Come night, Hu Jianghao led a few freshmen to surround Ai Changyuan at Langde Immortal Institute’s dorms. They all had looks to kill, laying their hatred bare.
The youth blockade was made up of Langde Immortal Institute high achievers only. A shared particularity among them was belonging to a cultivating clan. None of their ancestors ever came close to the likes of Transcendent, obviously, but it still set them apart from most freshmen.
Lu Qianqian shrank behind Ai Changyuan like a deer in the headlights, i to shy to meet their gazes. Ai Changyuan was the complete opposite. He tossed the apple around with ease and cool.
The real kicker in this standoff was the apple. After Wang Qi ate half and Ai Changyuan bit off most of the other side, it turned out to have recovered like new.
As the silence mounted, Ai Changyuan’s patience wore thin. He glared at Hu Jianghao in the lead. “Talk or walk. I’m already late to hit the books.”
Some disciples were annoyed. Hu Jianghao signaled them to stay out of it as he glared back. “Ai Changyuan, tell me, you also concur that you’re part of the Langde Immortal Institute, yes?”
Ai Changyuan nodded, an obvious truth.
Hu Jianghao followed. “Since you admit it, then I’ll be frank. I hope you’d join us in beating Argent Apex disciples, especially Wang Qi.”
Hu Jianghao offered him some papers.
Ai Changyuan had in his hand the details pertaining to Argent Apex Immortal Institute’s strongest disciples. They were no national secrets by any means, but that didn’t mean other disciples could get their hands on them on such short notice.
Hu Jianghao huffed. “An uncle of mine works there.” He confirmed Ai Changyuan’s thoughts.
Hu clan had an Unfettered, while many members held posts in the Immortal Alliance.
Ai Changyuan found it funny. “I’d have looked away if you’d have done it normally, but abusing authority to take a person’s details from the records is illegal. Now what are you planning?”
Hu Jianghao said, “To win, what else? So, are you joining or not?”
Lu Qianqian pulled on Ai Changyuan’s clothes. “Changyuan, y-y-you can’t just…”
“Quiet! You have no say in this!” Hu Jianghao snapped.
Lu Qianqian flinched back.
Ai Changyuan folded back the papers. “They’re all coming from rogue cultivators?” Check latest chapters at 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩·𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢·𝔫𝔢𝔱
Hu Jianghao nodded. “For the most of them. Wu Shiqin and Long Shulin’s clan are passable, with a few Golden Core ancestors. But Liu Shu and Wang Qi, humph…”
Ai Changyuan shook his head. “What skewed logic. No clan behind them yet they’re still as strong as you. That means you’re nothing without your clan. That’s why you despise them?”
Hu Jianghao was blunt. “Us, clan disciples, received Dao’s nurturing, having better characters and notions, making us better suited to seek Dao—trained since young, clansmen reach Primordial Spirit far quicker than rogue cultivators. That’s a fact. You know that as well.”
Hu Jianghao frowned at his lack of response. “Furthermore, the martial examination has nothing to do with our clans. We must win—I won’t accept defeat, even more so at the hands of some nobodies.”
“For Langde’s glory!” Hu Jianghao put on a righteous look. “We’re one, all of us, and have to do it together. We have to win and keep winning.”
Ai Changyuan threw the papers. “Not interested. Leave me out of it.”
Hu Jianghao jerked. “Do you not care about Langde Immortal Institute’s face?”
Ai Changyuan stared back, emphasizing every word that a familiar bookworm once said. “What’s Immortal Institute’s face got to do with me?”
Hu Jianghao raged. “Bastard, you not only refuse to help us but even let that Wang Qi eat from Ai clan’s crabapple!”
Ai Changyuan facepalmed. “I knew I forgot something. Wang Qi took two bites and that makes him my friend.” The youth brought the crabapple before a disciple’s face. The guy scampered away. Ai Changyuan offered it all around, making everyone back off.
“See, you don’t have the nerve to even try it.”
Ai Changyuan pulled on Lu Qianqian and left. He looked back. “Don’t worry, I won’t report you, so don’t be pissy thinking I’ll hold it over you. I’ll beat my adversary in the martial examination, rest assured. Bye.”
Hu Jianghao only now roared. “Ai, you’re as insufferable as your ancestor!
“Just you wait! This world isn’t ego-centered like you!”
Lu Qianqian heard his outburst and worried. “Changyuan, wasn’t that too antagonistic?”
Transcendent’s descendant showed disdain. “Ha-ha, associating with morons will make me one.”
Lu Qianqian sighed. “I just don’t understand why is Senior Brother Hu so obsessed with winning. With Hu clan’s optics legacy, he also yearns for Brilliance Palace’s true disciple position, while Wang Qi aims for Myriad Arts Sect! Of Argent Apex disciple, only Wu Shiqin cultivating the Celestial Hymn Odyssey could be a potential rival.”
Brilliance Palace and Thunderous Pavilion were branches of Harmony Coalition, meaning recruiting disciples were combined.
Ai Changyuan shook his head. “Wang Qi might not enter Myriad Arts Sect. White Marsh True Array Divider proves to be an immense help in the elusive path.”
White Marsh Expansion involved matrices, not to mention linear algebra. The two studies were crucial in quantum mechanics.
Lu Qianqian cried out then frowned. “He still won’t vie with Senior Brother Hu.”
Ai Changyuan smiled and rubbed her head. “Didn’t I mention Elusive Palace? You know its story, don’t you?”
“Elusive Palace, a wise and virtuous group of Dao seekers, developed a nobody sect into becoming one of the five best.” Ai Changyuan looked back with disdain. “So there’ll always be losers thinking they could do the same, banding with other losers and seek Dao.
“To keep them tight together, the loser boss had to win and keep winning, using his fists to tell the losers under him ‘come with me and you’ll get your share.’