Arrogance 

The harsh reprimand, jarring in the tranquil surroundings, drew the attention of everyone to Liu Ziyu. 

In truth, Liu Ziyu was not particularly narrow-minded. His father, the governor of Lingling, was poised to ascend to a high-ranking provincial position at a young age, a leap that had not been preceded by other subordinate roles. Such a remarkable promotion could only be attributed to an extraordinary accumulation of military achievements and exceptional performance in his current role, marking him as a truly gifted and astute individual.

Naturally, such an exceptional figure was acutely aware of the qualities his descendants needed to possess, and he would undoubtedly cultivate them accordingly. 

However, Liu Ziyu was still young, and for reasons unknown, the more calm and gentle Lin Xi remained, the more unsettled he felt, as if he were being forced into a corner, revealing his own narrowness. It was as if a mighty river encountered a great river, compelled to reveal its lesser nature.

Qin Xiyue paused, her displeasure no longer concealed, her jade-like face resembling a visage covered in morning frost. She responded to Liu Ziyu out of courtesy, yet he, taking advantage of their conversation, spoke loudly, which was, of course, quite rude to her.

Indeed, as soon as Liu Ziyu's words left his mouth, he felt a chill in his limbs and was immediately filled with regret. With only a little over ten days remaining until the deadline set with Lin Xi, why could he not contain himself? Moreover, he could clearly sense Qin Xiyue's evident displeasure at his remark, which only fueled his frustration.

Thus, he could not retreat, for only by exposing the true nature of the seemingly indifferent and pretentious chosen one, weighing ninety pounds, could he hope to change Qin Xiyue's perception of him. 

Lin Xi had always believed that the pinnacle of verbal sparring was to engage in a spirited argument while leaving the opponent seething with rage. Observing Liu Ziyu, whom he had disliked since their first encounter, Lin Xi smiled inwardly and was about to say, "This is a matter between Xiyue and me; what concern is it of yours?" 

However, before he could speak, Jiang Xiaoyi, standing beside him, furrowed her brow and coldly glared at the aggressive Liu Ziyu, stating, "How he proves himself to Qin Xiyue is between them; what does it have to do with you?" 

At Jiang Xiaoyi's words, both Liu Ziyu and Qin Xiyue were taken aback. 

If Meng Bai had uttered such a statement, no one would have been surprised, as most students knew that Meng Bai, a promising student, was a friend of Lin Xi. 

Yet Jiang Xiaoyi, a student from the Engineering Department, seemingly had no prior contact with Lin Xi, and in light of Lin Xi's poor reputation, her defense of him was indeed unexpected. 

Unable to back down, Liu Ziyu, enraged by Jiang Xiaoyi's words, took a bold step forward and glared at her, demanding, "Who are you? I'm speaking to Lin Xi; what gives you the right to interject?" 

"Enough, Jiang Xiaoyi, do not argue with him," Lin Xi interjected, patting the flustered Jiang Xiaoyi on the cheek, gesturing toward Bai Zihou and the others, whose supplies had been stripped away, and then pointing into the distance. "Liu Ziyu, Bai Zihou and the others are your classmates from the Medicine Department and your friends, are they not? If you wish for me to prove something, you should help them resolve their impending troubles first." 

Everyone followed Lin Xi's finger and saw a striking golden hue emerging from behind a hill, revealing a group of no less than ten individuals clad in matching golden attire. 

Qin Xiyue's expression turned frosty as she gazed at the stunned Bai Zihou and the others, asking, "Who are these people?" 

"They are from the Thunder Academy," Bai Zihou replied, somewhat dazed. "Why are there so many Thunder Academy students in the Ascending Heaven Mountain Range?" 

"Thunder Academy?" 

Lin Xi was taken aback, and Qin Xiyue and the others felt a surge of uncertainty. 

The three major academies of the Yunqin Empire were the Qingluan Academy, Thunder Academy, and Xianyi Academy. 

Although in the eyes of all practitioners in Yunqin, Qingluan Academy was undoubtedly the sole sacred ground, Thunder Academy and Xianyi Academy could not rival its prestige and heritage. 

Nevertheless, it was undeniable that, particularly in the last decade, the talents emerging from Thunder Academy and Xianyi Academy had become increasingly formidable, no longer inferior to those from Qingluan Academy. According to statistics from the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Justice, students from these three academies had achieved a genuine balance of power in recent years. 

Whether in the court or among local forces and border troops, students from Thunder Academy and Xianyi Academy did not necessarily hold any reverence for their Qingluan counterparts, and conflicts often arose. 

Lin Xi observed the approaching group of Thunder Academy students, their soft, lightweight golden attire now clearly visible to him. 

There were twelve individuals, all roughly the same age as them. 

Lin Xi was no longer the naive youth who had just emerged from Lulin Town, having had little exposure to this world. Although Vice Dean Xia had not allowed him to engage with the true nature and undercurrents of this realm, he at least understood that Thunder Academy was located five hundred miles west of the Imperial City of Zhongzhou, within the Thunder Mountain. It was unlikely that any practitioner would traverse nearly half of Yunqin to arrive in the Ascending Heaven Mountain Range. 

From the outset, the sudden arrival of all new students from various academies to this half-frozen wasteland, coupled with the presence of Thunder Academy students, suggested an inevitable connection… and raised many questions. 

For someone like Liu Ziyu, born with a silver spoon, although his family's influence did not extend to understanding the presence of Thunder Academy students here, he was more aware than the others present that in recent years, the students from Thunder Academy and Xianyi Academy had become increasingly arrogant, while some students from Qingluan Academy had found themselves at a disadvantage in the ongoing rivalry with these two institutions. This was precisely why the external perception was that Qingluan Academy had been gradually weakening, allowing the other two academies to stand shoulder to shoulder with it. 

Leading the group of twelve Thunder Academy students was a broad-foreheaded young man with thick brows and large eyes, a wooden piece resembling a wide blade tucked into his waist, wrapped with cloth to form a hilt. 

His expression was devoid of any overt emotion, remarkably calm, yet as he approached, everyone felt their breath catch, for it was palpable that he carried an air of pride—one deeply rooted within him, unworthy of display. 

Lin Xi's brow furrowed slightly; despite being of similar age, this group exuded an aura that set them apart from the students of Qingluan Academy, reminiscent of the presence of Liu Bo, who had escorted him to Qingluan Academy. 

However, Liu Bo was an experienced border soldier, his life rich with perilous encounters, yet these were merely students from an academy—why did they evoke such a feeling in him? 

The group came to a halt on a patch of wild grass a mere ten steps away from Bai Zihou and the other two Medicine Department students. 

The broad-foreheaded leader respectfully clasped his hands and bowed, then spoke. His demeanor was polite, yet his voice dripped with an unmistakable arrogance as he directly addressed Bai Zihou, "Is this Ascending Heaven Mountain Range yours?" 

Bai Zihou, also a privileged individual, was taken aback by the question, his expression shifting. "What do you mean by that?" 

The Thunder Academy student fixed his gaze on Bai Zihou, "Is this wolf badger yours?" 

His words were still laced with an extreme arrogance, exuding a kind of domineering presence that left Bai Zihou momentarily speechless, unsure of how to respond. 

"Since this Ascending Heaven Mountain Range isn't yours, and the wolf badger within it isn't yours either, if you took it from us, then we can rightfully reclaim it." The polite yet undeniably domineering Thunder Academy student disregarded Bai Zihou's reaction and reiterated firmly. 

"What nonsense is this?" Although outnumbered, Bai Zihou was Liu Ziyu's friend, and even in Qin Xiyue's absence, he could not stand idly by as his friend was cornered. Seeing Bai Zihou's momentum falter, Liu Ziyu stepped forward, casting a cold glance at the roasted rabbit Lin Xi and the Thunder Academy students' ceramic jars and meat strips, saying, "By your logic, if the clay used to make those jars also comes from the Ascending Heaven Mountain Range, which isn't yours, does that mean we can just take whatever we want from you?" 

"There are indeed some rules in this world, but since you disregarded the rules first, you have forfeited any claim to them." The Thunder Academy student nodded decisively, looking down at Liu Ziyu with disdain. "Anything we possess that originates from the Ascending Heaven Mountain Range can be taken by you, provided you have the strength to do so." 

"We won't rely on our numbers." Without a pause, the broad-foreheaded Thunder Academy student slightly turned to a cold-faced, high-cheekboned companion, saying, "Le Pingjiang, go retrieve what belongs to us." 

"Understood." The stern-faced, high-cheekboned Thunder Academy student, armed with a wooden knife at his waist, bowed respectfully to the leader without uttering a word and proceeded toward Bai Zihou. 

Liu Ziyu's eyes narrowed slightly as he coldly stated, "Are you looking to make enemies of us?" 

"I've heard of some laughable rules from your Qingluan Academy, but according to your own rules, you should be able to act freely against those outside the academy." The broad-foreheaded Thunder Academy student replied coldly, "If you lack the courage, step aside and stop wasting words."