No student in the entire Holy Land Academy had ever dared to speak to the deans of the Outer and Inner Academies like that. It was simply arrogant beyond measure!
“Confidence is a good thing in young people,” Dean Yu Qing admonished, “but you need to gauge your own strength first. Your cultivation might place you at the top in the Outer Academy, but in the Inner Academy, you’d be nothing.”
Yan Zhen shook his head, refusing to accept that assessment.
“You’re underestimating me too much, Dean. I’m only in the Mystic Master Realm right now, but my strength is no weaker than a Low-Star Mystic General’s. I absolutely qualify to climb onto the General Star List.”
Grand Mentor Shui Bailan interjected.
“If you were a Seven-Star Mystic Master, your words might hold some credibility—after all, there are plenty of prodigies who can fight above their level. But as a mere Three-Star Mystic Master? Forget Mystic Generals; you couldn’t even match a Nine-Star Mystic Master.”
Dean Yu Qing snorted coldly.
“At such a young age, you should be studying hard instead of bragging like this. Did you use the same sweet talk to deceive Xuan’er?”
Mentor Yu Xuan immediately bristled at that.
“Little Aunt!”
“What Grand Mentor Shui said applies to ordinary Three-Star Mystic Masters,” Yan Zhen replied without missing a beat. “I’m not ordinary. Because I have this.”
He raised his hand and clenched it in the air. A roaring gray-black flame erupted in his palm.
As the gray flame danced, a faint dragon roar echoed from within. A small dragon shadow flickered faintly in its depths.
An eerie aura emanated from the gray flame, stirring Mystic unease in the heart—enough to make one overlook the scorching heat it radiated.
“!!!”
Dean Little Aunt and Grand Mentor Aunt both paled in shock, staring uncertainly at the gray flame in Yan Zhen’s hand. They exclaimed in unison:
“‘Extreme Flame?!'”
Yan Zhen smiled faintly, offering no direct answer—as if to say, “Let’s see if you can identify this Extreme Flame.”
There were one hundred and eight Extreme Flames in the world between heaven and earth. That might sound like a lot, but it was a count accumulated over the course of history, and they were exceedingly rare in practice. The higher-ranked ones existed mostly in legends.
An Extreme Flame could dramatically elevate a Pill Refiner’s power, yet many spent years searching fruitlessly, wasting their prime before giving up in despair.
Neither Dean Yu Qing nor Grand Mentor Shui Bailan was a Pill Refiner, so their knowledge of Extreme Flames was limited. They couldn’t identify this gray flame right away, but judging from its aura, it was indeed potent enough to challenge a Mystic General. Yan Zhen’s earlier claims didn’t seem like empty boasts.
The two beautiful women exchanged a glance, both clearly stunned.
A new student from some remote backwater kingdom actually possessed a rare treasure like an Extreme Flame—and he’d even refined it!
They found themselves forced to reassess Yan Zhen.
Yu Xuan had indeed broken the family rules and would face punishment, but whether to accept Yan Zhen as the Yu Family’s live-in son-in-law was now up for discussion. After all, he’d demonstrated value enough to shake their resolve.
“Can you two believe me now?” Yan Zhen asked leisurely. “If not, feel free to test me. I don’t mind if Dean and Grand Mentor Shui bully the weak with your superior strength—or even gang up on me.”
Dean Yu Qing flushed with anger at his words. Little Scoundrel—his strength was still unproven, but his silver tongue was unmatched.
Even Shui Bailan itched to freeze Yan Zhen’s mouth shut.
Mentor Yu Xuan, standing to the side, covered her mouth to stifle a laugh at the sight of her aunt and little aunt being bested—until their glares made her straighten her expression.
“This dean wouldn’t stoop to fighting a mere new student,” Yu Qing replied coolly, refusing to take the bait. “If you claim you won’t lose to anyone in the academy, then prove it. If you truly have that ability, the entire Yu Family would have no reason to object to you and Xuan’er becoming dao companions.”
“Of course. That was my plan all along.” Yan Zhen withdrew the Evil Spirit Dragon Breath Flame and said earnestly, “So, if Dean and Grand Mentor Shui could help apply for the special exam for rapid promotion to the Inner Academy, I’d appreciate it. At the latest, within a month, I’ll deliver a satisfactory answer sheet to the Yu Family.”
“Pass the exam first,” Dean Yu Qing said, irked by his arrogant demeanor. “The special exam is nothing like a normal assessment—its difficulty is immense. Even Inner Academy students don’t always pass smoothly… You might have some skill, but bad luck could still sink you.”
“You’re exaggerating, Little Aunt. You’re just trying to scare him,” Mentor Yu Xuan shot her little aunt a look. “With Yan Zhen’s strength, passing will be a breeze. The issue is that the Inner Academy promotion exam requires approval from the vice dean. If he learns Yan Zhen is my lover, he definitely won’t approve it.”
—I’m really worried if Little Aunt can handle the paperwork~
That was the gist of it.
Dean Yu Qing caught the implication in her niece’s words and grumbled.
“I’ll handle it personally. If he doesn’t approve, Big Sis and I will tear down his office. That work for you?”
A soft smile bloomed on Mentor Yu Xuan’s face.
“Little Aunt, you’re the best~”
Dean Yu Qing huffed proudly.
Grand Mentor Shui Bailan felt a little exasperated. Her eyes happened to meet Yan Zhen’s, and she saw he wore an equally speechless expression. She quickly composed herself.
“Ahem. That’s all well and good, but it doesn’t mean we’ve approved your relationship yet. Some lines had better not be crossed.”
Shui Bailan spoke obliquely, but everyone present understood instantly.
Dean Yu Qing planted her hands on her hips.
“Exactly! Xuan’er, you and this boy haven’t done anything naughty, have you?”
It was so blunt that both Yan Zhen and Mentor Yu Xuan flushed red.
It wasn’t just embarrassment—there was guilt, too.
“N-No,” Mentor Yu Xuan whispered. “The restraint seal is still there. We couldn’t even if we wanted to.”
“Very suspicious.” Dean Yu Qing eyed them both. “Stick out your hand. Let me check.”
Mentor Yu Xuan’s pretty face burned as she rolled up her sleeve, extending her fair, tender arm.
Dean Yu Qing circulated her mystic power and tapped the spot. Soon, faint chain-like patterns emerged on the flawless white skin, centered around a circle with a red dot symbolizing purity.
Satisfied, Dean Yu Qing nodded.
“Good. With the restraint seal in place, any hanky-panky would only hurt you both.”
Mentor Yu Xuan withdrew her arm and adjusted her sleeve, breathing a quiet sigh of relief.
Yan Zhen relaxed too, relieved that not every naughty deed could be detected.
But just as the thought crossed his mind, Grand Mentor Shui Bailan spoke up.
“Check him too. With that philanderer’s look on his face, he probably has no shortage of women around him.”
Dean Yu Qing nodded in agreement.
“You’re right—hey, brat, you come over here and let me check you too.”
What the—!? Yan Zhen jolted in alarm and darted behind Mentor Yu Xuan, saying weakly:
“I don’t need it, right? Men and women shouldn’t be so intimate.”
Mentor Yu Xuan tensed up as well.
“Little Aunt, Yan Zhen’s a good boy. Don’t make things hard for him.”
