Tied for Second

There were only four matches in the fourth round. The first match was between Zheng Yunhui and Wan Mingze. Even though the match couldn't be seen from the outside, Su Yu's interest was piqued. He had fought Zheng Yunhui before and had a general idea of his strength. Zheng Yunhui’s willpower was solid, and his divine characters were decent, but strictly speaking, he hadn't felt as formidable as Zheng Hong. Su Yu was curious to see how Wan Mingze measured up against him. As soon as their willpower sank into the realm, two colors surged furiously across the sphere! Wan Mingze was white, while Zheng Yunhui was blue. The white and blue churned violently. Outside, Zheng Yunhui looked grim, continuously channeling his willpower with an ugly expression. Wan Mingze remained composed! This immediately tipped off Su Yu and the others that something was amiss—Zheng Yunhui seemed to be outmatched! The two colors clashed for about five minutes. Then, the blue representing Zheng Yunhui receded in an instant. Zheng Yunhui snapped his eyes open and glared at Wan Mingze, his expression solemn. "Wan Mingze... good! I lose! I'll settle this with you on the Top 100 Rankings. I can afford to lose, but losing on divine characters... what kind of skill is relying purely on willpower?" "..." Everyone was speechless! Many researchers rubbed their temples in exasperation. *Young man, this is the Civilization Academy!* *This isn't your Zheng family full of warmongers!* *What we specialize in is divine characters and willpower!* This kid claimed he could afford to lose, but clearly he couldn't, believing that divine characters alone didn't represent his full strength. Wan Mingze smiled gently. "The Top 100 Rankings... Yunhui, there are many experts on the rankings. Wouldn't it be better to lay a firmer foundation for a while longer?" "Tch!" Zheng Yunhui sneered disdainfully. "Only by striving for the top and seeing the gap can you improve! Keep acting like a tortoise, and you'll turn into one sooner or later! Even in defeat, I know where the gap lies, and I'll catch up in no time!" Wan Mingze smiled without answering. You walk your path, and I'll walk mine. We don't necessarily have to take the same road. Beside them, Zhao Shiqi let out a soft breath and said quietly, "It seems civilization clans really are quite formidable. Hu Qiusheng, let me see what the Hu family has to offer as well!" Zhao Shiqi was the son of a Longwu Guards vice commander. An inheritor of the warrior's path! Among the monstrous geniuses of this generation, both he and Zheng Yunhui were considered outsiders whose families were not renowned for the civilization path. Hu Qiusheng smiled faintly... Su Yu noticed something: the heirs of these civilization clans all loved to smile! By contrast, those from warrior backgrounds, like Zhao Shiqi, rarely smiled and seldom greeted others with pleasant faces. The two stepped into the secret realm. The second match began! Once again, two colors swirled, locked in a dead heat. Hu Qiusheng and Zhao Shiqi were both solemn, sweat dripping from their foreheads. This bout lasted a very long time. As it neared the ten-minute mark, Zhao Shiqi staggered, nearly losing his balance. His willpower withdrew, and he opened his eyes, pale-faced. Panting for a moment, he said, "Looks like... those of us from warrior families are still lacking a bit. But we'll catch up! Hu Qiusheng, will you challenge the Top 100 Rankings next month?" Beside them, Zheng Yunhui, still catching his breath, said crossly, "Let's all push together! I think our batch can easily sweep the bottom ten spots! We should just take them all over so those mediocre fools stop hogging the positions and embarrassing themselves!" "..." Several teachers present were rendered speechless. Those words were offensive! Some of the people in the bottom ten were their students. Wu Qi, for instance, had a student among them. Hu Qiusheng and the others merely smiled without responding, in no rush. Zheng Yunhui turned to Su Yu and said casually, "Su Yu, you're already at the Qianjun sixth layer, plus with Wanshi blood essence and Tier 2 divine characters, why don't you push with me?" "..." At those words, murmurs of shock rippled through the crowd! Qianjun sixth layer? Not far away, Wu Lan looked dazed. Wasn't he at the Qianjun third layer? How did he suddenly reach the sixth layer? Su Yu glanced at him and said flatly, "Yunhui, didn't you get enough sleep? Talking in your dreams?" Zheng Yunhui scoffed. "What are you scared of? Afraid someone will target you once your strength is exposed? Just fight your way up and let everyone know that even though you lost to me, you can still beat them without a problem!" Su Yu stared at him for a moment. This guy was no fool! Why drag him into this out of nowhere? Of course, quite a few people knew about his private duel with Zheng Yunhui, but everyone pretended not to. Why was this guy suddenly blowing the whistle and dragging him into the water? Many onlookers stared at Su Yu in disbelief. A few researchers even thought of probing Su Yu with their willpower, though they refrained out of propriety. Liu Hong, on the other hand, was unfazed; he had already guessed Su Yu had reached the Qianjun sixth layer. It was hardly surprising! Seeing Su Yu remain silent, Zheng Yunhui said impatiently, "Go ahead and play the turtle, then! There's a massive opportunity coming up in a little over two years. You might not be in a rush, but I am, and I want to fight for it! Otherwise, am I supposed to wait another twelve years?" At this, both Liu Hong and Wu Qi glanced at him simultaneously! What massive ambition! In a little over two years, there indeed would be an immense opportunity, but that was something they were competing for as well! To think Zheng Yunhui was aiming for that! Among the group, Su Yu was probably the only one who knew little about it; the others all had some inkling. Zheng Yunhui continued, "It's best to reach Tengkong within a year, and then hit the Tengkong seventh layer the year after, so we have a shot at that quota! The resources from the Top 100 Rankings are trivial; constantly fighting those who are close to Tengkong is the real chance to hone ourselves!" "Do you think you can become an unmatched powerhouse in your rank and suppress the past few generations just by shutting yourself away?" He pointed toward Liu Hong and the others, turning to Su Yu and the rest. "These people are our biggest rivals for that quota! Right now, they sit up high, looking down on us like our matches are child's play! If you can't even get on the Top 100 Rankings, you don't even qualify to be taken seriously by them!" Zheng Yunhui declared loudly, "What's there to fear? Isn't it just a matter of fighting? I don't believe they're stronger than me. If anything, they're just a few years older!" "..." Su Yu looked at him speechlessly. *Are you insane?* *You're practically begging for a beating!* Couldn't he see Liu Hong smiling? Smiling so brilliantly, in fact! Liu Hong chuckled and said, "Ambitious. Well, the match isn't over yet. Challenging the Top 100 Rankings is your own business, so let's not ramble on. Su Yu, Xia Chan, which of you will go first?" Su Yu glanced at Xia Chan and said, "I'll go first!" It was better to let the two female students take the later slot. Zhang Hao nodded and looked at Su Yu, his eyes showing a trace of curiosity. "Su Yu, are you really at the physical Qianjun sixth layer?" Su Yu smiled and said, "Zheng Yunhui wants to challenge the Top 100 Rankings himself, so why drag me into it? I'm not at the Qianjun sixth layer. I, Su Yu, never lie. Don't listen to his nonsense!" Zheng Yunhui looked at him strangely! *This guy... denying it in front of so many people... could it be true?* *Not the sixth layer...* *Not...* Zheng Yunhui's gaze grew even more suspicious. What did that mean? Was he at the fifth layer, or... stronger than the sixth? Damn it, he really couldn't read this kid! As for dragging Su Yu into the mess, it was naturally to share the heat. Su Yu was the ideal scapegoat. Zheng Yunhui planned to challenge the Top 100 Rankings next, and a freshman attempting that would face tremendous resistance; everyone would target him. He might even get thrashed by senior students with higher ranks! But if he brought Su Yu along, that wouldn't be an issue. Everyone would go watch the show! Waiting to see Su Yu get beaten up instead! ... Saying no more, Su Yu cursed inwardly! *Zheng, just you wait!* *This bastard has no sense of gratitude. Forgetting how I helped him earn tens of thousands of merit points last time, he turns around and throws me out to draw the fire. What a piece of work!* *Next time I face you, I'll beat you black and blue!* ... Inside the Secret Text Realm. The figures of Su Yu and Zhang Hao materialized. "Blast!" Just as Su Yu conjured an illusion, a loud boom shattered it completely! Zhang Hao had a smile on his face! Looking at Su Yu, whose willpower form had appeared, he didn't seem surprised at all. With a grin, the divine character "Blast" flew toward Su Yu once more. Su Yu didn't hold back this time either, unleashing his divine character battle technique! Five divine characters combined their strength, cleaving forward through the air in the shape of a blade! *Boom!* Another explosion rocked the area. Su Yu furrowed his brows and shattered the burst of radiant energy. "What kind of divine character is that..." Su Yu was startled. He felt like the divine character had already blown up, so why was there another? Just as the thought crossed his mind, countless "Blast" divine characters manifested in midair! *Rumble!* Su Yu felt his scalp tingle. What was this? Divine talismans? Damn it, what kind of freak was his opponent? Using divine characters as disposable talismans? Opposite him, Zhang Hao truly displayed what made a divine talisman master formidable. He didn't even get close to Su Yu. Every time Su Yu moved in for the kill, countless "Blast" characters detonated! The void trembled! Subjected to continuous shockwaves, Su Yu's form wobbled, and he gritted his teeth in irritation! The long blade flew out! Lightning erupted! Yet Zhang Hao only had one trick: explode! Just blast everything to pieces! Midway through its flight, the long blade was destabilized by the countless detonating "Blast" characters, forcing Su Yu to recall the battle technique. Frustrated and stifled, Su Yu suddenly altered his technique, morphing the weapon into a suit of armor that draped over his body, and sat down cross-legged on the ground without moving! A tortoise shell! *Fine, I'll admit you're tough. Aren't we just competing in endurance now?* *I refuse to believe your explosions can kill me!* *Don't those blasts consume your willpower too?* ... Across from him, Zhang Hao's eyes flickered, and he let out a chuckle. It was a good countermeasure! Unfortunately, could Su Yu really outlast him? He had watched Su Yu's duel with Zheng Hong and knew Su Yu had staying power, but could he outlast a talisman master? What was a divine talisman master? Someone who constantly crafted single-use divine characters, sealed them, and deployed them as battle techniques. Without strong, profound willpower, it was impossible to produce so many talismans in the first place. Scores of "Blast" characters orbited around Su Yu, detonating continuously. ... Outside. Gold held its ground while red pressed the assault. The two had descended into a war of attrition. Both poured their willpower into the secret realm in a steady stream, proving that both possessed profound reserves. One minute, two minutes... Time ticked away. The onlookers watched in silence. These monstrous geniuses truly were exceptional; an ordinary Yangxing Realm student would have been drained after three to five minutes. Yet these two held on, especially Su Yu! The middle-aged man from the Forging faction grew increasingly surprised the longer he watched! *He can endure this much?* Right then, Su Yu's body trembled slightly. Many felt a pang of regret. Was he about to lose? Just as the thought emerged, Su Yu let out a low grunt! A reaction occurred in his physical body! The willpower that was about to run dry suddenly surged back, as if granted a new lease on life! A steady stream poured out! Inside his sea of will, Su Yu's nearly exhausted willpower was rapidly replenished with new reserves. ... Total turtle defense! Inside the Secret Text Realm. Su Yu sat cross-legged in the center, as steady as a mountain, letting the disposable explosive characters detonate around him. On the perimeter, Zhang Hao's figure had turned somewhat translucent. He stared at Su Yu, full of suspicion and doubt. What was going on? He still hadn't blown him out? Su Yu ignored him, focusing entirely on defense as his willpower continuously replenished. In terms of recovery, he was far faster than Zhang Hao. First, he frequently depleted his reserves, so his recovery was conditioned to be swift. Second, the golden album possessed the ability to boost his recovery speed. Third, the Annihilation Beast skull also accelerated his recovery. Furthermore, his willpower was originally slightly weaker, but by focusing purely on defense, his expenditure was far lower than Zhang Hao's, meaning his recovery actually outpaced the other's. Both knew that almost ten minutes had passed. According to the previous rules, whoever occupied more territory when the ten-minute mark hit would be declared the winner. Though they couldn't see the outside world, Su Yu and Zhang Hao both understood that when the time came, whoever had more willpower remaining would claim more territory. Zhang Hao frowned slightly. He had expended a great deal of willpower. Su Yu was far more resilient than he had imagined. After a moment's thought, Zhang Hao waved his hand, dispelling all the explosive divine characters, and calm returned to the realm. Su Yu looked at him, and he looked back at Su Yu. Zhang Hao smiled, then ignored him and sat down cross-legged as well, seemingly recovering his willpower. Let's see who wins! A line of characters appeared in the air: *Seeking the Secluded in Mountains and Seas Scroll!* The outcome was still undecided. Didn't Su Yu want the scroll? If he was ruled the loser later, he wouldn't get it. Su Yu frowned slightly. A moment later, a line of characters appeared on his side: *I'm about to unleash my ultimate move. If your willpower is damaged, don't blame me!* Zhang Hao grew uncertain. An ultimate move? This guy hadn't exhausted his hidden cards yet? What kind of move? Even his rudimentary divine character battle technique was already out. What else could he have? ... Outside. A portion of Su Yu's willpower suddenly withdrew, and the gold on the sphere receded by more than half in an instant. The students widened their eyes in surprise! Did Su Yu lose? With most of his willpower pulled back, Su Yu regained awareness of his physical body and abruptly bit down on a drop of blood essence in his mouth! The aura of the blood essence flashed and vanished in an instant! Several researchers turned their heads toward Su Yu. In the next breath, they saw the gold representing his willpower surge forward once more, reclaiming half the sphere. "Blood essence?" Someone said in surprise, "What is he doing?" This wasn't a physical battle! Blood essence shouldn't help with willpower, right? "Innate blood essence!" Liu Hong muttered in a low voice, "What kind of blood essence? An innate blood essence suited for willpower combat?" At these words, many expressions shifted to astonishment! Was there an innate blood essence that affected willpower? If so, it would be a priceless treasure for civilization masters. Previous innate blood essences, like those of the Fire Swine or Ironwing Bird, provided physical innate skills. Had the Wen Tan Research Center actually developed one for willpower? "There are races with innate skills related to willpower. For instance, the Fire Crow clan can spit flames that scorch the sea of will!" "The Heavenly Eye God Race's Three-Eyed Rainbow Light can also shatter the sea of will!" "The White Civet clan's charm ability can bewilder willpower as well..." The researchers chimed in one after another, listing several races with willpower-related innate talents. "Elder Hong captured quite a few of those monsters back then. Did he actually make a breakthrough?" They were both astonished and intrigued. As for what blood essence Su Yu had actually consumed, its aura had vanished so quickly that they couldn't identify it. At that moment, however, Jia Mingzhen and a few others caught the scent. "Soul-Devouring Insect blood essence... at the Qianjun Realm!" Jia Mingzhen quickly determined its origin, then shook his head with regret. "Qianjun Realm... It seems that even if there were results, they're very weak. Otherwise, Su Yu wouldn't be using Qianjun Realm blood essence." "The Soul-Devouring Insect's innate skill does corrode willpower, but they rely on swarm tactics. Using a single drop of blood essence, even with an innate skill, will likely have limited effect." Even so, Jia Mingzhen marveled, "Hong Tan really does have some talent to have researched this! Not even the Quest Realm has produced results regarding willpower-based innate skills, right?" "What on earth did that fellow go to the All-Heavens Battlefield for anyway?" "I heard a new race with very few numbers appeared there, possibly from a realm newly connected to the battlefield. Someone ran into them and found they possess a unique ability—they seem to be able to devour divine characters..." At this, Jia Mingzhen felt a stir of interest. "A race that devours divine characters down to the root? Even I'm somewhat tempted. If one were captured and studied, it might yield a powerful devouring divine character..." "Is that real? I heard about it too, but I thought it appeared around the Dashang Prefecture's territory, and it was their people who encountered it. How did the news leak out?" "Who knows? Knowing Hong Tan, since he went there, he won't leave easily unless he finds and captures one." As they chatted, the only female elder suddenly spoke up: "Do you think... it's possible someone deliberately leaked the news to lure Hong Tan away?" "Hm?" "Everyone knows Hong Tan has spent years researching all sorts of bizarre races from the myriad races and requires their blood essence—the rarer, the better. Others might not be tempted and would avoid the trouble, but Hong Tan isn't afraid of trouble. Once he got wind of it, there's no way he wouldn't go!" "But I heard that brat Bai Feng was the one who brought it up and urged him to leave..." "You can't look at it that way. Once the news spread, Hong Tan would have found out sooner or later even without Bai Feng. With his temperament, he'd go as soon as he heard. Do you think this could be the work of the Single Divine Character Faction?" The others grew pensive and dropped the subject. It was entirely possible! Bai Feng had some cunning, but he was stubborn and blunt at times. Once the news reached his ears, Hong Tan finding out was only a matter of time. Bai Feng wouldn't dig deep into why he had obtained information that even the elders weren't clear on. As for Hong Tan... he was very similar to his disciple. Combined with his formidable strength, it wasn't surprising that he hadn't looked into it too closely. While they were talking, the colors on the sphere shifted. The two forces vied for dominance, but the red began steadily receding. A look of agony appeared on Zhang Hao's face! His willpower was being corroded! The elders instantly turned their gazes to Su Yu, astonished. *He really can unleash a willpower innate skill?* ... Meanwhile, inside the Secret Text Realm. Su Yu's divine characters flared, lightning crackling in all directions, now accompanied by a wisp of black mist. The moment Zhang Hao's explosive characters touched the mist, signs of corrosion appeared. The black mist spread! It even crept directly toward his willpower form. Grimacing in pain, Zhang Hao retreated repeatedly, feeling an urge to curse! What was this? Where did this black mist come from all of a sudden? It didn't feel like a divine character! After stalemating with Su Yu for a brief moment, he realized the black mist was actively scorching and corroding his willpower. A look of helplessness crossed his face. *Damn bastard, what is this stuff?* Winning like this wouldn't be worth it! If a portion of his willpower was corroded, he would have to expend immense effort to repair it. If it ate into his divine character, the loss would be catastrophic—no first-place prize could make up for that! The next instant, Zhang Hao raised his hand to signal his surrender. *We can talk once we're outside!* Zhang Hao projected a line of words, looking at Su Yu. Su Yu nodded slightly, also breathing a sigh of relief. A moment later, Zhang Hao withdrew from the Secret Text Realm. ... Su Yu and Zhang Hao opened their eyes simultaneously. Zhang Hao was grimacing in pain, his composure gone, visibly aching and distressed. A few black specks had actually appeared on his sole divine character. Damn it, if they had fought any longer, that character would have been partially corroded. What kind of monstrosity was that? He glanced at Su Yu, who wore an apologetic look and said, "My apologies, Brother Zhang. I wanted to win too. I have to retrieve my grandmaster's item." Zhang Hao sighed helplessly. "It's fine. Winning was your own ability. Even without that trick, it's hard to say who would have won." He added, "If there's an opportunity later, let's talk more. I'm quite interested in whatever that was." Su Yu smiled and nodded. "Certainly!" As for the innate blood essence, if he didn't have any, he didn't have any; he could just make up an excuse that his teacher forbade sharing it. No big deal. Neither lingered on stage, quickly stepping down. Xia Chan and Su Meng both watched them, their eyes fixed on Su Yu with solemn expressions. Having eliminated Zheng Hong and Zhang Hao in succession, Su Yu was growing increasingly unfathomable. ... As soon as Su Yu stepped down, Xia Huyou rushed over, looking excited, and whispered, "Soul-Devouring Insect blood essence? Innate blood essence? Sell me a few drops! One hundred merit points each—no, how about two hundred?" "Not for sale!" "Don't be like that, brother! I gathered the materials for you! This was definitely made by Teacher Bai, not old stock, so you must have more..." Su Yu replied calmly, "Not for sale. It's unstable and doesn't last long. It's experimental." "Then sell me a few drops of Ironwing Bird innate blood essence?" "Not for sale!" Su Yu frowned. "Grandmaster hasn't returned, so nothing is for sale. Don't even think about it!" Su Yu felt a bit helpless himself. He would have to ask his teacher when he got back if they could produce a bit of real innate blood essence; fake ones wouldn't do. The research center should have some, but apparently only at the Qianjun Realm, which didn't matter much. Ignoring Xia Huyou, Su Yu turned to watch the two female students on stage. Their match was drawing far more attention! A huge crowd had gathered around. Xia Huyou kept staring toward Su Meng, clicking his tongue in appreciation. Su Yu pricked up his ears and heard him whispering to another wide-eyed male student, "Su Meng has got quite a figure! My sister doesn't have much to show—unless she gets hit harder and starts sweating through her clothes, then it might stand out!" "Your sister isn't bad either..." *Smack!* The moment the boy finished, Xia Huyou slapped him and whispered, "Are you suicidal? Her grandfather is *that* person... Believe it or not, I'll file a report on you and your family will be bankrupt by tomorrow!" "Don't, Brother Xia! I was just saying! Please don't, my mistake! Let's watch Su Meng, watch Su Meng!" The boy looked terrified! Marquis Xia! He had nearly forgotten that person could truly bankrupt his family in an instant. Su Yu was speechless. These two... He had nothing to say! Ignoring them, Su Yu sat cross-legged to quickly recover his willpower. Wan Mingze and Hu Qiusheng were doing the same. Seeing Su Yu sitting to recover, Wan Mingze opened his eyes and said, "Su Yu, first or second place doesn't matter much to us. If either of us takes first, how about trading a drop of that innate blood essence for the *Seeking the Secluded in Mountains and Seas Scroll*?" Su Yu felt a twinge of regret! It seemed he had stirred up some trouble! The Soul-Devouring Insect's innate blood essence appeared to be far more precious than the Ironwing Bird's, even if it was only at the Qianjun Realm. In the academy, everyone cultivated willpower, so they placed far higher value on things related to it. When he had revealed the Ironwing Bird blood essence earlier, even at the Wanshi Realm, few had cared. But now... it had immediately drawn the attention of Xia Huyou, Wan Mingze, and even the teachers. He had caused himself a headache! Su Yu sighed inwardly. He hadn't expected this, assuming it would be like before. It seemed he had been too short-sighted, and he would need to reflect carefully after this! With that in mind, Su Yu smiled and said, "That won't do. Please don't put me on the spot, unless my teacher agrees! But Grandmaster Hong hasn't returned, so my teacher almost certainly won't allow it! This was purely experimental, and I only had that single drop on me." The others looked at him with knowing smiles. *Just one drop?* Su Yu changed the subject. "Who do you think will win between Xia Chan and Su Meng?" "Xia Chan, probably!" Wan Mingze didn't dwell on the matter and said, "Su Meng's willpower is slightly stronger than Xia Chan's, but she walks the single character path and only has one divine character. Xia Chan has at least three, and at least one of them is Tier 2!" He looked at Su Yu and added, "Even if she wins, though, it will be a pyrrhic victory. To be honest, this format isn't entirely fair. Everyone expends a lot of energy, and those who face tougher opponents burn through even more. The four of us facing each other later won't be entirely fair either." Hu Qiusheng chimed in, "You fought Zheng Hong and Zhang Hao back-to-back, expending more than us. Winning against you wouldn't be much to boast about. Zheng Yunhui had a point about one thing: if you truly want to prove yourself, show your might on the Top 100 Rankings!" Hu Qiusheng murmured, "We originally intended to wait, but after his speech... perhaps we'll challenge the Top 100 Rankings ahead of schedule next month too!" He looked at Su Yu. "Is your physical body really at the Qianjun sixth layer? If so, paired with Wanshi innate blood essence, you actually have a shot at making the rankings." Su Yu smiled. "We'll see. I still have areas to work on. Gentlemen, how about we strike a deal? If I don't win the *Seeking the Secluded in Mountains and Seas Scroll*, you two have the highest chance of taking it. Could you sell it to me?" Hu Qiusheng chuckled. "Underestimating Xia Chan? Careful she doesn't come looking for trouble." Su Yu smiled too. "She's in the last match and will expend a massive amount of energy. Even if she wins, I doubt she'll have time to recover. You two, on the other hand, have already recovered quite a bit." Both laughed. Wan Mingze said, "Fair enough! Honestly, having it is useless to us; even if we take it, it's just a decorative ornament. We can skip the innate blood essence since you won't sell it. How about this: if either of us gets it... you have an unused entry into a secret realm, right? How about trading that chance for it?" "Hm?" Su Yu paused. Indeed, he still had one entry left—an entry into the "Demon Battle Field." Formed by a Demon Race character for "Battle," it had been left behind by the Third Head. Su Yu frowned. "It can be transferred?" "Yes!" Wan Mingze smiled. "It's actually not expensive to enter, just two hundred merit points a visit. But... unless it's gifted by the academy, it requires a merit rank of two hundred cumulative merit points, which we don't have yet." Su Yu looked at him and said slowly, "How about buying it with merit points?" "We're not short on merit points." Wan Mingze smiled. "If you want this item back, it's either innate blood essence or... that secret realm entry! As for two hundred cumulative merit points, you're almost there anyway. I've checked your profile; you have plenty accumulated." Su Yu frowned slightly. Wan Mingze chuckled. "Don't mind it, I won't lie to you—we're definitely not the only ones in the academy who've checked your profile!" "What is the Demon Battle Field used for?" "Combat, slaughter, honing yourself!" Wan Mingze said calmly, "We have experienced too little bloodshed. Our strength is insufficient, yet we cannot go to the All-Heavens Battlefield, nor even the sea regions. The Demon Battle Field is the most suitable place for us to gain real combat experience." Real combat... Su Yu pondered for a moment and nodded. "Fine. If either of you wins it, we'll trade!" As for whether he could win it himself, he would still strive for it; this was merely a safety net. As they were talking, a muffled grunt sounded, drawing their attention to the center. Xia Chan and Su Meng were both pale. Blood trickled from the corner of Su Meng's mouth, while Xia Chan was drenched in sweat, leaving puddles on the ground. Xia Chan had won! It hadn't been an easy victory. Judging by her state, she was utterly drained, making it doubtful whether she could even compete in the next round. Sure enough, after defeating Su Meng, Xia Chan didn't waste words, stating flatly, "I won't be participating in the remaining matches!" She knew her condition was dire; her divine characters had nearly been shattered by Su Meng, and she had only scraped by with a narrow win. Continuing would just be asking for abuse, which was pointless. Hearing this, Liu Hong smiled and said, "So the top three are decided? Wan Mingze, Hu Qiusheng, Su Yu..." Before he could finish, Xia Huyou let out a tragic wail! Everyone turned to look at him. He gave a forced laugh and looked at Xia Chan with a pained, miserable expression! *You're ruining your brother!* *Why couldn't you make the top three?* *So many people bet you wouldn't make the top three, but as your brother, I believed in you! You actually conceded? It's over, I'm going to lose hundreds of merit points again!* Xia Chan seemed to know what he was up to, snorting coldly and turning her face away. Embarrassing! Served him right! ... Liu Hong couldn't be bothered with Xia Huyou and looked at the remaining three with a smile. "What do you say? A round-robin, or some other format? Or one person gets a bye, or..." Before he could finish, Hu Qiusheng smiled and said, "Forget it, I won't fight for first. I'm no match for Wan Mingze. Let Su Yu and Wan Mingze give it a shot. If Su Yu wins, he takes first; if he loses... second and third make no difference, they're all the same." Su Yu looked at Wan Mingze, who chuckled. "Qiusheng is praising me to death!" Turning to Su Yu, he smiled. "Since he's bowing out and I'd like this opportunity, shall we try?" Su Yu looked back at Hu Qiusheng, who smiled and said softly, "Don't look at me, I'm not trying to watch a show. I truly am no match for him. We've sparred privately several times, and I lost every one. Otherwise... I'm not someone who concedes easily." He had indeed fought Wan Mingze before, losing every time. Su Yu frowned, his expression turning solemn. *He's that strong?* Hu Qiusheng was no weakling. Su Yu was fairly certain Zheng Yunhui was most likely not his match. Having just defeated Zhao Shiqi, Hu Qiusheng's strength was probably greater than Zheng Hong's, yet he had conceded without even trying! Wan Mingze... of the Wan family! "Then let me try!" Su Yu said no more. Regardless, he wanted to test the waters. Even if he was outmatched, he wanted to see where the gap lay! The two stood up and walked over to the sphere. ... White and gold intertwined. Inside the Secret Text Realm. Their figures appeared simultaneously. Wan Mingze smiled and gestured for Su Yu to make the first move. Su Yu didn't hold back. Looking grim, his divine character blade materialized instantly, erupting with killing intent and thunderous lightning! Accompanied by an illusion and even a shadow barrier! It was an all-out strike, devoid of any probing intent! Without any visible movement from Wan Mingze as the blade descended, he maintained his smile, seemingly unaffected by the illusion, and reached out to grasp the blade! He caught it bare-handed! As the lightning crashed down violently, a halo of light appeared around Wan Mingze's body! Su Yu felt a tremor of shock—a Tier 2 divine character! And not a newly advanced one either! "Solidify?" Su Yu struggled to decipher it, and just as he caught a glimpse, he suddenly felt his blade stiffen into a rigid mass! Alarmed, he frantically poured his willpower into controlling it! Yet at that exact moment, another halo flashed! "Another one!" Su Yu was shocked—yet another Tier 2 divine character! "Seal!" As this character flared, the space around Su Yu was completely locked down! "Kill!" Su Yu roared internally, killing intent surging! Right then, Wan Mingze unleashed yet another character: "Immobilize!" Su Yu cursed furiously! Damn it, how was he supposed to fight this? He felt completely pinned to the spot! *Are you from the Multiple Divine Characters Faction, or am I?* *Three divine characters, and every single one is Tier 2!* *Where is the justice in this?* That wasn't all. In the blink of an eye, the characters for "Solidify" and "Immobilize" merged together, wrapping tightly around Su Yu's divine character blade, locking it down completely! A true fusion! The two divine characters seemed to become one, locking the blade down so thoroughly that even though Su Yu had two Tier 2 divine characters of his own, he couldn't break free in the slightest! The "Seal" character also descended like a canopy, trapping Su Yu beneath it! Three auxiliary divine characters! Yet their combined effect was far more terrifying than an offensive set. Su Yu could only watch helplessly as Wan Mingze stepped closer, his willpower flaring continuously but failing to shake off the restraints. Wan Mingze smiled as he drew near. His lips moved as if speaking. Observing closely, Su Yu could faintly read his lips: *Pure luck. My offensive power isn't strong; I mainly walk the path of containment...* Su Yu felt deeply aggrieved! He cursed inwardly. *You call this not strong?* *Then what counts as strong?* The next moment, Wan Mingze proved that his offensive power truly wasn't strong! The bastard walked right up to Su Yu and began kicking him, one kick after another. Su Yu was held completely rigid, but Wan Mingze kicked as though he hadn't eaten, exerting himself so hard that even his willpower projection seemed to sweat! Su Yu felt embarrassed for him! After kicking repeatedly, a small knife suddenly materialized in Wan Mingze's hand. Looking at Su Yu apologetically, his lips moved again. *Sorry, you're too tough. It's hard to beat you to death, so I'll just carve away slowly...* With that, he took the knife and began slicing into Su Yu! Su Yu's composure shattered! He felt like this was something *he* should be doing, not this guy. Here he was, smiling, apologizing, and carving into him all at once... Damn it, what a lunatic! Su Yu felt like he was staring at a madman! No wonder Hu Qiusheng hadn't wanted to fight him! Curse it all, if he had known this guy was such a freak, he wouldn't have fought either! Su Yu cursed furiously in his mind. He could tell the guy's attack power was genuinely weak, but in this situation... who the hell could endure it? Watching himself get sliced to pieces bit by bit! Even if this wasn't his physical body, he couldn't stomach the humiliation! The next instant, Su Yu's figure vanished from the realm! Wan Mingze wore a look of regret. Too bad Su Yu wasn't there anymore, or he would have seen his lips moving: *What a pity, I barely got a few cuts in. Hu Qiusheng took over a thousand cuts without even conceding...* Evidently, their prior spar had taken place in a similar secret realm! Otherwise, in a real fight, Hu Qiusheng would have been carved to death long ago! ... The moment Su Yu opened his eyes with a dark face, he saw Hu Qiusheng's meaningful smile! *Lost, didn't you?* *Did you get carved?* *That guy is an absolute freak!* Hu Qiusheng hadn't wanted to fight Wan Mingze at all. Although Wan Mingze had no lethal divine characters, those few auxiliary ones pinned a person down so thoroughly that Hu Qiusheng wouldn't want to experience it again for his life! Three Tier 2 characters, all focused on sealing and immobilizing—unless you reached Tengkong, breaking free was near impossible. Of course, in a true battle with physical strength brought to bear, there was still hope of breaking out. Su Yu looked dejected, feeling helpless and disappointed. After defeating Zheng Hong and Zhang Hao in succession, and with Hu Qiusheng and Xia Chan conceding, he would be lying if he said he hadn't harbored ambitions for first place. Yet reality proved that his willpower truly wasn't strong enough! His divine characters weren't strong enough either! Against Wan Mingze, he had barely been able to put up a fight. If Wan Mingze had possessed a single powerful offensive character, he could have executed Su Yu in an instant! *Does he... really not have one?* Su Yu was skeptical! He didn't quite believe it! Perhaps... he did? Just then, Liu Hong smiled and said, "Su Yu, you lost! Do you and Hu Qiusheng want to fight for second place?" Feeling disheartened, Su Yu waved his hand. Hu Qiusheng smiled. "It doesn't matter. Let's skip the spar for now; there will be chances in the future, and everyone has expended too much energy!" "Then who takes second?" Su Yu said directly, "Count it as his win!" He didn't care about that Mind-Stabilizing Pill anyway; it was of little use to him. A divine talisman might actually suit him better. Hu Qiusheng said helplessly, "I don't really want second place either... How about we share second place? We can split the prizes ourselves. Beneath first place... what is there to fight over?" At that moment, Su Yu met his gaze, and both felt a twinge of sorrow. *Beneath first place, all are trash!* Someone had said those words before; though they hadn't heard them, they shared that very sentiment. However, Su Yu quickly rallied his spirits. It didn't matter; he still had immense room for growth. This was only the beginning! In the next breath, Su Yu's fighting spirit was ablaze once more!