Chapter 225: Yuantao vs Kong Jie

In the main seating area, a hint of gloom and anxiety clouded Shen Biru's flawless face. Having left Tianxuan Royal City on business after the Academy Heart Inquisition, Shen Biru had only returned yesterday. The moment she heard about the upcoming Teacher Evaluation, she was so startled she nearly fainted.

Was Zhang Xuan out of his mind? Who was Lu Xun? He was the face of Hongtian Academy, a genuine star teacher. Competing against him... wasn't that just asking for trouble? Moreover, Lu Xun had specifically recruited students from other teachers, students who could counteract Zhao Ya and the others!

"Why was he so reckless...?" Clenching her teeth, Shen Biru grew even more frustrated recalling yesterday's events. After hearing the news, she had wanted to dissuade him, but... the fellow wasn't even there! She had waited all night outside his dorm, but he never returned.

The competition was tomorrow, and Lu Xun reportedly coached his students all night without rest. Yet Zhang Xuan, on the other hand, had simply abandoned his students and stayed out all night. Was this any way to prepare for a match? He had such audacity! Did he believe there was no hope of winning and simply gave up?

Based on incidents involving the Library, Hongtian Tower, and the Academy Heart Inquisition, she had assumed that Teacher Zhang merely had a bad reputation but was, in fact, a meticulous and diligent person. Now, it seemed... meticulous and diligent, my foot! Who had ever heard of someone disappearing for days right before a major competition?

"What's on your mind? You've been distracted ever since you returned." As Shen Biru simmered in her thoughts, a beautiful face appeared before her: Han Qiong, another stunning teacher from the academy.

Han Qiong was also a rare beauty, only slightly less captivating than Shen Biru in appearance. However, at around twenty-five, she was at the peak of her feminine radiance, her figure soft and alluring, qualities in which Shen Biru paled in comparison. Consequently, more people were infatuated with Teacher Han Qiong, far outnumbering Shen Biru's admirers. Despite their shared status as popular female teachers, they shared a close bond and were considered best friends.

"It's that Zhang Xuan! I have no idea what he's thinking. He just cleared his name, and now he insists on competing against Teacher Lu Xun!" Shen Biru fumed, "If he loses, no one will believe anything that happened previously!" The Academy Heart Inquisition had just proven the teaching office framed him, but if he lost this competition, all sorts of rumors would resurface, and no one would believe a word he said ever again.

"It seems... you're quite concerned about him?" Han Qiong smiled faintly, a knowing glint in her eyes.

"Who cares about him? He's just an arrogant fellow!" Shen Biru huffed.

"Good, good. I thought our beautiful Shen was finally falling for someone!" Stretching languidly, revealing a captivating curve, Han Qiong didn't press the matter further. Instead, she asked with a hint of curiosity, "By the way, you mentioned... who do you think will win their competition?"

"Zhang Xuan's five students, Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the others, are all quite capable. However, Teacher Lu Xun has specifically designed his strategy against them. The students he chose, like Mo Xiao, are all meant to counteract them. I'm afraid... they'll lose right from the beginning."

Discussing the potential winner, Shen Biru's earlier frustration and anger dissipated, replaced by a calm, sagacious look in her eyes. As an academy teacher, she was intimately familiar with the students' capabilities. Upon hearing about the competition, she had specifically investigated and learned of Lu Xun's precise arrangements. Lu Xun's approach was truly cunning, but in truth, it also demonstrated the qualities of an excellent teacher. Regardless of the opponent, giving one's all and securing the most advantageous conditions were fundamental qualities that both teachers and cultivators ought to possess.

"Unless..." At this, Shen Biru paused, her eyes flashing with insight. "Unless Zhao Ya and the others all reach the Warrior Second Realm. With that level advantage, perhaps they could still put up a fight!" The students Lu Xun had chosen were specifically meant to counter Zhao Ya and the others. Unless Zhang Xuan's students achieved a breakthrough, they wouldn't be able to overcome this suppression. Otherwise, there was truly no hope of victory.

"Indeed!" Han Qiong nodded in agreement.

"Look, Teacher Zhang and his students are here...""What powerful auras! Zhao Ya and the others... have actually reached Warrior Second Realm?""This... that can't be right! Warrior Second Realm in just half a month?"

As the two women worried, they heard a sudden uproar from the crowd. Then, they saw Zhang Xuan approaching, accompanied by Zhao Ya and the others. At this moment, Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and the rest exuded auras as sharp as blades. Every movement they made radiated immense power. Warrior Second Realm! Aside from Yuan Tao, who was still at the late stage of the Pulse Convergence Realm, everyone else had actually reached the Dantian Realm!

"This..." Shen Biru's eyes widened. "It seems Teacher Zhang Xuan, despite appearing unreliable, is actually quite impressive!" Han Qiong chuckled.

"Now, only Yuan Tao is a bit weaker; the others still have a good chance of winning..." Shen Biru nodded, but just as she was about to continue speaking, her pretty face suddenly blanched.

"What's wrong?" Han Qiong asked, confused by her friend's sudden change.

"It's... Teacher Lu and his students!" Shen Biru clenched her delicate fists.

"Teacher Lu? So what? Zhao Ya and the others are all at Warrior Second Realm; their chances of winning are high..." Han Qiong smiled, about to continue, when she noticed Lu Xun, Zhu Hong, Mo Xiao, and the others approaching from not far away. Her lips twitched, and she froze. "Warrior Third Realm? His students... have actually all reached Warrior Third Realm?"

"Warrior Third Realm, True Qi Realm... they can use True Qi, their strength exceeds 300 kilograms... How can they win?" Both women stood rigid with shock.

The Warrior Second and Third Realms marked a significant divide. In the first realm, Pulse Convergence, spiritual energy coursed through the body, transforming an ordinary person into a warrior capable of cultivation. The second realm, Dantian, involved accumulating and channeling spiritual energy within the body to expand the dantian. Upon reaching the third realm, True Qi, genuine qi could circulate internally, making one's physique, reflexes, and strength far superior to those in the first two realms. Reaching the True Qi Realm significantly elevated one's life essence. If they were mere commoners before, they were now akin to fierce tigers or wolves. How could Zhang Xuan's students possibly compete?

They had just seen Zhao Ya and the others reach the Warrior Second Realm and thought victory was within reach. Now, however, it seemed... victory was impossible! There was no chance whatsoever.

"To win... a miracle would be required!" Shen Biru forced a bitter smile. If she had previously held onto a sliver of hope for Teacher Zhang's victory, that last bit of optimism had now vanished.

The two stunning women were utterly flabbergasted, and the other teachers watching the event were equally dumbfounded, falling silent. All eyes turned to Zhang Xuan, filled with pity. Competing against Teacher Lu Xun... was indeed asking for a beating!

"Warrior Second Realm against Third Realm? Master Alchemist Zhang... that's a very precarious position!" Like the other teachers, President Ouyang and Master Alchemist Du Man exchanged glances and shook their heads in unison.

"Indeed, their life essences are on different levels. There's simply no chance of victory!""It seems Master Alchemist Zhang... is destined to lose!"

Many alchemists reached the same conclusion simultaneously, sighing in resignation. The moment Zhang Xuan and Lu Xun made their appearance, many in the crowd had already made their assessment. The scales of victory had decisively tilted in Lu Xun's favor.

"Today is the Freshman Grand Competition. However, before that, we will first proceed with a wager between teachers: the Teacher Evaluation between Teacher Lu Xun and Teacher Zhang Xuan!"

Seeing both protagonists arrive, the Dean, who had been absent for a long time, stood on the competition platform, his voice echoing throughout the academy. Upon hearing the announcement, Zhang Xuan and Lu Xun, as the main participants, led their students onto the competition platform and took their seats on opposite sides.

In a Teacher Evaluation, it was student versus student; teachers could only observe from the sidelines and were not permitted to interfere. Of course, the combat portion was merely one segment of the evaluation, which also included written tests and potential assessments. However, as cultivators prioritized strength, a failure in the combat portion meant that any success in later assessments would be utterly meaningless.

"Who goes first?" Oblivious to the murmuring crowd, Zhang Xuan calmly looked at his five students.

"I'll go!" Yuan Tao stepped forward. Zhang Xuan nodded. With Yuan Tao's Dragon Rhinoceros bloodline activated, Zhang Xuan felt quite reassured.

"Kong Jie, go on. Defeat this fellow who ranked last in the entrance exam!" Seeing Zhang Xuan send out the student who had ranked last in the entrance examination for the first match, Lu Xun sneered coldly. After a night of individual guidance, his five students had already consolidated their early Warrior Third Realm cultivation and were proficient in the application of True Qi. With such strength, it would be effortless to defeat several Warrior Second Realm opponents.

"Once you're utterly defeated, what right will you have to be an apprentice of three masters!" His eyes gleamed, and Lu Xun sneered coldly. All his efforts had been for this day. Once his students publicly defeated Zhang Xuan's, he'd see how Zhang Xuan could still have the gall to claim apprenticeship to three famous masters. By then, he would ensure everyone knew that he, Lu Xun, was the most invincible being in all of Hongtian Academy.

"Senior Kong, please be merciful..." Looking at his opponent, Yuan Tao put on a pitiful expression. "You see how fat I am, and my strength is only at Warrior First Realm..."

"Mercy?" Kong Jie's lips curled into a sneer, his eyes flashing with disdain. "I never show mercy in battle! You either surrender immediately, or... I'll beat you off the stage. Choose!"

"Surrender? If I surrender, Teacher Zhang will kill me..." Yuan Tao said, looking aggrieved, and took a few steps forward.

"If you don't want to surrender, then prepare to be thrown off the stage. It's that simple!" Ignoring Yuan Tao's apparent weakness, Kong Jie sneered coldly. The battle hadn't even begun, yet this fellow was already feigning weakness and begging for mercy. Truly bizarre. However, this also revealed that Teacher Zhang possessed no true ability, and Teacher Lu was guaranteed to win.

"How about this? I can't beat you anyway, so after a short while, we'll pretend to exchange a few blows, and I'll surrender. That way, Teacher Zhang won't blame me. As long as you cooperate, I'll give you a thousand... oh, no, five hundred... three hundred gold coins as compensation." Moving closer to his opponent, Yuan Tao lowered his voice.

"Three hundred gold coins? A fake fight?" Kong Jie was momentarily stunned. "Do you even have that much gold?"

"I do! Look!" Yuan Tao reached into his pocket with his left hand and fumbled.

Kong Jie instinctively lowered his head to look. However, before he could glimpse any gold coins, a fist swiftly cut through the air toward him.

"I fell for it..." Only then did he realize he had definitely been fooled. Feigning weakness, playing pitiful, then bribery, and a sneak attack... Damn it, how could anyone be so shameless? With so many students watching, what kind of hero does something like this?

His heart sank, but it was too late. His pupils contracted as an overwhelming force surged towards him. Before he could even react, a violent pain exploded across his face. He was sent flying backward, landing outside the competition platform.