Winning the Championship

Wan Tiansheng's aura quickly withdrew. Everything felt just as it had on the day he suppressed Zheng Yuming. Nothing had happened! As for the battles between students, he did not care. No matter how they fought or competed, so long as it remained within the rules, he could not be bothered to manage it, nor would he meddle. Yet once his bottom line was crossed, Wan Tiansheng's terror far exceeded anyone's imagination. In the crowd, Chen Yong looked in that direction, speechless for a long time. He wondered: if he killed Zhou Pingsheng, could he escape Wan Tiansheng's pursuit? Most likely... there wasn't the slightest hope! His master, a half-step Sun-Moon who was not a bit weaker than some who had just stepped into the Sun-Moon Realm, had fled through the void at this very moment, unwilling to clash with Wan Tiansheng head-on. That alone proved his master had no confidence either. ... Everything fell quiet. Zhou Pingsheng said nothing more, and several students were carried away. Ten students had stepped onto the stage, and ten had been crippled! Those from the first round had suffered slightly lighter injuries, but those from the second round were practically ruined. Waiting until Wan Tiansheng's aura receded, Su Yu smiled once more. "The second match is over. Another team, come on up!" No one made a sound. Liu Hong's eyes flickered. Su Yu's strength was beyond imagination. At this rate, could this fellow really fight his way to the top of the Top 100 Rankings? Saying nothing further, Liu Hong kept an extremely low profile at this moment and shouted, "The rest of you, continue! There isn't only one arena. On Su Yu's side, whoever wishes to challenge may continue taking the stage!" "..." No one paid him any attention. Over there, Zhan Hai took a look at Su Yu, took a deep breath, and stepped straight onto another arena. Jiang Mu, Li Minyu, and the other top ten experts did the same, each occupying an arena of their own. The confident teams each staked out an arena; the arena defense battles began! Seeing this, Su Yu chuckled wryly. Still completely unhurried, he looked toward the crowd and announced, "I am applying to establish a research institute and am recruiting talent. Naturally, I require like-minded friends, and I won't take in too many in the beginning, so everyone can think it over! "Furthermore, if you fear retaliation, don't bother coming! "Students of the Single Divine Character Faction needn't come either. If you aren't spies, you'll just face suppression and retaliation; there's no need to hurt yourselves!" Su Yu began advertising with a chuckle: "The primary objective of this research institute is to study the cultivation methods of all races and decipher all-races civilizations! It also touches on knowledge regarding divine characters and cultural weapons, but won't dabble in other areas for now! "As for my main subject, to speak shamelessly, I want to see if I can research and develop targeted cultivation methods, primarily aimed at certain races among the myriad races..." He spoke eloquently. Though no one below responded, Su Yu did not care. Establishing a research institute! This was meant to give his catalog room to breathe. Some things could be shared with outsiders, while others could not. As for the Wen Tan Research Center... they researched divine characters and innate blood essence. If you produced new cultivation methods every single day, who would believe you? One or two might pass, but a whole pile? Who would buy it? At the same time, he wanted to see if he could draw in a group of genius students. Indeed, for the research institute, he only intended to recruit geniuses. As for non-geniuses... forget it. When doing this sort of research, if they weren't geniuses, they wouldn't even understand what you were talking about. Not merely talent in martial arts, but primarily in other areas. For example, language specialists, civilization exploration specialists... Beside him, Zhou Hao suddenly said, "You are too strong!" Too strong! It seemed there was no place for Zhou Hao to be of any use. Su Yu smiled. "You're overthinking it. This is only the second round!" Would Zhan Hai and the others give up? Not a chance! Right now, they simply did not wish to fight to the death with Su Yu and let others reap the benefits. If they truly intended to surrender, they wouldn't even be fighting now. Zhan Hai and his peers were not like the group just now—a bunch of older students who had long lost their edge. ... While Su Yu chatted away, in the spectator area, a group of Single Divine Character Faction researchers remained silent. Defeated! A whole crowd of them hadn't been able to hinder a single Su Yu. Not only that, but they had let Su Yu use them as a stepping stone to prove his strength, his talent, and his monstrosity to the entire academy! Elder Sun set up a soundproofing array. Yu Hong arrived as well, and Elder Li showed up too. Zhou Mingren had not come. The three elders stayed silent. A Character Nurturing student had slapped their faces again and again. The Multiple Divine Characters Faction had lain dormant for so many years, yet now they were constantly striking back—and once they struck back, the Single Character Faction was actually powerless to resist! Elder Sun cast a cold glance at Zhou Pingsheng, then looked at Liu Hong. Liu Hong wore a helpless expression. "I... I was thinking of having the other four hold him back... this... who knew he'd be this strong..." This really was helpless! Don't look at me! The guy hadn't won through team warfare; he had fought five on his own. It wasn't five one-on-ones, but a one-versus-five, and he had won easily! Suppressing the fury in his chest, Elder Sun said, "It isn't your fault!" Indeed, this was not Liu Hong's fault. Venting anger on him was pointless! If they had to vent anger, they should direct it at that idiot Zhou Pingsheng! "Pingsheng, was Su Yu's starting capital provided by you?" As soon as these words came out, Zhou Pingsheng's expression shifted, turning unsightly. He said in a deep voice, "I consulted several elders back then, and all of you agreed! Junior Brother Liu was also present; he knows the situation!" Liu Hong chimed in dryly, "Yes, Elder Sun, this matter... we truly never expected Su Yu to be so deceitful! Members of the Xia family and many people from other factions were there that day, and not a single person noticed anything abnormal!" He had to speak up for Zhou Pingsheng! This matter couldn't be scrutinized too deeply; otherwise, he would be in trouble too. "Is that so?" Elder Sun said coldly, "Was it truly a hundred thousand merit points?" He looked at Liu Hong. "Liu Hong, you tell me!" Liu Hong cursed inwardly! Damn it! Why are you asking me at a time like this? If I answer, won't I offend Zhou Pingsheng and Zhou Mingren to death? What was Elder Sun doing, insisting on dragging him down into the water? What kind of timing was this! Zhou Pingsheng kept a dark face and said nothing. Liu Hong smiled awkwardly. "Well... that... Elder Sun, we can actually discuss these things later. The urgent matter right now is to prevent Su Yu from getting a slot!" Liu Hong quickly added, "Our previous plan needs to change! With him being this strong, if he advances to the Tengkong Realm, that will be real trouble!" Elder Sun said nothing. Yu Hong said coldly, "Who will stop him? Zhan Hai and his group? Can they succeed in stopping him?" "There's still hope. After all, Su Yu is only one person. No matter how strong he is, he's still just one man..." Liu Hong quickly suggested, "If all else fails... when entering the mystic realm, we can arrange for numerous experts to surround Su Yu and prevent him from absorbing willpower. They can agitate the willpower in the area so he can't absorb any. What could he do then?" At these words, the several elders nodded slightly. Su Yu was very likely to obtain a slot. They had to guard against it! Since they couldn't attack a student, the best way was to have several experts surround him, absorb the nearby willpower, and leave Su Yu with no chance! Seeing this, Liu Hong spoke up again: "In addition, Su Yu wants to establish a research center... well... Elder Sun, do you think the academy should just reject it outright? Looking at Su Yu now, he isn't crazy. No one knows what he's planning. It's better to be safe than sorry." Elder Sun said nothing. That would be slapping his own face! He didn't really want to do that! Besides, it was just granting a venue, which wasn't a big deal unless they denied Su Yu the chance to apply successfully in the first place. Elder Sun said in a low voice, "We'll discuss it later!" As for whether that merit point sum from earlier had truly been a hundred thousand, Liu Hong's evasion made it clear to everyone that there was a problem. It definitely had not been just a hundred thousand merit points. That useless Zhou Pingsheng had not only supplied Su Yu with a massive amount of merit points, but had also embezzled a huge sum for himself! Elder Sun and the others really felt like executing him on the spot! More than enough to ruin things, entirely unable to accomplish anything! Elder Sun continued, warning, "Zhou Pingsheng, don't cause us any more trouble! If you dare act recklessly in the academy again, get lost to the All-Heavens Battlefield!" Wan Tiansheng had been provoked once more! When Wan Tiansheng flared up today, even Elder Sun had felt a chill in his heart. The Principal had probably truly reached the Sun-Moon Realm. Zhou Pingsheng kept his head lowered and said nothing. Venting their anger on him! He knew he was just their scapegoat right now. These people would never admit to the mistakes they themselves had made; they would only pin everything on him. Suppressing Wu Jia, taking care of Chen Yong—had that been under his control? That had been the overall strategy of the Single Divine Character Faction! Yet now, it was made to seem as if he alone had insisted on becoming director, even if he did harbor that ambition. Buying the research materials—if they hadn't agreed, could he have gotten the merit points to purchase them? Had he demanded that this tournament be organized? Had targeting Su Yu during the tournament been his idea? None of it! In the end, every pot of black sludge was dumped on him. Did none of these people have any blame? In dealing with Hong Tan, Liu Wenyan, and the rest, they had suffered complete and utter defeat, and it was precisely because of that that the Multiple Divine Characters Faction had been able to raise its head again. Otherwise, if Hong Tan and the others had been kept down, what waves could Su Yu possibly have stirred? ... While they were discussing and shifting blame to one another, Su Yu was leisurely recovering his origin qi. His previous exertion hadn't been small; although the battle had ended in an instant, he had gone all out. A fierce battle still lay ahead. Claiming he didn't want a slot? Don't joke. After fighting for so long, the slot was exactly what he was after! "Senior Liu, Senior Yang, Brother Lin... we still have a chance of securing the slots!" At these words, Yang Sha couldn't help looking at Lin Yao! What on earth was going on? Lin Yao had said earlier that they had a chance of getting the slots this time, and as it turned out... there really was hope! Su Yu chuckled. "Earlier, it was awkward for you to make a move. But if you don't step in now, the slots will all go to outsiders. Do you want to go ask your teachers, senior brothers, or Elder Sun whether you should fight? If you do, your Single Divine Character Faction can at least reclaim three..." Hearing this, their expressions changed once again. Su Yu suddenly yelled, "Elder Sun, why not have Liu He and the others cooperate with me? If I take the slots, your faction can at least get three back! No, wait, Zhou Hao counts too, so you could take four back! If you don't give them to me and insist on letting others have them, you won't get a single one back!" Su Yu laughed heartily. "As for me, even if I don't get the slot, it won't matter much. At least you'd preserve a few seeds for your Single Divine Character Faction! Right now, only these few have any hope left. The others are either crippled or stripped of all their privileges. Are you telling me you won't even let freshmen enter this time?" "..." Elder Sun dispersed the soundproofing array, his expression grim. What Su Yu said... Even he felt it made sense; it was the honest truth! Another ten students had been beaten to ruins, and earlier, people like Zhai Feng had had their rights to enter the mystic realm revoked. Just how many geniuses did the Single Divine Character Faction still have? How many students could still enter the Top 100? Still... he couldn't be bothered to engage Su Yu. Even if Liu He and his group didn't win, they would probably still try to secure a chance for Liu He this time. Now that Zhai Feng, Qiu Yun, and Huang Qifeng couldn't enter, and Guo Shengquan had joined a third party, Liu He was actually ranked among the highest and might even become the leading student under thirty years old. It was simply... ridiculous! He felt stifled inside! A dignified Shanhai expert, being mocked by a student. Su Yu wanted them to actively tell Liu He and the others to contribute their strength? How could that be possible! As Su Yu recovered, he laughed and said, "Elder Sun, be generous and think it over! To be honest, I might be able to get it all on my own, but if I do, it'll just prove how truly useless your Single Divine Character Faction is! If Senior Liu and the others chip in, it'll at least give you a fig leaf. Honestly, you could completely frame it as the contribution of the seniors!" Su Yu smiled. "I don't mind handing over the credit. I'll say that thanks to the seniors' help, I was able to secure the slots, and I'll even thank you!" Elder Sun glared at him coldly! Yu Hong sneered, "A glib-tongued brat!" Su Yu raised an eyebrow with a grin. "Thank you for the compliment! I'm being serious, but if you won't consider it, so be it!" Su Yu sighed and shouted loudly, "Today, I will lead several seniors from the Single Divine Character Faction to fight for the slots. Thank you, Single Divine Character Faction, for giving me this chance! Even if I lose, it doesn't matter. Vice Director Zhou, does your earlier promise of ten thousand merit points still stand? "If it doesn't, forget it. After all, it wouldn't be the first time you've gone back on your word!" "..." Zhou Pingsheng glared at him with icy hatred. Su Yu smiled. "Does it still stand?" Over in the crowd, someone jeered, "Does it count or not? If it counts, I might even win!" Zheng Yunhui! This guy had a fearless temperament, always first in line when it came to stirring up trouble. On the other side, Wu Jia also shouted loudly, "If it counts, I'll beat up my junior brother too! Maybe I can earn some merit points!" "..." Rage boiled within Zhou Pingsheng! Damn it all! A mighty Lingyun seventh-layer expert and vice director of the Library Pavilion had been turned into a laughingstock today. A bunch of juniors dared to humiliate him in broad daylight, one after another! Detestable! Worthy of death! Casting a deep, hateful glare at Su Yu, he stayed no longer. If he remained here, he feared he would explode. He stood up, turned, and left! Yet Su Yu continued shouting loudly, "Elders, Old Huang, does what he said count or not? Give a clear answer! A dignified intermediate researcher and vice director can't treat his words like farting, can he?" Elder Sun and the others were inclined to ignore him, but Old Huang thought for a moment and asked, "Elder Sun, what do you say?" Did it count or not? A definitive answer had to be given! Otherwise, there would be endless wrangling later! Elder Sun said coldly, "It counts! Of course it counts! Whoever defeats Su Yu... I mean within this divine character competition, whoever defeats Su Yu, it counts!" Ten thousand merit points was something they could still afford! If someone truly defeated Su Yu and denied him the slots, it would be well worth it! Besides, if they welched on a debt again, the Single Divine Character Faction would lose all credibility whatsoever. The previous fiasco had almost turned their entire faction into public enemies of the academy! Su Yu smiled. "Splendid. Everyone heard that! Everyone is welcome to challenge me. If I happen to be in a good mood, I might just forfeit directly—just share a cut of the merit points with me!" No one took him seriously. What a joke! Unless obtaining the slots truly became impossible, how could Su Yu give up so easily? Still, no one stepped up to challenge them! The fights on the other arenas proceeded in full swing, but with less excitement and far more gloom. What if they won? Could they truly beat Su Yu and his team? He was too strong! A single tournament had been nearly shattered by Su Yu in just two battles. And this was only the second round! Quite a few people began thinking, *Why not just give up?* ... Amid this muted atmosphere, the second round drew to a close. A hundred and sixty teams had achieved three victories! No, there was also an anomaly: Su Yu, with two victories! All one hundred and sixty teams looked toward Su Yu's side. According to the rules, he could challenge one team! If he won, he would replace them; if he lost, he would be eliminated on the spot. Some weaker teams looked utterly helpless. Having fought through three victories, some teams were already covered in wounds, barely able to fight another match! Crucially, there were still several teams formed by the Single Divine Character Faction. The Single Divine Character Faction had many members and had fielded numerous teams. Several rounds of elimination had thinned them out, but some Single Character members remained, and right now, they were all trembling with dread! Su Yu... was too vicious toward them! How many Top 100 students had he already crippled! Without backing or background, even getting medical treatment would be an ordeal. Su Yu didn't hold back either. Pointing at one team, he smiled and said, "Will you forfeit yourselves, or should I go up and beat you half to death before you surrender?" In the team he pointed to, there was an acquaintance of his. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been easy for him to identify who belonged to the Single Divine Character Faction! "Senior Sister, I spared you last time. You don't want to fight me again this time, do you?" In that team, there was a female student Su Yu was quite familiar with. Back when he had challenged the Top 100 Rankings, he had pierced her chest with a blade. She had been furious, daring to curse at him and swearing that next time they would fight to the death... Su Yu felt he should fulfill her wish! In the crowd, Chen Huan's face turned ashen! Last time, Su Yu had humiliated her, and now he had targeted her again! Detestable! Hateful! Worthy of death! Just as she was about to grit her teeth and step onto the stage, the teammates around her looked at her, expressions full of resistance and unwillingness! They didn't want to court death! Although Chen Huan was not weak, being a Top 100 student with a decent ranking, Su Yu... was far too ferocious! If they went up, those among them who weren't even in the Top 100 might get beaten to death by Su Yu before the referee could even intervene! "Senior Sister Chen..." Several people looked at her with pleading eyes. *Please surrender!* They didn't want to step onto the stage! ... At that moment, the entire arena was watching them. When Chen Huan choked out the words "We forfeit" in utter humiliation, quite a few people sighed. The backbone of this generation of the Single Divine Character Faction had been snapped by Su Yu! Completely broken! From top to bottom, he had shattered them. Over several clashes, some had been crippled, some severely injured, some penalized... Now, perhaps only the strongest, Zhai Feng, had not fought him. But Zhai Feng was probably only about equal to those five from earlier. Fighting Su Yu would just be inviting humiliation! Just as they were thinking this, Su Yu suddenly smiled and remarked, "What a pity that Senior Brother Zhai Feng and the others aren't at the academy. Otherwise, I could have taken some spare time to challenge the Top 100 Rankings and see if I could climb a few spots!" No one replied. Liu Hong stepped directly onto the stage, ignoring him, and announced, "The second round is over! A hundred and sixty teams advance! "The third round... will be drawn by lots, fighting head-to-head. Eighty teams will advance. The fourth round will be the same, with forty teams advancing; the fifth round will leave twenty teams advancing; and the sixth round will determine the top ten!" This time, he didn't organize any special battles. The tournament had already been wrecked by Su Yu in just two matches! If this went on, with several Single Character teams still in the mix, after another round of Su Yu's torment, the tournament would end with Single Divine Character Faction students mourning their dead! ... Third round, fourth round, fifth round... Su Yu won without fighting! He advanced to the top twenty with absolute ease! It was easy to an unbelievable degree. No one dared to fight. Not only his team, but Zhan Hai's and several other teams received the same treatment. The gap was too large! If people hadn't understood before, then when Su Yu routed Li Shiyun's group and Zhan Hai effortlessly crushed several older students, everyone finally realized! The youth of this generation were far too formidable! Those older students who hadn't been able to advance before turning thirty were simply no match for them. In the sixth round, Su Yu drew lots, and his opponent was somewhat unexpected: Wu Jia's team! They had fought their way into the top twenty! On this team, the strongest was Li Minyu, ranked fourth on the Top 100 Rankings, just one spot below Jiang Mu. In addition, there were Wu Jia and Lin Qing, both Top 100 students. Li Minyu looked at Su Yu, then at Wu Jia, and smiled. She said slowly, "Looks like we won't be able to claim the top-ten rewards! Although I really wanted to spar with you, I'm afraid your senior sister might switch sides, which would ruin the fun!" Near the Tengkong Realm, she genuinely wanted to test herself against Su Yu, but today was not the time. "Not going to give it a try?" Su Yu smiled. "We could have a go. After all, I have four wooden stakes on my side..." Li Minyu smiled faintly. "Forget it, leave the opportunity for Zhan Hai! Hopefully you won't meet too early. Actually, I'd prefer to see you two clash in the finals; that would be much more entertaining!" Su Yu chuckled. "When we meet, that will be the finals!" Simply put, but domineering. When they met, that would be the finals! Beyond Zhan Hai, Su Yu didn't seem to care about any of the other teams. The number one on the Top 100 Rankings truly had something extraordinary about him. At least, those older students who previously claimed to be on par with Zhan Hai hadn't shown it—Zhan Hai had encountered a rather strong team of older students and had easily crushed them. Li Minyu smiled. "Not necessarily. Over there... there's still an all-races student team. Did you see them?" "I saw them!" Su Yu nodded, casting a friendly smile toward the cloaked students over there. An all-races student team! It was likely a special formation, consisting entirely of students from the myriad races. Five of them grouped into one team, likely by special permission. It was hard to gauge their exact strength, but they clearly hadn't exerted full effort, yet had still easily reached the top twenty. Su Yu was interested in testing their strength! Unfortunately, he hadn't crossed paths with them. Li Minyu chose to forfeit and fight no more, allowing Su Yu to easily advance to the top ten. ... Soon, the other matchups were also decided. Zhan Hai, Jiang Mu, and the all-races student team all advanced to the top ten! The other six teams also had formidable students leading them, their strength approaching the Tengkong level. Before Su Yu could say anything, Zhan Hai suddenly spoke up: "Su Yu, fighting round by round is far too tedious! Why don't we each take four teams, and whoever clears their four teams can come play with the other!" At this moment, Zhan Hai was exceptionally arrogant! He felt it was far too dull! In truth, he wanted to spar with Su Yu earlier, but he didn't want to lose the slot either. Better to knock out the other eight teams first! Zhan Hai looked at Liu Hong and said, "Teacher Liu, why not let us try it this way?" Liu Hong narrowed his eyes at him, then looked at Su Yu. Then, looking at the other teams, he chuckled. "The number one on the Top 100 Rankings sure is confident! Zhan Hai, are you certain you want to compete this way?" Zhan Hai smiled. "If Su Yu has no objection, then there's no problem! As for the rest... I'm giving them a chance; won't they cherish it? Fighting four matches in succession—if they don't even dare accept that, they shouldn't bother competing; first place wouldn't go to them anyway!" Su Yu smiled. "I have no objection! Saving time is good too. It's almost dark, and I still need to go back and read books; I haven't finished today's coursework!" Both guys were wildly arrogant! The other teams grew clamorous, and soon someone from the crowd muttered in a muffled voice, "Since the two of you have said so, we naturally have no objection! As for the order..." Before he could finish, Zhan Hai said indifferently, "Suit yourselves! It won't take much effort anyway!" "..." This guy's arrogance right now was somewhat peculiar. Earlier, he hadn't been this overbearing. Jiang Mu glanced at him, nodded, and sighed. "Fine!" He had figured it out! Zhan Hai was preparing to make his breakthrough. He intended to finish off the others, and then advance during his clash with Su Yu! This guy had no intention of remaining on the same ranking board as Su Yu to fight for first place! If it were himself... perhaps... he wouldn't want to either. Jiang Mu sighed inwardly! First place... he hadn't even sat on it yet. Once Zhan Hai stepped down, Jiang Mu would have had high hopes, but now... it was hard to say! Liu Hong glanced at Zhan Hai and smiled faintly. "Good! Zhan Hai, advancing on the arena doesn't count as a Tengkong bullying a Character Nurturing cultivator. I have high hopes for you!" Zhan Hai ignored him. His eyes remained fixed on Su Yu! As for Su Yu, he roughly guessed Zhan Hai's goal, smiling without a word. *Use me as a stepping stone to advance?* *Sorry, we'll see about that.* *Finish off Zhou Hao first; otherwise, I can't be bothered to fight you—it'd be pointless.* ... The battles continued! The top-ten teams were indeed strong! The first team Su Yu faced was very formidable and did not forfeit. Their strength was roughly comparable to the previous Single Divine Character team, with all five being experts. But Su Yu had previously crushed those five like dead wood; facing others was much the same. In just over a minute, Su Yu settled the battle! Consecutive fights! The second team was Jiang Mu's team. Su Yu had a slightly deeper impression of Jiang Mu than the others because when he had first entered the academy, outside the Top 100 Tower, he had run into Jiang Mu—the student for whom a Wanshi seventh-layer expert had actively made way! Wanshi seventh-layer... Su Yu had defeated many of them by now, but back then in his eyes, they had truly been powerful! Jiang Mu didn't let the others participate; he challenged Su Yu one-on-one! He was truly strong! He possessed a Tier-2 divine character as well! After fighting for over three minutes, Su Yu finally repelled him using Mountain Shatterer! The moment Jiang Mu retreated, he stepped directly off the stage without continuing the fight. His strength was intact, but right now, he didn't want to drain too much of Su Yu's energy; it was pointless. He was indeed slightly inferior to Su Yu. If they fought on, he might severely injure Su Yu, but he would rather see Su Yu clash with Zhan Hai at full strength. Su Yu very much wanted to spar with the all-races students, but unfortunately, they had been assigned to Zhan Hai's side. The next two teams were strong, but only moderately so, and Su Yu swept through them with ease. ... When Su Yu effortlessly swept through four teams, Zhan Hai had similarly kept his teammates from intervening, single-handedly battering his way through four teams! As Su Yu looked over, Zhan Hai blasted a cloaked student flying with a single punch. Zhan Hai glanced at them and said coldly, "Hiding your heads and showing your tails—how boring! If you don't intend to go all out next time, there's no need to participate in such a tournament!" Among the five cloaked figures, one chuckled softly. "Senior Zhan's strength is formidable. Even if we reverted to our original forms and fought with all our might, we might not win! Student Su's strength is also formidable, and his consumption is minimal. I'd rather see Senior Zhan and Student Su clash while both are in peak condition!" Zhan Hai let out a cold snort! He had no fondness for students of the myriad races. He could sense that these individuals were all very strong, but none had gone all out; they hadn't even used their innate racial skills! He had no interest in conversing further with these secretive figures. Turning to look at Su Yu without glancing at anyone else, Zhan Hai said indifferently, "Why don't we clash to determine the victor? There's no need for anyone else to participate!" Su Yu smiled. "Forget it. Look at your teammates—they fought hard to make it to this stage. Telling them not to participate is far too disrespectful! Senior Zhan, this isn't a battle between you and me for the Top 100 Rankings; it's a battle for slots in the Sea of Consciousness Mystic Realm!" At these words, the expressions of Zhan Hai's teammates shifted. Their eyes shone with gratitude! Exactly! This wasn't a Top 100 duel, a one-on-one fight. This was a battle for slots in the Sea of Consciousness Mystic Realm! Since they could fight five on one, insisting on a one-on-one was practically insane! You, Zhan Hai, already had a slot and didn't care, but they cared deeply! As for bullying fewer people with greater numbers... that was the tournament rules; who told Su Yu's teammates to be useless? On the Top 100 arena, fight however you like! At that moment, the four of them looked at Su Yu as if he were a kindred spirit! What a good person! Junior Brother Su Yu was truly considerate! Su Yu laughed inwardly. *Sorry, but in a moment... prepare to be swiftly swept aside by me.* Zhan Hai's teammates were only so-so. Glancing from the corner of his eye at Zhou Hao, he thought, *Zhan Hai is yours.* *You've been acting like a wooden stake all day!* *If you don't contribute some effort, this slot won't come for free!* Zhou Hao said nothing, his heart itching for a fight! He, too, liked obtaining what belonged to him through his own strength! Zhan Hai... near the Tengkong Realm, was indeed very strong! But he was not afraid! ... The final battle. Both teams stepped onto the arena once more. Su Yu exhaled lightly, his mind drifting slightly. On his first day entering the academy, he had thought that he could take the top spot on the Top 100 Rankings. Now, this moment had arrived so quickly! *A genius like me really is incredible!* Zhan Hai... Su Yu smiled, suddenly remembering someone: *I haven't fought Lin Qing yet. What a pity, quite a regret. Back then, I even thought of beating Lin Qing to guard the gates of the Top 100 and earn some merit points!* This match was again presided over by Zhao Ming as referee. Glancing at both sides, Zhao Ming said irritably, "I warn you: no killing!" *Did you know how humiliating that was earlier?* *Someone almost died!* Su Yu smiled. "We won't. Rest assured, Teacher!" *Rest assured my ass!* *You're the one I'm worried about!* *You good-for-nothing menace!* "Begin!" As the word fell, Su Yu stepped into the air, and Zhan Hai moved with extreme speed. He had grown accustomed to every battle involving only Su Yu! Therefore, his sole target was Su Yu! Yet at that very instant, a violently intense burst of origin qi exploded at his flank! Silent and unseen, Zhou Hao struck like a hunting beast. A punch slammed out! Incomparably ferocious! Blood qi erupted, origin qi blasted forth, and a hundred and forty-four acupoints blazed with dazzling brilliance as his fist struck! Zhan Hai hadn't expected him to make a move. Caught somewhat off guard, he whipped a side kick out! Yet Zhou Hao had no intention of retreating. He even thrust his head forward deliberately, bending his body to drive another punch forward! Zhan Hai faltered slightly. A cultural weapon manifested—a sword appeared! His earlier side kick shifted, avoiding Zhou Hao's head. He dodged, but Zhou Hao wouldn't! He gambled that Zhan Hai wouldn't dare kill him! A cultivator who didn't dare kill... was trash, worthy of death! A deafening boom rang out! Zhan Hai's leg was struck by the punch, sending him stumbling back several meters, his pant leg instantly stained blood-red! Zhan Hai frowned, unable to focus on Su Yu anymore. Zhou Hao was significantly stronger than expected! This guy was mad, actually attacking him! He had wanted to face Su Yu at full strength and seize the chance to advance! Just as Zhou Hao struck him, a sword edge sliced across Zhou Hao's arm, causing blood to gush. Zhou Hao didn't care in the slightest. Pouncing forward like a tiger, killing intent boiled around him! "Die!" With a fierce roar, Zhan Hai's mind trembled slightly. Snapping alert instantly, his willpower erupted, blasting toward Zhou Hao! Zhou Hao's figure froze; blood qi surged and origin qi exploded as a mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips. The madman had bitten off half the tip of his own tongue! With a furious roar, he regained clarity and instantly lunged at Zhan Hai to kill! Like a ravenous beast freed from its cage! The oncoming baleful aura and stench of blood made Zhan Hai faintly nauseous! *What is wrong with this guy?!* In that fleeting instant of distraction, a bone-chilling coldness struck from behind! *Fuck!* Zhan Hai cursed wildly in his heart! He hadn't wanted to gang up on Su Yu, yet now Su Yu was ganging up on him! Yes, in that brief instant, Su Yu had already kicked all four of his teammates out of the arena! The turn of events was too fast! Before the spectators below could even react, they saw two savage beasts besieging Zhan Hai! Yes, two savage beasts! When Su Yu and Zhou Hao fought, the scene was bloody and utterly shocking. Now that the two joined forces, it was like hungry wolves on a hunt! One in front, one behind. Although the two had never practiced together, their coordination was shockingly seamless! Just as Zhan Hai struck out sideways at Su Yu, a blast of origin qi from Zhou Hao smashed into his waist! Like a thousand mountains crashing down, baleful killing intent locked down the void! Zhan Hai roared, willpower bursting out, only for Su Yu's hammer to smash down. Just as Zhan Hai grew dizzy, Zhou Hao's hand hooked into a claw, raking across him and ripping away flesh and blood! The two were far too savage! Intimidated by their killing intent, every time Zhan Hai's willpower surged, Su Yu's little hammer pounded it. After several blows, although Zhan Hai was remarkably strong and had neither fainted nor lost consciousness, blood was leaking from his seven facial orifices! At this moment, advancing to the Tengkong Realm? Don't be ridiculous! He couldn't even focus on one person! He couldn't fight one-on-one! Zhou Hao was only in the Qianjun Realm, but this fellow was utterly insane, completely disregarding his own life, trading injury for injury. With the slightest lapse in Zhan Hai's attention, another bloody gash would open on his body. ... The audience below was stunned dumb! Was this still Zhan Hai? Zhan Hai wasn't that weak! But Zhan Hai lacked a savage killing edge. Besieged by two humanoid beasts whose coordination was seamless, every move they made was trading wounds for wounds, trading lives for lives! This fighting style was devastating! Right then, Zhan Hai grew enraged as well, slamming a palm into Zhou Hao that sent him coughing up blood, his bones cracking. Just as Zhan Hai tried to turn back to deal with Su Yu, a searing pain tore through his arm! Like a water serpent, Zhou Hao coiled straight around his body and sank his teeth into Zhan Hai's arm, blood spraying everywhere! At this moment, Zhou Hao was no different from a savage beast, yet his eyes remained lucid. Seeing Zhan Hai turn his head, without a second thought, Zhou Hao smashed his forehead forward! With a loud crack, heads broke and blood flowed! Blood splattered everywhere! Half-crazed, Zhan Hai struck viciously at Zhou Hao's skull, shattering Zhou Hao's nose. Yet Zhou Hao merely grinned and bit down brutally once more! "You—" Enraged, Zhan Hai brought his longsword straight down, intending to kill him outright! But right then, a chill swept across his neck! *Slash!* A short blade flashed past his neck, and blood sprayed! Furious to the extreme, Zhan Hai watched as Zhao Ming suddenly intervened, grabbing Zhou Hao and ripping him off Zhan Hai's body. As Zhou Hao was pulled away, a chunk of bloody flesh was still clamped in his teeth! Agony flared in Zhan Hai's arm. His sword struck empty air, leaving him no time to alter his stance. With a heavy thud, intense pain exploded across his back, and with a crash, he was smashed to the floor, tumbling off the arena! At this moment, Zhan Hai's expression was as dark as could be! Looking at Zhou Hao over there, who was still grinning through the blood, and then turning back to look at Su Yu... Su Yu looked completely nonchalant and smiled. "This isn't a Top 100 battle, so I won't keep Senior Brother company anymore!" Zhan Hai's heart was flooded with bitter grievance! Had he really been knocked down just like that? *Fuck!* *I ran into two lunatics!* He didn't even have anywhere to air his grievances! Not only had he lost, but more than a dozen wounds deep enough to show bone covered his body. Worse, two chunks of flesh had been bitten clean off his arm by that lunatic Zhou Hao! This wasn't his true strength! He had wanted to use Su Yu to break through directly to the Tengkong Realm! He hadn't even shown what he was truly capable of! He... he wanted to kill someone right now, purely out of rage. Losing like this was intolerable! Turning his head to glance at Zhou Hao and seeing the lunatic grinning away, Zhan Hai felt utterly helpless. Genuine lunatics! Both of them! The oncoming baleful aura earlier had sent chills down his spine. Zhou Hao was one thing, but how did Su Yu possess such thick baleful aura? Zhou Hao had come from the no-man's-land, an area teeming with monster beasts; he had heard of that. But crucially, Su Yu's baleful aura was also extremely dense, giving off the feeling of death itself! In this battle, his defeat had made no sense! That lunatic Zhou Hao hadn't made a move all day, only to suddenly stake his life against him—it had been completely unexpected! On and off the stage, everyone was dazed. For this final battle, they had thought it would be a solo showcase between Su Yu and Zhan Hai, perhaps even determining the number one on the Top 100 Rankings. Yet... it had been completely ruined by Zhou Hao? A Qianjun Realm warrior? Zhan Hai had been disrupted far too much by Zhou Hao. Even though he had severely injured Zhou Hao, he had still lost—lost in a way that left everyone else feeling suffocated on his behalf! What a miserable guy! Jiang Mu and the others felt both pity and the urge to laugh. Anyone in Zhan Hai's shoes would feel stifled; his breakthrough plan had been shattered outright! He couldn't even focus on the battle, so how could he advance? If he truly tried to break through, he would likely be interrupted and ruined by those two! With his attention split, such a breakthrough had virtually zero chance of succeeding. Over on the side, Liu Hong was also utterly speechless. *They just won like that?* He kept feeling that throughout this tournament, the Single Divine Character Faction hadn't gained a single thing. He had previously thought that Su Yu had a chance to win, but only in a fight to the bitter end. Yet now... damn it, this guy was less injured than Zhou Hao! This did not align with his expectations at all! This way, his competence would be questioned within the Single Divine Character Faction—he hadn't even managed to injure Su Yu! Handing over five slots for nothing! Liu Hong could already feel the glares from Elder Sun and the others, prickling his back like icy needles! *This guy... is too strong, and he's making things very difficult for me!* Liu Hong tasted bitterness in his heart. *I'm in for trouble!* *Could you not have suffered some minor wounds just to make the elders happy? If I'd known, I would have told you in advance: pretend to be heavily injured, and I'd split some merit points with you. Now I'm in deep trouble.* As it turned out, through all the fighting today, the elders hadn't had a single opportunity to smile! It was simply too devastating! Helpless as he was, seeing everyone staring at him, Liu Hong had no choice but to announce, "Liu He's team wins!" *This is my final stubborn pride!*