Everyone watching from the stands was amazed at the sight of Wen Yu frantically running while Lin Yue chased after him. The bizarre scene dragged on for quite a while.
Some of the spectators, especially the girls, couldn't help but curse Wen Yu.
"Shameless!"
"Coward!"
"Loser!"
As for the boys, they didn't consider Wen Yu a man anymore. After all, who would run away from a girl when they had a higher cultivation?
Near the southern stands, close to the Martial Stadium gate, a group of girls sat together, hurling curses and insults toward Wen Yu. A little further away, Brother Chen and Brother Guo were watching with gleeful eyes.
"Chen, how did you know that Wen guy would be this shameless and try to tire his opponent out?" Brother Guo asked, curiosity evident in his voice.
Brother Chen gazed deeply at the sky, his tone cool as he replied,"You don't understand… he and I are the same kind of man. Men of wisdom and depth, immune to worldly possessions and petty desires."
Brother Guo snickered. Here we go again… he thought. Looking around, he saw a bunch of young girls blushing while staring at Chen.
Shaking his head, Brother Guo paid no more attention to Chen and focused on analyzing the odds for the upcoming matches.
Beside Bai Tian, Zhao Mingyu was softly cursing Wen Yu."I didn't think he'd be this shameless… even threw his weapon!"
Bai Tian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Just from the earlier exchange, as long as Wen Yu had held on a little longer, he would've easily won with his higher energy reserves. But now it had turned into a game of cat and mouse.
What surprised him even more was Lin Yue's unexpected physical strength. He found his gaze wandering to Zhao Mingyu, as if trying to determine whether she, too, possessed such physical prowess.
Zhao Mingyu's face flushed red as she caught his gaze."Why are you staring at me? Have you stared enough now?"
"I was just checking if you're also strong physically," Bai Tian replied, puzzled. "Didn't expect Lin Yue to be this strong… seems like you people from strong backgrounds were well-fed since childhood."
Her face grew redder."Why don't you find out in the final round? If you make it there, we'll see."
"Tsk, another shameless one. That Wen Yu's a bad influence, rotten potatoes spoiling the whole sack," she muttered, before standing up and walking away with her usual cold demeanor.
Bai Tian didn't mind her leaving. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed.
Wait… that movement technique… Mist Veil Steps?
It was a movement technique created by his grandfather, and now Lin Yue was replicating its patterns. But Mist Veil Steps, though deadly in assassination, wasn't enough to catch Cloud Steps — a pure agility technique. He shook his head and watched closely.
....
In the arena, Wen Yu continued running while Lin Yue chased relentlessly. He noticed her speed suddenly increase as she began moving in erratic patterns.
Deciding to put more effort into his Cloud Steps, Wen Yu dashed even faster. Unbothered by the jeers of the crowd, he kept dodging and running for nearly half an hour.
Eventually, Wen Yu saw Lin Yue beginning to slow down."You should surrender, Lin Yue. I've still got some energy left."
Her cute face turned even redder with anger as she continued chasing. But soon, it was clear she was exhausted — though she stubbornly refused to admit defeat.
"Wen Yu is the winner. He advances to the next round."
Instructor Jianhong appeared suddenly, putting an end to the farce.
He turned to Lin Yue sternly."You should have admitted defeat. Knowing your own limits is crucial for any cultivator's growth."
Then, patting Wen Yu's shoulder, he said with a smile,"Some instructors might frown upon your methods, but using one's strengths against an opponent's weakness is strategy, not cowardice. Running doesn't make one a loser. Only by surviving can you improve. Just remember — there'll be times when you can't run."
"I hope you will be courageous enough in those moments."
With that, both left the arena.
Back at the betting stall, Brother Chen was busy consoling the angry girls.
"I can't believe that Wen guy pulled this off. Junior Lin didn't lose. In a real battle, she'd crush him."
The girls agreed and cursed Wen Yu a few more times. Even the boys nodded — not because of lost bets, but because their pride was bruised. Most had bet on Lin Yue.
"I'd have felt bad winning by betting on a loser like him anyway," someone muttered. Everyone agreed.
Brother Guo, meanwhile, counted Azure coins with glee.
Wen Yu returned to his seat beside Bai Tian.
"Well fought," Bai Tian teased.
"You too, huh? Those idiots have no idea how strong Lin Yue really is," Wen Yu sighed, knowing his reputation would plummet.
"At least your next matches should be easier," Bai Tian consoled.
"Below those who've opened their meridians, only a few are my match. You and the Ma brothers are seeded, so I should have easier opponents. I shouldn't be matched against those who've already opened their meridians."
A shout rang out.
"Mo Tian and Ren Ming, come onto the stage!"
It was Instructor Jianhong's voice.
Wen Yu smirked at Bai Tian."That brat Mo Tian will definitely challenge you if he makes it to the later rounds. Ha… ha…"
Among all the students in the Martial Division, only Bai Tian and Mo Tian came from the Tier 3 Islands. Unlike Bai Tian, Mo Tian had been a cultivation prodigy since a young age. More importantly, he was the only Thunder-element cultivator among the 36 students.
It was said that Mo Tian had been fortunate enough to obtain a Thunder cultivation technique during his childhood. After gaining the ability to sense Astral Energy, he practiced the technique on his own. Upon enrolling in Greenwood Academy, he successfully opened his meridians following that method, becoming the sole cultivator wielding the Thunder Element.
However, Mo Tian was known for his jealousy and vengeful nature. Everyone knew about his infatuation with Zhao Mingyu and how he had tried to win her favor, but she consistently ignored him without a second glance. Because of this, Bai Tian became the target of his resentment, as Zhao Mingyu often chatted with Bai Tian.
Mo Tian had challenged Bai Tian several times during Martial lectures—fighting was allowed as long as both parties agreed. Since both were swordsmen, Mo Tian would often use sword exchanges as a pretext to provoke him. Yet, every single time, Bai Tian came out on top.
"I think those rumors about you started with this guy," Wen Yu said with a smirk.
Bai Tian replied quietly, "I don't mind. He hasn't challenge me since opening his first meridian. I'm curious to see how strong he really is. But I doubt he'll make it past this round."
Wen Yu nodded. Neither of them expected Mo Tian to advance any further — his opponent was Ren Ming, after all.
If you asked the students of the Martial Division to name the strongest among them, most would choose Zhao Mingyu. A few would side with Bai Tian. However, one thing everyone agreed upon was that Ren Ming was the most cunning and insidious of them all.
Like Lin Yue, Ren Ming was also an heir. He was the successor of one of the Tier 2 Islands, Jadeleaf Island. Unlike the other Tier 2 Islands though, Jadeleaf was the largest in the entire Misty Region, second only to Misty Rain Island itself. One of the Misty Alliance's ship commanders even hailed from the Ren Clan.
Their power and influence within the Alliance were second only to the Sovereign Isles. As a highly promising candidate to inherit the clan's legacy, Ren Ming had been carefully nurtured since childhood. Because of that, no one truly believed he would lose so easily.
At the betting stall, students gathered eagerly, ready to place their wagers once again.
Brother Guo raised the portraits of the two duelists. This time, the pictures were proper and actually resembled them. The girls blushed the moment they saw Ren Ming's portrait.
Watching from the side, Brother Chen felt a surge of jealousy. In his heart, he didn't believe Ren Ming was any more handsome than him, but seeing those junior sisters fawning over someone else still made his stomach turn.
"The odds are two to one for Ren Ming, and one to two for Mo Tian," announced Brother Chen after some careful thought. Then he set his little scheme in motion.
Brother Guo stepped forward and shouted loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen! Junior Mo Tian is none other than a Thunder-element cultivator. Blessed by the heavens since birth, fortune has always favored him. Naturally, he is the clear favorite to win this match!"
Though Brother Guo felt somewhat embarrassed spouting such words, he reminded himself that everything was for the sake of wealth.
"I was going to bet on Brother Ren, but I don't want to lose like last time. I'm trusting Brother Chen this round!"
The voices of the girls rang out as they placed their bets on Ren Ming despite the sales pitch for Mo Tian.
The boys, however, were fascinated by the rare Thunder element. Many believed Mo Tian held the upper hand and eagerly placed their wagers on him as well.
....
In the arena, Mo Tian gripped his sword tightly, while Ren Ming stood lazily with nothing but a folding fan in his hand.
"Brother Mo, why don't you just admit defeat? I don't like hurting others," Ren Ming teased with a lazy grin, completely ignoring the presence of Instructor Jianhong.
"Hmph! We'll see who admits defeat!" Mo Tian snapped back, his fighting spirit surging.
This time, Instructor Jianhong didn't bother with the usual reminders. Both of them were already familiar with the rules and their fighting abilities. He simply raised his hand and called out, "Begin!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Mo Tian charged straight at Ren Ming, sparks flickering in the air around him. In the blink of an eye, he reached his opponent and slashed with his sword. Yet Ren Ming dodged with ease, moving like a leaf caught in the wind.
Frustrated, Mo Tian decided to end it quickly. He unleashed Heavenly Arc Flash, a combination of movement and sword technique that blurred his figure as he closed in.
After watching Wen Yu's earlier match, Mo Tian had resolved to avoid becoming a laughingstock. He knew that Ren Ming, as a Wind-element cultivator, was capable of similar tricks. There was no room for hesitation.
Strangely, Ren Ming didn't dodge this time. The sword strike landed, but to Mo Tian's horror, it passed through nothing but an afterimage.
Ren Ming was already behind him.
Mo Tian spun around, only to find Ren Ming grinning at him with a smug expression. He wanted nothing more than to wipe that look off his face, but before he could react, he heard three chilling words.
"Gale Tempest Slash!"
Darkness swallowed his vision. Mo Tian collapsed to the ground, unconscious before he even hit it.
Instructor Jianhong appeared instantly, standing between them. "Ren Ming wins," he declared without hesitation.
He watched as Ren Ming's figure calmly departed the arena, a thoughtful look in his eyes. I didn't expect this brat to make such progress in the Emerald Gale cultivation technique. The heirs of the Zhao and Ren families are truly outstanding in this generation. Who knows what the future holds…
He sighed inwardly. This ranking competition had been carefully arranged, pairing students of equal strength to give them valuable battle experience. He had intentionally set aside Mingyue, Bai Tian, and the two Ma brothers to keep the early rounds balanced. Yet even so, there were still talents who stood out far beyond the others.