752 Yan Country 3

"The Zephyr Academy had more than a thousand disciples in their main division originally, but the number that returned this time was but a small fraction from that. Even most of their teachers had left and the present Zephyr Academy do not have many teachers on hand to instruct them. The disciples are not that dumb to go back there anymore. I also heard that many of their people who represented the Zephyr Academy in the Spirit Battle Tournament last year have now transferred to the War Banner Academy and the Dragon Slayer Academy."

"Can that be true? Doesn't the Zephyr Academy still have the Spirit Healer faculty? That is unique only to them, why would so many of them want to leave?" The youth asked, his face in shock. Having come from an academy that was not well known, he would never have dared thought that a prestigious academy like the Zephyr Academy would collapse and fall from grace in such a short period of time. 

The other youth smirked and snorted. "If not for the Spirit Healer faculty holding them up, I am guessing that not a single disciple would have returned. I heard that the incident had not just involved the two Headmasters of the Zephyr Academy but many of their disciples had even been dragged into the turmoil, with many of them needlessly paying with their lives. Who would still dare to continue staying in such a horrifying place? No matter how powerful you can get there, your life is ultimately still more important! Isn't that right?"

"Then, wouldn't the Zephyr Academy this year be in deep trouble? All their elite disciples having run away and Fan Jin is already the Headmaster. Don't tell me he still qualifies to participate in the Spirit Battle Tournament as a disciple?" As the Headmaster of an academy, but needing to rough it out together with his disciples in a competition. If word of this got around, they would be seen as the biggest joke. 

"Who knows? The Zephyr Academy do not have much to show this year and just maybe, in an attempt to salvage their pitiable reputation, Fan Jin might really take part in the tournament. But….. if I were to have a say, I would tell them that since the Zephyr Academy has already fallen to such a sad state, there is no need for them to even come take part in this year's Spirit Battle Tournament. By showing up here, they will only end up disgracing themselves."

The two youths continued chatting as they strolled around the Imperial Capital. And in every corner that they went, conversations and debates containing very similar content to what they discussed could be heard."

The once prestigious and largely envied Zephyr Academy, had completely crumbled in barely slightly more than a month. Their once strong financial capital had now turned rather measly. With the outflow of their elites and teachers from the main division, the Zephyr Academy could only depend on disciples they promoted up from the branch division to portray a front, a hopeless and pitiful scenario. Many academies were now waiting to see the Zephyr Academy make a joke out of themselves while at the same time, those academies that had been just notches lower in might in comparison to the Zephyr Academy began to get excited and frenzied, longing to immediately become its replacement.

The carriages of the Zephyr Academy finally rolled to a stop before an inn.

It was one of the more prosperous districts of the Imperial Capital here, and a large area had been allocated to the various academies for them to rest and recuperate. All the buildings in the entire district were now filled with disciples from different academies and compared to many other places in the city, it was much quieter here.

Guards in light armour were standing at attention outside the inn and the Zephyr Academy's horse carriages had barely just stopped when two guards strode up to them.

In the loft opposite them, several youths were staring intently at the carriages of the Zephyr Academy, there eyes tinged with ridicule. Although the incident at the Zephyr Academy was strongly suppressed, the disciples who had left them would not remain tight lipped. And now, the twisted chaos that had swept through the Zephyr Academy was news that everyone throughout the lands knew well!

The youths were keen to see for themselves just what kind of useless good for nothings would the Zephyr Academy be using to make up their numbers.

However, when the first person from within stepped out from the carriage, those youths who were watching intently, prepared for a good laugh, suddenly turned wide eyed and went completely speechless!