Chapter 369: First Encounter With Xia Yuwen (1)
"Soul Devouring Art!"
"Did they really finish deriving it?"
"Su Yu has really cultivated it. He didn't use any blood essence this time."
Near the ring, the expressions of several researchers changed. Corroding and burning willpower. Was this really something source qi could do? Was this the result of source qi mutation?
Wave after wave of willpower advanced toward the ring. They were careful to keep some distance from Su Yu to prevent any misunderstandings. Instead, the waves of willpower were sent toward Zhu Hong and company. Their willpower injuries were studied by the researchers. Were the injuries caused by source qi or willpower?
In the ring.
Su Yu was standing there indifferent. Ignoring what those people were saying, he said, "The first top 100 single character faction member ranked above me, please get in the ring."
Among the crowd, Liu He's face turned unsightly.
"It's me." He clenched his teeth and refused to enter the ring. He sullenly said, "I concede."
Previously, he had been kicked off the ranking by Su Yu. With great difficulty, he had finally climbed to the 92nd rank. It was pointless to fight Su Yu here since he already wasn't Su Yu's match previously.
Nobody said anything. Some of the researchers were unhappy with his choice, but they chose to keep their mouths shut when they recalled Zhu Hong's fate. Heavy injuries. Su Yu was too strong and overbearing.
"The next student ranked above me. Where are you?" Su Yu hollered, "Do all of you lack the courage to enter the ring? Since you don't have the courage, then you should learn your place and shut your mouth. Do you feel good about yourself for being able to bully my injured senior sister? Enter the ring!"
Su Yu's voice was loud and clear.
"You don't dare? Are top 100 students so cowardly that they don't even dare to accept a challenge?" Su Yu's source qi erupted to further increase the volume of his voice, "Fine. Those wishing to fight for the single character faction can enter the ring. People love to bully those who are kind. Today, I will personally witness the strength of the shameless and girl-bullying single character faction."
"Su Yu."
Near the ring, a researcher coldly berated, "Enough. Don't keep bringing the single character faction up. The challenge between students is allowed by the academy rules. Everything that has happened is allowed by the rules. You are speaking rudely like a barbarian. Do you still look like a cultural researcher?"
Su Yu looked at the researcher and loudly replied, "Speaking rudely? Teacher, if you believe that I'm being rude, then so be it. Dozens of perfectly healthy students were bullying my injured senior sister yet you think you're right? Fine. I hereby challenge Huang Qifeng. Get his ass out here. How about a fight to the death?"
Su Yu roared, "Do you dare to accept the challenge? If Huang Qifeng dares to enter the ring, I can even fight without willpower. I'll hack him to death with my physical strength. Do you dare to accept the challenge?"
Do you dare? His voice spread far and wide. The researcher who had spoken earlier had an ugly expression. He did not answer. Huang Qifeng? He had only woken up. Entering the ring? Nonsense! Were they really not worried that he would be killed?
The moment Su Yu used Huang Qifeng and Wu Jia as a comparison, the single character faction lost all ground. What else could they say? Suddenly, some of the students started moving aside. Cries of alarm rang out among the students.
Beyond the crowd, a youth clad in a black robe with his hands clasped behind him, shoulder length hair, and a cold expression was walking over. A lot of people looked at the newcomer in astonishment. Why was this person here?
Further away, Liu Hong hurriedly hid himself behind a tree, acting like a thief. Looking at the newcomer, he cursed inwardly. Wasn't this fellow supposed to return after one month? Why was he here already?
"Researcher Xia"
"Yuwen!"
A lot of people offered their greetings. The youth nodded to all of them, but he said nothing.
After shooting Su Yu a glance, he looked at the crowd and indifferently said, "If you're here to spar with your fellow students, then just do that. For disrespecting your teachers, you deserve punishment. For talking back to your teachers, seriously injuring your schoolmates, and being petty, you deserve punishment. The ignorance of a student is the fault of the teacher. Bai Feng will receive a pay suspension of three months as punishment. Su Yu will cease receiving the stipend of a high-tier student as punishment."
The youth scanned the crowd and coldly said, "Whether you want to spar, to compare notes, or to fight to the death, it's your freedom. But if you disrespect your teachers, you deserve punishment."
Many gazes landed on the youth.
Su Yu frowned as he said, "Teacher Xia, which rule are you basing your punishment on?"
He already knew who the newcomer was. Xia Yuwen. The super genius who had suppressed Bai Feng, Wu Qi, and the others from their generation.
Xia Yuwen looked at Su Yu again and gave a cold reply, "The punishment is not in accordance with the academy rules. But it is in accordance with military law. In the military, you will be punished for disrespecting your superiors and showing a lack of discipline. All the students of the Great Xia Cultural Research Academy have one additional identity on top of their identity as a student. They are all reserve soldiers. Do you object?"
Su Yu sank into silence. A short while later, he replied, "I have no objections. Since Teacher Xia believes that I deserve punishment, then I'll take the punishment. I accept that I have been disrespectful toward my teachers. The teachers from the single character faction do not deserve my respect anyway."
Xia Yuwen did not waste his time bickering with Su Yu. He looked at Zhao Ming and coldly said, "Why is the referee not interfering when students are being heavily injured in a match that is not a fight to the death?"
Zhao Ming stared at Xia Yuwen solemnly. After a while, he replied, "They are not dead. Even with heavily injured willpower, they can still remain a cultivator. Why should I interfere?"
"Are you not aware that a referee can judge that a student has been defeated the moment that student loses the ability to fight?" Xia Yuwen coldly demanded, "Zhao Ming, get off the ring! I hereby relieve you of your position as a referee for the top 100 challenge matches."
The look in Zhao Ming's eyes changed. He laughed, "Xia Yuwen, your authority does not extend to me. I am not someone you can order around."
Xia Yuwen calmly said, "I am already a Cloudbreach. Earlier, I was accepted into the Discipline Hall as a Cloudbreach discipline master. Since you're a Cloudbreach, you naturally fall under my purview."
Zhao Ming's expression changed again. After a short while, he laughed, "Sure. You're the boss. Xia Yuwen, you sure love supervising everyone, to the point you're even trying to supervise the spars between students. Good thing you're not a Mountainsea yet. Otherwise, I suppose you'll try to become the principal or something."
Xia Yuwen ignored those words. Zhao Ming smiled and jumped off the ring.
Xia Yuwen suddenly looked at the distant Liu Hong and said, "Liu Hong, get in the ring. You will become the temporary referee."
Liu Hong smiled and said nothing. He stepped on thin air and entered the ring.
Xia Yuwen then looked at the person standing behind him and said, "Since Su Yu is so confident in his strength, Zhou Hao, challenge him."
Liu Hong frowned slightly, but the frown disappeared immediately after. He smiled and asked, "Senior Brother Xia, this is..."
"A new student." Xia Yuwen said, "I took him as my student before the new school year started. His name is already in the system. He has been away because he was with me. Today, he has returned with me."
Behind him was a short man.
He had an ordinary face and a crew cut hair. Instead of a robe that was the preferred choice of the academy students, he was clad in a martial attire. He had been following behind Xia Yuwen, but for some reason, nobody was paying attention to him. If Xia Yuwen hadn't spoken to him, everyone would still be neglecting him.
A lot of gazes landed on the young man behind Xia Yuwen. The young man appeared indifferent. He looked at Su Yu and grinned. He had a pure look in his eyes. But Su Yu noticed that hidden deep within those pure eyes was a certain chill. That was the kind of look that would cause one's heart to palpitate just being stared at by him.
"This is someone who has taken lives before."
Su Yu judged. Not only had this person taken lives before, but he had probably taken a lot of lives before. All his killing intent was being kept inward, or perhaps he simply did not believe that killing was a big deal, resulting in a much more subdued killing intent.
Where did Xia Yuwen find a student like this? Was this someone from the Zhou Family? Unlikely, unless he was from a branch family. Someone from the main branch would not be dressed in this manner. Those from major families took their appearance very seriously. People like Wan Mingze would never be seen in such an outfit.
Xia Yuwen calmly said, "This is only a single student challenging the ranking. But for some reason, you people managed to create such a big fuss that the entire academy was alarmed, turning the academy into a joke. What are you guys trying to do here? Zhou Hao, go. Challenge him."
The young man grinned and walked toward the ring.
When he entered the ring, he flashed Su Yu another smile, "Zhou Hao. New student. Here to challenge you, Senior Brother."
New student. Su Yu could feel a sense of oppression from this new student. He looked at Zhou Hao pensively. What a dense source qi. This fellow did not look like a cultural researcher. He looked more like a warrior. His source qi was terrifyingly dense. Despite his dense source qi, he did not feel like an Infinite Strength cultivator. Rather, he felt more like a Great Strength cultivator.
Liu Hong cleared his throat and asked, "Zhou Hao, do you know the rules? You're a new student not in the ranking. Su Yu is ranked 98th. You are qualified to challenge him. How old are you this year? This challenge may proceed as long as you're not over 30."
"18."
"Then it's fine..." Liu Hong smiled, "As for your status as a student, let me verify it..."
He walked to the side and performed the verification with a device. After a short while, he nodded, "You are indeed a new student. You have been registered earlier as Researcher Xia Yuwen's student. Su Yu, do you accept this challenge?"
Should he accept? Of course he should! After saying all those boastful words to insult the single character faction, he had to accept this challenge or his earlier words would be reduced into a joke. He would be the clown instead.
People would say that Su Yu only dared to challenge the people weaker than him. Why was he afraid of a mere new student now? Su Yu looked at Xia Yuwen. This person had definitely arrived way earlier.
It had definitely been Xia Yuwen's plan from the beginning to have Zhou Hao challenge him in a situation where he couldn't refuse the challenge. This bastard had definitely returned earlier! Even if this Zhou Hao looked ordinary, Su Yu knew that he was definitely very strong.
The cold look in Su Yu's eyes receded, returning to calm as he said, "I accept the challenge."
Zhou Hao smiled, "Senior Brother Su, a mere spar is boring. Why don't we fight to the death?"
Liu Hong cleared his throat, "This requires the signatures of both teachers. Su Yu, Bai Feng has left the academy, right?"
Bai Feng was not around. A Divine Character stealthily activated in Liu Hong's eyes as he stole a glance at Zhou Hao. He was alarmed by what he saw.