Someone from the Lu family curiously asked, "Haven't the seniors from Changxian Gate arrived yet? Is Gu Yan just going to keep waiting like this?"
"I know about this. In fact, on the first day Gu Yan came, he went to the City Lord's Mansion with the token. I heard that the teleportation array is inside the City Lord's Mansion. However, he didn't stay with the elders of the Gu family for long; it seems they were kept waiting. In my opinion, Gu Yan, with the token, isn't as important as imagined. Otherwise, Lord Meng would have invited him into the City Lord's Mansion long ago."
"I think so too. He's just an outer disciple, how can he be as promising as Sister Minzhu!" The confident disciples from the Lu family expressed.
Lu Minzhu smiled faintly. Yes, it seems that Cousin isn't as important and unattainable as imagined.
Lasting for over half a month, the Immortal Ascension Conference was coming to an end. Sects like the North Star Sect had stopped recruiting disciples. At this time, the Heavenly Capital Academy finally saw an influx of people. Gu Yao and Tian Feirong were called by Senior Zhou to help for a while, leaving Gu Yao both amused and annoyed. It seemed the position of the Heavenly Capital Academy was indeed miserable, with those disciples from prestigious families calling it a trash collection center.
Despite the increased popularity, Professor Fang remained grumpy every day, and his voice was still the loudest in the entire hall.
With Tian Feirong around, Gu Yao pretty much knew which sect or force each person from Far Yang Town joined. For example, Lu Minbai also joined the North Star Sect in the end. However, everyone knew he was brought in by his younger sister. Considering Lu Minzhu's different status now, bringing an outer disciple in was a privilege, and everyone wondered if Lu Minbai felt resentful or happy about it.
"Gu Yumo actually joined the Verdant Smoke Valley?" Gu Yao expressed surprise, vaguely remembering the young girl from his memories. She was one of the few relatives who didn't make things difficult for the original owner, but there wasn't much emotional connection either.
"Yes, I heard she entered with a Wood Elemental Root. I've heard about the situation in the Verdant Smoke Valley. Perhaps she focused on cultivating in the direction of planting spiritual herbs after entering the valley. Even so, it's enough to make those arrogant people from the Gu family envious and jealous." Among those who usually stand out, Gu Yumo isn't one of them, so Tian Feirong's impression of her isn't too bad. It's better to benefit this girl than others.
"Oh, and do you remember that Gu Yang? He joined a trading firm, adopting the identity of an alchemist. He seems quite proud of himself. It looks like the firm will heavily invest in him in the future. Hmph! Who would believe that!"
Gu Yao smiled, "At least it's not a total loss."
"That makes sense. I also heard that several kids from families other than ours have joined decent sects. They must be thrilled from ear to ear." Tian Feirong commented.
Gu Yao sensed the challenges faced by both parents and children. It resembled the situation in the Interstellar Alliance when applying to prestigious academies. Many parents and students hoped fervently, like crossing a narrow bridge with a large army, anticipating acceptance into the top-ranked academies, a great event uplifting the entire family.
As they chatted, the chubby guy seemed a bit dispirited in recent days, making Gu Yao feel like he's the prodigal son they were looking for outside.
Senior Zhou approached, waving at them, "Come on, Senior Fang wants to broaden our horizons. It's a rare opportunity, especially since you guys are the first batch to join."
Tian Feirong jumped up curiously, "Senior Zhou, where are we going?"
Senior Zhou smiled, "To the City Lord's Mansion. I heard the people from Changxian Gate are coming. Don't you want to witness it?"
"Sure, let's go!" Tian Feirong was excited; he loved joining in on such events. Such good things shouldn't be missed. Then he realized something and looked back at Gu Yao. After all, it was Gu Yao who handed over the token to Gu Yan. Would Gu Yao mind?
Gu Yao stood up, patting his backside, saying, "With such a good opportunity to broaden our horizons, of course, we shouldn't miss it. Right, Night?"
"Little Yao is right." The calm and composed Night agreed with a smile.
Senior Zhou's eye twitched a bit. Since he learned that Night could kill a Rhino Bull with one sword, he couldn't treat him like an ordinary follower or a new student in the academy. Such strength would make even him bow down, so these days, he hesitated to assign Night any tasks. It was Senior Jiang who eventually brought it up. Although Night seemed indifferent, he didn't decline.
The chubby guy didn't object either. So, the four of them followed Senior Zhou to Senior Fang. A female student was also waiting there, whom they had met before. She was a little beauty named Bai Xiu'er, the most talented among them. In Tian Feirong's words, she had no reason to come to the Heavenly Capital Academy, so she was thrown out by Senior Fang's palm wind several times before shutting up.
The little beauty greeted everyone, addressing them as senior brothers. Tian Feirong was about to approach her, but Senior Fang impatiently waved a flying artifact, saying, "Hurry up, don't waste time."
The Ten-Fold City was large, and traveling on foot would waste a lot of time. For Foundation Establishment cultivators, there was no restriction on flying within the city. So, Senior Fang led the way on a boat-shaped flying artifact, and the others followed behind. Before they could stabilize themselves, the flying artifact shot out. The chubby guy and Tian Feirong rolled into a ball, crying out in pain.
Gu Yao was extremely lucky that Night pulled him to keep him steady when the artifact took off. He stood firmly, not embarrassing himself like Tian Feirong. Bai Xiu'er was conveniently standing next to Senior Jiang and was stabilized as he waved his hand. Seeing the two struggling to get up, Bai Xiu'er couldn't help giggling.
When Tian Feirong and the chubby guy finally got up, they dared not say a word, suffering from Senior Fang's teachings several times. So, they just gritted their teeth and glared at him.
Standing at the front of the boat, Senior Fang didn't activate any protective shields. The strong wind blew his hair like wild snakes, and his robes rustled loudly, appearing extremely unrestrained.
Soon, they reached the place with the most abundant spiritual energy in the city—the City Lord's Mansion. Positioned on a mountain peak, Senior Fang announced his identity, and the guards let them enter. Even if Gu Yao wasn't sensitive, he felt the subtle gazes of those guards, seemingly questioning why this group came to join in.
Senior Fang was familiar with the place, obviously having been here before. He took them to a spacious open space where many people had already gathered. Their arrival attracted the attention of many cultivators.
Senior Fang didn't mind at all, leading them boldly past these cultivators. Senior Jiang maintained a smiling face throughout, while Senior Zhou seemed a bit uncomfortable. It was evident that Senior Jiang's cultivation was even deeper. Senior Zhou was somewhat uneasy, indicating that Senior Jiang had a higher level of strength.
Gu Yao was observing others and noticed some eyes lingering on him. He turned his head to see Lu Minzhu looking at him in surprise. Gu Yao expressionlessly withdrew his gaze. As Tian Feirong said, Lu Minzhu's special physique gained attention from the North Star Sect. That's why she was brought here. Similarly, Lu Minbai, who also joined the North Star Sect, was nowhere to be seen. After scanning the surroundings, Gu Yumo wasn't found either.
Tian Feirong had sharp eyes and had noticed his brother a long time ago. He was about to make some teasing expressions, but after being noticed by Tian Ru, he immediately felt a cold gaze and quickly restrained himself.
Tian Feiyang curled his lips. He didn't expect his second brother to come here too. It was unexpected but pleasant.
"Mr. Fang, didn't expect to see you in such a place. Aren't you afraid that those around you will be affected and develop inner demons? Or do they, like you, have thick skin and think highly of themselves?" After finding a place to stop, a sarcastic voice came from the side, attracting the curiosity of Gu Yao and others.
There happened to be a group of people nearby. Seeing the Heavenly Capital Academy's group stopping beside them, they twisted their eyebrows as if they were plagued by some contagious disease. The one mocking them was a middle-aged beauty, exuding obvious disdain as she glanced over Gu Yao and the others.
Senior Fang's bulging eyes stared, and he shook his sleeves, saying, "What bad luck! Didn't expect it to be you, this old witch. Go somewhere else. Let me tell you, from now on, everyone who sees people from this sect must keep far away, or just beat them all down. But don't let me catch any of you mingling with disciples of this old witch!"
Senior Fang was straightforward. He didn't bother with the beautiful woman, leading the students to move
to another place.
His voice was loud and clear, attracting many cultivators' odd looks. Senior Fang didn't care and mumbled that he didn't see the place clearly as he walked away. The beautiful woman and her disciples were infuriated, their faces turning red. If it weren't for the wrong occasion, they would have rushed over. They could only glare at the Heavenly Capital Academy's group with eyes filled with hate, as if they were carrying a contagious disease. The beautiful woman sneered and made sarcastic remarks.
Senior Zhou smiled helplessly, and Senior Jiang felt a headache. There would likely be a conflict before and after returning to the academy. If they couldn't beat the other party, they would probably be beaten. He began to feel pain all over.
Seeing the puzzled expressions of the younger brothers and sisters, Senior Zhou explained in a low voice, "That's disciples from the Qiansnow Sect and Elder Gan from the Qiansnow Sect. Unfortunately, the Qiansnow Sect is right next to our Heavenly Capital Academy's territory. There have been conflicts between us over territory. When venturing outside, disciples from the Qiansnow Sect often clashed with our academy's students. Anyway, the grudge between the two has a long history. If you ever encounter them, try to avoid them, as Senior Fang said. Otherwise, just try to beat them. Don't let me know that you're colluding with disciples of that old witch!"
Senior Zhou was very straightforward. He partially explained the situation. However, Gu Yao felt that it might not be that simple. Senior Fang seemed to have hidden some truths.