It wasn't until they had walked quite a distance from the Dragon Field that the vice dean spoke. He was disheveled and dressed in rags, and his previously cunning smile now had a sinister air about it. He pointed to Chen Nan's outer garment and said, "Take it off, let's exchange clothes."
"Shameless old man, you actually have such a bad habit? I'm not playing this game with you."
"Pah, you brat, what are you thinking? I just don't want to appear in public dressed in strange clothes. After all, I'm too old for the hobbies of young people."
Without the dragon baby watching him covetously, the vice dean regained his composure. He tidied his disheveled long hair, took off his tattered coat and handed it to Chen Nan, saying, "Although my old man's coat is very noble, don't get so excited that you go crazy. Hurry up and change into it."
Seeing the faint smile on his face, Chen Nan clenched his fist three times and released it three times, finally gritting his teeth as he took off his coat.
Wearing Chen Nan's coat, the vice dean grinned maliciously. He stepped forward, saying, "You brat, you dare to instigate a troublesome dragon to hunt down this old man? I've never been tricked like this before, hehe..."
"Hey, you old geezer, what are you doing?" Chen Nan involuntarily backed away.
"Let me show you what it's like to be tossed around like this." The vice dean moved with lightning speed, grabbing his arms and hoisting him over his shoulders.
With a "thud," Chen Nan crashed to the ground. Before he could get up, the vice-dean lifted him up again, hoisted him overhead, and threw him to the ground. He hurriedly covered his head, pulled in his stomach, and bent his legs in mid-air to protect his vitals.
The vice-dean stepped forward, about to make a move, when Chen Nan waved his hands repeatedly, unleashing dazzling sword energy that pierced the air with golden brilliance. The vice-dean then waved his sleeves, and a blue light appeared before him, causing all the sword energy to vanish without a trace, like mud oxen or the sea.
Chen Nan was horrified. He was lifted up by the vice dean again and then violently slammed to the ground. After being thrown around like this more than a dozen times, he was completely disoriented and dizzy.
"Stop, you despicable old man! You promised you wouldn't make things difficult for me, how can you go back on your word?"
After slamming him to the ground once more, the vice-dean finally stopped. He clapped his hands and said, "You little brat, you still dare to mention what happened earlier? Remember, you must not tell anyone what happened in Longchang, or I'll skin you alive and have people hunt you down every day."
Chen Nan swayed as he got up, stretching his aching muscles and saying, "You old geezer, just you wait. I'll make sure Long Baobao settles the score with you."
"Heh heh, you really think you can command that problem dragon? It's just curious about you for now. When it gets tired of you, it might tear you apart."
The vice dean felt displeased at the mention of Xiaolong. He said angrily, "This guy's strength is even more terrifying than that of an adult holy dragon, but his temperament is indeed like that of an immature young dragon. Who knows what's wrong with this freak?"
Chen Nan's curiosity was piqued, and he asked again, "Doesn't its owner know anything about it either?"
"Kid, you have quite a few questions. Let's talk about it when we get back. This isn't the place to talk."
Wearing the vice dean's tattered coat, Chen Nan was constantly stared at on his way back. He felt both embarrassed and helpless, and could only curse the impeccably dressed vice dean beside him in his heart.
Upon arriving at the vice president's office, the vice president closed the door tightly and said, "Kid, sit down and let's have a good talk. It's now confirmed that you were the one who caused trouble at Longchang that night. What else do you have to say?"
Chen Nan felt deflated at the mention of this matter. He hadn't expected that the matter would be exposed because of the little dragon. He slumped weakly into his chair and said, "Was that little dragon the same Holy Dragon that didn't show up at the God War Ruins last time, only letting out a deafening roar?"
"It's this one... This guy doesn't look like a Holy Dragon at all."
Chen Nan couldn't help but laugh when he thought about how the vice dean was ravaged by the little dragon. The old fox with terrifying cultivation was completely powerless against the attack of the fifth-order holy dragon and kept admitting defeat and begging for mercy. If this news were to spread, it would definitely make many people laugh.
"You old fool, don't you know whether it's a young dragon or an adult? Doesn't its owner know either?"
The vice dean said, "His owner doesn't know either. That senior tricked and coaxed this problematic dragon into coming here, but he reaped what he sowed. It's easy to invite a god, but hard to send him away. They wanted to send him back to the mountains, but he's staying here and won't leave."
"Oh, the baby dragon was tricked into coming here? What happened?"
"Sacred dragons are as rare as phoenix feathers in this world. When a dragon knight reaches the fifth rank, his concern is not whether he can defeat a sacred dragon, but whether he can find one. The senior in the academy lived alone in the Hundred Thousand Mountains for nearly ten years in search of a sacred dragon, and finally found the problematic dragon. At first, he thought it was a young dragon and was overjoyed. He used the ginseng and other medicinal herbs that he had collected in the deep mountains over the years as bait to lure it step by step to the City of Sin."
The vice-dean took a sip of water and continued, "Who knew this guy would be so abnormally strong? When that senior, whose strength had already reached the fifth rank, tried to subdue it, he embarrassingly discovered that he was no match for it at all. Although the Holy Dragon Amy wasn't subdued, it voluntarily stayed here and refused to leave. The reason was simple: it had become addicted to eating those immortal herbs and ginseng. If it didn't get any spiritual herbs for three days, it would throw a tantrum like a child. Poor thing, in just half a year, it had eaten most of the ginseng and ginseng that Shenfeng Academy had accumulated over the past thousand years, like candy."
Chen Nan was dumbfounded. Xiao Long was so strange that it made him want to burst out laughing. He was simply a little devil.
The vice-dean said, "If that were all, it wouldn't be so bad. But this guy is like a curious child when it comes to anything new, always causing trouble. The most pitiful one is that senior, who has to accompany the Holy Dragon Amy all the time, and ends up getting minor injuries every time. But getting it to do anything is extremely difficult. Last time, to intimidate those cultivators fighting each other at the Divine War Ruins, that senior had to use every trick in the book to coax it there. Amy is the most extraordinary Holy Dragon in the history of the Divine Wind Academy. No dragon is as powerful as it, and no dragon is as mischievous. Kid, you've already caught its attention. Good luck, hehe..."
Only now did Chen Nan realize why the Holy Dragon Knight hadn't shown up last time—it was because it couldn't control its dragon. He secretly groaned; although this little dragon was extremely affectionate towards him now, there was no guarantee it wouldn't throw a tantrum at him in the future, with consequences ranging from mild to severe, truly unimaginable.
"Hmph, you old codger, stop gloating. Don't you find it strange that the Dragon Baby is staying at Shenfeng Academy? It seems this is a 'gift' specially sent to you by heaven."
Upon hearing this, the vice-dean fell into deep thought, and after a long while, said, "Alright, let's not talk about this problematic dragon anymore. Let's discuss how to deal with you. Would you rather be chased and killed by dozens of dragon knights, or do something unconditionally for Divine Wind Academy?"
"You despicable old man, I knew you were after me!" Chen Nan gritted his teeth and said, "Your true colors are finally showing. Last time you extorted 50,000 gold coins from me, do you want me to be your free laborer this time?"
Seeing Chen Nan's unfriendly expression, the vice dean smiled and said, "Don't get agitated. Things aren't as bad as you think. I'm just asking you to do a few things."
"They actually want a few more!"
"Hey, don't rush, we can discuss this slowly, just two things."
"Shameless old man, I won't agree to a single thing this time."
"Hehe, Chen Nan, I'm actually saving you. You've caused a huge mess this time. You've enraged dozens of dragon knights. Even a peerless expert couldn't protect you."
"Hmph, you cunning old man, don't try to fool me. You just want me to submit, don't you?"
The vice-dean feigned a cough to cover it up, saying, "Ahem, well... the public outrage is hard to quell. Frankly, I've already done more than enough for you. The decision is yours: will you serve the Divine Wind Academy, or will you single-handedly take on dozens of dragon knights?"
Chen Nan gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, but in the end he gave up and said weakly, "What exactly do you want me to do? Shenfeng Academy is full of experts, do you really need a nobody like me?"
"Hehe, don't underestimate yourself. Even a piece of trash can shine and generate heat when lit, let alone you, who are better than trash."
Seeing Chen Nan's murderous glare, the vice-dean hurriedly explained, "I meant you're much better than that good-for-nothing, cough... much better. Kid, don't glare at me, are you so insecure that you're inferior to that good-for-nothing?"
Chen Nan really wanted to grab his beard and beat him up, but considering that his strength was far inferior to his, he suppressed the urge. "You old good-for-nothing, just tell me what you want me to do?"
"Here's what happened..."
Cultivation is very popular on the Tianyuan Continent. Cultivators on the Western Continent mainly practice battle qi and study magic, while those on the Eastern Continent mainly practice martial arts and Taoist arts.
Studying magic or practicing Taoist arts places extremely high demands on a person's physical constitution, so among practitioners, the number of Taoists and magicians is much smaller than that of martial artists.
In the Western Continent, various martial arts academies are as numerous as stars in the sky. Although magic academies are few in number, they are all very famous. These academies are responsible for passing on the cultivation methods of martial arts and magic.
The War God Academy and the Illusion Demon Academy are the two most prestigious academies in the West. The former is a martial arts academy, and the latter is a magic academy. Both have a history of thousands of years, and their reputation is in no way inferior to that of the Divine Wind Academy in the City of Sin.
The East is distinctly different from the West. In the Eastern Continent, various cultivation methods and tools are controlled by sects of all sizes, which bear the responsibility of passing down the unique skills of the East. However, as the connection between the East and the West has become increasingly close and they have influenced each other, some academies have gradually emerged in the East as well.
Founded seven hundred years ago, the Immortal Martial Academy was established by a group of martial artists and cultivators. They were originally reclusive masters who, after being persuaded and invited, came out of seclusion to establish the academy. After more than seven hundred years of development, the academy has become famous throughout the continent, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Divine Wind Academy, the War God Academy, and the Illusion Demon Academy.
In the East, the reputation of this academy is in no way inferior to that of those ancient sects with a long history. In fact, some sect leaders encourage their disciples to study at the Immortal Martial Academy.
The four academies were renowned throughout the continent and frequently exchanged ideas with each other. In reality, these exchanges were more like competitions, with each academy sending its best students to vie for supremacy. Initially, it often involved a few teachers leading a team of students to another academy for these "exchanges," with no discernible pattern. Eventually, after many years of such "exchanges," the four academies reached a consensus to hold joint "exchanges" every three years.
Of course, before the "exchange," there are often some activities between the colleges, such as "friendly warm-up matches," where outstanding students compete against each other without much fanfare. However, these so-called outstanding students are not the real experts who will appear in the actual exchange between the colleges; their competition is merely a test between the colleges.
This year marks another three-year cycle, and Shenfeng Academy is the host. Three months from now, student representatives from the four major academies will compete here, which can be described as a grand confrontation between the strongest students from these prestigious academies.
With three months to go before the real student tournament, friendly warm-up matches between the various colleges are about to begin. Although these warm-up matches are not as important as the real tournament, each college still hopes that its students can win.
A few days ago, Shenfeng Academy, Zhanshen Academy, and Huanmo Academy all received invitations from Xianwu Academy to go there for a warm-up match.
The vice dean has been pondering for the past few days which students to send to the Immortal Martial Academy's friendly warm-up match. He doesn't want to send the top students to the field before the real competition, but as the person in charge of the academy, he also doesn't want to cause his team to lose.
The reason he sought out Chen Nan was for this matter. Based on the information he obtained from the capital of Chu and Chen Nan's recent performance in the City of Sin, he discovered that Chen Nan's strength had reached the initial stage of the third rank of martial artist. Although he had only just broken through the second rank and initially reached the third rank, such strength would already make him a powerful figure anywhere.
After Chen Nan's disturbance at the Dragon Arena was investigated, the vice dean carefully considered the matter and decided to let him off the hook for the time being, allowing him to participate in the friendly warm-up match at the Immortal Martial Academy.
The vice dean "tactfully" expressed his meaning, and Chen Nan roughly understood that he was about to serve the Shenfeng Academy. However, the implied threats and intimidation made him extremely unhappy.
"You old fool, you're such a hypocrite! I'm not a student at your college at all; you're just faking it all."
The vice dean smiled and said, "Making you a student of the academy is just a matter of my word. Besides, I didn't make you participate in the real student power competition three months later. Everything I did was for Shenfeng Academy. Although making you participate in the competition at Xianwu Academy would be a disgrace to the event, it's not too much."
Chen Nan grew increasingly displeased as he listened, and angrily said, "You despicable old man, how dare you speak like that? Do you think cheating disgraces this competition, or does my participation disgrace the competition? Whatever the reason, I think it's best if I don't go."
"Boy, don't forget you have no choice. One step forward leads to a bright future, one step back means dozens of dragon knights. The choice is yours."
Chen Nan glared at him fiercely and said, "The vice dean of Shenfeng Academy is threatening a junior! This is simply... utterly thuggish behavior! You shameless old rogue!"
"Chen Nan, you should understand your current situation. Besides those dragon knights, I heard that an extremely protective old man in the academy approached you today. I don't think he'll let you off easily. I'm quite familiar with that old man, so it seems only I can help you, hehe..."
Chen Nan's lips twitched, and finally he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I give in."
The vice dean smiled broadly and said, "Shenfeng Academy has the most comprehensive cultivation methods among the four academies. From now on, you will be a student of the Eastern Martial Arts Department, but only temporarily. When you return from Xianwu Academy, I will expel you."
"Hmph, you think I wanted to be this student? I don't need you to expel me. I have no interest in my Kamikaze Academy whatsoever. After I come back, we will have nothing to do with each other anymore."
The vice dean said, "How can it be that there's no connection at all? I told you I wanted you to do two things, and this is just one of them. As for the second thing, I haven't thought about it yet. You should focus on doing the first thing well."
"You old geezer..."
"You can go back now. I will send someone to inform you when you set off, and someone will tell you in detail what to do on the way."
Not long after Chen Nan left, the old man from the East entered the vice dean's room, his face beaming. He said, "Haha, old man, you were really brave today, actually fighting with the Holy Dragon! I admire you, I admire you!"
Upon hearing this, the vice-dean's forehead veins throbbed, and he said, "You old codger Dongfang, you've been spying the whole time, watching me get bullied by that troublesome dragon, why didn't you step in to help...?"
The old man from the East quickly waved his hand and said, "Great Dean, please calm down. You should know how terrible Amy is. Even if I went to help, I wouldn't be able to."
The vice dean said, "Luckily, no one else saw it, otherwise my old face would be..."
The old man from the East rubbed his hands together and said, "Well... I have some bad news for you. There are a few old fellows in the courtyard who witnessed the whole thing in secret."
"What!" the vice-dean exclaimed. "You bunch of disloyal old bastards! So many people were there, and not a single one of you stepped forward to help me! I...!"
"Ahem... Everyone knows you're resourceful and cunning, right? They thought you could..."
"Enough! I'll settle accounts with these old bastards sooner or later, and you old codger too..."
If Chen Nan were here, he would definitely applaud. It's quite a strange thing that the cunning vice-dean was so angry that he was blowing his beard and glaring.