Nine Star Hegemon Body Arts

“Money?”

Long Chen was bewildered. When did the High Firmament Academy start charging for trials? It made no sense. A powerful faction like the High Firmament Academy didn’t need to resort to such practices, and even some small sects wouldn’t bother with such a thing.

Although holding the trials might exhaust some materials, those particular trials only took place after several rounds of selection. Typically, by the time a candidate reached this stage, their acceptance was almost guaranteed as long as nothing unexpected happened.

Yet, these people seemed accustomed to this process. They casually fished out their money, and Long Chen noticed each person handing over thirty top-grade primal chaos stones. It was a truly vicious demand.

In front of them stood over ten disciples of the academy, with a tanned fatty leading them. He was the one collecting the money. As Long Chen watched, one man subtly slipped an extra spatial ring to the fatty, along with the required thirty primal chaos stones.

The fatty’s eyes widened in surprise. He discreetly checked the contents of the spatial ring, and his expression brightened. He then gave the man an approving nod, his gaze lingering on him with newfound respect.

“Not bad, not bad. You seem quite talented. I feel like you’ll be able to pass the outer gate,” the fatty said, nodding approvingly.

The man beamed with delight and hastily answered, “Thank you, senior apprentice-brother, for your kind words. If I have the fortune of entering the outer academy, I hope to receive your pointers. Junior will listen to whatever you say.”

Long Chen curled his lips in disdain. This fellow really knew how to suck up. In other words, as long as the fatty let him join the outer academy, there would be more presents for the fatty.

“That will depend on your luck!” chuckled the fatty.

After that, the others paid up their registration fee. When it was that girl’s turn, she stared at the primal chaos stones in her hand painfully and shyly said, “Big brother, this is everything my brother and I have. If we fail, will it be returned to us?”

“Returned? A penniless beggar like you shouldn’t even bother participating!” the fatty spat, his face contorting with anger. He swung his hand, knocking the pouch from her grasp. The primal chaos stones scattered across the ground.

The girl let out a small cry of pain as one of the stones nicked her cheek, drawing a thin line of blood. Ignoring the pain, she hurriedly scrambled to gather the stones, tears welling up in her eyes. She frantically collected them, fearful that someone might steal the few stones she had left.

“You… How can you be so violent?!” demanded her big brother.

“Cultivation is a path paved through money. Poor people can only be left behind and die. The High Firmament Academy doesn’t raise useless people! Scram!” The fatty’s expression was dark as he spat out those words.

“Big brother, let’s leave. We’ll test our luck somewhere else,” the girl urgently whispered to her brother, tugging at his sleeve when she saw him trembling with rage.

She and her brother were only at the third Heavenstage of the Divine Venerate realm, while the fatty had already reached the Eternal realm. She feared that a confrontation would only lead to disaster.

“If you don’t want to leave, you can stay,” the fatty said suddenly, his tone shifting.

“Really?” The girl looked up in delight.

The fatty chuckled, “Girl, your looks aren’t bad. If you want to be my concubine, I can consider keeping you, hahaha!”

He reached out, his hand lecherously rubbing her cheek. She recoiled in horror, and her brother, seething with fury, stepped forward and shoved the fatty’s hand away.

The force of the shove was met with a shocking backlash. The brother’s hand tore open, blood spurting from the wound, and he was sent stumbling backward several steps.

“Who do you think you are?!” he roared, his fury igniting. The aura of a two-star Heavenly Doyen flared around him as he charged at the fatty like a madman.

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“Since you want to die so badly, I’ll help you achieve your goal,” the fatty sneered, reaching out with cruel intent.

“No!” The girl screamed. She knew that her brother wasn’t a match for the fatty, but she couldn’t do anything about it.

BANG!

That fatty’s hand was stopped mid-air. Long Chen appeared beside the fatty, grabbing the latter’s wrist.

As for that girl’s big brother, he was knocked back by Long Chen’s aura. He managed to stabilize himself after several steps, staring in shock. Only now did he realize that the black-robed man who had entered the High Firmament Academy with them was actually a powerful expert.

“Big brother…!” cried the little girl. She then grabbed her brother and looked at Long Chen.

“Who are you?!” the fatty shouted, panic creeping into his voice. With his wrist trapped in Long Chen’s iron grip, his entire body felt numb. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t unleash any of his power—it was as if he had been sealed.

Long Chen didn’t bother responding with words. Instead, he twisted his hand sharply, and with a sickening tear, the fatty’s arm was ripped clean off. The fatty’s scream of agony echoed through the air.

The other disciples of the academy furiously drew their weapons, but Long Chen paid them no heed. Instead, he looked back at the girl and spoke calmly, “Don’t worry. Your talent isn’t bad. You will become a disciple of the academy, and not just any disciple—the inner academy will be your home.”

“Me? Really?” replied the girl, starting at Long Chen in disbelief.

With a smile, Long Chen explained, “You possessed wood spirit fire. It’s a very rare kind of talent. Come with me, and I’ll bring you into the academy.”

The girl’s eyes lit up with hope, but she was still hesitant, finding it hard to believe. She looked at her brother, who was just as confused.

Long Chen had just torn off the arm of a disciple. That was a disaster. In the minds of the two siblings, they should flee while they could, or they would definitely die when the academy’s experts arrived.

Long Chen had sensed the girl’s talent the moment he laid eyes on her. As an alchemist himself, Long Chen was highly attuned to the presence of rare flames. Although her talent was still latent, Long Chen knew that once activated, her Pill Flame would make her a formidable alchemist as long as she remained diligent.

Alchemists were valuable assets in any sect, but as for the others around him, their talents were too lacking. Even Long Chen couldn’t help them.

“Who are you?!” shouted the fatty, clutching his bleeding shoulder. Blood dyed his white robes red, and his voice shuddered from anger and fear.

“Come with me,” Long Chen said to the girl and her brother. The brother hesitated, unsure what to do, but the girl, trusting in Long Chen’s words, immediately walked alongside him.

Seeing his sister go, the brother gritted his teeth and followed. After all, his little sister was more important to him than his own life. Wherever she went, he would follow… even in death.

As the girl walked beside him, Long Chen smiled slightly and softly reassured her, “Don’t worry. With me here, no one in the High Firmament Academy would dare to trouble you.”

Seeing Long Chen turn his back toward him, the fatty suddenly thrust a sword at Long Chen’s back.

“Die!”