First Battle [Please Vote!]

Heaven Dou Academy!

Central Plaza was an extremely vast area. It was usually closed off and only opened to the public when major competitions were held.

At this moment, the enormous square was packed with people. As far as the eye could see, it was a sea of heads, and the noisy clamor raised by the bustling crowd spread endlessly in every direction.

There were only a hundred official contestants, but the spectators who had come to watch likely outnumbered them tenfold. Moreover, every person invited to witness the Genius Battle was either a dignitary or a noble, possessing considerable status and influence on Douluo Continent.

At the very center of the square stood a large arena. Built from marble, it was incomparably sturdy. A young man stood alone atop the platform, looking somewhat lonely, as though he had long since grown impatient from waiting.

"Has that bastard still not arrived...?"

Howard cast a cold, irritated gaze toward the opposite side of the arena, where his opponent should have been. He could not help frowning as his patience gradually ran dry.

He was not the only one. The audience was growing impatient as well.

Directly opposite the arena, beside the referees' platform, was a VIP section. Xue Ye sat high in the seat of honor, gazing indifferently below. No emotion could be seen on his aged yet resolute face.

Qian Renxue and Ning Fengzhi stood quietly to either side of him, both wearing calm, easygoing expressions.

"Who is fighting in the first match? Why has it not started yet?"

Xue Ye looked toward Qian Renxue beside him.

"Reporting to Father Emperor, the first match is between Howard, a Level 31 Heaven Dou Class student, and Fang Xuan, a Level 22 Heavenly Micro Level student!" Qian Renxue answered respectfully.

"Hm? Fang Xuan is still at the academy?!"

Xue Ye was taken aback. By his calculations, Fang Xuan should have been expelled from the academy at the end of this year for failing to meet its required level standard.

"Yes! Not only is he still at Heaven Dou Academy, he also fought his way through the Preliminary Round and earned the qualifications to participate in the Genius Battle!" Qian Renxue recounted Fang Xuan's performance over the past few days to Xue Ye in full detail.

Gradually, ripples appeared in Xue Ye's expression, and he was deeply surprised. He truly had not expected his useless son, whom he had already given up on, to achieve even a little success.

However, such an insignificant achievement was clearly not enough to draw Xue Ye's attention.

Before long, he resumed his usual imposing, unruffled demeanor, as though nothing in the outside world could hold his interest.

"The time is about up..."

At the referees' platform, Meng Shenji, Heaven Dou Academy's First Education Committee member, folded his hands and looked toward a beautiful red-haired woman beside him whose face was filled with anxiety. "Teacher Ruolan, since the student Fang Xuan from your class has failed to appear for his match, we can only rule that he has lost."

"How can this be..."

Ruolan bit her lip, her face full of disappointment. Her class had finally produced a student capable of participating in the Genius Battle. If Fang Xuan could achieve a good ranking in the competition, then as his teacher, she would share in the glory and make those colleagues who mocked her all day for only playing with Heavenly Micro Level children see her in a new light.

Teachers had their own competition too!

"Education Committee Member Meng Shenji, please allow him a little more time. Just a little while. That boy should be here any moment now." Ruolan pressed her hands together and pleaded with Meng Shenji.

"This..."

Meng Shenji pondered for a moment. He first looked toward His Majesty the Emperor in the VIP section, then swept his gaze across the many spectators. After waiting so long, everyone had become impatient, and complaints were gradually rising from the crowd.

He could not help shaking his head, knowing that they could not keep waiting. "I'm sorry, Teacher Ruolan, but under these circumstances, we can only rule that Fang Xuan has lost."

The next moment, Meng Shenji rose to his feet and announced loudly, "Since Fang Xuan has yet to arrive at the Competition Ground, I declare that Howard wins this match—"

Whoosh!

Just then, a black shadow tore through the air at high speed and crashed heavily onto the arena like a meteor, producing a powerful bang!

Black hair, black clothes, and a tall, slender figure. His icy eyes seemed tempered in flames, sharp as lightning as they stared coldly at Howard across from him.

It was Fang Xuan, who had arrived just in time!

The instant Fang Xuan appeared at the Competition Ground, a huge commotion erupted across the entire venue.

Of course, it was not excitement and cheers at the arrival of some hero or savior. There were far more boos and scornful jeers.

"Wow! Look, Fang Xuan the jinx is here!"

"I heard he's cruel and vicious—he doesn't even spare beautiful girls!"

"Howard, we support you! Take Fang Xuan down!"

At present, Fang Xuan had yet to shed his status as a public enemy. Eighty percent of the academy's boys, along with one hundred percent of its girls, regarded him as their number one enemy.

Thus, many people booed Fang Xuan while cheering and applauding for his opponent, Howard.

"Damn it, that brat finally made it!" Ruolan patted her ample chest with her delicate hand and finally let out a relieved sigh.

"He's here, he's finally here!"

Among the crowd, a lovely, adorable silver-haired little girl could not help smiling when she saw Fang Xuan's sudden arrival.

Ye Lingling had thought Fang Xuan would miss the match.

"Hmph, that rotten bastard! I'll defeat him myself on the Competition Ground!" Beside Ye Lingling, Dugu Yan glared at Fang Xuan indignantly.

"Yanyan, leave this matter to me. During the competition, I'll defeat Fang Xuan fair and square and avenge you!" Yu Tianheng smiled gently.

The people below the stage discussed the matter heatedly. Some were delighted, while others were troubled.

But Fang Xuan did not care about anyone else's opinion. His gaze remained fixed on the opponent before him, his body, mind, and spirit fully focused as he prepared to use Howard to test the results of his cultivation over the past few days.

"Um, I haven't lost my qualification to compete yet, have I?" He looked toward Meng Shenji at the referees' platform.

"Mm."

Meng Shenji nodded. "Since Fang Xuan has arrived in time, I hereby announce that the first match of the Genius Battle, Fang Xuan versus Howard, officially begins!!"

As the announcement rang out, cheers surged through the entire venue like a tidal wave. Everyone had long since grown tired of waiting!

Countless gazes crisscrossed before finally converging on Fang Xuan and Howard. Everyone was eagerly anticipating an exciting match...

So few Recommendation Tickets...