Wind, Fire, Mountain, Forest

The first round of matches continued. The monstrously talented students all put on eye-catching displays. Zheng Yunhui was matched against a student who had only recently entered the Yangxing Realm. In the blink of an eye, he crushed his opponent and strode proudly off the stage. Zhao Shiqi was as calm as still water, claiming an effortless victory. Hu Qiusheng went up with a beaming smile and stepped down with the same beaming smile. Zhang Hao, a monstrously talented student from the Divine Talisman College, also easily defeated a top-high student from the Divine Character College. To Su Yu's surprise, the monstrous genius from the Willpower College turned out to be a girl named Su Meng. Sharing the same surname as Su Yu, she also dispatched a high-tier talent with ease. All eight monstrously talented students won comfortably. From this, one could tell that the entrance assessment results were remarkably accurate, at least for now. Others, such as Wu Lan and Xia Huyou, also won their matches. Their victories were far from effortless, however; judging by their expressions, they had both gone through grueling struggles. Jia Mingzhen and his companions didn't participate. Although they had showed up, they spent the entire time huddled in a corner chatting, leaving it unclear whether they were concealing their strength or simply disdained joining in. ... When the first round concluded, ninety-nine participants remained. However, not all ninety-nine chose to proceed. A few had depleted too much willpower, and since this was not a major tournament after all, several opted to withdraw. Only ninety-two participants entered the second round. ... "None of the monstrous talents ran into each other..." Su Yu observed coldly from the side. With that pack of monsters failing to draw a single match among themselves, he couldn't help suspecting foul play behind the lottery. Just as he was thinking this, another figure appeared beside him. Xia Huyou squeezed over once more and whispered, "Su Yu, how's it looking? Can you make the top ten? A lot of people are betting against you reaching the top ten right now. Are you confident? If not, I'm closing your pool!" In his first match against Hu Zongqi, Su Yu's performance had hardly been impressive. It had dragged on for far too long! It was nothing like Zheng Yunhui and the others, who had finished off their opponents cleanly in the blink of an eye. Su Yu smiled. "Guess. If you give me half the cut, I'll find a way into the top ten..." "..." Xia Huyou was speechless. This guy thought about nothing but money. "It's only a small pool. People are just throwing in a few merit points for fun..." Xia Huyou said helplessly. "You even want a piece of that?" Su Yu ignored him. At that moment, the drawing for the second round began. The instant he reached into the sheet-metal tin, a slip of paper stuck directly to his hand. Just as Su Yu was about to swirl them around to draw another, the instructor abruptly pulled the tin away to proceed to the next person. Su Yu frowned and glanced at the instructor holding the box. He didn't recognize him, nor did the man show any unusual reaction. *A coincidence?* Did that slip just happen to stick to his hand? Once the others finished drawing, Su Yu unfolded his slip. Number 2. His brow furrowed! That meant he would be the first to take the stage in the second round! Who was Number 1? ... Not far away. Jia Mingzhen glanced at Su Yu, then turned his gaze toward Liu Hong on the stage, his eyes crinkling into a smile. "Sirs, someone is cheating here. Aren't you going to do something about it?" The other elders wore bored expressions, not caring to meddle in such trivial matters. Whether they met early or late, anyone with the strength to compete for first place would cross paths eventually. And for those without the strength, an early elimination was just as well. Seeing that no one spoke, Jia Mingzhen smiled again. "Fatty Xia is running a betting pool. Should we report him again?" "Old Jia, the boy's pool only has a few hundred merit points. You want to swindle even that?" One elder couldn't bear to listen and said exasperatedly, "For such a tiny pool... why not cast a long line to catch a bigger fish? Wait until he thinks he's safe, let him open a massive pool, and then bust him all at once. Wouldn't that be better? Once people in their cohort start making the Top 100 Rankings, that little fat boy will definitely run betting pools. When the stakes get high enough, we can seize it in one fell swoop!" If they raided him now over a few hundred points, the kid would probably be scared off for good. "Exactly. I suspect the little fatty opened this small pool just to test the academy's attitude. He's probably still wondering who reported him last time." The elders chatted and chuckled among themselves, ultimately deciding to spare Xia Huyou this time. Soon, their eyes turned to Su Yu and Zheng Hong. "The two of them are matched up?" "Looks like it. It's Liu Hong's handiwork." "Who will win?" "Hard to say." "..." After a brief exchange, the second round's drawing drew to a close. ... On the stage. Liu Hong wore a constant smile. Around him, several researchers caught on to what had happened and looked his way. Liu Hong paid them no mind and projected his voice clearly: "The second round begins! Ninety-two advance to forty-six! The winners of the previous round each received five merit points, and the reward remains the same for this round! Let the matches begin!" With those words, the crowd waited for the contestants of the second round's first bout to step forward. In the crowd, Su Yu let out a soft breath. He stepped forward! He had a hunch that his opponent this round would be one of those eight monstrous talents; there had been something off about his drawing process. Naturally, he wasn't afraid. They were bound to clash sooner or later! As Su Yu stepped out, Zheng Hong emerged from the crowd nearby at the very same moment. "Zheng Hong!" "Su Yu!" It was actually these two! Many in the audience were surprised, but quickly dismissed it—Su Yu was clearly going to lose. In the last round against Hu Zongqi, he had dragged the fight on for ages. How could he possibly stand against Zheng Hong, who had crushed Lin Yao with effortless ease? Not many people knew Zheng Hong's true background, but some did. People like Wan Mingze and Xia Chan were well aware. He was Elder Sun's disciple and Elder Zheng's grandson. A genius of the Single Divine Character Faction! Regardless of whether he was Zheng Yuming's grandson, Elder Sun was also an expert of the Single Divine Character Faction, which naturally made Zheng Hong one of them. ... In the crowd, Hu Zongqi clenched his fists, feeling thoroughly conflicted. Just moments ago, he had genuinely hoped Su Yu would win; a victory for Su Yu would at least prove that Hu Zongqi wasn't weak. Yet seeing that Su Yu's opponent was Zheng Hong, Hu Zongqi felt a wave of gloom. Su Yu was doomed to lose! While he considered Su Yu fairly formidable, he was certainly no match for Zheng Hong. It was over! His only hope now was that Su Yu would hold out a bit longer. If Su Yu were crushed in an instant, Hu Zongqi would lose face as well. On the other side, Lin Yao looked equally aggrieved. Brother Su wouldn't lose as miserably as he had, would he? Zheng Hong was terrifyingly strong! Had he known Su Yu would face him, he would have stepped forward earlier to share some insight. ... In the center of the hall. On opposite sides of the sphere. Seeing that his opponent was indeed Zheng Hong, Su Yu exhaled gently. He had already guessed as much. Even so, confirming it still made him curse Liu Hong's entire family! Facing a monstrous talent in the second round meant that even if he won, his willpower would be massively drained. What was he supposed to do in the later rounds? That bastard Liu Hong was close to having another five-stroke tally mark behind his name in Su Yu's mental black book. Zheng Hong wasn't particularly surprised to see Su Yu either. When drawing his slip earlier, he had also sensed something unusual. He just hadn't expected Liu Hong to be so impatient, leaving him in an awkward position. "Su Yu, let's begin!" Zheng Hong didn't care to say much. It didn't matter who his opponent was; as a genius, he possessed the confidence to sweep through all challengers, especially his peers. The two wasted no more words. This time, Su Yu didn't bother acting hypocritical by cheering Zheng Hong on. Simultaneously, their willpower sank into the realm. On the sphere, gold and azure each occupied half. ... Inside the Secret Character Realm. Su Yu and Zheng Hong materialized at the same time. Their eyes met, and in the next instant, Su Yu's illusion manifested as thunder came crashing down! The world through Zheng Hong's eyes was different from Su Yu's. At that moment, he saw Su Yu standing in place, smiling at him, with no sign of lightning. Yet Zheng Hong was far sharper than Hu Zongqi! His expression shifted, and his figure flickered, vanishing instantly from the spot! The moment he vanished, the lightning struck! Though Zheng Hong hadn't seen the thunderbolt, he could sense the immense destructive force erupting from where he had just stood. He immediately shut his eyes, no longer looking at the smiling Su Yu across from him! Before him, a massive character abruptly appeared! "Wind!" A howling gale swept forth, making Su Yu's illusion tremble. The wind was like razor-sharp blades, tearing the illusion to shreds. Although it wasn't a Tier-2 divine character, Zheng Hong's willpower was far stronger than Su Yu's. In the blink of an eye, he shredded the illusion with wind blades, exposing Su Yu's true willpower form standing not far away! Zheng Hong snapped his eyes open, slightly startled. This guy's illusion was remarkably potent! Su Yu commanded the lightning toward him, radiating fierce killing intent as cold as an iceberg. *Boom!* The thunder detonated. It was a silent blast, yet it naturally formed a deafening roar in Zheng Hong's ears. "Fire!" At that moment, towering flames surged forth. Combined with the hurricane, they seared through the void and swept toward Su Yu! The raging fire clashed with the thunder, engulfing the lightning directly. Su Yu retreated swiftly, his gaze narrowing in the next instant! Before him, an immense mountain manifested! Wind, Fire, Mountain! Three divine characters, all from the God Race! Su Yu was secretly shocked. This guy was this strong? As the old saying went: wind, fire, mountain, forest—swift as the wind, invading as fire, immovable as a mountain, and orderly as the forest! Although Zheng Hong had not yet formed a divine character battle technique, his characters showed clear signs of forming a cohesive system. Did he have a fourth divine character? The colossal mountain bore down toward Su Yu! At this point, Su Yu had no time to hold back. The moment the mountain descended, a black saber materialized, and the previous lightning and illusions vanished completely! Upon the saber, four faint points of light shimmered. Those were the divine character bases! A fifth was barely visible—the "Shade" character was simply too dim. The saber expanded against the wind, swelling in the blink of an eye into a sky-blotting blade that slashed downward! *Boom!* Though the realm was silent, both of their minds were violently shaken. Su Yu's figure blurred and destabilized, but the mountain before him was smashed to pieces by his strike, while the giant saber dimmed considerably. ... Outside. Zheng Hong spat out a mouthful of blood, while Su Yu turned deathly pale, sweat pouring off him like rain. The spectators looked on in utter disbelief. On the sphere, the gold and azure churned violently, clear evidence of the ferocious battle within. It was all happening so fast! "Zheng Hong is falling behind?" Many people were astounded! Just a moment ago, the gold had seized a slight upper hand, encroaching on territory that originally belonged to the azure. Everyone was shocked! Su Yu had actually managed to suppress Zheng Hong slightly. Zheng Hong was vomiting blood while Su Yu had turned pale; clearly, the two had just clashed with terrifying intensity. Now, many hearts leaped into their throats. They had assumed Su Yu was certain to lose, never expecting such a dramatic twist. Not only the students, but even the researchers took an interest. They turned their gazes toward the sphere, then back at Zheng Hong. One whispered, "His divine character took damage. Su Yu's destructive power is incredible—the two are evenly matched!" "Don't be so sure. Zheng Hong's willpower fullness is close to ninety percent. His raw power is greater, and his stamina will hold up better..." No sooner had the words left his mouth than the gold on the sphere surged again, relentlessly swallowing the azure territory, causing the speaking researcher to choke on his words, his face full of astonishment. Another brutal clash! Zheng Hong coughed up blood repeatedly, while blood also trickled from the corner of Su Yu's mouth, his face frightfully pale. Evidently, their continued fierce clash had inflicted severe injuries and drained vast amounts of willpower from both sides. What on earth was happening in there? ... Inside the Secret Character Realm. Su Yu gripped the giant black saber, severing heaven and earth as he smashed mountains and cleaved flames. The howling gale shrieked, and the blazing fire churned! Black flames seemed to erupt around Su Yu—not real fire, but the killing intent amplified by his "Kill" character! Towering murderous intent battered relentlessly against Zheng Hong. Zheng Hong's face darkened. Su Yu had deployed a divine character battle technique. The technique's slots weren't completely filled, so its lethality wasn't at its maximum, but that was only by comparison. At this moment, Su Yu's divine characters were partially fused through the technique, their combined power making him significantly stronger. "Four divine characters... and two are Tier-2!" "Damn it!" Zheng Hong cursed inwardly! Did this guy do nothing but nurture his divine characters instead of outlining new ones? But even so, this was far too fast—two Tier-2 characters! That killing intent rocked his willpower, relentlessly grinding it down. The illusion continued to disrupt his judgment. He recognized the two characters: one was "Blood" and the other "Kill," both from the Human Race. This guy had actually nurtured human divine characters to Tier-2. Zheng Hong gritted his teeth. The next instant, the hurricane died down, the flames extinguished, and the giant mountain vanished. Three divine characters hovered before him. With a snap of his jaw, the three divine characters instantly fused together, coalescing into a long spear! *Bang!* Grasping the spear, he charged straight at Su Yu and thrust forward. The "Wind" character boosted his speed, the "Mountain" character amplified his force, and the "Fire" character scorched with searing heat! Su Yu felt as though an immense mountain were hurtling toward him at blinding speed! Fusion! Zheng Hong was performing divine character fusion too! Su Yu let out a roar. Even though he could produce no sound, he bellowed with all his might as his saber crashed down—Thunder Yuan Saber! Cleave! *Boom!* Both of their ethereal bodies shook violently. Su Yu's form began to crumble, and Zheng Hong's did as well. ... Outside. Both of their physical bodies were trembling violently. Blood spilled from Su Yu's lips, his brows locked in a tight frown. Zheng Hong's willpower roiled, his blood staining the ground beneath him. Several researchers stepped forward. One barked, "Stop it! Those two boys are fighting so hard inside that their divine characters are on the verge of collapsing!" On the sphere, the two colors churned back and forth. Neither side had claimed a decisive advantage. Liu Hong frowned, but Wu Qi said coolly from nearby, "Why stop it? As geniuses, they have their pride! They can accept defeat, so long as it's a fair loss. Who among us hasn't been injured before?" As a genius herself, she had every right to say that. If the two inside truly wished to end the fight, they would have withdrawn on their own. Around them, Xia Chan and several others stepped closer, their expressions grave. Zheng Hong was no weakling! Even among the eight monstrous talents, he was certainly not the weakest. Yet here he was, fighting Su Yu to a standstill, and even appearing slightly disadvantaged! Indeed, they could faintly tell that the gold was holding steady! The azure, on the other hand, was beginning to waver. Su Yu was like a perpetual motion machine, his willpower pouring unceasingly into the sphere, whereas Zheng Hong's flow was starting to stutter. At that moment, the Lingyun Realm researcher from the Weapon Forging College suddenly asked, "Does Su Yu know my teacher?" Liu Hong glanced at him and offered a faint smile. "He minored in forging. He's Old Zhao's minor student!" The Lingyun researcher, a middle-aged man, looked surprised upon hearing this. A minor student... he hadn't paid much attention. He had been busy lately and only found time to lead a team here today. Hearing this, and seeing Su Yu's pale face set against his endlessly flowing willpower, he suddenly spoke up: "Su Yu has won. If Zheng Hong keeps forcing it, he'll only severely injure himself. Do as you see fit!" His words drew numerous glances. The students were all astonished. Su Yu had won? A victor hadn't even been decided yet! And from the look of things, it was still impossible to tell who would come out on top! The middle-aged man fell silent. Inwardly, though, he was deeply shaken. *Did he cultivate the Expanding Will Art?* *Did Teacher actually pass down his Expanding Will Art to him?* One had to realize that not even he had received the true inheritance! *Would Teacher pass it on so lightly? Or has he not passed down the technique yet, but helped him expand his willpower directly...?* *This kid hasn't even reached sixty percent willpower fullness, yet he's outlasting Zheng Hong, who is near ninety percent. Just how many hammer strikes did he endure?* His willpower capacity was at least 1.5 times that of an ordinary cultivator's! His sea of will had to be at least a third larger than Zheng Hong's! If he had undergone willpower expansion, he must have endured countless strikes from Teacher's hammer! Lost in thought, the middle-aged man said no more. The others didn't rashly stop the match either, instead watching in silence, their minds racing with various thoughts. Could Su Yu... truly defeat Zheng Hong? By now, nearly three minutes had passed since the match began. Both were giving it everything they had! Gold and azure surged, the colors on the sphere shifting constantly. Yet Zheng Hong was beginning to feel his energy flagging, while Su Yu seemed ready to keep going... What kind of freak was he? Several researchers who had heard rumors looked toward the researcher from the Weapon Forging College. Was this the art Zhao Li had passed down? ... Inside the Secret Character Realm. Both Zheng Hong and Su Yu were battered and ragged! Neither had any intention of surrendering! Instead, Su Yu's fighting spirit grew fiercer, his killing intent denser. His "Battle" and "Kill" characters were divine characters that evolved through combat, growing more excited the longer the fight lasted. Within the realm, murderous aura soared to the heavens! Fighting spirit boiled! Zheng Hong, by contrast, was growing weak. He glanced at Su Yu, his brows knitted tightly. It was one thing for Su Yu's willpower to be so enduring, but his destructive power was remarkably high as well. This was not the destructive power of someone with fifty-odd percent fullness; it felt closer to seventy percent, or perhaps even higher. Coupled with his divine character battle technique, he was barely weaker than Zheng Hong himself. *The Expanding Will Art?* The thought struck Zheng Hong! His grandfather had once told him that if he wanted to become stronger and excel at prolonged battles, learning the Expanding Will Art would be ideal. Unfortunately, Zhao Li refused to teach outsiders, so Zheng Hong never had the chance to learn it. Now, it appeared Su Yu had mastered it. *No wonder he can sustain four divine characters, including two at Tier-2...* Just as the thought crossed his mind, his vision suddenly went dark. Not like an illusion! It was true darkness! Keep in mind, this was a body formed of willpower. How could his vision simply go dark? Even an illusion here could only create environmental effects like nightfall; it couldn't physically blind his eyes. What was this? Zheng Hong was alarmed! His willpower erupted once more! The darkness before him was quickly shattered! Light returned... Yet Su Yu was already charging with his saber. Just as Zheng Hong prepared to counter... he realized something was terribly wrong! This was the Secret Character Realm! Their physical bodies were illusions—where could a shadow come from? Yes, a shadow! A shadow had actually appeared beneath Su Yu's feet! He hadn't had time to process it just now. Panic seized Zheng Hong. For a moment, his spear-wielding hand froze, unsure whether to strike at Su Yu himself or at his shadow. In that split second of hesitation, Su Yu's shadow suddenly wrapped around his entire body! The great saber cleaved downward! *Bang!* A thunderous explosion echoed in both of their minds. Zheng Hong's body shattered completely. Filled with reluctance and confusion, just before his willpower was ejected, he stared fixedly at the shadow on the ground! *Fuck!* There was another divine character! That bastard Su Yu commanded five divine characters! How long had he been at the academy? How was that possible! Hadn't they said he had only been studying divine characters for a few months? And this particular character was one he had never revealed before! *A shadow-related divine character...* With a sense of helplessness, Zheng Hong vanished entirely from the Secret Character Realm. ... *Pfft!* Another spray of blood erupted from Zheng Hong's mouth. He opened his eyes. Around him, everyone stood dumbfounded. Gold had completely engulfed the sphere. Zheng Hong had been expelled; Su Yu had won! The next moment, Su Yu opened his eyes. He was panting heavily! The two exchanged a look, neither saying a word. Su Yu commanded five divine characters, two of which were Tier-2. Zheng Hong also commanded three divine characters, each extremely potent. He had likely intended to gather four characters to form a complete system, but had not yet succeeded. After a few seconds, Su Yu caught his breath and cupped his hands. "A good match!" Zheng Hong nodded slightly, offering no reply. Though he felt a twinge of regret and disappointment, he didn't dwell on it. His strength had not yet peaked. Only after outlining the "Forest" character would he challenge the Top 100 Rankings, at which point he was certain he would secure a spot! For now, his divine characters were only a semi-finished product. Losing to Su Yu... was something he could accept. If they fought with everything on the line in the real world, his physical body at the seventh layer of the Qianjun Realm was stronger than Su Yu's; he wouldn't necessarily fear him. *He's only at the fifth layer of Qianjun...* *Without talent blood essence, he's no match for me. And talent blood essence... becomes utterly useless once one reaches the Wanshi Realm!* Zheng Hong kept these thoughts to himself, uttering no harsh words. Such posturing was beneath them; true strength would reveal itself in time. Heavily injured and having drained a great deal of willpower, Zheng Hong didn't linger. He turned and walked away. He had lost! Losing once didn't matter. As long as he could pick himself up and stand tall again, there would always be another chance. The only fear was failing to stand back up! ... Inside the hall. The next round of matches was slow to begin. Everyone stared at Su Yu, their faces plastered with shock and disbelief. Su Yu had won! This guy had actually defeated Zheng Hong! Su Yu paid them no heed. He smiled and nodded toward Hu Zongqi, then glanced at Lin Yao not far away. Seeing Lin Yao practically bursting with excitement, Su Yu offered him a subtle, understated smile. Both Lin Yao and Hu Zongqi were thrilled! Su Yu had won! Hu Zongqi felt an indescribable surge of satisfaction. Su Yu had defeated Zheng Hong, and looking at the time, it had taken four minutes! Beating Zheng Hong had been faster than beating him! What did that mean? Did it mean he was stronger than Zheng Hong? Of course not! It meant Su Yu had given him face—massive face! By Hu Zongqi's estimation, he was inferior to Lin Yao. If Zheng Hong beat Lin Yao in five seconds, Su Yu beat Zheng Hong, and Hu Zongqi was weaker than Lin Yao... Three seconds! Hu Zongqi swallowed hard. If Su Yu hadn't held back to save his pride, he would have been wiped out in three seconds! That would have been utterly humiliating! At this moment, Hu Zongqi felt overwhelmingly elated. He suddenly shouted, "Su Yu is a true monster!" This was what a real monstrously talented student looked like! Hu Zongqi, who had previously questioned whether Su Yu's top-high rating was unfair, was now the very first to proclaim Su Yu a true monster! He was slapping his own face, yet he relished every second of it! He deserved the slap! Slapping himself was far better than being slapped by someone else! Over on the other side, Lin Yao was equally delighted. Brother Su had avenged him! Zheng Hong thought he was so arrogant, yet didn't he still end up losing? ... While they celebrated, Su Yu wore a smile on the outside, but felt helpless inside. The drain had been immense! And all his trump cards had been revealed! Fortunately, this was the first match of the second round, giving him time to cultivate and recover. Otherwise, he wouldn't even have been able to participate in the third round. *Zheng Hong is terrifyingly strong... In terms of willpower alone, he's stronger than Zheng Yunhui. If he outlines another divine character to complete 'Wind, Fire, Mountain, Forest,' I probably won't be his match...* Su Yu possessed self-awareness. Once Zheng Hong outlined another character and completed his system, Su Yu would definitely be no match for him. But that was in the future. Zheng Hong would grow stronger, but wouldn't Su Yu as well? If they fought in reality, his physical body was actually stronger than Zheng Hong's, so he had no reason to fear him! *A win is a win!* Su Yu glanced at Liu Hong. Liu Hong smiled at him and nodded slightly, adopting the posture of someone who had done him a great favor... leaving Su Yu somewhat speechless. Was he trying to trick him into believing he had intentionally given Su Yu a chance to showcase his abilities? Screw you! I never asked for this chance! Su Yu cursed inwardly. There were still seven monstrous talents left. If they ended up pitted against each other, he might concede Liu Hong had helped him. Otherwise... Liu Hong was just a bastard deliberately screwing him over, and he shouldn't think Su Yu was blind to it! After cursing him in his mind for a while, Su Yu began recovering his willpower. Meanwhile, the way everyone else looked at Su Yu had completely changed! Defeating Chen Qi could still be chalked up to good luck and a potent talent blood essence. But defeating Zheng Hong in the Divine Character Competition proved beyond doubt that this guy was a genuine monstrous talent, standing on equal footing with the very best.