Students who injured others would be punished, and Yang Changyin remembered this rule well. He didn’t need to lift a finger; the academy would deal with this lowly commoner who didn’t know his place!

  Xie Zhishang’s eyes were bloodshot, his anger barely contained.

  "You killed my sister! You deserve to die!" Xie Zhishang growled, his voice low with suppressed rage. He had long despised these arrogant nobles who flaunted their power.

  "So what? It didn’t happen in the academy. It’s all in the past. I’ve already compensated you with spirit herbs. Don’t push your luck!" Yang Changyin remained smug, unafraid of any punishment from the academy.

  After all, it had happened before they entered the academy, so the academy couldn’t pursue it.

  "I never wanted your damned spirit herbs!" Xie Zhishang tried to lunge at him again but was stopped by the instructor.

  "Enough! If you have a conflict, take it to the Disciplinary Hall. Both of you, come with me!" The instructor grabbed them by the collars and dragged them toward the Disciplinary Hall.

  Nan Gong Huan watched them leave and sighed inwardly.

  From their fragmented words, she could roughly guess what had happened. This time, Xie Zhishang would likely suffer the consequences.

  Nan Gong Huan shook her head. There were many corrupt people in the world, but few who could truly uphold justice.

  In a world where strength spoke louder than words, Xie Zhishang was still too naive.

  Soon, Nan Gong Huan arrived at the Treasure Pavilion.

  Seeing the Treasure Pavilion for the first time, even she couldn’t help but be awed by its grandeur.

  It was a floating pavilion suspended high above a mountain. She had seen it from many places within the academy but never imagined it was the Treasure Pavilion.

  It was majestic, with green tiles and upturned eaves, surrounded by a faint mist that gave it an ethereal, heavenly aura.

  It felt like stepping into the mythical celestial palace.

  The only thing that seemed out of place was an old man dressed casually, lying sprawled on the floor, propping his head up with one hand as he snored loudly.

  From her experience, such elders were usually deeply profound.

  The doors to the Treasure Pavilion were closed, and to enter, she would have to wake this elder.

  "Hello," Nan Gong Huan called softly.

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  But the elder didn’t react, his snoring rhythm unchanged.

  "Senior, hello," Nan Gong Huan raised her voice.

  This time, the elder seemed to stir slightly, reaching up to scratch his ear before turning over to face the other side, still asleep.

  "..." Nan Gong Huan scratched her chin. Was she not being polite enough?

  Just as she was considering waiting a bit longer, the elder’s aged but relaxed voice rang out. "You’re Nan Gong Huan, right?"

  The elder turned his head slightly, squinting at her with only a sliver of his eyes open.

  "Yes, it’s me," Nan Gong Huan clasped her hands and bowed.

  "Go in. You can pick one treasure, but only if it chooses you," the elder’s voice carried a mysterious tone. He chuckled, the sound like the creaking of dry wood, oddly unsettling.

  "Understood, I’ll remember," Nan Gong Huan replied.

  With a wave of the elder’s hand, the doors swung open, revealing the spacious and bright interior of the Treasure Pavilion.

  The space inside seemed to have been expanded. From the outside, it appeared to be only a hundred meters wide, but from the entrance, it stretched for over a kilometer!

  The doors were open, but the elder didn’t move aside.

  Nan Gong Huan had to step around his feet to enter.

  As soon as she stepped inside, Nan Gong Huan’s ears seemed to pick up countless faint voices, murmuring as if discussing her.

  "Her energy smells so good."

  "I’ve never seen her before. She looks... delicious."

  "I like her. Come over here, little girl~"

  ......

  The fragmented voices made Nan Gong Huan wonder if she was hearing things.

  Then, the elder’s voice came from outside again.

  "Most of the spiritual artifacts here have their own intelligence. The voices you hear are the treasures that have acknowledged you."

  The voices she heard were from treasures that had acknowledged her?

  There were countless voices in her ears. Did that mean many treasures had acknowledged her? Was the elder mistaken?

  "Thank you for the guidance, Elder," Nan Gong Huan replied, though it wasn’t particularly helpful.

  She took a few more steps forward, looking around. The voices in her ears seemed to grow louder, like a bustling morning market.

  "Come over here, little girl. I’m perfect for you~"

  "No, I’m the one suited for you. Your body contains powerful natural energy, a perfect match for me."

  "Don’t listen to them. I’m the one for you, hehe."

  The voices came from all directions, male and female, young and old.

  Nan Gong Huan couldn’t tell which voice belonged to which artifact.

  "What’s wrong? Haven’t found what you’re looking for?" Outside, the elder’s eyes finally opened a bit wider as he watched Nan Gong Huan’s hesitant steps. Had no artifact chosen her?

  That shouldn’t be the case.

  The elder secretly released his spiritual energy to investigate and was shocked by the vast and dense energy within her. His eyes widened even more.

  What kind of power was this? It didn’t feel like spiritual energy but a powerful natural force!

  But just as he looked, a gray mist flashed in his eyes, and he could no longer see the energy within her.

  "Interesting. Someone is shielding her," the elder muttered, stroking his chin. The person shielding her was incredibly powerful. Could it be that old man Moon Sovereign?

  After all, it was Moon Sovereign who had suggested she come to the Treasure Pavilion.

  "The voices... there are too many..." Nan Gong Huan turned back, forcing a helpless smile. She didn’t know which way to go.

  An invisible force seemed to tug at her limbs, pulling her in different directions.

  "..." The elder fell silent for a moment. He had seen cases with no voices and cases with one or two, but never one with so many.

  "Why not go to the very end? Or follow the most persistent voice," the elder suggested, his gaze fixed on her as he glanced toward the far end of the pavilion.

  The pavilion had seven floors, and the quality of the treasures on each floor was similar—all rare and valuable. But the key to choosing was the compatibility between the artifact and the person.

  Just like how a mage couldn’t be expected to wield a greatsword.

  "Follow the most persistent voice in your heart," Nan Gong Huan closed her eyes and focused.

  Among the hundreds of voices, there had indeed been one special voice that resonated with her, though it had been very faint.