"Still not coming out?"
Those few words sent a shiver through the forty-odd teachers in the Blood Nourishing Realm. They whipped around to face the shadows behind the weapon rack, bracing for a fight!
"Looks like my cultivation still needs work. Hearing my name made my aura slip for a moment."
"Tsk, tsk. As expected of the principal who held off Lord Po Jun for several moves during the Shenyun Monster Tide eighteen years ago."
The shadows stirred, and a figure stepped out!
He wore half a strange, blood-red demon mask. Tall and lean, he gave off an uncanny aura.
"Wang Jian'an?!"
Some of the teachers clearly recognized him. Their pupils contracted, their expressions changing!
It was the top Heavenly Chosen of Shenyun First High School, who had defected to the Heavenly Demon Cult sixteen years ago!
"Don't worry. It's only an avatar formed from Yuan Power."
"If his real body were here, anyone in the Blood Nourishing Realm or above would trigger the school's Formation Array."
Sun Rui took one look at the figure and understood. He spoke calmly.
Otherwise, he would have attacked already!
"What did you come back for?!"
The homeroom teacher of Class One was a square-faced, upright middle-aged man. Now his expression was grim!
Several veteran teachers stirred and sighed inwardly.
Sixteen years ago, Wang Jian'an had been his most promising student!
He had spared no effort training him, even giving him private lessons.
But he had never imagined Wang Jian'an would betray them and join the Heavenly Demon Cult.
"Mr. Li..." The eyes beneath the mask seemed to flicker before turning unreadable again. Wang Jian'an smiled faintly. "I finally made it back to Shenyun City. Of course I had to visit my old school and see all of you again."
Then his gaze swept over the familiar faces with something like pity. "You've grown old!"
His aura surged.
The teachers felt as though they were facing someone far above them, and cries broke out:
"The Origin Fusion Realm? No, Peak Essence Fusion!"
In sixteen years, Wang Jian'an had reached such a level!
In all of Shenyun City, someone at that level ranked among the strongest and could serve as principal of a prestigious high school!
Only figures on the level of the heads of the Four Great Families could reliably overpower him!
And there were fewer than thirty such experts in all of Shenyun City!
Seeing the teachers' wary, astonished faces, Wang Jian'an licked his lips. He spread his arms, excitement rising as if he were intoxicated.
"Integrating Demonic Power into your body—that's the true path!"
"What's the point of years of grueling cultivation?"
He laughed, then changed tack.
"Take in the power of a mighty Demon Beast, and you can break through in no time."
"If any of you are interested, how about I bring you into our cult?"
Boom!
A terrifying lash of Yuan Power struck, ripping the figure apart. He dissolved into wisps of Yuan Power!
Principal Sun Rui had struck without hesitation!
The teachers' eyes flickered. Wang Jian'an's power had shaken them.
How many Heavenly Favored Children emerged in Shenyun City every year?
Yet how many ever reached the Essence Fusion Realm?
Even the best graduates of the Five Top Academies might never reach that level!
At that stage, the Dao foundation could bear Yuan Power. One could almost be called superhuman!
By drawing on Heaven and Earth with Yuan Power, they could move a thousand pounds with four ounces of force and wreak astonishing destruction on their surroundings!
Most important of all... they could live for over two hundred years!
Ordinary Martial Artists, whether in Bone Tempering or the Blood Nourishing Realm, had lifespans no different from anyone else. But those in the Essence Fusion Realm could live two hundred years—nearly twice as long!
"Demon Beast bodies and power are violent and unstable. There are all sorts of rejection reactions."
"Even with transplantation, the success rate is low. It also changes your nature."
"Isn't he the best example?"
Sun Rui's calm words sobered the teachers.
The Class One homeroom teacher's expression grew especially complicated.
Wang Jian'an had come from a farming family. He had once been an honest, unassuming child.
But now... he was different!
He was a Heavenly Demon Vice Bishop, Po Jun's right-hand man, codenamed Blood Butcher. He had earned that name!
In Shanghe City, he had set up the Blood Butcher Array to fuse demon power into his body, causing thousands of deaths!
"So the rumors are true. Po Jun really has come to Shenyun City. I wonder what she's planning."
"The Four School Joint Event is coming up. Will there be trouble?"
The teachers frowned, worry showing on their faces.
Po Jun's vicious reputation was well known, and she especially liked targeting talented youths.
Their school trained students, so they could hardly help worrying.
"Shenyun City is protected by the Spirit Gathering Underworld Dragon Formation."
"There's no need to worry too much."
"If she dares to act, the Formation Array will detect and lock onto her. She'll be trapped for at least ten minutes. Even if she's a True Bone Realm expert who has mastered Divine Abilities, the city's strongest fighters would leave her no chance of escape."
"Besides, the military has people handling it."
Sun Rui's few quiet words gradually calmed the teachers and set their minds at ease.
"What we need to focus on now is preparing for the Four School Competition."
Shenyun First High School, Shenyun Second High School, Chengde Middle School, and Haozhu Middle School were widely recognized as Shenyun City's four best schools.
This time, Haozhu Middle School's principal had proposed the Four School Joint Event and brought the military on board.
Clearly, he wanted to see which school came out on top.
Another teacher nodded in agreement.
"The other schools have students stronger than in previous years too. This Four School Grand Competition won't be easy."
"That little monster from the Fang Family is at Shenyun Second High School, isn't he?"
Fang Yuan was a direct descendant of the Fang Family, but this generation had produced a little monster—the family's heir. He had left every other Fang Family youth his age in the dust!
"And Chengde Middle School. I hear they have a gifted student who's perfected both a martial technique and a Breathing Technique."
The testing lasted all morning. By then, it was noon.
Once the students left the indoor Martial Arts Arena, some headed home while others stayed at school for lunch and the afternoon classes.
Su Ye's home was only a dozen or so minutes away by bus, so he didn't stay at school for lunch.
He and Zhang Yuan walked out through the school gates.
The other final-year students leaving alongside them looked at Su Ye with a mix of awe and complicated feelings. He was drawing plenty of attention.
"Brother Ye, you're definitely going to be famous now!"
"That was just the test! They'll announce the results to the whole grade later and put up posters around the school. They do it every year!"
Zhang Yuan spoke excitedly, still amazed.
"Brother Ye, you hid your strength way too well!"
"You should've seen Miss Lin, Fang Yuan, and his pack of lackeys! The shock on their faces—they looked awful. Man, I loved it!"
His frustration at being outdone by Wan Yue seemed to vanish at that moment!
Su Ye shook his head with a wry smile. "We've only just started down the martial path. What do these results count for?"
"There's always someone stronger out there."
That was why, even with the Manifestation Talisman, he made use of every moment to train hard.
"Listen to you!" Zhang Yuan curled his lip and was about to say more when his phone lit up.
Homeroom teacher: @everyone
[Congratulations to our classmates Su Ye, Fang Yuan, and Yao Hong for placing in the top ten of this round of class placements!]
That one message set the class group chat buzzing.
Some students on the academic track who had already gone home were stunned and hurried to reply.
"Our class has three students in the top ten???"
"Su Ye and Yao Hong made it too?! Seriously?"
Clearly, they were all stunned!
Then a student posted a subdued reply:
"It's true!"
"And Su Ye tempered all Ten Martial Bones. His punch broke a thousand kilograms, he perfected his Breathing Technique, and he even developed sword intent with Extreme Shadow Swordplay!"
The quiet chat exploded!
The news spread through class after class, until it reached the entire grade and then the whole school!
It spread like wildfire!
Before you continue