"Yes, Madam Xiao," he said dryly. "And if you hadn't wasted so much effort in the mechanics department, you'd be in 4H. I'm sure your family will be proud knowing you've spent an entire year accomplishing nothing."
Xiao Fengqi clenched her fists and stomped the ground. "This is unfair! Just wait until I tell—"
"Tell who?" the man interrupted.
"The administration? You've fallen so far, once a prodigy and now reduced to the same level as the rest of these failures."
Her face paled. She knew if her family got involved, it would only make things worse.
"We deserve a chance to prove ourselves," Li Xuan said suddenly, stepping forward. "Our soul power was tested last month. We may have improved."
"Oh?" The man grinned. "So, do you want to test my palm strike to prove that?"
Li Xuan glanced around,all the eyes were on him . This old man's aura was concealed,he couldn't determine if it was at the soul lord level or even soul monarch but definitely much stronger than all the students combined . But demoting him to class 1H would reduce his chances for a second year at mingdu state soul academy which would affect his dreams of future cultivation.
He nodded despite his heart telling him to not do something foolish .
The man laughed loudly, joined by the elites of Class 4H. To them, it was pure arrogance for a poor fool challenging power he couldn't comprehend.
"Alright then," the man said, stretching out his arm. A glowing palm burst from his hand, expanding into a massive spectral slap that hung in the air, releasing an icy chill across the courtyard.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
Xiao Fengqi shot Li Xuan a glance. She knew it was useless to stop him , he wouldn't listen anyway. If she was arrogant, then he was reckless. Facing a palm strike from such a man was nothing short of suicide.
"This fool," Feng Lei hissed from the sidelines.
Xiao Fengqi and the others stepped back a few meters, giving Li Xuan space to face the attack head-on.
He stomped his foot into the tiled floor, cracking it until the dirt below was exposed. His fists tightened at his sides as he steadied his stance.
"Alright, kid," the man said quietly.
The glowing palm inched forward, slow at first, dragging the air with a heavy hum. Every step it took left behind a faint shimmer, as if the air itself bent under its weight.
Li Xuan gritted his teeth. His fists trembled as he gathered what little soul force he could muster, letting it swirl weakly around his arms. He could already feel the pressure of the palm pushing down on him, heavy and suffocating.
A low whistle ran through the crowd.
"Idiot," someone muttered.
The palm suddenly picked up speed, crashing down with a deafening crack. The ground split beneath Li Xuan's feet. He pushed both hands forward, his energy flaring into a thin, flickering light that barely held together.
For a brief moment, it seemed he had stopped it. The light from his palms met the glowing hand, holding it in place. Dust rose around him as his shoes sank deeper into the tiles.
Then his energy shattered like glass.
The palm slammed forward, striking him across his body with a thunderous slap that echoed through the courtyard. He flew back, tumbling across the cracked tiles before landing hard on his side.
Gasps rippled through the students, followed by muffled laughter. A few covered their mouths; others didn't bother hiding their amusement.
Li Xuan slowly lifted his head,his body burned as if it had just been exposed to a burning flame. His lips trembled from anger he couldn't swallow.
"Hmph," the instructor said, his tone casual, almost bored. "That's what happens when you overestimate yourself."
He brushed invisible dust from his robe.
"Next," he said, as though nothing had happened.
Li Xuan pushed himself up slowly, his arms shaking. For a moment, he just stood there, head bowed, his hair shadowing his eyes. The humiliation stung more than the pain.
He took a long breath, brushed the dust from his clothes, and spoke in a low, calm voice.
"Thank you… for the lesson."
The instructor raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised that Li Xuan could even speak after that.
At the edge of the courtyard, Xiao Fengqi's eyes softened. She didn't speak, but a faint worry flickered in her gaze .she already knew what was coming next.
Li Xuan raised his head. "Another one," he said quietly, as if he hadn't just been slapped to the ground and every bone in his body didn't ache.
The courtyard went silent. Even those who had just been accepted into Class 4H wouldn't dare face a second palm strike. Yet here he was, asking for one.
The instructor tilted his head, intrigued. "Another?" he repeated, a faint smile curling on his lips. "Well then… why not be generous?"
He raised his hand again. A new icy palm materialized in the air,this time without mist or chill. Its cold was condensed and heavy. The pressure alone made the air hum.
Li Xuan moved too, his body lowering slightly. One hand rose into the air, the other sliding to his side. His fingers came together, and slowly, the two hands met above his head. He drew in a soft breath and brought them down to his chest, calm and steady. Then, with a circular motion, his fingertips began to trace glowing lines in the air as an intricate pattern formed with every sweep.
He breathed deeply, pouring what remained of his spiritual energy into his palm. The glowing lines converged toward it, pulsing with weak light.
The instructor smiled faintly, his eyes narrowing.
"Interesting…"
Without hesitation, the instructor pointed forward.
The icy palm shot forward, faster than before. Li Xuan steadied his footing,one leg rooted and the other braced like a sprinter ready to launch. He swung his palm from behind, using everything he had left.
A faint palm-shaped energy burst from his hand, flying to meet the incoming strike. The two forces clashed, pushing against each other for only a heartbeat and then Li Xuan's energy shattered into mist.
The instructor's palm surged through the remnants, pressing forward again.
Li Xuan's eyes widened. Even after channeling all his spiritual energy into that technique, he couldn't resist it for more than a second.
"Stop."
The single word cut through the air like thunder. The glowing palm froze, halting just an inch from Li Xuan's face.
Feng Lei, who had been grinning at the thought of another slap, frowned in confusion.
The palm retreated, soaring upward before bursting into a cluster of icy fragments. The shards hovered briefly, then dissolved into mist. It was a terrifying display,stopping such a powerful strike in an instant required control few could ever achieve.
Time seemed to slow as the mist drifted away, fading into the blue sky.
All around, the students stood in silence, their faces pale. Even those who had laughed before now felt a chill run through them. If that power had hit them, they would have been erased completely.
"Young man," the instructor said, his voice softening, "that was impressive… even for an old man like me."
Li Xuan clasped his hands together and bowed.
"When your first palm struck me," he said calmly, "I noticed something. It wasn't a complete skill—just a trace of spiritual energy left in the air. When you waved your hand again, the remnants stayed intact. All you did was pour more energy into that pattern to strengthen it. That's how I learned and copied your strike."
The instructor's smile widened slightly. His eyes gleamed with rare appreciation.
"Your understanding of spiritual energy is beyond your years."
He straightened his back and nodded once. "Very well, young man—you win. As a reward, I'll advance the others to Class 2H… and you, to 3H."
His feet lifted off the ground. In a blur of light, he looked toward the sky and vanished as swiftly as he had appeared.
For a moment, the courtyard was silent. Then a wave of clapping erupted, echoing off the walls.
Every student understood what had just happened. If not for Li Xuan, they would have been stuck in Class 1H,a fate none desired.
Feng Lei's fists clenched as his eyes turned red with fury.