"Finished! Run!" Gongsun Ming's heart skipped a beat, and Lou Qinru's face turned pale.
The two immediately fled to a safe distance, watching from afar.
In the center of the field, an immense pressure suddenly materialized, silencing everyone present.
Qin Yang hadn't unleashed his dragon's might or revealed his Zongshi Realm aura. He simply stood there, observing the crowd with an impassive gaze.
Yet the onlookers felt as if invisible hands were squeezing their throats, panic rising inexplicably in their hearts.
"You..." Qin Yang murmured, leaving the sentence unfinished. A black pagoda materialized out of thin air, engulfing him completely.
"I didn't even move! Why am I being imprisoned again?" Qin Yang roared within the Imprisonment Tower.
The panda and other mythical creatures stared at Qin Yang in bewilderment. Had they just been released for a breath of fresh air? Why was he being locked up so quickly?
"I can't take any risks," Martial Heaven's voice echoed through the tower.
Qin Yang was left speechless.
In reality, the oppressive pressure vanished the moment Qin Yang was sealed in the Imprisonment Tower. Everyone assumed it had been Martial Heaven's aura all along.
"Teacher Wu, you're clearly favoring Qin Yang!"
"You can't just coddle him because he's from the Qin Family of the Eight Divine Clans!"
Yu Shaojie frowned. "We weren't going to harm him anyway. We'll still be classmates, after all. We'll see each other every day."
Martial Heaven observed the new students quietly, sighing inwardly: "I'm not favoring Qin Yang—I'm saving your lives..."
In the distance, Gongsun Ming and Lou Qinru let out long sighs of relief.
Those who had witnessed Qin Yang's fury were either dead—never to be seen again—or still alive yet desperate to avoid any future encounters.
Though Qin Yang had been confined to the Imprisonment Tower, the academy's chatter remained unchanged.
Everyone gnashed their teeth, faces twisted in contempt. All believed Qin Yang had used connections to secure admission, making his presence in their cohort an absolute disgrace!
Three days later, at dusk, aboard the Celestial Academy's specially dispatched magical vessel—the Heaven Ship—students gathered in the dining hall for a lively banquet, discussing their future prospects with enthusiasm.
Lou Mengyu and Jin Wanshan sat alone in a corner, quietly eating, yet the entire hall's attention remained fixed on them.
Amidst the boisterous crowd, Yu Shaojie conversed cheerfully with other high-ranking classmates, his gaze occasionally drifting toward Lou Mengyu.
"Give up already. In terms of family wealth, Jin Wanshan far surpasses you!" a classmate chuckled.
Another student added, "Now that a Qin family descendant has appeared, might Lou Mengyu be involved with that Qin Yang fellow..."
Yu Shaojie held a wine cup in his hand and crushed it with a sharp "crack."
"Anything is possible with human effort," Yu Shaojie declared confidently. "I, Yu Shaojie, am no less capable! Jin Wanshan? Is he as handsome as me? Qin Yang? Does he think his status as a descendant of the Qin Family from the Eight Divine Clans gives him the right to compete with me?"
In a hushed tone, Yu Shaojie added, "Just you wait. I might win the beauty's heart tonight!"
With these words, Yu Shaojie glided toward the corner where Lou Mengyu stood.
The crowd erupted in jeers, with some whistling loudly.
"Truly fearless," Gongsun Ming remarked, glancing up before resuming his meal.
Lou Qinru scoffed, "Joining Celestial Academy has certainly given them too much confidence. Relying on the academy's reputation and rules, they've forgotten their place."
We're all on this skyship now. If Qin Yang is released and conflict arises, there'll be nowhere to hide!
We're thousands of feet above the ground!
"No way..." Lou Qinru's jaw dropped.
Gongsun Ming looked up, his body jolting in shock. "Did Teacher Wu actually release him? And that on his shoulder... Good heavens!"
Perched on Qin Yang's shoulder was a shrunken panda, their silent arrival unnoticed by the others.
"That's a Zongshi-level Tian Swallowing Beast! Has Teacher Wu gone mad?" Gongsun Ming's heart raced with panic, but seeing Martial Heaven trailing behind Qin Yang, he let out a relieved sigh.
I hope Yu Shaojie doesn't overstep his bounds, Lou Qinru found herself silently praying.
Lou Mengyu was engaged in casual conversation with Jin Wanshan, their laughter filling the air as they discussed Qin Yang.
"May I join you here?" Yu Shaojie approached with a practiced smile.
"No," Jin Wanshan replied bluntly.
The young man's face flushed with embarrassment. He turned to Lou Mengyu, his voice honeyed with charm. "Might the lovely Mengyu grant me the honor of sharing a drink?"
His hand flickered with movement, revealing an ice-blue pill that pulsed with frosty energy. He toyed with it absently.
"The legendary Froststeel Body Tempering Pill! A peerless formula from the Yu Clan's vaults. A treasure beyond measure - even the lowest-grade variant is fourth-rank, while the superior forms could fetch a thousand gold!"
"Yu Shaojie's methods never disappoint. This Froststeel Body Tempering Pill is the pinnacle of physical refinement among all tempering pills!"
Lou Mengyu's delicate brows furrowed, her expression darkening. "My apologies, I'm indisposed."
"Oh? So Miss Mengyu doesn't care for it?" Yu Shaojie tucked away the Froststeel Body Tempering Pill with a mischievous grin. "Perhaps something more... fiery?"
He produced a Flamesteel Body Tempering Pill with a flourish.
The cafeteria erupted in commotion.
"See that? Exclusive Yu Clan pills! Cultivators need these Body Tempering Pills for physical enhancement... You..."
A classmate tugged at the person beside him, boasting about his extensive knowledge. His voice cut off abruptly when he realized he was dragging Qin Yang.
"Hmph!" Qin Yang snorted coldly, parting the crowd with a sweep of his arm.
The instant Qin Yang appeared, the cafeteria dissolved into pandemonium.
For three days, they'd been buzzing about Qin Yang. Every student wished Teacher Wu would lock them in the Imprisonment Tower with him for proper sparring.
"Sit inside," Qin Yang murmured.
Lou Mengyu obediently shifted her position, making space.
Qin Yang dropped into the vacated seat, eyeing Yu Shaojie's strained expression. His gaze flicked to the pill in Yu Shaojie's hand before sneering, "Mid-grade quality. How dare you flaunt this trash?"
"You don't recognize a mountain when you see it! This is our Yu Clan's exclusive Body Tempering Pill! A cultivator's physical strength has a tremendous impact on their combat capabilities!" Yu Shaojie said smugly. "Even if this were only mid-grade quality, it would still be priceless!"
At this point, Yu Shaojie added with a sardonic tone, "Come to think of it, I almost forgot. A waste like you would naturally have no understanding of the Body Tempering Pill's value."
Simultaneously, Yu Shaojie declared with pride, "Anyone who wishes to temper their physique and enhance their strength must consume our Yu Clan's Body Tempering Pill. All Body Tempering Pills at Celestial Academy are supplied by our Yu Clan!"
Having said this, he cast a provocative glance at Jin Wanshan.
"Body Tempering Pills?" Qin Yang couldn't help but feel amused. He looked at the fiery red pill and said, "You claim this Body Tempering Pill is exclusive to your Yu Clan? I'm not so sure about that."
"That's common knowledge on the continent!" Yu Shaojie said contemptuously. "I can't blame you for being an ignorant country bumpkin who's seen little of the world."
He assumed an air of self-proclaimed refinement.
"Oh, so this Body Tempering Pill is the foundation of your Yu Clan's existence?" Qin Yang stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Of course," Yu Shaojie replied immediately.
"Then you're finished. Your entire Yu Clan is finished," Qin Yang said slowly.
Everyone looked utterly confused. Yu Shaojie frowned and snapped, "What do you mean by that?"
"Nothing really. Because I can also refine both types of these Body Tempering Pills..." Qin Yang shrugged.