Chapter 156 – Chu Lingluo: Are Academy Points Hard to Earn?

The scene where Yan Yunyu and Chu Lingluo showed complete indifference shattered Hua Xingyu’s plans, leaving him, who had been boasting for half the day, utterly bewildered.

‘What’s going on? I explained it clearly enough, didn’t I? Could it be they don’t understand the value of the Thunder Pool right before their eyes?’

‘If not for this Southern Eastern Region Joint Examination, this is a treasure land they might never have the chance to witness in their entire lives!’

Just as he was puzzled, Mu Lin and the others’ arrival and pause also drew the attention of those around them, sparking murmurs among the crowd.

“Who are they? I don’t recognize any of them.”

“It’d be strange if you did. Judging by their attire, they must be Prodigies from an outer-region Dao Academy here for the examination.”

“Prodigies? Can someone at the Gushing Spring Early Stage be called a Prodigy? Their academy’s title of Prodigy seems too easily earned. I feel like if I went there, I’d be treated as a Prodigy too.”

The speaker looked at Mu Lin and the others with a face full of disdain.

To this, those around did not refute but instead replied matter-of-factly:

“You would indeed become a Prodigy there, but given the chance, would you be willing to go?”

“Of course… not. Being a Prodigy in an outer academy is just an empty title, but at Jade Lake Dao Academy, you gain real, tangible benefits. Leaving aside everything else, just our Thunder Hell alone would make them envious for ages.”

“Hah, isn’t that the truth.”

“I’d be willing to go… regardless of other aspects of outer academies, the girls there are truly beautiful, and their demeanor is exceptional.”

“Actually, we don’t need to go there. Aren’t they here now?”

The last remark left many momentarily stunned, but soon, someone nodded and said, “You’re right. They’re here, and so is our opportunity.”

“Damn, Hua Xingyu beat us to it. Using the Majestic Light Thunder Prison to awe them, then sharing some interesting stories about braving it—that would definitely catch those girls’ attention. Damn it, why didn’t I think of that at the time…”

In response to Mu Lin and the others’ arrival, some ignored them, some felt regretful, and others, driven by their Desires, began walking toward where Yan Yunyu and the others stood.

As for Mu Lin, who was beside the girls, they completely disregarded him.

These people did not believe Mu Lin had the qualifications to compete with them.

However, while they ignored Mu Lin, Yan Yunyu did not.

Noticing Mu Lin’s longing for the Majestic Light Thunder Prison, she immediately stepped forward and said to him, “Brother Mu, do you want to train in the Thunder Pool? I can help you.”

“?! !”

Before Mu Lin could respond, Hua Xingyu beside them instinctively exclaimed, “That’s impossible.”

Before he could explain further, Lin Qi nearby shook his head and explained, “Miss, you may not be fully aware of the rules at our Jade Lake Dao Academy. Our academy has four major treasured sites, and the Majestic Light Thunder Prison is one of them. Entering it requires a significant cost. Even disciples of our Dao Palace must accumulate Academy Points for several months…”

Before he could finish, Chu Lingluo beside them exclaimed in surprise, “Huh? Is it really that difficult to enter the Majestic Light Thunder Prison? How many Academy Points are needed for one entry?”

Her innocent words and pure demeanor made Lin Qi inwardly remark on her naivety.

However, the innocent and pure Chu Lingluo also gave him a feeling of a younger sister, which made him subconsciously feel protective and affectionate. Because of this, he wasn’t impatient but instead explained kindly:

“Maintaining the Majestic Light Thunder Prison consumes a vast amount of resources, so the academy imposes strict limits on entry slots. It requires a full eight hundred Academy Points just to enter once.”

As he spoke, he wanted Chu Lingluo to understand how difficult it was to enter the Majestic Light Thunder Prison. But to his surprise, upon hearing this, Chu Lingluo actually breathed a sigh of relief.

“Phew, you scared me. It’s only eight hundred points.”

“Only?!”

These words left Lin Qi stunned, but soon, he thought of something and said with a smile:

“You might be misunderstanding something. Our Jade Lake Dao Academy’s points are different from those at your Anping Dao Palace. Here, points are extremely hard to come by…”

Chu Lingluo: “Hard to come by? But when I came to Jade Lake Dao Academy, my mother gave me over ten thousand points?”

“Ten thousand?!”

This exaggerated number left both Hua Xingyu and Lin Qi utterly dumbfounded.

The surrounding onlookers were also stunned, but soon, someone chuckled and said, “That girl is too naive. Doesn’t she understand that Anping Dao Palace’s points are different from our Jade Lake Dao Academy’s?”

“Exactly! Jade Lake Dao Academy’s points are incredibly hard to earn. Ten thousand points—I probably couldn’t save that many from now until graduation even if I tried.”

“She really dares to imagine. Ten thousand points? Even if they sold everything they had, they couldn’t get ten thousand points.”

Being at Jade Lake Dao Academy, these people knew how difficult it was to earn Academy Points. Because of this, everyone around the Majestic Light Thunder Prison thought Chu Lingluo was naive and confused, mixing up Anping Dao Palace’s points with Jade Lake Dao Academy’s.

Just as they were thinking this and chatting among themselves, something astonishing, bewildering, and even unbelievable happened.

Chu Lingluo took the card her mother had given her to the management office of the Majestic Light Thunder Prison to exchange for one entry permit.

And then… she actually succeeded.

“?!”

“???”

“Am I… seeing things?”

“This can’t be! Absolutely impossible!”

“Could this be a benefit the academy gives to Prodigies from other institutions?”

“No way, that can’t be it. The Majestic Light Thunder Prison is so precious; how could the academy just let anyone have it for free…”

“Then where did her Academy Points come from!”

“Everyone, is that really the point? Ten thousand points—she really has ten thousand points!”

Chu Lingluo’s successful transaction and her earlier words left all the Jade Lake Dao Academy Disciples around them in stunned silence.

That ten thousand points completely shattered the pride in their hearts.

Among them, Hua Xingyu and Lin Qi were especially shaken.

Originally, they thought they were showing a group of country bumpkins around the Grand View Garden, feeling a sense of proud superiority.

But now, they realized this wasn’t some peasant stumbling into the city—this was a young lady from an Aristocratic Family descending to the mortal world for training.

And soon, something even more shocking to them occurred.

After successfully exchanging for the entry permit, Chu Lingluo didn’t use it herself. Instead, she ran back, wrapped her arms around Mu Lin’s arm, and said happily, “Brother Mu, I can help you too. Mother gave me ten thousand points, which is enough for us to use several times.”

Her words, implying she was willing to give it away for free, made everyone around them green with envy.

Ignoring their intentions, Mu Lin did not immediately enter the Majestic Light Thunder Prison after glancing at it. Instead, he curiously looked at the stone tablet beside the Thunder Hell and asked Lin Qi, “Brother Lin, what is the meaning of this stone tablet and the names inscribed on it?”

Before Lin Qi could answer, Yan Yunyu, standing nearby, smiled and spoke up, “Brother Mu, you could have asked me as well. Before coming here, I had already gathered all the information about Jade Lake Dao Academy.”

After saying this, she began explaining the significance of the stone tablet to Mu Lin.

“This stone tablet records the achievements of Jade Lake Dao Academy’s Disciples in the Thunder Hell. It serves both as a record of honor and as motivation for other Disciples. Additionally, it acts as a benchmark—if anyone manages to make it onto the list, Jade Lake Dao Academy will reward them with Academy Points.”

Hearing this, Mu Lin’s eyes lit up. “Can we also earn them?”

“Yes, to win us over, Jade Lake Dao Academy has been quite generous. We can use most of the facilities in the Dao Palace and take advantage of their rules.”

“That’s quite good.”

By now, Mu Lin had already formed the idea of challenging the Majestic Light Thunder Prison.

This wasn’t solely for the points. His physical constitution had clearly become his weakest aspect, so he needed the Thunder Hell to temper it.

However, while he wanted to refine his physique and seize the opportunity to earn some Academy Points, others at Jade Lake Dao Academy looked down on his intentions when they noticed his plan.

“To think he wants to get his name on that list—who does he think he is!”

(End of Chapter)