The moment the principal stepped into the classroom, the atmosphere turned even heavier.
Even the whispers died instantly.
No one dared to speak.
Elder Wei stepped forward first.
His expression was dark, his tone sharp.
"Principal," he said, cupping his fists slightly, though there was little respect in his voice, "this student, Li Fengyuan, has been utterly disrespectful."
He pointed directly at Li Fengyuan.
"He slept through my lecture, disrupted the class, and when reprimanded, he not only refused to admit his mistake but openly insulted me."
His voice grew colder.
"Such arrogance—such lack of discipline—I believe he should be severely punished."
The principal did not respond immediately.
He simply stood there, calm and composed.
His gaze swept across the classroom once before finally landing on Li Fengyuan.
"Li Fengyuan!"
His voice was neither loud nor imposing.
Yet it carried a natural authority that made people instinctively listen.
Li Fengyuan straightened slightly.
"I am here, Principal."
The principal nodded faintly.
"I would like to hear your side of the story."
"Tell me," Principal Gu continued, "is what Elder Wei said true?"
Li Fengyuan met his gaze.
In his previous life…
This man, Gu Zhengyuan, had stood at the forefront during the Demonic Beast invasion.
And in the end, he had sacrificed his own life to save the lives of a few students.
To Li Fengyuan, he was someone truly worthy of respect.
He cupped his fists slightly.
"Principal Gu," he said calmly, "Elder Wei is exaggerating the matter. There is no need to elaborate on why he is targeting me."
Principal Gu stroked his beard thoughtfully.
He already understood part of the situation.
The conflict between the Wei Clan and the Li Clan was not a secret.
It was entirely possible that Elder Wei was deliberately targeting Li Fengyuan.
But at the same time, Elder Wei was an invited guest.
He could not simply ignore him, especially when Elder Wei had filed a complaint against Li Fengyuan.
Not to mention, if Li Fengyuan really disturbed the class and was disrespectful to the guest of the academy, then he needed to punish him for his mistake.
"Elder Wei," Principal Gu said calmly, "is this true?"
Elder Wei's expression darkened further.
"He slept through the entire lecture," he said coldly, "disrupting the discipline of the class."
"And when I pointed it out, he argued back and insulted me."
His gaze sharpened.
"Is that not enough?"
Principal Gu did not respond immediately.
Instead, he looked back at Li Fengyuan.
"Did you sleep during the lecture?"
He asked.
Li Fengyuan replied without hesitation.
"I did not!"
A few students blinked.
That wasn't entirely convincing.
Elder Wei let out a cold laugh.
"You did not? Are you saying that everyone here is blind?"
Li Fengyuan remained calm.
"I listened with my eyes closed. It help me better focus on the lesson."
Elder Wei sneered.
"Oh? Then since you claim you listened…"
His voice turned sharp.
"Let's see how much you understood."
Then he shifted his gaze toward Principal Gu.
"Principal, how about this—I will ask a few questions from what I had taught, and if student Li Fengyuan is unable to answer, it would prove that he was sleeping and not listening to my lecture."
Elder Wei suggested.
Principal Gu stroked his beard as he contemplated.
Even if they went by what Elder Wei suggested, it wouldn't be entirely fair.
Just because one couldn't answer all questions, would it prove that he wasn't listening?
No!
Moreover, knowing Elder Wei's personality, he was certain that he might deliberately ask particularly difficult questions.
"Student Li Fengyuan, do you have any objections?"
In the end, Principal Gu handed over the decision to Li Fengyuan.
"No problem!"
Li Fengyuan answered without hesitation, much to the surprise of others.
Zhao Dazhu and Jia Hao also looked at him, wondering what Li Fengyuan was thinking.
Since they were seated beside him, they obviously knew that Li Fengyuan had been sleeping through the class.
How could he act so confident?
Elder Wei's eyes widened with excitement.
Elder Wei raised his hand and with a flick of his fingers, an array appeared in midair.
Lines of Qi intertwined, forming a structured, geometric pattern.
It pulsed faintly, stable yet complex enough that most students could only stare without fully understanding it.
"Since you claim you were listening," Elder Wei said coldly, "tell me."
"What is this Array?"
He paused briefly, then added with a sharper tone,
"And what can be done to increase its efficiency?"
The moment the second question was asked, several students' expressions changed.
The first question was manageable, as they had just been taught about it a moment ago.
The second?
That was not something that Elder Wei had taught.
Well, Elder Wei knew that Li Fengyuan was sleeping and didn't even care whether he had taught it or not.
And even if he or someone else pointed it out, he could just say that he wanted to test his knowledge.
Even Shen Yuyan and Xiao Mei frowned slightly. They considered whether to intervene or not.
But Li Fengyuan had to answer the first question before even thinking about the second, and as they already know that he was asleep.
So, they didn't think there was a need to intervene right now.
All eyes turned toward Li Fengyuan.
Li Fengyuan glanced at the Array.
Just one look, and he already understood.
"A basic Gathering Array," he said calmly.
"It draws surrounding Qi and concentrates it within a fixed area to improve cultivation efficiency."
Elder Wei's expression did not change.
But a flicker passed through his eyes.
Correct!
Perfectly correct!
Although Li Fengyuan didn't give the name, everything else was all correct.
Of course, he wasn't the only one surprised, as the other students were equally shocked.
Zhao Dazhu was even more so.
(He was sleeping, right?)
Li Fengyuan had been sleeping all along. Moreover, knowing Li Fengyuan, he knew it wasn't because he studied before.
(How can he get it right?)
Li Fengyuan continued.
"However, this one is inferior and barely passable as even a Grade-1 Array."
Elder Wei's eyes narrowed, and he was furious.
The reason?
It was an Array that he had created and was highly praised for by other Array masters.
This was the reason why he was invited as a guest lecturer in the Heavenly Path Academy.
Now, Li Fengyuan was looking down on his prized array—how could he not be angry?
Li Fengyuan raised his hand slightly, as if tracing the formation in the air.
"The flow at the third node is slightly misaligned," he said casually. "It causes minor dispersion instead of full circulation."
A few students blinked.
They didn't understand a single word. The same could be said about Elder Wei.
Although Li Fengyuan didn't dabble in Arrays intensively in his previous life, when one lives for as long as he did, one begins to learn many things.
And although he didn't reach the highest level of Arrays, compared to the Array Masters of Lingzhuo City, he was far superior.
"But more importantly," Li Fengyuan continued, "its structure is too complex and unnecessary. If you add three auxiliary lines here—"
He gestured lightly.
"—linking the outer ring to the inner core…"
The imaginary lines seemed to form through his explanation alone.
"You can convert it into a rotating cycle instead of a static one."
His tone remained calm.
"As a result, Qi intake increases by at least thirty percent, and the strain on the core node is reduced."
Silence!
Complete silence!
No one spoke and they didn't even dare to breathe too loudly.
"In situations where external Qi is unstable," Li Fengyuan added, almost as an afterthought, "this modification also prevents collapse and improves adaptability."
Then he lowered his hand.
"As for practical use," he finished, "it becomes far more suitable for prolonged cultivation rather than short bursts."
Zhao Dazhu stared blankly at Li Fengyuan.
Shen Yuyan's eyes trembled slightly.
Xiao Mei frowned as she listened seriously.
They didn't understand at all.
Were they even listening to the same lesson?
Elder Wei stood frozen.
His mind blank for a moment.
The first part was flawless.
There was nothing he could refute.
But the second part…
The modifications…
The theory…
He had never even considered it.
Although it would be far-fetched to say that it would work, he also couldn't think of why it wouldn't.
Li Fengyuan looked at him.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Elder Wei," he said calmly, "is what I answered correct?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"Or perhaps… you don't know yourself?"
Li Fengyuan asked mockingly.
A sharp crack seemed to echo in the air.
Elder Wei's face darkened instantly.
His hands clenched within his sleeves.
"Hmph!" he snorted coldly.
"That is correct."
The words were forced out through gritted teeth.
"But don't get arrogant. It was just a simple question."
Simple?
The students exchanged looks.
Their expressions were strange.
Elder Wei had indeed taught that Array before.
But only its basic function.
Nothing about flaws.
Nothing about efficiency.
And definitely nothing about modifying its structure.
Those concepts were far beyond them.
If that was simple, then what was complex?