Chapter 29 Fengyun Holy Academy [Part 2]

Gu Qingli swept her cool, indifferent gaze across the admissions team. Most of them were young—clearly students of the academy themselves.

Only two middle-aged men stood among them, distinguished by the different color of their academy emblems. It was obvious these two were instructors.

Intrigued, Gu Qingli examined the upperclassmen's strength. Most bore azure insignias, with the lowest numbered at six—meaning even the weakest among them was a six-star Grand Warrior.

There were over fifty academy representatives, yet only one Spirit Illusionist among them—a gentle-looking youth of about sixteen, already a five-star Grand Spirit Master. Such talent would be considered prodigious in any corner of the land.

Gu Qingli silently mused—Spirit Illusionists truly were rare.

The two instructors bore deep blue emblems, indicating they were both King-tier experts.

The head of the Gu family had been a six-star Spirit King seven years ago, and he remained at that level still. For all these years, he had failed to breach the threshold to seven stars. Without extraordinary fortune, he might very well be forever stalled at this rank.

Once one reached the King-tier, every step forward became exponentially more arduous.

"Well, well—if it isn't the infamous good-for-nothing Sixth Miss of the Gu family! Finally crawled out of your little courtyard, did you?"

The voice, though naturally soft and melodious, now rang out with a piercing edge that spoiled its charm.

Gu Qingli turned her head and saw a group of young men and women approaching in pale lavender robes.

"Li Ke'er, shut your mouth!"

Gu Qingche stepped forward, fury flashing in his eyes. His usual warmth was replaced with rare and seething anger as he stood protectively behind Gu Qingli.

Yet Gu Qingli remained serene. She was nothing if not patient—having endured such mockery for years, a few more moments meant little to her.

Li Ke'er, heiress of the Li family—ranked second among the Eight Great Houses—was a mere fourteen years old, yet strikingly beautiful. Her sultry eyes and curvaceous figure belied her youth, making her appearance all the more captivating.

Gu Qinglin cast a sidelong glance at Gu Qingli and sneered, "Even a good-for-nothing can get lucky with a powerful master. But trash is still trash—utterly worthless!"

"You're quite right, Sister Qinglin," Li Ke'er chimed in with a faint smile. The two girls seemed well acquainted.

Elder Mu's expression darkened at their exchange. The Li family had surpassed the Gu family in strength over several generations and had never been content to remain in second place. Secretly, they had placed many obstacles in the Gu clan's path. If this generation failed to produce a worthy heir, the Gu family would soon lose their coveted standing.

Regardless of Gu Qingli's true strength, she was still of the Gu bloodline. Internal grievances should never be aired before outsiders. Did Gu Qinglin not understand that family disgrace must never be publicized?

Elder Mu couldn't help but wonder—could the Gu family truly entrust its future to someone like Gu Qinglin?

"Young ones who meet the requirements, step forward for verification. Applicants must be at least twelve years old and no older than eighteen, with strength no lower than an eight-star Warrior or a five-star Spirit Master!"

A commanding voice from one of the instructors interrupted the commotion.

At the announcement, many faces turned bleak. No wonder this was Windcloud Academy—the bar was set astonishingly high.

At that age, most cultivators had barely entered the ranks of basic Warriors or Spirit Masters.

"Quite the threshold," Gu Qingli murmured, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Li, aren't you even the least bit worried?" Gu Qingche's concern surpassed her own. The gap between a seven-star Warrior and an eight-star was no small leap.

"Come on. There's no need to worry about me."

Gu Qingli's lips curled into a relaxed smile, her tone light and untroubled. Her gaze, cool and detached, swept past Gu Qinglin's haughty, self-important expression as she strode toward the final registration table.

The crowd of youths began to disperse, each heading toward a different station. The square grew livelier with their movement.

Approaching the last table, Gu Qingli noticed a round glass orb resting atop it. She shook her head slightly—so this continent used the same devices to test strength. But this orb clearly wasn't meant for gauging talent, only for assessing current power.

"Young lady, you don't meet the enrollment criteria—here to accompany someone, perhaps? Step aside and let the next candidate through."

The senior student at the table was unremarkable in appearance. Yet upon seeing Gu Qingli's delicate beauty, he couldn't help but speak kindly. A quick sweep of his soul force revealed her as merely a seven-star Warrior, but her charm made him linger in conversation nonetheless.