I Want to Fight Ten (Please Read On, Please Recommend)

After leaving the Star Dou Great Forest, Qin Ming traveled day and night, leading everyone back to Suotuo City overnight.

As for why he had left the team without permission, Yu Xiaowei explained that his stomach had hurt, so he had gone into the forest to relieve himself. When he came back, he found they had all left.

Qin Ming was deeply dissatisfied with this perfunctory explanation, but he did not say much.

After arriving in Suotuo City, they rested for only one night before setting out again.

Three days later, the group finally arrived at Star Luo City, the capital of the Star Luo Empire.

"Carriages are forbidden within Star Luo City."

The moment they reached the city gate, they were stopped by the guards.

The people in the carriage looked at one another. Qin Ming got out, produced the academy credentials issued by Meng Shenji, and said politely,

"We are students of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, invited by Star Luo Royal Academy to participate in an academy exchange. Please make an exception."

After examining the credentials, the guard instead revealed a look of disgust and said disdainfully,

"So what? This is Star Luo City, and you follow Star Luo City's rules. Especially you Heaven Dou people—no carriages are allowed into the city. Either leave your carriage in our stables, or go back to your Heaven Dou."

"You—"

Qin Ming choked on his anger. This was not his first time in Star Luo City. When had such a rule been added? How had he not known?

But with the thought that it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble, he still left the carriage at the stables.

The group could only walk to Star Luo Royal Academy.

When Qin Ming saw carriages passing through the streets of Star Luo City from time to time, he bit his lip hard, his stomach full of rage.

The other students' faces were flushed red as well, their fists clenched tightly.

Heaven Dou people had always suffered all kinds of unequal treatment in the Star Luo Empire.

Whether in national strength or military power, the Star Luo Empire far surpassed the Heaven Dou Empire.

Within the Heaven Dou Empire alone, there were four great kingdoms and one duchy—five states within the state. Forget fighting the Star Luo Empire; they would be lucky if their own country did not break out into civil war.

The Star Luo Empire was different. Its competition for the throne was exceptionally fierce. Though the methods were somewhat cruel, the emperors who emerged from it were all outstanding.

The several major kingdoms within its borders might have been called kingdoms, but they were practically no different from provinces.

If Spirit Hall had not stood between the two nations, preventing friction between them, the Star Luo Empire would likely have launched an offensive against the Heaven Dou Empire long ago.

Thus, Star Luo people looked down on Heaven Dou people immensely, believing them to be lackeys hiding behind Spirit Hall. Otherwise, their nation would have been destroyed long ago.

"The weak get beaten."

Yu Xiaowei understood that principle well. Though he was equally displeased, his reaction was not as intense as Qin Ming's and the others'.

The Heaven Dou Empire truly had become a mess over the years.

Not only was imperial authority fragmented, but Qian Renxue had also thrown the royal family into complete chaos.

And Heaven Dou Royal Academy, which should have been cultivating talent for the empire, had become a place anyone could enter with money. The quality of its students was utter trash, and every exchange meet ended with them getting crushed.

It was only natural for others to look down on them.

Yu Xiaowei clenched his fist hard. "If you want respect, your fists need to be strong."

As they moved through the streets of Star Luo City, everyone could clearly sense that the proportion of Soul Masters here was exceptionally high.

Unlike Heaven Dou City, which was filled with decadent pleasures, Star Luo City had a noticeably more grim and austere atmosphere. There were few shops for entertainment and leisure; most catered to Soul Masters.

The team's mood became somewhat gloomy. The few who had been chatting and laughing on the way here remained silent all the way to Star Luo Royal Academy.

Unlike Heaven Dou Royal Academy, which was built outside the city, Star Luo Royal Academy stood in the center of Star Luo City.

A languid blond young man was waiting for them at the entrance. Behind him stood a tall young woman wearing a smile, her arm tightly linked with his.

Upon seeing the distinctive academy uniforms on Qin Ming's group, the young man said with a smile,

"Welcome to Star Luo Royal Academy. Please follow me."

"Fine."

Qin Ming replied flatly, leading everyone into the academy behind the young man.

The difference became even more apparent the moment they entered.

At Heaven Dou Royal Academy, students hugging, flirting, and gathering with friends were everywhere, while those seriously cultivating were few and far between.

Here, however, people were either hurrying along before plunging into the Mimicry Area, or returning from it with exhausted faces.

Yu Tianheng and the others grew even quieter. Without comparison, there was no harm; the little pride they had left had been thoroughly crushed.

"Please wait here for now. Chief Zhu will come receive you shortly."

The blond youth led them into a reception room, then smiled and gestured his departure.

After he left, Qin Ming suddenly spoke.

"That was Dai Weisi, the eldest prince of the Star Luo Empire. The woman behind him was Zhu Zhuyun, the future Crown Princess."

"The two of them are the two Soul Ancestors of Star Luo Royal Academy, and they will be your main opponents in this academy exchange."

Cries of surprise came from Yu Tianheng and the others. They had never imagined that the Crown Prince of a nation would personally come to receive them.

What was even more unexpected was that those two were already Soul Ancestors.

Meanwhile, Yu Tianheng, the strongest member of the Imperial Fighting Team in terms of Soul Power, was only level 38—and had advanced to that level just a few days ago.

A feeling of helplessness arose within them.

Seeing their discouraged expressions, Qin Ming gave a low shout.

"Pull yourselves together. Even if we lose, we cannot lose the face of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, much less the face of the Heaven Dou Empire."

Just then, footsteps sounded outside.

A tall, stern-faced middle-aged man walked in. The moment he entered, he introduced himself.

"I am Zhu Haoran, Chief of Star Luo Royal Academy."

Qin Ming showed a polite smile and extended his hand.

"Chief Zhu, hello. I am Qin Ming. How has your academy arranged tomorrow's academy exchange?"

But Zhu Haoran had no intention of shaking his hand. He merely stared at Qin Ming coldly and continued,

"Eight tomorrow morning, Star Luo Soul Fighting Platform. Individual elimination matches. Each side will send seven contestants up in rotation."

"The loser leaves the stage. The winner continues to face the next opponent, until everyone has been eliminated."

"Eight the morning after tomorrow, Star Luo Soul Fighting Platform. Team battle. One match decides the outcome."

"The remaining rules are the same as in previous years."

With that, he turned and left, as though he had come solely to inform Qin Ming and the others of the time and place of the matches.

"This is going too far."

Qin Ming's face flushed red as he ground out those words through clenched teeth.

Eight the next morning.

The higher-ups of Star Luo Royal Academy, along with several royals dressed in luxurious golden robes, sat in the VIP section of the stands, waiting to watch the matches.

Below the stage.

The troubled Imperial Fighting Team had entered early, nervously awaiting the battle ahead.

As Star Luo Royal Academy entered, Zhu Haoran came over to notify them.

"Five minutes remaining. Prepare your order of appearance."

Qin Ming let out a long breath and said softly,

"We'll proceed according to yesterday's plan. Tianheng goes first, Xiaowei anchors the lineup."

"No, I'll go first."

Yu Xiaowei said in a deep voice as he warmed up.

Qin Ming was stunned. Just as he was about to stop him, Yu Xiaowei smiled.

"Star Luo will definitely send those two Soul Ancestors out first. I'll beat those two, then my second nephew and the others can go up. Wouldn't that improve our chances?"

"But—"

"Don't worry. This one doesn't cost extra."

Qin Ming's mouth twitched. Did Yu Xiaowei really not know how much Soul Power and stamina a continuous gauntlet battle consumed?

But seeing his determination, and the fact that his reasoning did make some sense, Qin Ming gritted his teeth and agreed.

As Zhu Haoran announced for the contestants to take the stage, Yu Xiaowei slowly walked to the center of the Soul Fighting Platform.

When he saw Dai Weisi approaching from the opposite side, he revealed a strange smile, then shouted,

"Hey, Zhu Haoran! I'm calling you!!!"

Zhu Haoran frowned and said displeasedly,

"What is it? Speak quickly. Do not delay the match."

"Tell me this: if I take down all eight of them by myself in the individual matches, does that count as my victory?"

"Yes."

"And if I defeat an entire team by myself in the team battle, does that count as a win?"

"Yes. What exactly are you trying to say? If you do not begin now, I will disqualify you for delaying the match."

Zhu Haoran stared at Yu Xiaowei with a grim expression, as if he would drive him off the stage if he said another word.

"What I'm saying is, these eight crooked melons and cracked dates aren't enough for me. Go find two more people. I want to fight ten."

The moment Yu Xiaowei said that,

Zhu Haoran was not the only one stunned. Qin Ming below the stage also panicked and hurriedly shouted,

"Xiaowei, stop fooling around! If you don't want to fight, come down now!"

Ignoring Qin Ming, Yu Xiaowei stared at Zhu Haoran and said, word by word,

"Are you deaf?"

"I said, I! Want! To! Fight! Ten!"