Qinglin Academy was situated on the outskirts of Cloud Sea City, holding significant prestige within East Field County, second only to the top institution, Tianhen Academy.
In East Field County, to be admitted into either of these academies meant to possess a distinguished status, symbolizing noble identity.
Today was the annual enrollment day for Qinglin Academy. Youths from around the county flocked to the site, each filled with hope and ambition, vying for a place in the academy everyone dreamt of.
Xu Nian too arrived early at the gates of Qinglin Academy, gazing at the grand and imposing entrance with a confident smile on his lips.
In the past, he would have only looked up to this place of learning, but now his only thought was to conquer it.
Being discarded and disowned after his Dantian was wrecked, he learned a harsh truth: only the powerful could survive in this world; without strength, you were nothing.
"Mother, you must wait for me. I will go to the Qin Family and bring you out. Then, I will make Qin Yuanshan regret everything he has done," Xu Nian vowed silently, fists clenched.
He was too weak now, rescuing his mother seemed nearly impossible, so his current goal was to become as strong as possible.
"Qin Nian, why are you here?"
Just as Xu Nian was making his silent pledge, a surprised exclamation came from behind.
Turning around, Xu Nian saw a beautiful young girl standing behind him, her simple but elegant dress accentuating her graceful curves.
The girl's name was Wang Siyu, sixteen years old, and the only childhood friend of Xu Nian, as well as the daughter of Family Head Wang of the Wang Family in Cloud Sea City.
The Wang Family, a small clan in Cloud Sea City, held a status not as esteemed as the Qin Family, but was still fairly respectable.
In their childhood, Xu Nian inadvertently saved an imperiled Wang Siyu from drowning.
Since then, Wang Siyu often sought Xu Nian out to play, and the two grew up like childhood sweethearts.
Xu Nian indeed had a soft spot for Wang Siyu. He once thought she genuinely liked him, but now it seemed not to be as he had imagined.
At this moment, Wang Siyu's brows were furrowed, her gaze unfriendly, and her delicate face even carried a hint of disdain.
"I'm sorry, I'm not called Qin Nian. My name is Xu Nian," Xu Nian stated bluntly, his initial joy at the reunion evaporating instantly.
"Right, you've been expelled from the Qin Family, so you've no right to the Qin surname. I heard you've been disowned and your Dantian destroyed. Do you really have the face to come here? Are you hoping Qinglin Academy will take in a cripple like you?" Wang Siyu sneered, her eyes filled with contempt as she looked at Xu Nian.
Xu Nian could hardly believe his eyes. Wang Siyu had always been sweet and lovely in front of him, constantly calling him 'Brother Qin Nian', yet in just a few days without seeing her, she seemed to have turned into a completely different person; or perhaps, this was her true nature all along.
"Xu Nian, don't look at me like that. I used to be with you solely because you were the third young master of the Qin Family. But now, not only is your Dantian ruined and you're crippled, but you have also been kicked out of the Qin Family. You think I would still fawn over you like before? Grow up, Xu Nian. Stop being so naive. You and I are not from the same world anymore," Wang Siyu said with derision, her eyes full of contempt as if she thought disguising her disdain for Xu Nian, now a cripple, was unnecessary.
Shaking his head with a bitter smile, Xu Nian laughed at his own past ignorance, for not seeing the true face of the woman before him, and at the pathetic thought of believing in a reciprocated childhood affection, when her proximity was simply due to his identity as the third young master of the Qin Family.
If he hadn't been cast out by Qin Yuanshan, he might never have seen the real face of the woman before him.
"What an opportunistic, scheming woman. Today, Xu Nian has truly had his eyes opened," Xu Nian thought coldly, erasing all fond memories of Wang Siyu from his mind, without a trace of lingering attachment.
"Xu Nian, you can hate me all you want, but let me tell you, I am now with Qin Tiann. We just got engaged yesterday," Wang Siyu said again, her face carrying a trace of triumph.
Xu Nian sneered!
What swift action. He had been out of the Qin Family for only a few days, and this woman had already hooked up with Qin Tiann, indeed stopping at nothing to achieve her ends.
"Then congratulations to you, may you and Qin Tiann grow old together. Trash like you, I'm afraid, can only be matched by someone like Qin Tiann," Xu Nian scoffed coldly. After speaking, he flipped his sleeve and turned to leave.
"You..." Wang Siyu erupted in anger.
Xu Nian dared to call her trash?
A Qin Family outcast with a ruined Dantian dared to call her trash—how could she not be furious?
"Stop right there!"
Just as Xu Nian was about to leave, a cold shout came from not far away.
Turning his head, Xu Nian saw a young man in a cyan long robe approaching from afar, glaring at him angrily.
Xu Nian saw the newcomer and anger surged in his eyes.
The man was none other than the Qin Tian mentioned by Wang Siyu, the most outstanding junior among the Qin Family's side branches.
At just seventeen, he already possessed the cultivation of a Five-star Peak Warrior, ranking third among the young members of the Qin Family after only Qin Tian and Qin Hen. His status among the young people of Cloud Sea City was not to be underestimated.
In the past, Qin Tian had always looked down upon Xu Nian, often bullying him behind the scenes. He had been severely beaten multiple times, and on several occasions when his mother was harassed, it was Qin Tian who had orchestrated it behind the scenes. Xu Nian's resentment toward Qin Tian was no weaker than his resentment toward Qin Hen.
"Worthless trash, kneel down and apologize to Siyu," Qin Tian commanded arrogantly, standing before Wang Siyu with an air that brooked no resistance.
By now, the plaza in front of the Sect's gate had attracted quite a crowd. When they heard Qin Tian's roar, naturally, more people gathered around.
"Isn't that Qin Tian of the Qin Family? Who's the young man standing opposite him, daring to offend him?"
"Don't you know? He's the outcast who was kicked out of the Qin Family not long ago. Rumor has it that his father shattered his Dantian with a single strike, rendering him a cripple. What's he doing here?"
"Probably hoping for some stroke of fortune to fall on him. But look at the state he's in now. Offending Qin Tian, he's in for a world of pain!"
...
The crowd around was buzzing with discussion, but most of the comments were mocking Xu Nian, with only a few expressing sympathy for his plight.
Xu Nian ignored the jeers and sneers of the crowd and coldly looked at Qin Tian, asking sarcastically, "And what if I refuse?"
"Then don't even think about leaving here alive!" Qin Tian declared arrogantly.
"Really? Then let me see how you're going to stop me from leaving here alive," Xu Nian shot back with a sneer, his disdain for Qin Tian's words tangible.
Qin Tian was instantly furious: "You're seeking death!"
The people around were astonished as well, murmuring that Xu Nian had no idea the trouble he was inviting.
However, Xu Nian seemed indifferent, continuing to taunt, "Stop with the nonsense. Are you good for anything other than being Qin Hen's dog, Qin Tian?"
Hearing this, Qin Tian's rage reached new heights, his fists clenched so tightly that they made a popping sound.
"Brother Tian, since he's so unappreciative, you should teach him a good lesson, let him understand what kind of trash he really is," Wang Siyu also added with a cold snort.
"Don't worry, if he can walk out of here today, I'll crawl around Qinglin Academy," Qin Tian declared coldly. Then he made ready, rubbing his hands together with anticipation and charged at Xu Nian, his face twisted with a cruel grin.
The people around shook their heads helplessly – a man with a shattered Dantian facing a Five-star Warrior was bound for an obvious outcome.
"Prepare to die!"
Qin Tian pounced like a tiger, swiftly closing the distance to Xu Nian, his ferocious punch aimed straight for Xu Nian's chest.
The Fist Wind was tiger-like, showing no mercy.
Qin Tian's lips twisted in a cruel smile, as if he had already seen Xu Nian being blasted away by his punch.
Wang Siyu's face was full of mockery too, showing not a shred of sympathy.
"Smack!"
Just when everyone thought Xu Nian was about to be sent flying by that punch, something stunning happened. The ferocious Qin Tian was actually slapped away by Xu Nian.
Teeth went flying, and his entire body spun through the air, landing three meters away.
"A slap? How... how is this possible?"
Everyone around was stunned, their eyes wide with disbelief at the sight.
The formerly mocking smile on Wang Siyu's face froze instantly, revealing an expression of utter shock.
But the surprises for the crowd were not over yet. Xu Nian stepped forward without hesitation, grabbed Qin Tian by the collar with one hand, and slapped his face frenziedly with the other.
The sound of slaps, like popping soybeans, continued to ring out across the plaza in front of Qinglin Academy.
While slapping, Xu Nian cursed, "Shameless scum, you thought you could bully me without consequence? Today, I'll let you know whether I'm really trash or not."