"Could it be that your Jia Nan Academy has been going downhill these past few years?"
Xiao Ling looked at the water-like woman with a gentle expression, but his words sent a stir through the crowd.
"Holy crap... How come every one of these Xiao Clan kids is crazier than the last..."
"This is practically asking for death. How dare he say Jia Nan Academy is going downhill?"
"Exactly. Even a skinny, dying camel is bigger than a horse, and a little clan like the Xiao Clan doesn't even qualify as a horse. Where does he get the nerve to talk to Instructor Ruo Lin like that..."
Faced with the crowd's comments from every direction, Instructor Ruo Lin felt a headache coming on. She hadn't expected a dispute between juniors to escalate to this point.
Had these Xiao Clan kids grown up eating gunpowder? Why were they all so unreasonable?
"Phew..."
Instructor Ruo Lin took another deep breath. Her ample chest rose and fell slightly, forming an enticing curve. She turned to the white-clad young boy who was eating breakfast and spoke with restrained irritation.
"Little guy, I'll let what you just said go, since you're still young and don't know any better. But I have one condition: you have to let this little guy join Jia Nan Academy. What do you say?"
Jia Nan Academy students: "???"
The crowd: "???"
Everyone was full of question marks. Was this the punishment? That was far too unfair...
But they only dared say so in their hearts. Instructor Ruo Lin had clearly taken Xiao Wu's talent into account and meant to let the matter slide...
Xiao Ling understood what she was thinking, and agreed without a moment's hesitation.
"Fine, no problem. I thank you on Xiao Wu's behalf, Instructor Ruo Lin."
Though he was thanking her, Xiao Ling didn't even get up. He merely nodded with a smile.
Instructor Ruo Lin didn't fuss over this little brat's manners.
After all, she'd already achieved her goal. She turned toward the surrounding crowd and was just about to speak when a voice interrupted her.
"Wait."
At that, Instructor Ruo Lin turned back to the white-clad young boy. A flash of anger passed through her limpid eyes, and she asked in restrained irritation,
"Little guy, what is it now?"
"Uh..."
Xiao Ling could only smile wryly to himself. He hadn't expected to anger Instructor Ruo Lin this much, making himself seem like some great villain... But there were things he had to do. Wu Ming had to die today.
Otherwise, with his talent, he would definitely become a problem for the Xiao Clan in the future. And Xiao Ling didn't like problems. He preferred to nip them in the bud.
Those thoughts flashed through his mind and were gone. Xiao Ling looked at the water-like woman not far away and smiled gently.
"Instructor Ruo Lin, you were the only one who set a condition just now. I haven't set mine yet.
"You don't need to make promises you can't keep. I know Xiao Wu's talent better than you do."
Xiao Ling cut off Instructor Ruo Lin as she was about to argue, then continued,
"My condition is simple: let Xiao Wu and Wu Ming fight fairly, with their lives on the line. Whoever survives gets to enter Jia Nan Academy. What do you think?"
"Impossible!"
Instructor Ruo Lin took a deep breath. She hadn't expected the white-clad young boy, who looked like a delicate scholar, to be so ruthless... She spoke again.
"Xiao Wu and Wu Ming are both students of Jia Nan Academy. The most I can allow is a match to the point of yielding. If either of you breaks the rules, you'll be barred from Jia Nan Academy."
After a pause, Instructor Ruo Lin softened her tone.
"Little guy, this is the most I can do. I hope that after this fight, you can all make up.
"You're all still young. There's no need to throw away your bright futures over a little dispute."
"Fine, no problem. Since you've put it that way, Instructor Ruo Lin, I'll give you that much."
Xiao Ling readily agreed, but secretly sent a soul transmission.
"Xiao Wu, wait for an opening and take him out. I'll handle the consequences."
Seeing that the little guy was still reasonable, Instructor Ruo Lin smiled gently. Then she looked at Xiao Wu and Wu Ming, growing more pleased the longer she watched them.
She didn't react to the heat in Wu Ming's gaze.
She knew that her students admired her. Every one of them looked at her like that.
They were probably all thinking about getting together with her.
She could only pretend not to notice. Besides, she wasn't interested in little brats.
"You two heard me, right? This is a friendly match, and you're to stop before anyone gets hurt. Win or lose, you're both still students of Jia Nan Academy. But if either of you breaks the rules, don't blame me for turning against you."
At that, Xiao Wu and Wu Ming both nodded. Whether they'd actually taken her words to heart was something only they knew.
The imperial army then began ushering the crowd back in an orderly fashion, making room for the two young prodigies to fight.
Everyone was curious to see which of them was stronger. On the surface, Wu Ming seemed to have the advantage.
But that Xiao Clan kid clearly had something up his sleeve. Otherwise, he wouldn't be stupid enough to walk to his own death.
That was right—they hadn't taken Instructor Ruo Lin's words seriously.
Such naive words might fool children, but they weren't buying it.
As for how things would end, that was up to the two young prodigies.
The center of the plaza had now been cleared. Xiao Wu and Wu Ming stared at each other, their killing intent practically spilling from their eyes. Neither made the first move, clearly preparing to strike with all their might.
Over on the Jia Nan Academy side, the girl in the pale yellow dress, Bai Zhi, looked at Instructor Ruo Lin with concern.
"Sister Ruo Lin, do you think they'll listen?"
Instructor Ruo Lin glanced at the two young boys facing off in the arena, a hint of grievance in her voice.
"I don't know what grudge the Xiao Clan and Wu Ming have between them, but it's come to the point where they won't stop until one of them is dead. Now my Jia Nan Academy might lose two geniuses..."
Of course, she wasn't naive enough to think her words would really work.
After all, she could tell from the white-clad young boy's attitude that, despite his age, he was extremely shrewd...
And when the boy looked at her, there was no heat in his gaze—only appreciation and calm.
Clearly, he wasn't the sort of animal that thought with his lower body. And from the way Xiao Wu looked at him, she could see a hint of admiration.
What kind of cultivation did the white-clad young boy have, if even a nine-year-old Dou Zhe admired him?
"Nine-Star Dou Zhe?"
"Or perhaps a One-Star Dou Shi?"
Either way, he was a monstrous genius. If she could recruit him into Jia Nan Academy, she might be promoted to Xuan-tier Instructor on the spot, wouldn't she?
She had only become a Huang-tier Instructor last year.
At present, she was only a Three-Star Da Dou Shi, still a long way from qualifying as an Xuan-tier Instructor.
But if she recruited an unparalleled genius for the academy, and nurtured him enough to get him into the Inner Academy...
She would surely be promoted to Xuan-tier Instructor. Then she would receive more resources, and her cultivation would advance rapidly.
Thinking this through, she relaxed and resolved to give it her best shot.
E-even if she had to offer herself...
At the thought, an enticing blush appeared on her gentle, water-like face.
She wasn't interested in little brats, but that was because they weren't strong enough. If one became strong enough, she might even be tempted...
But as Instructor Ruo Lin stared at someone and let her thoughts run wild...
In the center of the plaza, Xiao Wu's gaze shifted as he watched Wu Ming. A vicious glint flashed in his eyes. He stepped forward and raised a hand, bringing it down toward Wu Ming's head.
"High-grade Profound Tier Dou Technique: Xuanming Palm"
Before you continue