Liu Hair-Ren's Life Low Point

"Who won?"

That question lingered in everyone's mind. Even the principals in the meeting room strained their eyes, peering into the thick dust cloud.

Only Shen Donglin sat steady in his seat.

A gratified smile graced his face, as if pleased. He murmured under his breath, "He can't lose."

Whether that "he" referred to Ai Ning or Jiang Yan, only he himself knew.

"Ai Ning has an A Grade talent and is at Blood Coagulation Mid Stage... he shouldn't lose, right?"

"Hard to say. That kid's performance was no slouch either—it's anyone's game~"

"By the way, Principal Liu, Ai Ning is your student. Based on your understanding of him, who do you think will win this fight?"

Someone tossed the question to Liu Hair-Ren.

Liu Hair-Ren smiled, his words watertight: "I respect the actual outcome."

That said, the smile on his face was impossible to hide.

The principal who asked saw that expression and knew the score. He sighed. "Then congratulations, Principal Liu."

This time, Linjiang First High School had stolen the spotlight.

Inside the smoke, Jiang Yan looked down from above at Ai Ning, battered and broken. Blood drenched him; not a single patch of skin was intact. He was clearly gravely wounded—the complete opposite of what the outsiders guessed.

"You've completed a splendid duel. Battle Saint Armor slightly enhanced. Realm slightly elevated. Blade technique comprehension greatly improved."

Battle—an eternal topic. The very thing Jiang Yan had always championed.

The golden cape behind Jiang Yan rustled in the wind. The sacred radiance gradually faded, the divine light dissipated. Jiang Yan emerged from this fight unscathed.

Ai Ning had given him a surprise, but not much of one.

His eyes had lost focus. He stared low at Jiang Yan's toes, a feeling of defeat surging in his chest. He parted his lips slightly and asked, unwilling:

"You... who are you?"

"Jiang Yan."

Boom—

That name exploded like thunder in Ai Ning's mind. He didn't want to admit it, but he had no choice but to accept:

"You're that Jiang Yan who was expelled from Linjiang First High School?!"

Jiang Yan spread his hands and grinned. "You guessed it."

The smoke cleared. Ai Ning's defeated figure was fully exposed to everyone.

The other students stared in disbelief at the one who had so easily crushed them, now kneeling at the feet of this blood-soaked youth.

Ai Ning's lackeys couldn't believe their invincible boss had lost so miserably to this kid who'd come out of nowhere.

In the meeting room, the old principals who thought the outcome was settled wiped their glasses again and again—but the shocking scene on the screen didn't change.

Liu Hair-Ren slumped in his chair, staring blankly at the bright ceiling, his mouth hanging open in an O. He couldn't pull himself out of Ai Ning's defeat anytime soon.

Only Shen Donglin rose from his seat at the head, completely ignoring the other principals' reactions, and shouted:

"Good! This is the kind of prodigy I want to see!"

"Masterful control of Blade Momentum, talent rivaling S Grade, a steady temperament—investigate! Send people to investigate! I want every piece of information on this kid!"

All the principals were startled. They couldn't believe such an unsteady declaration had come from the esteemed Shen Donglin.

What shocked them even more was:

Blade Momentum? S Grade talent?

Was Shen Donglin referring to that blood-soaked kid?

"That's right—Blade Momentum!"

"That kid just unleashed the legendary Blade Momentum!"

A man shouted, and all the confusion unraveled in an instant, clarity dawning.

How could a broken alloy blade easily slice through an expensive sword?

How could a "basic Cultivation Technique" recognized at a glance match the high-level martial skills Ai Ning wielded?

All of it—only explainable if that kid had mastered Blade Momentum.

"A genius! An absolute genius! Which school is that kid from? Huangshui Middle School announces again: we'll take him in under the best conditions!"

"Fuck off, you old geezer. A genius who's mastered Blade Momentum—how could you waste him? Zeshui Middle School is the best place for that kid to study!"

"Mingshan Middle School disagrees!"

These old foxes all caught the scent.

The fact that he was entering the Wilderness at this time—what did that mean?

It meant this kid wasn't in school!

Plus what Liu Hairen said about dropping out...

No!

Many people realized: why would a genius who mastered a saber form drop out of Linshui Middle School?

Was there some hidden truth behind it?

The principal of Huangshui Middle School, who had been silenced by Liu Hairen earlier, struck first, smiling as he looked at Liu Hairen:

"Principal Liu, can you explain to everyone why that kid dropped out?"

Liu Hairen's heart skipped a beat. He knew what was coming had finally arrived.

At this moment, he was filled with regret. Why had he called in Wang Zhong out of fear of taking responsibility? His tone that day had been vicious. If Wang Zhong found out about this and let slip even a shred of the truth...

Liu Hairen didn't dare think about it.

Facing so many people's doubts, Liu Hairen stammered. Even a sly old fox like him had no idea how to fabricate a lie to muddle through.

If this went well, it would count as a work error on his part.

If it went badly, it would be a case of bending the law for personal gain.

"Hmph, I'll investigate this myself. You're all so indignant now, but have you forgotten how you berated that kid just now?"

Shen Donglin roared in anger, calling out the faces of those who had kicked Jiang Yan when he was down for damaging the surveillance.

Now that the kid had soared, did they all want to claim kinship and cling to his coattails?

Absolutely ridiculous!

With these sycophants around, how could humanity ever grow into a true great clan?

"And you!" Shen Donglin's icy gaze swept mercilessly over Liu Hairen. "I will personally ask that kid about this. If you truly did something unjust to him, don't blame me for showing no mercy."

Liu Hairen felt like the sky had completely fallen.

Shen Donglin's words had already sealed Liu Hairen's fate.

With him here, once the outcome was settled, there was absolutely no room for Liu Hairen to turn things around.

Liu Hairen knew all too well Shen Donglin's standing. He was a renowned seventh-rank Profound Martial Artist, one of those high and mighty figures even at the provincial level. Crushing him, a mere principal of Linjiang No. 1 Middle School, would be as easy as squashing an ant.

Even if Shen Donglin skipped the procedures and killed Liu Hairen on the spot, no one would dare say a word.

Fortunately, Shen Donglin was a man of rules, somewhat rigid. He ignored Liu Hairen's pathetic state, flickered, and vanished from the meeting room.

"Tsk, some people are really aloof, letting an S-rank, saber-force-controlling genius slip through their fingers."

"Hey, how can you say that? Principal Liu here has a top genius like Ai Ning. Maybe this year he'll get into Divine Capital Martial University and rise to glory."

"True, that's definitely something to look down on, hahahaha..."

The more arrogant Liu Hairen had been at the start, flaunting Ai Ning and looking down on the other principals, the more brutally he was mocked now.

This feeling of falling from the clouds to the abyss could only be truly felt by those who experienced it.

He said nothing, the jeers ringing in his ears, his eyes hollow, silently waiting for the final judgment.