Chapter 65: The Four Nations Gather

  The next day, the grand gathering of the four countries' academies was held as scheduled. The scene was very lively, with a hubbub of noise and people packed in everywhere, it's likely that by the time the gathering ends, several pairs of shoes would have been worn out. The elites from each country also began to take the stage one after another.

  "Oh dear, fortunately it came early this year..."

  "Exactly! Let me tell you, I've seen quite a few handsome and beautiful people with great abilities!"

  "Which country and which university will win this time?"

  "Of course it's our building south!"

  "So you're from Lóu Nán, huh? I don't think so, though. Last time it was the Ga Sheng Empire that came in first, and if you ask me, they'll definitely win again this time!"

  "What's wrong with you! Saying something like that on our turf in the south building..."

  "Ah ah ah, you..."

  ……

  The common people were guessing the outcome of this grand event one sentence at a time. At this moment, the person in charge of each college began to walk onto the stage, and it was also the first time that Zhan Light saw what the principal of the Imperial College looked like. He heard that his name was Shen Jun, and he seemed to be around 40 or 50 years old. However, looking at the man on the stage now, there was no sign of him being in his 40s or 50s; it would not be surprising if someone said he was just over 30 years old. He wore a dark green brocade robe with two embroidered bamboo trees at the hem, standing with his hands behind his back, and his posture was indeed tall and straight, with clear facial features and sharp eyes that seemed to pierce through one's soul. It was also the steady and calm atmosphere around him that added a hint of maturity, and the tightly furrowed eyebrows could tell that he was also a man with stories to tell.

  At this chaotic moment, a pair of Imperial Guards escorted a carriage here.

  "The Emperor of Nanchu has arrived!" As soon as the sharp voice of the inner attendant officer came out, a group of people knelt down and started paying their respects. They should be the subjects of Nanchu, while those standing were all foreigners.

  Looking at the old hand sticking out of the carriage, it should be like this, with age spots, wrinkled and yellowish skin. How can people get old like this?

  "Long live the Emperor!"

  "Excuse me, bowing... cough, cough..." A bout of coughing, that old face was actually suffocated with a few points of ruddiness. In theory, the people in this world are all spiritual cultivators, as long as they have strong spiritual power to support them, living for hundreds of years, cultivating immortality, becoming gods and so on is not a problem, but this elderly emperor has aged unusually.

  The old emperor was being carefully supported by a man in yellow robes, and the only person who could wear such yellow dragon clothes besides the crown prince was no one else. When the old emperor was also supported to the high platform, he coughed for a while with a wheeze, before opening his mouth to speak: "Today, all the strong people on this continent, the latecomers can gather in my Lou Nan, I am very happy. Cough, cough... This time's college grand meeting hopes that you can all play out your own strength, make a name for yourself in my Lou Nan, and become famous from now on, cough, also, also for your own sake... My body is not suitable, today is just to show up, everything else is handed over to the crown prince to take full responsibility..." After finishing, he was supported back by the palace staff with another severe cough, looking spiritless.

  "Farewell to His Majesty the Emperor!" came the hurried cry as the Southern Emperor hastily departed after only a few words.

  "Cough, cough, the Emperor is unwell, so I, Lou Xuan, have been entrusted with full authority to take charge of this grand event. If there's anything that doesn't meet your expectations, please bear with us. I hope everyone can feel at home in our humble abode and also showcase their talents to the fullest! Now, I declare the start of the Academy's Grand Event!

  The Crown Prince of Lou Nan was named Lou Xuan, wearing a bright yellow robe, with a handsome face, slender phoenix eyes, high nose bridge, pale pink lips, and a pointed chin. His every move exuded arrogance, but his facial features seemed to suggest that he was a heartless and ruthless person."

  The thunderous applause, people's shouting and screaming voices, one wave higher than the other, everyone is getting impatient.

  "Quiet! Quiet..." A man with a cold expression stepped onto the stage, immediately suppressing all these sounds.

  "Hello everyone, I am one of the judges for this grand event. The other judges include deans from various national academies, and we are also honored to have three divine officials from the temple as judges, ensuring the fairness and impartiality of this grand event..."

  "Good heavens! It's the temple's..."

  "I never thought I'd live to see the day where I'd meet someone from the Temple..."

  "What is a temple..." A faint voice in the crowd had barely spoken when it was immediately drowned out.

  "What? You don't even know about the temple?"

  "It's really rare to see such a strange thing! Where did this country bumpkin come from?"

  "The temple is the most sacred place, where there is peace and tranquility everywhere, only those with strength surpassing the Tianxuan realm can go there! This is a place that only those of that rank can go to!" He said, pointing his finger upwards.

  "Yes! I've lost hope... But even if I don't have hope to go, just being able to see the clergy is enough for me. The clergy are the strongest of the strong, spreading love and light everywhere, as long as they're there, it's a symbol of light..."

  "I also really admire them, no, it's worship, no, I've already forgotten what word it is..."

  Hearing the sound beside my ear, I turned to look in that direction. Three people were completely shrouded in white cloaks, their faces not visible at all. However, from the faint yet palpable aura of pressure emanating from them, it was clear they were among the strongest of the strong. Until now, I hadn't heard any of those three say a single word; they merely used nods and headshakes to convey their intentions. Upon reflection, it made sense - why would the mighty bother with these insignificant weaklings?

  "Silence! Silence!" The icy man's forehead bulged with blue veins. These ignorant commoners, truly had never seen a grand scene before!

  "Now, I'd like to introduce the participating academies of each empire and announce the rules for this competition. First up is the Imperial Academy of the Gasei Empire, which took first place in the previous academy festival - will they be able to maintain their top spot this time around? Next is the Yunshu Academy of the Gasei Empire, another pillar of the empire that shouldn't be underestimated." Cheers and applause filled the air.

  Yunshu Academy has also arrived, right? So will Song Duoduo and the others come too? Zhan Qingkuang looked in that direction, Yun Lie, the principal with a troubled expression, Cheng Feng, the vice president as gentle as clouds, among the people she knew were only Hao Ren and Nangong Bing. Thinking about it, such a grand occasion would have top students from each academy coming, didn't expect Nangong Bing to advance so quickly, indeed the bloodline of the Nangong family is extraordinary!

  "This is the Imperial Academy of Lou Nan, the South Spirit Academy." The crowd suddenly burst into applause.

  "On this side is the Seiun Empire's Seiun Academy and Seishou Academy." The applause continued, but it wasn't as fervent as before.

  "This side is the Shouwu Empire's Shangwu Academy and Wuxin Academy." The scattered applause that came over made it clear what the actual ranking of power was for each empire.

  As he looked around, he unexpectedly saw a group of familiar people in the camp of Lou Yu Academy. There was Lou Nan, the prince who had snatched her hairpin, and also that fake "Little Dragon Girl". The people from other academies were all sitting upright, looking very serious, as if they attached great importance to this grand occasion. Perhaps it was due to the pleasant climate of Lou Nan's country, but the skin of their people was extremely moist, regardless of gender. The people of Xing Yun Empire had a unique exotic appearance, with tall and majestic builds, deep eyes; while Xiū Wǔ Empire was the smallest among the four countries, and their climate was harsh, so compared to other countries' people who thought about how to improve themselves every day, the people of Xiū Wǔ thought more about how to fight against the harsh environment and survive. Therefore, the people of their country were very much in awe of martial power, and there were more warriors from Xiū Wǔ Empire than from other empires.

  "Now, let me explain the rules of the competition. This grand event will be using a point system, with individual matches and team matches. The winner of each match will receive five points, while the loser will receive zero points. In the team matches, there will be five people on each team, and the same rules apply. During the competition, no one is allowed to use magical creatures, and if anyone breaks this rule, they will be disqualified. Also, please note that the rules for the Alchemist and Blacksmith competitions have been changed this year.

  This time, participants in the Alchemist and Blacksmith competitions are not allowed to bring their own materials. Instead, each academy will send students to the Death Valley to search for various herbs, crystals, and other materials within a limit of ten days. The quantity, variety, and quality of the materials collected will directly affect the outcome of the Alchemist and Blacksmith competitions.

  Also, please note that anything that happens in the Death Valley is unrelated to this grand event, and everyone's safety is their own responsibility! Please take care of your own safety!"

  The serious and loud announcement of the rules caused everyone to take a deep breath.

  There wasn't such a rule before! What's going on?! Will there be danger?! It wasn't like this before, how can safety not be guaranteed now?! Compared to those timid people, some aren't thinking that way, the opportunity to show off one's strength has finally arrived, standing at the peak of this continent is just around the corner!

  But the light and crazy thoughts are more. Who made this rule? If something unexpected really happens, who can get the greatest benefit? The Death Mountain Range belongs to the Lou Nan Empire, so their students are naturally more familiar with it, while these foreign people from other countries are obviously at a disadvantage, and it can be seen that this competition is not based on fairness.

  Of course, apart from her thinking so, the other deans on stage could also think of it, and they were fiercely negotiating with those three divine officials, but in the end, they all looked ugly and didn't say anything else. It seems that their opinions did not reach a consensus!

  "What's on your mind, Qing Kuang?" Ximen Rui approached with a mischievous grin.

  "Nothing, just thinking about the rules of the game."

  "Don't worry, don't mind those stupid rules, I'll definitely protect you when the time comes." Looking at the child sleeping soundly in her arms, she added, "And your son too."

  In fact, she doesn't need to care about any rules or not, all the rules are useless in the face of her powerful strength. No matter what kind of evil spirit or little devil runs into her, the King Yanluo's hands, that would be looking for death!

  Turn the baby around, it's really hard for him to fall asleep in such a noisy place. Thinking about it, he has been like this since he absorbed those demonic stones, always looking drowsy.

  "The boom, boom, boom" of the drum shook the sky, and the extremely rhythmic sound came, that majestic voice directly stirred everyone's heart, with a flushed face.

  "Mom..." The little meatball was obviously woken up by the voice, rubbed her eyes, and looked at her drowsily.

  "Wake you up, you continue sleeping." He said, and then used both hands to cover his ears.

  The little one shook his head, yawned and looked at her with wet eyes: "Wake up ~ not sleepy ~"

  If he doesn't sleep, then so be it! He straightened his body and worried that he would wake up thirsty, so he gave him another sip of water. Only then did Xuan Xi truly wake up.

  "Lightly crazy, I found that you are only gentle like a woman when facing your son." Ximen Ruxue touched her nose and said, then wanted to dodge, but was still hit by the apple thrown by Lightly Crazy.

  One day without a fight, someone gets itchy! Withdraw the hand, hold the baby in his arms tightly, and ignore the person beside him, staring at the high platform in front of him.

  Others also gave up, this Ximen is just not learning his lesson, getting beaten is what he deserves. Now no one goes to bother him, and everyone's attention turns to the high platform.

  "I hereby declare that the 58th Academy Festival has officially begun! The first match of the individual tournament is between Xī Shēng Academy's Shàng Wǔ and Shàng Mǔ Academy's Xià Hóu ān!"

  As the cold host finished speaking, two men took to the stage, and indeed they were elites. As soon as they appeared, the strength of the two was not low. The one called Guan Yin was a Water-type One-star Spirit Emperor, while Xia Hou An was nearly two meters tall, with broad shoulders and a sturdy waist, a pair of tiger eyes, and his muscular arms looked very explosive. This man was an Earth-type Five-star Spirit King.

  As soon as they met, the atmosphere between them changed, and they refused to back down, their words sharp and confrontational. Officer Guan Yin took the lead in attacking, just thinking of using his spiritual power against the enemy when he found that the man in front of him had already rushed to his face, a big fist directly smashing towards his face, narrowly dodging the attack, Officer Guan Yin's anger soared to its peak, it was just a small country ranked last, but also dared to be wild in front of him, he would definitely make him look good!

  Both hands launched a move at the same time, and two water-based spiritual powers swept away like a storm. Xia Hou An, despite his sturdy appearance, reacted quickly and conjured up an earth shield to block in front of him. The two spiritual powers collided, causing the surrounding villagers to cheer and exclaim, "This is the first battle! We must take a good look!"

  A large amount of spiritual energy was released, and at first, they were evenly matched. However, as time went on, both of them began to weaken. Just when Shangguan Yu thought he could catch his breath, that tall figure charged over again, directly punching him off the stage, his face instantly turning pale.

  "Shangwu Academy wins!"

  This Xiahou An guy is physically strong. If he really punched me, I'd probably have to lie in bed for three or four days.

  Two people had just gone down, and then two more came up, fighting together, for fame, for profit, these people all brought out their skills, but so many people, how long would they fight? Just talking about the Imperial Academy alone, over a hundred people came, at this rate, wouldn't this grand gathering last several months?

  "Mom~ I'm so bored~" But it's just tiny humans over there scribbling away, nothing worth watching at all.

  "Xiao Er, are you bored? Mom will take you out to play." Pinching Xiao Pang's small hand, putting it around her neck, and gently lifting his little butt, she was about to leave.

  "Hey, hey, why are you leaving already? Isn't the competition still on?"

  "It doesn't matter, I'll go out for a walk first, and help me draw the lottery later." She had just looked at it earlier, and the lottery drawing was done in batches. It hadn't reached her turn yet, so there was still time.

  "What? I'll help you smoke, will that do?" Ximen Qingxue pointed at her own nose in shock.

  "What's wrong with that? The rules don't say others can't draw for you!"

  "This, I didn't say it's unsaid, but if you draw a tough opponent, don't blame me."

  "It's not your fault, is it okay like this?"

  After finishing, she hugged the child and wanted to leave, but was stopped again. "Qing Kuang, it's okay to take a walk, but don't go too far. If something unexpected happens, it won't be good. You usually know what's important." Bei Tang Qi Mo looked at her and instructed seriously.

  "I know." Her current strength has not been revealed yet, so naturally she wouldn't attract attention from others. Having received her response, Beidong Liu Mo finally let loose.

  Hugging my son, I squeezed out of the crowd and strolled around casually. Coincidentally, I ran into Emperor Lou Nan's imperial carriage. How come this emperor hasn't left after such a long time? Looking at the layers of guards surrounding him, it's better not to stir up trouble.

  "Your Majesty, it's time for your medicine!" The person in the carriage coughed violently, their voice like a rusty gate, as if they were about to cough up their lungs. The eunuch who had been supporting him earlier brought over a bowl of medicine, but before long, there was the sound of something being knocked over, and the bowl of medicine went flying out.

  "Cough... cough... I, ah-choo! Not drinking, so much of this... drank it, not a bit, not a bit useful..."

  "Your Majesty, just drink it, you'll feel better after drinking!"

  "Cough, cough, Xiao Yanzi, you say that I... cough, cough... am I... am I getting old..."

  "The Emperor says it's nothing serious, the Emperor's good fortune is as vast as the sky, he'll definitely be fine." The eunuch wiped away a tear and brought over another bowl of medicine.

  The old man didn't make a fuss anymore, as if he was exhausted, and his voice gradually disappeared, only occasionally accompanied by a few low gasps. After the carriage drove away, Qingkuang appeared, sniffing the medicinal smell in the air, and looking at the departing carriage, wondering what he was thinking.

  "Mom..."

  "Alright, let's go!" The wind blew by, leaving behind only the shattered medicine bowl and a hint of fragrance.

  Arriving at Lou Yinglan's temporary residence, Qing Kuang exchanged a few words of password with someone before entering.

  "Master?" Isn't she supposed to be attending the college gala? How does she have time to come here?

  "What's your relationship with Emperor Lou Nan?" As soon as they entered the house, Qing Kuang directly asked what she wanted to know.

  "What does the master think of asking this?"

  "Just tell me."

  Her expression stiffened for a moment, and her mouth gradually turned bitter. Lou Xinglan fell into reminiscence, "My mother was a very beautiful person, warm, elegant, and pure. She was favored by the emperor who took her back to the palace after a tour. However, because of her humble origin, she suffered greatly in the palace, and the emperor's heart couldn't stay with her for long. So, she slowly became neglected, suffered from cold treatment, and spent her days in sorrow. Eventually, she disappeared into this world as a wisp of fragrance. And I, without any power to rely on, was oppressed every day, living humbly in the palace, always being careful. When I was young, I even hoped that the person called Father Emperor would glance at me and give me a word of praise. But as I grew up, I knew this was a dream I could never reach, so I stopped having hope for him. In the palace, I was always cautious, trying to protect myself. However, I couldn't overcome those people's ruthless ambitions, and my so-called Father Emperor also allowed them to oppress me, even disregarding my life. Tell me, what would our relationship be like? Hehe..."

  It's just the same old court struggle, without any new ideas at all.

  "Today, the academy is in a grand ceremony. The emperor from Lou Nan also appeared there. His body is not well. Coincidentally, on my way here, I discovered that his medicine had a problem - it contained a type of herb called 'Meng Le', which has a mild anesthetic effect but can accelerate internal decay and cause hallucinations when accumulated over time, eventually leading to death in one's dreams. I don't know who gave him the medicine, I'm just informing you. I won't get too involved in your affairs, even if you find out, it's up to you to decide what to do."

  Lou Xinglan's body shook violently, looking at her in disbelief, then calmed down again, bitterly whispering: "Is that so, Meng Le, you're dreaming...".

  "I'm leaving first, I've been out for a while."

  She said something to him, stood up lightly and saw that he was still there in a daze, obviously not having heard her words at all. Never mind, she just needed to do her part, if it were someone else's business, she wouldn't have bothered.

  On the way back, after gathering a bunch of food, the mother and son were ready to leave. It's easy to come out but hard to go in, this crowded place, she was squeezed by people who all looked at her with unpleasant faces, some politely frowned, while others loudly shouted, "What are you squeezing for? Squeeze what...?"

  She was worried that she would bump into her baby, so she didn't bother to give way to these people. With a burst of energy, she jumped up and stepped on their shoulders to move forward. The person who was stepped on let out an "ah" sound, but Zhan Qing didn't care about them. Since being polite didn't work, she wasn't going to be courteous anymore. She strode forward unimpeded, flipped over, and landed smoothly, brushing off the dust that had stuck to her clothes.

  "You're back just in time, if you didn't come back, I wouldn't know where to find you. Ah, look at you, isn't it just asking me for a small favor? How can you bear to let me buy these things? Quick, give them to me!"

  Dodging the outstretched wolf's claws, sitting on a chair, holding her son in her arms, she finally gave him a glance: "You bought it for my son, are you sure you want to?"

  Bai was being overly sentimental, and Ximen Qingxue had lost face more than once or twice. She muttered softly: "So petty, what's the big deal... I have crystal coins too, I won't buy it myself..."

  "Say, who am I comparing with?" Just as she opened the freshly made glutinous rice cake and fed it to her son's mouth, she asked in a light tone.

  "Ah, that one over there wearing white." He pointed her out with a bad attitude and then ignored her.

  Is that a white dress? Oh, isn't that the little dragon girl? What a coincidence! I wonder what would happen if she were to be beaten into a state of utter defeat as well!

  "Hey, hey, don't make that face, it's giving me the chills." After shivering, Ximen Ruxiang rubbed her arms and finally suppressed that uncomfortable feeling.

  "What ranking is our school now?" Rubbing Xier's little belly and feeding her another piece.

  "Of course it's first-rate, what else can our Imperial Academy say?" Ximen Linfeng said with a proud smile as soon as he mentioned his own academy.

  "Next up, Imperial Academy's Ximen Yurou vs. Building Academy's Lou Ruoran!"

  "It's my turn now, just you wait and see! Don't forget to cheer me on!" He turned his head and immediately resumed his sly and charming demeanor, winking at the little girls next to him.

  "Oh, what a handsome man..."

  "He just smiled at me..."

  "It's not like that, his eyes are clearly looking at me..."

  "No, it's me, it's me..."

  Suddenly, a rascal triggered a bloodbath, and this rascal was still very pleased with himself.

  "Hmph! Put away that neither-man-nor-woman look, it's nauseating to look at. What kind of thing is this, a big man still wearing red clothes, just looking at him makes one feel awkward. Lou Ruo Yan stared at Xi Men Xue Xue with an intense gaze."

  "Oh my, if you can't stand the sight of me, then don't look! Here, take a step down and you won't see me anymore." With that, Ximen Qingxiao fanned herself with her fan, flashing a cold glint in her eyes, another charming and elegant young master.

  "Hum! What right do I have to leave? It's you who should get out of here!" This kid is so shameless, he needs to be taught a lesson.

  As soon as the words fell, a pair of twin hammers stabbed at him. This time it wasn't an illusion created by spiritual power, but real knives and guns. Lou Ruo Ran was a three-star Golden Emperor in the Golden System, and the twin hammers were surrounded by a layer of golden light, with a fierce and ruthless attack.

  With a flick of her fan, Ximen Rongxue's playful smile disappeared and she became serious. She used the fan to deflect the attack with two "ding" sounds, while simultaneously using her left hand to summon wind-type spiritual energy, creating a whirlwind that sliced through Lou Ruoyan's chest, leaving a gash. Instantly, Ximen Rongxue raised an eyebrow, looking at him sarcastically.

  Lou Ruo Ran had always been someone who was pampered and flattered by others, how could she tolerate this? Her face turned red with rage as she charged at him again, "Golden Needle Pierces the Heart!"

  Upon closer inspection, Jin's spiritual energy transformed into rows of fine cow hair needles, all aimed at Ximen Rongyin.

  "The wind rolls up the remaining clouds!"

  The explosion of the Five-Star Spirit Emperor, the entire stage was momentarily ravaged by a fierce gale, and the dark wind-type spiritual energy swept up countless fine needles, all of which were rolled into it, shining with golden light, slowly disappearing from sight. At this moment, Lou Ruo's face turned even more unsightly.

  "Hey, kid, I'm not playing with you anymore." With a careless remark, a figure emerged from behind the powerful wind-type spiritual energy, kicking Lou Ruo Ran's chest and sending him tumbling to the ground. Withdrawing his leg, Xi Men Lin Xue thought to himself, "Hmph, no wonder Light Wind always kicks me down. This feeling of kicking someone down is still quite satisfying!"

  "Imperial Academy wins!"

  "The next match of Imperial Academy's Warlight is against Building Academy's Gong Sun Zhiyan!"

  "Help me take care of my son." He placed Yue Er on the chair and whispered to Dongfang Ji beside him.

  "Go with peace of mind!"

  "Mother, you have to hang in there!" Little Fist waved his fist and cheered her on.

  "Alright, Mother will definitely win!"

  Gongsun Zhiyan originally had a majestic entrance, with her sleeves fluttering as she received countless cheers. Just when she was feeling proud of herself, upon seeing the person walking towards her from the opposite side, her expression suddenly turned unpleasant. She carefully took a step back and watched her warily.

  Scared? Losing before even fighting, can't spark her interest at all.

  "Are you also participating this time?" As she stepped forward, Gong Sun Zhiyan took another step back.

  "Cut the crap, I'm already standing here, am I participating or not?"

  Gongsun Zhiyan's face suddenly turned white, and the people below whispered to each other, what's going on? Do you know her? Lou Ruoan, who had just fallen off the stage, hadn't recovered yet, but as soon as he saw the girl on the stage, he jumped up and glared at him fiercely. It was really a case of "searching everywhere without finding it, but getting it all without effort". The person he had been searching for so long had appeared in front of him like this, and this time he would definitely not let her go!

  Looking at the person stepping back step by step, it's clear that he has no patience, "I'm asking you if you're going to fight or not, why are you always retreating?! If you don't want to get beaten, then just jump down yourself."

  How can this be? If she really didn't fight back and admitted defeat, where would her face go? The face of the Gong Sun family? Thinking of this, she suddenly made a move, "Move the flower to take the wood!"

  A green, large flower floated over, as if the delicate stamens in the middle could still be seen, the petals were tender and beautiful, looking very soft and lovely. Everyone was enchanted by this move, but she was not included, her spiritual power was always ready in her hand, waiting for the flower to come before her eyes, and then it disappeared in a flash, replaced by a ferocious flower demon with countless sharp teeth wide open, trying to swallow her completely.

  "It's raining fire from the sky!"

  Dare to be arrogant, burn until you're nothing but ashes! The strange flower demon was instantly engulfed in the raging flames, struggling and screaming, before finally falling silent. Gong Sun Zhiyan's face turned pale at the sight, defeated in an instant? She didn't believe it, she didn't believe it, right, she still had her treasure!

  She took out a cuff and looked at herself coldly, her face seeming relaxed but actually being vigilant.

  "Orchid silk, go!"

  That white cuff seemed to have a life of its own, listening to her command, it flew towards the light, and in the flip, you could still see a row of deep blue orchids on top, emitting waves of fragrance.

  Ghost domain poisonous orchid! Qing Kuang suddenly became vigilant, this flower is not something good! Listening to the name, you know that the poisonous orchid is poisonous. Although it looks beautiful and fragrant, it's a deadly poisonous flower! The pollen in the fragrance will invade the whole body through human olfaction, dissolve into every drop of blood, and then the pollen will turn all organs of the human body into nutrients, take root and sprout, and bloom new orchids one after another.

  She looks like an immortal fairy, but has a poisonous heart! Before the sleeve had even approached her, Zhan Qingchuan suddenly turned around and appeared behind Gong Sun Ziyue, twisting her arm and restraining her body. As Zhan Qingchuan changed direction, the sleeve also followed suit. Looking at the approaching sleeve, disregarding Gong Sun's pale face, he leaned in close to her ear and said: "You said you'd reap what you sowed, didn't you?"

  "No, no, no, let me go, let me go..." Just as it was about to reach her face, she couldn't bear the pain in her elbow and struggled violently, refusing to become fertilizer.

  "Tsk, tsk, you're so timid, yet you dare to come out and cause trouble!" He tossed her out, a flame burning the sleeve band that had rushed over into ashes. Looking at the person who had fallen to the ground, he shouted: "Still not leaving? Wait till I kick you down!"

  "Uuuu......" The beauty cried with tears streaming down her face, and suddenly someone couldn't take it anymore.

  "Hey, it's you! Last time I didn't even get to settle the score with you, and today you're bullying Yan'er again. We'll settle both old and new accounts together!" Lou Ruo Nan scolded, holding the tearfully pitiful beautiful woman in his arms, his eyebrows furrowed in anger.

  "Hey, isn't this the defeated general from the Lou Nan Empire, Prince Lou Nan? How come you didn't get enough of a beating last time and want to continue? However, at this academy's grand gathering, only those with real skills dare to step onto the stage. I don't know how much they weigh, but if they lose, who can they blame? They can only blame themselves for not being skilled enough. Or is it that you think only people from the Lou Nan Empire are allowed to win, and we're all just here to be your decorations?" As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's gaze turned over, looking at them with unclear expressions.

  "Hum! I, I, of course didn't mean it that way!" Lou Ruo's neck stiffened and she couldn't say a word.

  "If it's not this meaning, then what are you doing now? Learning from that mad dog, barking randomly?"

  "You!"

  "How am I?"

  "Alright, alright, stop arguing, Imperial Academy wins! If you keep arguing, it'll be hard to stop."

  No longer looking at those people, lightly returning to his own position, he sat down with his son in his arms and watched the match of others. The next one on stage was Beidong Qimò, who was competing against someone from Shangwu Academy. As soon as it started, they were evenly matched. Both had similar levels and strengths, and for a while, it was hard to tell who would win.

  The opponent was a five-star Fire-type Spirit Emperor, and every attack was blocked by Beidong Qimiao. However, when the two people's spiritual power could no longer support them, they directly gave up on comparing their spiritual powers and switched to martial arts instead. Suddenly, Ximen Lingshuang gained momentum and watched intently.

  Beidong Qimeng held a treasured sword, and as the young master of a refining family, this weapon was certainly not ordinary. The opponent held a large knife with a row of circular holes on the back, each hole having an iron ring that made a ringing sound when swung. Wielding the knife, the man directly chopped at Beidong Qimeng, who dodged and counterattacked with swift and ruthless moves. The man was stout but agile, displaying a powerful knife technique that left onlookers in awe. Beidong Qimeng was no slouch either, his treasured sword flashing as he clashed with the man, neither gaining the upper hand. They exchanged blows, each landing a hit, until they paused and eyed each other before engaging again. The two were evenly matched, leaving Ximen Rongshuang exhausted just from watching.

  "Ah, hit him, this way, this way! Right, right, another left hook, ah, quick, dodge, dodge! Ah, how can you be so stupid...". Gululu took a sip of water and continued to shout.

  "Why so anxious? You go and fight him then!"

  "Ah, what's this? Hehe, me? I won't bother, hehe, such a small matter, why would it require the great Ximen to take action? Hehe, you're right, aren't you......" After she said that, Ximen Linfeng smiled awkwardly and shut his mouth. With his mediocre skills, going up there wouldn't be asking for trouble?

  At this moment, a loud clang was heard. It turned out that the man's large knife had been knocked flying by Beidong Qimeng and landed on the ground with a thud. The man panted heavily, but didn't seem to be in any discomfort, instead he stood up straight and cupped his fists, saying "I lost."

  "Alright."

  He returned a courtesy, Bei Tang Qi's movements were swift and decisive as he jumped down, his sharp eyes catching the fact that the hand holding the sword was trembling nonstop, which was hidden by him.

  "Imperial Academy wins!"

  Just when everyone was excited about Beidong Qi's success, Beidong Xiner came over with a sulky face and a dejected expression.

  "Brother!" The person wasn't as lively as before, and suddenly pounced into Beidong Qimò's arms, not coming out again.

  "What's wrong with this?"

  "What else can we do? We've definitely lost!"

  "Hmph! Ximen Qingxue, don't be so garrulous!" After shouting, she buried her face in her brother's arms again.

  "What's wrong, Xiang'er, did you really lose?" The little head in his arms nodded and hummed. "It's okay, Xiang'er, winning or losing is a common thing for warriors. Losing doesn't mean anything big, just think of it as gaining experience. When we get back, just work hard and that's all." He patted her head, Beidong Qimeng comforting the injured little girl.

  "But you all won......" A sobbing voice came, it turned out that this was the reason, and Xiao Yatou must have been hurt by her own pride.

  "Alright, alright, what's there to cry about? Tell me, who defeated you and I'll go avenge for you. Will that do?" Ximen Ruxue changed her approach and comforted her instead.

  "Are you serious?" Her eyes were bright red, looking at Ximen Qingfeng with suspicion.

  "Of course, I'll tell Brother Ximen who bullied you. I'll go and get your dignity back for you!" Ximen Linfeng patted his chest, guaranteeing it with all sincerity.

  "Alright, I'm pointing it out to you, that one over there, the tall and black one, do you see it?" Upon hearing someone avenging her, the poor little kid who was just crying jumped out of her brother's arms in an instant.

  Seeing that man who was over two meters tall and as strong as a bear, Ximen Lingshu swallowed her saliva with a gulp, his build could fit in two of him!

  "Hey, you're scared, weren't you just saying you'd avenge me earlier?" North Tang Xiner stared at the person whose face had suddenly changed color, and then returned to her usual self.

  "Who, who, who's afraid? But it's just a draw, ah yes! The match is by lottery, my opponent won't necessarily get him!" What a close call, fortunately, he thought of this rule. At this moment, Ximen Qingyang was extremely pleased with himself, but he didn't know yet that "extreme joy begets extreme sorrow"...

  "Hmph! That's just an excuse, I don't know you!" He snorted, turned his face to the side and ignored him.

  "What excuse? I'm not making excuses!"

  "Whatever!"

  Watching the two of them arguing again, they really didn't know what to say anymore.

  "Let's discuss the team competition, shall we?" Huangfu Mingbo and Dongfang Ji also looked at her, not expecting that in just a few days, the person before them had become a Three-Star Spirit Emperor. This speed was simply against the heavens!

  "I, Dongfang, Ximen, Huangfu, and you, the five of us, just right!" She didn't mind who it was with, but if it was someone she knew well, she would be happy too.

  "We also have this intention."

  "It's settled then!"