First

Swan Spirit?

What a joke. This kind of useless spirit that looked good but served no purpose was only fit to be a symbol of the Royal Family. It had neither offensive nor defensive power—it was utterly worthless!

After sending his half-brother flying with a single slash, Fang Xuan remained expressionless as he skillfully sheathed the Shadowless Blade.

"So strong—he defeated Xue Beng in one move..."

The surrounding students were all stunned. Even Teacher Ruolan's cherry-red lips fell open, and her beautiful eyes shone brightly.

Who would have thought that this troublesome student who always kept to himself, usually so inconspicuous, would reveal such skill today and astonish the entire crowd!

"Teacher, I passed, right?"

Fang Xuan fixed Teacher Ruolan with a sharp gaze.

"You little bastard, how dare you hit me?!"

Xue Beng screamed in fury. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Fang Xuan, gritting his teeth. "Your mother was a whore in a brothel, and you're a dog-born bastard! You lowly piece of trash, I was just too careless earlier. Let's do it again—I'll beat you until you're crawling around looking for your teeth today!"

The long blade tore through the air, becoming a cold flash of steel that viciously pierced Xue Beng's right hand. Its bloodstained tip pressed precisely against his throat.

Those icy, merciless eyes stared coldly at Xue Beng, making the playboy Prince shudder.

"Live or die?!"

Fang Xuan moved like lightning. With a simple thrust, he instantly subdued Xue Beng. He stared at the latter with surging Killing Intent, his gaze cold as ice.

Whether this Heaven Dou Prince was truly a playboy or merely pretending to be one, he had genuinely angered Fang Xuan now!

This sudden turn of events shocked everyone present. Even Teacher Ruolan had not reacted in time. In the blink of an eye, that quiet, taciturn youth seemed to have transformed into a peerless fiend. Even she felt a chill from that terrifying Killing Intent!

"Fang Xuan, stop! Don't kill anyone!" Teacher Ruolan hurriedly tried to stop him.

But Fang Xuan seemed not to hear her. The blade remained pressed firmly against Xue Beng's neck. With the slightest exertion, he could kill this playboy Prince!

Xue Beng's face turned deathly pale, cold sweat pouring from his forehead. Looking at Fang Xuan's indifferent face, he knew that Fang Xuan was not joking—he meant it. If he dared say another word of defiance, he would truly die here.

"I... I was wrong. I don't want to die. Please spare me!" Xue Beng begged desperately.

"Hmph!"

With a cold snort, the Shadowless Blade swiftly returned to its sheath. Fang Xuan looked indifferent, as though injuring an Imperial Prince was nothing at all.

"Hurry, you two, take Xue Beng to the infirmary for treatment!" Teacher Ruolan ordered two students to escort Xue Beng away.

Before he left, Fang Xuan noticed a venomous look appear on Xue Beng's face. It seemed he would not let today's matter rest.

Soldiers came, generals blocked them; water came, earth dammed it.

He had no fear whatsoever.

"You little brat, you really know how to cause trouble for me!"

Teacher Ruolan rubbed her temple and shot Fang Xuan an irritated glare. Although status was not emphasized in the academy, Xue Beng was still an Imperial Prince. Since he had been injured in her class, certain people from the Royal Family definitely would not stand idly by.

There would surely be trouble later.

"Teacher, I want to participate in the Genius Battle!"

Unexpectedly, Fang Xuan showed no concern at all. Instead, he proactively asked Teacher Ruolan to let him participate in the upcoming Genius Battle.

"The Genius Battle?!"

Teacher Ruolan was slightly taken aback. A look of surprise appeared on her pretty face, while the other students exchanged looks and stared at Fang Xuan in shock.

The Genius Battle!

This was Heaven Dou Academy's highest-level competition. The most outstanding members of the younger generation would engage in fierce battles on the Competition Ground, competing for the title of Heaven Dou Academy's strongest.

Students who achieved good rankings in the competition would receive abundant rewards. They would also attract the academy's attention and receive special training—there were countless benefits.

However, while every Heaven Dou Academy student was qualified to participate in the Genius Battle, ordinary Heavenly Micro Level students would never register.

Heaven Dou Academy classified students according to their Soul Power Level. Those below Level 25 were the lowest-ranked Heavenly Micro Level; Levels 25 to 30 were the intermediate Heavenly Supreme Level; and those above Level 30 were the strongest Heaven Dou Class.

Under the level suppression of Heavenly Supreme Level and Heaven Dou Class students, ordinary Heavenly Micro Level students who entered the competition would simply be asking to be beaten up.

Therefore, very few Heavenly Micro Level students registered for the Genius Battle. That was a stage belonging to Heaven Dou Class students!

"Haha, you want to participate in the Genius Battle? Not bad, not bad—you've got guts!" Teacher Ruolan revealed an appreciative expression and patted Fang Xuan on the shoulder with her jade-like hand.

Over the past two years, as the academy's lowest-ranked Heavenly Micro Level teacher, she had suffered plenty of indignities before those higher-ranking teachers.

Especially during the annual Genius Battle, whenever those senior teachers eagerly debated which of their students could win the championship, she could only sit on the sidelines, feeling utterly depressed.

She had thought she would have to wait until she advanced to become a Heavenly Supreme Level teacher and accepted Heavenly Supreme Level students before she could shine in the highly anticipated Genius Battle.

But she had never expected that today, a Heavenly Micro Level student in his twenties would actually ask to participate in the Genius Battle. It truly surprised her.

"Very well! I've decided that this year, everyone in our class will participate in the Genius Battle!" Perhaps influenced by Fang Xuan, Teacher Ruolan planted her hands on her slender waist and declared excitedly.

"Huh? How can you do that..."

Hearing their teacher's arbitrary decision, the students immediately wailed. With their strength only in the twenties, participate in the Genius Battle? Wouldn't that just be asking to get beaten up?

"It's fine if you don't get good rankings. The most important thing is for you to broaden your horizons!" Teacher Ruolan comforted everyone.

The Genius Battle was basically the exclusive stage of Heaven Dou Class students. Ordinary Heavenly Micro Level and Heavenly Supreme Level students who participated were merely human punching bags for those geniuses who had become Soul Elders at such young ages.

Heaven Dou Academy now had a total of 500 students, with fewer than one-tenth of them in the Heaven Dou Class!

Every Heaven Dou Class student could be called a genius rarely seen in the world.

In every past Genius Battle, the Championship had come from the Heaven Dou Class. Though Ruolan felt envious and regretful, she also knew that ordinary students had no chance of taking the Championship.

"Ah, if only someone from my class could win the Championship. Those haughty senior teachers would probably be furious, hahaha~"

After fantasizing for a while, Teacher Ruolan looked at Fang Xuan and smiled faintly. "Fang Xuan, since you dared to volunteer for the Genius Battle, I imagine you must have some confidence. So, what rank do you want to reach in the Genius Battle? Top thirty? Or top twenty?!"

The top ten spots every year were all claimed by Heaven Dou Class students. Ordinary students should not indulge in wishful thinking. She figured that with Fang Xuan's strength, if he worked hard, he should be able to break into the top thirty!

Fang Xuan firmly uttered two words: "First place!"