Chapter 1: Leader of the Outer Division

“I heard that the chief has emerged from seclusion! Could he have entered the peak of his current stage?”

“What do you know?! Didn’t you hear that the location where the chief entered seclusion was ravaged by lightning? He would be lucky if he didn’t suffer from hidden injuries. It’s no surprise that he’s been forced out of seclusion…”

“Huh? Did the chief already reach the level of attracting heavenly tribulation?”

“Yeah… If he really managed to enter the Martial Extremity Realm, wouldn’t that spell trouble?”

“It’s just the first year and more than 70 percent of us are stuck in the Qi Gathering Realm. We can’t even break through to the Martial Realm yet! What’s the use of comparing ourselves to him…”

“...”

As the leader of the freshmen batch in the Tongyou Institution, Shang Xia heard everything they said. However, a nonchalant expression hung on his face as he acted indifferent to their praises.

His heart pounded in his chest as he maintained his calm.

Everything happened too quickly. The last thing he saw was the flash of lightning. When he opened his eyes again, he noticed that his body was no longer the same as before. Moreover, he seemed to have been transported into a completely different world!

It was a world where cultivators reigned supreme!

Examining his newfound body, he noticed that he was clad in a long white robe, and there were silver runes swirling around his sleeves. An ancient white jade pendant hung around his waist and a small fan was held firmly in his hands.

From the memories of the original owner of the body, Shang Xia realized that his identity was far from ordinary.

The Shang Clan was a large clan in the You Continent, and their roots ran extremely deep. They were also ranked among the top 4 clans in the Tongyou City.

Shang Xia also learned that his ancestor, Shang Bo, wasn’t just the patriarch of the Shang Family. He was also one of the Martial Extermination Realm experts in the Tongyou Institution. Since the institution was created, Shang Bo was given a huge responsibility. Now, he was sitting comfortably in the position of the deputy patriarch. He was also one of the five strongest experts in the organization.

As Shang Bo’s only grandson, Shang Xia didn’t just enjoy a high position in the Shang Clan. He was also doted on by his grandfather.

To make matters worse for the current Shang Xia, he was a terrifying genius who managed to become the leader among the freshmen in just a single year.

One had to know that the Tongyou Institution was one of the five largest factions located at the border region. Anyone who could enter had either terrifying identity, or extreme talent.

Even so, Shang Xia managed to rise above the rest!

“What the f*ck is this?! With his background, talent, and desire to grow stronger, he should be the protagonist of the era… Is there something wrong with him?!” Shang Xia muttered to himself.

“Humph, doesn’t he just have a strong grandfather, If I was part of a strong clan and had the same backing as him, it won’t be a problem for me to reach his level!” A snort rang in the air, and it silenced the disciples who were chatting among themselves.

Turning around slowly, Shang Xia looked at the source.

The disciple who spoke started to regret his decision immediately. He might have vented his frustration, but he was met with the mocking stares of everyone present.

Realizing that there was no way out other than to stand his ground, he puffed his chest out and stared directly into Shang Xia’s eyes. His decision proved to be wrong as a sharp pain stabbed into his eyes.

“Ah!”

Screaming in pain, he retreated several steps as tears welled up in his eyes.

“He was injured with a mere gaze… Could it be? Did he master the legendary ‘Eye Art’?”

Those present sucked in a cold breath, but it soon turned into another round of praise.

A chuckle left Shang Xia’s lips as he waved his fan casually before his chest. He quickly stepped through the crowd as if the previous incident had nothing on him.

Shang Xia knew that that only happened because it was because he failed to control his power perfectly. When the disciple jumped out to curse at him, his luck ran out as Shang Xia directed the uncontrollable energy his way.

Taking several steps, Shang Xia finally realized that something was wrong. His actions and thoughts seemed to come too naturally!

The confidence he felt and the air around him felt a little unnatural, but he managed to pull it off flawlessly.

As it clicked in his mind, Shang Xiao finally realized that the original Shang Xia was too damn pretentious! It was no wonder he was struck by lightning!

It seemed as though he had to learn how to be low-key from now on…

When Shang Xia was still evaluating the habits of the original owner of the body, another voice broke his train of thoughts.

“Shang Xia, one’s background doesn’t mean anything! We have a long way to go in the institution, and no one can be sure of the final victor!”

This time, Shang Xia didn’t bother turning around. He chuckled casually, ignoring the man’s cries behind him.

As soon as the words left the disciple’s lips, he was met with a rain of abuse.

“Dou Zhong, did a screw come loose in your brain?!”

“Dou Zhong, you’re at the late-phase of the Qi Gathering Realm! You might be hardworking, but you can’t even see the gates of the Martial Realm! The chief seems to have broken through to the Martial Extremity Realm! Do you think you can close the gap by spewing some bullsh*t here?”

“Humph! You’re trying to vie for the position of the chief?! Look at yourself in the mirror and learn your place!”

…

Shang Xia’s heart trembled slightly. He realized something was wrong once again. Wasn’t this situation one that would only happen to protagonists in the novels he read?!

He might have affected Dou Zhong slightly with his gaze previously, but if things were to play out like the stories he read, Dou Zhong’s potential would be ignited after the humiliation he received. He would receive help from those who pitied him, and he would use the help to grow stronger than Shang Bo! When that happened, the patriarch himself would retire and give Dou Zhong the position, making Dou Zhong the eventual winner!

A wave of excitement filled his heart all of a sudden. Dou Zhong’s counterattack? Challenging the protagonist of the entire storyline?

Too damn exciting!

Shang Xia discovered that there was much fun to be had in this new world…

As he approached the entrance of the institution, he saw a bearded young man in his twenties walking briskly towards himself.

“Young master, we’re glad you’re alright!”

Rolling his eyes involuntarily, Shang Xia snapped the fan in his hands and sighed, “It’s just some tribulation lightning. I won’t be affected by something so trivial.”

It was an obvious lie. However, it was a lie no one other than himself knew!

“However…” A frosty light flashed through his eyes all of a sudden. “It seems like we have to investigate why the tribulation lightning was attracted!”

The bearded young man growled, “The young lady has already sent out countless experts to get to the bottom of the matter.”

Nodding slightly, Shang Xia muttered, “Let’s hope it’s an accident.”

“Young master, your appointment with Young Lady Mu is coming up…” A weird smile formed on the bearded man’s face and his expression turned unnatural.

“Seventh uncle, there’s no need for formalities between us. Just call me by my name!”

“Impossible! I have to follow the rules since I’m part of the family!” The bearded young man sighed.

Knowing that he wouldn’t be able to change the way the bearded old man addressed him, Shang Xia gave up.

Before he could react, the bearded young man, Yan Qi, grabbed two horses over and said, “Young master, please. We can’t be late!”

Right before mounting the horse, Shang Xia seemed to have thought of something. “Seventh uncle, get some men to investigate Dou Zhong. He’s someone who entered the institution with me.”

Yan Qi acknowledged the order immediately. “That’s easy! You will know everything about him!”

“Alright! Now that that’s settled, I wonder what’s up with her… Is she trying to mess with her marriage?!” Shang Xia’s thoughts turned to Young Lady Mu and he contemplated softly.

Yan Qi’s expression sank when he heard what Shang Xia said.

Seeing the look on Yan Qi’s face, Shang Xia laughed, “What’s wrong, did you hear some rumors out there or something?”

“Young Lady Mu and young master have been interacting more frequently recently and your actions have been noted down by some individuals. Even though you were only exchanging pointers with Young Lady Mu, it’s difficult to avoid wagging tongues…” Yan Qi said softly.

“Haha! She’s someone with a fiance…” Shang Xia knew that the original owner of his body had his eye on Young Lady Mu. However, that was mere infatuation!

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

The original owner of the body was a seventeen year old kid at best! He might be a genius when it came to cultivation, but he hasn’t matured yet!

As the two of them went towards their destination, it didn’t take long for them to arrive before an ordinary looking courtyard.

It was too bad they weren’t the only ones there.

Getting off his horse, Shang Xia tossed the reins to Yan Qi before approaching them. “Disciple greets Instructor Zhang, Teacher Liu, and Teacher Ma.”

Instructor Zhang looked extremely refined and he had a long beard flowing down his face. He was one of the 24 instructors in the institution, and his name was Zhang Haogu.

He was pretty well-known among the instructors in the institution, and he was a popular individual.

From what Shang Xia understood, an instructor in the institution was like a teacher in high school. They were responsible for teaching a specific topic.

As for Liu Zhifei and Ma Shaofeng, they were custodians responsible for managing parts of the institution. They were in charge of the first and second outer division respectively.

They were comparable to teaching assistants in the modern world.

Young Lady Mu, Mu Qingyu, was part of the outer division under Ma Shaofeng, and her fiance, Zhu Ying, was part of the outer division under Liu Zhifei.

As for Shang Xia, he was part of the third division. The custodian accountable for his division was called Sun Haiwei, and she was an expert at the Martial Extremity Realm!

“Oh? I wonder what this little lass is up to now that she attracted the leader of the freshmen over… Is she planning to make all of us her witness?”

Zhang Haogu chuckled in amusement when he saw Shang Xia. It seemed as though the instructor wasn’t as strict as they all thought.

A bitter smile formed on Shang Xia’s face. “I have no idea what is going on either. Shouldn’t they invite all of you in for tea the moment you arrived?”

Even without Shang Xia’s reminder, the three of them were already prepared for some unexpected events to happen…