A spirit of righteousness! To comprehend sword intent upon first entering the academy?

Before the mountain gate of Taibai Academy, the scene was currently a boiling pot of excitement.

Those three hundred-plus students who had just passed the cruel assessment and obtained admission qualifications should have rushed into the academy immediately to grab dorms and claim territory.

But now, they had all stopped in their tracks, each craning their necks like they were looking at a rare animal.

They crowded directly beneath the mountain gate, pointing and gesturing at a male student standing there motionless, shouting and yelling in excitement.

"Holy crap!"

"This guy is amazing! He's been staring at the gate for over half an hour without moving an inch!"

"Look at his state... his eyes are glazed over, and the aura around him is profound. Could it be the legendary Epiphany?!"

"Shit, for real? Having an Epiphany just by looking at a plaque?"

One male student's face was full of disbelief. He even deliberately imitated the person's posture, looking up to stare intently at the four large characters of 'Taibai Academy' for a few moments.

As a result, besides his eyes feeling a bit sore, he didn't feel a thing.

"I also looked at this door plaque for a while..."

"Besides thinking the calligraphy is bold and powerful, with a majestic momentum that makes one's heart feel a bit fluttery... I didn't comprehend anything either?"

"Is it because I'm not looking at it the right way?"

"Sigh, brother, you don't understand, do you? An Epiphany is something that can be sought but not found!"

A self-proclaimed 'know-it-all' who had read hundreds of cultivation novels crossed his arms and analyzed with a composed air:

"It seems this guy is different from us; he's someone with a great Opportunity!"

"But seriously..."

"Even though I don't understand calligraphy, the origin of this door plaque is likely quite incredible!"

"Just one look and I feel my knees going soft, like I want to kowtow to it..."

The discussion grew louder and louder, and some people even wanted to get closer to observe the 'Epiphany Guy'.

Sikong Yang, who had been standing on high ground, frowned slightly upon seeing this.

If these greenhorns were allowed to disturb that student's Epiphany, it would not only ruin an Opportunity but also be a loss for Taibai Academy!

"Ahem!"

Thinking of this, Sikong Yang took a step forward, and a light cough exploded in everyone's ears like a muffled thunderclap.

"Silence!"

"Since you have passed the assessment, you are already students of the academy."

"Gathering here and making such a racket, where is your decorum?!"

"Quickly pass through the mountain gate, enter the academy interior to report, and be assigned to your dorms!"

Was the majesty of a Golden Core True Person a joking matter?

With this one shout, the students who were originally noisy instantly felt as if they had been doused with a bucket of cold water, each becoming as quiet as a cicada in winter.

"Yes, vice academy master!"

"We'll go report right away!"

Looking at Sikong Yang's stern, set face, how could anyone dare to linger?

Although they were dying of curiosity, they could only look back every few steps as they passed through the mountain gate, scurrying into the academy interior like startled rabbits.

The vast space before the mountain gate immediately became quiet.

Only the student still in a state of Epiphany and Lin Xiyue's group remained.

"Heh, it's finally quiet now."

Watching the retreating backs of the fleeing students, Lin Xiyue covered her mouth and chuckled, clearly very satisfied with Sikong Yang's deterrent power.

Then, she turned her head and looked at Su Qinghan beside her.

"How is it, Sister Su?"

"Have you found this student's name?"

Su Qinghan was holding a thick register, which was the list of those who had passed the assessment just now.

Hearing Lin Xiyue's inquiry, she lightly flipped through a few pages, her gaze quickly locking onto one of the lines.

"Yes, I found it."

Su Qinghan looked up, glanced at the slightly thin silhouette in the distance, and said softly:

"This student's name is Bai Ziyu."

"In this 'Ten Days of Body Tempering' selection process, his results were not prominent, ranking 436th."

"He can only be considered middle-of-the-pack."

"Bai Ziyu?"

"That's a good name; he sounds like a scholar."

Li Fan, standing to the side, nodded slightly upon hearing this.

He didn't care about the ranking. Instead, he stepped forward, stopped beside the boy named Bai Ziyu, closed his eyes, and sensed carefully for a moment.

A moment later, he snapped his eyes open, a look of surprise flashing through them.

"Everyone..."

"If I'm not mistaken, this student Bai Ziyu is indeed in the midst of an Epiphany."

"And..."

Li Fan took a deep breath, his tone becoming somewhat solemn.

"He is actually comprehending Sword Intent!"

"What?!"

"Comprehending Sword Intent?!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Gu Zhiyun was the first to cry out in alarm.

Her eyes widened as she looked incredulously at the student who wasn't even in the Qi Refining Realm.

"He can comprehend Sword Intent at just the Body Tempering First Level?"

"Good heavens, this is likely a peerless Sword Dao Genius!"

"Little Brother Li, are you sure you didn't see wrong?"

Even though she had already begun to feel that Great Xia was a place of remarkable people and spirits, this was too ridiculous, wasn't it?

He had only just stepped over the threshold of being a Cultivator, yet he had already grasped Sword Intent.

How were those Cultivators in the Cangxuan Great Realm, who practiced bitterly for decades without even touching the threshold of Sword Intent, supposed to feel?

"Hahaha, not bad, not bad!"

Just then, a slightly illusory and aged figure drifted leisurely out of the iron sword behind Li Fan.

It was Elder Jian.

He paid no mind to Gu Zhiyun's surprise. Instead, he stood with his hands behind his back, quietly observing the youth named Bai Ziyu with deep eyes, a hint of gratification appearing on his face.

"To be able to resonate with the Concept I left behind upon seeing it for the first time, and to comprehend his own Sword Intent..."

"This kid indeed has talent, and his Heart-Nature must be extremely pure."

Elder Jian nodded with a smile.

This plaque was personally inscribed by him, containing a trace of his Sword Dao insights as a Saint.

But even he didn't expect that among this batch of rookie students who had just touched cultivation, someone could actually see something within these four characters!

To him, this truly counted as a pleasant surprise... At this very moment.

Bai Ziyu, in his state of Epiphany, was completely unaware of the outside discussion and attention.

His consciousness seemed to have left his physical shell, entering a mysterious and unfathomable space.

In his field of vision, the plaque hanging on the mountain gate was no longer a dead object.

Those four vigorous characters of 'Taibai Academy' began to twist and transform in his eyes, eventually turning into a magnificent scroll!

And within that scroll.

He saw an old man dressed in gray robes whose face could not be seen clearly.

The old man held no sword; instead, he held a bamboo scroll. He stood between heaven and earth, reading softly to the common people and all living things below.

Though the voice could not be heard clearly, it gave off a feeling like a spring breeze, bringing peace to the mind.

"This is..."

Bai Ziyu's heart was shaken.

He had thought that cultivating immortality was all about fighting and killing, about using Flying Swords to take heads.

But from this old man, he did not sense even a shred of Killing Intent.

There was only a force that was... grand! Upright! Straightforward!

A Noble Spirit that seemed capable of propping up the backbone of heaven and earth!

Suddenly, the scene changed.

Demons and monsters were born between heaven and earth, bringing chaos to the common people.

The old man put down the bamboo scroll in his hand.

He did not draw a sword; or rather, at this moment, his entire being transformed into a sword!

A sword that existed to protect the common people and to uphold justice—the Sword of a Gentleman!

"I am good at nourishing my Noble Spirit!"

A grand voice exploded in Bai Ziyu's mind.

He saw the old man use his fingers as a sword, making a light stroke toward the sky full of demons.

Boom!

A milky-white light soared into the sky; it was a Noble Sword Light condensed from the pure Righteous Qi of heaven and earth!

Wherever the sword light passed, demons retreated and evil was dissolved!

But this strike was not for slaughter; it was for... order!

"I... I understand."

Watching this scene, Bai Ziyu murmured blankly, two trails of tears sliding down his cheeks at some point.

He was originally a somewhat stubborn person, a weak scholar who loved to study ancient texts in his daily life.

Although he had successfully stepped into cultivation this time, he always had a bit of resistance in his heart toward that kind of bloody slaughter.

Until this moment.

He had finally found his own Dao!

It turned out... a sword is not just a weapon of murder.

It is also the 'Rites' in a gentleman's hand, the 'Law' that maintains the Righteous Path of the world!