"What did Aidan just say? I didn't quite catch it."
"He seems to have said he advanced to the Intermediate Tier!"
"How is that possible? He only has 33 Ascension Sigils, and his energy absorption efficiency is so low. How could he be the first to advance to the Intermediate Tier?"
"It must be a lie. He's just afraid of being punished by the academy, so he's lying!"
The students began to discuss loudly.
Compared to Aidan's advancement to the Intermediate Tier, the life and death of the two guards were no longer important. They weren't Ascendants, so who cared if they lived or died?
"You said you've advanced to the Intermediate Tier?" The academy elder's voice was cold, his gaze flashing with coldness. "Aidan, you can't just say such things lightly. If you admit your mistake now, I can still forgive you considering it's your first offense. But if you continue to make mistakes and attempt to cover them up with lies, then let me tell you now, lies are the easiest to expose."
Aidan didn't argue, just chuckled lightly, then began to concentrate on manipulating the external energy. The 33 Ascension Sigils on his body emitted a honey bronze light.
"Really advanced to the Intermediate Tier? How is this possible!?" The academy elder exclaimed inwardly, a hint of shock flashing under his eyelids. But he forcefully suppressed it, his expression as solemn as water.
After a moment, he digested the fact and said in a low voice, "Indeed, it's the Intermediate Tier."
The students had already held their breath, waiting for the outcome.
When the academy elder spoke, the entire academy erupted like a pot boiling over.
The students were full of disbelief and uncertainty, their faces showing incredulous expressions.
Aidan only had 33 Ascension Sigils, yet he was the first to break through to the Intermediate Tier. This was breaking common sense!
"What!" Ewan's face turned pale. He had been confident last night, but now faced with the reality before him, he couldn't bear the shock and sat down heavily.
Isolde eyes wide open, Tristan clenched his fists, and Emeric gritted his teeth.
The academy elder couldn't be deceived. How did Aidan achieve this?
For a moment, all the youths stared at Aidan intently, all with the same question in their hearts—how did Aidan, with his qualifications, advance so quickly?
The academy elder also had doubts in his mind.
Under such immense doubt, he abandoned his previous thoughts of suppressing Aidan and directly asked, "Aidan, I hope you can explain how exactly you advanced to the Intermediate Tier."
Aidan smiled silently, "As the saying goes, diligence is the way of heaven. I diligently studied and practiced, accumulating day by day, month by month, until success naturally came."
"Bull shit!"
"Tsk, if diligence is the way of heaven, I would've been the first long ago!"
The students were obviously dissatisfied with this answer.
"Is that so?" The academy elder neither confirmed nor denied, his gaze icy as he pressed Aidan.
Aidan remained calm, meeting the elder's gaze without fear.
In the past four months, while others were cultivating, he was cultivating. When others spent time familiarizing themselves with the essence conduits, he was cultivating. When others practiced martial arts, he was cultivating. The experience he accumulated before his rebirth gave him multiple times more time to cultivate than others. And not only did he receive generous rewards from the first two competitions, but he also gained substantial wealth from robbery and acquired many essence gems from Malagor's legacy, allowing him to indulge in using essence gems during cultivation. All of this contributed to Aidan entering the Intermediate Tier slightly earlier than others.
He was covered in blood, his coarse clothes in disarray, as if he had experienced a fierce battle.
His eyes were deep, calm, indifferent, and even seemed to carry a hint of mockery.
Seeing such eyes, the academy elder's heart couldn't help but waver.
"This Aidan is fearless, unyielding, unafraid, and unperturbed. How could I possibly force him to confess on the spot? With his talent, being the first to advance to the Intermediate Tier, there must be a secret. But since he doesn't want to reveal it, as the academy elder, I can't force him. It seems I'll have to investigate secretly."
With this thought, the academy elder had to withdraw his gaze, and his stern expression softened.
But Aidan didn't stop there. "Elder, I'm worried. I don't know how you plan to deal with these two guards. They've lost too much blood. If they're not treated soon, they'll die."
"Are you the only one worried?" The academy elder couldn't help but snort inwardly, his brows deeply furrowed.
At this point, as the person in charge of the academy, he had to step forward and deal with the situation.
"But how should I handle it?" The academy elder couldn't help but feel a bit troubled.
He couldn't help but ponder.
Aidan noticed all the changes in the academy elder's expression. He chuckled inwardly; the elder must be feeling quite troubled now.
These two guards were just ordinary servants, their lives as cheap as grass. Normally, if they died, it wouldn't matter, and no one would care.
But the situation was different now. These two were personally sent out by the academy elder. If they died, it would be a loss of face for him!
So these two guards couldn't die, and the academy elder would have them treated.
What truly troubled the academy elder was how to deal with Aidan.
Originally, in his plan, Aidan's skipping class and killing the guards would have been considered defiance, arrogance. According to the castle's rules, he would have been imprisoned in the castle's dungeon to reflect and repent.
But with Aidan's promotion to the Intermediate Tier, these wrongdoings suddenly became different.
Aidan skipped class and killed the guards because of his cultivation. This could be seen as understandable.
More importantly, he successfully advanced to the Intermediate Tier, becoming the first in this generation. This occupied the moral high ground.
Regardless of what Aidan relied on to advance so quickly, this secret was temporarily put aside.
Might makes right; the world only cares about the result. No one would blame such an outstanding junior.
The academy elder couldn't punish him in any way.
What is your academy for? It is to cultivate outstanding Ascendants and inject new strength into the castle.
If such an outstanding youth appears, and you, as the academy elder, still suppress him, then you are wrong!
It's like a student achieving good grades; as a teacher, you should praise and encourage them, not punish and criticize. A teacher who criticizes and punishes a student for excellent academic performance will never be recognized.
Perhaps other elders, out of fear of Aidan's future development or due to personal grudges, might secretly suppress him. But not you, academy elder!
Because you are responsible for the academy, you must be fair and just, at least outwardly fair and just.
That's the rule!