Chapter 474 483: Oddball Instructor

This...

The crowd was collectively dumbfounded. No one had expected the fight to end like this!

"What... what is his true strength? Li Longji, a cultivator at the Five Veins First Layer, couldn't even withstand a single move?"

"I don't believe he's that strong. If he were truly an expert, what would he be doing at Imperial City Academy? He must have used some kind of dirty trick!"

"That's right! The guy won using despicable tactics. How disgusting!"

It was unclear who started the whispers, but soon, the entire crowd was abuzz with discussion. They began to scorn and even curse Ye Tian for his supposed ruthlessness and despicable tactics.

Hearing their malicious words, Li Longji was shaken to his core. Only he knew the truth. The moment Ye Tian had struck, he had felt the chilling aura of death!

But in the end, Ye Tian had held back and spared his life. As Li Longji was sent flying off the Life and Death Arena, Ye Tian's voice had echoed in his mind via Divine Sense: "You have the makings of a genius, so why throw your pearls before swine? You know better than anyone how the Ouyang Clan operates. You were lucky it was me you faced today. Had it been anyone else, a genius as dazzling as you would have met an untimely end!"

Those few words dealt a heavy blow to Li Longji. He had always prided himself on being a genius of the Imperial City, looking down on even members of the Royal Family and Relatives and other Noble Disciples. Their Cultivation was far inferior to his, and with his ability to fight above his level, he could even hold his own against some instructors!

And yet, now...

Ye Tian had crushed him. By defeating him in a single move with the most basic of Combat Skills, Ye Tian had sent him a clear message: 'In the eyes of a true genius, you are nothing!'

"Th-Thank you!"

Li Longji gave Ye Tian one last, deep look, bit his lip, and spoke.

Seeing this, the crowd was even more shocked. They couldn't understand what Li Longji was doing. 'Weren't you here to restore the Ouyang Family's honor? Weren't you supposed to be getting revenge for Ouyang Hongxiang?'

What was this "thank you" supposed to mean?!

But no matter how many questions they had, they would get no answers. In the next moment, Li Longji and his followers left, returning the way they had come.

As the battle here concluded, Luo Chen and Lu Lingfeng, having heard the news, arrived.

"Ye Tian, is everything alright? I'm so sorry. I forgot to tell you about some of the academy's other rules yesterday."

Luo Chen's face was full of apology. Fortunately, nothing major had happened. If Ye Tian had actually killed Li Longji in the Life and Death Arena, the situation would have spiraled out of control.

It would not only mean the Empire losing a genius but also that Ye Tian would be in complete opposition to the Ouyang Clan within the academy, leading to endless trouble in the future.

Unfortunately, Luo Chen had no idea that the enmity between Ye Tian and the Ouyang Clan ran much deeper than this. It had all started back at Linyuan Academy!

"It's nothing. Just a little morning warm-up, no harm done. Instructor Lu, are the enrollment procedures complete?"

Ye Tian asked, looking at Lu Lingfeng. His main concern right now was his enrollment. He was already eager to learn about the profound Battle Arrays used to command troops.

"Yes, it's done. Here is the academy identification for you two. Since you missed the welcoming assembly for new students, you also missed out on the rewards from the new student competition. It's quite a pity."

Lu Lingfeng said, but Ye Tian didn't seem to care at all.

'When it comes to Spirit Stones and resources, I'm certainly not lacking,' he thought. 'So what if I missed the new student competition? No matter how precious the rewards were, could they be more precious than the Seven Extremes Soul Slash?'

"It's nothing. Thank you, both of you."

Ye Tian cupped his fists in a gesture of respect. Although Luo Chen and Lu Lingfeng were acting on Long Yaqi's request, they had still helped him, and Ye Tian would acknowledge the favor.

"Alright, everyone disperse. You're all from the same academy. There will be plenty of opportunities to compete in the upcoming competitions. While the Life and Death Arena is permitted by academy rules, your parents worked hard to raise you. Don't joke around with your lives in the future!"

Lu Lingfeng's words were filled with authority and were extremely persuasive—something that was, of course, related to his powerful Cultivation.

Both Luo Chen and Lu Lingfeng were experts with Cultivation as high as the Five Veins Ninth Tier. Although they didn't possess special bloodlines, reaching such a level at their age definitely made them geniuses!

The crowd of students dispersed, but today, a name was deeply etched into their minds: Ye Tian!

"Ye Tian, there are quite a few classes today. You should come to class with me now so you can meet some of your new classmates."

Luo Chen said with a smile.

"Hm? Don't tell me Instructor Luo is also an instructor for the Siege and Cavalry classes?"

Hearing Ye Tian's question, Luo Chen explained, "Not exactly. The academy divides it like this: new students are assigned to an intern class. After one month, there's an assessment. Those who pass become official students and are considered to have a formal position within the Empire's military and government sectors.

"There's no set term length; it's all based on assessments. Even if you learn everything in a single day, you can graduate. Of course, if you haven't learned it all after three years, you can't graduate. If you've made no progress by the fourth year, you have to pack your bags and leave. There are no exceptions, not even for a Prince or Princess."

After explaining, Luo Chen glanced at Ye Tian and continued, "Of course, I believe it will take you two less than a year to complete all the coursework. As for your instructors, their assignments aren't fixed. Although official students hold a position in the military and government, they don't have an official rank. Students who meet the requirements and graduate automatically become instructors themselves. They are considered reserve soldiers or candidate officials in the military and government, and people like us are the ones who will teach you, typically through one-on-one instruction."

Hearing this, Ye Tian was a little shocked. "One-on-one? With so many students, is that even possible?"

"Haha, of course. For every batch of instructors who graduate from being candidates or reserves to become ranked officials, a corresponding number of instructor positions open up. In turn, a corresponding number of new students are admitted. The Empire may be vast with many institutions, but the number of important positions is still limited. Student enrollment is generally fixed, and expansion plans are rare."

After Luo Chen's detailed explanation, Ye Tian began to understand. In the academy, instructors and students were essentially peers; the only thing distinguishing them was their level of knowledge.

More importantly, the effect of one-on-one instruction was remarkably significant. Many profound subjects—like Arrays, Alchemy, intelligence gathering, Battle Arrays, and tactics—required extensive deliberation and research. Not even a Senior Instructor would dare claim to have mastered them completely.

The one-on-one method not only allows students to learn quickly but also enables instructors to review and reorganize what they have learned, often leading to new discoveries and insights in the process.

"Imperial City Academy truly lives up to its reputation. I've never heard of such a management system before."

Ye Tian clicked his tongue in amazement, filled with admiration.

"Yes, you'll have plenty of time to understand it all later. Instructor Lu is taking student Zhang Xinlan to meet an Array instructor. But be warned, that 'she-dragon' has a fiery temper. She's not someone to be trifled with!"

As Luo Chen spoke, his gaze shifted evasively. It was clear he'd been through something with her and was still traumatized by the experience.

'They're both women, after all. Communication shouldn't be a big problem,' Ye Tian thought.

Little did he know, the person *he* was about to meet was the single greatest oddball in the entire history of Imperial City Academy! (The previous chapter has been revised, and is now available to read! Please support Xiaoxiao, support *Dragon Emperor*, and support *Chaos God King*! My deepest thanks!)