Breaking Your Backbone!

On the arena stage, Su Yu smiled—a smile of sheer, unrestrained arrogance! Right beneath everyone's watchful eyes, Su Yu had effortlessly cut Zhai Feng to pieces. Now, completely ignoring Zhou Pingsheng's fury, Su Yu laughed aloud. "Trash will always be trash! Today, I have set up this life-and-death ring. Anyone from the Single Divine Character Faction in the early stages of Tengkong is welcome to step up!" Su Yu shouted, "I have just one question for you: do you dare?!" *Did they dare?* *I'm only in the Nature Nourishing Realm!* Just like Bai Feng in the past! Bai Feng had been only a Tengkong, yet he could slay a Lingyun! And today, Su Yu was doing the same. *I am only Nature Nourishing. The gap between Nature Nourishing and Tengkong is even wider, yet I dare to challenge your Tengkongs, and I dare to slaughter them!* Su Yu radiated scorn! Ridicule! Derision! In this instant, the surroundings fell utterly silent. Not a sound, not a word. Elder Sun, Elder Yu, Elder Li... One elder after another wore an ashen expression, yet they were powerless. After he had slaughtered Zhai Feng with such ease, who would dare step up? Early-stage Tengkong... Su Yu was punching upward, setting up a life-and-death stage. In this vast academy, how many early Tengkongs would dare take the stage? Even third-stage Tengkongs would not dare claim they could kill Zhai Feng. Furthermore, Su Yu had done it far too easily! It seemed as though he hadn't even used his full strength! This was not just a slap in the face; this was grinding their faces into the dirt, over and over again. Su Yu remained on the stage! He laughed with utter satisfaction. "Today is Celebration Day! In celebration, I will keep this life-and-death ring open until the day ends! Come at any time! Call whoever you can. You don't even have to limit it to the Single Divine Character Faction—anyone will do! So long as you're in the early stages of Tengkong, I'll take on all comers! You can even run a gauntlet!" Su Yu's laughter grew increasingly brazen and exhilarated! Right then, with a thunderous roar, origin qi erupted in a massive explosion! Fifth-stage Wanshi! Su Yu burst into hearty laughter! The surrounding students and instructors went pale! *Is he even human?!* Breaking through to the fifth stage in an instant! Su Yu was even stronger than he had been moments ago! And that was not all. At that moment, his "Battle" divine character surged, and with a boom, his battle intent skyrocketed! Bale-aura churned! Tier-2! A long saber manifested, its blade aura biting and cold. The "Saber" divine character—Tier-2! Lightning crackled around him, rumbling fiercely—Tier-2! One Tier-2 divine character after another surfaced and unleashed its might! Thunder, Kill, Battle, Blood, Saber, Break, Yin... By this point, of his eight divine characters, every single one had advanced to Tier-2 except for "Fire". It shook the entire audience! Willpower as dense and solid as substance surged and erupted. Su Yu threw his head back in laughter, looking down disdainfully at everyone around him! *I am only Nature Nourishing, yet I can kill Tengkongs!* *I am only Nature Nourishing, yet I can look down upon Tengkongs!* "Su Yu!" someone barked coldly. "Don't get too arrogant..." "Shut up!" Su Yu snapped back with a cold shout. "I recognize you—fifth-stage Tengkong! Come up on this stage and let me try killing you! Do you dare?!" The moment these words left his mouth, the hearts of the surrounding students trembled once more in shock. Fifth-stage Tengkong! Many quickly turned their eyes toward the man and recognized him. He was a genius of the Single Divine Character Faction who had once ranked among the Top 100 students in past years, and had now reached the fifth stage of Tengkong. And Su Yu... Many onlookers glanced toward the elders of the Single Divine Character Faction with strange expressions. *A genius teaching assistant!* *Fifth-stage Tengkong!* Yet Su Yu, a fifth-stage Wanshi, was actually challenging him to a fight to the death. Would he dare take the stage? Below the arena, the man's expression shifted erratically. He gritted his teeth, but did not make a sound. *Did he dare?* He did not! This was not a spar. Had it been a spar, he would have stepped up. But this was a life-and-death duel to the bitter end. Just how strong was Su Yu? Even now, he could not be certain. Su Yu had not used many divine character techniques previously, yet the Tier-2 divine characters he had just displayed were too numerous. With so many Tier-2 divine characters, one could only imagine how terrifyingly potent Su Yu's willpower had to be to support eight Tier-2 characters while still in the Nature Nourishing Realm. A genius! A monster! He was terrifying enough that the man dared to spar, but absolutely refused to step up for a battle of life and death. Reaching the fifth stage of Tengkong had not been easy; he had no wish to risk his life against a lunatic. "Hahaha!" Su Yu laughed, shaking his head. He sat down cross-legged and said with a chuckle, "Whoever wants to come up, feel free! Today is the celebration, so I'll put on a good show for everyone to keep you from getting bored!" At that moment, all kinds of voice transmissions poured into his ears. "Su Yu, that's enough!" "Do you really want an endless feud until one side is dead?" "Su Yu, step down! If you do this, they will never let you off!" "Su Yu..." Voices came one after another—some threatening, some advising, some worried... Today, Su Yu was not just stepping on people; he intended to crush them into the ground completely! He wanted to hold this stage until midnight. Celebration Day... haha, it had turned into a day of humiliation for the Single Divine Character Faction. With Zhai Feng dead, not a single other Tengkong dared fight or step onto the stage. They would die! After a long time, seeing that Su Yu remained entirely unmoved, Elder Sun spoke coldly from within the crowd. "Su Yu, since you're so wild, why not be a little wilder? Do you dare fight a ninth-stage Tengkong?" "Hahaha!" Su Yu laughed incredulously, while the surrounding students were left dumbfounded! The Single Divine Character Faction had completely given up on saving face! Ninth-stage Tengkong? A ninth-stage Tengkong against a fifth-stage Wanshi? Could a human even utter such words? Elder Sun said nothing more. His dignity was already in tatters anyway; there was no need to care. As long as they could kill Su Yu, he would gladly have a Shanhai kill him if possible. Slaying Su Yu would still be disgraceful, but with Su Yu dead, all of this would eventually fade from people's memories. Just as Su Yu was laughing aloud, someone slowly stepped onto the stage. Chen Yong. Chen Yong walked up, his expression somewhat weary, carrying an indescribable sorrow and pain. He glanced at Su Yu, gave a forced smile, then turned toward Elder Sun and said softly, "Elder Sun, let's forget about a ninth-stage Tengkong. That's thirteen stages above Su Yu—far too wide a gap. Those from the Multiple Divine Characters Faction are all formidable, but thirteen stages is still too much. How about this: you are a seventh-stage Shanhai. Step up, and I will accompany you in a life-and-death match. Come on. I'm only a Lingyun, after all. Don't worry..." *Boom!* In an instant, the entire academy was in an uproar! Was this real? Had he gone mad? No... what did the Multiple Divine Characters Faction actually want to do?! Chen Yong paid no attention to anyone else. He looked at Elder Sun, still smiling his honest, unassuming smile. Seeing Elder Sun's face drain of color, Chen Yong smiled, then turned to look at Su Yu, his eyes filled with emotions beyond words... *Can you... no longer endure it?* *Understandable, really!* *You're still so young!* *Even I can hardly endure it anymore.* *Perhaps... you deserve a better future.* *Today, you stand here alone, and it seems your martial uncle can no longer do much for you. If you wish to leave... then I can only wish you smooth sailing and a boundless future ahead.* Chen Yong looked at him, and Su Yu looked back at his martial uncle. Without a word. Su Yu bowed slightly in gratitude. A bitter smile surfaced on Chen Yong's face. He turned back toward Sun Xiang and said softly, "Elder Sun, if the Single Divine Character Faction is this useless, why not just disband?" Sun Xiang's expression fluctuated wildly! Nature Nourishing fighting Tengkong, Tengkong killing Lingyun, Lingyun fighting Shanhai... Was the Multiple Divine Characters Faction truly invincible? He didn't believe it! He wanted to test it! Yet deep down, a sense of trepidation stirred within him. He looked repeatedly at Chen Yong, who continued to watch him with a faint smile. By now, more and more people had gathered from all directions. A large number of elders had arrived! A clash between students had already escalated into an impending clash between elders. "Martial Uncle, please step down!" At this moment, Su Yu spoke with a smile. "Martial Uncle, unless the Xia family designates a battle zone, Shanhai experts are not permitted to engage in battles to the death. Martial Uncle, thank you, but please leave the stage!" A life-and-death battle between Shanhai experts could not be decided arbitrarily within the prefecture unless it was out in the wilderness. A life-and-death arena duel did not extend to the Shanhai Realm. Lingyun, however, had no such restriction! Chen Yong turned to look at him. After a long silence, he sighed, then chuckled softly. "I was only joking with Elder Sun—testing whether Elder Sun knows the rules. I was worried that the Single Divine Character Faction doesn't even understand the basic regulations anymore." "What Martial Uncle says is entirely true!" Su Yu said with a grin. "The Single Divine Character Faction is already finished. Anyone with eyes can see it. A bunch of useless trash, from the elders down to the students. Aside from infighting, internal strife, and petty schemes... they have nothing left." Chen Yong smiled and said no more, cupping his hands toward Elder Sun. "Elder Sun, it was just a joke. Shanhais cannot duel to the death. When there's an opportunity, you can always have the Lingyuns of your faction give it a try!" With that, he stepped down from the arena with a smile. Elder Sun looked thoroughly disgraced, while Yu Hong was utterly incensed. "Chen Yong, you are provoking the dignity of an elder!" Walking down from the stage, Chen Yong looked at her and said with a smile, "Elder Yu, don't misunderstand. As the Director of the Library Pavilion, I am theoretically of the same rank as an elder. A few small jokes hardly count as provocation. Of course, if Elder Yu insists on seeing it that way, you can consider it so." Yu Hong glared at him coldly. "Chen Yong, since you've kept your head down for so many years, don't go sticking it out now. Be careful you don't follow in certain people's footsteps!" Chen Yong looked at her and walked toward her step by step, closing the distance. Soon, he stood right before her and said softly, "I know who you're referring to. Yu Hong, I will remember you!" Yu Hong's pupils constricted slightly! At this moment, Chen Yong bore neither a smile nor fury! Only pure calm! Chen Yong said nothing further. He retreated, walked over to Wu Jia's side, and gently stroked her head, smiling. His gaze drifted toward Su Yu from the corner of his eye... Soon, he smiled faintly, letting out a quiet sigh in his heart. ... Up on the stage, Su Yu paid no more mind to any of this. He made no further sound. Closing his eyes, he cultivated! Aperture fusion! Not only was he fusing apertures, but he was also igniting the "Fire" divine character. He cultivated in earnest, his divine charm becoming pronounced as his acupoints flickered like stars. His divine characters coordinated, and his eight-character battle technique gradually separated into its components. No one could see it. They saw only his dominance and his strength. One person, one saber. Robes as white as snow. He had laid down this life-and-death arena, yet not a single person dared set foot upon it. Celebration Day... had become all the more ironic. All the more laughable! Elder Sun and the others gradually regained their composure and left one by one. As they departed, some looked back at Su Yu as if looking at a dead man. *Unless you hide inside the academy for the rest of your life, once you step outside... we will kill you!* *You must be killed!* If they didn't kill Su Yu, what had happened today would soon spread across the entire Great Xia Prefecture and throughout the Human Realm. A mere Nature Nourishing cultivator had intimidated the entire Single Divine Character Faction. A disgrace! ... The news spread wider and wider! At the Great Xia War Academy. The news broke out. "Big news!" "Su Yu of the Great Xia Civilization Academy set up a life-and-death arena! With three slashes, he struck down Zhai Feng, the number one student on the Top 100 Rankings! Now he's challenging all early-stage Tengkongs, and not a single one dares take the stage!" "Even a fifth-stage Tengkong from the Single Divine Character Faction was intimidated and didn't dare step up! It's incredible!" "..." The Great Xia War Academy was in an uproar. Some spread the word everywhere, while others hurried to ask, "Su Yu? The Su Yu who created the Aperture Fusion Technique?" "That's him! He's also the one who created the Soul Devour Art!" "That guy... is a newcomer, isn't he?" "Yeah, a freshman who only enrolled this year!" "..." The news spread completely. Previously, Su Yu had only been famous within the Great Xia Civilization Academy, but today, his name rang across the entire Great Xia Prefecture. The madman Su Yu! The monstrous genius Su Yu! On Celebration Day, he had severed Zhai Feng with his saber—the number one student on the Top 100 Rankings! He had established a life-and-death ring and intimidated the Great Xia Prefecture so thoroughly that no one dared step up. *This is a freshman?!* *This is terrifying!* From this, some people even deduced other matters. A while ago, a third-stage Tengkong and a fifth-stage Tengkong from the All-Races Sect had been killed. Some said they hadn't been slain by the Xia family, but by Su Yu himself! Before even reaching the Tengkong Realm, Su Yu had already killed two Tengkongs! No, three! Zhai Feng had broken through! Zhai Feng, the top student of the Top 100, had broken through to Tengkong right on the arena stage. Su Yu had allowed him to break through before cutting him down! Nature Nourishing slaying Tengkong! In this instant, some older figures couldn't help but recall the stunning youth from years past—Liu Wenyan! He, too, had slain a Tengkong while in the Nature Nourishing Realm! "The Multiple Divine Characters Integration Faction..." At this moment, countless people murmured to themselves. The Multiple Divine Characters Faction produced true monsters. No wonder. No wonder the Single Divine Character Faction had never been able to completely suppress them over all these years. ... Longwu Academy, Jiutian Academy, Wendao Academy... One academy after another circulated these tales. The news disseminated with astonishing speed. Su Yu of the Great Xia Prefecture! On this day, the name spread to all corners. ... Time trickled by. There were no great battles, yet more and more onlookers gathered. Looking at the youth on the stage, countless people felt their blood boil, mixed with an indescribable feeling. What feeling was it? They couldn't articulate it! They only felt an emotion rising from the depths of their hearts, longing to erupt, longing for release, yet they did not know how to express it. What kind of emotion was that? They didn't know; they couldn't tell. The sky gradually darkened. It was time for the Top 100 Banquet to begin. Yet at this moment, who was in the mood to attend any banquet? And right then, someone arrived. Someone from the Xia family! Marquis Xia arrived. King Daxia was not present, Xia Longwu was not present—only Marquis Xia came. The crowd parted. Marquis Xia looked at Su Yu on the stage in silence, without a word. He simply watched him. After an unknown amount of time had passed, Marquis Xia spoke. "Disperse. Within the Great Xia Prefecture, I will protect you!" Su Yu looked at Marquis Xia, stood up, and bowed slightly. "Thank you, Marquis! I will not leave the stage before midnight. Consider this my gift of celebration for the 350th anniversary of the Great Xia Prefecture's founding!" Marquis Xia's eyes shifted, and he gave a slight nod. "Understood! Still, contending with a bunch of useless trash is beneath your dignity..." With that, he smiled and patted Xia Huyou beside him. "Deliver the Top 100 feast to Su Yu. Let him eat right here on the arena stage!" Xia Huyou was still somewhat perplexed and bewildered. Despite his confusion, he took the food and wine from the attendants behind him and carried them up onto the stage. Marquis Xia laughed heartily. "Top 100 students, enter the Top 100 Building. Let the Top 100 Banquet begin! On this Celebration Day, we should celebrate!" Silence. Silence fell once more. No one could understand it. Under these circumstances, were they really going to hold the banquet? Yet since Marquis Xia had spoken, no one dared object. One student after another took a step forward, turning back to look at Su Yu. Watching him eat the dishes and sip the wine, they felt a strange emptiness inside. ... Soon, inside the Top 100 Building, the Top 100 students ate the tasteless dishes, their minds entirely absent from the banquet. Outside the building, on the arena stage. Su Yu had sent Xia Huyou away and was quietly eating with his senior sister. Wu Jia hadn't picked up on anything, only feeling that her junior brother seemed somewhat different today. What that difference was, she couldn't say for sure. Vaguely, she felt worried. Her junior brother had killed Zhai Feng... would that bring a lot of trouble? She had already heard some people whispering in secret! It was fine while he remained in the academy, but once he stepped outside... no one knew what would happen. Some knew, but didn't dare say it. These matters couldn't be openly discussed. Some felt Su Yu had been too reckless. There had been no need to kill Zhai Feng! Why go that far? In the eyes of many, had he not killed Zhai Feng, there would still have been room for compromise. At worst, he could have just left the Multiple Divine Characters Faction. For a genius like Su Yu, if he ultimately chose to join the Single Divine Character Faction, they surely would have accepted him, wouldn't they? Wu Jia didn't understand. She ate quietly and whispered, "Junior Brother, are you still going to hold the stage?" "Yes!" Su Yu smiled. "Today, I'll hold it to the very end!" Every minute he stayed on this stage was another minute of humiliation for the Single Divine Character Faction! Humiliate them! He would step on their faces to build his own prestige, to forge his own renown. "Will they send anyone else?" "I don't know." Su Yu smiled. He truly didn't know. Would anyone be unable to bear the provocation and step up? He wasn't sure! Anyone who dared step up at this point would be a real man... but if they did, he would kill them! It was as simple as that! Things had reached a point where it was no longer a personal grudge. Having eaten and drunk his fill, Su Yu smiled and said, "Senior Sister, go on down. I'll be fine by myself." "Then..." "Go on!" Wu Jia looked at him, and seeing his resolute expression, she said no more. She quietly packed up the dishes and turned to walk down the stage. Only Su Yu was left standing upon it. Night fell. Inside the Top 100 Building, the atmosphere was lifeless. Around the arena, a crowd began to gather once more. No one spoke. They simply stared at Su Yu, not even knowing what they were looking at or what they were waiting for. Were they waiting for someone from the Single Divine Character Faction to arrive? Would they dare come? Time ticked past. The night deepened, yet the crowd only grew larger. Even people from outside the Civilization Academy managed to sneak in—mostly students or instructors from other academies, or descendants of prominent clans. None of them spoke. Some simply waited. They wondered: if they were in the Single Divine Character Faction's shoes, would they dare take the stage right now? They hardly dared imagine it! After who knew how long, someone finally arrived. The crowd parted to make way. The newcomer was Liu Hong. Upon arriving, Liu Hong wasted no words, getting straight to the point: "Su Yu, you can step down now. You've already killed Zhai Feng. Aren't you satisfied? Must you kill a few more Tengkongs just to prove you're a genius?" Su Yu looked at him and smiled. "Are you admitting defeat?" Liu Hong kept quiet. He had only come under orders; he hadn't wanted to come at all. "Must you insist on this?" Su Yu ignored him, closing his eyes to cultivate, aligning his acupoints and continuing his practice. Liu Hong said nothing more, turning around and walking away. Unless someone took the stage to kill Su Yu today, Su Yu was not going to step down. As he walked, Liu Hong also wondered: *What does Su Yu actually want to achieve?* Things had reached a stage far beyond the petty squabbles of before. If they didn't kill Su Yu now, the Single Divine Character Faction would never be able to hold their heads high again. It was a humiliating disgrace! Why would someone as intelligent as Su Yu force himself into a dead end? ... A single person, a Nature Nourishing student, had suppressed an entire faction. Midnight was fast approaching. The crowd began to stir, filled with noise and hushed whispers. "Does the Single Divine Character Faction really not have a single Tengkong who dares come?" "Coming here would just be throwing their lives away..." "Hard to say. They haven't even clashed yet! Really, not a single one dares show up? With so many people—nearly a hundred Tengkongs, and dozens in the early stages—is there truly not one person with any backbone?" "Indeed. Sigh, how has the Divine Character College fallen to this state!" "..." Some jeered, while others were genuinely disappointed. Even some students and instructors from the Single Divine Character Faction felt a profound sense of disappointment. No one dared fight! No one volunteered! They were simply letting Su Yu humiliate them for an entire day—an utter disgrace! ... All around, some continued to watch. Some overheard the chatter. In a secluded corner, several Tengkong experts flushed red. One sent a voice transmission: "Are we really going to wait until Celebration Day is over? Just let him flaunt his might on the stage like this?" These individuals were all experts from the Single Divine Character Faction. At this moment, they truly could barely stomach it. It was too humiliating! Students and instructors were whispering and pointing at them right now. From this day forward, even if they reached Lingyun or Shanhai, they might never wash away such shame. The news hadn't just spread within the academy; it had leaked outside as well! "If not this... then take the stage? You saw his strength. Even after Zhai Feng broke through, he was slaughtered instantly without the slightest ability to resist." "Zhai Feng had only just broken through. He hadn't even opened any divine apertures..." "..." Several of them debated among themselves as they watched Su Yu on the stage. Shame, powerlessness, struggle, hesitation... too many emotions surged within them. They had never endured such torment on any other day! They wanted to leave, but leaving was merely burying their heads in the sand. Even if they left, they couldn't stop the rumors and gossip. "The Single Divine Character Faction has over a thousand people!" Over a thousand people, intimidated into submission just like that. The more they thought about it, the more suffocated, furious, and unwilling they felt. ... Meanwhile. Inside the Single Divine Character Faction's faculty building. The large conference hall was brightly lit. Over a hundred people had gathered in the hall: Tengkongs, Lingyuns, Shanhais. Complete silence. After a long pause, Elder Sun said impassively, "Pingsheng, where is your teacher?" Zhou Pingsheng lowered his head and muttered, "Still in secluded cultivation. He probably won't emerge until he reaches the Sunmoon Realm." Elder Sun closed his eyes. After a long time, he opened them and said, "Su Yu's strength is likely around the fourth or fifth stage of Tengkong, perhaps... even stronger! Yet he is only challenging third-stage Tengkongs. Everyone, what do you say?" What could they say? No one made a sound. Yu Hong snapped shrilly, "Kill him! If he doesn't die, we will be the laughingstock and disgrace of the entire Human Realm! I said it before: even if it makes us look pathetic, we must kill him! Run a gauntlet! Send Tengkongs up one by one to fight him! Wear him down! Kill him!" "As long as he dies, all disgrace will be forgotten with time!" Still, no one spoke. *How many Tengkong lives do you plan to sacrifice to fill that hole?* *Do you really think people aren't afraid of dying?* *It's easy to preach when it's not your neck on the line!* The elders looked at the early-stage Tengkongs, seeing them with heads lowered, silent. Disappointment, helplessness, and sighs filled the room. Had the Single Divine Character Faction... really fallen to this point? Soon, Liu Hong returned, shaking his head. "He refuses to step down." Elder Sun had anticipated this. Looking at Liu Hong, he said slowly, "If we don't bring down Su Yu, our faction... will likely be nailed to a pillar of shame! Liu Hong, do you have any ideas?" Liu Hong shook his head. No ideas! They couldn't beat the guy; what ideas could there be? "With so many people, does not a single one have a solution?!" Elder Sun roared in fury. "Are we just going to watch with our eyes wide open?!" "Think about yourselves! How many merit points have you taken? How many resources have been spent to nurture you? At this critical juncture, every single one of you only knows how to protect your own skin! Not one is willing to lift a finger for the faction?!" Not a single person was willing to step up! That was the crux of the problem! It filled even him with despair! Was this the Single Divine Character Faction they had painstakingly built over fifty years? It had become an enormous joke! Yu Hong grew even more furious. "A gauntlet! I already said we must take Su Yu down! Even if you don't dare, you must go! Those who don't dare step up deserve to die anyway! I would rather see a few of you die so outsiders can witness our grit, than have people see our cowardice!" Fierce on the outside, weak within! She looked toward Elder Sun and Elder Li, her voice shrill. "If we don't take the stage, how will others view us? A bunch of cowards, a band of weaklings, hollow inside! Even if they are killed by Su Yu, outsiders will at least know that people from the Single Divine Character Faction dare fight... Only by daring to fight can we preserve our prestige! If we don't dare fight, from now on, no one will ever fear or respect us again..." Lacking the strength to match Su Yu could be blamed on Su Yu being too monstrous, too talented. At least someone from the Single Divine Character Faction had dared to step onto the stage! Humiliating though it was, they could still barely preserve their reputation: *Don't mess with us, our people still have grit and still dare fight!* But now... it was no longer just a question of losing a fight. Yu Hong's words were not mere bluster. At this moment, the elders all understood the gravity of the situation. If they left such an impression on the outside world, on the Great Xia Prefecture, and on the Human Realm, the Single Divine Character Faction might very well fracture from within. The Single Divine Character factions of other major prefectures might even distance themselves. They might refuse to acknowledge them! Because they had dragged the reputation of the entire Single Divine Character Faction through the mud! As they were pondering this, someone entered and whispered, "Elders, a message from Jiutian Academy. If our people won't step up, Jiutian can send someone over!" Elder Sun remained silent. Soon, another person reported, "There's word from Wendao Academy asking if we can take down Su Yu before midnight. If not... they can send people to assist in the fight!" Messages arrived in rapid succession. Before long, yet another person entered to report, "Elders, a Shanhai elder from the neighboring Great Shang Prefecture has arrived in person. He has already reached Beifeng City and is currently contacting us, asking if we've taken down Su Yu yet..." "..." Elder Sun's face turned crimson! What a disgrace! Even the Single Divine Character experts from neighboring prefectures couldn't sit still anymore! With Zhou Mingren in seclusion, he was the one presiding over the Single Divine Character Faction. Now, he found himself riding a tiger he couldn't dismount. Su Yu had to be killed. Even if they couldn't kill him today, once he stepped outside, he had to die. Yet today... they absolutely had to fight! Forcibly appointing someone probably wouldn't work. With that in mind, Elder Sun said coldly, "Eyes from all directions are upon us. Someone from the Great Shang Prefecture has even arrived in person. Like it or not, we must fight! Since none of you are willing to take the stage, we will draw lots! Currently, our faction has thirty-six early-stage Tengkong teaching assistants. We will draw six candidates—one out of six. Whoever draws the lot steps onto the stage to fight Su Yu! Even if you die in battle, you must fight! We have nurtured you for years; if you don't even dare fight a Nature Nourishing student, what use are you!" Even dying in battle meant at most six early-stage Tengkongs. Dying in battle was still better than this. At these words, many faces paled. "Draw lots!" Yu Hong shouted as well. "Even if you die, you will die on that arena stage! Die so everyone can see how ruthlessly Su Yu strikes against his own academy peers, how venomous his heart is! Let us see how Su Yu faces the world in the future, even if he wins today!" Many cursed furiously in their hearts! *You're gambling with our lives!* *Gambling our lives just to taint Su Yu's reputation—why don't you go gamble yours?!* *When Chen Yong challenged Elder Sun, why didn't you accept?* *A single ninth-stage Lingyun scared you out of your wits!* Resentment festered! Yet at this juncture, the elders left them no choice. They had to go up. Even if it cost the lives of six Tengkongs, they had to let everyone know that the Single Divine Character Faction dared fight, and let everyone witness how vicious Su Yu was toward his fellow humans! ... Midnight was drawing near. At that moment, the outer crowd parted as a group of people walked forward. Several of them wore grim expressions. The leader shouted angrily as soon as he entered the circle: "Su Yu, a life-and-death duel is reserved for mortal blood feuds! Relying on a bit of talent, you set up this stage and brutally murdered Zhai Feng, provoking the wrath of both gods and humans!" Su Yu said calmly, "If the god race is angry, that's a good thing. Humans might not necessarily share their anger. Are you colluding with the god race?" "..." The man's heart jolted, and he cursed internally! "Su Yu, save your glib tongue! I ask you: are you stepping down or not? We gave you a chance before, but you failed to cherish it. Are you determined to seek your own demise?" The man yelled, "Out of regard for your exceptional talent, the Divine Character College was unwilling to dispute with you further. Must you seek your own destruction and waste all that talent?" Su Yu smiled. Grand words indeed. Of course, perhaps fools would believe them. "You've come with such great fanfare. Are you stepping onto the stage or not? If you are, sign the life-and-death contract! If not, there's no need for further nonsense!" At these words, the newcomers felt utterly helpless. Stepping onto the stage... would they die? If they didn't, they would have to withdraw from the Single Divine Character Faction. The leader gritted his teeth and stepped forward quickly, signing his name. Glaring at Su Yu with venom in his eyes, he hissed, "You don't know what's good for you. In that case, I'll meet you today..." A chorus of gasps rose from the crowd! Someone from the Single Divine Character Faction was taking the stage! "Wang Zhen, third-stage Tengkong, ranked in the top ten of the Top 100 four years ago..." Top ten of the Top 100, reaching the third stage of Tengkong after four years—not particularly weak, but not exceedingly strong either. Now, he stepped onto the arena. Gritting his teeth, without a single word of warning, a long sword burst forward, shooting through the air! No shout, no chance for Su Yu to prepare. Su Yu hadn't even stood up yet. Wang Zhen didn't care about any of that! So long as he could kill Su Yu, nothing else mattered. This was a duel to the death with no referee; why bother with formalities?! Right at that instant, his vision blurred as an immensely powerful burst of origin qi erupted! "Hah!" A thunderous shout caused his sea of will to tremble violently! Wang Zhen didn't even look. A jade talisman appeared directly in his hand, and he launched it immediately, ignoring everything else! A divine talisman! The talisman instantly unleashed an overwhelmingly powerful burst of origin qi, erupting with ten thousand swords! Without preparation, how would he have dared step onto the stage? To kill Su Yu this time, the Single Divine Character Faction had paid a hefty price. With Zhai Feng's fate as a warning, he didn't dare wait until Su Yu was right in front of him before using it. Use it first, think later! Yet at that very moment, the Su Yu before his eyes suddenly dissolved into a pool of water! Yes! A mind-shattering sight unfolded! Su Yu became entirely translucent, turning into a liquid figure in an instant. Like flowing water, he slipped past the countless swords of origin qi in the blink of an eye. The spreading stream instantly wound around Wang Zhen's legs! *Bang!* His legs exploded! A long saber slashed upward from below with a wet *shhhk*, slicing the man clean in two! In the next instant, Su Yu returned to his original form. His face was slightly pale, but he smiled with utter composure. Water transformation! Since he no longer cared today, he dared use any technique at his disposal! This was his capital! As for what others thought... hadn't they seen him swallow a drop of blood essence? Innate blood essence! Of course, it was fake, but believe it or not as they pleased. The surroundings fell dead silent once more, rocked to the core. A third-stage Tengkong... killed just like that? A divine talisman had been deployed, yet Su Yu had evaded it like that! Only after Wang Zhen was slain did the ten thousand swords, losing all guidance, detonate where they stood with a thunderous roar! A wave of origin qi swept in all directions! Incredible destructive power! It was likely close to the ninth stage of Tengkong! Yet... it hadn't touched Su Yu at all! Beneath the stage, the remaining candidates turned deathly pale. One of them suddenly spun around and fled. "Liu Li!" someone bellowed in rage. Liu Li, one of those who had drawn a lot, was actually running away! Liu Li didn't look back! *I don't want to die!* *Wang Zhen was stronger than me. He went up, unleashed a divine talisman, and was killed in an instant. I don't want to end up like that! I'd rather quit the Single Divine Character Faction, I'd rather you hold a grudge against me, I'd rather leave the academy—I just don't want to die like this!* *Even if I have to hide in the academy forever, suppressed and targeted, I refuse to be slaughtered like cattle!* *There is no hope!* *A gauntlet... complete bullshit!* *Fuck you!* *Why didn't Yu Hong and Sun Xiang send their own descendants?!* *To hell with you all!* *My life is a life too! Having cultivated to this day, I refuse to throw it away for nothing!* "Heh..." On the stage, Su Yu chuckled softly and said in a calm voice, "Why throw away your lives? Wouldn't it be better to just admit defeat? Do the rest of you want to come up? My origin qi is heavily depleted..." As Su Yu spoke with a smile, 320 acupoints opened, and the surrounding origin qi surged toward him. In the next moment, his reserves were completely replenished. His face remained entirely placid! At that moment, the remaining candidates turned paper-white! Looking at Wang Zhen's severed corpse... with a bitter cry, another person turned and left. Wang Zhen's death had obliterated the very last shred of their confidence. A third-stage Tengkong was useless! A divine talisman was useless! A battle of attrition was useless! Going up was pure suicide! "I quit... I withdraw from the Single Divine Character Faction... I'm sorry, I... I want to live..." Someone mumbled under their breath, spun around, and hurried away! He didn't want to die either! All around, the silence was terrifying. Even as everyone was shaken to their core, an inexplicable sorrow rose for these people. The backbone of the Single Divine Character Faction had truly been broken!