Chapter 5: The Rules

After Jiang Qingyue left, Li Xuan dragged his leg again, limping toward the administration office of the Sacred Dao Academy.

The Sacred Dao Academy, nestled by the mountains and waters, was abundant in source power and renowned for its exceptional talents. Legend had it that the founder of the academy was a prodigy of his era, rumored to still be alive after thousands of years. Thus, the academy stood as a pure force, unaffiliated with any faction, perhaps owing to the lingering influence of its powerful founder.

Although the Sacred Dao Academy had a history spanning millennia, it was but a speck in the vast cultivation world.

Because of events three years prior, Li Xuan was unpopular; compounded by rumors and the influence of the Divine Goddess Tang Ruoxian, his situation had become precarious.

Along the way, those with ill intentions mocked him, openly ridiculed him, and deliberately brought up the past incident from three years ago.

Li Xuan smiled and ignored them. Having learned from Wang Zifan’s lesson, his classmates were somewhat wary; if he could defeat Wang Zifan, perhaps he possessed some hidden trump card, especially since the method of his victory was somewhat strange, making others uneasy.

“Three years gone by, and you still come back to the academy? Why don’t you just sleep yourself to death?” Elder Xi Yue, head of the administration office, glanced impatiently at Li Xuan and said, “I heard you used demonic arts to subdue Wang Zifan?”

Li Xuan, quick-witted, smiled faintly, “Elder Xi Yue, that’s a misunderstanding, I’m wrongly accused!”

Elder Xi Yue waved her hand, adjusting her golden-rimmed glasses and looking at Li Xuan, “Stop. I’m not in charge of explanations here. According to academy regulations, you’ve been on leave for three years. Based on your enrollment age, you should be a student of the Fourth Dao Institute by now, which means your cultivation should be in the mid-to-late Wu Breakthrough Realm.”

Li Xuan knew well that Elder Xi Yue’s next words would be to persuade him to quit or to make things difficult for him.

But Li Xuan was clever; he lifted his chin proudly and replied, “Elder Xi Yue, I will do my utmost to catch up with the Fourth Dao Institute’s cultivation progress and never tarnish the reputation of the Sacred Dao Academy.”

Elder Xi Yue waved her hand, stopping him, her disdain plain to see, “If it were someone else, I might believe it. But you… you’re limping on one leg, your family’s bloodline is weakening. How can you guarantee you’ll graduate smoothly? Moreover, you’re still far behind on tuition fees. The academy isn’t a charity. My suggestion is for you to voluntarily withdraw; we will erase your name completely. That’s better for everyone!”

Elder Xi Yue was resolute in her intent to expel Li Xuan, deliberately bringing up his limp and the decline of the Li family, even mentioning the unpaid tuition.

Li Xuan knew well how much his second sister, Li Chenxi, had sacrificed to keep his enrollment—paying tuition every year, even donating extra despite hardships. Yet now, the administration spoke so coldly.

He warned himself to endure; otherwise, his sister’s three years of effort would be in vain.

“Elder Xi Yue, my second sister has paid all the tuition every year, and…” Li Xuan tried to argue.

But Elder Xi Yue sharply interrupted, “Enough! Li Xuan, do you not understand plain speech? The academy operates on a credit system: twenty-five credits per year. Credits cannot be bought with source crystal stones!”

By calculation, Li Xuan was short seventy-five credits. These credits were recorded on the source crystal light barrier—no one could falsify that.

Finally, Elder Xi Yue said sternly, “I won’t say more. Once you make up those seventy-five credits, come see me. Otherwise, we will cancel your enrollment. Your leg is part of you; complain wherever you want.”

Having said this, Elder Xi Yue turned away. Those wise enough had long left in shame.

Li Xuan could not leave—not just for himself, but for his sister and, on a larger scale, for the Li family. He must endure.

He smiled faintly and said, “Elder Xi Yue, please calm down. I have prepared a small gift; please accept it graciously.”

With a deft movement, he transferred source crystal stones from his Qiankun pouch into Elder Xi Yue’s, then smiled broadly, “Elder Xi Yue, please accept!”

Elder Xi Yue’s fierce eyes flashed, scolding, “Li Xuan, how dare you—”

As the source crystals poured into her pouch like a stream, her expression softened considerably. She sighed, “Seeing your sincerity, I will give you some time—one week to make up the seventy-five credits, then you may enter the Fourth Dao Institute.”

Li Xuan looked troubled but after a brief complaint, Elder Xi Yue continued, “Do you know the Mist Shadow Mountain? Every year, some students take shortcuts, hunting the wild beasts there to seize their source crystals. Good quality crystals can earn you credits. Whether you succeed depends on your own fate.”

Li Xuan bowed repeatedly, tearfully expressing gratitude, then slowly and cautiously left the administration office.

“Sigh, I hope you know what you’re doing,” Elder Xi Yue muttered, somewhat regretting revealing the Mist Shadow Mountain. For a family in decline, rising again was incredibly difficult. Regardless of Li Xuan’s talent, breaking through to the pinnacle of the Wu Breakthrough Realm and stepping into the God-Slaying Realm within six months was impossible.

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Li Xuan understood human relations well—why should strangers help him?

His most urgent task now was to earn source crystals to help his sister support the family and ease the Li family’s crisis.

Just as Li Xuan exited the administration office, he was intercepted by guards of the Court of Justice.

“You are Li Xuan. We are guards of the Court of Justice. Someone reported that you used demonic arts to defeat Wang Zifan. Please cooperate with our investigation.”

Li Xuan shrugged with a cynical grin, “If Wang Zifan had killed me, would he have gotten away with it?”

He remembered the elder of the Court of Justice was Wang Zifan’s second uncle, Wang Chengxuan, who had handled the incident three years ago, which led to Li Xuan’s three-year slumber.

Trouble was unavoidable; not going to the Court would seem suspicious.

Having learned from past lessons and his previous life’s experiences, Li Xuan knew this time would not be easy to bluff.

Just as the guards were about to grow hostile, Li Xuan said, “Fine, I’ll go with you for the investigation.”

The Court of Justice!

The presiding judge took his seat; the jurors arranged themselves.

Wang Chengxuan sat sternly in the judge’s chair, looking down at Li Xuan with imposing authority, his voice echoing in the hall.

“Li Xuan, you fought Wang Zifan and deliberately used demonic arts to harm him. How do you explain yourself?”

His words rang loudly, shocking the assembly. The jurors and representatives from various institutes frowned, yet no one spoke in Li Xuan’s defense.

Li Xuan understood: these elders preferred to avoid trouble and would not defend him.

He looked up, cleared his throat, and said, “Elder Wang Chengxuan, may I ask what you mean by ‘deliberate’? Do you mean I planned the attack beforehand, during morning cultivation reading, to provoke Wang Zifan?”

Unbowed and resolute, Li Xuan continued, “At the time, Wang Zifan beat his chest, boasting he could take three palm strikes from me. Everyone knows I was in a three-year slumber, still only at the early Qi Awakening stage. Wang Zifan was clearly trying to embarrass me, even wagering my life! Fellow students during morning reading, Jiang Qingyue and Tang Ruoxian, were all present!”

Li Xuan was no fool. With so many witnesses, even the Court’s power could not silence the truth, especially with the Jiang and Tang family ladies as witnesses.

Moreover, Wang Zifan was alive and without missing limbs.

Wang Chengxuan slammed his palm on the table, accusing, “Smooth talk! I’m asking about your use of demonic arts to harm Wang Zifan!”

Li Xuan realized this was a ploy to trap him and to protect Wang Zifan.

His mind raced. The Sacred Emperor Azure Lotus Canon was the ultimate cultivation manual; no technique could evade its bounds. Instantly, he devised a counter.

He activated the founder’s secret technique, the Divine Walk Burning Shadow Art, creating layered illusions, ghostlike and elusive.

“That is the founder’s Divine Walk Burning Shadow Art!”

An elder with a white beard stood up in shock, tears glistening in his cloudy eyes.

Li Xuan rejoiced inwardly—he feared no one would recognize the skill, but thankfully, some ageless elders still remembered the founder’s techniques.

Bolstered, Li Xuan challenged, “Dean Wang Chengxuan, the founder’s techniques are ‘demonic arts’? Does that mean students inheriting them are evil? Explain that! A teacher’s role is to impart knowledge and resolve doubts!”

He tossed the hot potato to Wang Chengxuan, silently cursing, “You insolent uncle, if I can’t defeat you outright, I’ll at least stuff a dead rat in your mouth to disgust you.”

Wang Zifan’s face reddened with rage, lips trembling, momentarily at a loss for words.

As an elder of the Court, daring to question the founder’s techniques would be career suicide.

“Outrageous! Li Xuan, you dare to steal-learn the founder’s skills? What punishment do you deserve?”

Wang Chengxuan grew desperate, seeking to punish Li Xuan on fabricated charges.

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For thousands of years, the founder’s techniques had rarely appeared in the mortal realm. To integrate the founder’s skills meant one was a peerless prodigy—no one would lightly punish that.

Especially the elder who first recognized the Divine Walk Burning Shadow Art; his beard trembled with excitement.

“Enough! Wang Chengxuan, how long will your nonsense last? I hereby accept Li Xuan as my closed-door disciple. Dare oppose me, and beware your skin!”

The old elder stretched out his withered arm, swallowing nervously, “Don’t think being an elder of the Court will get you anywhere. I’ll have you expelled on the spot!”

The sudden turnaround stunned the assembly.

“Elder Xingxiu, please calm down. Let me clarify the matter!” Wang Chengxuan pleaded.

Elder Xingxiu narrowed his eyes, slowly sitting down, “Ask clearly. If there’s any more deception, don’t blame me for being harsh. I’ll strip you of your position as elder immediately!”

Though calm, Elder Xingxiu’s authority was unquestionable.

“Li Xuan, explain how you cultivated the founder’s techniques during your three-year slumber. Also, what about the needle hole on Wang Zifan’s waist? Was that technique also taught by the founder while you were asleep?”

Wang Chengxuan pressed, though he dared no longer mislead Li Xuan.

The founder was a legendary figure; no one would believe he taught a technique that would almost turn one into a vegetable during sleep.

Li Xuan knew that without clarifying these points, even Elder Xingxiu could not protect him.

He activated the Sacred Emperor Azure Lotus Canon again, demonstrating the founder’s Nine Suns Soul-Reviving Needle technique.

“Wang Zifan was overexerted, injuring his meridians. I merely helped him heal. As for the wager, I only gave him two slaps. I wanted to show off a bit in front of the ladies—surely that’s not wrong!”

“Preposterous!” Wang Chengxuan exploded, slamming the table. A powerful pressure surged like a tidal wave toward Li Xuan.

Suddenly, a tremendous force crashed through, not only relieving Li Xuan’s pressure but also tossing Wang Chengxuan from the judge’s seat, leaving him bloodied.

Elder Xingxiu shouted, “Old man, see clearly! This is the founder’s unique medical technique, Nine Suns Soul-Reviving Needle. If you dare lay a hand on Xuan, you disrespect the founder. Now get lost!”

The elders present were dumbfounded, all calling him protective yet never expecting it to go this far.

Wang Chengxuan dared not say another word, fearing Elder Xingxiu’s wrath and loss of status.

Elder Xingxiu cleared his throat, “Dismissed! From today, I accept Li Xuan as my registered closed-door disciple. Anyone who dares to trouble him will answer to me!”

Looking at Li Xuan, his eyes softened with kindness, “Do you know why you are a registered closed-door disciple?”

Li Xuan was pleased to have gained a master, well aware of Elder Xingxiu’s status at the Sacred Dao Academy. He replied, “Because I must make up seventy-five credits before entering the Fourth Dao Institute, I can only be your registered disciple.”

Elder Xingxiu smiled broadly, radiating affection, “Promising youth. Come later, I’ll take your pulse to see if your old injuries have healed. If you go to Mist Shadow Mountain, remember to carry source devices!”

With a backer now, Li Xuan no longer needed to restrain himself. He bowed to the elders, limping but determined, ready to leave.

“All right. With my protection, no need to pretend to limp. Does walking that way feel comfortable?” Elder Xingxiu teased.

His words confirmed Li Xuan’s recognition by the founder, inheriting the founder’s techniques was the academy’s highest honor. Yet rules could not be broken; the credit system, maintained for a thousand years, remained the standard for student assessment.

Li Xuan bowed deeply, “Yes, Elder.”

Then, head held high, he strode confidently out of the Court of Justice hall.