Zhou Yan was gaunt, his face sallow and his frame frail. His clothes were tattered, and he carried a sword box on his back, looking rather disheveled.
"Who are you? Why are you blocking me?" Zhou Yan frowned, demanding.
The Zhou Kingdom's Royal Academy was the most prestigious place of learning in the entire kingdom. No one, except the King and royalty, was allowed to trespass, not even the Zhou Kingdom's nobles!
"Hmph!"
The young man in the white robe cast a disdainful glance at Zhou Yan, his arrogance evident. "I am a Prince of the Zhou Kingdom, with the title Zhou Yan. You, a mere commoner, dare to put on airs before me? Be gone quickly!"
"So you're Zhou Yan. As arrogant as expected," Zhou Yan scoffed. "But who do you think you are? Why should you stop me from entering the academy?"
Zhou Yan had always been low-key, but he was no pushover, nor was he a spineless wretch who accepted abuse.
At this moment, he made no attempt to conceal his disgust and hatred, and berated Zhou Yan without reservation.
"What did you say?" Zhou Yan's attitude immediately enraged Zhou Yan, his eyes turning icy. "Bastard, how dare you insult me? Do you want to die?"
"Insult you?"
Zhou Yan let out a cold snort, his gaze growing colder, his voice indifferent. "Zhou Yan! All of this is merely due to your vanity! Everyone here knows you are the bastard son of my parents, your mother was a lowly prostitute, and she is dead!"
Zhou Yan's eyes were sharp, and a hint of contempt flickered within his gaze as he looked at Zhou Yan.
For years, Zhou Yan had grown up in the countryside. He had not studied much, and thus lacked eloquence and refinement. In terms of rhetoric, he was far inferior to these young masters of noble families.
However, Zhou Yan was not a fool.
Although he was unclear of Zhou Yan's identity, he could infer from those few words that this person was likely a descendant of some noble in the Zhou Kingdom, and held a considerable position. Otherwise, he would not have possessed an academy token, let alone participate in the assessment and join the Tianhuang Sect.
"Bastard!"
Hearing Zhou Yan's sarcasm, Zhou Yan was utterly enraged. He clenched his fists, veins bulging on his forehead, his eyes filled with intense killing intent.
"Rumble!"
Instantly, the air crackled, and tempestuous spiritual energy fluctuations surged from Zhou Yan's body, vast as an abyss, majestic as a mountain.
At this moment, Zhou Yan seemed to transform into a ferocious beast ready to devour, radiating a sharp and piercing aura that inspired awe.
"Nine-Star Body Refining Martial Master!"
"This kid has actually broken through to the Nine-Star Body Refining Martial Master realm?"
Seeing this, the surrounding onlookers gasped, their faces filled with envy and jealousy as they stared at Zhou Yan.
A Nine-Star Body Refining Martial Master was considered quite formidable within the Nanling Prefecture City.
As long as they did not perish prematurely, they would surely become a supreme powerhouse capable of suppressing one region in the future.
Moreover, in Nanling Prefecture City, a Nine-Star Body Refining Martial Master was merely a common position. Within the Tianqiong Academy, they wouldn't even qualify as a student!
"Hmph, no wonder you dare to provoke me?"
Zhou Yan was also taken aback by Zhou Yan's displayed cultivation. However, he immediately let out a cold snort, his tone sinister. "But you are still just an ant!"
"Today, I shall see who dares to stop me!"
As soon as the words fell, Zhou Yan suddenly extended his right arm and grabbed at the nearby guard.
"Swish~"
The guard reacted quickly, immediately drawing his saber and blocking in front of him. The blade flashed, shattering Zhou Yan's palm.
"Clatter." Zhou Yan's wrist was cut, bleeding profusely.
"Hiss..." Zhou Yan gasped for air.
He felt as if his finger had almost been severed, the pain unbearable.
"Hmph!" The guard snorted, taking out his chains again, preparing to bind Zhou Yan once more.
"Presumptuous!"
Just then, another guard rushed over, blocking in front of Zhou Yan, his eyes icily fixed on the first guard.
"Get lost!"
The guard shouted coldly, a cold glint surging in his eyes.
"Hmph, today I'll see who gets lost!" That guard also drew his long sword and began to fight the first guard.
"Clang clang clang!"
The two immediately engaged, sword qi clashing, blade energy crisscrossing. Every move and every strike contained terrifying power, making one's heart palpitate!
For a moment, the surrounding onlookers retreated, not daring to approach.
"This is Chen Ming, the captain of the Zhou Kingdom's guard."
"He is at the peak of the Eighth Stage Warrior realm, only a step away from becoming a Martial Master. It is said that he has mastered his swordsmanship to the Great Perfection stage and once defeated a Fifth Stage Martial Disciple..."
Many whispered, their gazes filled with reverence as they watched the two fighting in the arena.
The battle between the two was too fierce, like two thunderclouds colliding, sending sparks flying.
An ordinary person would have been trembling with fear.
"Hmm? What's your name?"
At this moment, Zhou Yan turned to look at the youth behind him, his gaze filled with curiosity.
"Qin Yang," Qin Yang replied calmly, showing no hint of fear despite Zhou Yan's higher cultivation.
On the contrary, Qin Yang held a good deal of admiration for this Zhou Yan.
Because Zhou Yan was tall and sturdy, full of immense brute strength. A punch from him was like a hammer smashing an egg, possessing unparalleled power.
With such a physique, if he cultivated body-tempering techniques, he would undoubtedly achieve twice the results with half the effort, and might even break through to the Seven-Star Body Tempering Martial Disciple realm.
However, the strength of a Body Tempering Martial Disciple was too weak, essentially useless.
"Qin Yang?"
Zhou Yan was slightly stunned, then it dawned on him.
Wasn't this Qin Yang from Zhou Yan's memories?
Zhou Yan had been abandoned in a remote village since childhood and grew up alone. It wasn't until he was six years old that his father took him in.
In Zhou Yan's memory, his father's name seemed to be Zhou Yan, which fit the young man before him quite well.
However, this young man was even more handsome and noble than Zhou Yan remembered, with the demeanor of a refined and elegant young master, giving Zhou Yan a sense of both intense familiarity and strangeness.
"What a coincidence, my surname is also Qin," Zhou Yan said with a smile, patting Qin Yang's shoulder. "We're both surnamed Qin!"
"Indeed," Qin Yang smiled faintly, his gaze falling on the guard. "What is your name?"
"Hmph, my name is Qin Lin," Qin Lin frowned, his tone somewhat grim. "I advise you to be sensible. You are only at the Fourth Level of Body Quenching, you are no match for me. If you speak again, believe it or not, I'll cut out your tongue?"
Qin Lin's words carried a strong threat.
Hearing this, everyone felt a pang of anxiety for Qin Yang.
After all, Zhou Yan was the son of the Prince. Qin Lin was just a guard. If he truly angered Zhou Yan, it could lead to a tragic incident.