Shen Cuiyu looked in the direction of the voice. It was a slender but somewhat frail - looking young man.
His skin was fair, and his features were delicate. His every gesture was impeccable, exuding the unique nobility and aloofness of a scion from an aristocratic family.
Actually, when Shen Cuiyu first entered the classroom, she had already noticed this young man. Usually, two students shared a long wooden desk in the classroom. Most of the other desks were cluttered with books and sundries, but his desk was exceptionally tidy. His books and writing brushes were neatly arranged, spotless.
"His name is Zhong Shengwan, the eldest grandson of the Zhong family in Xunyang," Pei Yu walked over at some point and said in a soft voice.
Shen Cuiyu slightly raised her eyebrows. The Zhong family in Xunyang was a famous mysterious - arts family in the Daxia Dynasty, on a par with the Shen family. As the eldest grandson of the direct line, Zhong Shengwan had been highly anticipated since childhood.
It was rumored that he was enlightened at the age of three, could recite the "Tao Te Ching" at four, knew how to make hand seals at five, could draw talismans at seven, and had become well - known in Xunyang City before reaching the age of twenty!
Such a prodigy, why was he grouped with them?
Was there a mistake in the grouping?
As if sensing their gazes, Zhong Shengwan slightly turned his head. His gaze was indifferent when it passed over Shen Cuiyu and Pei Yu, showing no emotion. But when it swept over Dongfang Xiao, it paused for a moment, and a distinct look of disgust flashed across his cold eyes.
In contrast, Shen Cuiyu realized that Zhong Shengwan had actually been quite polite to her and Pei Yu.
Dongfang Xiao:???
"Hey... what's with that look of his?!" Dongfang Xiao's skin was not very fair to begin with. Now, angered by Zhong Shengwan, his face looked as if it had been soaked in soy sauce, extremely terrifying. "I don't even think much of him! He wipes his desk eight times a day. People who don't know might think he's here to apply for a waiter!"
Shen Cuiyu's eyelids twitched slightly. She was just about to say hello to Zhong Shengwan to ease the awkward atmosphere when the latter averted his gaze, looking like someone who didn't want to be approached.
Shen Cuiyu:...
This teammate seems... not very easy to get along with...
When they returned to the classroom, they found that the students who had just been grouped were very excited and were discussing animatedly.
Someone glanced at Shen Cuiyu and the others and sneered:
"Hey, these four people are actually in the same group! Won't their scores still be zero by the time they graduate?"
"One got in through connections, one is an outcast with no spiritual power, one has brute strength but no brains, and one has a strange personality and is always sarcastic... Ahahaha, who was the genius who made this grouping!"
The four people who heard all these words:...
Dongfang Xiao casually raised his hand and punched the wall beside him. With a "crack", several spider - web - like cracks suddenly appeared on the originally intact wall.
The gossiping students' faces froze. They didn't dare to say another word and quickly lowered their heads and slipped away.
At first, Shen Cuiyu was a bit puzzled as to why Dongfang Xiao, who was at the Mysterious level, was grouped with her and Pei Yu. But within a few days, she understood the reason.
In any courses related to physical arts or strength, Dongfang Xiao always received a rating of "Good" or even "Excellent". The physical - arts teacher liked him as if he were his own son.
But when it came to the talisman - drawing class, Dongfang Xiao couldn't even draw a basic evil - repelling talisman properly. It was all crooked, and he was always rated the lowest...
It turned out he was extremely one - sided in his studies!
As for Zhong Shengwan...
At first, Shen Cuiyu didn't notice anything unusual about him.
As a person at the Earth level, Zhong Shengwan had the highest spiritual power among the four.
In class, there was no question the teacher asked that Zhong Shengwan couldn't answer. Although he was cold - tempered, he respected his teachers very much, and all the teachers in the academy liked him.
For this reason, he smoothly won the title of one of the top five most handsome men in the Myriad Phenomena Academy.
However, this almost perfect image completely collapsed during a practical training class!
The task of that class was to exorcise a mountain ghost with deep obsessions. The students were both nervous and excited as they entered the quiet room where the talisman formation was located one by one.
Only Zhong Shengwan stood there stiffly, his face as white as a sheet. No matter how hard Dongfang Xiao pulled him, he just refused to take a single step into the room.
The old teacher in charge clearly knew the situation. Stroking his beard, he laughed and tried to smooth things over: "It's okay, it's okay. Our Xiaowan is good in every aspect, but he's just naturally timid and afraid of ghosts."
The four people:...
Dongfang Xiao's veins on his forehead bulged. Finally, he couldn't hold back and roared: "You're afraid of ghosts but still come to be a celestial master?!"
Zhong Shengwan lost his composure and angrily retorted: "I didn't know I was afraid of ghosts before I became a celestial master!"
"Sissy!"
"Brute!"
Shen Cuiyu:...
No wonder the four of them were grouped together!
...
Before she knew it, Shen Cuiyu had spent several days in the Myriad Phenomena Academy.
The courses in the first year of the academy were mostly simple, focusing on the basics. However, it was still a bit hard for these newly - enrolled students to adapt.
Zhong Shengwan was smart and hard - working. Except for that practical training class, his grades in the other small tests were almost always at the top.
Besides him, several classmates like Cui Rui also performed well with excellent grades.
Shen Cuiyu was an odd one out. She always looked relaxed in class and rarely listened attentively. But whenever she was asked a question, she could answer it correctly, and she had a strong ability to understand difficult points. So, the teachers also classified her as "gifted".
As Shen Cuiyu had expected, on the tenth day of her enrollment, Liu Ruyan also completed the enrollment procedures and appeared in the classroom.
"Dear classmates," Liu Ruyan stood in front, deliberately raising her voice a bit. It seemed more like an announcement than an introduction. "I'm sure many of you already know me. I have a special identity. I'm the reincarnation of the Mysterious Goddess of the Nine Heavens. It's really a great fortune for me to enter the Myriad Phenomena Academy and become classmates with you today."
Different from the sparse applause when Shen Cuiyu enrolled, as soon as Liu Ruyan finished her self - introduction, the applause erupted spontaneously and was very enthusiastic.
The students' eyes were full of curiosity, respect, and excitement when they looked at Liu Ruyan.
Liu Ruyan curled her lips into an elegant arc, proudly accepting everyone's gazes and cheers. But when her eyes swept over Shen Cuiyu in the corner, a cold hatred flashed across them.
If it weren't for this damned Shen Cuiyu, she would have enrolled long ago and would surely be extremely glorious and famous all over the world by now!
That vicious Mrs. Zou punished her to be confined on the farm for three months. She had nothing but plain soup every day and had to chant scriptures and copy books all day long. She was almost driven crazy!
As soon as the confinement period ended, Liu Jinyan quickly picked her up, but she had missed half a month of classes!
Now that she had finally come to the highest mysterious - arts academy, in the days to come, she would surely make Shen Cuiyu's life miserable!