Chapter 80 – Class Atmosphere

At night, he cultivated the Taiyin Life-Nurturing Scripture; during the day, he practiced the Substitute Paper Figure technique. In the gaps between cultivation, Mu Lin would paint some artworks… After the Tower Challenge, Mu Lin’s daily routine returned to normal, as if achieving first place had no impact on him at all.

However, even though he said and did nothing more, his mere presence in the classroom spurred the disciples of the Formal Class to work even harder.

His classmates with Second-Class Spirit Roots were stirred by ambition because of Mu Lin.

“A Third-Class Spirit Root, born into a humble family—if someone like Mu Lin can make it into the Hidden Dragon Rankings, why can’t I?”

“Once I enter the Hidden Dragon Rankings, I’ll have the chance to marry the legitimate daughters of noble families. That must be why Chu Lingluo values Mu Lin, right? If I make it into the Hidden Dragon Rankings, will I also gain the attention and support of some noble ladies?”

Initially, Chu Lingluo befriended Mu Lin because she valued his artistic talent.

It was only after they became acquainted that Mu Lin revealed his strength.

But the specifics of this didn’t matter to those with Second-Class Spirit Roots. All they saw was that after entering the Hidden Dragon Rankings, Mu Lin gained the possibility of marrying Chu Lingluo.

They also saw that Chu Lingluo provided Mu Lin with abundant resources and support.

All of this filled them with envy and jealousy, igniting a fervent desire within them to train relentlessly.

As for Zhou Liang, Jing Yeming, Ji Xue, and Yan Yunyu—who were not among the Second-Class Spirit Root holders—they too cultivated with exceptional diligence.

They were provoked by Mu Lin. Being overshadowed by someone with Third-Class talent was undoubtedly a humiliation for Jing Yeming, Zhou Liang, and the others, and they were eager to wash away this disgrace.

More importantly, whether it was the teachers or their classmates, conversations with them subtly conveyed one idea—because of their superior Spirit Root talent, their cultivation progress would be faster than Mu Lin’s.

Therefore, his dominance over them was only temporary. If they worked hard enough, they could surpass him.

With the possibility of surpassing him, and the belief that it was within reach if they just pushed a little harder, it was only natural that Jing Yeming and the others cultivated with extreme diligence.

Just as the disciples of the Formal Class were cultivating with fervor, the arrival of a piece of news made the atmosphere in the class even more intense.

Dongfang Ya announced the upcoming joint examination of Dao Palaces in the Southeast Region. At the same time, she explicitly stated that if Mu Lin achieved first place in Anping Dao Palace and ranked within the top five in the Southeast Region, the Dao Palace would expend immense resources to enhance his Spirit Root aptitude, transforming his Third-Class Spirit Root into a Second-Class one.

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the Formal Class widened their eyes in astonishment. Envy and jealousy twisted the expressions of many.

Fortunately, Teacher Dongfang Ya then clarified, “The rewards won’t be given solely to Mu Lin. If any of you meet the requirements, the academy will also invest heavily to enhance your strength and potential.”

Indeed, the rewards for the Southeast Joint Examination were not tailored exclusively for Mu Lin.

Setting aside the fact that other teachers in the Dao Palace did not hold high expectations for Mu Lin, even Dongfang Ya, who had a good relationship with him, would not act so unfairly.

Mu Lin had long said that as a responsible teacher, Dongfang Ya was dedicated to everyone in the Formal Class and treated all students fairly.

If Mu Lin excelled, she would reward him; if others excelled, she would reward them as well.

Regarding this decision, Mu Lin harbored no resentment.

First, for his efforts, Teacher Dongfang Ya had already given him a separate reward—introducing him to a Puppet Master.

Second, thanks to Dongfang Ya’s efforts, the Dao Palace not only treated Mu Lin fairly but, in some ways, even gave him preferential treatment.

Improving the grade of his Spirit Root was what Mu Lin needed most, but it wasn’t something the Dao Palace possessed.

Normally, when the Dao Palace rewarded students, they would either randomly select an item from the Dao Palace treasury or allow the Disciple to choose from the treasury.

Tailoring a reward specifically for Mu Lin required considerable effort and care, something the Dao Palace wouldn’t normally do.

The fact that they did so now was a clear sign of preferential treatment.

…

Having learned about this in advance, Mu Lin remained quite composed when Dongfang Ya announced the news.

However, while he remained calm, the reactions of others were entirely different.

“Improving the grade of a Spirit Root!”

“The academy is willing to give out such a treasure?”

“Huff…”

“Win, as long as we win, we’ll have everything!”

Stimulated by Dongfang Ya’s announcement, all the students in the Formal Class were wide-eyed with excitement, their hearts restless.

It was no wonder they reacted this way—such treasures were exceedingly rare and precious.

Even figures like Jing Yeming and Zhou Liang couldn’t remain indifferent to such a reward.

The fervor and restlessness in the class were precisely what Dongfang Ya hoped to see. She wanted everyone in the class to be full of vitality and strive for improvement.

Now, she had achieved exactly that.

…

After this announcement, Mu Lin witnessed firsthand the change in the class atmosphere over the following days.

Originally, many in the class enjoyed gathering for banquets or engaging in refined pastimes.

But once this news broke, such activities vanished instantly. Everyone was now focused on diligent cultivation.

However, since the assessment two months later wasn’t solely based on Cultivation Level or even combat prowess, but rather on the practical ability of Dao Palace Disciples to handle Evil Aberrations and demonic monsters, many spent extra Spirit Stones in the following days to challenge the Tower of Illusory Heavens.

Among them, the teams of Ji Xue, Jing Yeming, and Yan Yunyu were the most frequent visitors.

Being the closest to the top spot, it was only natural for them to be more diligent.

—Well, Yan Yunyu might not care about the reward, but her teammates did. As for Ji Xue, Mu Lin had no idea what she was thinking.

Nevertheless, she visited the Tower of Illusory Heavens quite frequently.

And every time she emerged, her face was pale, clearly indicating that she had fought with all her might inside the tower.

“Could it be because of her Cultivation Method?”

“I remember Sword Cultivators excel in combat, and their progress in static cultivation isn’t as fast as in life-and-death battles?”

This was Mu Lin’s speculation, but he wasn’t certain.

Unable to figure it out, Mu Lin eventually decided not to dwell on it further.

At the same time, unbeknownst to Mu Lin, while he was observing the others, his classmates were also observing him.

And according to their expectations, once this news was announced, Mu Lin would be the most anxious.

After all, the reward of upgrading a third-grade Spirit Root to second-grade seemed tailor-made for him. With so many competitors now, Mu Lin should have been the most urgent.

But to their astonishment, after the announcement, Mu Lin, who should have been the most anxious, turned out to be the most relaxed person in the class.

He spent his days cultivating as usual, or painting portraits and landscapes, never once setting foot in the Tower of Illusory Heavens.

It seemed as though the news announced by Dongfang Ya had no effect on Mu Lin whatsoever.

This situation left even Mu Lin’s friend Zong Xiu somewhat puzzled.

One day, as they were returning to their dormitory together, he voiced his confusion.

“Brother Mu, everyone else in the class is taking on the Tower Challenge. Aren’t you the least bit anxious?”

“I’ve heard that Jing Yeming, Yan Yunyu, and Ji Xue have all made progress. Jing Yeming has already cleared the third floor of the Tower of Illusory Heavens these past few days, and Yan Yunyu even improved her rating on the fourth floor from ‘average’ to ‘good’.”

“As for Ji Xue, although she hasn’t advanced in the Tower Challenge, it’s said she has mastered a powerful sword technique, and her Cultivation Level has even reached the Spirit Awakening Late Stage.”

(End of Chapter)