After the Spirit Phenomenon had continued for some time, the thunderclouds suddenly began to roil. Under the golden light that stretched to the horizon, it seemed as if a storm was expanding from within.
The purple clouds dispersed with the wind, and in just a few breaths, the sky returned to its original state—clear and calm, as if everything that had just happened was a mere illusion.
Qing Buli stood frozen in place, his face devoid of color. Only after the phenomenon dissipated did he finally exhale a deep sigh of relief, though the shock and fear in his eyes remained evident.
"That Spirit Pressure... It definitely came from the person in the purple flames in the void. Back during the Sky Martial Conference, I caught a fleeting glance from the outer realm…"
Qing Buli's mind replayed a scene from the past:
A golden throne, radiant and overflowing with divine light, floated in the void, exuding unparalleled majesty. A man sat upon it with a smile, his appearance so handsome that it seemed as though he could pluck the stars and moon from the sky and shatter the very heavens with a flick of his hand.
It was but a fleeting glance, yet it was an image forever etched into his memory!
Qing Buli's face grew ashen as he stood in the sky, stunned and motionless.
Before long, over a dozen beams of light shot up from the imperial palace of Baishui City, all speeding toward him.
In the blink of an eye, they arrived before Qing Buli. The leader, a tall and robust man, was Hou Mingyi, the Supreme Commander of the Cangnan Kingdom's Imperial Guard and a peak True Martial expert.
Behind each of them were faint wing-like light formations, the mark of a True Martial practitioner—True Yuan manifested in physical form.
Once a martial artist reached the True Martial Realm, they could condense their True Yuan into weapons, armor, or wings, though it was an immense drain on their energy.
Hou Mingyi hurried forward and cupped his hands in a salute, "Principal."
Qing Buli waved his hand and replied, "I know why you're here, but the matter is already over. Go back."
Hou Mingyi and the others exchanged glances, hesitant. "We don't know what just happened, but all of our Spirits were deeply shaken. If we return empty-handed, we won't be able to report to the Emperor. Please, Principal, we ask for your understanding."
Qing Buli glanced at him indifferently and said, "My word is the explanation."
Hou Mingyi trembled, immediately cupping his hands in respect, "As per your orders!"
The principal of the Five Northern Kingdoms' top academy, known as the "Martial King," had authority as great as any emperor, and Hou Mingyi and the others dared not defy him. They immediately bowed and withdrew.
In the Tiancong Academy's Examination Arena
Everyone stood frozen, still in shock from the earlier celestial phenomenon. It took a long time before anyone regained their senses.
Qin Zhen's body trembled violently, but he ultimately didn't kneel. Instead, his entire body was soaked in cold sweat, and his face was as pale as death.
Yu Liang and Zuo Heng struggled to rise from the ground, brushing off the dust from their bodies. They were deeply embarrassed from having been forced to kneel and tremble before hundreds of students. The humiliation was burning on their faces.
Especially seeing that Qin Zhen had not knelt, Yu Liang's eyes filled with jealousy. This was the gap between them in strength. Not only did his own students fall short of Qin Zhen's, but his own martial strength was inferior to that of his rival, and this thought made Yu Liang seethe with anger.
Zuo Heng, meanwhile, was humiliated and glanced at Wu Qiyue, feeling as though his own image had been damaged.
When he saw that Wu Qiyue had her eyes tightly closed and was pale, he let out a quiet sigh of relief, comforting himself: Maybe she didn't see me kneeling.
The other students who had awakened their Spirits were in a better state. They stood up and brushed the dust off their clothes, showing little to no shame.
Of all the students, Wu Qiyue, who had forcibly activated her Qingyan Eye to peer into the Spirit Phenomenon, had been injured the most.
She secretly wiped away two streaks of blood tears, her eyes still faintly red. She didn't dare open them for fear of being noticed.
However, inside, a storm was raging. "A single thought, and it can suppress mountains and rivers! This is the 'One Thought Suppresses the Mountains' from the most powerful Spirits! Just with 'Martial Will,' it can crush my Qingyan Eye. This aura is the most intense, the most rigid—it can break all things. Among the ten strongest Spirits, only 'Enemies Under Heaven' and 'Unmatched Might' can accomplish such a feat."
But, those two strongest Spirits belong to…
Could it be that the earlier Spirit Phenomenon was caused by one of those two beings, merely passing by, and not triggered by Yang Qingxuan?
Wu Qiyue's heart was torn with confusion, uncertainty clouding her mind. The horrifying pressure she had felt earlier still caused her shoulders to tremble in fear.
"Qiyue, don't be afraid. I'm here. Even if the mountains collapse and the earth shakes, even if a thousand armies march, nothing will harm you."
Zuo Heng felt her trembling and hurriedly tried to appear protective, as if to say, I'll shield you.
But just as he spoke, he felt the strange stares of those around him. The dirt on his knees was still there, unbrushed off, and he seemed to have forgotten his own embarrassing state from earlier.
Wu Qiyue opened her eyes, the blood-red tint now faded, and cast him a strange look.
Zuo Heng immediately felt a rush of shame. He wished he could sink into the ground, and could only glare at the others, making them quickly avert their gazes, afraid to look any longer.
"What just happened? Why did my Spirit feel like it was about to be crushed?" A kneeling student asked, still shaken. Though things had calmed down, he was deeply terrified.
The other dozen students who had awakened their Spirits also showed signs of fear.
"It was the Spirit Pressure!"
Qin Zhen's eyes were also filled with fear. He spoke in a low voice, "It came from the appearance of an immensely powerful Spirit. All our Spirits were suppressed."
"That was terrifying. I couldn't help but kneel… Who is this person, to possess such a terrifying Spirit?" another student stammered.
Yu Liang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and looked toward a certain direction in the academy. "Could it be the Principal? I heard the Principal is in seclusion, cultivating some powerful divine technique."
"Yes! It must have been the Principal's Spirit!"
The dozen students' eyes lit up with excitement. "The Principal is known as the 'Martial King' and is a grand master of the Yuanwu Realm!"
Yu Liang nodded. "Only the Principal in the entire Five Northern Kingdoms could release such a terrifying Spirit."
All the students were abuzz, excited at the thought of witnessing the Principal's Spirit Phenomenon. It was indeed a great honor.
Zuo Heng frowned slightly, as if agreeing with this explanation.
But only Qin Zhen remained pensive, unable to shake off his doubts. His brow furrowed, and he muttered to himself: The Principal's Spirit, though powerful, couldn't be this overwhelming! With just a mere thought, it almost shattered my Spirit. Is that a Martial God's power?
It wasn't until a long while later that Qin Zhen finally calmed himself and said, "This matter will be investigated by the academy and the royal family. We should continue with the examination. Everyone saw it, Yang Qingxuan does possess a Spirit Root. Though it's only a single soul light of the lowest grade, it is definitely real. I announce that Yang Qingxuan has passed the examination!"
No one connected the earlier phenomenon to Yang Qingxuan, except for Yang Qingxuan himself, who still stood dazedly, staring at the sky with a confused look.
This fool… He actually passed the exam…
And even tested positive for a Spirit Root… Is this a dream?
The other students, having regained their senses after the earlier shock, stared incredulously at Yang Qingxuan, the dim-witted boy, as if he had somehow changed.