The Grand Show Begins

October 6th. Once again, winds stirred across the academy. From early morning, rumors flew everywhere. "Did you hear? Su Yu came out of seclusion today, and he's going to accept challenges!" "Do you know who's challenging him? That guy Su Yu is no pushover. Just look at what happened to Huang Qifeng—second stage of the Wanshi Realm, peak of the Yangxing Realm, beaten half to death! Who still has the guts to make a move?" "Exactly! Do they have a death wish?" "Su Yu isn't some soft persimmon anyone can just squeeze!" A crowd whispered back and forth, voices hushed. Su Yu was certainly no weakling! Huang Qifeng was considered strong, wasn't he? And how did that turn out? He was still unconscious right now. With his willpower injured, he probably wouldn't recover for months. Huang Qifeng's true strength was likely around the fourth or fifth stage of the Wanshi Realm. Since Su Yu had battered him like that, anyone ranked below the top fifty of the Top 100 Rankings would almost certainly suffer the exact same fate. Those who truly had the confidence to defeat Su Yu were probably only the students in the top thirty. Nearly every student in the top thirty possessed the combat strength of the late Wanshi Realm. Of course, the Yangxing Realm was tricky to predict. If you ran into someone whose divine character countered yours, they might defeat you even if they were weaker overall. The Civilization Academy's Top 100 Rankings were not as straightforward as those in the War Academy. Some people had hard counters in their divine characters, some specialized in divine talismans, and others even belonged to the beast-taming branch. It was never easy to tell. People continued their quiet discussions. Wu Lan trailed behind her elder sister with a crestfallen expression, her face filled with dejection, entirely stripped of her former pride. "Took a hit to your pride?" Wu Qi smiled faintly. The students who saw her along the way hastily offered greetings and hurried away. It was Wu Qi, the great demon! Better steer clear first! Wu Lan muttered gloomily, "No, Sis. I'm just confused. Why on earth did I outline such a stupid divine character?" "Stupid?" Wu Qi said with a mild chuckle. "If you had actually outlined a 'Stupid' character, then you'd truly be stupid!" "Isn't this stupid enough?" Wu Lan replied in frustration. "Why did it have to be the character for 'Weak'? I wanted the character for 'Strong'!" She had no face left to see anyone! Of all the divine characters she could have outlined, she had to outline that one. It was utterly humiliating. Wu Qi sighed internally and asked indifferently, "What's its property?" "Weakening others!" "And that's stupid?" "Isn't it?" Wu Lan said unhappily. "I don't want to weaken other people! That just makes everyone else trash. I want everyone else to be formidable, and then I want to be even more formidable than them!" Wu Qi gave up on talking to her. She was afraid she would be angered to death! A 'Weak' divine character didn't mean you were weak; it was a character designed to weaken opponents and diminish their strength. How could anyone find fault with that? You might as well just never outline a divine character at all! Too exhausted to bother with her, Wu Qi walked toward the Top 100 Building. Today, there would be another show to watch. In the conflict between the Single Divine Character Faction and the Multiple Divine Characters Faction, Su Yu was a turning point, dragging the struggle into a white-hot, public brawl. Today, quite a few researchers would likely show up to watch the drama. Bai Feng had injured Hu Wensheng, Huang Qifeng had injured Wu Jia, Su Yu had injured Huang Qifeng... The clash between the two sides was growing fiercer by the day. Were it not for the constraints of academy rules, along with Bai Feng and Chen Yong keeping out of sight, this would have already escalated into a confrontation above the Tengkong Realm. For now, the Multiple Divine Characters Faction seemed to have no hope. Hong Tan was not in the academy. Could they really count on a single Su Yu to turn the heavens upside down? The Multiple Divine Characters Faction had merely taken advantage of the academy's rules to dodge a few blows, nothing more. …… The Top 100 Building. There were indeed quite a few spectators gathered. Or rather, a great many—students and teachers alike. Several instructors, researchers, and senior students were arriving in droves. After the 3rd, Su Yu had not shown his face. Not until today had news leaked that he would take on the students who had challenged him. No one knew whether today would see a repeat of what had happened on the 3rd. As the crowd gathered, several people suddenly gasped softly, "Zhan Hai is here!" Zhan Hai, the number one under the Tengkong Realm! His arrival surprised many students. The teachers were here for the spectacle, but Zhan Hai might have come to gauge Su Yu's strength. This meant Su Yu had already drawn his serious attention. "Jiang Mu is here too!" "So many people have arrived. More than half the students on the Top 100 Rankings are here! Look, isn't that Li Minyu?" As ranked students arrived one after another, the atmosphere grew increasingly heated. Several students from the top ten had come today. Normally, these individuals were elusive figures, harder to spot than researchers, yet a large group of them had gathered at once. On the periphery of the crowd, Wu Jia accompanied Chen Yong, glancing around with concern. "Teacher, is Junior Brother really going to come? I heard that some of the higher-ranked students shamelessly lowered their rankings just to fight him. The academy isn't even stopping this! What a huge loophole!" Chen Yong said helplessly, "How could they stop it? Students intentionally lowering their own rankings—this is the first time in years it has ever happened. There's no way to regulate it." The Top 100 Rankings were meant for striving to be stronger! Not for weakening oneself! Still, it was simply an unfortunate coincidence. Su Yu's ranking meant many people were ineligible to challenge him unless they intentionally dropped their own. "Then can Junior Brother win?" "I don't know." Chen Yong felt at a loss. How was he supposed to know? He had only come here because the kid had personally notified him. Recalling what Su Yu had told him the previous night, Chen Yong felt utterly helpless. If he actually went through with it... in other people's eyes, he would truly become an underhanded schemer. But I'm honestly an upright person! For so many years, I've kept to myself in Cangshu Pavilion. That rascal Su Yu is determined to ruin my reputation! Just as he was thinking this, a commotion rippled through the crowd, and a path opened up. "So handsome!" Several female students couldn't help murmuring softly. At the back of the crowd, Su Yu was clad in white as pristine as snow, a gentle smile gracing his face as he nodded in gratitude to the students who cleared the way for him. Having pulled all-nighters for several days, his complexion appeared slightly pale, yet it only made him seem all the more agreeable, radiating an air of scholarly refinement. Cultured and elegant! This was what a Civilization Master was supposed to be! "Thank you!" Su Yu thanked a female student who gave way, stepping forward with measured, unhurried strides, calm and composed. He walked straight up toward the Top 100 arena ahead! Stepping onto the stage, Su Yu looked down at the crowd below and said with a smile, "My apologies. I have only just entered the Top 100 Rankings and was unaware of the customs. These past few days, I happened to be conducting research in the lab with my teacher and lost track of everything else. "Only after leaving the lab last night did I learn that some seniors wish to challenge me. According to academy rules, I should naturally accept." Su Yu continued apologetically, "Before accepting any challenges, there is something I must make clear! The grudge here is between me and certain individuals. The rest of you are merely acting for profit, so there is no need to ruin our harmony. As long as the matches are conducted as proper, fair spars, I have no objection." Pausing, he added, "However, if some people refuse to follow the rules, attempting to curry favor with certain figures and treat me, Su Yu, as a stepping stone... then I apologize, but I show no mercy to my enemies. Think it over carefully before deciding whether to step up!" Silence fell over the audience below. A moment later, someone shouted, "Well said! Keep it up, Junior Brother Su Yu! Show them what you're made of!" Only the female students would cheer like that. They were not young anymore, nor were their prospects particularly bright, so they hardly cared whether others held a grudge against them. Not many joined in. After all, this place was still dominated by the Single Divine Character Faction, which possessed many powerful figures. Speaking up now could easily offend people. Moreover, many ranked students were present, all eyeing the rewards. The referee was once again Zhao Ming. However, today there were two referees! The other was the young man who had spoken words of dissuasion last time. Su Yu was unfamiliar with him and had forgotten to ask Chen Yong about him, but he sensed that the man bore some goodwill toward him. Zhao Ming looked at Su Yu and chuckled. "Su Yu, quite a few people have challenged you. Take your pick and choose one!" Su Yu smiled. "Teacher, if I win, do I get ten merit points?" "Of course!" "Teacher, are there any among the challengers who were previously ranked between thirty and seventy?" "Let me see..." Zhao Ming picked up the small jade talisman in his hand, glanced at it, and said with a smile, "Yes, more than one. Three in total! Wang He, previously ranked thirty-eighth, dropped to seventy-fifth over the past two days. "Hu Yu, previously ranked forty-fourth, dropped to seventy-seventh. "Huang Yun, previously ranked forty-eighth, dropped to eighty-first." All three had been ranked in the top fifty! Yet their rankings had dropped over the past two days, their purpose glaringly obvious. A faint ripple of jeers rose from beneath the stage. Several people in the crowd looked uneasy, but none spoke up. A text of will from a peak Shanhai! Since others couldn't put aside their pride, they would step up and try their luck first! None of those ranked below fifty had intentionally dropped their rankings. Doing so would have been meaningless, as they might not even be a match for Su Yu. Those in the top fifty, however, held a degree of confidence. Those ranked between thirty and fifty could generally hold their own against opponents at the fifth or sixth stage of the Wanshi Realm without issue. As for Su Yu, when he had defeated Huang Qifeng earlier, his displayed combat strength had roughly matched the fifth stage of the Wanshi Realm. He had been too fast back then, and Huang Qifeng hadn't even unleashed his full strength. Su Yu was not about to be polite. He said coolly, "Once on the arena, victory and defeat must be decided! Since these seniors have taken such a keen interest in me, I'll lay out the ugly truth first: surrender if you can't hold out, or else... don't expect me to hold back. You've pushed things right into my face, and I'm not about to let anyone walk all over me!" Zhao Ming chuckled. "That's none of my business. Su Yu, which one are you picking?" "Wang He!" Su Yu made his choice without hesitation, saying calmly, "Ranked thirty-eighth, isn't he? I'd like to see just how strong a senior of that rank is!" Of course, the man was currently seventy-fifth. Below the stage, a young man also clad in white smiled upon hearing his name. He vaulted upward, landing on the platform, and said, "Junior Brother Su Yu, don't say I'm taking advantage of you! If you were in my shoes, and a text of will from a peak Shanhai was placed right in front of you, wouldn't you take it?" Su Yu nodded slightly and smiled. "I would! Of course, talking about it is meaningless. Since you want it, show me what you've got! Now that we're on the stage, we each rely on our own abilities. Within the rules, the victor is king!" "Well said!" Wang He smiled. "You and I share no grudges, so let's treat this as a spar. I saw your match with Huang Qifeng—your strength is truly formidable!" He praised Su Yu, which made his own challenge seem less unseemly. Su Yu could not be bothered to waste words. He might overlook those who hadn't intentionally dropped rank, but those who deliberately lowered their rankings to challenge him were being far too blatant. Zhao Ming did not delay either. Once both were in position, he called out promptly, "Begin!" …… This time, Su Yu held nothing back. His cultural weapon materialized instantly. Five divine characters entered the weapon as all 153 apertures burst open, ravenously siphoning the surrounding yuanqi! Blade out! Leg swept! His speed was astonishing! *Buzz!* A whistling sound sliced through the air. Wang He hadn't reached thirty-eighth place by luck; his physical realm had already attained the fourth stage of the Wanshi Realm, and his Yangxing Realm cultivation was at its peak! His apertures snapped open one after another as a cultural longsword appeared. Illusion manifested! Shadows surged! Thunder detonated! The properties of Su Yu's divine characters erupted simultaneously. Wang He did not hold back either; his willpower and divine character flared, turning the air crimson! Flames engulfed the entire arena! A fire-attributed divine character! The illusion teetered, on the verge of collapse. The lightning was rapidly snuffed out, the killing intent incinerated, and the fighting spirit dispersed. *Bang!* Su Yu whipped a kick across, shattering Wang He's afterimage, but the man had already vanished from his spot. "A speed-type divine character!" At that moment, someone below the stage murmured. Wang He possessed more than a single divine character. He was extraordinarily fast! Even if he wasn't quite as fast as Su Yu, having prepared in advance allowed him to evade that whip kick in an instant. Su Yu's kick struck empty air, setting off a blast of yuanqi. Right then, a slender sword plummeted from the sky! Wang He hovered in midair, thrusting downward! Aiming straight for the Baihui aperture! Before the blade even arrived, a mighty surge of willpower was already bearing down, sending waves of chill straight into Su Yu's Baihui aperture! Piercing the aperture! Shattering the yuanqi! Fast! Fast as he was, Su Yu was even faster. Twisting sideways, he launched himself off the ground and took to the air! He lashed out with a kick! *Bang, bang, bang!* Wang He struck back to parry. Fist met foot, the dull thuds unending. The two cultural weapons clashed in midair. Su Yu kicked again and again, using the momentum to stay airborne. His legs whipped out in a relentless rhythm, boom after boom echoing as Wang He was forced into a continuous retreat. It shouldn't have been this one-sided, but every single kick Su Yu delivered gave Wang He a disorienting sensation of shifting space. He couldn't dodge them! Below the stage, a group of researchers watched with dazzling eyes. This was an exceptionally advanced martial technique! "A Heaven-rank martial technique!" Many of them recognized it. This was undoubtedly a Heaven-rank martial technique! Wang He's fourth stage of the Wanshi Realm was nothing to scoff at. He was a true Wanshi practitioner who had fused ten apertures into one. Though not on par with the absolute top warriors who fused twelve apertures, he was still an elite among Civilization Masters. Otherwise, he never would have fought his way to thirty-eighth place. Yet he hadn't opened as many apertures as Su Yu, his yuanqi was not as pure, and his martial technique was far inferior. In this physical exchange, Wang He gained no advantage whatsoever. Blow after blow landed as their fists and legs repeatedly collided! Fissures swiftly split open across Wang He's hands, and blood began to flow freely! Right then, Wang He noticed something wrong. His blood was draining at an astonishing, unnatural speed! What should have been minor wounds that posed little threat to him were now bleeding uncontrollably, instantly leaving him feeling faint and weakened. "Damn it!" Wang He was thoroughly alarmed. Aside from his clash with Zheng Yunhui, Su Yu had never displayed his blood-draining property, so hardly anyone knew his divine character could siphon blood. And it was a Tier-2 divine character at that! Right now, the blood was draining at a horrifying rate! Wang He felt wave after wave of weakness wash over him, while Su Yu only grew fiercer as the battle wore on. With 153 apertures siphoning the surrounding yuanqi, Wang He couldn't even match his rate of yuanqi recovery. With a heavy bang, Wang He was sent flying. Rolling across the ground, he scrambled back to his feet. He had used the momentum to break free from Su Yu's martial technique! A drop of yuanqi liquid was swiftly swallowed, and the wounds on his hands began to close, slowing the bleeding. Wang He's face had gone pale. Looking at Su Yu, who had just landed, his brow furrowed deeply. By now, his own white robes were coated in dust, while Su Yu, aside from a sheen of sweat on his forehead, remained as white as fresh snow. Wang He grew intensely vigilant! He really is troublesome! No wonder the Single Divine Character Faction had offered such a bounty. He had originally thought that even if Su Yu was formidable, he would never match him in pure physical combat. Only now did he realize that while this guy appeared to be in the Qianjun Realm, he was not weaker than any Wanshi expert! Even in the War Academy, it would be almost impossible to find a Qianjun student physically stronger than Su Yu! …… Below the stage. The students were equally stunned and shaken. Su Yu had defeated Huang Qifeng earlier, so everyone knew he was strong. But now, he was suppressing Wang He, who had been ranked thirty-eighth. That exceeded many people's expectations. Soon, a researcher noted in surprise, "His willpower is even stronger than last time. It's probably reached a seventy percent fullness level now, and it looks even more resilient than Wang He's!" The two cultural weapons were constantly clashing, yet Su Yu was not in the slightest disadvantage. On top of that, he could divert the "Blood" character to siphon blood. His willpower's fullness level and its actual potency clearly couldn't be judged by ordinary standards. And his rate of improvement was terrifying! In the blink of an eye, he had already reached seventy percent fullness. While the crowd marveled, several individuals were even more astounded. Liu Hong, Wu Qi, and others had seen Su Yu before. During the Divine Character Competition, his fullness had been under sixty percent. In the blink of an eye, it was already at seventy percent? This guy's progress was just too fast! …… In a corner. Zhao Li stood with his arms crossed, watching the show. Beside him, the Forging faction expert who had previously hosted the Divine Character Competition whispered, "Teacher, did you really pass on the Expanding Will Art to him?" "What does that have to do with you?" The middle-aged man looked helpless and said with a wry smile, "Teacher, you're not planning to take him as your successor, are you? He's from the Multiple Divine Characters Faction..." "What the hell does that have to do with you?" "..." The middle-aged man grew even more helpless and murmured, "Teacher, be careful of people holding a grudge. Many are saying right now that Su Yu learned your Expanding Will Art." Zhao Li had a decent temper around Su Yu, but before anyone else, he was foul-tempered to the extreme. He snapped furiously, "So what if he learned it? Tell Zhou Mingren to come find me himself! Tell him to try! Damn it, I don't give a damn about anything, and you think you can meddle with me? I'll forge my cultural weapons, and who dares to tell me what to do? At worst, I'll pack up my belongings and become a guest elder for the Xia family! If the Xia family tries to order me around, I'll go to the Zhu family of the Great Ming Prefecture! If that doesn't work, I'll go to the Great Zhou Prefecture! Who the hell could boss me around then?" After venting a few curses, Zhao Li showed utter disregard for the looks from those around him, sneering disdainfully, "I don't owe the academy a damn thing! Everything I've worn, used, eaten, and drunk all these years was earned by my own hands! Earned by my own ability! So what if I passed on the Expanding Will Art? I'll pass it to whoever I damn well please! Now you think you can lecture me?" With that, old Zhao turned toward the Heart Cultivation Pavilion, thrust up his middle finger, and cursed, "Damn it, if you piss me off and drive me away, you'd better return the yuanqi secret realm to me! If you don't, I'll bring an Invincible expert along to demand it back!" "..." Silence fell. Several Single Divine Character Faction experts nearby backed away one after another. A few neutral experts chimed in, "Elder Zhao, calm down. No one is blaming you. Don't lower yourself to their level." Zhao Li snorted and ignored them. I'll do whatever I damn well please! Who are you to lecture me? I don't owe you a single cent! His student stood there awkwardly, not daring to say another word. Even the Single Divine Character Faction hadn't spoken up; he had merely been worried about his teacher getting dragged into the mess. In the end... Forget it, the middle-aged man shook his head. Whatever! His teacher was free to come and go as he pleased and would be welcomed anywhere, so there was no real need to worry. Not to mention his status as a master weaponsmith, the yuanqi secret realm belonged to him. Even if he couldn't take it away right now, if he truly brought an Invincible expert to demand it back... even the King of Great Xia wouldn't have an argument. Who could stop the son of the Fourth Principal from reclaiming what belonged to his family? The yuanqi secret realm was a treasure. How many major prefectures lusted after such a thing? Su Yu's meteoric rise, apart from that booklet of his, was largely due to the yuanqi secret realm. …… On the arena, the battle continued. Few people noticed Old Zhao's outburst. Heart Cultivation Pavilion. The meeting was about to begin. Before it started, several people had cast their senses over to check on the situation, hearing Zhao Li's words and witnessing his gesture. Many turned their gazes toward Zhou Mingren. Zhou Mingren furrowed his brow slightly and said, "Whomever Zhao Li chooses to teach is his own business. It has nothing to do with me!" There was no need to provoke that old fellow. Even if Su Yu had learned the Expanding Will Art, he hadn't planned on making an issue out of it. It was purely Old Zhao's student overthinking things. In the meeting room, an old man also spoke up: "As for Zhao Li, none of you go dragging him into this for no good reason! I don't care how you fight, but if you drag Zhao Li into it, the lingering prestige of the Fourth Principal is still there—consider the consequences yourselves!" No one uttered a word. The old man added, "The Multiple Divine Characters Faction may have declined, but the lineage of the Fourth Principal hasn't! The principal of the Great Zhou Prefecture's Weapon Forging Academy is a student of the Fourth Principal. Zhao Li simply couldn't be bothered to leave his homeland. If you truly drive him away, let me tell you, bear the consequences yourselves!" The room remained silent. The Fourth Principal had indeed left behind students who were still alive, peers of Wan Tiansheng and the Fifth Principal. However, because the Great Xia Prefecture's forging branch was weak, that person had left for the Great Zhou Prefecture decades ago and had now risen to become the principal there. Zhou Mingren felt a headache coming on. After a pause, he said, "No one is picking a fight with Zhao Li. Old Qi, stop bringing up useless nonsense!" Who was fighting with Zhao Li? That foul-tempered old man was shouting curses on his own; who had provoked him? The old man addressed as Old Qi snorted before continuing, "Then let's drop it! The reason I asked the principal to convene this meeting today is related to the divine character curse..." With that, he barked, "Alright, are you going to let a student match distract you? Can't you distinguish what's important? Pull back your willpower, all of you! If you keep acting half-hearted, we won't hold the meeting, and don't call me to any meetings in the future!" Several elders looked somewhat embarrassed and withdrew their willpower one after another. Weren't they just a little curious? This fellow Old Qi was throwing a temper over nothing. At the center of the dais, Wan Tiansheng remained silent. He hadn't called today's meeting, nor could he be bothered to interfere; he was merely here to listen. Old Qi claimed to have discovered something about the divine character curse... We'll see. Even he hadn't found anything, so what could Old Qi have found? Still, it was hard to say. After all, the man was an old Shanhai practitioner of many years; perhaps he truly had stumbled upon something. A moment later, Wan Tiansheng couldn't be bothered to mind the outside situation either. He would just listen, lest Old Qi fly into a rage. They were all Shanhai experts, and angering Old Qi wouldn't do any good. …… On the arena. Su Yu and Wang He had been trading blows for another three or four minutes. Wang He grew weaker with every passing second, blood constantly leaking from his wounds. Su Yu was also panting heavily, his face slightly pale and drenched in sweat. Right at that moment—*crack!* The clash of cultural weapons finally yielded a result! The longsword snapped! *Pfft!* A mouthful of blood sprayed from Wang He's lips. Su Yu would show no mercy! He had been waiting for this exact opening! Shifting his stance, he appeared before Wang He in an instant. Wang He was terrified, but the backlash from his shattered cultural weapon wracked his willpower. Panic gripped him as he recalled Huang Qifeng's fate! There was no time to surrender! Su Yu drove his knee upward, slamming it directly into Wang He's chest! *Crack!* The sound of fracturing bones rang out! With a heavy thud, Wang He crashed off the platform, blood violently pouring from his mouth. Su Yu's expression was calm as he let out a soft breath. He recalled his cultural weapon. Having shattered a cultural longsword, its killing intent had grown even more pronounced. The "Kill" divine character thrived on slaughter. Destroying a cultural weapon was slaughter in its own right! At this moment, the small cultural blade gleamed with an even darker, colder luster. Below the stage, many faces paled. With his cultural weapon shattered, Wang He had suffered a massive loss. His willpower was damaged too; while not as severe as Huang Qifeng's, he couldn't hope to recover without a month or two of recuperation. "A semi-Mystic weapon!" Someone sighed in awe, a tinge of envy in their voice. Last time Su Yu fought Huang Qifeng, he had also shattered his opponent's cultural weapon, but that exchange had ended too quickly for anyone to notice clearly. Today, they saw it beyond any doubt. This was no Yellow-rank cultural weapon, but a semi-Mystic weapon on the verge of advancement! Many looked over toward Zhao Li. It went without saying that a cultural weapon this formidable was a hundred percent crafted by Zhao Li himself. As expected, Zhao Li was truly treating Su Yu like his personal disciple. Wang He was severely injured! At this, the expressions of the others shifted as well. The other two students who had dropped their rankings looked especially grim. Wang He had actually lost! Not only had he lost, but his cultural weapon was shattered and his willpower wounded. That damage alone likely exceeded the value of a single text of will. Far from gaining any advantage, he had suffered a catastrophic loss. A cultural weapon nurtured for several years had been destroyed just like that. He would have to purchase another and nurture it from scratch, which would delay his breakthrough to the Tengkong Realm and cost him an enormous amount of time! After catching his breath, Su Yu spoke again: "No need to look at me like that. As I said, I don't attack unless I'm attacked! Since you chose to drop your rankings to target me, don't expect me to be polite!" No one answered. Zhao Ming said with a smile, "Su Yu wins! Do you want to rest a bit before continuing?" Su Yu nodded slightly. Suddenly, someone below called out, "Su Yu, do you only dare to accept challenges from students ranked below thirty?" Su Yu looked toward the speaker! Zhao Ming cheerfully supplied an explanation: "Didn't you ask who between thirty and fifty dropped their rank? This one isn't from that group. His name is Zhai Feng..." Su Yu said calmly, "I know. Zhai Feng, ranked ninth! The disciple of Associate Dean Zhou Pingsheng, right?" Below the arena, Zhai Feng replied impassively, "I'm currently ranked seventy-second! According to the rules, I am eligible to challenge you, and you cannot refuse unless you voluntarily surrender..." Su Yu laughed. "I currently have challenges pending against me. Under the rules, I can pick and choose. And also under the rules, once I fight three matches in a single day, I can decline any further challenges. You have a problem with that?" Zhai Feng stared at him and said coolly, "Are you afraid?" "Trying to bait me?" Su Yu let out a laugh. "You've been cultivating longer than Huang Qifeng, and you're trying to provoke a student who has only been enrolled for two months? Don't you find that pathetic?" "..." Zhai Feng fell silent. Once those words were out, anything else he said would ring hollow. If Su Yu simply refused to take his challenge, what could he do? "Unless you fight three matches every day, if you still haven't accepted my challenge before the 25th, you will forfeit!" Su Yu couldn't be bothered with him and looked toward Xia Huyou in the crowd below. Xia Huyou gave a barely perceptible nod. Handled! No problem! Su Yu smiled faintly. Ignoring Zhai Feng, he suddenly called out, "Hu Yu, Huang Yun... do you two still want to challenge me? Surrender, and I'll take ten merit points to call it a day. Otherwise, unless you think you're stronger than Wang He, you're the ones who'll be leaving here gravely injured!" Below the arena, the young man and woman looked conflicted. Surrender? Surrender before even fighting? Yet thinking of how Wang He had lost, and recalling Su Yu's blistering kicks, they weren't at all confident they could walk away in one piece. Neither spoke. Su Yu was in no rush either. He spent some time recovering his yuanqi, swallowing a few drops of yuanqi liquid. After nearly half an hour, he said calmly, "Then let's continue. Hu Yu, come on up!" Hu Yu had previously been ranked forty-fourth. At this moment, he was caught in an awkward position. Should he go up? After thinking it through, he let out a breath. He had to go up! Even if he lost, he could just surrender on the stage. Surrendering without even stepping up was a humiliation he couldn't bear. The gap between him and Wang He wasn't that massive; he wasn't entirely without a chance. …… The battle erupted once more! This time, however, Su Yu completely changed his combat style. Ferocious! Truly, overwhelmingly ferocious! Just as he had done against Huang Qifeng, Su Yu didn't even draw his cultural weapon. Locking down his sea of will with willpower, all his apertures flared open the moment the fight started, and he charged straight in! Fast! His speed was explosive, his strikes were blinding, and his style was brutally aggressive. At this moment, no one saw him as a Civilization Master; he looked like a rampaging thug straight out of the War Academy! In less than a minute, cries of shock rippled through the audience! Su Yu allowed a small blade to pierce straight through his shoulder blade while his right hand clamped onto Hu Yu. Before the man could utter a surrender, Su Yu whipped a kick across. With a deafening boom, that single strike fractured more than a dozen of Hu Yu's ribs! Blood streamed down Su Yu's shoulder, staining his robes red. Yet he seemed numb to the pain. As the small blade looped back and carved another wound across his back, he simply stomped downward! *Crack!* Several of Hu Yu's ribs and sternum shattered under his heel. With another kick, Hu Yu was sent hurtling off the arena like a sack of garbage, crashing to the ground below. Su Yu reached out, casually catching the small blade that belonged to Hu Yu. He smiled, tossed it beside Hu Yu, and gently rotated his shoulder. Smiling faintly, he said, "The academy's spars are too soft. You should have sliced my arm clean off. Just piercing through is underestimating me, Su Yu!" "..." No one uttered a sound! Several female students looked on with pity. Before this, they had always thought Su Yu was gentle, but today, they had once again witnessed his brutality and ruthlessness. It had been the same against Huang Qifeng, and it was the same today. He was ruthless toward his enemies, but even more ruthless toward himself. The expressions of the ranked students turned dead serious. They had always assumed Su Yu lacked experience and had grown strong too quickly. But right now, Su Yu had shown them that when it came to ruthlessness, they weren't even close to being his match! Only those who had experienced a pierced shoulder blade knew how agonizing it truly was. Yet Su Yu acted as though nothing had happened! …… Below the stage, Zheng Yunhui curled his lip. A bunch of idiots! Su Yu was no greenhorn. The guy had plenty of blood on his hands. Zheng Yunhui had checked Su Yu's background before; even with certain files classified, he had learned enough. Before even reaching the Qianjun Realm, this guy had already slain numerous cultists from the All-Races Sect. He's an out-and-out desperado! Whoever called Su Yu a refined scholar deserved to have their head bashed in! "Huang Yun, do you surrender?" Su Yu looked down at the female student, smiling. "Today's three matches end with you. Do you surrender?" Huang Yun's expression stiffened, and she remained silent. "Then give me half an hour!" Su Yu laughed, but that smile seemed chillingly cold in Huang Yun's eyes. Clearly, Su Yu had been completely infuriated! His opponents' fates had grown more miserable with each match! Huang Yun felt the suffocating pressure and the looming danger. After a long moment, she gritted her teeth. "I surrender!" She no longer had the courage to fight Su Yu! She feared meeting the same end, suffering severe injuries at his hands—that would be far too costly. Even though Su Yu was already wounded! "Thank you, Senior Sister. Much obliged!" Su Yu remained calm. A woman? If a woman tried to take advantage of him, he would beat her until she couldn't leave her bed all the same! At a time like this, he had no room for chivalry! The intended effect of establishing his dominance had clearly been achieved, and spectacularly so. Several students were already looking at him with fear. That wasn't what Su Yu wanted. I'm a good guy, an honest person, everyone's friend! Don't look at me like that! Now that he had established dominance, it was time to distribute benefits to the crowd! The next instant, Su Yu's face broke into a broad smile, and he suddenly announced, "I know everyone's objective. Isn't it just a text of will? If you speak to me reasonably, I, Su Yu, am not an unreasonable person! "Yet you had to play petty tricks, intentionally dropping your rankings to target me. People like that... disgust me! "Teacher Zhao, I refuse all challenges from this point onward! I have already completed my three battles for the day. Now, I shall begin my non-Top-100 battles!" Below, hearts stirred. What did that mean? Su Yu projected his voice loudly: "A text of will? None of you have one? Don't worry! After today, everyone will get one! I, Su Yu, am willing to spar with all non-Tengkong students! Give me one merit point as compensation for my trouble, and I'll keep sparring with everyone. You are guaranteed to win! "Of course, as for whether you can actually collect... apologies, but I make no promises! Still, I believe a Shanhai expert wouldn't be shameless enough to renege. In the end, someone will definitely be able to collect!" Su Yu laughed heartily. "Ranked students can't challenge non-ranked students, right? That's fine! Starting today, I won't be on the rankings anymore! In a moment, I'll trouble Senior Sister Lin Qing, ranked one-hundredth, to challenge me and knock me off the Top 100 Rankings. After that, any student can challenge me!" The moment these words left his mouth, the crowd erupted! At that instant, Chen Yong's willpower suddenly flared as he bellowed, "Quiet! Line up! Register one by one in order! Hand over one merit point in exchange for a text of will! Whether you can collect it is not guaranteed, nor was it promised by us! "Jiajia, collect the fees!" Chen Yong looked at the still-dazed Wu Jia and barked, "What are you standing there for? The rest of you, line up to register! The opportunity is right here, and the chances of collecting are very high! Even if you can't get one from a Shanhai expert, any ordinary text of will is still worth over a hundred merit points! With so many of us, who are you afraid of? If they refuse to pay, we'll see them at the Yuqiang Department!" At this moment, the students stood in collective stunned silence. And at this moment, the experts of the Single Divine Character Faction turned pale with shock! "Chen Yong, you people..." Chen Yong's willpower erupted, his voice ice-cold. "What, you have a problem? Even if you do, hold it in! We didn't start this trouble—this was a promise you made yourselves! I hope you can honor it, or else... we'll just blow this up into a massive scandal!" As soon as he finished speaking, someone dashed out from the crowd and yelled, "I want to register! Just one merit point? Will Su Yu definitely surrender?" "Definitely!" On the arena, Su Yu smiled. "I love watching certain people go bankrupt! I hope everyone signs up enthusiastically!" Hearing this, the student wasted no more words and hurriedly said, "I'm not on the Top 100 Rankings. Technically, a challenge between us doesn't count..." "That person never said it had to be an official leaderboard challenge. But to keep him from dodging the debt, wait a moment. Once I drop off the Top 100 Rankings, you can challenge me. Are there any students ranked behind me who are eligible to challenge me willing to step up?" At this point, the ranked students exchanged glances. In the crowd, Zhang Hao nudged the person beside him. That person looked at Zhang Hao and whispered, "Ah Hao, this will offend..." "Is the Divine Talisman College afraid of that? Senior Brother, did Teacher tell you to be scared of the Single Divine Character Faction?" Hearing that, the person's expression shifted. Without further hesitation, he leapt up and declared, "Ranked eighty-eighth on the Top 100 Rankings, Wang Qing of the Divine Talisman College challenges you!" "I surrender!" Su Yu conceded with absolute crispness! Before the echoes even died down, Zheng Yunhui bellowed from the crowd, "Me! You dropped to eighty-eighth, so I can challenge you now! Count me in! Su Yu, hurry up and surrender!" Su Yu couldn't help laughing. "I surrender!" "Hahaha, I'm ranked eighty-eighth now!" Over on the side, Wang Qing was still dazed. Am I ranked seventy-first now? I didn't even fight! I just jumped seventeen spots? As soon as Zheng Yunhui spoke, Wu Lan hurriedly pushed Lin Qing, who was standing nearby. Lin Qing wore a stunned look and glanced at her teacher. A playful smile tugged at Wu Qi's lips, and she gave a slight nod. Lin Qing hurriedly called out, "Ranked one-hundredth, Lin Qing challenges Junior Brother Su Yu!" "I surrender!" Lin Qing was equally dazed. I'm ranked ninety-first now? That was fast! "Anyone else? I'm ranked one-hundredth now! Anyone can challenge me, and I'll drop off the rankings!" With that, Su Yu looked at the student who had just signed up and smiled. "You'll do, Senior. You're now one-hundredth on the Top 100 Rankings. I surrender!" "..." The entire venue fell dead silent! A moment later, the students looked at one another, growing excited. Should they jump in? Maybe they wouldn't get it, but... what if they did? At this moment, several experts of the Single Divine Character Faction turned pale and hurriedly rushed toward the Heart Cultivation Pavilion! Trouble was brewing! Meanwhile, a grin spread across Xia Huyou's face. The very next second, multiple voices shouted from the crowd: "Liu Bo of the Weapon Forging College challenges you!" "I surrender! Remember to pay the one merit point!" Su Yu replied with a laugh! "Wang Hao of the Divine Pill College challenges you..." "I surrender..." "..." "I surrender!" "..." One declaration of surrender followed another. At this moment, the entire academy was sent into a total frenzy! Wu Jia began collecting the fees, completely bewildered. How did it come to this? Wasn't Junior Brother here to fight? He had just won with great difficulty, so why had things suddenly turned out like this? Junior Brother... had dropped off the Top 100 Rankings! And here she was, collecting money? One point, two points... People kept coming to pay, more and more by the second. The law does not punish the crowd! At first, quite a few had been hesitant, but as more and more joined in, the students grew flushed with excitement. What was there to fear? Fear a ghost! At worst, Principal Zhou would renege on the debt. It wasn't a huge expense anyway. If it had been ten points, people might hesitate, but one point... if it was gone, it was gone! If he actually paid out, that was a text of will from a Shanhai expert! With an event of this magnitude unfolding, could anyone still call themselves a person if they didn't take part? Wu Jia was completely numb. She glanced at her merit card—the number had already soared past a thousand points! Wu Jia was almost moved to tears! She had never seen so much money in her life. Today, she was actually looking at over a thousand merit points, with countless people lining up just to hand her their money!