In the academy classroom, everyone's gaze was fixed on Fang Yuan.
Among these gazes were shock, fear, ridicule, and coldness.
Fang Yuan ignored these gazes completely. He looked at the academy elder, pointing one hand at the guards lying unconscious on the ground, his expression solemn.
"Reporting to the elder, these two guards harbored malicious intentions worthy of death! They forcefully broke down the door at the most critical moment of my breakthrough to the middle stage. As everyone knows, a Gu Master's cultivation cannot be disturbed. This is especially true when breaking through to a higher realm. The slightest carelessness, and not only would the breakthrough fail, but the aperture itself would be damaged. Fortunately, your student was lucky enough to step into the middle stage the moment they barged in."
"But!" Before anyone could react, Fang Yuan quickly followed up. "Section Fifty-Two: There's No Rejecting My Explanation. These two still refuse to admit the mistake they just made. They brazenly tried to attack me, even insulted the ancestors of our clan, falsely claiming that the order to disrupt this junior's cultivation came from you, Elder. Your student refused to believe them and fiercely resisted. These two are highly skilled in martial arts, and your student fought a bloody battle before defeating them."
"However, considering their status as academy guards, your student did not kill them. I merely severed one's arm and cut off the other's leg. Although they have lost a lot of blood, they are not dead yet. This is exactly what happened. I beg the elder to uphold justice for your student!" After speaking, Fang Yuan clasped his fists respectfully towards the academy elder.
His tone was hurried as he spoke in a long stream, not giving anyone else a chance to interject.
After he finished, those around him slowly began to process what they had heard.
"What did Fang Yuan just say? I don't think I heard clearly."
"It sounded like he said he'd broken through to the middle stage!"
"How is that possible? That trash with a C-grade talent is the first to break through to the middle stage?"
"He must be lying! He's afraid of punishment from the academy, so he's making up a story!"
The students broke into loud discussion.
Compared to Fang Yuan's breakthrough to the middle stage, the life and death of the two guards were already insignificant.
They weren't from the Gu Yue clan, so who cared whether they lived or died?
"You say you've already broken through to the middle stage of the first rank?" The academy elder's voice was icy, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "Fang Yuan, you can't just say things like that carelessly. If you admit your mistake now, I can still leniently let you off considering it's your first offense. But if you make another mistake and try to cover it up with lies, then let me tell you now: lies are the easiest to expose."
Fang Yuan did not argue. He simply chuckled lightly and said to the academy elder, "Please inspect me, Elder."
Without needing to be asked, the academy elder had already walked over.
He placed his hand on Fang Yuan's lower abdomen and sent a thread of his perception inside. Instantly, he saw the scene of Fang Yuan's aperture.
Inside the aperture, there was not a single Gu.
The Spring Autumn Cicada had already hidden itself. As a Rank 6 Gu, its level was far higher than that of the Rank 3 academy elder. If it intended to hide, it would not be easily discovered.
As for the Drunk Bug, Fang Yuan had temporarily placed it in a wine jar in the dormitory and did not carry it on him.
The academy elder closed his eyes. He saw a sea of bronze primeval essence, calm and undisturbed.
Each drop of essence water was the pale cyan of middle-stage true essence.
He then looked at the surrounding aperture walls. The white walls shimmered with waves as if entirely composed of flowing water. Streams of water flowed at great speed.
Water Film!
"He really did break through to the middle stage! How is this possible?!" The academy elder cried out in his heart, a flash of astonishment passing beneath his eyelids. But he forcefully suppressed it, his expression steady as water.
A moment later, having digested this fact, he slowly withdrew his hand and said in a low voice, "It is indeed the middle stage."
The students had long been holding their breath, waiting for the result.
The moment the academy elder spoke, the entire classroom erupted like a pot of boiling oil.
The students were shocked and confused, each of their faces displaying an expression of disbelief.
Fang Yuan was only C-grade, yet he was the first to break into the middle stage! This defied common knowledge!
To break through a realm, a Gu Master's first and foremost consideration should be their aptitude! Was this some kind of joke? A C-grade could actually be the first to advance! How could those with A-grade and B-grade talents accept this?!
"This!" Gu Yue Fang Zheng's face suddenly turned deathly pale. Just last night, he had been so confident, but now the facts were laid before him. Unable to bear the shock, he slumped to the ground.
Gu Yue Mo Bei clenched his fists tightly. Gu Yue Chi Cheng ground his teeth fiercely.
The academy elder could not be deceived. How exactly had Fang Yuan managed this?
For a moment, all the young disciples stared fixedly at Fang Yuan, a single question surfacing in their hearts—With his C-grade talent, how had Fang Yuan advanced so quickly?
The academy elder's heart was also filled with doubt.
Under the weight of such immense confusion, he cast aside his previous thoughts of suppressing Fang Yuan and directly asked, "Fang Yuan, I hope you can explain exactly how you managed to break through to the middle stage."
Fang Yuan smiled quietly. "Heaven rewards the diligent. Your student studied hard and practiced diligently, accumulating over time, so it naturally fell into place."
"Liar!"
"Tch, if Heaven rewarded the diligent, I would have been number one already!"
"Studied diligently? A few days ago, I saw him casually strolling around the shopping street!"
The students were clearly not satisfied with this answer.
"Is that so?" the academy elder said noncommittally, his eyes cold as he bore down on Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan was completely calm, meeting the elder's gaze without a trace of fear.
He was drenched in blood, his linen robes in disarray, as if he had experienced a fierce struggle.
His eyes were deep and dark as a pool, revealing a kind of calm, a kind of indifference, and seeming even to hide a hint of mockery.
Seeing these eyes, the academy elder could not help but waver.
"This Fang Yuan shows no fear, no terror, no alarm, and no panic. How could I possibly force a confession from him in front of everyone? With his C-grade talent, breaking through to the middle stage first must mean he has a secret. But since he is not willing to tell it, as the academy elder, I cannot强行逼问. I will have to investigate in secret."
Thinking this, the academy elder had no choice but to withdraw his gaze, and his harsh, stern expression softened slightly.
Fang Yuan, however, was not done. "Your student is deeply afraid. Elder, what is your decision regarding these two guards? They have lost too much blood. If not treated, they will die."
"Does this look 'afraid' to you?" the academy elder snorted coldly in his heart. His brow was deeply furrowed.
Things had developed to this point, and as the head of the academy, he had to step up and handle it.
"But how should I handle it?" The academy elder couldn't help but feel a sense of difficulty.
He could not help but sink into deep thought.
Fang Yuan took in every change in the academy elder's expression. He laughed inwardly. The academy elder was surely in a difficult position right now.