The Thirteenth Prince appeared, his bearing extraordinary and noble, as he slowly walked into the first floor of the Gravity Pagoda.
In ordinary times, his smile was like a spring breeze, approachable and amiable. But at this moment, his expression was serious, and he exuded an intangible, formidable aura that made people submit, not daring to look directly at him, as if he were a king standing above ten thousand.
"It's His Highness the Thirteenth Prince, he actually showed up."
"I never thought the Thirteenth Prince, who is usually as elusive as a dragon, would appear. And it seems he has a significant relationship with this person. Young Master Xia and Li Hu are really unlucky this time."
The crowd murmured in discussion. Clearly, the presence of the Thirteenth Prince held considerable authority among all the students of Xia Feng Academy.
"Thirteenth Prince!"
Young Master Xia's face changed drastically upon seeing the newcomer, losing its previous arrogance and instead showing great apprehension.
The Thirteenth Prince, though also a member of the Heaven-tier Academy, was vastly different from other elite students within it.
Both he and Li Hu were merely ordinary members of the Heaven-tier Academy. Though powerful, being Xiantian realm experts, they were simply incomparable to the Thirteenth Prince, who had reached Xiantian at twenty-six and now stood as one of the very top existences within the entire Xia Feng Academy.
For the other party to deal with them would be too easy.
Even the knocked-down Li Hu hurriedly scrambled to his feet. Though humiliated before so many students, he dared not make any trouble.
The Thirteenth Prince looked coldly at the two, flicking his sleeve with a cold snort. "Xia Mang, Li Hu, you two are truly bold. You dare to bully even this prince's friend?"
These words caused the expressions of the two elite Heaven-tier Academy students to change drastically. How could they have imagined that the youth they casually wanted to teach a lesson was actually a friend of the Thirteenth Prince?
Had they known earlier, they wouldn't have dared to bully him even with ten times the courage.
The surrounding students now understood, looking at Ye Chen with eyes full of envy and jealousy. To become a friend of the Thirteenth Prince—what immense fortune was that? At the very least, within this Xia Feng Academy, having this layer of backing was enough to act without fear, unafraid even when encountering elite students from the Heaven-tier Academy.
The Thirteenth Prince's name was the greatest deterrent.
Ye Chen nodded towards the Thirteenth Prince. "You're here. Thank you for the privilege you opened for me earlier."
The Thirteenth Prince smiled slightly, appearing much gentler than when facing Xia Mang and Li Hu. "It was just a small effort. I knew long ago that with your strength, you needed to reach that level for the corresponding training effect. But it seems you've made some progress these past three days."
Ye Chen did not deny it. "I suppose I have made some progress."
"If you wish, you can go anytime in the future," the Thirteenth Prince said.
"I will." Ye Chen naturally understood his meaning. With the Thirteenth Prince's privilege, he could enter and leave the ninefold gravity chamber at any time.
Seeing this, the Thirteenth Prince smiled. This statement proved that Ye Chen already regarded him as a friend. It was a good start.
"How do you plan to deal with these two? Perhaps I can help teach them a slight lesson for you." Glancing at Xia Mang and Li Hu, the Thirteenth Prince spoke as if it were a trivial matter, causing the two to immediately change expressions again.
Though they were formidable, if the Thirteenth Prince truly made a move, they were no match.
Ye Chen didn't even glance at the two. "They're just some clowns, not worth fearing. Let's go."
Clowns!?
This word deeply humiliated the two. This kid actually looked down on them as if they were insignificant ants. How hateful! But they dared not act, because the Thirteenth Prince was right there. With their combined strength, they were still no match for the Thirteenth Prince.
Though they had never truly fought, they could already feel this gap. The aura emanating from the Thirteenth Prince suppressed them intangibly, making them dare not act recklessly.
Only after Ye Chen and the Thirteenth Prince had gradually walked far away did the two slowly raise their heads, looking at Ye Chen's retreating back with deep resentment, their fists clenched so tightly they crackled, burying this humiliation deep in their hearts.
If not for the Thirteenth Prince being right there, they would definitely have made Ye Chen understand what a real "clown" was.
After walking some distance, the Thirteenth Prince suddenly said, "Aren't you afraid of those two guys seeking revenge later? That could be troublesome."
Ye Chen responded with utter nonchalance. "Revenge? The revenge of clowns, what is there to fear?"
The Thirteenth Prince was slightly taken aback, then smiled in understanding. This was true confidence. To not even place two elite Heaven-tier Academy students in his eyes—only someone who had truly reached this level of strength possessed such self-assurance.
He naturally knew Ye Chen had such strength.
Along the way, neither spoke further. Only, Ye Chen occasionally felt the Thirteenth Prince looking at him and couldn't help but say, "Why are you looking at me? I'm not some beauty, and I'm not interested in men."
The Thirteenth Prince was somewhat dumbfounded. He never expected such words to come from the aloof Ye Chen's mouth, leaving him rather stunned. However, he shook his head with a bitter smile. "You misunderstand. It's just that I never imagined you, little brother, are actually Ye Chen. It's really a bit hard to believe. Two and a half years without seeing you, you've changed a lot. You've probably recovered your former monstrous talent, right?"
His words were filled with many emotions. If not for seeing the name at the registration desk, he wouldn't have dared to believe that this youth before him was the very Ye Chen who had once set the record for the youngest to achieve Xiantian.
Back then, how dazzlingly brilliant Ye Chen was! At thirteen, he broke the record for the earliest achievement of Xiantian in history, shaking several great nations, shining like a bright pearl that overshadowed the light of all other geniuses, including himself.
But two and a half years ago, after participating in that mysterious ancient trial path, he fell from the altar of genius, plummeting from a universally acclaimed peerless genius to a cripple, a fact that left everyone in disbelief.
Since then, Ye Chen completely disappeared from Xia Feng Academy. Just when the world thought Ye Chen could never rise again, who would have thought he would emerge once more, displaying astonishing strength. Even the Thirteenth Prince now found Ye Chen somewhat unfathomable.
He believed that Ye Chen must have made new breakthroughs in these two and a half years, otherwise he wouldn't have reached this point.
Facing the Thirteenth Prince's question, Ye Chen neither denied nor confirmed it, shrugging his shoulders. "Perhaps."
The Thirteenth Prince suddenly flashed a hint of mischief. "I heard that when that Yang family's proud daughter came to apologize, you scolded her and even made a bet."
"Since when has His Highness the Prince become so gossipy?" Ye Chen said.
"Not gossipy, just curious. Curious, haha—" The Thirteenth Prince rarely revealed a different, gossipy side.
Ye Chen didn't mind, speaking frankly. "Just another bunch of clowns, coming to apologize with inferior pills, even trying to seduce me, wanting me to forgive her. Can't be helped. Some people are just born cheap. In the end, I scolded her and then signed a bet."
"Why didn't you display your strength to suppress her then? I think she would regret deceiving you," the Thirteenth Prince asked curiously.
*Can I say I had just awakened then? How could I have fought Yang Yi, a Xiantian realm expert?* Ye Chen naturally couldn't say that, offering another true reason instead. "Teaching her a lesson on the spot wouldn't have been as fun. Isn't it more amusing to let her feel high and mighty, then kick her down from that pedestal?"
"Poor Yang Yi—"
Even the Thirteenth Prince couldn't help but feel pity for Yang Yi, who had actually provoked a demon like Ye Chen. He shook his head with a sigh. "I think when Yang Yi learns of your strength later, she will absolutely regret why she ever signed that bet with you."
Ye Chen gave a faint smile. Regret? In this world, there was no medicine for regret.
"Ye Chen, though I know you are strong, you must be careful this time. This year's enrollment trial for Tian Du Academy is not as simple as imagined," the Thirteenth Prince suddenly remembered something.
"Why?"
"This time, it's rumored that Tian Du Academy's enrollment trial is no longer the usual tests. Instead, it requires entering an ancient path for the trial," the Thirteenth Prince said with a grave expression.
"Trial Ancient Path!" Ye Chen's eyes suddenly blazed with intensity, remembering the very trial path that had caused the pre-awakening "Ye Chen" to fall from genius to cripple!