"Magic Martial University's principal?!"
Fang Ping, Fu Changding, Zhao Lei, and the others cried out in shock!
They had all met the principal of Magic Martial University: a kind-faced old man with graying hair.
They had thought Yu Feng was some deeply concealed Magic Martial University student. They never expected him to be the university's old principal!
"Grandmaster Yu? He really was a peerless genius of his generation. What a pity..."
Chen Yunxi's grandfather, Chen Yaoting, the principal of Jingnan Martial University, sighed.
The principal of Jingwu gazed at the Sky Screen and let out a long sigh.
"The principal of Magic Martial University, an Eighth-Rank grandmaster! The Heavenly Pride Ranking really isn't limited to younger-generation martial artists!"
"Whoa, jumping from Third Rank to Eighth Rank? That's an enormous leap!"
"Is the Sky Screen going to take stock of the older generation's gifted martial artists now?
"Were there no true geniuses among the Fourth- and Fifth-Rank or Sixth- and Seventh-Rank martial artists?"
"Grandmaster Yu made the list. He's going to return to his peak!"
"..."
At Magic Martial University, the instructors were overcome with tears.
"The principal can be saved!"
The old principal of Magic Martial University had only just passed eighty, yet he was already riddled with old wounds. His golden body was nearly worn away, and he didn't have many years left.
An Eighth-Rank Diamond Realm martial artist could live for several centuries, at the very least.
But the old principal had fought in the Earth Cave for sixty years, joining every major battle. That was why his vitality had almost run out.
The old principal of Magic Martial University gazed at the Sky Screen and murmured:
"Even an old fellow like me, who's about to die, can make the Human Realm Heavenly Pride Ranking?"
"A genius... Sigh. Back then, everyone called me a genius, but I couldn't even bring down a single Earth Cave city..."
The old principal's expression grew distant as memories of the past surfaced in his mind.
He remembered taking the reins in a time of crisis, and watching helplessly as his students died fighting in the Earth Cave...
[Magic Martial University was founded sixty years ago. At twenty-one, Yu Feng enrolled there to study. Four years later, the first principal of Magic Martial University died in battle in the Earth Cave. At twenty-five, Yu Feng became the principal of Magic City Martial University as a Fourth-Rank martial artist. At the time, not a single other martial arts university considered Magic Martial University a proper university. At twenty-five, Yu Feng was a spirited young man, full of ambition! He vowed to make Magic Martial University strong enough to stand against the Magic City Earth Cave—a powerful university that could hold back an entire Earth Cave! For decades, Yu Feng devoted everything to Magic Martial University. To help the university grow, he drilled into its martial artists the lofty ideal of becoming instructors. When Qin Nansheng, Li Changsheng, and the others graduated, Yu Feng sweet-talked their parents, telling them how noble it was to teach at a martial arts university, how good the benefits were... Then he beat them up and told them that if they dared to leave, he'd break their legs. And so, under Yu Feng's leadership and coaxing, countless Magic Martial University students stayed on to work there. Gradually, Magic Martial University rose from an obscure little school to rank among the nation's two most prestigious universities! At forty-five, Yu Feng became a grandmaster and fought in the Magic City Earth Cave, joining every major battle! At fifty-three, Yu Feng advanced to the Eighth-Rank Diamond Realm. That same year, the Magic City Earth Cave erupted into a major battle. As an Eighth-Rank martial artist, Yu Feng faced eight high-ranked Earth Cave fighters alone, killing one and driving off seven. His golden body was shattered in the process! For decades, Yu Feng weathered one storm after another, fighting without cease. He spent most of his time battling in the Earth Cave and the rest recovering from his wounds. His golden body was nearly worn away! At eighty-one, Tianmen City in the Magic City Earth Cave rebelled. Yu Feng joined several veteran Magic Martial University grandmasters and died fighting in the Earth Cave!]
"You stubborn old fool!"
"An entire school holding back an entire Earth Cave... Hahaha! You couldn't even bring down a single city!" Li Changsheng's eyes brimmed with tears.
Lv Fengrou, Wu Kuishan, Huang Jing, and the others silently wept.
They knew just how powerful the Earth Cave was, and how laughable the old principal's dream must have seemed!
To be honest, they had never imagined that one university could hold back an entire Earth Cave. No one had taken such a dream seriously.
But Yu Feng had!
And he had spent his whole life striving to make it come true!
He had given everything to Magic Martial University!
Yu Feng had built Magic Martial University's golden age, but the university had also completely weighed him down!
Zhang Tao, Li Zhen, and Nan Yunyue were heavy-hearted.
Magic Martial University's old principal, Yu Feng, had been a gifted martial artist of their generation.
In those days, resources were scarce. Many people still chewed tree bark and struggled to get enough to eat or warm clothes to wear.
Sixty years ago, Hua Nation was beset by war and natural disasters. Blood Qi Pills hadn't even been invented yet. People had to cultivate on their own and fight in the Earth Cave to seize resources from its martial artists!
Yu Feng becoming a mid-rank martial artist at twenty-five was proof enough of his exceptional talent!
Life-Ending Blade Qin Nansheng, who had died fighting in the Magic City Earth Cave thirty years ago, was hailed as the most dazzling genius of that era!
Even Li Changsheng couldn't compare to him!
Yet even Qin Nansheng, that era's most dazzling genius, had only broken through to the mid ranks at thirty. Yu Feng had done so several years earlier!
Back then, reaching the mid ranks before thirty was as difficult as reaching Seventh Rank was today!
In that era, Yu Feng had been a young genius, brimming with confidence and fighting spirit!
"Holy crap! With conditions like they were sixty years ago, Yu Feng still became a Fourth-Rank martial artist at twenty-five!
"I'm twenty-five now, and I can't even become a Fourth-Rank martial artist!"
"The important thing is, what did being Fourth Rank in your twenties mean in an era when resources were so scarce?!"
"Absolutely terrifying!"
"A university principal at twenty-five, who built Magic Martial University up from nothing into one of the two top schools—Grandmaster Yu's a damn legend!"
"Who says this genius is old? This genius is incredible!"
"Who knew Grandmaster Yu was so crafty? What a slick move!"
"Sure enough, shamelessness, thick skin, and slick tricks are the hallmarks of a strong martial artist! I want to become strong too!"
"He devoted his entire life to Magic Martial University. To go from a spirited young man to a white-haired old man... He suffered so much!"
"I can't even imagine how Yu Feng managed to shoulder the burden of Magic Martial University back then."
"The university held this genius back!"
"He saw Magic Martial University as his everything. His own obsession was what held him back."
"..."
The Sky Screen's revelations shook the Human Realm!
Fang Ping's eyes trembled, and his heart weighed heavy.
"The old principal is truly admirable!"
Fu Changding, Zhao Lei, and the others were just as full of admiration.
Wang Jinyang, Li Hansong, and Yao Chengjun were also deeply moved and filled with respect.
Wu Chuan, a Ninth-Rank martial artist, wept silently. His teacher had suffered so much in life!
In the Earth Cave,
Tianmen City's city lord watched the Sky Screen's description of Magic Martial University's old principal. His eyes were full of contempt and disdain.
He was nothing but an old human who had nearly been killed by him back in the day!
"Hah! A dying man deserves to make the Heavenly Pride Ranking? The Sky Screen must have lost its mind!"
Liu Ji sneered scornfully. "The human race really has no one left. Even an old man can make the Heavenly Pride Ranking!"
"In my prime, I could've killed him with one hand!"
"Hah, so what if he was a Fourth-Rank martial artist at twenty-five? He wouldn't even qualify to be this prince's slave!"
"A Fourth-Rank martial artist at twenty-five? I could kill him with a flick of my hand!"
"Human martial artists are weak as can be. That old geezer should've died ages ago!"
"A shameless old man who forced others to do his bidding!"
"However you look at it, Yu Feng was still a loser!"
"Sixty years ago... He must have been of the same generation as Martial King and the Underworld King.
"But Martial King and the Underworld King both became True Kings, while this man is gravely injured and dying. He's not even a false king!"
"A gifted martial artist? I say he's just an old, useless fool, ripe for the slaughter!"
"Hahahaha! Once the Sky Screen's finished revealing everything, I'll go to the Magic City Earth Cave and have some fun with this old human genius!"
The Earth Cave and Heaven Beyond Heaven martial artists sneered, arrogant and conceited!
But Ji Yao was shaken.
"To think that such a genius could sacrifice so much for something outside himself?"
It was genuinely admirable.
Listening to the Earth Cave martial artists laugh scornfully, King Huai silently called them fools.
Human martial artists weren't afraid to die. The older they were, the more terrifying they could be.
That man really would risk everything to take his enemies down with him!
"With their arrogance, the Earth Cave and Heaven Beyond Heaven are bound to lose!" King Huai's eyes flickered. He needed to find partners who wouldn't look down on him!
He might be Jinx, but that didn't mean he couldn't be put to good use.
There should be some factions willing to work with him.
In the Human Realm,
The principal of Jingwu sighed with emotion.
Magic Martial University was truly about to rise!
On the Grandmaster Ranking, he was thirty-sixth, while Magic Martial University's old principal was forty-first.
His rank was higher than Yu Feng's.
But Yu Feng was gravely injured and on the verge of death.
Even though he was still a grandmaster in his prime, he ranked only five places above Yu Feng!
Once Yu Feng received the Sky Screen's reward and returned to his peak, he would probably beat him with ease.
The principal of Southern Martial University was also moved. Back when he became a martial artist, Yu Feng was already the principal of Magic Martial University.
He had met Yu Feng many times, and they'd gotten along well. Yu Feng was a man worthy of admiration!
He had no children and had devoted his whole life to Magic Martial University.
Of all the martial arts university principals, Yu Feng was the only one so selfless, treating Magic Martial University as his entire world.
At Magic Martial University,
Wu Kuishan, Li Changsheng, Lv Fengrou, Huang Jing, and the others stopped crying.
This was wonderful news!
The Sky Screen's rewards were perfectly suited to each person, and the old principal's greatest obsession was having one university hold back one Earth Cave!
Could this mean the Sky Screen might massively boost Magic Martial University's overall strength—or even pacify the Magic City Earth Cave outright?!
The old principal stared at the Sky Screen, his feelings complicated.
He had never believed in Heaven, much less in fate!
Nor had he ever fantasized that some immortal or deity, or the Heavenly Dao, would pacify the Earth Cave.
Yet at that moment, he found himself hoping against hope.
As everyone at Magic Martial University watched expectantly, golden light flickered across the Sky Screen, and its golden characters began to change.
[Evaluation: Last year, in this very doorway, the beauty and the peach blossoms reflected each other's rosy glow. The beauty is nowhere to be found now, but the peach blossoms still smile in the spring breeze... Basic reward: Unimpeded Great Dao, Transcend the Three Realms. Advanced reward: Heal all personal injuries; one single-use talisman (can kill any Ninth-Rank martial artist); Magic Martial Domain (when any Magic Martial University martial artist enters the Earth Cave to kill enemies, all attributes increase by 30%).]
"Whoa, Magic Martial University's martial artists will be invincible against anyone of the same rank in the Earth Cave!"
"Magic Martial Domain... Is it too late for me to transfer to Magic Martial University?"
"Holy crap, a thirty-percent boost! They really will be invincible!"
"The old principal of Magic Martial University might become a Ninth-Rank grandmaster!"
"..."
Wu Kuishan, Lv Fengrou, Huang Jing, and the others didn't feel too disappointed when they saw the Sky Screen's rewards for the old principal.
After all, it was still up to human martial artists to pacify the Earth Cave themselves.
The Sky Screen's reward would also indirectly strengthen Magic Martial University.
Don't underestimate a thirty-percent boost. It was enough to make Magic Martial University's martial artists invincible against opponents of the same rank in the Earth Cave!
Normally, when one high-ranked martial artist fought another of the same rank, it was difficult to kill them.
But with that thirty-percent boost, everything would be different!
They could kill opponents of the same rank—and even fight those of a higher rank!
Most importantly, the old principal had made a full recovery!
The students of Magic Martial University were overjoyed.
Their university really was about to rise!
Once the old principal broke through to Ninth Rank, Magic Martial University would surely surpass Jingwu and become the true number-one university!
In time, having one university hold back one Earth Cave would no longer be a fantasy!
At the Capital Base,
Qin Fengqing's eyes brimmed with tears. The old principal was finally well!
Zhang Tao, Li Zhen, and Nan Yunyue exchanged smiles.
They had tried several times to offer some of their resources to heal Yu Feng's injuries, but Yu Feng had refused.
He believed his broken body wasn't worth spending resources worth ten or even a hundred billion on to repair.
He thought those resources would be better spent creating gifted martial artists.
Now the Sky Screen's reward descended. Yu Feng, the prodigious martial artist from sixty years ago, was about to be reborn!
Fu Changding, Zhao Lei, and the others were overjoyed, standing even taller than before!
They were students of Magic Martial University. The stronger and better Magic Martial University became, the more glory they shared!
Fang Ping's eyes shone.
"Magic Martial Domain... Killing enemies in the Earth Cave increases the stats by 30%!
"So during the Three Realms Martial Arts Exchange Tournament, I can get a 30% boost for free too?!"
A 30% boost!
That meant each of his strikes could unleash 100 calories of vitality!
Three consecutive slashes would unleash at least 300 calories of vitality!
Invincible!
He'd be invincible among first-rank martial artists!
Even Zhang Xuan couldn't match his explosive power!
Fang Ping's eyes shone so brightly it was almost frightening!
"Magic Martial University is about to get even stronger!"
Wang Jinyang felt a little bitter, and a little envious.
When would the Principal of Southern Martial University make the list and earn a Southern Martial Domain?
With the Magic Martial Domain, large numbers of candidates would surely apply to Magic Martial University next year.
All the gifted martial artists would end up at Magic Martial University!
The martial artists from Jingwu were envious, too.
The experts from Jingwu were deeply bitter.
Their enrollment numbers next year wouldn't be very promising.
Still, Jingwu had hope!
Jingwu was sure to have a prodigy rank near the top of the Human Realm Heavenly Pride Ranking!
The Earth Cave,
The Lord of Tianmen City sneered.
So what if they had a 30% boost?
The Earth Cave had plenty of one thing: people!
With Magic Martial University gaining such a boost, would the other cities in the Magic City Earth Cave stand by while it breached his Tianmen City?
Before, Tianmen City alone had stood against humanity.
But soon, several Earth Cave cities would join forces to fight the human martial artists!
"A 30% boost? How interesting!
"I'll go to the Magic City Earth Cave myself and see just how formidable this old prodigy, reborn anew, really is!"
"This man must die by the hands of my God Continent's martial artists!"
"Heh, a dying man should simply wait for death! Why bother being reborn?"
"Hahahaha! Let's welcome the next dying man onto the list!"
At that moment,
All the mighty figures of the Three Realms, both in the Earth Cave and elsewhere, were waiting for the Sky Screen to reveal the tenth-ranked human prodigy!
The eleventh-ranked human prodigy was an old prodigy at the peak of the eighth rank.
Who would the tenth-ranked prodigy be?
Where would Martial King Zhang Tao, Underworld King Li Zhen, and the reincarnation of Demon Emperor Mo Wenjian rank on the Heavenly Pride Ranking?
And who exactly was the Future Human King, so likely to take first place on the Human Realm Heavenly Pride Ranking?
In the Human Realm,
Countless people were also looking forward to the reveal of the tenth-ranked prodigy.
Students at Jingwu and other martial arts universities, in particular, dreamed that the principal of their own school would make the list.
Golden light burst across the Sky Screen, and the gilded characters changed in an instant!
[Three Realms Heavenly Pride Ranking: Human Realm List temporarily concludes!] [In seven days, the tenth-ranked Human Realm prodigy will be revealed!]
The announcement sent shock waves through the crowd. Countless people cried out that it was a cliffhanger, and far too short!
"That was way too short!"
"Couldn't they just reveal all the prodigies at once?"
"From the looks of it, the tenth-ranked human prodigy is going to be a major reveal!"
The temporary conclusion of the Three Realms Heavenly Pride Ranking: Human Realm List gave the Three Realms Martial Arts Exchange Tournament just enough time to begin!
The Earth Cave,
Feng said coldly, "Today, I invite martial artists from all sides to take part in the Three Realms Martial Arts Exchange Tournament at dawn tomorrow!"
"We absolutely cannot give the human martial artists time to grow stronger!"
"Give them even one more day, and the human martial artists on the Heavenly Pride Ranking will become harder to deal with. Killing them will be even more difficult!"
Cold intent flickered in King Ming's eyes. "The slaughter is about to begin!"
"The real show is about to start!"
Elsewhere,
God Emperor, Heaven Fighting Emperor, and Eastern Emperor looked toward the Earth Cave and exchanged smiles.
"The slaughtering tournament targeting the Human Realm is about to begin!"
Heaven Fighting Emperor sighed. "Feng is involved, too. He always thinks he can manipulate everyone else, but he's never understood himself—or the Three Realms."
Eastern Emperor smiled. "In the past, neither of us would have paid attention to a martial arts tournament below Emperor level."
"This time, it really is unusual."
With his hands behind his back, God Emperor said indifferently, "The Earth Cave, Heaven Beyond Heaven... Their greed knows no bounds!"
Elsewhere,
Heaven Suppressing King, Zhang Tao, and the others had already received the bloody invitation announcing that the Three Realms Martial Arts Exchange Tournament would begin tomorrow!
Zhang Tao's gaze turned cold. "So impatient. Do they really think they've got us in the palm of their hands?!"
"Kill!"
Li Zhen growled. He had already prepared to kill a True God and make an example of him!
Zhang Tao looked at Heaven Suppressing King and God Forger. "Heaven Suppressing King, God Forger, I'll leave this to you."
"Easy enough."
God Forger chuckled. Disguising low-rank martial artists was child's play for a master forger of fakes like him.
Unless an Emperor came in person, even an ordinary Heavenly King wouldn't see through his disguises.
At the same time,
On Zhang Tao's orders, Wang Qinghai transferred the student records of every martial artist heading into battle to Magic Martial University.
Those under thirty became students; those over thirty were immediately appointed instructors at Magic Martial University!
Zhang Tao also had Nan Yunyue bring Fang Ping and the others to Magic Martial University first.
He had the Old Principal of Magic Martial University hold a freshman assembly for them and tell them, "You're all students of Magic Martial University now!"
Wang Jinyang even hypnotized himself into believing that he was now a martial artist from Magic Martial University.
After they'd finished sorting everything out at Magic Martial University, Nan Yunyue took some of them into the safest place, the Capital Earth Cave, to test it out.
Sure enough, they could get a 30% boost!
Invincible!
Seeing this, Fang Ping's mouth twitched.
That was shameless!
Wang Jinyang and Li Hansong, the Martial Arts Club presidents of Southern Martial University and Jingwu, were delighted to receive the boost from the Magic Martial Domain.
Some of the competitors heading into battle who weren't from Magic Martial University kept repeating:
"We're martial artists from Magic Martial University!"
"We fight for Magic Martial University!"
The Old Principal of Magic Martial University was deeply pleased. He watched the martial artists with a beaming smile, already plotting his own little schemes.
Wu Kuishan, Lv Fengrou, Huang Jing, Chen Yunxi, Zhao Xuemei, Fu Changding, and the others from Magic Martial University looked at one another.
Zhang Tao, the "Shame of the True Kings," sure knew how to play the game!
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