A Formidable Su Yu!

Early in the morning, few people walked the grounds of the academy, and the air was fresh. Strolling along the tree-shaded avenue, however, Su Yu was in no mood to enjoy it. His spirits were rather foul. He wondered what Wan Tiansheng was thinking. The conflict between the factions had escalated to this degree—it was no longer a simple matter of competition, but one touching upon life and death. As the academy head, could Wan Tiansheng truly turn a blind eye to it all? Did he only keep watch over his own tiny patch of turf, letting everyone run wild once they stepped outside the academy grounds? Even when outsiders got involved, did Wan Tiansheng still intend to ignore it? If this went on, how much prestige would the Great Xia Civilization Academy have left? Su Yu wondered what he would do if he were in Wan Tiansheng's position. After thinking about it for a long time, he sighed inwardly. Perhaps a difference in status bred an entirely different perspective. In the Great Xia Civilization Academy, Wan Tiansheng was the hardest person to read. People had always called him the leader of the Civilization Masters of the entire Great Xia Prefecture, not just the head of the academy. Yet now, there was hardly any leaderly majesty to be seen from him. Was it because of his strength? Had he not reached the Sun-Moon Realm? Lost in these thoughts, Su Yu arrived outside the Cangshu Pavilion once more. Here, students and researchers bustled back and forth. Some greeted Su Yu warmly upon seeing him, while others watched him with cold hostility. Su Yu paid the cold glares no mind. To those who greeted him, he returned their smiles and answered each one. He was not a merit point; he could not expect everyone to love him. The best strategy was to win over the majority and isolate the minority. Make your enemies fear you, make your friends like you, and keep the neutral parties from siding with your enemies. This was something he had learned from Chen Hao's father. When Chen Qinghe served as deputy director of the Traffic Supervision Office, he had not been the only deputy director. One of his peers had bitterly opposed him at every turn. Instead of brawling openly, Chen Qinghe had quietly won over all the other deputy directors, treated the subordinates kindly, demonstrated his capability to his superiors, and displayed goodwill to his colleagues—while relentlessly directing his pressure at that one obstinate rival. When two people clashed, everyone else declared the rival to be thoroughly vile. Gossip wielded immense power, and even when Chen Qinghe was technically in the wrong, it ultimately became the other person's fault. In the end, that rival could no longer bear being ostracized by the entire office and resigned in fury. Thus, within the academy, Su Yu had to make everyone believe that the Single Divine Character Faction was always in the wrong. Whenever a clash broke out, regardless of whether Su Yu was the one picking the fight, the public had to see it as the Single Divine Character Faction bullying others. Whatever harsh methods Su Yu resorted to would then be viewed as self-defense, an unavoidable counterattack. Perhaps onlookers would not actively assist him, but his reputation would remain sterling. In this day and age... one needed both strength and a good reputation. Once your name was sullied, accomplishing anything became twice as difficult. Spotting Su Yu, the guards at the door smiled and stepped aside. Su Yu returned their smiles with a slight bow and walked into the Cangshu Pavilion. ... Tenth floor. This time, Su Yu had not come looking for Chen Yong, but his senior martial sister, Wu Jia. After greeting Chen Yong briefly—under his martial uncle's somewhat surprised gaze—Su Yu escorted an enthusiastic Wu Jia downstairs. "Junior Brother, what did you need me for?" Wu Jia skipped down the stairs alongside him, asking inquisitively. What kind of favor did her junior brother need from her this early in the morning? "Senior Sister, it's already October." "Yeah, what about it?" "Once December passes, if you still haven't made it onto the Top 100 Rankings, the academy will conduct a second in-depth evaluation. Even if Martial Uncle covers the previous deficits, it won't help, because that evaluation won't be a simple routine check. It will be a joint evaluation conducted by multiple elders." Wu Jia's expression changed. She naturally knew about this. A little dejectedly, she said, "I know, but... Junior Brother, I'll fight my way onto the Top 100 in December!" Su Yu smiled. "Senior Sister, leaving it until December... there are far too many variables." "Then..." Su Yu said slowly, "The Multiple Divine Characters Faction is being targeted by others, so why can't we hit back? Martial Uncle is facing an evaluation, but what about the rest of them? If you don't make the Top 100, they claim Martial Uncle's teaching results are subpar. If members of the Single Divine Character Faction fail to make the rankings, will their teachers be subjected to a second evaluation? Will problems be uncovered in their teaching?" Wu Jia stared blankly at him. "Junior Brother, what do you mean?" "Strike back!" Su Yu smiled. "Senior Sister, the best defense is a good offense. We can't just sit here waiting for doom!" "However, when I dealt with Huang Qifeng last time, it made sense, and going all out was no issue. But if we strike at others without provocation now, people will think our Multiple Divine Characters Faction is too ruthless and domineering." "The Single Divine Character Faction doesn't care about that, but we must!" Su Yu said softly, "Because we have few people and our strength is weak, we must protect our reputation. We can't let our already vulnerable faction be cast as the villain in everyone's eyes." Wu Jia nodded thoughtfully, looking at Su Yu with curiosity. Her junior brother really thought through a lot. "Junior Brother, just tell me what I should do." "Senior Sister, go challenge the students on the Top 100 Rankings!" Su Yu murmured. "Challenge those from the Single Divine Character Faction... Actually, no. Let them challenge you. The Single Divine Character Faction is helpless against me right now, but they still haven't given up on you." Su Yu paused and asked, "Has anyone challenged you recently?" "Yes!" Wu Jia answered in frustration. "A lot of people! A whole bunch of bastards who aren't on the Top 100 keep trying to challenge me every single day. If Teacher hadn't held me back, I would've settled scores with them long ago! They're pushing too far! If I weren't injured, how would those bastards ever dare provoke me?" "Then that's perfect." Su Yu grinned. "Senior Sister, accept their challenges! Don't pick girls—pick guys! Don't use willpower, and don't worry about getting hurt. Cough up plenty of blood. Let everyone witness how, even while carrying injuries, you refuse to shrink from battle!" "Winning is best, of course. If you win, go on to challenge someone on the Top 100. If you lose, it doesn't matter; after all, you're injured, and you only challenged them because you couldn't stand their bullying, only to be brutally crushed again..." Wu Jia blinked at him, gradually catching his drift. "Junior Brother... are you telling me to play the victim?" "No, you really will be a victim!" Su Yu chuckled softly. "Let the entire academy see just how overbearing the Single Divine Character Faction has become! Harassing and bullying an injured female student every single day, practically walking all over you!" "Junior Brother... gross, don't put it like that!" Wu Jia pulled a face. Why did he have to describe it so crudely? Su Yu was somewhat at a loss for words. Wu Jia suddenly giggled. "Junior Brother, you look so devious right now. Are you getting ready to take them down?" "..." Su Yu paused, then offered an innocent smile. "Senior Sister, I'm not devious. I'm just..." "Don't make excuses!" Wu Jia waved it off cheerfully. "I love seeing you act like a scheming little rascal. It's adorable!" "..." Su Yu desperately wanted to protest. *I'm not a rascal, I'm not devious, I'm an honest man!* *What is wrong with my senior sister? Slandering me like this!* "All right, I get it!" Wu Jia was by no means stupid. Very few Civilization Masters were truly foolish; at most, some were simply naive, but they still had sharp brains. "Junior Brother... for the bottom ten spots on the Top 100 Rankings, I'm still fairly confident I can take one. What I was actually worried about before was people challenging me non-stop afterward, or even dropping their ranks just to target me..." Su Yu's eyes lit up slightly. "You can win?" "There's a chance." "That's even better! It would be ideal if they drop their ranks to fight you, or send a steady stream of challengers after you!" Su Yu's eyes shone brightly. "That way, just remember to look as battered as possible. Also, do not injure your sea of will again. You take the vanguard, and leave the rest to me!" Wu Jia nodded. Su Yu looked her over and pondered for a moment. "Senior Sister, dress nicely and put on some proper makeup. When you cough up blood, look tragic—show unyielding defiance, indignation, and fury... Minor surface cuts are best. I'll buy you scar-removing pills, so it won't be a problem." "Can you endure the hardship?" Wu Jia flared up in mock irritation and vigorously ruffled Su Yu's hair. "Who are you underestimating? Before you even arrived, I'd already fought my way onto the Top 100! I earned that spot with real blades and real spears. Getting injured was an everyday occurrence!" She felt genuinely provoked! This little junior brother actually looked down on her! Wu Jia messily kneaded his hair until Su Yu's tidy style resembled a bird's nest. Only then did she step back, satisfied. "Don't worry! It's nothing. But... Junior Brother, are you confident?" "Among those on the Top 100, only Zhai Feng is slightly tricky. The others... aren't hard!" Su Yu smiled. "Anyone not belonging to the Single Divine Character Faction won't willingly drop their ranks to cause trouble for me. At most, I'll only have to face Zhai Feng, who's ranked ninth." Pausing, Su Yu added, "As for taking on Zhai Feng, I'm not fully confident yet. Even if I can fight him, I won't be able to severely injure him, so there's no point in fighting him right now." Wu Jia nodded. "Understood!" "Junior Brother, when do we start?" "Today!" Su Yu smiled. "You accept their challenges first, and I'll find someone to build momentum to draw an audience! Let more people see that we aren't picking fights out of boredom, but that the Single Divine Character Faction... has simply pushed us too damn far!" *Smack!* Wu Jia gave him a light slap and said displeasedly, "Junior Brother, no cursing!" "..." Su Yu was helpless. Wu Jia giggled again. "Smile more brightly. You look nice when you smile. All right, I know what to do. I'll go take a stroll outside. Once those bastards spot me, they'll come looking for trouble without me having to say a word!" "Yeah." Su Yu nodded. "Senior Sister, I'll take my leave first. I might not be there while you're sparring; I'll head over once your fight finishes. Be careful, and don't push yourself too hard. If you can't win, just concede... or collapse coughing up blood, whatever works..." "I know, I know!" Wu Jia waved him off impatiently. "Why are you just like my teacher? So naggy!" Su Yu chuckled and said no more, quickly leaving on his own. Watching him depart, Wu Jia let out a sigh. She felt a pang of self-pity. *I'm so weak!* *I can't even beat my junior brother anymore. It's so embarrassing.* *Now I even need my junior brother to vent my anger for me!* Heading upstairs into her room, she changed into a brand-new, pretty outfit before stepping out. In the main hall, Chen Yong was reading. Seeing Wu Jia come out, he asked in surprise, "Going out?" "Yes." "Be careful. Don't leave the academy grounds, and don't pay any mind to those trying to provoke you." "Okay." Wu Jia nodded, acting the picture of obedience. *Don't pay them any mind—just fight them directly!* ... Back in the academy, Su Yu sought out Xia Huyou and made some brief arrangements. Afterward, he returned to the classroom to begin today's lessons. Not many advanced class students had shown up today. Wan Mingze and the other top figures were absent, perhaps cultivating or challenging the rankings. Su Yu listened attentively, appearing focused on the surface, but his thoughts had drifted far away. How was it going on Senior Sister's side? Gradually, some students in the classroom began ducking their heads to check their communication devices, many of them receiving messages in quick succession. At the podium, the elderly instructor continued his lecture. Right at that moment, someone frantically tapped on the classroom window from outside. Forgetting all protocol before the old instructor, the newcomer blurted out, "Class Monitor! The Single Divine Character Faction is challenging Senior Sister Wu Jia! They're beating her to death!" The person who had arrived was an intermediate class student whom Su Yu recognized, though they were not particularly close. At that instant, Su Yu shot to his feet, killing intent boiling over! Bowing slightly toward the instructor above, Su Yu suppressed his fury and said, "Teacher, I request leave!" The elderly instructor sighed. The Single Divine Character Faction again! What a nuisance! Wu Jia... Wu Jia had already suffered severe injuries last time, and the trauma to her sea of will had not even healed. Why were they targeting her again? With that in mind, the instructor nodded and said quickly, "Go and take a look, Su Yu. Don't be rash; student sparring within the academy won't result in fatalities..." "Thank you, Teacher!" Su Yu nodded and bolted from the classroom. By now, more and more people were gathering outside. Spotting him emerge, several called out urgently, "Class Monitor, Senior Sister Wu is about to be beaten to death! Those bastards are utterly inhumane..." Su Yu unleashed his yuanqi, accelerating forward. Even though he was the one who had asked Wu Jia to put on a show, would that senior sister of his... really swallow her pride and concede easily? Hard to say! Su Yu rushed down from the academic building. At this moment, many students were racing toward the arena area. Someone spotted Su Yu and shouted, "Junior Brother Su, hurry over and persuade Wu Jia to concede! If she doesn't give up now, she's going to be crippled!" Without answering, Su Yu kicked off the ground and rocketed into the distance. A large crowd ran in that direction. Someone who still did not know what was happening asked hurriedly, "What's going on?" "What else could it be! The Single Divine Character Faction suffered a setback against Su Yu. This morning, Wu Jia went to the exchange office for some healing medicine and was intercepted halfway. A bunch of people provoked her, demanding to challenge her..." "You know Wu Jia's temper. Unable to bear it, she accepted their challenges despite her injuries. She defeated several of them, but her own wounds worsened!" "The Single Divine Character Faction is completely shameless! A whole bunch of guys ran a gauntlet against her. Wu Jia's clothes were soaked in blood! After she won several rounds, Zhu Hong—ranked ninety-eighth—deliberately egged her on. Wu Jia was foolish enough to challenge him on the spot... They're still fighting right now. When I left just a moment ago, she could barely stand..." "Damn it, the Single Divine Character Faction is crossing the line!" "Exactly! Last time they targeted Su Yu, and after losing so many texts of will, they reneged on their debts. Thousands of merit points, and they brushed us off with open lectures! And now they pull this!" "Disgusting!" "Doesn't the academy head care at all?" "They're getting more shameless by the day!" "I used to think only Huang Qifeng and his ilk were shameless, but now it seems their entire faction is rotten to the core. Damn it, the academy head doesn't do a damn thing..." "Watch your mouth!" "..." A chorus of righteous indignation echoed through the crowd as they sprinted toward the arena. As for the student who had been spreading the news, he dashed off to another area to continue broadcasting it. He had to let as many people know as possible! The more spectators, the better! There was money to be earned! ... At the arena area. The ring was already encircled by students. On the platform, Wu Jia was drenched in blood. Opposite her, Zhu Hong frowned. *She still won't concede?* If he kept fighting, he might actually beat her to death! If Wu Jia died, things would get disastrously out of hand. As for the referee... today's referee was Zhao Ming once again. Yet Zhao Ming watched with the air of a casual spectator, showing no intention of intervening! Wu Jia coughed up blood, gripping a longsword with a pale face as she swayed to her feet once more. "Zhu Hong, you're absolute trash! Without me using willpower or divine characters, this is the best a piece of garbage like you can manage!" "Humph!" With a cold snort, Zhu Hong thrust his sword toward Wu Jia! *Clang!* A crisp ring sounded. Wu Jia parried with her sword. The skin between her thumb and index finger tore open, and the pressure of his willpower bore down upon her, suffocating her. Letting out a low growl, Wu Jia wound her blade around Zhu Hong's sword, closed the distance rapidly, balled her left palm into a fist, and punched forward! Zhu Hong's gaze turned cold. Unfazed, he unleashed a divine character. A piercing sharpness erupted from his body—*slash, slash, slash*—like ten thousand blades piercing through. Wu Jia's clothes tore to shreds, and fresh wounds opened across her body. "Wu Jia, just concede!" Someone in the crowd shouted, "You can't even use your willpower, stop fighting him! Wu Jia, don't be stubborn! Someone's gone to fetch Su Yu, just concede already!" In the end, people couldn't bear to watch any longer! This was blatant bullying! Wu Jia couldn't use her willpower, and prior to this, she had run a gauntlet against four unranked students from the Single Divine Character Faction, defeating all four in succession before challenging Zhu Hong! How could Zhu Hong have the face to accept her challenge? How could he stoop so low as to bully Wu Jia, whose willpower had yet to recover! Below the stage, a group of female students burned with indignation. Seeing Wu Jia covered in blood, some clenched their fists and cursed, "Is this how someone earns a spot on the Top 100 Rankings? Everyone just watching Zhu Hong beat up an injured girl?" "If you're so capable, go challenge Su Yu! What kind of skill is beating a severely injured Wu Jia!" "Isn't that just how their faction operates? They only dare bully the weak, yet cower before the strong! How come none of them dare go after Su Yu?" "Zhai Feng is even more shameless! Ranked ninth, he doesn't dare challenge the top eight, only bullying Su Yu, who enrolled barely two months ago! And he dares call himself a genius? Ptui!" These female students held nothing back. It was simply too cruel, too tragic! Even though they weren't close to Wu Jia, seeing her bullied like this made them feel obligated to speak out! On the platform, Zhu Hong heard every word. He burned with sullen anger! Wu Jia refused to concede—was he supposed to concede instead? He felt thoroughly aggrieved. Wu Jia had virtually no combat capability left, yet she stubbornly held on, and the referee refused to call the match. What was he supposed to do? As for knocking her off the stage, he had tried several times, but Wu Jia had dodged each attempt. *Then I'll just kill you. Let's see if the referee steps in then!* He had no desire to drag this out any longer. Wu Jia's injuries were worsening, and if she actually died, the referee would be in trouble, but Zhu Hong would be in even worse trouble. What was wrong with Zhao Ming? Wu Jia clearly had nothing left, so why wasn't he declaring the result? Off to the side, Zhao Ming remained completely silent. Declare the result? Where was the fun in that? Wu Jia clearly intended to fight to the bitter end, even if it meant fighting until she dropped dead... Not that he would actually let her die, of course. But the more tragic she looked, the better. Later on... there might just be a spectacular show to watch! Glancing out of the corner of his eye toward the distance, he saw a figure rocketing across the grounds, bounding into the air and dropping down repeatedly at astonishing speed. The main star had arrived! *The grand show begins!* As the thought crossed Zhao Ming's mind, he suddenly stepped in, catching Zhu Hong's longsword with one hand and frowning slightly. "Enough! Zhu Hong wins. You could have just knocked her off the stage—did you really have to go for the kill?" Zhu Hong glared at him, tight-lipped. *Nonsense!* *If I could have knocked her off, would I need you to tell me? No matter what, Wu Jia is at the Qianjun Ninth Layer; she just can't use her willpower, that's all.* On the platform, Wu Jia had already grown light-headed from excessive blood loss. Zhao Ming waved a hand, releasing a beam of white light, and her wounds began slowly stitching together. The next instant, a figure descended from the air! With a resounding *boom*, Su Yu landed heavily on the arena stage. Su Yu quickly supported Wu Jia, stripped off his white robe, and draped it over her. Turning to Zhu Hong, he spoke in a low, chilling tone: "Well done. The Single Divine Character Faction has done remarkably well! Bullying the weak while fearing the strong, incessantly tormenting a severely injured female student, constantly provoking and taunting her..." Cradling Wu Jia, Su Yu looked down at the crowd, his face devoid of expression. "Time and time again! We came here to study, not to engage in relentless, mindless brawling! Even if you want to fight, spar against those stronger than yourselves. Why must you bully an injured girl again and again?" "Has the Single Divine Character Faction truly fallen to such depths?" "Are filthy, shameless deeds all you know how to do?" "My teacher only ever challenges those stronger than himself, never bullying the weak!" "I, Su Yu, will only challenge those stronger than me, never those weaker!" "Our Multiple Divine Characters Faction may be weak, and our numbers few, but that is no excuse for you to humiliate and bully us repeatedly!" Su Yu bellowed coldly, "Since none of you care about dignity, why should I leave you any face?" "Injuring my senior sister so severely today—you beasts have thoroughly enraged me!" Su Yu snapped his gaze back toward Zhu Hong, killing intent surging from his eyes. "You piece of trash, you cowardly dog who only bullies the weak—I challenge you! Do you dare accept?" Su Yu swept his gaze across the surroundings and roared, "Useless trash of the Single Divine Character Faction, do you dare accept?" "Get up on this stage!" "Aren't you eager to fight?" "Aren't you trying to challenge our faction?" "Get up here!" "Today, I will climb back onto the Top 100 Rankings and cripple every single one of you useless scumbags!" Below the stage, the crowd grew larger and larger! Su Yu roared, "A pack of dogs who only dare bully my senior sister! Did you only dare bare your fangs because she was already injured? A dog is a dog!" At this moment, apart from the members of the Single Divine Character Faction, no one found his language excessive. It was intensely gratifying! They had pushed things too far! They only dared pick on Wu Jia; back when Wu Jia was uninjured, none of them had dared step forward! On the platform, Zhu Hong's face turned livid! Yet accepting Su Yu's challenge... Su Yu had crippled even Huang Qifeng. How could Zhu Hong possibly be a match for him? Su Yu sneered, looking at Zhu Hong. "Trash! Scumbag! I know you don't dare! You dogs only know how to cause internal strife, only know how to bully the injured. When it comes to facing me, you're terrified!" At that moment, someone beneath the stage said coldly, "Su Yu, try challenging me, then!" Su Yu looked toward the speaker and let out a cold grunt. "Zhai Feng, what do you think you are? If you want to die, I'll grant your wish sooner or later! But just like Huang Qifeng that day, once I fight my way up to your rank, I'll settle scores with a dog like you!" With that, he ignored Zhai Feng entirely and shouted, "Since this piece of trash Zhu Hong doesn't dare, then the cowards who fought my senior sister earlier—come at me together! All of you, get up here alongside this garbage Zhu Hong!" "A pack of spineless rats! If none of you dare come up alone, then come all at once!" The moment these words left his mouth, countless onlookers stared at him in shock. Those who had fought Wu Jia earlier might not be on the Top 100 Rankings, but they were close. Anyone too weak wouldn't have dared challenge Wu Jia at the Qianjun Ninth Layer in the first place. Was Su Yu... being too arrogant? Everyone knew he was strong, but he had not yet reached the Wanshi Realm. Two fists could hardly fend off four hands; even a Wanshi cultivator could stumble if surrounded by enough Qianjun fighters. Back in Nanyuan, a Wanshi expert from the All-Races Sect had been slain by a group of Qianjun cultivators! "A pack of cowards, do you not dare?" Su Yu barked. "Do you only dare bully the weak?" "Is the Single Divine Character Faction so full of useless trash? If so, your faction might as well be disbanded! Once you reach the battlefield, you'll just be reserves for the All-Races Sect—deserters and trash!" "Is this the sort of rubbish the Great Xia Civilization Academy cultivates?" "A whole group of you doesn't even dare face me alone?" "Scumbags like you are destined to become traitors to humanity. The moment the myriad races arrive on the battlefield, you'll probably kneel and surrender!" His words stung like whips, turning the faces of several Single Divine Character Faction students below bright red! Zhu Hong's expression was exceedingly grim! Zhai Feng glared coldly at Su Yu. Su Yu met his gaze and sneered, "Zhai Feng, do you think what I said is improper? Don't worry, your turn will come soon. I'm going to beat my way up one by one. Just wait for me, don't rush! I will drag your faction's dignity through the mud until not a single one of you dares accept my challenge, fighting right up to your face so you can see for yourself that trash is trash!" Zhai Feng said coldly, "Su Yu, you defeated Wang He, and now you come back to challenge others..." Su Yu cut him off directly: "Pardon me, but I am not on the Top 100 Rankings! As for why I dropped off the list, isn't that entirely thanks to shameless cowards like you? Are you trying to sling mud at me now, asking why I lowered my own ranking?" Su Yu mocked, "Every excuse under the sun comes out of your faction's mouths! When I made the rankings, you shamelessly lowered your own ranks to challenge me. When I'm not on the rankings, you claim I'm too strong and shouldn't challenge weaker opponents... Don't you find yourselves disgusting?" "Utterly disgusting!" Su Yu spat. "Disgusting enough to make me vomit! Against a bunch of trash like this, I could tie both hands behind my back and still beat them half to death! You people repulse me; otherwise, I wouldn't even deign to fight a swarm of insects! Does he even deserve it?" Su Yu pointed a finger at Zhu Hong and barked, "Does he deserve it? If this vile coward hadn't injured my senior sister, would an insect like him be worthy of standing before me?" Zhu Hong was a Top 100 student after all, and he had fought tooth and nail to claim that spot. Over the past few days, the Top 100 Rankings had constantly shifted. Some had dropped off, while others had claimed spots. He had finally clawed his way into the top hundred, only to be subjected to such humiliation by Su Yu today. His face flushed bright red, and he growled, "Su Yu, don't think yourself invincible!" "Killing a piece of garbage like you would be effortless!" Killing intent flared around Su Yu. Fixing his gaze upon Zhu Hong, he roared, "Useless trash, come at me together—do you dare?" Zhu Hong's mind shook, and he involuntarily took a step back, feeling as though he were gazing upon a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood! The next moment, he snapped back to his senses, overcome with acute shame and humiliation! He... had actually been terrified! "Tsk!" "Hahaha..." "Cowering before the fight even starts! He really is scared!" Below the stage, jeers and boos erupted from the crowd! How utterly pathetic! "Go on, get up there! There were four or five of you earlier, all near Top 100 strength! If you're still afraid of that, you really are damn trash!" "Yeah, they don't even dare do this! All they know is how to bully the injured! Wu Jia was already badly hurt—the Single Divine Character Faction has truly hit rock bottom!" Student after student shouted mockingly! Several researchers had already arrived. A Lingyun expert among them shot a stern glare at the vocal students. Some students shrank back in fear, others ignored him, and one even sneered back provokingly, "What? A Lingyun expert wants to hit me? Right, that's standard procedure for the Single Divine Character Faction! A Lingyun killing a Yangxing cultivator—how impressive!" The speaker was none other than Zheng Yunhui! Zheng Yunhui looked completely energized, eager to fan the flames. Glancing at the researcher, he laughed boisterously. "What, still glaring? What are you looking at? Did I say anything wrong? Everyone's watching. Your people... are absolute wimps. If this were the War Academy, even if they couldn't win, they would've charged up there to fight long ago!" "Look at them—worse than a woman! Wu Jia was injured, yet when Zhu Hong provoked her, she still stepped up to fight despite her severe wounds! That's a real woman! Your Single Divine Character Faction isn't even fit to carry her shoes!" Several female students glared at him, but simultaneously felt that his words rang entirely true. Pure disdain! Wasn't the Single Divine Character Faction supposed to be the strongest faction in the academy? And this was all they amounted to? Several researchers rapidly exchanged voice transmissions. If it had been anyone else provoking them, they could have ignored it, but Su Yu... If they didn't respond, the Single Divine Character Faction would lose every scrap of dignity! *"Zhu Hong, accept the challenge! Once on stage, if you realize you can't win, concede immediately!"* *"Since he told you all to go up together, then go up together. One-on-one, none of you stands a chance!"* *"We cannot refuse this fight, or the morale of our entire faction will crumble!"* At this moment, the researchers could clearly sense that something was wrong! Many freshmen belonging to the Single Divine Character Faction were already wavering. In their eyes lay conflict, veiled contempt, disdain, and disappointment! Was this supposed to be the strongest faction? Even if outmatched, they should have fought! Look at Wu Jia! She had carried injuries into the arena, yet fought to the very end despite being outmatched! Yet Zhu Hong and his companions had brought nothing but endless disgrace! If Su Yu was allowed to keep guiding public opinion like this, the new students would waver, the seniors would grow disillusioned, and even some researchers would feel stifled and humiliated. If this continued, the Single Divine Character Faction would become the laughingstock of the entire Great Xia Prefecture! Losing was acceptable, but refusing to even accept a challenge—what kind of cowardice was that? *"Accept!"* The researchers made their decision promptly, ordering the students via voice transmission to accept the fight! The next instant, Zhu Hong gritted his teeth and shouted, "Fine! Su Yu, since you want to challenge us, and since you were the one who demanded to take on the five of us, let's go at him together!" Below the stage, the other four students leaped onto the arena platform one after another! Every one of them felt furious and humiliated. This was utterly humiliating! Meanwhile, Su Yu smiled. Carrying Wu Jia, he stepped down from the platform and set her gently on the ground. Wu Jia had already regained consciousness. Su Yu murmured, "Thank you for your hard work, Senior Sister!" With that, he turned and leaped back onto the stage! *Time to cripple you all!* Zhao Ming's interest was piqued as well. He called out, "No need to repeat the rules. Are you ready to begin?" "Su Yu, are you certain you want to challenge all five?" "Certain!" "Good. Then... begin!" The moment the call rang out, Zhu Hong and the other four felt their vision turn completely black! The next instant, their willpower was violently corroded, and agonized screams tore from their throats! Excruciating pain! It was so agonizing they felt death would be preferable! Unseen by the spectators, a hammer slammed directly into Zhu Hong's sea of will. His sea of will churned violently, his willpower was gnawed away, and his vision darkened... The disparity was simply too vast! In the blink of an eye, Su Yu's Soul Devour Art caused all five to wail in agony. As the small hammer hammered down, they couldn't even voice their screams anymore, completely stunned and dizzy! Killing intent flared in Su Yu's eyes. Shifting his footwork, practically at the same moment the hammer struck, he lashed out with a whip kick! *Crack, crack, crack!* With that single kick, virtually every bone in Zhu Hong's body shattered. He crashed heavily against the ground, yet still hadn't regained his senses, his willpower sustaining even greater damage! Almost simultaneously, Su Yu whipped out four more kicks, sending the other four crashing down together! Like five lifeless wooden puppets, the moment they stepped onto the stage, all five were crushed instantaneously! They didn't have the slightest strength to resist! A long saber materialized, and Su Yu slashed downward toward the spot where all five lay sprawled! Just as Zhao Ming moved to intervene, Su Yu barked, "I'm not killing them!" Zhao Ming froze and pulled back his hand. In the next instant, the long saber cleaved through the air! "Ahhh!" A chorus of shrill shrieks rang out! In the air, chaotic, shattered willpower spilled outward; Su Yu had used a cultural weapon to hack their willpower to pieces! *Thud! Thud! Thud!* With kick after kick, he sent the five hurtling off the platform. All five collapsed like corpses, piled on top of one another right before Wu Jia's feet! "Trash!" "Scum!" Su Yu snorted coldly, sweeping his gaze across the surroundings and fixing the researchers with a sneer of pure disdain! Silence fell over the arena! People had known Su Yu was strong, but this time he was even stronger—terrifyingly so. Five students, including one on the Top 100 Rankings, had been left completely helpless, unable to mount the slightest counterattack or even utter a surrender! Defeated! A crushing defeat! The researchers' expressions shifted dramatically. This brat had grown stronger! Even more terrifying! The Soul Devour Art! It had corroded their willpower! A natural bane to Civilization Masters!