Chapter 43: That Trash, Worthy of Testing Alongside Me?

Ye Nishang’s voice was not loud, yet it carried a biting sense of contempt.

The crowd gathered there stood dumbfounded. They had assumed that Ye Nishang had developed an affection for Yin Taixu after witnessing his explosive display of talent. Now, it seemed they had misread the situation entirely. Upon reflection, however, they realized that given Ye Nishang’s temperament, it was impossible for her to be close to any man. Since her arrival at the Yunhai Academy, no one had ever seen her exchange a single word with a male student.

Take Liu Qingfeng, for instance. His talent was formidable; his father was the current Dean of the Yunhai Academy, he himself was the leader of the Liu Gate, and he had stepped into the Heavenly King Realm before the age of thirty. With such credentials, he could have his pick of anyone across the Great Qian Dynasty. Even princesses of the royal family and various duchesses harbored deep admiration for him. Yet, despite pursuing her for months, Liu Qingfeng had never once received a genuine glance from her. Rumors even circulated within the inner courtyard of the academy that Ye Nishang simply had no interest in men.

The crowd was further baffled by her cryptic remark. What did she mean by, "Do you have the strength to possess such a level of talent?" In their eyes, it was clear that Yin Taixu had already awakened it. Without another word, Ye Nishang turned and hurried away, leaving no hint of her destination.

Among the crowd, only Li Haizhu snapped out of his bewilderment. "Perhaps the one who truly awakened that talent is someone else," he blurted out.

His words shattered the silence, and all eyes immediately shifted toward him. "Someone else? What do you mean by that?" Elder Qingfeng demanded, his voice sharp. Other senior elders also looked on with suspicion. The Yunhai Academy was vast, with tens of thousands of disciples in the inner and outer courtyards. They were well aware of who could truly be called a genius. Even among the promising youngsters in the outer courtyard, none had ever been rumored to possess such extraordinary potential.

The only possibility was someone from the Great World. Currently, there were only four individuals in the entire academy confirmed to be from there. Aside from Yin Taixu and Ye Nishang, there were two others, but they had remained in seclusion within the upper-level cultivation chambers since their arrival and had not been seen. Tang Shisan was also from the Great World, but that fact was unknown; he had entered the inner courtyard on his own merit, starting from the outer courtyard admissions. Thus, for a moment, no one could imagine who else it could possibly be.

"Li Haizhu, you can eat without thinking, but you cannot speak without thinking," Lin Yurou said, covering her face, yet she was the first to step forward to defend Yin Taixu.

"Elders, the one who truly awakened the purple-grade talent is a disciple who recently joined the outer courtyard," Li Haizhu said, having weighed his words carefully. "His name is Chu Tianchen."

Because possessing such talent meant one would never be expelled from the academy—in fact, from this day on, the entire Yunhai Academy would treat Chu Tianchen as their absolute core and nurture him with the utmost care. This was a future individual destined to surpass even a Martial Dao Grandmaster.

At the mention of Chu Tianchen’s name, the crowd froze. Only Lin Yurou, Yin Taixu, and Wang Teng showed slight changes in their expressions.

*A disciple who just joined the outer courtyard, Chu Tianchen? My roommate?* Wang Teng thought to himself. *How is that possible? He is only at the second level of the Channel Opening Realm. Could it be a coincidence of names?* He stood behind the members of the Wang Gate, afraid to breathe too loudly, terrified of being recognized.

"Chu Tianchen? An outer courtyard disciple?" Elder Qingfeng frowned. "How could an outer courtyard disciple even get in here? Li Haizhu, do you know what you are saying?"

"Elder Qingfeng, it happened like this: I discovered Chu Tianchen’s potential at the Divine Ability Pavilion in the outer courtyard today, so I asked for some of his blood. The test I performed just now was done using his blood," Li Haizhu explained in a rush. He had to say this to ensure there were no leaks; if he revealed that Chu Tianchen had entered the inner courtyard, he would face punishment himself. Furthermore, if he were wrong and the purple talent truly belonged to Yin Taixu, he would be ruining Chu Tianchen. He had only brought Chu Tianchen in to help decipher the Divine Ability on the Blood Heritage Stone; he couldn't bear the thought of causing him harm.

"Li Haizhu, who is this Chu Tianchen you speak of? The one from the Chu family in Zhentian City?" Lin Yurou asked, her eyes darkening.

"I do not know where he is from, but this talent must have been awakened by him," Li Haizhu insisted. "If Elder Qingfeng does not believe me, you can send someone to find Chu Tianchen and test him again."

Lin Qingfeng looked at the other senior elders, then at Yin Taixu. "So, you are questioning me?" Yin Taixu sneered.

"Young Master Taixu, I am not questioning you. I only wish to clarify who created this resonance with the purple Blood Heritage Stone," Li Haizhu said with a smile. "Perhaps you possess such talent, but what if Chu Tianchen also possesses it? Wouldn't that mean the Yunhai Academy has gained another peerless genius?"

"Li Haizhu, don't drag that piece of trash into your delusions," Liu Qingxin interjected. "He is nothing but a waste at the second level of the Channel Opening Realm. Counting the time, he is less than a year away from turning twenty. It’s doubtful he can even pass the outer courtyard exams to remain in the academy, let alone awaken such talent. If he could even awaken a yellow-grade talent, I wouldn't have gone to Zhentian City to break off our engagement."

Only then did the crowd slowly recall who Chu Tianchen was. Elder Qingfeng and the other high-ranking officials realized it as well. "Exactly, that Chu Tianchen is a complete waste," Lin Yurou added.

"Whether he is a waste or not, bringing him here to test him will reveal the truth," Li Haizhu persisted.

"Li Haizhu, just stick to your duties as a teacher at the outer courtyard’s Divine Ability Pavilion from now on. Do not mention such absurdities again," Elder Qingfeng commanded.

"Elders, it is better to test and be wrong than to let a peerless genius slip through the cracks, isn't it? What if?" Li Haizhu continued.

*Bang!*

Before he could finish, a terrifying surge of Heavenly Gang energy crushed him. Li Haizhu was sent flying over ten meters, landing heavily on the ground and coughing up blood on the spot. The one who had struck him was Yin Taixu.

"If you had named anyone else, people might have believed you," Yin Taixu sneered. "But that piece of trash? Does he even deserve to be tested alongside me? It is no wonder your Yunhai Academy has grown more desolate over the years; how can you not decline when you treat trash like a treasure? Let me tell you something else: in half a year, someone from our Yin family will come to select promising seeds to take back to the Great World for training. Everyone will have their talent re-tested then."

"As for that Chu Tianchen you mentioned, if he truly has ability, let him reach the third level of the Channel Opening Realm and enter the inner courtyard in six months to test himself. If he can manage a green-grade talent—no, if he can even manage a green-grade talent—I will have the Yin family give him a chance to study in the Great World."

With that, Yin Taixu looked back at Lin Yurou, who hurried to his side, and together they departed.

Elder Qingfeng and the others looked at Li Haizhu but said nothing. Their minds were entirely occupied by Yin Taixu’s words. In half a year, the opportunity to study in the Great World would depend solely on talent, regardless of age. That meant everyone had a chance.

Li Haizhu stood up, enduring the sharp pain, and began to make his way toward the outer courtyard. Wang Teng, watching the crowd disperse, let out a long sigh; the night had been far too intense for his liking. He hurried away as well, swearing to never come here again.

Meanwhile, just as Ye Nishang exited the inner courtyard, she saw three figures standing before the gate. One of them was Chu Tianchen. Ye Nishang walked toward them slowly, her beauty so breathtaking it felt suffocating. Zhao Tengfei and Mo Xiaolang, standing beside Chu Tianchen, bowed their heads, not daring to look at her directly.

"Come with me," Ye Nishang said, gesturing toward Chu Tianchen.