Countless gazes fell on him. Even though Su Yu was more mature than most his age, he still felt bitter at that moment.
What was wrong?
Could no geniuses come from Nanyuan?
This was Nanyuan's assessment!
It was not that Nanyuan had no talent, nor that everyone in Nanyuan was trash. Nanyuan merely had too little qi and was unsuitable for cultivation, which was why it seemed weak.
Which academy student did not cultivate seriously?
Who did not work hard?
Even Chen Hao, that fool, cultivated seven or eight hours every day. What held them back was only their environment, nothing else!
Though bitterness filled his heart, Su Yu did not show it.
He knew he could not reason with them, and no one would pity them.
Nanyuan was weak... but that was Nanyuan's problem. Who told them to stay in Nanyuan?
Was the environment in Great Xia Prefecture not good? They could go there themselves!
Why not eat meat porridge? Perhaps that was what it meant.
Su Yu suppressed the irritation in his heart. He truly disliked how these people kept saying... that geniuses could come from small places too.
The words "small place" were always hanging from everyone's lips.
Even when meant kindly, they made Su Yu uncomfortable.
Nanyuan was his hometown. Nanyuan people could curse Nanyuan themselves, but they could not bear outsiders repeatedly looking down from on high and passing judgment.
Perhaps the examiners' looks held no malice, but Su Yu still felt as though a fishbone were stuck in his throat.
"This is my first time riding a demonic beast..."
Suppressing those emotions, Su Yu smiled and said, "Please excuse me if I do anything improper!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Su Yu pushed off the ground and leaped up.
With a boom, he landed atop the huge Cloud-Chasing Horse's back!
Grabbing the long mane on its back, Su Yu slapped its back sharply, and the Cloud-Chasing Horse immediately began to run!
Su Yu sat extremely steadily. As the Cloud-Chasing Horse galloped wildly, he clamped his legs tight. The horse swiftly completed a lap, yet showed no sign of stopping.
To one side, several students whispered, "The Cloud-Chasing Horse seems startled. It's going too fast. If it can't stop steadily, that shouldn't count as a complete pass, right?"
An examiner heard them and immediately said, "Of course. Failing to stop steadily will definitely result in points deducted!"
As soon as he spoke, Su Yu gently patted the Cloud-Chasing Horse's neck. The horse, still racing madly, quickly came to a stop. Its four legs bent slightly, and Su Yu jumped down from its back with a smile. "That was quite easy. Seeing it for the first time just now did give me a bit of a fright."
At that moment, the students did not react much, but several examiners could not help looking at Su Yu.
Old Xie's eyes flickered, but he said nothing.
At some point, the leader from Great Xia War College had also walked over. He glanced at Su Yu, and a faint smile appeared on his stern face.
Old Xie noticed him as well. He grinned, his lips moving slightly as he said, "A descendant of the Demon Suppression Army. He has nothing to do with you!"
The Great Xia War College leader did not care. Calmly, he said, "He has merely seen blood. That amounts to nothing. Great Xia War College has no shortage of such people. Only Dragon Martial Academy treats them as treasures. Let's wait and see!"
When the Cloud-Chasing Horse had bolted just now, it had been somewhat frightened. Su Yu's qi and blood had surged, and there was still some difference between someone who had killed and someone who had not. At that moment, Su Yu had likely intended to kill the startled Cloud-Chasing Horse.
The Cloud-Chasing Horse was a demonic beast, after all. It naturally sensed the threat of death and therefore stopped at once.
The students did not understand, but the examiners naturally saw part of what had happened.
On Great Xia War College's side, after making that remark, the middle-aged man smiled again. "Kaiyuan Eighth Stage is quite impressive in Nanyuan! But from what you said, you think he can make upper class?"
Old Xie smiled amiably. "Even if he makes upper class, he has nothing to do with you!"
"Xie Qi, stop taking digs at me all the time." The middle-aged man chuckled. "Dragon Martial Academy sees us as rivals, but Great Xia War College has never regarded Dragon Martial Academy as its opponent!"
Old Xie did not care. He smiled and said, "Once we crush you, we'll go crush the Civilization Academy! Look at yourselves—trash. For hundreds of years, the War Academy has always suppressed the Civilization Academy. And now? The path of war has declined in your hands, yet you still have the nerve to say that?"
The middle-aged man frowned slightly. "If Dragon Martial Academy hadn't been fighting us for students and resources these past years, if the Prefecture Lord hadn't favored you and weakened Great Xia War College, how could the Civilization Academy have had a chance to rise?"
"When you're incapable, you blame others!"
Old Xie said disdainfully, "Why was Dragon Martial Academy established in the first place? Don't you understand? You were lifeless and stagnant, your results worsened year after year, there were fewer and fewer experts, and you consumed vast resources while failing to bring up new talent. No one from the younger generation had risen for so long. Your academy should have been shut down instead of being given another chance!"
"Go say that at Linghai Tower!"
"So what if I do?" Old Xie refused to back down. "Going to bite me? All you know is how to use the older generation to pressure us! That was Great Xia Prefecture's accumulation over three hundred years, not your achievement over these few decades!"
"Just wait. Dragon Martial Academy's students from these generations are no worse than yours. Great Xia's number one War Academy will soon need a new name! This so-called Great Xia War College... take away the words 'Great Xia' and rename it Trash War College!"
The middle-aged man's gaze sharpened as he looked at Old Xie. Old Xie did not yield in the slightest and glared right back.
After a moment, the middle-aged man snorted softly. "You think he can make upper class, but I think he has no hope! I've seen his results. His earlier assessments were good, totaling 250 points. Add 50 points for beast riding and 100 points of merit bonus, and that makes 400 points."
"There are still the Kaiyuan Eighth Stage basic assessment, shooting, and practical combat—three subjects worth 200 points total. He would have to score full marks in all three just to barely qualify for upper class."
Old Xie smiled. "What's wrong with full marks?"
"Can he get full marks in the shooting assessment?"
The middle-aged man said indifferently, "How many times has he held a bow? Nanyuan Academy's overall strength is mediocre to begin with, and its teaching results are mediocre too. Are you sure he can score full marks?"
Old Xie was not certain either, but he could not retreat even half a step at this moment. Smiling, he said, "I think he'll be fine!"
The two looked at each other. The middle-aged man could not be bothered with him. What a dead duck with a hard beak!
The next moment, Old Xie suddenly shouted, "Su Yu, this Great Xia War College fellow looks down on you! He says you absolutely can't make upper class! Can we military people endure such humiliation? When the shooting assessment comes, get full marks and show him!"
Su Yu glanced at the two men. Seeing their hostile exchange of looks, something stirred in his heart. He asked, "Teacher, are there any preferential reward policies for upper-class students?"
"Hm?"
Old Xie froze for a moment before saying, "Once you enter an academy, there will naturally be rewards, and the methods of cultivation differ..."
"I mean just for the assessment itself. Is there a reward for testing into upper class?"
Old Xie's eyes rolled as he smiled. "Dragon Martial Academy has no such policy. Of course, Great Xia War College is rich. Who knows how many resources they waste every year. If you test into upper class, Great Xia War College probably won't mind giving you a few hundred drops of Qi Liquid for free."
"..."
The tense, sword-drawn atmosphere vanished in an instant.
On Great Xia War College's side, the middle-aged man glanced at Old Xie and said flatly, "Xie Qi, if you're so confident, why not pay out of your own pocket and give him something? If I remember correctly, serving as chief examiner in Nanyuan earns you 50 merit points and five drops of Soaring Realm essence blood. Why not bleed a little to encourage the younger students?"
"..."
Old Xie cursed inwardly. I'm broke!
I'm dirt poor!
Although Dragon Martial Academy had Xia Longwu behind it, its resources truly could not compare with Great Xia War College's. The other side had been the elder brother for hundreds of years; there was simply no comparison.
But on second thought, Su Yu probably... had no hope of making upper class, right?
After all, he was still far behind!
He needed full marks in every remaining subject. The slightest mistake could cost him several points.
With so many people watching, could Dragon Martial Academy afford to lose face?
Thinking that, Old Xie chuckled. "I'm poor. I can't make money as quickly or as much as you do. How about this, Su Yu? If you make upper class, I'll give you 10 merit points as congratulations. Descendants of the Demon Suppression Army are all family. There's nothing to begrudge."
"..."
What a miser!
At that moment, many people cursed inwardly. Su Yu's chances of making upper class were slim, yet this fellow was still so stingy. Ten merit points... was that a lot?
Besides, there was a ninety-nine percent chance he would never need to pay up.
Couldn't he offer more now and help Dragon Martial Academy save face?
Old Xie immediately changed the subject. "I'll give you 10 merit points, and this fellow will give you 10 merit points. Both out of our own pockets. Whoever gets reimbursed is a grandson. What do you say?"
"..."
The middle-aged man could not be bothered to respond. He did not take the bait, but Old Xie treated that as acquiescence. In truth, he had not held out much hope anyway.
It was just a joke for a bit of fun.
Yet at that moment, Su Yu asked seriously, "Teacher, do you mean that?"
"..."
Old Xie was speechless. Did this kid really want to squeeze out those 20 merit points?
"Of course. It's only 10 merit points. Any more would cost me my life, but for this little merit, killing a Ten Thousand Stones will earn it back. Would I lie to you?"
Su Yu nodded and said no more.
He calculated silently. Fine. If he could not score full marks in the other subjects, then he would find a way to break through to Kaiyuan Ninth Stage in the remaining time!
He was only a tiny bit short anyway. Just a little bit.
Kaiyuan Ninth Stage—even if he had only just broken through and could not get the full 50 points, couldn't he get 30 points?
Then making upper class would still be quite easy.
What had happened just now soon passed.
It was nothing major. A few examiners simply did not get along.
Su Yu and the others who had finished their assessments continued following Old Xie toward another testing ground.
Wu Lan, who had not spoken to Su Yu until now, suddenly stopped. When Su Yu caught up, she said, "Do you want to apply to a War Academy?"
"We'll talk after the assessments are over."
Su Yu found it strange. He did not know her, but outside the testing grounds earlier, those few people had gathered together to observe him. She also had Willpower, so perhaps she had some connection to Bai Feng's side.
"Since you don't want to apply to a War Academy, there's no need to fight for the limelight right now."
Wu Lan said seriously, "The War Academy and Civilization Academy have always been at odds. There's no need for you to stand out too much in the War Academy assessments... If the Civilization Academy finds out..."
Su Yu was briefly stunned, then laughed. "They won't put obstacles in my path, will they?"
"Maybe."
Su Yu really laughed. "Is the Civilization Academy that petty? They can't even stand seeing students perform well in assessments? If that's the case... only an idiot would attend the Civilization Academy! It's rotten to the core. Anyone who attends is an idiot! If it's really like that, then of course I'll go to a War Academy!"
He truly found it amusing. "Did you come up with that yourself, or is that really how things are? If it's true, I advise you not to go either. Is there any point in attending such an academy? We haven't even enrolled yet, but someone already thinks that performing well means you can't attend the Civilization Academy... That's too rotten! How did Daxia Civilization Academy become like this? It's far too different from what I imagined. Once rot reaches the roots, there's no saving it. Why don't you stop applying too?"
Wu Lan was at a loss for words. After a long while, she said, "It's not like that. I mean... in any case, you've caught the attention of people at the Civilization Academy, and some may dislike you..."
"Do you include yourself?"
"I... I don't!"
Wu Lan said with a cold face, "I only came to see what kind of student Assistant Bai Feng wants to take in. I don't care about his student slot at all!"
Su Yu smiled. He did not take it to heart and asked again, "What you said just now—is it true? If I perform well here, people will be unhappy about it?"
"I don't know. It's a guess... not exactly a guess. If you perform well, some teachers may recommend that you attend a War Academy. For example, if you make upper class here, teachers may recommend you to a War Academy. That way, your own range of choices becomes smaller."
"Why?"
"They teach according to aptitude. Besides, it frees up a slot. Also, many people know Assistant Bai Feng intends to take you as a student. If you can't even enter an academy, how will he take you in? Then people will laugh at him."
Wu Lan said calmly, "If a teacher recommends that you go but you refuse and insist on entering the Civilization Academy, others will think you don't know your own limits. You're clearly so outstanding in the War Academy assessments, yet you insist on going to the Civilization Academy. A student who cannot see himself clearly has no value in taking in."
"What if I'm also outstanding in the Civilization Academy assessments?"
Wu Lan looked at him strangely. "Do you think entering upper class at the Civilization Academy is that easy? Upper class at a War Academy is actually easier than at a Civilization Academy, and luck is important too. The Civilization Academy truly looks at strength and ability."
"I think I'm quite capable!"
Su Yu was neither polite nor modest. Seriously, he said, "For assessments like the Civilization Academy's, which don't rely on luck, I think I'll only be stronger!"
"..."
Wu Lan suddenly did not want to speak to him anymore and left directly.
As they spoke, they arrived at the shooting assessment grounds.
Old Xie still followed them. In truth, he did not need to come anymore, but he continued walking with them as he explained, "This depends on both strength and mentality. There are targets at 50 meters, 100 meters, and 300 meters. Stationary targets. Hitting the bullseye at 50 meters earns 5 points, 100 meters earns 15 points, and 300 meters earns 30 points. If your fundamentals are decent, 20 points are secure. The final 30 points are somewhat difficult."
"You get three chances at each target. If you hit the target, you'll also receive points as appropriate."
"The best result will be counted!"
"In other words, with nine arrows, you need at least three arrows to hit the bullseyes of different targets to receive full marks!"
After speaking, Old Xie looked at Su Yu and smiled. "Su Yu, do you practice this much in Nanyuan?"
"Very little. Once a week, and the targets are at most 100 meters away."
Su Yu answered seriously. It was true. Nanyuan almost never had them practice against 300-meter targets. There was no point; it required arm strength, and even Kaiyuan Third Stage cultivators might not be able to draw a powerful bow.
Old Xie coughed lightly, perhaps to hide his smile.
Su Yu thought so. This man probably did not want to pay those 10 merit points. Shameless!
Just as they spoke, someone suddenly called Su Yu. Not far away, Chen Hao said excitedly, "A-Yu, you're here too! You're so slow. You only got here now—I thought you'd already finished..."
The fellow trotted over eagerly and said excitedly, "How are you even slower than me? Did you spend too long listening to the secret manuals?"
Su Yu thought for a moment and answered seriously, "No, I finished listening very quickly. I should have received full marks. Then I took the Kaiyuan Sixth Stage and Seventh Stage assessments and got 80 points. After that, I took the riding assessment and should have gotten another 50 points. So I should have taken two more subjects than you. I should have 130 more points than you now, provided you took as many earlier assessments as I did..."
Chen Hao's running steps slowed, and despair filled his face.
A-Yu had already completed several more subjects than him!
He had just been a little excited. A-Yu had not tested as quickly as he had; Chen Hao had been here for a while, yet A-Yu had only just arrived!
But it turned out... the extra points Su Yu had earned were probably higher than Chen Hao's total score!
That was too much bullying!
Chen Hao was utterly dejected. Su Yu smiled. "Have you finished the shooting assessment?"
"Not yet."
Chen Hao said gloomily, "I just got here too. I saw you and came over."
"How did the earlier assessments go?"
"The three basic subjects should... be passable, right?" Chen Hao was uncertain, but quickly continued, "For the Kaiyuan First Three Stages, didn't we have to smell things and taste things? I probably wrote most of it correctly. You know I eat a lot, so I can tell them apart. As for the Fourth and Fifth Stage hearing tests... I should have gotten those mostly right too, right?"
Chen Hao had no confidence at all. "They should be right! Even the proctor said I wrote well!"
"Really?"
Su Yu did not believe him. Would an examiner praise him?
"Really! The teacher said that even if some of them were wrong, he might not be able to tell they were wrong. If he couldn't see what was wrong, didn't that mean there were no mistakes?"
Chen Hao nodded seriously.
Su Yu thought for a moment and suddenly understood. Did he take that as praise?
The teacher had probably meant that Chen Hao's handwriting was so ugly that even if he wrote something wrong, the teacher might not be able to tell exactly whether it was wrong or not.
Su Yu did not know whether to laugh or cry. He nodded. "Then that's good. You haven't taken the riding assessment yet, right? Go take it after the shooting assessment. They're just a few big horses. Don't be afraid. Get on and ride. If they don't listen, think about roasting them and eating them. Horses bully the timid too. Just don't be timid!"
"Got it."
Chen Hao had yet to see the Cloud-Chasing Horse, but he did not care. A horse being a little bigger was nothing. He often rode horses at the academy, and he was far more active than Su Yu. He liked these sorts of things.
As they spoke, an examiner over there shouted, "That student, come over! It's your turn. Are you forfeiting?"
Chen Hao hurried over. Su Yu was still waiting in line.
Chen Hao had practiced archery longer than Su Yu. This guy did not like reading; whenever he had time, he would grind away in the training room. The moment he took up the bow, he drew and fired!
With a hum, the arrow struck the bullseye fifty meters away!
Su Yu had good eyesight, so he could see clearly even at this distance.
When Chen Hao drew his bow, he no longer looked foolish. He was extremely serious. He drew again, and the second arrow shot through the air with a hum!
A hundred meters away, it struck the bullseye again!
"Not bad!"
Old Xie nodded slightly and smiled. "Other than being a little weak in strength, his fundamentals are solid!"
For the third arrow, Chen Hao had not opened his eye aperture. Without a scope, the bullseye three hundred meters away was somewhat difficult for him.
He drew the longbow to its full extent. Sweat seeped from Chen Hao's forehead, but he did not fire.
His stamina was beginning to give out, but Chen Hao was still searching for an opportunity, judging the bullseye's position and the direction of the wind.
Though this guy was only at the Kaiyuan Fifth Stage, his physique was quite good. He held on for a while, and the longbow did not tremble at all.
Su Yu could even see the sweat rolling down his forehead. He felt a little nervous, worried that the guy would exhaust himself too much and affect the later tests.
Hum!
With a trembling sound in the air, the arrow shot forth and struck into the target ahead with a bang.
"Off the bullseye, but it hit the target. Deduct ten points!"
Old Xie muttered a remark. Su Yu, however, breathed a sigh of relief. This guy was pretty good. He had scored forty points in the shooting test, far more than Su Yu had expected.
Over there, Chen Hao was not upset at all. Instead, he was somewhat excited. He looked toward Su Yu again, grinning from ear to ear in delight.
He had not expected the third arrow to hit anyway. He had gotten twenty points for free now. What a huge profit!
Soon, it was Su Yu's turn as well.
Su Yu could see the fifty-meter target clearly. He took the longbow, drew it, and fired, easily hitting the target fifty meters away.
The hundred-meter target was no different.
For Su Yu, even without using his Willpower, it could help him judge many things. Hitting the bullseye was easy.
Three hundred meters was somewhat difficult for Su Yu.
Like Chen Hao, Su Yu drew the bow and assessed the situation for a while. However, he did not sweat. The Kaiyuan Eighth Stage was not achieved for nothing.
With a hum, the arrow flew out.
Old Xie stared with all his might. The next moment, he seemed relieved, but also regretful. "What a pity! It was just a little short. I'm afraid three to five points will be deducted."
It had not hit the bullseye, but it was less than one centimeter off. The exact deduction would depend on the deviation, likely around three points.
That meant Su Yu had no hope of reaching the upper tier.
On one hand, Old Xie felt that he would not need to give out those ten merit points. On the other, he found it deeply regrettable. If Su Yu could not enter the upper tier, his treatment after entering the academy would be much worse. Still, with his Willpower bonus at the academy, this kid should be able to enter the upper tier, right?
Several visiting students beside Su Yu were watching as well. Seeing that he had not hit the mark, some were regretful, while others quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed this student from Nanyuan was not all that strong after all.
At Great Xia Prefecture, perfect shooting scores were not uncommon.
Su Yu was not particularly regretful. Instead, he felt much more at ease. Fortunately, it had actually hit. He had practiced too little; now, he could only hit the target with his opened eye aperture and the assistance of his Willpower. If they were truly compared, he was not even as good as Chen Hao. At least Chen Hao had hit it through his own ability.
"No chance at the upper tier now!"
Old Xie looked at Su Yu with some regret.
Su Yu smiled, not the least bit impatient.
Kaiyuan Ninth Stage. He was only a tiny step away.
After opening the atlas for more than ten consecutive days and cultivating with essence blood, he had already felt that he was about to break through the ninth aperture. But he had nearly used up his essence blood, so he had not continued cultivating.
But now... he had gotten twenty merit points for free. Why not cultivate?
Qi Liquid sold externally for one hundred thousand per drop, but exchanging merit points for it only required five points.
Su Yu still had seven merit points. He had not yet used the rewards from assisting in killing a Ten Thousand Stones cultivator and killing that Thousand Jun cultivator.
"Teacher Xie, the upcoming practical combat test is held together with the Kaiyuan Eighth Stage test, right?"
"Correct."
Old Xie nodded. "Kaiyuan Eighth Stage cultivators already possess genuine combat power, so their practical combat test differs from that of other students. The others only need to demonstrate some martial techniques. You Kaiyuan Eighth Stage students must engage in real combat. Five examiners will be present to supervise and score you overall. The final average score will be your practical combat score."
Su Yu nodded slightly. Beside him, Wu Lan suddenly said, "Do you want to take first place in the Nanyuan War Academy examination? I should be the only Kaiyuan Eighth Stage student here. I'm not taking the test, so even if you do not take it, you'll more or less be first anyway. Don't waste too much stamina. If you get injured... it'll affect your Civilization Academy examination this afternoon."
For Kaiyuan Eighth Stage students, there should only be her and Su Yu this time.
As for the others, they were here to take the Civilization Academy examination, not the War Academy examination. Almost all of them were at the Kaiyuan Seventh Stage. At least, Wu Lan had not seen any at the Eighth Stage.
If they were truly at the Kaiyuan Eighth Stage, those people would not be bothered to come here. They could take the examination directly in Great Xia Prefecture. Why come all this way?
Su Yu said seriously, "If someone at the Kaiyuan Seventh Stage scores higher than me in the cultural subjects and gets a perfect score in shooting, then I won't be first. Besides... since I'm at the Eighth Stage, why shouldn't I take the test?"
Wu Lan found it impossible to understand. She meant well. Wasn't this guy taking the Civilization Academy examination?
Kaiyuan Eighth Stage practical combat was real combat. Was he not afraid of getting injured and being unable to take the afternoon examination?
"Do whatever you want!"
She was somewhat displeased and could not be bothered to say anything else.
Su Yu looked at Old Xie again. "Teacher Xie, then what does the Kaiyuan Ninth Stage test?"
"Hm?"
Old Xie looked at him and assessed him, making sure he had not seen wrong and that Su Yu was indeed still at the Kaiyuan Eighth Stage. Only then did he smile. "Nanyuan doesn't have a Kaiyuan Ninth Stage examination category this time..."
"Then if there were one, would there be no test?"
"Not exactly. Kaiyuan Ninth Stage is similar to the Eighth Stage. For example, if you were at the Kaiyuan Ninth Stage, it would also be reflected in the practical combat test. However, the examiner you fought would be relatively stronger. Your score would then be determined through actual combat. In other words, the Eighth and Ninth Stages do not require separate tests. They are settled in one go."
Su Yu nodded, still speaking with meticulous seriousness. "Teacher, then arrange a Kaiyuan Ninth Stage practical combat test for me. I'll take both the Eighth and Ninth Stage tests together!"
"You... Kaiyuan Eighth Stage..."
Old Xie was about to say something when a bottle suddenly appeared in Su Yu's hand. Su Yu said, "Give me a few minutes. I think I'm close to the Ninth Stage. After absorbing this drop of Qi Liquid, I may reach the Ninth Stage. If not, then test me according to the Eighth Stage."
"..."
Old Xie froze. After a long while, he could not help cursing under his breath!
Were the little brats of Nanyuan this rich now?
Where had the Qi Liquid come from?
Of course, that was not the key point. The key was that this guy was actually about to break through. Could it be this fast?
He had seen Su Yu's file. A few months ago, he had only been at the Kaiyuan Three Stages.
Could this kid be a peerless genius of the Warrior Dao... one who had been delayed by Myriad Races Language before? Liu Wenyan has done immeasurable harm! A fake Civilization Master like him delayed a Warrior Dao genius. That guy should be dragged out and beaten to death!
Old Xie cursed inwardly, feeling both depressed and expectant... Could he really succeed?
If he did, this kid could enter the upper tier?
Ten merit points were not much. The main thing was, could Nanyuan truly produce an upper-tier student through its local examination?
Damn... if he really enters the upper tier, Great Xia War College will definitely come snatch him!
The next moment, Old Xie grabbed Su Yu and dragged him toward a small classroom nearby. He said solemnly, "Be careful. I'll guard you while you cultivate. Be careful of Great Xia War College coming to cause trouble. There's too much scheming and infighting on their side, and they can't stand the sight of geniuses. That guy just now is also the kind who takes revenge over the smallest slight. Once he learns you're about to break through to the Ninth Stage and enter the upper tier, he'll definitely come cause trouble for those ten merit points!"
Su Yu froze for a moment. "That can't be true, can it..."
"Too young!"
Old Xie said gravely, "You don't know how treacherous the world is. You don't think everyone is like me, do you? Some people have such strong urges for revenge that they cannot stand seeing others do well. They wish everyone in the world were mediocre. That describes the guy from just now! Great Xia War College's reputation was ruined long ago by people like them. But don't worry. With me here protecting you, no one will dare do anything to you!"
Old Xie's tone was stern, his attitude solemn. With a grave expression, he said, "Believe me, you won't have any problems at all! Also, don't get close to that guy. Be careful of him plotting against you. He's at the Soaring Sixth Level. If a hidden force enters your body, your apertures will be ruined. Stay at least five meters away from him. The moment you see him, come straight to me. I'll keep my eyes locked on him!"
Su Yu's expression became serious. Was that true?
This was an examination site. Great Xia War College would not go that far, would it?
Scheme against an outstanding student for ten merit points?
That was far too dark!
Afraid that Su Yu would truly misunderstand, Old Xie coughed dryly and explained, "He's the only one like that. Great Xia War College is generally still decent. But that guy is especially narrow-minded, so just stay away from him."
Keep away from that guy and deny him the chance to recruit him!
Su Yu glanced sidelong at Old Xie. I'm still young, so don't lie to me. Is this real or not?
You recruiting teachers will smear your rivals as hard as you can for students. Is that really appropriate?
Can't people be a little more sincere with each other and give one another some trust?
Su Yu felt tired. He was actually very suspicious of Old Xie's words, but... I wasn't planning to attend the War Academy anyway. Do whatever you want. Once I get my twenty merit points and the reward of three drops of Qi Liquid, I'm leaving.
Before you continue