The arena trembled not from power—but from realization.
Han Li's name had escaped the lips of an elder's wife. That name… forbidden in many sects, sealed in ancient records, spoken only in hushed rumors. Yet now, it echoed like a storm through the academy.
"Han Li… the Silent Demon?"
"No wonder the Class D freaks fight like madmen!"
"But wasn't he dead?"
Inside the preparation hall, Class D gathered, sweat dripping from their brows, bodies bruised but eyes alight with pride.
Qing Yue wiped her blade, then asked, "They're scared of us now, aren't they?"
"They should be," Shen Yu muttered, still clutching his ribs. "But scared people are dangerous."
Han Li arrived quietly, as always. He didn't smile, didn't praise. He simply looked each student in the eye.
"You've done better than expected," he said. "But this isn't a storybook. This is the part where the world fights back."
Outside, a storm brewed—not of rain, but of political pressure. Elders from other classes gathered in secret chambers. Murmurs of investigation, sabotage, and expulsion ran wild.
One man, cloaked in purple, slammed his fist on a jade table. "We cannot let Han Li remain here!"
"But he's under contract!" another retorted. "Removing him would expose the academy's hand!"
A voice spoke from the shadows, cold and commanding. "Then don't remove him. Break him."
Back in Class D's quarters, a shadow passed the window. Han Li turned his head slightly.
"They'll come for you," he said to his students.
Qing Yue looked up, unafraid. "Then we'll break them too."
Han Li almost smiled.
Almost.