Ruo Lin stared blankly at Xiao Yao, only coming back to her senses after a long while.
Even Ruo Lin would have had to give that third-tier giant bear a wide berth.
Even if she had exhausted every means at her disposal, she might not have been able to kill it.
Yet Xiao Yao had killed the third-tier giant bear with ease.
At that moment, even Ruo Lin began to wonder whether Xiao Yao had held back when he fought her that night.
Ruo Lin put away her long whip and walked over to Xiao Yao, watching as he took out a knife and prepared to see whether the third-tier giant bear had a Magic Core.
Ruo Lin couldn't help asking, "Xiao Yao, did you hold back that night?"
Xiao Yao took an earthy yellow Magic Core from the giant bear's head. Hearing Ruo Lin's question, he replied as though it went without saying,
"Instructor Ruo Lin, my goal was to join the academy, not to actually provoke it."
Hearing this, Ruo Lin looked at Xiao Yao with a complicated expression.
It was truly hard to imagine that a One-Star Great Dou Master could possess such formidable combat strength.
Even if Xiao Yao had put everything he had into that last strike, it was still enough to prove how strong he was.
Ruo Lin said with a sigh, "If you can make it in time for this Inner Academy Selection Tournament, you're sure to shine."
"As long as you don't run into powerful opponents one after another, your combat strength gives you an excellent chance of claiming a spot in the top five."
Xiao Yao smiled but said nothing about his ability to Bathe in Yang and Heal Wounds. Even if he ran into powerful opponents one after another, he wasn't afraid.
As for Jia Nan Academy's Inner Academy Selection Tournament, there would be no more than ten Da Dou Shi at most.
The strongest would only be around the level of a Five-Star Da Dou Shi.
That had been the case in Xiao Yan's year, and even so, an elder had called it one of the better groups in recent years.
That was because, even if someone wanted to hold back and aim for the top five in the Inner Academy Selection Tournament, they would wait at most another year. Once they had the strength to contend for the top five, they would sign up for the tournament.
If they kept putting it off and didn't enter, it was hard to say whether the opportunity that came with placing in the top five was worth more than the improvement they could gain after entering the Inner Academy.
As a result, it was generally difficult to encounter exceptionally strong students in the Inner Academy Selection Tournament.
Even so, Xiao Yao wasn't so confident as to believe he was the strongest student in the Outer Academy.
Even if the strongest contestant in this year's Inner Academy Selection Tournament was much the same as the one in Xiao Yan's year, a Five-Star Da Dou Shi, that person's strength would still be formidable.
Xiao Yao had beaten Ruo Lin so easily only because she was of the water attribute and didn't excel at offense.
If he ran into someone with a Fire Attribute or a Lightning Attribute, both of which boasted formidable offensive power, and they had a few Profound Tier Dou Techniques to go with them, the combat strength they unleashed would be terrifying.
In the original work, Bai Shan was a Five-Star Da Dou Shi with the lightning attribute who used a High-grade Profound Tier Dou Technique.
According to his own recollection, its power had even gravely wounded a Dou Ling who had been caught off guard, leaving the opponent severely injured and allowing Bai Shan to take his life.
A person's strength wasn't determined by cultivation methods and Dou Techniques alone; attributes were just as important.
"Instructor Ruo Lin, let's take this giant bear back and make it today's feast."
Xiao Yao smiled and patted the giant bear's massive body, making Ruo Lin's eyes light up.
If they could bring back a Third-Rank Magical Beast, she would share in the glory.
Before long, the two finished their patrol and returned to the temporary camp. They took the giant bear out of the Storage Ring, drawing a chorus of startled cries.
The real sensation was still to come.
Instructor Ruo Lin announced before everyone that Xiao Yao had killed the Third-Rank Magical Beast single-handedly.
Xiao Yao gave Instructor Ruo Lin a somewhat helpless look.
Although she had said he didn't need to conceal his circumstances, she didn't have to make such a high-profile announcement in front of such a large crowd, did she?
Even so, Xiao Yao was in quite a good mood as he saw the shocked and doubtful looks everyone gave him.
As the saying went, returning home without wealth and glory was like walking through the night in fine robes.
Showing off one's prowess in public could put a person in a good mood, and Xiao Yao was naturally no exception.
Still, he knew when to show off in public and when to keep a low profile.
Back in Wutan City, there had been external threats, so he had kept a fairly low profile.
Now that he had left the Jia Ma Empire, however, the sea was wide enough for fish to leap and the sky high enough for birds to soar. He could display his talent to his heart's content.
Although he felt that Instructor Ruo Lin had been a little high-profile in announcing the matter publicly, Xiao Yao was only slightly unused to it and soon accepted it calmly.
At that moment, an instructor heard the commotion and came over. Looking at Xiao Yao's youthful face, he found it somewhat hard to believe.
"Is that true? Can a new student really kill a Third-Rank Magical Beast on his own?"
Hearing another instructor question her student, Ruo Lin's expression turned somewhat hostile.
"Liu Qing, what do you mean by that? Are you questioning me or my student?"
The instructor named Liu Qing smiled. His gaze fell on Ruo Lin, and a trace of desire flashed in his eyes.
He had once pursued Ruo Lin, but she had rejected him.
Although they remained courteous to each other on the surface, they sometimes competed with each other in secret.
Liu Qing smiled and said, "I wouldn't go so far as to question it, but I do find it a little hard to believe."
Hearing the needles hidden in those cotton-soft words, Ruo Lin snorted coldly. A thought occurred to her, and she said,
"Since you find it hard to believe, Instructor Liu Qing, why don't you verify it yourself?"
"Oh? How would I do that?" Liu Qing raised an eyebrow.
"Simple. Make three moves against him and see whether he can take them. Then you'll know whether it's true."
Hearing this, Liu Qing couldn't help feeling uncertain. He looked at Xiao Yao, but the young man seemed to blaze like fire, making it impossible to discern his strength.
Even so, Liu Qing still didn't believe that such a young student had the strength to kill a Third-Rank Magical Beast.
The students around them had also had their interest piqued.
Earlier, they had heard Instructor Ruo Lin say that Xiao Yao was strong enough to kill a Third-Rank Magical Beast.
Although shocked, they had their doubts, but out of respect for their instructor's authority, they hadn't dared to voice them openly.
But now that another instructor had raised the same question, they had a good show to watch.
Seeing Ruo Lin's self-assured manner, Liu Qing felt she was merely bluffing.
In his view, the student might have played a part in dealing with the Third-Rank Magical Beast, but Ruo Lin, a Five-Star Da Dou Shi, had definitely done most of the work.
He just didn't know why Ruo Lin wanted to boost this student's reputation.
"All right, then I'll test whether it's true."
Liu Qing snorted coldly as he spoke.
As soon as he finished speaking, however, Xiao Yao raised a hand, stopping Liu Qing from making a move.
"What is it? Are you going to admit that your Instructor Ruo Lin was exaggerating?"
"Of course not. It's just that an instructor attacking a student for no reason doesn't seem quite right."
Xiao Yao spoke with considerable composure.
"Besides, even if I can take three moves from you, Instructor, I won't gain anything. That's not fair."
Hearing Xiao Yao's words, the other students began discussing the matter among themselves. No matter how one looked at it, an instructor attacking a student wasn't quite right.
Hearing the students' discussion, Liu Qing let his smile fade somewhat, but he grew even more convinced that Ruo Lin had deliberately exaggerated.
Liu Qing was even more eager to expose Ruo Lin's false claims before everyone and embarrass her. Imagining the scene filled him with satisfaction.
With that thought, he was even more determined to get Xiao Yao to agree.
"Since you think it's unfair, what would you suggest?"
"Let's add a little wager. If I can take three moves from you, Instructor, you'll teach me three Profound Tier Cultivation Methods or Dou Techniques."
Liu Qing couldn't help widening his eyes and staring at him in disbelief.
"What an appetite!"
Liu Qing was certain that this was a condition meant to scare him off, so he smiled and said,
"Nevertheless, I agree."