Can I Hurt Someone? (Desperately Seeking Recommendation Tickets)

"The senior apprentice brother is truly the senior apprentice brother," Ling He sighed, feeling as though he were gazing up at an unattainable peak.

"Then what cultivation level has Senior Brother Zhu reached now?" Jiang Wang asked again.

"I haven't seen him in a while either." Zhang Linchuan let out an inexplicable sigh. "He's probably already broken through to the Heaven and Earth Gate by now..."

"Then that's not too far off from you, Senior Brother—still neck and neck! For the top spot at the City Daoist Academy, I'm still betting on you, Senior Brother Zhang!" Huang Azhan stubbornly kept up his bootlicking.

Everyone knew that Zhang Linchuan had long since glimpsed the Heaven and Earth Gate, just a single step away from the sixth-rank Soaring Dragon realm. So saying they weren't far apart wasn't entirely wrong, but still...

Zhang Linchuan shot Huang Azhan a very strange look, then sidestepped two paces away.

Sure, Zhu Weiwu had only just entered the sixth rank, but he was out there hunting down the Heart-Devouring Demon across the entire world! Could he really be considered an ordinary new sixth-rank?

Zhao Rucheng and Jiang Wang exchanged a glance, then very tacitly moved elsewhere as well.

"Hey hey hey, what's your problem?" Huang Azhan shouted.

Zhao Rucheng sighed. "Now I finally know why Du Tiger keeps getting dumber."

Jiang Wang looked up at the sky. "Maybe stupidity is contagious..."

By then, Dong A had read out the last slot for the first-year students: "Per tradition, in the first-year debates, each academy must reserve one spot for the newest batch of disciples, to show that each generation outshines the last..."

Beneath the viewing platform, Fang Heling suddenly clenched his fists!

Among the academy disciples of his cohort, only he and Jiang Wang had opened their meridians first. Several months had passed since then, and other students had completed their meridian opening, but only he, Fang Heling, had finished foundation building.

He alone stood at the pinnacle!

If anyone was to represent the level of Maple Forest City Daoist Academy's new students, who else could it be?

This was a glory! Enough to wash away the doubts over his father's decision to go against all opposition and buy him a Vein-Opening Pill.

He, Fang Heling, would definitely—

"Jiang Wang," Dong A said.

A stir ran through the crowd below. As an outer sect disciple who had risen to inner sect first place, and who had won cleanly in a Dao-Witnessed Death Duel before a public audience, Jiang Wang's name was no stranger to the entire City Daoist Academy. The matter of his long hesitation before foundation building had also been spread far and wide by certain people with ulterior motives.

All that talk about a spent talent, a lack of staying power—it went back and forth over this one thing.

And yet, in the eyes of Dean Dong A, he was deemed the strongest representative of the new students?

"Dean!" Fang Heling stood up in indignation. Meeting Dong A's cold, stern gaze, he felt as though a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head, his heart pounding with anxiety. But soon, he stiffened his neck. "I... I object!"

"Ha." Wei Quji laughed. He was delighted to see Dong A challenged, even though he trusted that Dong A's judgment was never wrong.

"Simple," Wei Quji said. "Come up on stage, fight it out. Whoever wins goes."

The moment the words left his mouth, Fang Heling realized how foolish he was. No matter what, he could not and should not question Dong A in such a setting—question a man who could easily decide his future.

He felt his heels trembling, but he still held his ground, staring at Dong A. He was already riding the tiger and couldn't dismount.

Fortunately, Dong A seemed unwilling to make things difficult for him, nor did he want to embarrass Wei Quji.

"Fine," he said.

Fang Heling breathed a sigh of relief. He tried his best to straighten his back and walked toward the high platform under the crowd's gaze.

He would use his masterful Daoist techniques to crush his opponent. He would prove that this wasn't for himself, but for the reputation of the entire Maple Forest City Daoist Academy. How could the prestigious Three-City Martial Tournament send someone who hadn't even completed foundation building?

He felt the crowd's stares—some surprised, some envious, some jealous, some solemn.

Walking along the path the crowd cleared for him, he suddenly wondered: when his cousin Fang Pengju had been in his glory days, had it felt like this?

And Fang Pengju had died before even entering the inner sect, while he was already a proper inner sect disciple!

Then he heard Jiang Wang's voice.

Throughout the entire incident, from its beginning to its development, Jiang Wang had been utterly calm, as if it had nothing to do with him.

Only after Dong A agreed to settle the slot by combat did he lift his eyes and ask, in a light, offhand tone—"May I injure people?"

May I injure people? He was asking whether the rules permitted it, not whether he was capable.

Fang Heling was about to explode with rage!

Dong A's face was expressionless. He only said, "No maiming, no killing."

Meaning everything else was allowed.

On the high platform stood Wei Quji, Dong A, and behind them, several Maple Forest City officials and academy instructors. They all stepped back a few paces to the edge of the platform, making space for the fight.

Jiang Wang nodded, one hand resting on his sword scabbard, and walked calmly toward the high platform.

And Fang Heling, already standing on the platform, fixed his gaze on him like a nail.

"Don't worry, we're fellow disciples—I won't cripple you," Fang Heling said through gritted teeth.

People expected Jiang Wang to fire back with some harsh words, but Jiang Wang remained silent.

The two of them took their positions on the high platform, facing each other.

This scene reminded many of the Dao-Witnessed Death Duel from months ago. One of the participants was still Jiang Wang. The other still bore the surname Fang.

Wei Quji had been full of interest at first, but after noticing Fang Heling's agitation and haste, and then seeing Jiang Wang's unbroken calm from start to finish, he suddenly lost all enthusiasm.

A greenhorn who had clearly never fought for his life, against a cultivator who had weathered who knew how many battles. Even if there was a slight gap in cultivation, where was the suspense?

"Let's begin." He waved a hand, bored.

Clang—!

That was the shriek of a longsword leaving its sheath!

Before the battle began, Fang Heling had imagined many ways to fight, weighing which Dao art would be most advantageous to open with. He wasn't foolish—he knew his greatest advantage over Jiang Wang lay in Dao arts. He could use Dao arts, while Jiang Wang could not. That was the key to victory.

But that sword was too fast.

The Dao art Fang Heling ultimately chose was the Flame Blade. Among the five basic Dao arts, this one was the most violent, and it was also the one he had mastered most thoroughly.

To maintain his leading position and to silence the doubts within his clan, he had never slackened. He had always worked hard.

Now, he could even complete his hand seal in just three breaths!

But that sword was too fast.

Was it two breaths, or one? In any case, his hand seal had barely begun when that blade was already pressed against his neck. The sharp edge faintly stung the skin and blood vessels of his throat.

Was it over?

What kind of swordsmanship was this!

Jiang Wang turned the blade sideways and lightly tapped Fang Heling's cheek with the flat of the sword, snapping him out of his daze.

"You lost," Jiang Wang said.

Fang Heling felt dazed, at a loss. How, how could this be? He hadn't even had the chance to use a single Dao art!

If, if, if only a little more time had passed—once he completed his minor Circulation and imprinted the Flame Blade Dao art into his Heaven-Connecting Palace, he could have unleashed it instantly. He would never have failed to strike!

If only...

He jerked his head up, gritting his teeth. "You definitely used Dao Essence to drive your swordsmanship. You haven't even established your foundation yet—every bit of Dao Essence you use is one less, and you'd actually waste it on a match like this, delaying your foundation establishment. You sure are willing to pay the price!"

Jiang Wang sheathed his sword and turned to descend the high platform. Just like every time before when faced with Fang Heling's provocations, he couldn't be bothered to respond, dismissing him with utter contempt.

An ant blocking the road and challenging you—and the human can't even hear its voice.

"You'll never establish your foundation in your entire life!" Fang Heling shouted at his retreating back.

"Get down! Disgraceful thing!" Dong A flicked his sleeve, and Fang Heling truly rolled off the high platform.

He stood up and looked around, meeting only eyes of sympathy or contempt.

He froze for a moment, then suddenly let out a roar and stumbled away from this place.