Top Ten

Su Yu closed his eyes to rest his mind, ignoring everyone else. He did not even bother watching the matches of the monstrous geniuses. There was nothing he could discern from them anyway, so watching would be completely pointless. *Taking first place is probably going to be a bit tough,* Su Yu mused inwardly. Unless... he swallowed the blood essence of a Soul-Devouring Insect. That would imbue his willpower with a corrosive property, allowing it to devour an opponent's willpower. Such a tactic was great against enemies, but these people were his fellow students. Even within the Single Divine Character Faction, the only person Su Yu truly wanted to deal with harshly was probably Huang Qifeng. As for people like Chen Qi and Zheng Hong, Su Yu had never intended to do anything severe to them. If people did not provoke him, he would not provoke them. Even with Huang Qifeng, Su Yu was not planning on doing anything irreversible; making him lie in bed for a few months like his senior sister would be enough. *Soul-Devouring Insect...* Su Yu murmured inwardly, keeping his eyes shut as he continued recovering his willpower. *I need to get my hands on Five Elements race blood essence as soon as possible to strengthen my willpower!* ... The tournament continued. The underhanded manipulation was obvious! In the second round, none of the monstrous geniuses crossed paths. The students were not stupid; though they cursed in their hearts, they all wore beaming smiles on their faces. It was only natural! Who told them not to be seeded? They were going to be eliminated sooner or later anyway, so running into a top contender early was just bad luck. It was merely a pity that there was no opportunity to pick up an easy victory. Su Yu, on the other hand... having just defeated Zheng Hong, he had consumed a massive amount of strength. Anyone who drew him in the next round had a real chance of catching him while he was vulnerable. In this round, Wu Lan was unfortunate enough to run into Wan Mingze. Wan Mingze seemed to give her face, stalling for nearly three minutes before finally defeating her. Wu Lan's face was completely dejected! What a miserable loss! After Su Yu pulled off his upset against Zheng Hong, she thought she might have a chance too. When she faced Wan Mingze, she had even wanted to pull off an upset of her own to show Su Yu. As it turned out... she had been overthinking. Not a single monstrous genius suffered an upset! Every opponent they met was easily crushed. The forty-six matches lasted only about an hour. ... An hour later, though Su Yu had not fully recovered, he was nearly back to peak condition. He opened his eyes and let out a soft breath of relief. Fortunately, enough time had passed. Otherwise, in his previous state, he would have lost to anyone he faced. Beside him, Hu Zongqi was surprisingly still there. Seeing Su Yu open his eyes, Hu Zongqi asked with some excitement, "Su Yu, how are you feeling?" Su Yu smiled, nodding in gratitude. "Not bad, I'm mostly recovered. Thanks a lot for guarding me." "Don't mention it!" Hu Zongqi chuckled sheepishly. "With all the instructors here, who would dare cause trouble?" Who would dare disturb Su Yu under the instructors' watchful eyes and stop him from recovering? Were they not afraid of the researchers coming down on them? Su Yu laughed and said nothing more. Looking around, he asked, "Are they all finished?" "Yeah, the third round is about to start." Hu Zongqi looked at Su Yu with a peculiar expression. "Su Yu, you actually beat Zheng Hong! Isn't your willpower..." "A bit weak?" Su Yu chuckled. "It's fine. It really is a bit weak, but my willpower is durable, and I've outlined plenty of divine characters, including a Tier-2 divine character. Zheng Hong wasn't weak; he was just a little careless." Hu Zongqi nodded slightly and sighed with emotion. "Either way, you're seriously strong! My brother said that the monstrous geniuses of this intake might already have the strength to enter the Top 100 Rankings. They're stronger than past batches! You beat Zheng Hong, and as a warrior, you're at the third layer of Qianjun as well. If you reach the seventh layer, you'll definitely have a shot at making the Top 100 Rankings!" The third layer of Qianjun! That was what ordinary students believed. Those from influential factions assumed he was at the fifth layer—or perhaps the sixth layer by now. The ninth layer of Qianjun... practically no one knew about that. Su Yu smiled and said in a low voice, "I'm well past the third layer of Qianjun. Remember to keep that a secret for me!" Hu Zongqi started, deeply touched! Did Su Yu trust him this much? Why else would he tell him that! "You're a true brother, don't worry!" Hu Zongqi grinned, overjoyed. Su Yu was indeed as honest and reliable as ever. Whatever happened in the past was water under the bridge. Thinking back on it now, he felt rather ashamed. Lowering his voice, Hu Zongqi added, "Su Yu, my brother is on pretty good terms with Liu He and the others. Don't worry—if they ever plan anything against you, I'll keep an eye out and let you know right away!" Su Yu immediately beamed with delight and lowered his voice as well. "Then I'll be troubling you, Zongqi!" With that, Su Yu's eyes flickered, and he murmured softly, "Zongqi, I have something to talk to you about later. Let's chat afterward." Hu Zongqi was taken aback. Talk about what? Seeing how secretive Su Yu was being, he thought it over and decided not to pry. They could talk later. ... While they were speaking, the third round of matches began. The draw cylinder was brought forward once more. Among the forty-six winners, a few were too exhausted to fight and chose to forfeit. After depleting their willpower across two rounds, it was exceedingly difficult to recover in back-to-back fights when everyone's strength was not far apart. This was especially true for those who had fought toward the end of the previous round. Even the victors stepped up to draw lots with a glimmer of hope, praying for a later slot. If they were placed early, fighting would be entirely out of the question. Su Yu stared at the draw cylinder, then glanced at the instructor. Suddenly, his eyes went wide as he looked right behind the man! The instructor's expression shifted slightly, and he instinctively turned to look. There was nothing there! When he turned back, Su Yu had already drawn his lot, wearing a pleasant smile as if nothing had happened. "..." He was left speechless! The instructor did not know whether to laugh or cry. Without a word, he moved on to the next person. Su Yu breathed a quiet sigh of relief and glanced toward Liu Hong on the stage. *Go ahead and try to scheme against me. Now that I scrambled the lots, I'll accept it even if I draw a monstrous genius!* ... Up on the stage. Liu Hong was equally speechless. *Why are you glaring at me, kid?* *I didn't tamper with anything this round!* *Besides, if I really wanted to rig it, do you think your petty trick would work on me?* Beside him, Wu Qi was thoroughly amused. She gave a soft laugh. "That guy is quite interesting! Liu Hong, looks like you've met your match. Too bad... he was born a couple of years too late." Had he been born a few years earlier, things would certainly have been much more entertaining. Liu Hong did not take offense at her remark. He offered a faint smile. "A few years earlier... If it had been a few years earlier, it would indeed have been amusing. Still, it's not too late now. On the path of cultivation, there are countless people who overtake those ahead of them! You and I are merely at the Tengkong Realm, with Lingyun and Shanhai above us... Who can say whether he won't catch up from behind?" "You think that highly of him?" Wu Qi gave him a curious look. Liu Hong was someone whose surface revealed very little. He smiled often, acted arrogant, and appeared foolish. To many people in the academy, Liu Hong seemed quite dim. He had fought Bai Feng for years and lost far more than he won. Naturally, discerning eyes recognized that managing to hold out against a monster like Bai Feng for years was no small feat in itself. Yet Wu Qi knew that Liu Hong possessed immense depth. He was proud to his core! He looked down on almost everyone, and few ever earned his genuine respect. Including herself... in Liu Hong's eyes, she was probably just someone with decent strength and average intellect. Some people wore their arrogance on the surface, while others were arrogant in their very bones! Liu Hong belonged to the latter. Liu Hong smiled faintly. "I wouldn't say I think highly of him. He's still too green right now. Let's wait and see. We can talk after he reaches the Tengkong Realm!" "Tengkong?" Wu Qi said softly, "You've heard about the matter in the Great Zhou Prefecture, right? Can he even reach the Tengkong Realm smoothly?" "I've heard bits and pieces, but I haven't paid much attention." Liu Hong replied calmly, "It's nothing major. Unless an Invincible truly emerges from the Single Divine Character Faction... the legacy of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction will never be entirely wiped out! A single divine character suppressing all four corners of the world is too rare! At least the Multiple Divine Characters Faction had historical precedents of Sun and Moon combatants fighting Invincibles. That fellow is merely at the Tengkong Realm. Once he reaches the Sun and Moon Realm, will he still be able to reign invincible across the world?" Wu Qi nodded with a smile. "Invincible across the world? If he truly comes over, I... well, I might already be at the Lingyun Realm by then. Otherwise, I'd really like to show that little fellow what tragedy looks like!" Invincible across the world? Had he asked Wu Qi first? She refused to yield even to Xia Yuwen, let alone a newly risen junior. Bai Feng was a genius of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction, yet she had never once considered herself inferior to him. ... While the two chatted on the stage, Su Yu drew number 12 down below, putting him sixth in the lineup. This round had only twenty matches, as several others had bowed out. A single match could last three to five minutes at most, or end in mere seconds at best. At first, Su Yu did not pay much attention to the matches, since there was little to see, but his focus was quickly drawn to one particular arena! Xia Huyou! That guy had quietly slipped into the third round, and now it was his turn to take the stage. Su Yu glanced over. He did not recognize Xia Huyou's opponent, who was not from the Divine Character College. Turning to Hu Zongqi, who had yet to leave, he asked in a low voice, "Who was Xia Huyou's opponent in the last round?" "A mid-high student from the Divine Pill College." Su Yu nodded thoughtfully, watching Xia Huyou step onto the platform with a broad grin. "Cao Hui, you're a guy from the Willpower College. Why bother cultivating divine characters? How about you just forfeit?" Xia Huyou was in no rush to fight. He chuckled. "If you forfeit, I'll give you three merit points. Deal?" "..." The student named Cao Hui gave him a speechless glare. Up on the stage, a researcher barked, "Xia Huyou, compete properly! Stop talking nonsense!" Xia Huyou laughed. "Forget it, you don't know how to do business! I'm actually very strong. Winning this round only puts me in the top twenty, but I need to secure at least a spot in the top ten. Cao Hui, my apologies! Next time you buy heavenly materials and earthly treasures from me, I'll give you a five percent discount!" "..." Cao Hui's face stiffened, and he could not help muttering a curse. "I didn't! I've never bought anything from you!" "My bad, my bad!" Xia Huyou hastily apologized. "Right, you haven't bought anything. I misspoke! Ten percent off next time to make it up to you!" Cao Hui was thoroughly at a loss, feeling utterly helpless inside. *Fine, ten percent off... I'll remember that.* *You fat bastard, if you don't give me ten percent off next time I find you, I'm never letting this go!* The two quickly began their bout. Su Yu even suspected they were conducting business inside the realm. After all, onlookers could not see what went on inside. If they could not speak, they could always write it out. ... Meanwhile, Jia Mingzhen and the others were also nursing massive headaches. "Liu Hong's black market business has been doing terribly lately; this kid snatched up his entire market share! He's as slippery as an eel. The academy investigated several times but turned up nothing. A few times they almost caught him, but he slipped away. When we took Liu Hong down a peg last time, it ended up playing right into his hands." "Just like his granduncle!" The female elder grumbled before adding, "Still, this kid... in his business dealings, he only targets specific groups of people. Is he already starting to assemble his core team for when he becomes the next generation's manor lord?" Xia Huyou did not do business with just anyone. This was something the elders had kept an eye on. People like Su Yu and Zheng Yunhui were Xia Huyou's prime targets. Cao Hui had made it to the third round and was a formidable genius in his own right, which was why he fell within the boy's pool of business partners. As for the others... regardless of whether they could afford his goods, Xia Huyou might not even deign to deal with them. Jia Mingzhen nodded. "Once Manor Lord Xia emerges from seclusion, he likely has a shot at stepping into the Eternal Realm. He won't stay in the Great Xia Prefecture for more than a few years." "Can he succeed him? Xia Yuwen has entered the Lingyun Realm..." "Hard to say!" Jia Mingzhen glanced at Xia Huyou, only speaking after a brief pause. "This kid's... strength is hard to gauge. As for becoming the manor lord, while strength is crucial, other qualities matter too. As long as his strength catches up later on, what truly matters is his big-picture vision, whether he can win people's respect, and the like..." Xia Yuwen was undeniably strong, but certain things were complicated. He was too dominant. While he had suppressed their generation, suppressing them did not mean he had won their hearts. Did Bai Feng or Wu Qi respect him? Naturally, that was not the crux of the issue. The real problem was that Xia Yuwen's personality was slightly too extreme. Otherwise, he would never have beaten the second through tenth rankers on the Top 100 Rankings twice over right before his breakthrough. A manor lord was chosen from the strong, but being strong did not necessarily make someone suitable to be manor lord. "Xia Yuwen refuses to suffer the slightest loss. In my view, his temperament is rather similar to Manor Lord Xia's. Unless he possesses Manor Lord Xia's absolute might to suppress everything, that personality of his makes him unfit to lead the prefecture." ... While they were conversing, Xia Huyou and Cao Hui dragged out their match for several minutes. Eventually, Xia Huyou opened his eyes, panting heavily. He grumbled, "Cao Hui, you're a student from the Willpower College, yet you hid three divine characters? Are you crazy?" Cao Hui's face darkened! Xia Huyou chuckled. "Whatever, at least I won against you. I'm in a good mood today. Find me later, and I'll give you a one-time twenty percent discount!" "..." Cao Hui was left speechless once more. He had lost, and this fat boy was genuinely irritating. But at the thought of a twenty percent discount... *Fine, I'll swallow my pride.* The clash between the two looked practically like child's play. The spectators did not know whether to laugh or cry. Next up was Xia Chan. She shot a glare at Xia Huyou, her face sullen as she walked right past him as if she did not know him. How embarrassing! Xia Huyou chuckled, completely unbothered, and called out loudly, "Little Sister, good luck! Everyone, take a good look—this is my sister, a monstrous genius of this intake! She's definitely making top three this time. And if she doesn't... well, so be it!" Xia Huyou's words drew a burst of laughter from the crowd. Xia Chan's face turned pale green! Who on earth was his sister?! Fueled by anger, the student who drew her was truly out of luck. The moment Xia Chan sent her willpower inside, her opponent coughed up blood and was ejected from the secret realm within ten seconds. The defeated student gave Xia Huyou a resentful glare. Why did you have to provoke her?! You almost got me killed! Anyone who reached the third round was no weakling, yet he had been completely pulverized! Xia Huyou winked and flashed nine fingers! The person instantly understood. Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he decided that a ten percent discount was not bad either. After all, he was inferior to Xia Chan to begin with, so losing was only natural. ... Down below, Su Yu had to stifle a laugh. That guy! "Xia Huyou... Zongqi, do you know which branch of the Xia family he's from?" Hu Zongqi was very approachable now. He smiled. "He seems to descend from the branch of the King of Great Xia's cousin, so his connection to the main Xia lineage is somewhat distant. Xia Chan is a legitimate direct descendant of the Xia family. Her grandfather is Marquis Xia, and she's Manor Lord Xia's niece." Su Yu nodded. He had heard about that as well. Xia Chan's lineage was indeed the direct line—she was the great-granddaughter of the King of Great Xia! She had a great-grandfather in the Invincible Realm! Still, Xia Huyou seemed to be on decent terms with Xia Chan. His sources of goods were likely connected to the Xia Commercial Firm, which was overseen by none other than Marquis Xia. While they were talking, two more matches concluded. It was Su Yu's turn again! ... This time, Su Yu had good luck. His opponent was a student from the Divine Pill College whose face was still somewhat pale, clearly having not recovered from the previous match. Seeing that his opponent was Su Yu, the student had initially hoped Su Yu had not recovered either. When he saw Su Yu's normal complexion, disappointment washed over his face. Any hope of picking up an easy victory was gone; instead, he had become the easy pickings for Su Yu! ... In just one minute, Su Yu defeated his opponent. It was effortless! He disoriented the student with an illusion for a brief moment, then revealed his true form, flashed an apologetic smile, and blasted him to pieces with lightning! Giving him a full minute was already showing ample respect. Having been ejected from the realm, the opponent offered a wry smile. Clearly aware of the gap between them, he said nothing more, cupped his fists, and stepped down. ... The third round narrowed the field from forty to twenty. The twenty matches lasted just over twenty minutes, concluding cleanly and swiftly. Aside from the unfortunate Zheng Hong, all the other seven monstrous geniuses advanced. Su Yu, Xia Huyou, and several students from the Divine Character College also successfully moved on. Across three rounds, nearly three and a half hours had passed. By now, it was already approaching eleven o'clock. Up on the stage, Liu Hong suddenly announced, "Let's skip the draw for the fourth round! With Su Yu, Xia Huyou, and Huang Fan included, ten of you will form one group. The remaining ten students may challenge anyone they wish from that group. Win, and you enter the top ten!" Many eyes flickered as their gazes turned toward Xia Huyou and Huang Fan. Xia Huyou's face turned green, and he protested hurriedly, "I was only evaluated as mid-high when I enrolled! I'm not a top-high or monstrous genius. Why put me in this group?!" "You're a member of the Xia family. Isn't that enough?" Liu Hong said indifferently, "As a member of the Xia family, you can't even handle a minor situation like this? If you can't make the top ten, that only proves your own incompetence. Did you expect to be handed a free pass into the top ten?" "That works too!" Xia Huyou blurted out! Liu Hong's face darkened, and many students glared at Xia Huyou. Xia Chan turned her head away, refusing to even look at him. What an absolute embarrassment! Xia Huyou was thoroughly aggrieved. Was that really so embarrassing? Liu Hong was the one who brought it up! Ignoring him, Liu Hong turned to the other ten students. "Pick whoever you want. Don't fight just for the sake of making the top ten. Trading blows with top geniuses and monstrous talents is a far greater opportunity! Usually, if you ask to spar with them, they wouldn't even bother giving you the time of day. Right now is your chance!" At these words, many students wore thoughtful expressions. Their gazes soon drifted toward the monstrous geniuses. Just as Liu Hong said, under normal circumstances, these top figures would never deign to spar with them. Right now was indeed an opportunity. Even if they challenged Xia Huyou or Huang Fan, they were not guaranteed to make the top ten, and they would miss the chance to fight a monstrous genius afterward. "I choose Wan Mingze!" Soon, someone looked toward Wan Mingze with burning eyes. Evidently, wanting to fight Wan Mingze was not an impulse, but a desire he had harbored for a long time. "I choose Zheng Yunhui!" Zheng Yunhui crossed his arms, saying lazily, "Think carefully. My path focuses on slaughter! If your willpower suffers severe trauma, don't blame me for not warning you!" No one paid him any mind. Zheng Yunhui's willpower was merely average among his peers, hardly the strongest. Why act so arrogant, as if anyone was actually afraid of him?! ... Soon, Su Yu had an opponent as well. It was a student from his own class! Below the stage, Wu Lan wore a look of regret. If only she had made the top twenty, she could have chosen freely, and she would definitely have picked Su Yu. She simply refused to accept how he had grown strong so rapidly! ... The battle for the top ten soon commenced. The first was Xia Huyou! Wearing a mournful expression, that fellow traded blows with his opponent for seven or eight minutes before barely clinching a victory. Panting heavily, he collapsed directly onto the ground, looking utterly spent and incapable of fighting another round. Su Yu was somewhat skeptical. Was this guy's strength really just this? Every time he won, he acted half-dead, only to bounce back full of vigor moments later. Su Yu did not care to dwell on it. It was only natural for people to keep trump cards hidden; he had his own as well. The second match belonged to Wan Mingze. As effortless as ever, he claimed another easy victory without expending much strength. The subsequent monstrous geniuses followed suit; every one of them was exceptionally strong. As for Su Yu, he did not deploy his illusion in this match. Using his Tier-2 "Kill" divine character paired with the "Shade" divine character, he intimidated his foe with killing intent and launched a shadow strike, quickly ending the match. He did not drag things out in this round. He was almost certain to face one of the monstrous geniuses in the next round, so he needed to conserve his energy. Match after match concluded. In the blink of an eye, the top ten was decided. Both Xia Huyou and Su Yu won, as did the other seven top seeds. Only Huang Fan was unseated by a student from the Willpower College, failing to make the top ten. ... The atmosphere gradually grew tense. The top ten roster was finalized! Counting Su Yu, a full eight monstrously talented students had advanced. By now, in everyone's eyes, Su Yu was undoubtedly a monstrous genius. Even the researchers grew interested. Now that the top ten was set, the upcoming matches would actually be worth watching. Unlike before, where the outcome was practically decided before the match even started, offering zero suspense. Liu Hong looked over the ten students and asked with a smile, "Does anyone wish to withdraw?" "Instructor, I withdraw!" The student from the Willpower College immediately bowed out. Having depleted all his willpower just to defeat Huang Fan, he was in no condition to fight again. "Xia Huyou, what about you?" Xia Huyou rolled his eyes. Why single him out? Looking around at the others, Xia Huyou suddenly grinned and said affably, "Then I'll withdraw too and let them fight it out. Instructor, are we drawing lots, picking opponents ourselves, or will you arrange it directly?" The remaining eight were all formidable figures, and he was more than happy to sit back and watch the show. Liu Hong turned to the eight students with a smile. "What do you all think? This divine character competition is just a minor tournament meant for sparring and self-improvement. Who do you feel is best suited to be your opponent? Or rather... whose hidden strength are you most curious about, and who do you want to see reveal their divine characters?" Though he wore an amiable smile, his gaze drifted toward Su Yu, his expression practically screaming that they should all pick Su Yu. Zheng Yunhui seemed rather impatient and stated outright, "I challenge the guy named Wan! Let's see if this Wan fellow's divine characters are truly stronger than mine!" Zhao Shiqi said indifferently, "Then I choose Hu Qiusheng. As someone from the Hu family, your divine characters shouldn't be weak, right?" Xia Chan looked neither at Su Yu nor at the student from the Divine Talisman College. Instead, she looked toward Su Meng and said calmly, "Su Meng, we're the only two girls here. How about we spar?" Su Meng was a genius from the Willpower College. She looked very gentle and refined. Hearing the invitation, she gave a light nod and smiled softly. "Sure, Sister Xia Chan. I've wanted to spar with you for a while now." Su Yu and Zhang Hao exchanged a glance, both feeling rather indifferent. Everyone else had made their choices, leaving them with no other options, so neither minded testing their strength against the other. *The Divine Talisman College...* Su Yu murmured inwardly. On his second day after enrolling, he had already sensed something unique about that college. The divine talismans demonstrated by the researcher that day had been remarkably powerful. However... this was not an actual physical fight, but a battle within the secret realm. His opponent would not be able to use divine talismans, right? Then again, Zhang Hao had won his previous matches with great ease. Was this guy exceptionally strong? Seeing that they had chosen their own opponents, Liu Hong did not object. He smiled. "Since you have no objections, we'll divide it this way. The winners will advance to the top four! The top four will fight again to determine the top two, and finally, the champion will be decided! Third and fourth place can also have another match to settle the ranking!" With that, he looked toward Su Yu. "Su Yu, you and Xia Chan better not lose. Normally, the top three spots are swept by our Divine Character College. If you lose... don't blame me for punishing you!" "..." Su Yu's face darkened. *Do you have any shame saying that?* Beside him, Xia Chan acted as if she had heard nothing. Liu Hong was truly devoid of class, and she could not even be bothered to acknowledge him. Su Yu ignored him as well, turning to Zhang Hao and giving a slight nod. Zhang Hao smiled and nodded back. As for Liu Hong's words, brushing them aside was the best approach. Both were geniuses, and neither cared to stir up conflict over an outsider's remarks; it was merely a sparring match. Quite a few researchers rolled their eyes at Liu Hong. This guy... always felt excessively petty and utterly shameless. Only Wu Qi cast a glance at Liu Hong and cursed under her breath. *Playing dumb again!* *You're already at the Tengkong Realm and nearing the Lingyun Realm, so who are you putting on this act for?* *No matter how much you pretend, it doesn't change the fact that you're a sinister, petty scoundrel!*