Chapter 1

The scorching sun blazed down from the sky, enveloping the entire land in a stifling heat. The willows drooped, their branches and leaves hanging listlessly, as if they too were weary and dispirited.

In the open space where the sunlight filtered through the willow branches, casting bright patches of light, hundreds of figures sat quietly in meditation. They were a group of young boys and girls, their faces serious as they closed their eyes, their breathing rhythmic and controlled. With each breath, a faint, almost imperceptible glow seemed to emanate from their bodies.

A gentle breeze blew, causing their clothes to flutter, creating a rather impressive scene.

In front of these hundreds of figures stood a stone platform, on which another figure sat in quiet meditation. His hands were clasped in front of him, fingers interlaced, eyes tightly shut, as if he were in a state of deep cultivation.

This figure was also a young boy, with soft, slightly disheveled black hair and a slightly thin, youthful face that gave off a comfortable and pleasant vibe.

At this moment, a visible glow radiated from around the young boy, and beneath that glow, a mysterious energy seemed to be surging into his body.

Below the stone platform, some of the young boys suddenly opened their eyes. They gazed at the glow surrounding the boy on the platform, their mouths watering and their faces filled with admiration and envy. The silence was soon broken by their whispers.

"Brother Mu is really amazing. We are still trying to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, but he has already successfully entered the Spirit Movement Realm. He truly deserves to be the top student in our Eastern Academy."

"Ha, that's for sure. I don't think there are many people in the entire Northern Spirit Academy of the same age who can match Brother Mu."

A gray-clothed boy, who seemed to be quite familiar with the boy on the platform, heard their whispers and couldn't help but smile smugly. He lowered his voice and said, "Brother Mu was selected to participate in the 'Spirit Path.' In the entire Northern Spirit Realm, only Brother Mu has a spot. You should know that those who participate in the 'Spirit Path' are all geniuses. When they return, they are usually pre-selected by the 'Five Great Academies.'"

"The 'Five Great Academies?'" Many of the young boys and girls, upon hearing this extremely prestigious name, couldn't help but swallow hard, their eyes filled with longing and excitement. These places were the ultimate dream for all young people, but the selection process for the 'Five Great Academies' was extremely strict. Only those with exceptional talent could enter, and anyone who managed to do so would have a bright future.

"Brother Mu is very strong... but... but I heard he only participated for a year... Someone told me that Brother Mu was the first person to be expelled from the 'Spirit Path' before it was over..."

A young boy hesitated for a moment before whispering this, but he quickly added, "We all know Brother Mu's abilities. Even if the 'Spirit Path' is filled with geniuses from all over the world, Brother Mu wouldn't be outmatched. Being expelled must have been due to unfair treatment!"

The young boys and girls looked at each other, as this was not a secret in the Northern Spirit Academy or the Northern Spirit Realm. While they felt regret, they were also very curious. They wanted to know why such an outstanding person, who even they, with their own pride, admired, had been expelled from the 'Spirit Path.'

The gray-clothed boy sneered and said, "Hmph, someone in the 'Spirit Path' must have been jealous of Brother Mu and used some means to force him out. But it doesn't matter. With Brother Mu's abilities, he will eventually enter the 'Five Great Academies,' and then everyone will understand."

The young boys and girls scratched their heads. While they knew Brother Mu was extremely talented, the 'Five Great Academies' were not easy to enter. After all, he had only trained for a year in the 'Spirit Path' and had not completed his cultivation successfully. Compared to those who had truly completed the 'Spirit Path,' he was still somewhat lacking.

"Smack!"

Just as they were talking, a piece of broken wood suddenly flew down from the stone platform and hit the gray-clothed boy on the forehead. A light laugh followed, "Su Ling, do you really think I'm just a decoration? Do you want me to tell Master Mo and have you all stay in the Eastern Academy for the rest of the holiday to catch up on your cultivation?"

The young boys and girls quickly looked up, and they saw that the boy on the platform had opened his eyes. His dark eyes were like the night sky, full of spiritual energy, and a gentle smile played on his lips, making him look quite handsome.

It had to be said, he was a very charming young man.

"Hehe, Brother Mu Chen, don't do that. It's a rare holiday, and I was looking forward to having some fun. If my father finds out I did something so embarrassing, he'll beat me to death," the gray-clothed boy, rubbing his forehead, laughed nervously.

The surrounding young boys and girls also burst into laughter, and the atmosphere became lively.

"You know your father is strict. If you can't enter the Spirit Movement Realm within three months, you'll be in for a beating," the boy called Mu Chen shook his head, not in a good mood.

"The Spirit Movement Realm isn't that easy to enter. I'm not like you, Brother Mu, who can casually participate in the 'Spirit Path' and be called a genius," Su Ling pouted, but quickly stopped himself, as this was not a secret in the Northern Spirit Realm, and Mu Chen himself did not hide it, but being expelled was not a glorious thing.

Mu Chen smiled, his expression unchanged. He lifted his head slightly and gazed at the branches that cut through the light, his eyes filled with nostalgia and complexity.

The Spirit Path...

I wonder how those guys are doing now. They should have finished their cultivation by now, right? If so, they might soon enter the 'Five Great Academies.'

And her...

Mu Chen pursed his lips, and an image of a black-clad girl with a slender figure, a cold and beautiful face, and a dark long sword on her back flashed through his mind.

Her silver hair, as brilliant as the Milky Way, danced in the air as she moved.

This mysterious and cold girl, who drove him crazy with her intense cultivation, had inexplicably chased him for half a year in the Spirit Path, and the reason that made him grit his teeth was that he had saved her once.

However, when he was forced to leave, she was the first to unsheathe her sword and stand in front of him without hesitation.

Thinking of the usually emotionless face that showed a hint of cold killing intent at that moment, Mu Chen couldn't help but feel a bit dazed.

How nostalgic.

"Ha ha, isn't this the only one from our Northern Spirit Realm who participated in the 'Spirit Path,' Little Brother Mu? You're leading people in cultivation again? Master Mo really favors you."

Just as Mu Chen was lost in his complex thoughts, a slightly harsh voice suddenly came. He lifted his head calmly and saw a group of figures slowly walking over from a distance. The leader was a boy with a rebellious face, a blade of grass in his mouth, smiling at Mu Chen.

"Liu Che, what are you and your Western Academy people doing in our Eastern Academy? Looking for a beating?!" The boy Mu Chen had called Su Ling saw this group and his face darkened. He stood up and sneered.

Swish!

The hundreds of Eastern Academy students in the open space also stood up, their eyes unfriendly as they looked at the newcomers, their numbers giving them a formidable presence.

In the Northern Spirit Academy, there were the Eastern and Western Academies, and they often competed with each other. Generally, the Western Academy was stronger, and the Eastern Academy students usually avoided them. However, things had changed in the past year, and the reason for this change was Mu Chen.

Three months ago, in a competition between the two academies, Xue Dong, the third-ranked student in the Western Academy, was defeated by Mu Chen, which made many Eastern Academy students feel vindicated and reduced the Western Academy's arrogance.

Now, these Western Academy students had come to provoke Mu Chen, which Su Ling and the others couldn't tolerate.

"Ha ha, the Eastern Academy is getting more and more arrogant. Do you really think that just because you have Mu Chen, you can challenge us Western Academy?"

Liu Che, seeing the large number of Eastern Academy students, showed no fear. Instead, he smirked and pointed to a nearby platform, grinning, "Do you dare to try?"

Su Ling and the others looked over and saw several figures on the platform, smiling at them. Recognizing some familiar faces, Su Ling and the others' expressions changed.

"They are the senior students from the Western Academy's Heaven Class..."

In the Northern Spirit Academy, there were not only the Eastern and Western Academies but also the Earth and Heaven Classes. Mu Chen and his group were in the Earth Class, while the figures on the platform were senior students from the Western Academy's Heaven Class, who were much stronger.

As Su Ling and the others' expressions changed, the senior students on the platform looked down at them, smiling and chatting among themselves.

"That's Mu Chen from the Eastern Academy, right? He's quite famous in our Northern Spirit Academy and even the Northern Spirit Realm. To enter the Spirit Movement Realm at such a young age, even if it's just the initial stage, he has the qualifications to advance to the Heaven Class. He's quite impressive."

"He is indeed talented. The Eastern Academy has produced a capable person. When he advances to the Eastern Academy's Heaven Class, our Western Academy's Heaven Class will feel some pressure."

"I heard he was selected to participate in the 'Spirit Path,' but for some reason, he was expelled. It's quite amusing, the first time I've heard of such a thing."

"Maybe they chose the wrong person and kicked him out?"

"Ha ha."

Among the group, there was a red-clothed girl with a slender figure, fair skin, and a beautiful, oval face that looked somewhat alluring. She leaned lazily against the railing, her long, beautiful eyes looking at the confrontation in the open space, and her gaze lingered on the young boy named Mu Chen, seemingly interested.

"Ha ha, Hong Ling, you seem to know this Mu Chen, right?" A senior student from the Heaven Class laughed, and from their positions, it was clear she was the center of this small circle.

"Yes, his father is one of the domain lords of the Northern Spirit Realm, and he has some connection with my father. We played together when we were young," the girl called Hong Ling said nonchalantly.

"I heard he liked you back then?"

Hong Ling's long, beautiful eyes blinked, and she looked at the straight figure sitting in the open space. A beam of light filtered through the willow branches, landing on the young boy's handsome face, creating a soft, beautiful halo. She was momentarily stunned, remembering the little boy who used to follow her around when they were young. Back then, he wasn't particularly noticeable, and she hadn't paid much attention to him. However, who would have thought that this now somewhat distant young man would become the only one in the Northern Spirit Realm to be selected for the 'Spirit Path.' At that time, Mu Chen was extremely popular in the Northern Spirit Realm, and his popularity only began to fade after he was suddenly expelled from the 'Spirit Path.'

"Childhood things, how can they count as liking?" Hong Ling smiled, seemingly unconcerned, but her bright eyes lingered on Mu Chen for a moment. Now that he had entered the Northern Spirit Academy, he was beginning to stand out, though he wasn't yet the top student. Being liked by such an excellent person was still somewhat flattering to her, even if she knew it was mostly a rumor. At this age, girls were somewhat vain.

"Ha ha, Hong Ling's standards are high. Mu Chen is quite good, but he's not enough to make Hong Ling's heart flutter. Didn't you see that even Lin Xiu failed? He's the seventh-ranked student in the entire Northern Spirit Academy and has already entered the middle stage of the Spirit Movement Realm. Compared to him, Mu Chen still has a gap."

"It seems that in our Northern Spirit Academy, the only one who can catch Hong Ling's eye is Brother Liu Mu Bai."

The mention of Liu Mu Bai made even the senior students from the Heaven Class pause, feeling a significant pressure.

The top-ranked student in the Northern Spirit Academy, Liu Mu Bai, whose father was the domain lord of the largest domain in the Northern Spirit Realm, was a name that could make any girl swoon in the Northern Spirit Academy.

In the eyes of the Western Academy students, everyone knew that Liu Mu Bai and Hong Ling were close, though he had yet to win her heart. But it was only a matter of time.

If Mu Chen had successfully completed the 'Spirit Path' and gained the qualifications to enter the 'Five Great Academies,' his fame would have surpassed Liu Mu Bai. However, he was inexplicably expelled, and now, comparing the two would only make others laugh.

(With the new book officially starting, it's been six years. I wonder how many readers have finished high school, university, or even entered society. Even if some readers have left along the way, I hope that years later, when they suddenly remember the joy of chasing a novel in a schoolyard, it will be my greatest happiness. I hope that 'Mighty Master' can accompany everyone through another two years. The new book is just born and needs your support. Whether you read the official version or the pirated version, I sincerely hope you can support 'Mighty Master' during the public period. Every recommendation and every collection is crucial. So, please vote for 'Mighty Master.' If we get more recommendation votes today, I'll update three times! Let's all work hard together!)

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