Chapter 132: The Wind and Cloud Ranking

Chapter 132: The Wind and Cloud Ranking

Nan Ling's face darkened immediately. Yuan Hao was a prominent figure in the academy, his strength comparable to Nan Ling's. Taking action against Mu Feng today would clearly not be easy.

"His name is Yuan Hao," Mu Ling'er said casually to Mu Feng, her tone indifferent. "He's a student from the Dayuan Kingdom and has been pestering me for a while. I don't pay him much attention."

She deliberately looped her arm through Mu Feng's, an intimate gesture that only deepened Yuan Hao's discomfort. His expression soured, and he asked, "Ling'er, who is this?"

"This is my brother, Mu Feng. Is there a problem?" Mu Ling'er replied coldly.

"Your brother?" Yuan Hao's face lit up, and he immediately became affable. "Ah, little brother! Wonderful, wonderful—we're family then! Mu Feng, I'm Yuan Hao, your future brother-in-law."

Mu Feng's lips twitched at the sudden shift in demeanor, but he smiled and greeted him, "Brother Yuan."

"Yuan Hao," Mu Ling'er interjected, "Nan Ling here wants to bully my brother. Are you going to help or not?"

"Of course, I'll help!" Yuan Hao replied without hesitation, his tone resolute as he turned to Nan Ling. "Nan Ling, from now on, Mu Feng is under the protection of the Dayuan Gang. If you want to mess with him, you'll have to go through me first."

Nan Ling's expression grew even darker as he glanced between Mu Ling'er, Yuan Hao, and Mu Feng. It was evident that with both Yuan Hao and Mu Ling'er as backers, targeting Mu Feng today was out of the question.

"Mu Feng," Nan Ling said coldly, "I doubt you'll spend your entire time here hiding behind women. The academy is a long-term game. Let's see who lasts longer."

"I'll play along," Mu Feng said with a faint smile. "Let's see who outlasts the other."

With a sneer, Nan Ling shot a final glance at Yuan Hao and Yun Qingwan before turning on his heel and leaving with his entourage.

"A scoundrel," Mu Kuang muttered, glaring at Nan Ling's retreating back.

"Feng, I..." Yun Qingwan began, her voice full of guilt. She didn't know how to express her feelings.

Mu Feng smiled gently, patting her on the head and pulling her into a warm embrace. "I know about the betrothal. It's not your fault. You couldn't control your family's decisions."

Yun Qingwan wrapped her arms tightly around Mu Feng, moved by his kindness and understanding.

Yuan Hao, watching the scene, raised an eyebrow, a glimmer of realization dawning on his face. He now understood the underlying reason for the tension between Mu Feng and Nan Ling.

"Ling'er," Yuan Hao said with a grin, "how did I do? Satisfactory?"

"Not bad," Mu Ling'er admitted, her lips finally curling into a faint smile.

"As long as you're happy! I've got some business to attend to, so I'll head out now. Mu Feng, come visit the Dayuan Gang sometime!" Yuan Hao said cheerfully.

"Thank you, Brother Yuan," Mu Feng replied with a smile.

"We're family—don't mention it," Yuan Hao said with a wave before noticing Mu Ling'er's expression darkening. He quickly retreated with his group, almost fleeing the scene.

"That Yuan Hao is quite the character," Mu Feng remarked, laughing.

"A big oaf," Mu Ling'er huffed. "Come on, your steward is waiting to assign you your dorm."

They soon arrived at the residential area for Outer Court students. Mu Feng was surprised by the surroundings. The air in this area was rich with vibrant, multicolored spiritual energy, far denser than elsewhere in the academy.

Each residence was a three-room unit with a private courtyard and a dedicated training room, shared among three students. Mu Feng, Mu Kuang, and Bai Ziyue were assigned to one unit, while the other Mu family members were housed in nearby buildings.

After settling in, everyone gathered in Mu Feng's living room to discuss their plans.

"Big sister," Mu Feng began, "we don't know much about the academy's rules or the influence of the Northern King's Manor here. Can you explain?"

Mu Ling'er nodded and said, "You heard Elder Zheng mention the academy's most important rule: no killing within the academy grounds. Outside the academy, however, it's a different story."

"The academy is divided into the Outer Court and the Inner Court. To enter the Inner Court, you need to reach the Condensed Qi Stage. Inner Court students have access to advanced techniques and live in better accommodations, where gathering formations make the spiritual energy even denser than here."

"So, you're an Inner Court student, then?" Mu Feng asked with a grin.

"Of course," Mu Ling'er replied, smiling proudly. "The academy has over ten thousand students from different regions, kingdoms, and families, all forming various factions."

She continued, "The Northern King's Manor has established a faction here called the Northern King's Society. Their leader is Nan Ling, who's at the sixth level of the Condensed Qi Stage and ranked on the Wind and Cloud Ranking."

"What about Yuan Hao?" Bai Ziyue asked curiously.

"Yuan Hao belongs to a faction called the Dayuan Gang, composed of students from the Dayuan Kingdom. He's also at the Condensed Qi Stage, Middle Heaven tier, and ranked on the Wind and Cloud Ranking," Mu Ling'er explained. "There are many other factions in the academy as well."

"Does the Mu family have a faction here?" Mu Feng asked.

"Of course," Mu Ling'er replied with a smile. "The Mu family disciples form their own group."

"Big sister," Bai Ziyue interjected, "what exactly is this Wind and Cloud Ranking?"

"The Wind and Cloud Ranking is a list of the academy's top 100 students, ranked by strength. Only the most elite make it onto the list. To qualify, you need to be at least at the Condensed Qi Stage," Mu Ling'er explained.

She produced a scroll and unrolled it, revealing a densely packed list of names.

The first few names immediately caught everyone's attention:

Rank 1: Wei Yiyun, Condensed Qi Stage, Ninth HeavenRank 2: Kong Yan, Condensed Qi Stage, Ninth HeavenRank 3: Situ Kong, Condensed Qi Stage, Ninth HeavenRank 4: Yang Chan

The group felt a chill run down their spines as they examined the rankings. The top ten were all at the Ninth Heaven of the Condensed Qi Stage, and even the 100th rank required being at the Lesser Heaven tier.

Mu Ling'er herself was ranked 95th. Nan Ling held the 31st spot, while Yuan Hao was 33rd.

Each of these names represented a prodigious talent who could crush most of the Outer Court students with ease. It was clear that Tianyun Academy was indeed a place where the elites of the Northern Yuan Territory gathered.