These days, Shen Han had been dedicated to his cultivation, and it had been a long time since the four of them had eaten together.
They chatted without stopping, so they decided to have lunch together.
The meal was simple and not particularly lavish, but the Academy’s kitchen skills were quite decent.
"Brother Shen, I haven’t seen Shen Ye in action, but while cultivating in the Capital City, I often hear stories about him.
Your elder brother, is he really that powerful?"
Shen Han thought for a moment and shook his head slightly.
"I haven’t sparred with him either; back when I was with the Shen Family, I only saw him from a distance during the clan’s assessment.
With just a casual move, he indeed displayed some strength."
Wu Jiahuan chimed in: "Wasn’t there talk recently of him advancing to the Fifth Grade Half-Step Realm?
Even a prodigy like Brother Shen is only at the Sixth Grade Half-Step.
Looking at it this way, he is truly exceptional..."
"You can’t compare like that. How old is Shen Ye? How old is Brother Shen?
At nineteen, what was Shen Ye’s strength?
Maybe he wasn’t even as strong as Brother Shen."
Wu Jiahuan and Tang Xuhe were somewhat arguing, but as Tang Xuhe was younger and not as composed, he couldn’t bear hearing Shen Han being compared unfavorably to others.
In the midst of this, Chai Haifu whispered: "I asked around, and at nineteen, Shen Ye was at the Sixth Grade Fruit Realm."
The two stopped arguing, looked at Shen Han, feeling they had misspoken.
"Brother Shen, we believe in you; you will surpass Shen Ye.
You were not favored in the Shen Family, but you managed to catch up.
Now, receiving attention at the Academy, your advancement speed will surely outpace Shen Ye.
Both as prodigies, Brother Shen, you are no less than him."
Shen Han smiled, his three classmates still worried about his temperament, each offering words of comfort.
In reality, Shen Han didn’t care about this at all.
He was at the Sixth Grade Fruit Realm at nineteen, so what?
He too had reached the Sixth Grade Fruit Realm, and was just one opportunity away from stepping into the Fifth Grade.
The words of his classmates not only didn’t affect his confidence but subtly increased it.
It turned out that his elder brother Shen Ye, at nineteen, was only as strong as he was now.
There were only four days left until the Academy competition in the Capital City.
Those wanting to watch the excitement, wanting to broaden their knowledge, had all come to the Capital City waiting.
The Academy, unlike sects, wouldn’t place many restrictions on you unless you became a dedicated disciple.
They wouldn’t expect much from you either.
Many families that lacked the ability to cultivate successors would typically send their juniors to the Academy for training.
After learning, they naturally returned home to inherit the family business.
Of course, most students would remember the Academy’s kindness.
If the Academy required help, they generally were willing to assist.
Many who came to observe the Academy competition had young juniors in their families.
They wanted to take this opportunity to evaluate which Academy to choose.
Aside from these people, major sects and aristocratic families would generally come to observe too.
To see the strength of the Academy students compared to their own sect’s juniors.
To understand the current level of the younger generation.
Rain Listening Pavilion in the Capital City.
Shi Yuezhu finished handling affairs and came as well.
Seeing her master arriving, Su Jinyu warmly greeted her with a hug.
In these days, she had a lot to say to her master.
"Child, why do you look so sickly? Did something go wrong with your cultivation?"
Shi Yuezhu, upon seeing Su Jinyu for the first time, was genuinely somewhat worried.
Her disciple had never shown such an appearance before.
But today, she looked entirely out of sorts.
Hearing her master’s question, Su Jinyu shook her head.
"Is there something you can’t tell your master? What exactly happened?"