ASER - Chapter 177
Chapter 177: Audacious!
If this were an ordinary novel, characters like Xu Ye and Song Ling might have responded out of some pure, noble spirit. However, while one appeared cold and glamorous and the other cool and detached, both seemingly aloof, in reality, they were exceptionally shrewd, and had even anticipated the current situation.
Students of both the Qian Class and the Kun Class wore blue robes with white lapels. However, the white lapels of the Qian Class uniforms featured faint silver, flowing water patterns, and the jade pendants they wore at their waists were of a higher grade—Ice Qian Jade. These pendants contained their identification information, recorded their destiny, and were connected to Lushan Academy's mountain-protecting grand array. If a student encountered a fatal threat, activating the pendant would initiate a protective formation and record the incident, transmitting the information to Lushan's confidential intelligence department and relevant combat units. In an instant, a Grandmaster, or even a Lesser Spirit King, could arrive.
The Kun Class's jade pendants also served this purpose, though the material was a grade inferior.
Lushan Academy never muddled through issues. If a hierarchy was said to exist, it truly did. However, its deeper, unshakeable principle was that strength and merit reigned supreme.
Conflict was not forbidden among the students; perhaps the initial division into two classes was intended to incite competition.
Mutual provocation was the path to progress.
Thus, in terms of cultivation, the individuals before them were indeed far superior to the two young women.
At this moment, Li Che glanced at Handan Jidao. A'Diao was not present; were they to simply stand by and watch their own people be bullied?
These newcomers clearly had ill intentions. A normal spar would have been acceptable, but they feared a vicious attack—one that could break bones and damage foundations. A period of recuperation would mean wasting precious time in their golden growth period, a truly malicious act.
A'Diao herself had employed such methods.
Handan Jidao, however, was waiting—waiting for A'Diao…
Xu Ye, who had been sitting cross-legged, coldly observing the other students while reading by herself, suddenly lifted her gaze and retorted icily, "Esteemed students of the Kun Class, would you fight someone at the Grandmaster level?"
Song Ling sat with impeccable posture. Upon arriving, she had begun preparing tea with the set on the table. The tea she brewed was genuine, her skill in the tea ceremony orthodox and profound, and it had now reached a perfect state. Her words, however, were calm and elegant as she picked up Xu Ye's thread: "They probably would. After all, you are all Lushan locals and undoubtedly have Grandmaster-level experts in your families. As for whether you would fight a Grandmaster-level expert who is also a student, that I do not know. But if one could engage in a fierce battle with such an individual, remain undefeated, retreat unharmed, and maintain cordial relations, then I believe even our Top Scorer would be far inferior."
Xu Ye replied, "Is that so? That would indeed be the case. I just wonder if we will be so fortunate."
Song Ling responded, "Probably not. I, for one, wouldn't seek death by fighting someone two realms above me. As for you, Sister, if you knowingly engage in a battle one realm higher and still have to rely on the good fortune of emerging unscathed, why bother? You must understand, cultivation itself is an act of defying nature and gambling with heavenly secrets. To risk one's own fortune to further another's scheme, gaining nothing in return—even the sagely founders of Lushan throughout history would not commit such a folly."
Xu Ye conceded, "That is also true."
The two women, with cool composure, had articulated their points beautifully, closing off every possible avenue of argument. They even invoked the conduct of Lushan's past founders as a constraint, implying that if the Kun Class students persisted, they would risk being seen as violating those esteemed teachings. Should word of this spread, their tactics would appear crude and audacious.
The buzz-cut Zhang Xiaoren hadn't actually expected the two women to fall into his trap, but he was surprised they had so thoroughly blocked off any further maneuvering. In the future, if they tried to use their superior cultivation to coerce these Qian Class students into accepting challenges, their actions would lack legitimacy. Moreover, they would likely face questions about whether they themselves possessed the courage to challenge a Grandmaster.
"The two young ladies speak reasonably," Zhang Xiaoren conceded. "However, I've heard that the Top Scorer, while merely at the Glimmer Realm, challenged someone at the Star Realm. That is quite remarkable. I wonder…"
At this, Nie Yuanyuan and the others saw him turn his gaze towards them. Being Star Realm cultivators themselves, they wouldn't easily be drawn into the folly of an unevenly matched battle. Yet, they couldn't help but smile bitterly inwardly.
Attacking them to get at A'Diao?
It was unclear who would actually be pleased by such a turn of events.
Nevertheless, they were indeed unafraid.
If A'Diao doesn't show up, then don't blame me for using her name to boost my own reputation, Dantai Ke thought, just as he was about to rise.
"Oh, it wasn't the Glimmer Realm. It was the Transcendent Stage. I could kill Star Realm cultivators even back then, though it was an inferior one."
Suddenly, the curtain to the outer courtyard was swept aside, and a figure walked in, carrying a bag.
In the entire hall, she was the only one adorned in a vibrant crimson robe.
This person had never learned the etiquette of a noble young lady from a prestigious family, so her gait was naturally not one of fluttering grace. However, when one's status rises, and one fully acknowledges their own esteemed position, their steps naturally become steady, their robes flow with an air of carefree elegance, and they exude an aura of unhurried composure.
The moment she entered, she captured everyone's attention.
Zhang Xiaoren narrowed his eyes, sizing A'Diao up and down. He touched the saber at his waist and began, "So, you're Chen—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a terrifying mental attack surged towards him.
Hum!
In an instant, Zhang Xiaoren's pupils dilated, his spiritual body instantly succumbing to paralyzing dizziness from the severe blow. And at that very moment…
Bang!
At his most vulnerable, a curse befell him.
His robes, armor, and equipment clattered to the ground. A chubby, pink, pig-like form lay sprawled on the floor. After the initial shock, his spiritual body began to recover. Just as he was about to counterattack, his physical form suddenly burst into flames.
"My, my, what a flamboyant pig you are."
And then, he was truly ablaze.
It was an uncontrollable, inextinguishable inferno. Then, A'Diao landed a kick on him… Thump!
A figure resembling a roasted suckling pig transformed into a streak of brilliant light and soared outwards.
It flew several hundred meters before plunging into the lake with a loud splash.
Then, A'Diao raised her hand. With a sweep of her wide sleeve, crash, all of Zhang Xiaoren's personal belongings on his table were sent tumbling to the floor. She then collected all of Zhang Xiaoren's armor and other items, and placed the large bag of food and drinks she had brought onto his vacated table.
The items she had swept aside landed with metallic clangs, shattering upon impact.
They were all antiques, heirlooms from the first generation, mind you. For a swordsman, he was quite the pretentious connoisseur of elegance.
And A'Diao, it seemed, was even more inclined to such displays, hence her simultaneously domineering yet affable demeanor.
She then turned to Zhang Xiaoren's attendant, who stood waiting outside the door, and said with a gentle, curved smile, "Your young master is indisposed today and will likely need to rest for some time. It would be best if he refrains from attending any classes where I, Chen A'Diao, am present in the near future. Therefore, please come in and gather his belongings."
"And then… get out."
The final two words were delivered with a breath as fragrant as an orchid, elegant and sweet.
The attendant was a Star Realm cultivator himself, serving as a guard. Faced with such a terrifyingly powerful Top Scorer, whose attacks showed no leakage of spiritual energy, he, as a mere guard, could not possibly make a move against her. Thus, he could only lower his head.
He entered the room, gathered the items, and then swiftly departed.
Only then did A'Diao sit down, picking up a cup of sweet lychee-flavored water and a pastry. Beside her, Xia Sanlu pressed a hand to his furiously pounding heart, his face flushed, appearing as bashful and demure as a top courtesan spotting a handsome scholar parading through the streets. "Miss Chen," he stammered, "your seat is at the very front."
A'Diao took a large gulp of the icy lychee water and, in front of the now deathly silent Kun Class students, remarked, "My seat is over there, and no one would dare take it, would they? But by taking this extra spot, I'm always at an advantage."
"Perhaps in the future, I might even switch to other seats."
Everyone: "..."
Her meaning was clear: I'll sit wherever I damn well please, but no one else can take my designated seat.
"Isn't that right, you three?"
She turned her head, her gaze sweeping past the handsome and arrogant swordsman Lou Tanglie, who occupied the first seat in the second row to the left. Her eyes then casually shifted, landing on the corridor outside the hall… seemingly on empty air.
The air shimmered, and two figures entered one after the other.
Jiang Wulin and Rong Wan.
It seemed that individuals with strong bloodlines, nurtured in such auspicious lands, all possessed an outstanding demeanor and a natural aura of clarity that set them apart from ordinary mortals.
Song Ling and the others knew this was the advantage of these 'purebloods.' Their bodies had been nurtured within this mystical domain since childhood, their bones and flesh tempered under immense suppressive force—a foundation that the Qian Class students would find difficult to match in a short period.
And the greater their innate talent, the more striking their appearance.
One evoked the image of distant mist over a river, the other, the graceful beauty of a willow under the moonlight. (A play on Jiang Wulin's name, "River Mist Descends," and Rong Wan's, "Graceful Appearance.")
One possessed a distinct heroic air, while the other was the epitome of gentle, refined beauty. Both were imbued with an ancient charm to their very core, their auras vastly different from A'Diao and her peers, who hailed from more complex, modern nations. After all, even Duanmu Qingyang carried a subtle hint of a futuristic, almost super-technological, sensibility.
Under the watchful eyes of all present, and in contrast to Lou Tanglie's resentment and apprehension, Jiang Wulin remained far calmer. He stated in a clear voice, "If the Top Scorer wishes it, we can have a match. We will each bear the consequences of victory or defeat."
He had long been aware of information concerning A'Diao. He knew that her most formidable aspect was not merely her Yinglong bloodline, but her spiritual body—that was her deadliest weapon.
They, the Kun Class students, relying on their 'native' status within Lushan, could more effectively resist its suppressive force. They were also banking on the fact that A'Diao and the other Qian Class students would have their strength limited by this suppression. However, the suppressive force had far less impact on mental power than it did on the physical body. Therefore, the stronger A'Diao's spiritual body, the greater the threat she posed to them.
But Zhang Xiaoren had not been entirely unprepared. They all knew A'Diao excelled at what could be described as spiritual infusion or possession; as long as her mental threads did not penetrate their bodies, they could defend against it. However, they had not anticipated that in such a short time, she would have mastered direct and brutal mental attacks.
So, had she spent the past seven days solely cultivating her spiritual body?
A'Diao took another sip of her milk tea and chuckled. "So serious? I was just kidding."
She beamed, exuding no aggression whatsoever, as if she truly had been joking.
"Mid-stage Star Realm," A'Diao mused, "and perhaps even capable of fighting across minor sub-realms. I can't afford to provoke that. After all, the suppression of the Sixth Heaven is truly unbearable."
Her initial words were one thing; many were merely shocked that Jiang Wulin had reached the mid-stage Star Realm in his early twenties. But at her latter statement, even Dantai Ke and the others showed a change in expression.
Beyond the initial Star Realm, the difference between the mid-stage and low-stage was immense.
Even Lou Tanglie's expression changed abruptly.
Clearly, this was a secret, yet A'Diao had exposed it upon their very first proper meeting. Just how terrifying was her spiritual body?
Jiang Wulin's pupils contracted slightly as he stared intently at A'Diao.
The atmosphere in the hall solidified for a moment. But as A'Diao delivered the latter part of her statement, Song Ling's brow immediately twitched.
Here it comes.
Sure enough, the next second, A'Diao sighed. "Sometimes, I truly envy those of you on the third or fourth tiers, not having to endure such terrifying suppression. But then again, when it comes to misfortune, you Kun Class students are even unluckier. Suppressed since childhood…"
"And now,"
She propped her chin on her hand and delivered a line that nearly made the entire Kun Class want to flip their tables in unison.
"You still have to be suppressed by me."
The Kun Class students: "!!!"
Lou Tanglie gripped the sword at his waist, its power crackling with lightning. Jiang Wulin's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes held an enigmatic depth. Rong Wan, however, remained composed.
"Angry, are you? But there's nothing you can do… You don't dare fight me."
"Because… class is about to start."
The final minute ticked by, and in the courtyard outside the hall, a figure appeared, wearing wooden clogs and holding a teacup.
From everyone in the Kun Class: +++++!!!
Coupled with the significant emotional fluctuations from many in the Qian Class, a billion points of Mental Power were generated in mere moments.
But A'Diao still looked somewhat disdainful.
I can rake in hundreds of billions just by selling a few photos. What do you lot even count for?!
You've greatly disappointed me!
However, even though Li Che and others had their share of conflicts with A'Diao, upon seeing the food and drinks on her table… Song Ling and the others went over and helped themselves. The quickest to act was Xia Sanlu, followed closely by Cao Juanzhi.
These two, her "backup suitors number one and two," possessed remarkably high emotional intelligence. They quickly discerned something from the situation and realized that by creating such a commotion and directly confronting the Kun Class, A'Diao was essentially forcing all of them from the Qian Class to take a side.
Either they stood with her, or they stood with the Kun Class. She wouldn't allow them the opportunity for her, A'Diao, to be the sole target while they remained detached, waiting to reap benefits like the proverbial oriole stalking the mantis.
Did they remember the fate of Yan Fengbai, who had used her as a target during the Lushan trials?
They had all entered Lushan together as members of the Qian Class. This was the first time they were being passively forced to choose sides, but now, she was giving them an opportunity to make an active choice.
Either allies or enemies.
She had always been this decisive and unyielding.
Shen Huajing went over and took some, as did Nie Yuanyuan and Li Che…
Before the teacher entered, everything on A'Diao's table had been completely shared out.
Only Handan Jidao and Dantai Ke, the two princes, refrained from taking anything.
A'Diao was unconcerned. It was only when she saw the "teacher" enter the room that she paused, slightly taken aback.
It was a woman, and she looked so young.
This teacher looked up, revealing a refined and elegant face. A vibrant green hairpin—a Qing Zan—was nestled in her beautiful dark hair. Her features were exquisitely delicate, and she exuded a scholarly aura, much like a female tutor from an ancient private school. Her opening words were, "There's no need to stare. By my reckoning, I am already over three hundred years old."
"Drink your sweet water now," she advised. "Otherwise, after class, you won't be able to stomach it."
The teacher's title was Qing Zan. Other details like her full name were of little importance to students of their age. In any case, after her words, the students felt somewhat apprehensive. Yet, not daring to disrespect A'Diao's earlier gesture, they all gulped down their sweet water.
Then, Teacher Qing Zan glanced at A'Diao, who, ironically, had stopped drinking, and began the actual lesson.
"This lesson, I will teach you a secret acupoint technique for physique transformation: the 'Meridian Unblocking Acupoint Technique.' First, follow my lead. Bring your fingertips together…"
Everyone adopted a solemn expression, following Teacher Qing Zan's instructions to gather spiritual power at their fingertips.
Acupoint striking was a highly advanced skill; precision in angle, force, and timing were all indispensable.
A'Diao realized that this Meridian Unblocking Acupoint Technique was likely one of Lushan Academy's most guarded secrets. It could directly cause the body to expel impurities and enhance one's physique without the need for external medicinal stimuli.
Therefore, it was imperative to learn it.
Thus, everyone diligently followed her instructions.
The first acupoint was pressed, then the second, the third…
By the time the fourth acupoint was activated, many students were struggling to endure.
This was especially true for the Qian Class students.
Their natural physiques were considerably weaker. From the third acupoint onward, the technique began to create a chain reaction. Once the fourth point was activated, their blood instantly felt like it was boiling, churning and searing through them like acid. The intense pain also forced their muscles and bones to shift internally.
Agh! This effect was too…!!
Song Ling and a few others were the first to succumb, directly coughing up blood. In an instant, five students from the Qian Class were eliminated!
However, all the Kun Class students remained unaffected.
Next came the fifth acupoint.
The Qian Class lost another eight members, leaving only a few Star Realm cultivators and A'Diao. The Kun Class also saw ten of its students eliminated.
The sixth acupoint… Shen Huajing and a few others could no longer endure it. From the Qian Class, only A'Diao, Handan Jidao, and Dantai Ke remained. Ten students were still left from the Kun Class.
The seventh acupoint. Hum…
With the exception of Rong Wan, Jiang Wulin, and Lou Tanglie, everyone else—A'Diao included—vomited.
Retch~~~~
They even threw up the sweet water they had drunk earlier.
It was a classroom filled with a rather distinct aroma.
Lou Tanglie sneered, deliberately expressing disdain to save face. "You can't even endure this? Then you all…"
A'Diao steadied herself against a table, wiped her mouth, and said nonchalantly, "If you keep running your mouth, I'll take off my shoes. By the way, I have smelly feet."
She deliberately reached for her shoes, feigning the motion of taking them off.
Jiang Wulin and Rong Wan were utterly unprepared for such words and actions; their expressions became indescribable.
Lou Tanglie: "!!!"
He was already looking somewhat worse off than Rong Wan and Jiang Wulin… in truth, he was also feeling unwell, though certainly much better than A'Diao and her group. However, he couldn't withstand the provocation. His face turned green, he instinctively covered his mouth, and then—retch~~~
He, too, threw up.
As he vomited, the expressions of Rong Wan and Jiang Wulin, who were nearby, became rather conflicted.
Because Lou Tanglie was right beside them, and the contents of his vomit… Why on earth did this person have a habit of eating stinky tofu for breakfast?!
Rong Wan closed her eyes, biting her lip.
At the head of the class, Teacher Qing Zan lifted her gaze to look at the snickering A'Diao, her eyes cool. She suddenly walked down from the dais.
The sharp-tongued A'Diao felt a flicker of fear. She flinched slightly, clutched her sweet water, took a large gulp, edged away a little, and said meekly, "Teacher, I was just spouting nonsense. I won't do it again. Please…"
Pak!
Her eighth acupoint was struck. Her entire body felt as if it were being swarmed and bitten by countless ants…
A'Diao: "!!!"
Teacher Qing Zan then proceeded to strike the acupoints of Rong Wan and Jiang Wulin as well. After that, she reactivated the previously struck acupoints for all the others who had vomited blood.
Furthermore, all the acupoints she had activated were now glowing with luminous patterns.
A sustained acupoint activation effect.
Which meant… they would continue to vomit.
Then, Teacher Qing Zan walked out of the classroom. Her fingertips formed a seal. A confinement grand array materialized, spinning up from the floor, while a suppression grand array pressed down from above. Then, with a flick of her sleeve—
Clang! The doors and windows all sealed shut.
The first lesson: a terrifying sealed chamber.
From the moment Teacher Qing Zan began the class to when she sealed the room, barely twenty minutes had passed. Yet, it had already reduced these most talented geniuses of the Tang Song Nation to widespread wailing.
As for her, she had ascended to the second floor, where she leaned back in an armchair, calmly embroidering.
Teaching these students was merely a pastime for her at Lushan. For someone who had weathered the storms of the founding era, no youngster of the current generation could truly stir any significant emotion within her.
After all, they had witnessed countless geniuses in that bygone era, and they themselves had been dazzling figures of their time.
Geniuses only became worthy of attention after they had survived through brutal life-and-death struggles.
Otherwise, it was all meaningless.
Meanwhile, far from the classroom, a young man arrived, riding his saber. He instantly plunged into the lake and fished someone out from its depths.
It was Zhang Xiaoren, pulled out by his older brother, Zhang Xiaodao.
Zhang Xiaodao was three years older than his brother, currently twenty-five. He would have originally been eligible for the Kun Class but had instead joined the Martial Hall. He grabbed his younger brother by the scruff of his neck, threw him to the ground, then touched his head, assessing the damage to his spiritual body. A murderous glint flashed in his somber eyes.
"Bro-brother…" Zhang Xiaoren, looking utterly wretched, gazed at his older brother with a touch of fear.
"What was your original plan?" Zhang Xiaodao asked.
Zhang Xiaoren explained in a low voice.
Zhang Xiaodao sneered. "Foolish! Underestimating an opponent is a grave mistake! She is, after all, the Top Scorer who passed the entrance examination. Moreover, the Dean has always had high standards; the fact that he values her so highly naturally indicates she is extraordinary. With your kind of foresight, it's no wonder you were thrashed so badly!"
"But… if she didn't possess a Lesser Spirit King-level Dao Tablet, she couldn't have inflicted such severe damage on me with a mental attack! The Dean is biased! To give her such a supreme treasure, he…"
Smack!
Zhang Xiaodao struck him across the face.
"Audacious!"
Zhang Xiaoren immediately clapped a hand over his stinging cheek and fell silent, knowing he had spoken ill of the Dean and committed a grave offense.
Zhang Xiaodao regarded his younger brother with cold eyes, disinclined to debate the rights and wrongs of the matter. "Proceed with the original plan," he said icily, "but adjust the deployment… Your previous methods were inadequate."
Dusk settled over Lushan Academy, and the confinement ended. The students emerged in a wretched state, scattering in all directions… A considerable number of them leaped straight into the lake.
Or rather, because A'Diao was the first to jump, Jiang Wulin and his two companions followed suit. Thereafter, Dantai Ke and most of the others also plunged into the water.
Students from both classes plunged in like dumplings being dropped into boiling water, one after another.
The waters of Lushan were generally crystal clear, but due to the intense spiritual energy, they teemed with underwater flora, obstructing visibility in the depths. Amidst this murky underwater world, Jiang Wulin and his two companions searched for A'Diao.
To take her out?
No, at the very least, they had to give her a sound thrashing, to teach her a lesson for her arrogance and audacity!
However, at this moment… underwater, Nie Yuanyuan received a mental transmission from A'Diao.
"Begin."
Nie Yuanyuan narrowed her eyes. Her body seemed to dissolve into the water, merging seamlessly with the surrounding spiritual environment, completely undetected even by Jiang Wulin and his companions.
For when it came to innate spiritual talent, if she claimed to be second, none would dare claim first.
This was the confidence of a rising genius from humble origins in the Qian Class.
Otherwise, A'Diao would not have sought her assistance. After transforming into countless spiritual tendrils to monitor the entire underwater expanse, Nie Yuanyuan located Jiang Wulin and his two companions and relayed their position to A'Diao.
At this moment, A'Diao had just cleansed herself of the expelled impurities and had already concealed herself using a spatial technique. However, she was still inwardly shaken by Teacher Qing Zan's formidable power.
This 'Meridian Unblocking Acupoint Technique' was incredibly potent. She wondered what further benefits the subsequent stages of the technique might offer. In any case, this eight-acupoint transformation had already yielded results comparable to ten sessions of Grade B refinement.
If combined with the 'Hidden Dragon' technique and Grade A formulas… it would be absolutely incredible!
Underwater, Dantai Ke and Dantai Sheng plotted to launch a sneak attack on A'Diao when Jiang Wulin and his companions eventually cornered her.
It would be ideal to use these Lushan 'purebloods' to cripple A'Diao.
Thus… the two brothers set aside their differences and collaborated fully for the first time. But suddenly, they sensed something amiss. By the time they realized what was happening, it was too late.
Mental threads, their resilience now far exceeding their previous state after some form of fusion, wrapped around bolts of mental lightning and pierced into their minds. A barrage of critical curses followed… Before the two princes could even react, they were transformed into pigs. A'Diao, appearing mysteriously amidst the dim underwater plants, wielded a terrifyingly potent Primal Staff in her left hand. After instantly incapacitating them, she used her other hand, which held a brick formed from Toilet, to deliver two sharp blows to their heads, stunning them. Then, grabbing them by their pig tails, she yanked the unconscious Dantai Ke and Dantai Sheng into her living storage space.
Amidst the swaying underwater plants… her figure flickered in and out of sight.
Elsewhere, Nie Yuanyuan received A'Diao's transmission: "It's done."
Nie Yuanyuan was startled. It's done already?
This… this was far too quick! And even she hadn't detected any energy fluctuations. It was too uncanny.
A flicker of understanding crossed her eyes. If Nie Yuanyuan had previously harbored any doubts about the threat A'Diao represented, then after witnessing A'Diao repeatedly dispatch Star Realm cultivators in an instant, she no longer dared to entertain any rebellious thoughts. She decisively proceeded with the original plan, transforming her appearance…
She evaded the search of Jiang Wulin and his two companions, exiting the water from a downstream section of the lake. By the time she emerged, her appearance had completely changed—she now looked exactly like A'Diao.
The instant she emerged from the water, from a high tower to the southeast of this area, a cultivator who had activated their Sky Eagle bloodline, granting them vision over a thousand li, sent a transmission.
"She's out! She turned invisible, but I saw her emit some spiritual energy. It seems she's heading towards Mirror Blade Gorge."
Lou Tanglie received the transmission and decisively contacted Jiang Wulin and Rong Wan.
"You've seen it! This A'Diao is incredibly overbearing! If we don't suppress her now, none of you will be able to act freely either!"
Did Jiang Wulin and Rong Wan harbor no desire to contend with A'Diao?
They did. However, they hadn't wished for a confrontation right at the outset. Firstly, it would reflect poorly on their reputation; secondly, it would inevitably create enmity. After all, she was the Top Scorer, and no Top Scorer in Lushan's history had ever been a pushover.
Conflicts should be conducted openly and honorably.
But after witnessing her actions today, it was clear that this A'Diao was indeed exceedingly powerful, and her methods were ruthless. Lou Tanglie and his associate had already initiated hostilities, and the rift between the two classes had been brazenly exposed. They could only stand in opposition.
They truly could not afford to back down.
"State your plan," Jiang Wulin said coldly to Lou Tanglie.
Lou Tanglie's confidence immediately surged. He quickly conferred with them privately. Soon after, the three of them shot out of the lake, transforming into streaks of light as they sped towards Mirror Blade Gorge.
Witnessing this, how could the students from both classes fail to understand the situation?
"Mirror Blade Gorge? As expected. Let's go then."
"I was planning to go there anyway."
Li Che and the others had also decided to start accumulating points today. After all, following the meridian-clearing effects of Lushan Academy's first lesson, they had truly sensed the terrifying depth of the institution's heritage.
After such a profound physique refinement, they would need various precious resources to nourish their bodies. They needed points.
A'Diao needed them, and so did they.
Let's go!
Everyone headed towards Mirror Blade Gorge.
Shen Huajing, however, had no intention of going to the gorge. She planned to visit the Library Pavilion. But as she emerged from the water, she saw two dark figures leap out from the lake's surface.
One was unmistakably Dantai Ke, the other, Dantai Sheng.
The two seemed to be having a disagreement. Dantai Ke sneered, "Utterly senseless! You'll regret this sooner or later!"
Dantai Sheng also retorted with a sneer, "This is merely cooperation; it doesn't mean I take orders from you. You're not the Crown Prince, and you're younger than me—stop acting so high and mighty! Besides, that A'Diao is incredibly cunning; she might have gone elsewhere. I'll intercept her myself; I don't need your commands!"
Dantai Ke said no more and headed directly for Mirror Blade Gorge. Dantai Sheng, however, stood in place for a moment before turning and heading off in a different direction.
Shen Huajing glanced at Dantai Sheng.
Hmm?
Is he heading in the same direction as me?
At this moment, none of them noticed a person standing on the second-floor veranda.
Teacher Qing Zan observed the two princes parting ways in a fit of anger and embarrassment, her expression slightly peculiar.
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