What they saw almost left them dazzled.

Inside the main hall, a leisure chatting area was specially set up. Some noble family descendants who arrived early were sitting in pairs or small groups on the soft armchairs, drinking tea and chatting. The maidservants from the restaurant were occasionally delivering some exquisite snacks to them. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Why do these foreign glass lamps emit light? They’re so beautiful," asked a shy yet attractive young girl from the Yingxiu Wu Family, blinking her watery eyes with curiosity.

"Miss Lingyun," Wang Zongyao replied gracefully, "This is a lighting system created by Auntie Xiaoxiao and her master, along with my fourth uncle. The principle is to drive the spirit stone through an array, injecting the spiritual energy into the glazed lamp, which then emits various colors of light."

"Auntie Xiaoxiao? Is it Lua Xiaoxiao from the Lua Family?" Wu Lingyun fluttered her charming eyes, speaking with a hint of admiration, "Auntie Xiaoxiao reached the Spirit Platform Realm before the age of thirty and is also a rare array master. She is truly an idol for us female cultivators."

"Miss Lingyun, you are strong as well," Wang Zongyao praised, "I’ve heard that the overall results of the academy entrance exam in our Changning Guard were quite good this year, with three people passing the preliminary test, and Miss Lingyun ranked first. Moreover, you’re only seventeen and already at the peak of the sixth layer of the Qi Refining Realm. With some effort, you can reach the seventh layer by eighteen, securing a spot in the academy effortlessly."

"Fourth Young Master, you flatter me," Wu Lingyun blushed slightly, lowering her head, "I originally thought my results were good, but seeing you, Fourth Young Master, I realized there are people beyond people. I just wonder, with such outstanding potential, why didn’t you participate in the academy’s preliminary exam?"

The others also looked at Wang Zongyao with curiosity. At nineteen, he was already at the eighth layer of the Qi Refining Realm. If he participated, he would surely take the first place.

Wang Zongyao didn’t rush to answer but first led the Wu and Chen families to register for their lodging.

Booking the accommodation was a strategy formulated by his fourth uncle, and he dared not change it arbitrarily.

While registering at the hotel’s front desk, he humbly explained, "Too many family members are going to the academy, so we need to leave some to develop and strengthen the family. Besides, my strength is too weak, so going to the academy would be pointless."

Too weak...

Youths, including Wu Lingyun, looked at Wang Zongyao with peculiar expressions. If Fourth Young Master Zongyao considered himself weak, what did that make them, the family’s "Junyan"?

No wonder the Celestial Human Wang Family had such a significant gap between members.

Everyone praised Wang Zongyao, believing him too modest.

"Well... Fourth Brother is indeed humble, and a bit weak," Wang Zongcai, straightforward as ever, truthfully said, "With his strength, going to the academy would only have him cheering from the sidelines. Better to honestly develop within the family."

Wang Zongyao’s handsome face darkened slightly, "Sixth Brother, give your brother some face. Give me some time to develop, and I can strive for a core position at the academy."

"What’s the use of being a core, only to get beaten up daily?" Wang Zongcai straightforwardly shook his head in dismay, "The current atmosphere at the academy is poor. Each peak and vein is desperately recruiting young celestial prides as direct disciples, focusing on beating other veins’ cores."

"Isn’t it because..."

Wang Zongyao wanted to explain that it was due to his two aunts, who, after entering the academy, brought about a negative atmosphere, especially his Sixth Aunt Luqiu, who, shortly after joining, beat up every core disciple she could.

"So, if you can’t mix into the direct disciples at the academy, don’t go," Wang Zongcai lamented, "For those of us who can’t join direct disciples, it’s better to stay home and farm."

The younger generation of the Wu and Chen families listened, stunned. Wasn’t going to the academy meant for studying and cultivation in peace? Why did it sound like a demon cave?

The patriarchs of Wu and Chen families were also dumbfounded. Not joining direct disciples means not going to the academy? Such a demand, even a Sixth-Grade Noble Family would not dare say.

Especially Wu Lingyun, whose face turned pale, tugged at Wu Yunkun’s sleeve, "Grandpa, can I not go to the academy? I don’t want to get beaten up."

Wu Yunkun looked a bit stiff, "Lingyun, don’t speak nonsense. With your talent and strength, if you don’t go to the academy, are you going to marry casually? If you stay home, the family can’t support your Spirit Platform breakthrough. Won’t you be wasted for life?"

The family already supported one Spirit Platform Species, consuming too many cultivation resources, and still needed to save Qian Gold to buy Celestial Spirit Pills for the Spirit Platform Realm breakthrough. Given the Yingxiu Wu Family’s foundation, they couldn’t support a second Spirit Platform Species.

This was a minor family’s sorrow and helplessness.

Wu Lingyun remained silent.

If she couldn’t reach the Spirit Platform, she’d just be a mortal, growing old by fifty or sixty and potentially heading to the grave by seventy or eighty.

Whereas a Spirit Platform cultivator could live two hundred years, being over a hundred could still be considered young.

That was the world of difference.

With decent talent, how could she give up without trying?

Later, after Wang Zongyao completed their lodging registration, he escorted them to the fifteenth floor.

During this time, Wu Lingyun was silent and unresponsive, even when seeing the "Spiritual Energy Cloud Lift" driven by an array, she appeared listless and uninterested.

Not wanting to go to the academy, yet not wanting to live a mortal’s life—truly a dilemma.

She was arranged to share a suite with the second legitimate daughter of the Chen Family, Chen Yushan, who was excitedly looking around, everything fresh in her eyes, "Sister Lingyun, look, there’s a mechanism here. Just press it, and all the lights in the room light up."