Leo was surprised to see Su Yang follow him outside the classroom.
He had been about to leave when the class erupted into another round of giggles, followed by an abrupt silence—until the professor’s furious shout rang out once more.
"Get out!"
This time, it was Su Yang who stepped out.
Having no idea what Su Yang had done wrong, Leo looked at him, confusion evident in his eyes.
For a brief moment, Su Yang met his gaze with a frown, but then, as if flipping a switch, his usual smug smile returned, and he let out a loud chuckle.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Skyshard? Did you really think you were the only one he had a vendetta against?" Su Yang asked, his choice of words leaving Leo utterly perplexed.
"Vendetta?"
"Of course it’s a vendetta," Su Yang scoffed. "We’re not the first batch David has taught, and every single year, without fail, he targets the top talents in the class—humiliating them daily just to make the less gifted students feel like the universe is a fair and equal place."
Leo narrowed his eyes as Su Yang continued, his tone laced with amusement.
"Senior Brother Du Liang already warned me about his biased behavior, which is why I came prepared with a response in case he decided to poke me today.
And that dumb motherfucker did poke me. So, naturally, I put him in his place," Su Yang said, his grin widening.
"So that’s how it was…" Leo murmured, realization settling in. "For a moment, I couldn’t understand why I was kicked out for doing absolutely nothing. But it turns out… he just hates talent."
Su Yang shrugged, completely unbothered.
"Anyone without talent hates those who have it, Skyshard. That’s how the universe works.
The commoners despise the six great clans because we only intermarry amongst ourselves, keeping our bloodlines pure. But do you know what happens to the clan members who marry out of love, outside of the great clans?"
Without waiting for a response, Su Yang answered his own question.
"They face heavy social stigma. They struggle with cultural differences.
The commoners reject them, unable to accept their refined upbringing, and their lives become an endless cycle of squabbling and regret.
Their children are born weaker, lacking the clan’s support, and they don’t receive the same training or privileges as a noble heir.
In the end, those who marry for love either abandon their partners to return to the clan or die bitter and disillusioned."
Su Yang crossed his arms, his voice taking on an air of finality.
"The world of nobles and commoners is like oil and water, Skyshard.
We may exist within the same academy, much like oil and water in a single vessel, but we can never mix.
Oil will always rise above water—yet some people refuse to accept this fundamental truth of the universe."
His gaze sharpened, his words carrying an unmistakable edge.
"You and I, we are oil. But unlike you, Skyshard, I wear my heritage with pride.
My grandfather is the Su Family God, and his blood runs through my veins. So I’ll be damned if I let some second-rate teacher insult me in class."
His words left Leo with much to think about.
Before this class, Leo did not expect teachers to have biases against the students. However, perhaps he was being too naive.
Just like how there would be a few instructors who would be blown away by Leo and Su Yang’s talent and favor them in class.
There would be some that disliked them for the same.
There were all kinds of people in the universe, and it was a dumb choice to drop one’s guard against any of them.
"Come on Skyshard, let’s head over to the Practical Combat Arena.
This is a good opportunity for both of us to spar without a thousand eyes on us–" Su Yang urged, as Leo looked towards Su Yang with his eyebrow raised.
On a deep level, he did not mind sparring with Su Yang today, hell, he even felt excited for it.
However, without knowing how to circulate mana or use his skills, he felt hesitant to head into a fight, which he knew he could not win.
"What? You’re too scared to fight me?" Su Yang asked, as he sensed Leo’s hesitation, however, Leo only shook his head in response.
"No, I’m not scared. Let’s go–" He said, as Su Yang slapped his back hard.
"Now that’s what I expect from my rival. Hahaha, this spar is going to be legendary!" Su Yang said, as both of them grinned and jogged their way towards the practical combat arena.
*********
Leo was not naïve.
He did not let fleeting emotions cloud his judgment, and although it appeared as if he had agreed to spar with Su Yang on a whim, that was far from the truth.
From the moment he set foot in the academy, Leo had known that, sooner or later, he would have to spar against other students—many of whom could likely wipe the floor with him.
To avoid that fate, he first needed to understand where he stood in the class hierarchy and gauge his own strength.
After the morning’s physical training session, Leo found himself genuinely intrigued. His body possessed remarkable endurance, yet he had no memory of ever training it.
Despite that gap in knowledge, the results spoke for themselves—his physique was far superior to that of an average human.
Just this morning, he had run over 40 kilometers without stopping, maintaining speeds that would be impossible even for professional marathon runners.
Hence, it was clear that his physical capabilities exceeded the limits of peak human performance.
And that was why he agreed to spar with Su Yang, for he was desperate to know just how strong he truly was.
—
As the duo stepped into the Practical Combat Facility, they were greeted by the in-house instructor, Major Hen, who seemed perplexed by their early arrival.
"Why are you boys here so early? Class doesn’t start for another hour and a half," the major remarked, his gaze shifting between the two students.
Su Yang stepped forward to answer, his usual arrogance tempered by an air of respect.
"Major, this is Leo Skyshard, and I’m Su Yang. We’re both Monarch-level talents, and we were politely dismissed from Professor David’s class earlier today.
Since we have some free time, we’d like to spar and stretch our muscles a bit.
It would be an honor if you could officiate the bout."
Leo raised a brow.
Unlike his usual brashness, Su Yang’s tone carried an unexpected level of decorum. He spoke to the major with genuine respect—something that didn’t go unnoticed.
Major Hen studied them for a moment before exhaling through his nose, a small smirk forming on his lips.
"Ah, what the hell… Why not? This should be an interesting fight to watch."
He crossed his arms and gave them a firm look.
"Gear up. And remember—no targeting the vital organs, eyes, or groin.
Unless you want me to personally beat the crap out of both of you."
Su Yang bowed slightly in gratitude.
"Thank you, Major."
Wasting no time, he turned and rushed toward the weapons rack in the corner, his enthusiasm evident.
Leo followed suit, his fingers skimming over the selection until he found a dagger that felt comfortable in his grip.