In a certain elder's villa, Gui Mochou was standing respectfully before two elders. By his side was Feng Xiaosha, who had entered the top 30 of the Dragon Phoenix List.

One of the elders was Feng Huosuo, Feng Xiaosha's uncle, while the other was Feng Huosuo's senior brother, someone known as Shadowflash. Since the two had the same master, they had an extremely good relationship.

"Junior brother, do you think Xiang Shaoyun's master is Xiao Wei?" Shadowflash asked.

Feng Huosuo answered, "Very likely."

"Hmph. If that is the case, then he really doesn't know what's good for him by rejecting the pavilion elder," said Shadowflash coldly. He then laughed and said, "But that is good. If he is only backed by Xiao Wei, things will be much simpler for us."

"Have you came up with a good way to get rid of that kid, senior brother?" Feng Huosuo asked.

"According to Mochou's description, Xiang Shaoyun had forced him to withdraw using the Nether Soul Domain. He has devil blood in him. That alone is enough to expel him from the academy," said Shadowflash with a sinister look on his face.

"Will that really work?" Feng Huosuo was doubtful.

"Hehe, those not of our race can never be trusted," said Shadowflash with a sneer. He then commanded Gui Mochou and Feng Xiaosha, "You two start spreading this information around. Soon, we will arrest him and question him about this."

"Yes, master (martial uncle)," answered Gui Mochou and Feng Xiaosha at the same time.

Gui Mochou asked, "Master, what should we do about the quota for the competition of the four academies?"

"You don't have to worry about that. I'll just get a disciple to hand over his spot to you. In any case, you have the strength worthy of a spot," said Shadowflash calmly.

Feng Xiaosha said, "Martial uncle, let me deal with senior brother's matter. A brother of mine is in the top 100. I can get him to voluntarily hand over his spot."

"Haha, that would be for the best. We won't mistreat him for his contribution," said Shadowflash as he roared with laughter.

...

Soon, news of Xiang Shaoyun having devil blood spread throughout the academy. Some claimed that people were intentionally sullying him because he rejected the pavilion elder's offer. Some claimed that they had witnessed Xiang Shaoyun using the abilities of the devils before, so they were sure he was a devil, not a human. Some mentioned the event where Xiang Shaoyun was subjected to the purification punishment at the City of Light and his devil blood had already been cleansed…

In short, all sorts of rumors started flying around, making Xiang Shaoyun the center of attention. Gui Mochou personally stood out as the witness, claiming that he had seen Xiang Shaoyun use the Nether Soul Domain when they had clashed in the battleground. He swore he was speaking the truth, and he hoped that the academy would take a closer look into this matter.

His words made even more people curious about whether Xiang Shaoyun truly had devil blood in him. Even the Overlord Legion members were wavering upon hearing the many rumors. If it wasn't for Ouyang Chuanqi personally stepping up to control the situation, some of them would be demanding an answer from Xiang Shaoyun by now.

Meanwhile, Xiang Shaoyun was completely unaware of what was going on outside. He was still focused on reading. He was currently on the third floor, with the majority of the books there being battle techniques. There were also some handwritten notes left behind by some Sovereigns, which were invaluable experiences from past experts.

Xiang Shaoyun was greedily absorbing the knowledge from the first book he found on the third floor. He was searching for a way to form the strongest soul foundation. He was also looking for battle techniques suited for all nine of his powers. Overall, he had gained a lot from his stay at the Book Pavilion.

During the final three days, he picked up an alchemy book. He wasn't trying to be an alchemist, but he only wanted to learn some simple concoctions that might be useful in the future.

After all, he was someone who had been soaked in medicinal liquid growing up. He knew very well how beneficial proper usage of herbs would be for a cultivator. After finishing the alchemy book, he selected a crafting book. Similarly, he memorized everything in it, his sole goal being to restore the Overlord Skyslaying Saber.

The Overlord Skyslaying Saber was his weapon from his previous life. Not only did it hold a special meaning in his heart, but it was also the weapon he was most familiar with. Unfortunately, with its current quality, it was unable to keep up with his growth. Reforging was necessary.

In a flash, three days passed. When he saw the elder lying lazily on the rocking chair before the pavilion, he bowed slightly before proceeding to leave. But at this time, the elder suddenly asked, "Are you really unwilling to be my disciple?"

"Elder, this kid really does not have the good fortune to be your disciple," Xiang Shaoyun rejected tactfully.

"Then you need to take care of yourself," said the elder.

Xiang Shaoyun was confused, and he quickly headed for 1 Dragon Villa. But before he could go far, someone blocked his path and demanded, "Xiang Shaoyun, take a walk with us."

Four overseers in total had come for him. Each was a Soul Foundation Realm cultivator. From how aggressive they seemed, something bad must be waiting for him.

He asked with confusion, "I wonder what is the intention of this, lords?"

"We are arresting you under Elder Shadowflash's order," replied one of them coldly.

He then grabbed for Xiang Shaoyun, not giving Xiang Shaoyun the chance to flee.

Xiang Shaoyun frowned and dodged backward before saying, "You are trying to arrest me without a justified reason? Audacious! You are overseers, but I am an overseer as well. The only way you can arrest me is with the written order of an enforcement elder. Otherwise, there is no way I will go with you."

"Impudent! You dare disobey Elder Shadowflash?" berated one of them.

"What's the point of saying this much to an evil devil like him? Just capture him," said a different person.

One of them reached for Xiang Shaoyun again, sending a golden dragon claw forward. This person was a second-stage Soul Foundation Realm expert. With his strength, capturing a seventh-stage Dragon Ascension Realm cultivator should be an extremely simple affair.

Relying on his gift of instincts, Xiang Shaoyun saw through the attack before it even came. Once again, he avoided the attack. He warned, "If you continue being disrespectful, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"

Although he was just an ordinary overseer, other elders could only challenge him on a ring if they really wanted to do something to him without breaking any rules. Private battles outside the ring were prohibited. This was the academy's rule. The rules were much stricter for overseers than disicples. Thus, Xiang Shaoyun naturally wouldn't sit still while the overseers were trying to capture him without a justifiable reason.

"You dare resist arrest? The first thing I will do after capturing you is break your legs," roared the Sovereign unhappily. He attacked with both hands, sending a pair of fast and sharp hands clawing at Xiang Shaoyun. At the same time, his presence also surged outward, not giving Xiang Shaoyun any chance to keep dodging.

Finally, Xiang Shaoyun realized that they had no intention to let this end amicably. His anger surged as he roared, "Breaking my legs? Let me break your arms first!"

Using the gift of instincts, he found an opening and dashed through it before slamming his palm forward. A powerful Raging Skyburn Palm was launched out, and the profundity of flame greatly enhanced the might of his attack.