Chapter 152: Zhang Xuan's Decision

"Lifeblood Pills?""Three of them?"

Hearing this, Zheng Yang, Zhao Ya, and the others immediately started breathing heavily.

Lifeblood Pills were unique to Hongtian Academy, unobtainable even from the Alchemist Guild. They could help martial artists absorb spiritual energy faster, leading to rapid progress.

"Teacher Zhang has done so much for us without asking for anything in return. As his students, we should do something for him!" Zheng Yang's gaze was resolute.

From childhood, he had practiced alone, diligently studying. He had expected that in the academy, a teacher would merely offer guidance and solve problems. However, Teacher Zhang had provided him with more warmth and a different kind of support. He had created cultivation techniques tailored for him, pointed out flaws in his practice, and even risked a pill-debating session to help them improve their strength.

Everything about Teacher Zhang had deeply inspired and moved him.

"Teacher Zhang might not care about these resources, but if all other teachers receive them and he doesn't, it becomes a matter of dignity. As his students, we must secure them for him no matter what!" Zhao Ya also gritted her teeth.

Teacher Zhang could casually give away a Cold Sun Mother Herb worth 100,000, so while Lifeblood Pills were good, he certainly wouldn't value them much. But this wasn't about resources anymore; it was about reputation. If so many teachers in the academy received them and he didn't, what would his dignity be?

Since he was away from the academy on business, "Teacher, we, your students, will fight for your reputation! We will protect your dignity for you!"

Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, Liu Yang, and the others all had firm gazes, showing no hesitation or wavering.

"Alright, we'll challenge the Student Battle Arena!"

Nodding in agreement, Zheng Yang took the long spear from his back, assembled it section by section, and with a flick of his wrist, it hummed with a weeping sound, as if ready to leap at any moment.

"This is your choice, don't regret it!"

Zhou Tian let out a cold laugh and waved his hand. "Come out, everyone! Someone wants to challenge you. It's time to teach them a lesson. As long as you defeat them, I'll give each of you a portion of Lifeblood Powder!"

Following the shout, a crowd approached. They were all new students this year, numbering forty to fifty.

"I have a total of forty-seven students. No matter how many of you participate, as long as you defeat all of them, you win!" Zhou Tian's lips curved upward.

"Forty-seven..."

Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the others' lips twitched. They clearly hadn't expected that this new teacher, who had only just joined the academy this year, could have gathered so many students.

"Let's fight, we can't lose face!"

The Student Battle Arena had its own rules: one could choose a rotating challenge or face multiple opponents simultaneously. As long as they defeated all of the teacher's students, they would win.

Since they had made their choice, there was nothing to hesitate about. With a leap, Zheng Yang was the first to jump onto the arena.

One of Zhou Tian's students also leaped onto the stage.

The battle began immediately.

"Zhou Tian?"

Walking with large strides, Zhang Xuan's brows furrowed after listening to Yuan Tao's explanation.

This teacher had never been offended, neither in his past life nor after his reincarnation. So why the deliberate targeting? Although the academy was calmer than the outside world, it was still a place of hidden struggles and rivalries. However, Zhou Tian was a teacher in the Student Affairs office, with no conflict of interest with Zhang Xuan. In such an ambiguous situation—where the pills could be issued or not—many teachers would not choose to antagonize. Moreover, Zhang Xuan had just brought down the Head of Student Affairs. While students might not know much, as a teacher, Zhou Tian must have been aware of the news. To still deliberately cause trouble—wasn't he asking for it?

"I heard he used to be Elder Shang Chen's student, and it was the latter who arranged for him to stay at the academy," Yuan Tao said, having heard the news from somewhere.

"So that's it!"

That explained everything. Since Zhang Xuan had caused Elder Shang Chen to lose his position as Head of Student Affairs and possibly face punishment from the Teacher's Guild, it was natural for Shang Chen's student to try and stand up for his teacher.

"However, my face isn't so easily slapped!"

Knowing the reason, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Wanting to humiliate him wasn't impossible, but it depended on whether Zhou Tian's "hand" was strong enough!

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Several consecutive punches landed heavily on Zheng Yang's back. He felt a sweet taste in his mouth, and the hand holding the long spear seemed to be unable to bend properly.

After several days of progress, his cultivation had significantly increased again. Teacher Zhou Tian's students were no match for him individually, but they had numbers on their side! This was the fifth opponent, and he was already struggling to hold on.

If it had been a simple rotating challenge, he wouldn't have been so exhausted. The opponents seemed to have premeditated this, constantly circling and avoiding direct confrontation, clearly aiming to drain his stamina.

"Hold on, you must hold on!"

Zheng Yang gritted his teeth, used his last ounce of strength, and with a shake of his long spear, defeated the fifth student.

"Haha, can't hold on anymore?"

With a loud laugh, the sixth student leaped onto the stage and kicked him in the chest. Zheng Yang stumbled back seven or eight steps. If not for a sheer force of will, he would have fallen off the arena long ago.

"If you can't hold on, stop pretending! How dare you challenge Teacher Zhou's dignity? Get off the stage!"

The sixth student sneered, wielding a long staff, and swung it towards Zheng Yang.

Judging by the speed of the strike, if it connected, Zheng Yang would definitely be seriously injured.

"Block it..."

His face contorted, Zheng Yang tried to raise his long spear to defend, but found he was always a step too slow. Knowing the staff would definitely hit him and having no other option, he closed his eyes.

He expected to immediately cough up blood and fall from the Student Battle Arena. However, after waiting for a long time without anything happening, he quickly opened his eyes. He then saw a back figure, not very tall but firm and trustworthy, standing in front of him.

The long staff that the sixth student had wildly swung was now clamped between two of his fingers. No matter how hard the opponent struggled, he couldn't pull it free.

"Teacher Zhang..."

With just one glance, he recognized him. The figure before him was indeed Teacher Zhang Xuan. Wasn't he supposed to be away from the academy? How did he get here?

It was indeed Zhang Xuan who had clamped the opponent's staff. He had just arrived behind Yuan Tao and, seeing this scene, immediately leaped onto the stage.

The wager with Teacher Lu Xun was only about ten days away. These young ones absolutely couldn't get injured, or there would be no need to even fight!

Zhou Tian, hating Zhang Xuan because he had brought down Shang Chen, knew he wasn't Zhang Xuan's match. He had likely provoked Zheng Yang and the others with words deliberately, probably aiming for this exact outcome: If Zheng Yang and the others were injured, Zhang Xuan would undoubtedly lose the Teacher Qualification Evaluation. Therefore, seeing that there was no time to lose, Zhang Xuan directly jumped onto the stage.

"Zhang Xuan, what do you mean by this? Your students initiated a Student Battle Arena challenge. Are you, as a teacher, trying to attack my students?"

Seeing him rush over, Zhou Tian wasn't too surprised; his eyes merely flashed.

"Attack your students? You're overthinking it!"

With a flick of his finger, the opponent's long staff immediately broke into several pieces. Zhang Xuan clapped his hands and raised an eyebrow.

"Then what's the meaning of jumping onto the Student Battle Arena? Do you want to back out? However, it seems it's too late. Your students have already accepted the challenge and have already injured five of mine. This competition today will continue whether you like it or not; it's not up to you! Unless..." At this point, Zhou Tian's lips curled into a cold smile. "Unless you admit defeat yourself and acknowledge that your students are inferior to mine!"

"We can't surrender!"

"Even if we have to give it our all today, we will win!"

Hearing the blatant taunt, Zheng Yang and the others clenched their fists, their faces flushed. If they truly surrendered today, they would never be able to hold their heads high in the academy again.

"Surrender?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Are you still dreaming?"

"Hmph, if that's the case, then let's continue. Teacher Zhang, please step down!" Zhou Tian flicked his sleeve. "A teacher interfering in a student's match—isn't that a bit like bullying the weak?"

"Don't be so eager!" Zhang Xuan smiled faintly. "I'm not surrendering, nor did I say I want to continue the Student Battle Arena match!"

"Not continue? The Student Battle Arena challenge has already begun; there's no reason to stop it. It's too late to regret it now," Zhou Tian scoffed.

"My students' decision is my decision. Since they challenged the Student Battle Arena, I naturally have no regrets!" Zhang Xuan looked over. "However, I find a mere Student Battle Arena challenge too uninteresting. How about we directly have a Teacher Battle Arena? I wonder if you dare to accept?"

"What? Challenge the Teacher Battle Arena? Is this guy crazy?"

"Is something wrong with his head?"

"The Teacher Battle Arena is where students challenge a teacher. I just watched his students; they could barely win in the Student Battle Arena. And now they want to challenge a teacher? Isn't that just dreaming?"

Other teachers and students from the Student Affairs office, hearing Zhang Xuan's words, all stared in astonishment, frozen in place.

In a Student Battle Arena, students, dissatisfied with a teacher, challenge all of their students to force the teacher to admit wrongdoing. In a Teacher Battle Arena, however, students directly challenge the teacher themselves. If they win, admitting wrongdoing is secondary; both the teacher's dignity and reputation would be severely insulted.

Of course, since students are much lower in rank than teachers, victory in a direct fight is impossible. For fairness, in a Teacher Battle Arena, the teacher must suppress their cultivation to match the student's. Even so, it wasn't truly fair. As a teacher, one's vision and mastery of combat far surpassed that of a student. Even at the same cultivation level, it would be impossible for the student to win.

Not only were the onlookers stunned, but even Zheng Yang, Zhao Ya, and the others stumbled, almost fainting. They had thought their challenge to the Student Battle Arena was audacious enough, completely unaware of their limits. But Teacher Zhang was even more incredible, instantly proposing a Teacher Battle Arena. "You must be joking."

Although Teacher Zhou Tian's cultivation was not high among the many teachers, only at the early stage of Martial Artist 4-dan, Skin-Bone Realm, he was still a genuine teacher, not someone that small fries like them, only at Martial Artist 1-dan, Gathering Breath Realm, could defeat.

"Teacher Battle Arena? You want these students to challenge me?" Zhou Tian seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world.

"What? Are you scared?" Zhang Xuan looked at him.

"Haha, you're asking for death!" Zhou Tian burst into laughter. "Alright, I accept! If you win, I'll give you ten Lifeblood Pills directly. But if you lose, hehe, I won't ask for anything from you, just kneel down before me!"