Four People Fighting Like Children Brawling

The night the awakening test ended, the atmosphere in the four-person dormitory was worse than usual.

Xiao Yan sat leaning against the wall, his right leg bent and his left leg stretched out, toying with a faint Exotic Flame in his hand. His face flickered in the firelight, his expression as sour as if he had eaten three pounds of bitter melon.

"Why is Shi Hao level nine, and I'm only level four?" he finally spoke, his voice brimming with resentment. "On what grounds? Back in the Great Thousand World, who didn't call me the Flame Emperor when they saw me? Now that I'm in this dump, I'm only level four? Level four!"

Shi Hao was hanging upside down from the edge of his bed doing sit-ups. Hearing Xiao Yan, he spoke head-down: "Because I am the Desolate Heaven Emperor, a being of Arbitrary Eternity. You're a level four scrub—like it or not, you'll have to accept it."

Xiao Yan's face darkened further: "You're not arbitrary at anything, you can't even beat Wang Lin!"

Shi Hao paused, his upside-down head turning toward Xiao Yan: "I haven't fought him."

Wang Lin leaned against the opposite wall, eyes closed like a statue. Hearing his own name, he didn't even lift an eyelid, merely spitting out a cold, indifferent sentence: "This Seat disdains to fight you."

Shi Hao flipped down from the bed.

He stood up straight, half a head taller than Wang Lin, his muscles glistening under the dim light. He walked up to Wang Lin and looked down at him.

"What did you say? Wang Lin, come over here."

Wang Lin finally opened his eyes.

Those gray-white pupils were as calm as two pools of stagnant water. There was no emotion in his gaze toward Shi Hao, only a near-callous detachment.

"This Seat said, I disdain it."

Shi Hao's fists clenched.

Han Li sat on his own bed, having been meditating the whole time. He hadn't wanted to deal with this nonsense, but the two men's bickering was growing louder and more disruptive, reaching the point where it interfered with his cultivation.

"Shut up, both of you. Sleep."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was cold—so cold that the air seemed to drop several degrees.

Xiao Yan was in the heat of his temper; how could he listen to that? He turned his head and glared at Han Li: "Who do you think you are to tell us to shut up? You ugly freak!"

Han Li's eyes snapped open.

There was no expression in those pitch-black pupils, but Xiao Yan felt a chill run down his spine for no reason.

"Can you say that again?"

The voice was so calm it didn't sound like a threat, but that calmness was more terrifying than a roar.

Who was Xiao Yan? He had walked from being the trash of Wutan City to the pinnacle of the Great Thousand World; what kind of scenes hadn't he seen? Who had he ever feared?

"Ugly! Freak!" He enunciated each word, biting down hard on every syllable.

A green light flickered at Han Li's fingertips.

Sword Qi.

It was an extremely faint Sword Qi, only an inch long, but the sharpness of that green light made the surrounding air tremble slightly.

The Sword Qi flew out.

Xiao Yan tilted his head.

The Sword Qi grazed his ear and nailed itself into the wall behind him, carving a deep mark. Brick dust showered down, and a two-foot-long crack appeared in the wall.

Xiao Yan touched his ear; it wasn't cut, but there was a trace of scorching heat on his fingertip.

He looked up at Han Li.

Han Li was looking back at him.

The air was thick with a near-tangible scent of gunpowder.

Shi Hao had been in a standoff with Wang Lin, but seeing that a fight was about to break out here, his eyes lit up: "If we're fighting, let's fight!"

He smashed a fist toward Xiao Yan.

The wind of his punch whistled, aiming straight for Xiao Yan's face.

Xiao Yan didn't have time to curse. His Exotic Flame erupted, cyan fire gathering in his palm to meet Shi Hao's fist.

Fist and fire collided with a muffled thud. Xiao Yan retreated two steps while Shi Hao stood motionless, but a layer of charred black appeared on Shi Hao's fist, and Xiao Yan's wrist throbbed with dull pain.

Wang Lin stood to the side, watching the two of them brawl, the corners of his mouth slowly curling into an arc.

The Heavenly Inverse Bead emerged from his sleeve, gray-white light swirling within it.

"Whom should This Seat help?" His voice carried the playful mockery of a cat toying with a mouse.

Han Li stood up from his bed, the green light at his fingertips igniting once more, brighter and longer than before.

"A bunch of childish brats."

Sword Qi crisscrossed the room.

The four of them descended into a chaotic brawl within the dormitory.

But this fight was completely different from the world-shattering battles they were used to in their respective realms.

There were no earth-shaking effects; their cultivation was suppressed too heavily to unleash anything.

There were no high-flying maneuvers; this dump of a dormitory was too small, and one would hit a wall just by turning around. There were no flashy techniques; all they could use were basic punches, kicks, and weak elemental attacks.

And so, this fight was more like a street brawl.

Han Li grabbed Xiao Yan by the hair, causing Xiao Yan to wince in pain and sink his teeth into Shi Hao's shoulder.

Shi Hao kicked Wang Lin in the shin; Wang Lin tried to dodge but failed, stumbling back a step before reaching out to dig his fingernails into Han Li's arm.

The four of them wrestled together like four angry roosters.

If anyone had seen this scene from the doorway, they would never have guessed that these four were once beings who stood at the pinnacle of their respective worlds.

Next door.

Tang San was in his room reading a book, a monograph on the habits of spirit beasts; he had been researching Xiao Wu's dietary preferences lately.

Then, he heard the commotion coming from next door.

"You ugly freak, how dare you pull my hair?"

"This Seat will strangle you!"

"Arbitrary Eternity! Suppress everything! Take this punch!"

"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, I'll fight you to the death!"

Tang San put down his book and frowned.

Are they fighting again?

He sighed, put on his shoes, and walked out of the room. The corridor was dim, lit only by a single flickering lamp at the far end. He walked up to the door of the four-man dormitory; it wasn't latched properly, leaving a narrow gap.

Tang San pushed the door open.

His pupils dilated in an instant.

Han Li was clutching Xiao Yan's hair, pulling his face into a distorted shape, but Xiao Yan's teeth were clamped firmly onto Shi Hao's shoulder like a wolf biting its prey.

Shi Hao had one foot planted on Wang Lin's shin while the other hung in the air, his entire body balanced in an incredibly twisted posture.

And Wang Lin—that cold, aloof Wang Lin who constantly referred to himself as This Seat and was better looking than most women—was digging his nails into Han Li's arm. The nails sank into the flesh, and Han Li's brows were knotted in a tight lump.

The four of them were entangled in a bizarre fashion; none could best the others, and none would let go.

Tang San's brain crashed at that moment.

He opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.

The four of them sensed the movement at the door simultaneously and turned their heads in unison. Four faces, each with a different expression, all conveyed the same meaning: annoyance at being disturbed.

Four mouths opened at once, emitting the same syllable: "Get lost!"

Tang San's mouth snapped shut.

He retreated a step in silence, grabbed the doorknob, and slowly pulled the door shut.

"Click."

The door was closed.

Tang San stood in the corridor, staring at the shut door, silent for a long time.

He turned around, walked back to his room, closed the door, and sat on the bed.

Xiao Wu was on the bed munching on an apple. Seeing Tang San's expression, she asked curiously, "Third Brother, what's wrong? Your face looks terrible."

Tang San took a deep breath. "It's nothing. I went to break up a fight and got kicked out."

Xiao Wu: "By whom?"

Tang San: "The four of them."

Xiao Wu: "Together?"

Tang San nodded.

Xiao Wu was silent for a second, then burst into laughter.

"Third Brother, you really never learn. The four of them are fighting; why did you go and join the fun?"

Tang San lowered his head and muttered, "I thought I could help."

Xiao Wu took a bite of her apple, chewed twice, swallowed, and said earnestly, "Third Brother, you're good at everything, but you're just too meddlesome."

Tang San: "..."

He wanted to say that he wasn't being meddlesome, that he was just being kind, but the words died in his throat because he suddenly realized that Xiao Wu was right.

From the first day the four of them arrived at the academy, he had been helping—helping to introduce the academy, helping to arrange lodging, helping to mediate conflicts, helping to comfort the injured... Every time it was out of kindness, but every time he was treated like dirt.

He was clearly acting out of kindness, so why was he always being shunned?

A knock sounded at the door.

Tang San opened it to find Flender standing there, his face livid.

"Little San, come with me."

Tang San followed Flender to the door of the four-man dormitory. This time the door was open. He glanced inside and saw that the four had separated, each standing in a corner. Their clothes were disheveled, their hair was a mess, and their faces were covered in bruises.

Han Li had a red mark on his left cheek, Xiao Yan had a black eye, Shi Hao had teeth marks on his arm, and Wang Lin's sleeves were covered in dust, looking as if he had been stepped on several times.

The dormitory itself was in shambles: beds were overturned, quilts were scattered, pillows were torn with feathers flying everywhere, there were sword gashes on the walls, charred pits on the floor, and a crack in the ceiling that looked like it might collapse at any moment.

Flender took a deep breath, suppressing his rage: "Who started it?"

Four fingers pointed at others simultaneously.

Flender: "...Good, very good."

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then another, before opening them and enunciating each word: "Starting tomorrow, you four will be in a group. You will cultivate together until you have synergy."

The four of them exploded at once.

Xiao Yan was the first to object: "Who wants to be in a group with him?" He pointed a finger at Shi Hao.

Shi Hao also blew up: "I don't want to be in a group with a weakling!" He pointed at Xiao Yan.

Wang Lin sneered: "This Seat disdains to associate with the likes of you."

Although Han Li didn't speak, his expression said it all: refusal, strong refusal.

Flender slammed his palm against the doorframe, causing it to crack.

"Objections are invalid! This is the Dean's order!"

The four fell silent.

But the expressions on their faces all conveyed the same meaning: defiance.

The next day, Tang San refused to give up.

He tracked the four of them down and intercepted them on their way to the training grounds.

"I know you don't see eye to eye," Tang San said, standing in the middle of the path with his arms spread wide like a mother hen protecting her chicks, "but Dean Flender is right. You need to build synergy, and I can help you..."

Xiao Yan walked right past him without even turning his head: "None of your business, floor tile."

Tang San's smile stiffened, but he quickly recovered: "...I just want to help."

Shi Hao walked past him and patted his shoulder with enough force that Tang San nearly lost his footing: "Your strength isn't enough to help, thanks."

Tang San: "..."

Wang Lin paused as he walked by. Those grey-white eyes scanned Tang San from head to toe, and then the corners of his mouth curled into a mocking smirk.

"This Seat suggests you stay away from us, lest you be caught in the crossfire."

Tang San's face began to turn pale.

Han Li was the last to approach. He didn't walk around; instead, he stood in front of Tang San and stared at him expressionlessly.

Tang San felt a chill under that pair of pitch-black eyes.

Han Li spoke, his voice as flat as if he were stating the weather: "Your Blue Silver Grass spirit is too weak. Being in a group with us will only hold us back. For our sake, and for your own, keep your distance."

He paused, then added: "This isn't a taunt; it's a fact."

Then he walked away too.

The four of them disappeared in the direction of the training grounds.

Tang San stood alone in the middle of the path, opening his mouth, closing it, opening it again, then closing it.

He wanted to retort, to say that his Blue Silver Grass wasn't ordinary Blue Silver Grass, to say that he possessed Mysterious Heaven Skill, Hundred Interpretations of Hidden Weapons, Purple Demon Eye, and Eight Spider Lances, to say that he would become the Sea God in the future, that he had countless trump cards, and that he wasn't a loser.

But those words swirled in his throat, and in the end, not a single one came out.

Because it was useless to say them; they wouldn't believe him.

Tang San turned and walked to the flowerbed by the academy gate, crouching down.

The afternoon sun shone on his blue hair, casting a small shadow on the ground. He hugged his knees, buried his face in his arms, and his shoulders trembled slightly.

When Xiao Wu found him, this was the scene she saw.

"Third Brother?"

Tang San looked up. His eye sockets were red, his nose was red, and there were still undried tear tracks on his face.

"They said I'm weak," his voice was muffled, as if he had a cold.

Xiao Wu crouched down, looked at him, and sighed: "Third Brother, they're right."

Tang San's tears welled up again.

"I know," his voice was even more muffled, "but couldn't you be less direct?"

Xiao Wu opened her mouth, wanting to comfort him, but after thinking for a long time, she didn't know what to say.

Finally, she patted Tang San's head like she was petting a puppy: "Alright, alright, I'll make braised pork for you tonight."

Tang San looked up, a glimmer of light in his eyes: "Really?"

Xiao Wu nodded: "Really. But you have to promise me one thing."

"What thing?"

"Stop saying Resurrect, My Love, at least for today."

Tang San was silent for three seconds, sniffled, and then.

"Resurrect, My..."

Xiao Wu slapped a hand over his mouth: "You're still at it?"

Tang San blinked his eyes, his muffled voice leaking out from beneath her palm: "Mmph... mmph... mmph..."

Xiao Wu glared at him: "I don't believe a word you say!"

From the distance, the roar of Shi Hao echoed across the training grounds: "Arbitrary Eternity!"

Then came Xiao Yan's retort: "Arbitrary my ass!"

This was followed by a dull thud, as if something heavy had slammed into the ground.

Xiao Wu let go, stood up, and looked toward the training grounds before glancing back at Tang San, who was still squatting on the floor.

"Third Brother, don't you think... even though those four are incredibly annoying, they live so authentically?"

Tang San looked up, pondered for a moment, and nodded.

Then he added: "Resurrect..."

Before he could finish, Xiao Wu turned and walked away.

"Xiao Wu, wait for me!" Tang San scrambled to catch up, still muttering his catchphrase:

"Resurrect, my love, resurrect, my love!"