The students of True Martial Academy were by no means fools. Wei Yi's scheme to line his pockets under the guise of friendly duels only eluded suspicion for a few days before someone inevitably saw through it.
In truth, this was to be expected.
After all, in every bout he fought, Wei Yi's strength appeared to exceed his opponent's by only the narrowest of margins. Given time, even the most gullible would begin to notice the pattern.
Yet Wei Yi remained unbothered.
For in those fleeting days, he had already filled his coffers to the brim.
A staggering sum of 730,000 silver taels.
In other words—he had swindled seventy-three unfortunate fools.
Even Wei Yi himself hadn't anticipated such a windfall. At the outset, he never imagined so many would voluntarily throw themselves into his trap.
But this, too, served to underscore just how enticing the Tyrant Sect's allure truly was.
True Martial Academy, though one of the ten great academies of the Great Chu Empire, was ultimately still just that—an academy.
Its instructors were Martial Masters or, at best, Grand Martial Masters. With such limitations, how much could they truly impart to their students?
Thus, for those who sought genuine power, joining a top-tier sect like the Tyrant Sect was by far the swifter, more assured path.
…
Several days later, under the escort of Vice Dean Zhu Yuanhe, Wei Yi and the nine other selected disciples departed True Martial Academy and journeyed toward the Tyrant Sect.
The Tyrant Sect stood uncontested as the dominant power in the southern territories.
Even the Great Chu Empire, for all its majesty, held less sway in the south than the Tyrant Sect did.
To many of the local powers and clans of Jiangnan, offending the imperial court was a manageable risk—the emperor was distant, his reach limited.
But offending the Tyrant Sect? That was tantamount to courting death. There would be no escape.
The journey from True Martial Academy to the Tyrant Sect was neither near nor overly distant. After traveling for four or five days without pause, the group finally arrived within the sect's vast domain.
Led by sect disciples, they were ushered into one of the Tyrant Sect's outer academies.
Indeed—an outer academy.
Though the academy had secured ten recommendation spots, these did not grant direct entry into the inner sanctum of the Tyrant Sect.
They merely conferred the right to enter the outer academies—placing the recipients at the very base of the sect's hierarchy.
The Tyrant Sect's outer disciples, not even counting those scattered across branch sects and satellite halls, numbered in the thousands within these outer academies alone.
And to rise from outer disciple to official disciple, one had to pass a rigorous trial.
Success meant advancement and formal recognition.
Failure meant remaining at the lowest rung.
Even so, the identity of an outer disciple of the Tyrant Sect was a coveted status few in the world could hope to attain. While it paled in comparison to the inner disciples, it was still enough to inspire admiration and envy.
More crucially, outer disciples retained the possibility of ascending to inner disciple—and even core disciple.
That was the true dream.
"This outer academy houses several thousand disciples," Zhu Yuanhe explained, "and nearly half of them are here through recommendations from various powers—just like you, from True Martial Academy. The rest are recruited directly from the sect's regional halls."
"Most are veterans. Though you are new, you will be competing with them for a chance to enter the inner sect. Disputes are common."
"You'll need to rely on each other. Only through unity can you hope to go farther."
"We understand," the ten disciples replied in unison.
Zhu Yuanhe gave a slight nod, then glanced at his niece, Zhu Ling'er.
He sighed quietly but said nothing further.
"Dean Zhu, since these are the finest talents selected by your academy, I've no doubt they will do well. You may rest assured," said a middle-aged man who approached with a warm smile, clearly having noticed Zhu Yuanhe's concern.
"I'll leave everything in your capable hands, Dean Liu," Zhu Yuanhe replied politely.
This "Dean Liu" was not an academic dean, but the branch director of one of the Tyrant Sect's outer academies.
The Tyrant Sect operated over a dozen such branches within the outer division, each overseen by a director.
This particular man, Liu Zhenxun, was in charge of the Yilong Branch, where Wei Yi and the others had been assigned.
Though merely a branch director of an outer academy, Liu Zhenxun was no ordinary figure—he was a fifth-rank Martial Spirit. In the outside world, such strength was sufficient to command his own territory.
Yet within the Tyrant Sect, he was far from remarkable. Dozens within the outer division alone matched his cultivation.
Such was the terrifying might of the Tyrant Sect.
…
After escorting the disciples to the sect, Zhu Yuanhe and his retinue promptly departed.
They did not belong to the Tyrant Sect, and whether these youths could make a name for themselves would depend entirely on their own efforts.
"I'm an old friend of Dean Zhu," Liu Zhenxun said casually, "and since you're all from True Martial Academy, you'll be housed together in the same courtyard."
"As for the division of rooms, decide amongst yourselves."
"Someone will explain your daily routines and training later."
"But remember: one month from now, the inner sect trials will begin. That is what you should be preparing for."
As one overseeing hundreds of outer disciples, Liu Zhenxun had no time for extended conversation. After offering a few minor favors out of respect for Zhu Yuanhe, he quickly took his leave.
The courtyard fell silent, now home to just the ten students.
They exchanged glances.
And in that moment, they all understood—they were no longer students of True Martial Academy.
They were now outer disciples of the Tyrant Sect.
Ding! Player Wei Yi has joined the Tyrant Sect as an outer disciple. Mission triggered: [Breakthrough Quest]
Quest Objective: Successfully pass the inner sect trial one month from now and be promoted to a formal disciple.
Time Limit: Two months.
Reward: Breakthrough to Grand Martial Master realm.
At last—the long-awaited breakthrough mission had arrived.
Wei Yi had lingered at the peak of the tenth Martial Master level for some time now.
But upon reading the mission, he couldn't help but smile wryly.
It wasn't that the task was overly difficult—rather, it was the waiting that irked him.
An entire month of delay.
"Truly tormenting," he murmured, resigned to his fate.
"There are only five rooms. How shall we divide them?" asked Zhou Heng, one of the fourth-year disciples.
"I'm taking the inner-most room with Ling'er," declared Xu Huan, another fourth-year disciple.
Aside from Zhu Ling'er, she was the only other girl among them. The two had become fast friends, so it was only natural they would room together.
"Wei Yi, let's share a room," came a voice from beside him, accompanied by a friendly arm around his shoulders.
It was Pei Qinghe, a third-year student with a cheerful disposition—one Wei Yi didn't mind at all.
"Do I have a choice?" Wei Yi asked with a wry smile.
"None whatsoever!"
Pei Qinghe replied with mock seriousness, eliciting laughter from the rest.
Fortunately, everyone got along well. There were no loners or sour tempers among them.
In an unfamiliar place like the Tyrant Sect, familiar classmates from True Martial Academy were a welcome comfort.
The rooms were quickly divided.
Just as they were preparing to wash up and rest, the peace was shattered.
Bang!
The main gate was kicked open.
Seven or eight outer disciples swaggered in, their expressions unfriendly and their presence unmistakably menacing.
At their head was a sharp-nosed youth, who scanned the newcomers with disdain before speaking bluntly:
"You're all new, and I don't care where you came from."
"Now that you're part of the Tyrant Sect's outer division, you'll play by our rules."
"I'll keep this simple—five thousand silver taels per person. That's the newcomer protection fee. Pay up, or face the consequences."