Son-in-law Heaven Emperor Xiao Yi

Above the Cangyun Eagle, there was silence.

Gu Junhe, looking apologetic, gave Xiao Yi a wry smile and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't expect Zhou Yuan, that old dog, to be so despicable as to strike a junior at the zenith of the Golden Elixir Realm."

Xiao Yi shook his head, "Director, this isn't your fault!"

He knew very well that if it weren't for Gu Junhe's timely intervention, blocking ninety-nine percent of the power of that finger, he and Fang Qingzhu would have become a pair of doomed lovers.

After this battle,

Xiao Yi had gained a deeper understanding of the strength of the Golden Elixir Realm, especially the might of someone at the Golden Elixir Peak, whose single finger, even with less than ten percent of its power, almost claimed Fang Qingzhu's life.

Gu Junhe hesitated for a moment before saying in a deep voice, "The words you uttered earlier were too impulsive!"

He was referring to Xiao Yi's vow to kill Zhou Yuan within a year.

That was an existence at the Golden Elixir Realm Peak.

Furthermore...

Zhou Yuan was the head of the Royal Martial Arts Academy, and with his status and position, even if he didn't possess the strength himself, Xiao Yi couldn't just kill him at will. After all, he represented the face of the royal family, and should his illustrious reputation be threatened, the royal family might very well come out in full force to protect him.

Even that ancestral figure from the Tao Tribulation Realm who had not shown himself for a long time might appear because of this.

Moreover...

Gu Junhe didn't believe that Xiao Yi could possess the strength to kill Zhou Yuan within a year.

After all.

The gap between the Fourth Layer of the Shentong Realm and the peak of the Golden Elixir Realm was like heaven and earth, a true dragon against a stubborn snake.

Even if Xiao Yi's talent were exceptional, he would still need time and opportunity.

Xiao Yi shook his head, and his bloodshot eyes softened as they landed on Fang Qingzhu, "I once swore I would never let Qingzhu suffer the slightest harm, yet she nearly lost her life to save me. If I don't avenge this, I swear I am not a human being!"

"This..."

Seeing the determination in Xiao Yi's eyes, Gu knew it was pointless to say more and could only say, "Don't worry, I will do my utmost to help you."

"Thank you, Director!" Xiao Yi said.

Niu Dali patted his shoulder, "Brother, count me in for taking revenge for sister-in-law. When you go to storm the Royal Martial Arts Academy, I will go with you!"

"And us too!" The Shi Family brothers also said one after another.

Shi Yaodu, with a mournful face, twirled two dice in his hand, "I bet we can't withstand a single finger from Zhou Yuan... but even if it means death, we must go at it!"

Xiao Yi looked deeply at his companions.

Apart from Niu Dali, they were all strangers he'd met by chance.

Yet whether it was at the Royal Martial Arts Academy or now, they still stood by his side.

Xiao Yi etched this camaraderie in his heart and, with eyes narrowed, looked in the direction of the Royal Martial Arts Academy, silently vowing, "In one year's time, I will flatten your Royal Martial Arts Academy and take your head, Zhou Yuan!"

Cheep cheep...

The Cangyun Eagle, as if influenced by him, soared high, letting out a series of sonorous cries.

Swish!

The Cangyun Eagle swiftly vanished into the clouds.

They had already flown out of the capital, landing within a mountain range thirty miles outside the capital, where Tianqi Martial Arts Academy was situated atop the most majestic peak of this mountain range. This peak rose abruptly like a spring bamboo shoot joining the clouds, thousands of feet tall if not more.

Amidst the mist and clouds,

sprawling buildings neatly arranged could faintly be seen on the mountainside.

At the entrance was an archway carved out of white marble, flanked by six stone columns entwined by sculpted dragons, which seemed to spring to life. At the gate stood two black stone lions, one with a ball of fire in its mouth and the other stepping on auspicious clouds, both exuding a powerful presence.

Above the archway hung a plaque with gold letters on a black background that read: Tianqi Martial Arts Academy!

The gates were indeed magnificent!

"This is our Tianqi Martial Arts Academy? The gates are quite spectacular!"

"They say that over five hundred years ago, this was the premier academy of the Tianqing Kingdom. They say a camel dying of starvation is bigger than a horse, so even though it's declined, it should still be not too shabby!"

Niu Dali looked towards Gu, who was dispatching the Cangyun Eagle to hunt deeper in the mountains, and asked, "Director, how many disciples do we have in Tianqi Martial Arts Academy?"

Shi Yaose spit into his hands, rubbed them together, and then smeared it casually through his hair, squinting he asked, "Director, didn't you say that the female disciples in our academy are all peerless beauties? Where are they?"

Shi Yaoqian also asked, "Headmaster, you said our Martial Arts Institute is so poor all we have left is money, so our monthly stipend should be quite substantial, right? I've heard that the lowest-ranked Yellow-tier students at the Royal Martial Arts Academy get a monthly stipend of 500 silver. We shouldn't be worse off than them, should we?"

"Don't worry, I am the honorable Headmaster after all, how could I possibly deceive you!"

Gu Junhe kept a straight face as he took out eight contracts, saying solemnly, "These are the enrollment contracts. You must sign your names and press your fingerprints for it to be official and for you to be formally admitted into the Tianqi Martial Arts Academy!"

Everyone signed the contract one after another.

Xiao Yi looked at Gu Junhe with a strange expression. The latter chuckled mischievously and collected all the contracts before clapping his hands and shouting towards the gate, "Come out and greet the guests... ahem, come out and welcome your new junior brothers and sisters!"

Shi Yaose quickly straightened out his clothes.

Niu Dali looked forward hopefully, waiting for the legendary beautiful senior sisters.

A few moments later.

A youth with a handsome and stately appearance came out, greeting everyone with a calm smile, "Welcome, my fellow junior brothers and sisters!"

"Senior brother, why is it just you? Where are the beautiful senior sisters?" Niu Dali asked curiously.

The youth smiled wryly, "In Tianqi Martial Arts Academy, aside from the Headmaster, it's only me!"

What?

Niu Dali and the others were dumbfounded.

What the heck?

There's only one disciple?

Shi Yaose stared blankly at Gu Junhe, "What happened to the beautiful women you promised?"

Gu Junhe said earnestly, "I said that if there were any female disciples, they would be considered peerlessly beautiful. Isn't Qingzhu beautiful?"

Shi Yaose's eye twitched, "I&...*（）"

Shi Yaoqian clutched his chest, "Headmaster, you're not also lying about being so poor all we have is money, are you?"

"That part is true!"

Gu Junhe nodded, adding, "We are indeed so poor that we can only save money."

Shi Yaoqian, "&*（）..."

Shi Yaoquan asked, "What about the promise that all resources would be open to us?"

Gu Junhe patted his shoulder, speaking earnestly, "In the entire Martial Arts Institute, it's just you few. You can live wherever you like, cultivate wherever you wish. Both Dean Jiang Tai and I, serving as tutors, are responsible only for you eight. Doesn't that count as having all resources open to you?"

Everyone: "..."

So Tianqi Martial Arts Academy has neither money nor resources, plus just the ten of them in total?

Everyone knew Tianqi Martial Arts Academy was in decline, but who could have imagined it was this bad!

Shi Yaoqian said with a dark face, "Is this a place for people to stay? Let's go, let's go..."

Gu Junhe's expression darkened, and he revealed the signed and thumb-printed enrollment contracts, "You've all signed the enrollment contracts. Without the Headmaster's permission, anyone who dares to leave the Academy will be committing a crime of defection. I will announce it to the world, and you will become loathed by everyone as backstabbers and betrayers to your master. Try leaving, just one of you?"

Everyone felt stars in their eyes, and a mouthful of fresh blood almost spurted out.

"Think about it from another perspective. Because of the small number of people in the Tianqi Martial Arts Academy, you can get comprehensive guidance! If you don't believe it, ask Jiang Tai. He owes his current achievements to my personal guidance; he is third on the Teng Long List and a super strong man at the Eighth Layer of the Golden Elixir Realm!"

Gu Junhe, seeing that he had stunned them into silence, continued, "As long as you obediently stay in Tianqi Martial Arts Academy, I guarantee that within three years you will all be on the Heavenly Qing Dragon and Tiger List, and within ten years, on the Teng Long List..."

Within three years, the Dragon and Tiger List? Within ten years, the Teng Long List?

Listening to Gu Junhe speaking confidently, Niu Dali and the Shi Family brothers all shone with hope and longing.

However, Xiao Yi was looking at Jiang Tai, who had approached, and said with a wry smile, "It was the seventh prince who had Dean Gu visit the Royal Martial Arts Academy, right?"

"After hearing Jia Sidao was targeting you, I was worried you might be in danger, so I had the Headmaster make a trip. But I didn't expect him to bring back so many people..."

Jiang Tai gave the Shi Family brothers and Niu Dali a strange look, then frowned at Fang Qingzhu in Xiao Yi's arms, "What's going on there?"

Xiao Yi simply said two words, "Zhou Yuan."

Jiang Tai sneered, displaying no surprise, "That indeed sounds like him." After a pause, Jiang said, "The Headmaster will still be busy brainwashing for a while, let me get you settled first!"

"Thanks for the trouble!"

Xiao Yi nodded and followed Jiang Tai into the Tianqi Martial Arts Academy...