The Verdant Sky Academy grew visibly more hostile as the third and final week of the escort mission commenced. The crisp autumn winds swept through the grand stone courtyards and carried an undeniable edge of tension.

Students from various factions walked in tight groups while casting wary glances toward the private residence of the Bai Clan heir. The news of the failed assassination attempt in the fog had gone public and made many wary of what was happening.

Li Yu stood at his usual post near the front gates of their courtyard as he watched the morning sun rise over the towering academic spires. He found the growing tension of the area to be interesting but wasn’t too worried about what was to come. The level of power that he had seen in this realm did not make him feel afraid but he was still keeping up his guard.

This was like a vacation for him as he listened to the gossip of students each day and got to experience a bit of what it was like to go to an academy. His ultimate conclusion was that he didn’t miss out on much but it did make him miss his traveling companions. This mission also allowed him to get some experience as a mercenary and what it was like to be standing on guard as one. While the experience wasn’t bad, it wasn’t something that he would say he enjoyed either.

Bai Yun walked out of his quarters holding a vibrant green jade slip as his Soul Transformation aura pulsed with newfound vigor while he marched toward the front gates. Rogan heaved his twin axes over his broad shoulders and followed the young noble while Lin Xiao walked closely on the opposite side. Vane took the vanguard position to clear any wandering students from their immediate path. Li Yu fell into his trailing overwatch position and allowed the group to lead the way.

"Where are we heading today?" Rogan asked while scratching the deep scar on his jawline. "The academy feels like a boiling cauldron this morning. We should probably stay near the populated areas to avoid giving your enemies an easy opening."

Bai Yun offered a confident smirk and waved the green jade slip in the air. "We are going to the roaring waterfall located at the rear edge of the campus. I read an old text last night that described a hidden cultivation cave located behind the falling water. The pressure of the falls is supposed to temper the physical body and refine the meridians. I need to break through another minor realm before the envoys arrive."

Lin Xiao frowned and tightened her grip on her rapier. "The rear mountain is isolated and far away from the protective eyes of the academy instructors. It is a perfect place for an ambush by your enemies. I advise against going there today, your time here is nearly over, it is best to be cautious."

"I have four elite guards to protect me," Bai Yun replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Besides, fortune favors those who take risks. I have a very strong feeling about this waterfall."

Li Yu didn’t say much as either decision was okay for him. He was a bit curious about what Bai Yun’s enemies would do but he was also fine with playing it safe as well. Ultimately, Bai Yun decided to take the chance anyway since his family had paid for these guards. He would use them as much as he could and extract value from it.

They left the main campus and followed a winding dirt path into the dense forest surrounding the academy. The sound of crashing water grew louder until they reached a towering cliff face. A torrential waterfall spilled over the high rocks and plunged into a deep basin below while the mist hung heavy in the air and coated the surrounding trees in a slick layer of moisture.

Bai Yun did not hesitate at all, as if he was being led by a greater power. He channeled his Qi to form a protective barrier around his silk robes and leaped across the slippery stones and he vanished behind the heavy curtain of falling water.

Rogan grunted in annoyance and crossed his arms. "I despise standing out in the damp cold. We should fan out and secure the perimeter while the young master plays in the puddles. What could be behind this waterfall, it’s been here for ages with no one finding anything."

Vane nodded in agreement and moved toward the higher ground to establish a clear line of sight over the forest. Lin Xiao took up a position near the edge of the basin while Li Yu leaned against a sturdy oak tree and enjoyed the refreshing mist against his face.

He sensed Bai Yun’s bracelet radiating soul energy just now, it was faint but Li Yu clearly felt it. Clearly Bai Yun was being led by it but Li Yu didn’t think much of it, everyone had their own destiny and fate after all. He wouldn’t steal Bai Yun’s opportunity for no reason, nor did he believe the opportunity from it was valuable enough to break his own morals.

Ten minutes later, Bai Yun emerged from behind the waterfall with a triumphant grin stretching across his face. He held a small wooden box in his right hand that radiated a rich and intoxicating medicinal aroma. The man did not even try to hide his treasure, he was flaunting it for all to see his genius.

"I knew my instincts were correct," Bai Yun cheered as he jumped back onto the dry riverbank. "I found a hidden alcove carved into the stone. It contained the remains of an ancient academy elder who passed away during meditation. He left behind a Golden Marrow Pill. This is a top tier resource that will easily push my cultivation to the peak of the Soul Transformation realm."

Before the escort team could congratulate him on his bizarre luck, the thick foliage on the opposite side of the riverbank rustled loudly. Three students wearing the golden robes of the Chen family stepped out from the shadows. The student in the center was the same haughty young man who had tried to buy the rusted iron in the trading pavilion the previous week.

"Your luck is truly profound," the Chen family heir sneered as he drew a long curved sword from its scabbard. In his other hand was some sort of treasure that had allowed them to be hide themselves from the guards. "But your intelligence is sorely lacking. We followed you from the main campus and were waiting for you to wander into an isolated area. Hand over the Golden Marrow Pill and the rusted iron you stole from me. If you comply, I will allow you to walk back to your courtyard with just broken arms."

Bai Yun scoffed and stored the wooden box into his spatial ring. He stood tall and projected his aura across the rushing water.

"You follow me into the woods like stray dogs begging for scraps," Bai Yun mocked with a sharp laugh. "I earned these treasures through my own destiny. You do not have the strength or the courage to take them from me. You are just a spoiled coward hiding behind your family name."

The Chen family heir flushed red with fury and gestured toward the two burly guards standing beside him. "Cripple his guards and tear the spatial ring from his finger! I want him bleeding in the dirt!"

The two hostile guards surged forward and unleashed their King realm auras. They crossed the riverbank with explosive speed and aimed their weapons directly at the escort team. Rogan let out a booming laugh and stepped forward to intercept the threat even though they were a realm higher than him.

He swung his heavy axes in a brutal cross pattern and clashed with the first attacker. The force of the mercenary sent the Chen family guard sliding backward across the wet stones. It became quickly clear that even though Rogan was a realm lower, his brute strength was enough to cross realms.

Lin Xiao moved with lethal and swift moments as well. She drew her rapier in a blur of silver light as she parried a heavy sword strike from the second attacker and countered with a precise thrust that forced her opponent on the defensive. She too could cross realms to fight, just as Rogan.

‘That’s really strange that both are so strong yet both are here guarding this man for the mission. Is this what they call fate or destiny? That someone’s destiny or fate is so strong that other powerful beings are somehow drawn to them even if they themselves don’t do anything? Or that their fate is so strong that they are helped along by the other strings of fate?’ Li Yu thought and began to get inspired by seeing it first hand. Bai Yun’s luck was truly heaven defying in many ways, even his guards were much stronger than normal.

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While the guards engaged in a fierce melee, Bai Yun locked eyes with the golden robed heir.

"You want my treasures?" Bai Yun challenged as he drew his own straight sword and was going to take action himself as well. The time to reveal a bit of his own strength had come. "Come and claim them yourself if you dare."

The Chen family heir roared and leaped across the rushing water. He channeled a fiery red Qi along the edge of his curved blade and unleashed a sweeping horizontal strike aimed at the neck of his rival. Bai Yun did not retreat or call for help from the others. He relied on a secret footwork technique provided by his spiritual grandpa to effortlessly sidestep the lethal attack. Bai Yun then pivoted on his heel and delivered a devastating palm strike directly into the chest of the arrogant student.

The impact cracked several ribs and sent the Chen family heir crashing into the shallow water of the basin. The heir coughed up a mouthful of blood and struggled to breathe while staring up at Bai Yun with a look of shock. Never would he have guessed this person was so skilled.

Vane walked over to the edge of the water and released his Law Integration pressure over the entire area. The overwhelming spiritual weight forced the two hostile guards to drop their weapons and fall to their knees. This situation had escalated far enough and it was time to end things here.

"The skirmish is over," Vane declared with a cold and authoritative tone. "Take your young master and leave this place before I decide to enforce the academy rules with my own hands."

The defeated guards hastily scooped up their groaning heir and fled into the forest without offering any further threats. Bai Yun sheathed his sword and adjusted his robes with a satisfied smirk while feeling extremely good with himself. He felt invincible standing under the mist of the waterfall and images of himself standing at the top of the martial world rapidly flowed through his head.

Li Yu watched the entire sequence from the shadows of the oak tree and had not taken action the entire time and like Vane, he was letting the action play out as no one was in any real danger of being hurt. Vane had the situation under control and there was no reason to escalate things further by killing any of the attackers.

The escort team returned to the main campus without facing any further resistance. Bai Yun spent the next two days locked inside his private quarters to absorb the Golden Marrow Pill and he emerged on the third morning radiating a much denser and sharper aura. Bai Yun had successfully reached the peak of the Soul Transformation realm and his confidence soared to new heights.

"Today is a very important day," Bai Yun announced as he joined the guards in the central garden. "The envoys from the upper sect will arrive tomorrow morning to officially recruit the top students. I need to meet with Su Yin this evening to finalize our travel arrangements. She is the brightest talent in the academy and we are to enter the same sect together."

Lin Xiao frowned and shared a concerned look with Rogan. "Young master, tensions are incredibly high right now. The Chen family and the Iron Gale faction have been remarkably quiet since the incidents of a few days ago. That silence usually precedes a major strike or something else entirely. We should send a messenger to invite Lady Su Yin to our secure courtyard instead of walking through the open campus at night. As you said, you are nearly towards the goal now."

"Su Yin requested we meet at the Star Blossom Pavilion," Bai Yun insisted with a stubborn shake of his head. "It is a beautiful and romantic location overlooking the eastern valley. I will not cower in my room and deny her request just because a few defeated rivals might be nursing their bruised egos."

The veteran butler sighed heavily and gestured for the team to prepare their weapons. He knew arguing with the young noble was a pointless endeavor once he had made up his mind. The escort team sighed, including Li Yu. This Bai Yun continued to push his luck and it was like he was challenging fate itself to hinder him.

The sun dipped below the mountains and cast a deep twilight over the Verdant Sky Academy. The escort team formed their usual perimeter around Bai Yun as they navigated the winding stone paths leading toward the eastern valley. The Star Blossom Pavilion sat on a high cliff edge surrounded by glowing white trees that shed luminous petals into the cool evening breeze.

Su Yin stood near the edge of the pavilion waiting for them. She wore elegant pale blue silks and possessed a graceful beauty that drew the eyes of many young cultivators across the campus. Su Yin was one of the known beauties and great talents of the school so she naturally attracted many admirers but had never accepted anyone as her dao companion. She smiled warmly as Bai Yun approached but her dark eyes carried a heavy burden of worry.

"Yun," Su Yin greeted softly as she reached out to hold his hands. "I am so glad you arrived safely. I heard terrible rumors swirling through the courtyards today. The elders of the Iron Gale faction and the patriarch of the Chen family held a secret meeting this afternoon. They are furious about the face you made them lose in public. I fear they are planning something drastic before the envoys arrive."

Bai Yun squeezed her hands and offered a reassuring smile. "You worry too much Yin. They are just old men grumbling over their own failures. The future is for the young, not the old. We leave this academy tomorrow morning. They cannot touch us once we stand under the banner of the sect."

"You are far too arrogant for a boy who still smells like countryside mud," a harsh and raspy voice echoed from the shadows of the glowing trees.

The escort team immediately drew their weapons and formed a tight circle around the young couple. Li Yu had long sensed a series of powerful arrays activating in the surrounding forest as they had approached and became curious about what was going to happen.

He mainly wanted to see if Bai Yun’s luck, fate or whatever else it might be called get him out of this situation without his help. Li Yu felt like his second mind was on the cusp of a breakthrough in the laws of fate. The ambient Qi in the area grew thick and stagnant as a massive isolation barrier sealed the entire Star Blossom Pavilion away from the rest of the academy.

The shadows parted and a large group of hostile cultivators stepped into the moonlight.

The leader of the Iron Gale faction walked forward wearing deep green robes adorned with silver wind crests. He radiated the oppressive aura of the Law Integration realm. Standing right beside him was the patriarch of the Chen family, wearing opulent gold armor and projecting an equally terrifying presence. They brought dozens of their best guards and senior disciples with them, effectively blocking the only path leading back to the campus.

The Chen family heir stood behind his father with his chest heavily bandaged. He pointed a trembling finger toward Bai Yun and sneered with ugly delight.

"I told you I would make you pay for humiliating me," the golden robed heir spat with venomous hatred. "Your little hired guards cannot save you from the true power of our combined families. If they are smart, they can lay down their weapons and we will spare them."

The patriarch of the Chen family crossed his arms and looked at Su Yin with a cold and calculating gaze. "The Bai Clan has grown too bold and too arrogant recently. They think they can steal our resources and run off without paying a toll. We are here to collect our debts."

The leader of the Iron Gale faction nodded in agreement and drew a long jagged sword from his waist. "Hand over the Golden Marrow Pill, the rusted iron and the ancient manual you stole from our scripture pavilion. Furthermore, the girl will remain here. Su Yin belongs to the Verdant Sky Realm and she will marry into the Chen family. If you surrender everything right now we might allow you to crawl back to your clan with your life."

Bai Yun felt his blood boil with outrage. He stepped in front of Su Yin and summoned his straight sword with a fierce battle cry.

"You are delusional old fools!" Bai Yun shouted as his Soul Transformation aura flared to its absolute limit. "I will never hand over my treasures and I would rather die a thousand times before I let you lay a single finger on Su Yin. If you want a war, you will have it tonight!"

The veteran butler stepped forward with his sword drawn but his hands shook with visible fear. Everyone on Bai Yun’s side visibly sighed when they saw this old man pull out his weapon and stepped forward. Rogan, Lin Xiao and Vane stood their ground but the overwhelming numbers and the presence of two Law Integration experts painted a very grim picture for their survival this time. The three of them looked over at Li Yu, counting on him to make the correct moves this time.

Inside the silver bracelet, the spiritual grandpa sighed with deep resignation. He prepared to burn his final reserves of soul strength to carve a bloody path through the enemy lines. He would be able to rest and recover later once they were inside the sect. Inside that sect, Bai Yun would have access to better resources, speeding up his recovery a considerable amount. It was worth it to damage himself now so they can live to see another day.

Li Yu stood near the back of the formation and watched the dramatic confrontation reach its boiling point. The cultivation world had finally had enough of this man’s fate and was now throwing a seemingly impossible wall to cross over. It involved not only himself but a childhood sweetheart and wounded pride. Li Yu smiled quietly in the dark as he adjusted his grip on his heavy glaive and prepared to bring himself to truly join in the fray this time. It was his mission to see this person make it and he wasn’t going to go back on his duty.