Chapter 139

Chapter 139: The Contest of the Fu Academy.

Mu Chen's promotion to a fourth-level Alchemist created a sensation throughout the academy.

Those in the Saint Star Academy, previously torn between Mu Chen and Lu Yao, were now leaning towards Mu Chen.

"Mu Chen's alchemy skills have actually reached the fourth level. It's unimaginable," Lou Ruoyi said in admiration as she walked.

Mi Xue nodded in agreement, "It's truly terrifying. I thought Mu Chen, being a multi-disciplinary scholar, would not match up to Lu Yao's expertise in one. I was clearly wrong."

"As a fourth-level Alchemist, Mu Chen will never be poor," Bai Le commented in awe.

"No wonder he splurged on several fourth-level Fu records without any hesitation."

"Isn't that so? Now Ye Shi is like a mouse inside a grain jar, never having to worry about spending yuan stones again," said Lou Ruo Yi with a hint of envy.

Ye Rong kept her head down, not participating in the conversation.

Her father had completely become a gambler, and Mu Chen had become a courtesan. Ye Shi ignored her, and so naturally, Mu Chen didn't care about her either.

Ye Rong couldn't understand how she ended up in such a state. Even though she didn't understand, she had to grit her teeth and move on. Every now and then when she thought of the past, she couldn't help but regret. If she had initially built a good relationship with Ye Shi instead of opposing him, perhaps things would have been different now.

Xie Dan Yan rested her chin in her hand, sighing continuously.

Cheng Wan Bai glanced at Xie Dan Yan, who was sighing, while reading the pill book, and asked, "Dan Yan, what's bothering you?"

"I'm just amazed! How can there be such a gap between people?" she exclaimed.

She was just a level two pill master, but Mu Chen was already at level four. Xie Dan Yan had previously thought Mu Chen was fickle and learned a bit of everything, which might delay his advancement. But to her surprise, Mu Chen had silently reached the fourth level.

Only a few mentors in the academy are fourth-level pill masters! She had always idolized them, and now, Mu Chen's skills were on par with theirs.

"Don't compare yourself to Mu Chen. Look at Lan Ruo Feng's situation, and you'll understand," said Cheng Wan Bai with a forced smile. Lan Ruo Feng seemed more and more dejected. Being from the same era as Mu Chen and Lu Yao Sheng was truly unfortunate.

"Right, I shouldn't compare myself to a monster like Mu Chen. It's impossible." When they first met, she had viewed Lan Ruo Feng as a genius and Mu Chen as a schemer. Turns out, she wasn't the best judge of character!

...

After the pill contest, Sheng Xing had one win and one loss, resulting in a tie between the two academies.

Lan Ruo Feng eventually crafted a pill, but its quality was inferior to the pill produced by the contestant from Ming Yue Academy. So, they lost.

As soon as the competition ended, Mu Chen had Xia Qing Yan escort him away.

The first contest between the two academies was at the symbol academy. Song Cheng also wanted to get closer to Mu Chen and ask about his situation. However, Xia Qing Yan abruptly sent Song Cheng away.

Faced with Xia Qing Yan's authority, Song Cheng had no choice but to leave, adhering to the principle that a gentleman does not quarrel with a lady.

"Dean, did you want to see me?" Mu Chen asked, looking at the imposing Xia Qing Yan.

With hands on her hips, Xia Qing Yan coldly stared at Mu Chen and scolded, "Stop playing dumb with me. When did your pill-making skills reach the fourth level?"

"A few days ago," replied Mu Chen indifferently.

Xia Qing Yan shot Mu Chen a chilly glance, "Your pill skills are at the fourth level, but what about your inscription skills?"

"Third level," said Mu Chen.

Xia Qing Yan responded irritably, "You reached the fourth level in pill-making, but only the third in inscriptions, even though you're from our Inscription Academy!"

Although she had expected his answer, Xia Qing Yan still felt a pang of disappointment.

Mu Chen lowered his head. In reality, he was not just a fourth-level pill master but also a fourth-level symbol master and a fourth-level formation master. The symbols he used in the contest were crafted by him. However, he genuinely struggled with inscriptions.

"Dean, it's not entirely my fault. The academy's inscriptions are limited," Mu Chen sighed.

He had an incredible intuition, but without adequate knowledge to nourish it, it was useless.

The academy had a comprehensive legacy in pills and symbols. The legacy for formations was poor, but he had received Ye Shi's extraordinary family legacy.

Upon hearing Mu Chen's explanation, Xia Qing Yan appeared crestfallen.

The academy's valuable inscription resources were far less abundant than the Pill and Symbol academies. With Mu Chen's talents, had the Inscription Academy had a richer legacy, he'd probably be a fourth-level inscription master by now.

"I have failed you," Xia Qing Yan said somberly, believing that Mu Chen might have had broader horizons at Ming Yue Academy.

"You're being too hard on yourself," Mu Chen responded sincerely.

...

At the Ming Yue Academy camp.

"Yao Yao, don't be too heartbroken. It's not your fault," comforted Liu Xue Yan to the dispirited Tong Yao Yao.

Tong Yao Yao managed a bitter smile. She had been so sure of her victory in the competition, never expecting Mu Chen to be such a prodigy. "Sister Xue Yan, I'm fine."

Although they lost, no mentor reprimanded her. In fact, she had performed much better than usual. However, the opponent was too exceptional. She had no regrets about the loss.

Before the competition, she had criticized the opponent for being indecisive and attention-seeking. But in reality, his skills far surpassed hers, making her probably seem like a joke in his eyes.

Seeing Tong Yao Yao's state, Liu Xue Yan sighed with relief, "I'm glad you're okay."

"Sister Xue Yan, in the next symbol contest, will you face Mu Chen?" Tong Yao Yao inquired.

Liu Xue Yan shook her head, "No, he's not my opponent."

While Liu Xueyan wasn't convinced she'd lose to Mu Chen, she sighed in relief knowing he wasn't her opponent. Mu Chen was profoundly unpredictable.

Tong Yaoyao squinted thoughtfully and gave a faint smile before shaking her head.

Observing Tong Yaoyao's expression, Liu Xueyan inquired, "Yaoyao, what's on your mind?"

Tong Yaoyao beamed at Liu Xueyan and quipped, "I was thinking, what if Mu Chen is a Level 4 Rune Recorder? It's a possibility, isn't it?"

"You do have a way with jokes." Liu Xueyan chuckled instinctively, then felt a shiver in her heart. Before the competition, if anyone claimed Mu Chen was a Level 4 Alchemist, she would have dismissed it as a jest.

"To be honest, Mu Chen's strength seems on par with Elder Brother Lu Yao," muttered Tong Yaoyao.

"Who knows who'd win between Elder Brother Lu Yao and Mu Chen," Liu Xueyan commented with a smile.

Lu Yao overheard Tong Yaoyao and Liu Xueyan's conversation, his expression shifting noticeably.

Tong Yaoyao and Liu Xueyan had always shown unwavering confidence in him. Now, it seemed they doubted if he could win.

Lan Ruofeng hid inside the room, staying silent.

Mu Chen's brilliance overshadowed others. Every student of the Sacred Star School was engrossed in the joy of Mu Chen being a Level 4 Alchemist, and Lan Ruofeng, the loser, was selectively forgotten.

Lan Ruofeng had hoped to win the competition and then explain past events to Zhuang Yu. However, he lost.

Clenching his teeth, Lan Ruofeng thought bitterly: With both Mu Chen and Lu Yao around, he feared he might never rise to prominence in his lifetime.

...

After the Alchemy contest came the Rune Recording competition. Other than Mu Chen, there was a young boy named Tao Mo participating. At first glance, he seemed like filler brought in by Song Cheng.

The Rune Recording test involved creating offensive runes. The one with the most potent rune was declared the winner.

Each contestant had three chances to craft runes. Mu Chen crafted three runes, taking a considerable amount of time.

Four targets were placed in the center of the square, made of top-tier jade granite known for its resistance to attacks.

Tao Mo's rune was tested first. Being of the second level, it left no mark on the target.

Liu Xueyan's rune blasted a significant dent in the target, unsurprisingly securing her win.

The damage caused by Mu Chen's opponent's rune was almost on par with Liu Xueyan's.

"Mr. Mu, you've crafted three runes. Which one do you intend to use?" the examiner asked.

Mu Chen folded his arms and replied nonchalantly, "Pick any."

The examiner shot Mu Chen a curious glance and activated one of the runes. With a massive explosion, the target was blasted away.

"Cheating! The target must be rigged! You must have cheated!" A teacher from the Dark Moon School stood up, fuming.

Mu Chen glanced coolly at the enraged teacher and calmly told the examiner, "Activate another one. Aim for that one," pointing towards Liu Xueyan's target.

Liu Xueyan frowned slightly but didn't comment.

The examiner, with a puzzled look, silently wondered: Had Mu Chen foreseen such a scenario and deliberately crafted extra runes?

Another deafening blast, and Liu Xueyan's target vanished.

"A Level 4 Rune? You're a Level 4 Rune Master?" Liu Xueyan gazed at Mu Chen in astonishment. Damn it, Tong Yaoyao's joke became reality. Mu Chen really was a Level 4 Rune Recorder. This guy was truly terrifying.

The spectator's stand erupted in excitement, voices rising and falling.

A Level 4 Rune Master - Mu Chen excelled in both Alchemy and Rune Recording.

A prodigious talent, indeed!

Xia Qingyan gritted her teeth, her eyes bloodshot, "This guy... is a Level 4 Rune Master..."

He reached Level 4 in both Alchemy and Rune Recording, yet his Inscription Skill remained at Level 3. This eccentric guy was from the Inscription Academy after all!

Xia Qingli sighed, "Song Cheng finally took a break, but seeing Mu Chen's performance, he'll probably be relentless in trying to win him over again."

"Even if he tries, can he even teach Mu Chen?" retorted Xia Qingyan dismissively.

"Xingguo, ask Mu Chen if he knows how to refine tools!" Lei Cheng shouted from the spectator's stand, face flushed.

Pan Xingguo chuckled helplessly, "Principal, I've asked. Mu Chen truly doesn't know how to refine."

Lei Cheng frowned, "It doesn't make sense! Why wouldn't he? He seems to know everything else."

"It's because he has no interest in refining tools," Pan Xingguo said with a wry smile, repeating the statement he had avoided several times before.

Lei Cheng looked at Mu Chen, puzzled. "How could he not be interested? Such a naive kid with no discernment."

Of the five competitions in the Academy of Arts, Mu Chen participated in four. He deliberately skipped the one at the Refinement Division, which was rather inconsiderate.