Chen Yun had also returned by this time, followed by the elderly man who had been on the thousand-li transmission stone earlier.
Behind them were several middle-aged men dressed similarly in white robes trimmed with gold, looking distinguished and extraordinary. Following in their wake was a large, bustling group of people—four or five of them were clearly Yunling disciples like Chen Yun, while the rest were young men and women who were presumably candidates for the entrance assessment.
So Ye Hun surmised.
When Chen Yun returned and saw Li Qing knocked out cold like a dead dog, a frown naturally appeared on her brow. Upon hearing Chen Lingling explain that Li Qing had sparred with Ye Hun, initiated the full-force exchange himself, and yet was no match for Ye Hun, Chen Yun's expression mirrored that of everyone before her—a look of sheer disbelief. This was especially true when she heard that Ye Hun had defeated a full-strength Li Qing in a single blow without using a weapon; she found it even harder to fathom.
In truth, from her perspective, Ye Hun's strength lay primarily in his powerful weapon, while his own aura did not seem particularly formidable. This development far exceeded her expectations!
At that moment, the elderly man in the wide white robe walked over, looked at Ye Hun, and asked, "Chen Yun, is this the young friend who saved you all?"
Chen Yun was momentarily stunned. Recovering her wits, she quickly replied, "Yes, he is the one who saved us. His name is Ye Hun, and he is very interested in our Yunling Academy. He wishes to take part in our assessment as well!"
Ye Hun stood up as well. He could sense that the elderly man before him possessed an immensely powerful aura—far surpassing his own by an unknown margin. It would have been utterly improper to remain seated in his presence. Besides, even without that, when facing an elder so much older than himself, proper courtesy was simply a must.
"Greetings, Senior, I am Ye Hun," Ye Hun said, cupping his fists politely.
"Good, good, good! Splendid, splendid! His aura is exceptionally solid. Although he is only at the Spirit Awakening Realm, his presence is completely on par with the Spirit-Entering Realm. This young friend is extraordinary indeed!"
The elder stroked his beard, staring up and down at Ye Hun. Hearing that Ye Hun had defeated Li Qing and intended to take the academy assessment only made him nod repeatedly in praise.
The elder then continued, "It is the fortune of our academy to attract a genius like you, young friend. Given that you saved dozens of our academy members, I can make an exception and admit you directly without requiring you to take the assessment. What do you think?"
As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately provoked dissatisfaction among the others.
A sharp-featured man stepped out from directly behind the elder. Looking at Ye Hun with displeasure, he said, "Instructor, those granted direct admission without tests are true scions of great clans within our Yunling Empire, and they must possess supreme talent to convince the masses. Does this brother really meet such requirements?"
"If bypassing the assessment is treated so casually and the rules are broken like this, it would be unfair to the others!"
Ye Hun looked at the man, wondering whether he was truly upholding the rules or simply targeting him personally. The moment this man had entered the room and laid eyes on Li Qing, he had rushed right over; he was clearly some sort of close friend to Li Qing.
"There's no need, Senior. It's just an assessment; I can manage it myself," Ye Hun said calmly to the elder.
Seeing Ye Hun respond this way, the elder smiled. "Very well. I trust that my young friend has the ability to do so, and I hold high hopes for you."
The elder then turned to Chen Yun. "Your performance this time was commendable, Chen Yun. You devoted your utmost effort to protecting the disciples. I will award you extra points for this."
"Thank the instructor," Chen Yun said with a smile, quickly expressing her gratitude.
"Alright, everyone has had a hard time. Fortunately, everyone is safe and sound. Rest here for the night, and tomorrow we shall return to Yundu and take you all to the assessment."
Having made the arrangements, the elder departed. This inn clearly could not accommodate such a large group, so the elder must have found lodging elsewhere.
As soon as the elder left, the man sneered coldly at Ye Hun and turned to leave as well, surprisingly without stirring up any further trouble.
Ye Hun had no time to waste on such a petty clown. If the man had dared to provoke him further, Ye Hun wouldn't have minded making him end up just like Li Qing.
"Um, I'm really sorry about that, Ye Hun. I know what Li Qing is like. Now that I know the whole story from beginning to end, it was definitely Li Qing who was out of line," Chen Yun apologized from the side.
"It's nothing. I just happened to be itching for a fight," Ye Hun waved a hand. "Well, I'll be heading back to my room to rest."
Without lingering any longer, Ye Hun picked up the long spear from the table and returned to his room.
The night was already quite late, and the others did not linger either, each returning to their respective rooms.
After witnessing Ye Hun obliterate a fierce beast with a single spear strike and defeat Li Qing with a single punch, none of them could take the situation lightly. Back in their respective domains, each of them was the supreme genius, unrivaled and reigning supreme. Yet, encountering so many extraordinary talents merely on the journey here, it was inevitable that their minds would remain unsettled.
"Elder Sister Chen Yun, what do you suppose Ye Hun's background is?"
"Silver eyes, a silver spear, and such formidable strength—he seems to have popped out of nowhere. I've never seen anyone with silver eyes before, have you?"
In one of the rooms, Chen Lingling was unable to sleep and asked Chen Yun, who was lying nearby.
"How am I supposed to know that? Someone saved our lives, and it really isn't right for us to make groundless speculations behind his back here. I can sense that Ye Hun is an upright person, not a scheming wretch like Li Qing."
"That's enough for us. As for his background, that's his own affair. If he's willing to tell us, he will; if not, we shouldn't pry."
Chen Yun lay on her bed and said calmly.
"You're right!" Chen Lingling thought about it for a moment and replied.
In another inn located elsewhere in Huangyun Town—one entirely booked out by the instructors of Yunling Academy—a group gathered in a single room: the very same instructors Ye Hun had seen earlier, along with the white-robed elder.
"Elder Bai!"
"Don't you find that kid named Ye Hun rather strange today?"
"Have you ever seen anyone with silver eyes?"
Asked a middle-aged man wearing instructor robes, his expression slightly solemn.
Hahahaha! Elder Bai smiled faintly. "The world holds all manner of wonders—have you truly seen them all?"
"Whenever people encounter someone they cannot understand, they immediately deem them strange."
"Why, back in my day, I even saw someone of his exact age whose hair and eyebrows were entirely white!"
"In this world, some people develop characteristics that differ from ordinary folk due to certain reasons or ailments—that is entirely normal. As educators, we must view every single person with an equal eye."
Elder Bai said earnestly.
Hearing these words, the middle-aged man nodded repeatedly, looking ashamed as he said, "Hearing Elder Bai's words is truly worth more than decades of my own experience!"
"However, Elder Bai, there is still one matter I cannot fathom. You saw that silver long spear as well—it is extraordinarily unusual. I couldn't even tell whether it was a magical artifact. Ye Hun appeared out of nowhere, and his identity is deeply suspicious!"
Spoke another man. His hair was streaked with gray, and he looked slightly older than the previous middle-aged man, sporting a small mustache.
"I am well aware of your misgivings. You suspect he might be an agent from the God of War Academy or the Imperial Academy, sent to undermine our Yunling Academy."
Elder Bai took a sip of tea and said with casual detachment, "Correct!"
"Indeed!"
The others nodded, their suspicion regarding Ye Hun's identity running deep.
"There is no need for such paranoia. I questioned Chen Yun in great detail; prior to this, Ye Hun hadn't even heard of our Yunling Academy. How could he possibly harbor ill intentions toward Yunling?"
"Even if he truly belongs to the God of War or the Imperial Academy, Yunling walks an upright path and sits firmly in our principles. Our goal is to cultivate talent, and we never embroil ourselves in disputes. How could they truly harm us, aside from occasionally trying to trip us up?"
Elder Bai replied.
"Alright, all of you should return to your respective rooms as well!"
"This incident was far from simple. Make sure you return and prepare thoroughly so that no unexpected events occur tomorrow."