"Whoa!"
The disciples from Ge Nan Academy, seated in a teahouse, watched the crowd below writhe and contort as if possessed, muttering strange nonsense. Their excitement was palpable.
"I didn't expect these youngsters to be so experienced in such matters. Look at that one, after finishing with the radishes, he went for the vegetables. The stall owner's disgusted gaze could almost turn into knives and stab him."
"Hahaha, that one's even funnier. Listen to who he's talking about, sounds like their senior disciple?"
On the street, the disciples of San Jian Academy, having inhaled the hallucinogenic drugs, were fully under their influence. They had no idea they weren't dreaming, but were trapped in a bizarre hallucination. This illusion caused them to wander out of the rest area, their dream actions playing out in front of others.
Now, disciples from various academies crowded the sides of the street, watching the pathetic state of the San Jian disciples and laughing heartily, as if watching clowns.
"Junior Brother!"
The other disciples of San Jian Academy, seeing their own disciples run out, quickly pursued them. The sight of the chaotic scene nearly made them faint.
"Junior Brother!"
They rushed forward, attempting to wake them up, but the hallucinogen's effects were too potent. They were unable to rouse them.
What's more, their approach was met with sinister laughter from those lost in their delusions. One lust-filled disciple directly embraced the senior brother who had come to wake him and made a move.
"Beauty, you've come to me willingly, why wouldn't I accept you? Don't worry, beauty, grandpa's technique is excellent, guaranteed to make you feel like you're in heaven!"
The disciple being forcibly humiliated turned green.
He tried to break free, but the other man's strength was too great. The two grappled and struggled, eventually falling to the side. The other man, in his haste, began to undress.
"Beauty, here I come!"
"Senior Brother!"
"Help! Someone save me!"
The disciple, never expecting to suffer such an indignity, shouted loudly. But this only excited the other disciple: "Scream! Scream louder! I like it like this!"
Seeing this, the other disciples of San Jian Academy, who had been about to charge forward, slowed their steps.
With disciples from other academies watching, and seeing the entire spectacle unfold, they simply lost interest and decided not to intervene.
Only after the individuals had vented their urges and collapsed from exhaustion did they step forward to help them up.
"I can't believe I'd witness such a nauseating scene just having breakfast. This year's Academy Grand Competition is really going to be interesting."
Disciples from other academies watched with expressions of keen anticipation.
The disciples of San Jian Academy, utterly humiliated, wished they could bury their heads in the ground. As they helped up the disheveled disciples, they saw Yan Jiaojiao and the disciples of Ge Nan Academy rising to leave.
"Yan Jiaojiao, stop! Did you do this?"
The disciples of San Jian Academy had played a prank on the resting area of Ge Nan Academy, only to be retaliated against. Moreover, with rules restricting them from using force, their attempts to stop it were exceptionally difficult.
They could not believe that this had anything to do with Yan Jiaojiao.
"Hey, there are so many people watching the show, you can't just blame us, can you?"
Yan Jiaojiao had no intention of admitting it; she wanted to disgust these people thoroughly.
"That's right, that's right. Who knows if you've offended someone and are being retaliated against? Don't push every incident onto our Ge Nan Academy. We're actually eager to fight."
The faces of the San Jian Academy people turned even uglier.
They had certainly done their fair share of irritating Ge Nan Academy, so they were sure this was their doing.
But others had undoubtedly also made moves, and now they stepped in to mediate: "Yes, don't confront Ge Nan Academy. We're looking forward to competing with them. You've suffered a loss in your own academy, so quickly take your people back and tend to them."
"Hurry up and go."
Unexpectedly, these academies did not side with them. Clearly, the incident where they had been schemed against by others would have to be endured silently. The disciples of San Jian Academy had extremely grim expressions.
But with no one on their side, they could only retreat in disgrace.
Ge Nan Academy had achieved a complete victory. When their gaze swept over the others, everyone immediately lowered their heads, avoiding eye contact.
They were clearly also surprised that the people of Ge Nan Academy possessed such capabilities.
From now on, any academy that wanted to make a move against Ge Nan Academy would have to be more cautious. If their own academy were to experience such a disgrace publicly, it would be a lifelong shame.
"Let's go back."
Seeing that everyone was afraid, a slight smile flickered in Yan Jiaojiao's eyes. She led the other disciples away in a grand procession.
Disciples from other academies watched them leave with complex expressions.
"This Ge Nan Academy… are they really as easily manipulated as others say?"
The sky was clear and the air was crisp.
The much-anticipated Academy Grand Competition finally commenced on this day.
"Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend our Academy Grand Competition."
Standing on a high platform were elders from several prominent families, responsible for adjudication. Their presence as judges lent credibility, as these elders were known for valuing talent and were willing to cultivate any disciple with potential.
The assembled crowd consisted of the most outstanding disciples from the academies of the Boundless Continent. Everyone hoped to see these individuals shine brightly in this Academy Grand Competition.
"We are also deeply honored to have invited the First Academy, Ge Nan Academy, to participate."
The elders smiled faintly as they looked towards the direction of the Ge Nan Academy disciples, their eyes filled with joy.
The disciples of Ge Nan Academy lowered their gazes, concealing the displeasure in their eyes.
"Are these people doing this on purpose? They know what happened to our academy, yet they deliberately emphasize our identity as the First Academy, clearly trying to draw hatred towards us."
Yan Jiaojiao heard the disciples' words and shook her head with a light laugh: "No need to be angry. There will always be people who kick you when you're down. As long as we compete well and have a clear conscience, the opinions of others mean nothing to us."
"Yes."
Previously, the disciples had thought Yan Jiaojiao was eccentric, with an invisible barrier separating her from others. Now, they realized that Yan Jiaojiao had always been ahead of them all, her thoughts and cultivation methods beyond their reach.
Yan Jiaojiao did not offer an explanation for the adoring gazes of the crowd.
As a millennium-old ancestor, without such a mindset, she would have committed suicide upon discovering she had been tricked by the Heavenly Dao and turned into a young girl with a ruined inner core.
The troubles currently faced by Ge Nan Academy were nothing significant.
"Alright, then we'll dispense with further pleasantries. I declare, the first individual match of the Academy Grand Competition, begins now!"