C15 To Cultivate Well

"Since you've joined the Azure Cloud Academy, come with me. From now on, you'll reside within the Academy."

"…"

A group of wealthy heirs exchanged puzzled looks, still convinced that Lee Xuan was out of his mind.

"What's he babbling about?"

"The Azure Cloud Academy? In the middle of nowhere?"

"Don't worry about it. He's probably just a madman. Just another lovestruck fool, but I can handle that!"

They whispered among themselves, their gazes intense with fervor and resolve.

Lee Xuan didn't bother engaging with their nonsense. With a simple wave of his hand, the majestic structures of the Azure Cloud Academy materialized before the five onlookers, leaving them utterly dumbfounded.

"Goodness, did I see that earlier?"

"No? Am I hallucinating?"

They were somewhat unsure.

Just then, Nangong Yue's private driver arrived.

Nangong Yue stepped out of the car, her composure fully restored.

The five men's eyes sparkled at the sight of her.

"Another stunning lady? She's got a completely different vibe from Sister Ling!"

"A mature beauty! I want to be your loyal follower!"

"…"

They thought they were speaking under their breath, but Lee Xuan heard every word crystal clear.

Not just Lee Xuan, but Loong Ling too, now that she had successfully established her foundation, could hear them perfectly well.

Loong Ling's face flushed with embarrassment. She had taken their earlier words to heart.

They had sworn their admiration for the Azure Cloud Academy and their eagerness to join.

But these guys...

Loong Ling's cheeks reddened even more.

"Let's move out!"

Nangong Yue alighted from the vehicle, lifted her chin, crossed her arms, and began issuing commands as if she were the Sect Master herself.

Lee Xuan gestured, and the Kunlun Sword was summoned.

The sword's commanding presence drew everyone's attention.

Even the wealthy interlopers, who had initially come to stir up trouble, were left in awe.

They had initially dismissed the whole thing as a con, but it didn't matter to them. They were content to simply play along with their goddess.

And who knows? Maybe they'd even get a chance to play the hero in a dramatic rescue. How splendid would that be?

However, things turned out to be completely different from what they had expected.

The celestial sword before them far surpassed anything within their realm of understanding.

"Holy crap... Is this for real?"

"Are my eyes deceiving me?"

"Immortal cultivation? It's actually real!"

It seems everyone harbors a fantasy about immortal cultivation, which explained the visible excitement among the five of them.

Nangong Yue was no exception.

Her gaze wavered slightly.

After returning home, her brother had given her a stern talk. The legendary cultivators were indeed real and had always been in contact with her Nangong family! And their abilities paled in comparison to Lee Xuan's!

Nangong Yue pondered deeply, feeling more certain than ever that she had made the right choice.

Lee Xuan had mastered the art of sword flying and could even conjure up five Spirit Swords.

"If you join the Azure Cloud Academy, you'll get your own Spirit Swords and learn to fly on them," he said.

The allure of sword flying was irresistible.

Absolutely irresistible.

The six of them were ecstatic, eagerly mounting the flying swords. Loong Ling and Lee Xuan shared one. Lee Xuan had only these Spirit Swords, so there was no choice but to squeeze in, with Nangong Yue joining them.

The other five also huddled together, though begrudgingly, as they too wanted to be close to the beauty.

Lee Xuan took off on his flying sword without hesitation.

Damn, these fools.

In an instant, they reached the mountain top, their faces contorted with discomfort as the strong wind buffeted them.

The five men, in particular, were completely drained of strength upon disembarking.

Lee Xuan landed to an eerie silence, furrowing his brow in concern.

"Where is everyone? Where have they all gone?"

"...Could something have happened?"

Loong Ling voiced her concern.

With such a commotion, it was odd that no one had come out to investigate.

Given their penchant for excitement, they should have been out in droves by now.

Lee Xuan racked his brain for a moment before it finally hit him, and he smacked his forehead in realization.

"Damn, I totally forgot! Ha, serves those lazybones right. I told them not to slack off after I left, but they never listen!"

After Lee Xuan departed, he had made it clear to them that they should heed his words and start their cultivation early.

But none of them took him seriously.

"Only a fool would believe that. He's not here, how could he possibly know if we're slacking off?"

"Waking up at five in the morning? You might as well just kill me. I'd rather die than get out of bed that early!"

The three who remained shared this sentiment, but little did they know, a harsh punishment awaited them.

When they failed to rise, the haunting sound of the Myriad Spirit Bell filled their ears.

Not waking up was one thing, but when they were late, the Myriad Spirit Bell trapped all three inside!

The Myriad Spirit Bell was no ordinary bell.

It housed an Artifact Spirit, and though the spirit couldn't manifest due to a lack of spiritual energy, its spirit wisdom remained intact. This was why Lee Xuan could leave the mountain without worry; he knew they wouldn't come to any harm.

With a smile, Lee Xuan formed a hand seal and released them.

Emerging from the Myriad Spirit Bell, their faces were deathly pale, and they stumbled out, vomiting profusely.

"Yue... My... My heavens, there's a demon inside! They made me cultivate for three straight days and nights without sleep!"

"They even hit me! If I refused to cultivate, they'd strike me!"

"I want to go home!"

It was only after they calmed down that they noticed the crowd that had gathered.

Their tear-streaked faces suddenly stiffened.

Lee Xuan, grinning, said, "Didn't I tell you to take your cultivation seriously and not to waste a single day? This is the Myriad Spirit Bell of the Azure Cloud Academy! If you don't obey, you'll end up in the 'little black room' just like them!"

Lee Xuan had effectively used these individuals as a cautionary tale.

They were blissfully unaware of the blessings they had.

The Myriad Spirit Bell, though strict, was for their benefit.

The spiritual energy inside the Myriad Spirit Bell was exponentially greater than outside.

Forced to cultivate inside for three days and nights, they experienced a different flow of time.

Each was on the verge of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage. With just a day or two more, they likely all would have succeeded.

What's with all the complaining?

"...There's... there's corporal punishment?"

The new arrivals, offspring of the wealthy, began to look queasy.

Is this really a legitimate academy?

"Our academy is most certainly legitimate! It's a bona fide cultivation academy! As long as you diligently cultivate... I mean, if you cultivate properly, you won't end up like them!"