With his sword intent beginning to take shape, Bai Ziyu remained humble.

In front of the towering mountain gate of Taibai Academy.

With the departure of Lin Xiyue and the others, only a solitary figure remained, still standing silently beneath the plaque.

At this moment, Bai Ziyu seemed to have completely merged with the surrounding world.

Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the unfolding bamboo scroll painting became increasingly clear,

the originally indistinct chanting also became as loud as a bell at this moment, deafening and enlightening!

An indescribable aura of Haoran Qi suddenly surged from the crown of his head, piercing straight into the clouds!

At this moment, he was no longer a frail scholar, but an upright and unyielding Gentleman's Sword capable of measuring heaven and earth!

Boom!

Bai Ziyu opened his eyes; there was no sharp, cold light in them, only a warm, jade-like, yet unwavering clear radiance.

He looked at the plaque inscribed with "Taibai Academy" and subconsciously recited the maxim that had been surging in his heart for a long time:

"The world possesses righteous Qi, which manifests in various forms!"

"Below, it becomes the rivers and mountains; above, it becomes the sun and stars!"

Buzz—!

As these words left his mouth, that invisible Haoran Sword Intent instantly reached its peak!

The surrounding air seemed to be purified at this moment, and no evil or haze could approach him.

The Haoran Sword Intent, at this point, had reached initial completion!

"Whew..."

After a long time, Bai Ziyu let out a long breath of turbid air, and the astonishing phenomenon slowly withdrew into his body, allowing him to return to being that ordinary-looking youth once more.

"Ah..."

Awakening from his state of Epiphany, Bai Ziyu subconsciously looked around.

Only to find that the originally bustling mountain gate square had now become empty, with not a single soul in sight.

"Is... everyone gone?"

Bai Ziyu was stunned for a moment, then a look of realization and shame appeared on his face.

"It seems everyone has already gone to the academy to report, and I'm the only one foolishly standing here wasting so much time."

"Really, I finally passed the assessment with great difficulty, how could I drop the ball at a time like this?"

He tapped his forehead in annoyance, completely unaware of what a great Opportunity he had just experienced.

"No, I have to hurry and report too. I can't be late on the first day and leave a bad impression on the teachers."

Without thinking much, Bai Ziyu straightened his clothes and hurriedly stepped forward, preparing to enter the academy.

However.

He had only taken two steps when his footsteps suddenly came to a halt.

Around his body, a faint spiritual power barrier slowly emerged, then, as if it had fulfilled its mission, it dissipated into the air with a "pop."

"This is..."

Bai Ziyu was startled, and as he looked at where the barrier had dissipated, a realization dawned in his heart.

"Was it a protective measure specifically left by the Palace Master and the others to protect me?"

"I didn't expect the Palace Master and the others to be so thoughtful, even taking care of a student like me who fell behind."

At this thought, a warm current immediately surged in Bai Ziyu's heart.

He then turned around and gave a respectful, deep bow toward the plaque that had given him such great inspiration, as well as toward the depths of the academy.

"Student Bai Ziyu thanks the Palace Master and the several Deans for their kindness!"

Having done all this, he delayed no further and calmly entered the mountain gate, walking along the stone steps toward the depths of the academy.

As for the fact that he had just comprehended 'Sword Intent'... Bai Ziyu didn't show much excitement throughout, nor did he feel disappointed because there were no big shots around to witness it.

The reason was simple.

Because he was a complete newbie.

In his understanding, when it came to cultivation, everyone was a Genius.

He had merely looked at the plaque and felt some inspiration.

This "minor realization" would probably be seen as the most common and basic operation in the eyes of those truly powerful figures, wouldn't it?

"Well, it seems I still need to work harder."

"I can't get complacent over such a small bit of progress, or how will I keep up with the pace of the other students in the future?"

As he walked, Bai Ziyu secretly cautioned himself to remain humble.

Little did he know.

If Lin Xiyue, Elder Jian, and the others were still present and heard these thoughts, they would probably be unable to resist spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Common and ordinary?

Basic operation?

You call this a basic operation?!

If it weren't for the extreme urgency on Lin Mo's side and Shen Qingyi's imminent Awakening of her Saint Physique...

The moment he opened his eyes, he would have definitely seen the top big shots of the academy surrounding him, staring at him like he was a giant panda.

Unfortunately.

This highlight moment of his was ultimately diluted by more urgent crises.

However, although he missed the face-to-face praise from the big shots, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing for Bai Ziyu.

At least, it allowed him to maintain a rare sense of equanimity.

And at the start of this impetuous path of cultivation, this was particularly precious.