But Tang San hadn't noticed any of this. His attention was entirely on Xiao Wu.
"Xiao Wu, I won too!" Tang San stepped down from the ring, as if seeking her praise.
"Third Brother... You... You were really good too..." Xiao Wu stammered, seeming reluctant to talk to him. "It's just... could you go a little easier on your classmates?"
"But he was clearly insulting us commoner Soul Masters," Tang San said, utterly unapologetic.
After all, in his previous life, he had excelled at Hidden Weapons and poison in the Tang Sect. The Tang Sect's ideology was naturally that those who followed them would prosper, while those who opposed them would perish.
Teacher Li Chun sighed as well.
"But Tang San really did go too hard..."
Yu Xiaogang immediately cut in.
"You can't put it that way. This is a competition, after all. Students getting hurt is inevitable. Besides, Tang San's actions didn't violate the competition rules."
"Even so..." Li Chun couldn't refute Yu Xiaogang's words. Tang San really hadn't broken any rules.
"But Tang San... it seemed like he hadn't even used his first Soul Skill just now!" The sixty-year-old teacher immediately noticed something unusual.
"Now that you mention it... you're right!" another teacher chimed in.
Then all the teachers were astonished.
"After all, this is a Soul Skill. Even if it's only the first one, how can anyone fight it with nothing but their bare hands?"
"Given Tang San's current abilities, he can indeed defeat his opponents without using his first Soul Skill," Yu Xiaogang interjected again, looking exceptionally confident.
He truly hadn't expected Tang San to refrain from using his first Soul Skill, but he still spoke as though it were only natural.
But if he didn't show how powerful Tang San's first Soul Skill was, how could he prove how capable he was as a teacher?
That was what made Yu Xiaogang a little annoyed.
Perhaps Tang San wanted to keep his strength hidden and use the skill against Lin Hui or Xiao Wu, catching them off guard?
He could only wait for Tang San to use the Soul Skill in the upcoming matches, indirectly proving his own ability as a teacher.
Next, a large number of students took turns competing.
When it was Lin Hui's turn, the whole crowd's attention once again focused on him.
"Which of them is stronger, him or Tang San?" Even Wang Sheng was quite curious.
After Lin Hui entered the ring, he still used nothing but basic punches and kicks against his opponent.
His moves weren't as fluid as Tang San's or as nimble as Xiao Wu's, but Lin Hui's physical strength was far greater than that of an ordinary student.
On top of that, his opponent was merely a Soul Master with a Ten-Year Soul Ring, so Lin Hui won with ease.
"I can't believe it. Lin Hui didn't use his first Soul Skill either!" the sixty-year-old teacher exclaimed again.
"Looks like we'll have to wait and see who's stronger between Lin Hui and Tang San!" another female teacher cried out.
Seeing that neither Lin Hui nor Tang San had used their first Soul Skill, Xiao Wu complained in frustration.
"How come neither of you used your first Soul Skill? I already used mine ages ago. Hmph!"
"I'm so mad!"
Seeing those two steal the spotlight, Xiao Wu felt a little miffed.
"Xiao Wu, I'll tell you what my first Soul Skill does right now, all right..." Tang San didn't want to upset her, so he was about to tell her.
But a cough interrupted him.
"Ahem—"
Tang San looked toward the sound and saw Yu Xiaogang. He immediately fell silent.
"Xiao San, since you've already made your plans, reveal your skill at the right time. Don't let all your efforts go to waste," Yu Xiaogang said.
Seeing Tang San and Xiao Wu at odds again, Lin Hui came up with another idea.
Lin Hui went over to Xiao Wu and whispered something in her ear.
Tang San couldn't hear what Lin Hui said, but he saw Xiao Wu's ears gradually perk up. Her expression grew more and more astonished, and even the corners of her mouth slowly curled up.
"Are you serious? Your first Soul Skill can really have that effect?"
Lin Hui patted Xiao Wu on the shoulder. "Of course. You'll see in a bit."
Seeing the two grow closer, Tang San grew even more furious. His face darkened, his teeth clenched, and his lowered hand stayed balled into a fist. He looked like someone whose vinegar jar had been smashed.
Lin Hui could practically smell the sourness from across the room. But seeing Tang San so miserable, he kept a calm expression while secretly delighting in himself.
Of course, this was just the appetizer. The part that would really make you suffer was still to come!
Provoked by this, Tang San grew more and more vicious in his subsequent matches.
He beat two students until they coughed blood and broke the bones of three others. The last few students were so frightened that they forfeited as soon as they faced him.
As for Lin Hui's matches, though his moves weren't particularly fierce, he always managed to win after a while.
And he always held back when he struck. Even when his opponents lost, they suffered no more than minor injuries.
By comparison, Lin Hui's reputation gradually improved.
"Tang San goes way too hard. We're all classmates. Is there really any need?"
"Exactly! We're not his enemies!"
"I'm telling you, he's nowhere near as good as Lin Hui in that regard!"
"If Lin Hui faces him, I really hope he beats Tang San until he coughs blood, so he can taste what it's like to be humiliated..." said a tall student. He was the one who had forfeited as soon as he entered the ring, afraid of getting beaten because he knew he couldn't win against Tang San.
Lin Hui headed toward the ring. As he passed the tall student, he briefly rested a hand on his shoulder.
"I hear you."
The tall student froze. All he could see was Lin Hui's straight back, growing smaller as he walked away.
Most of the students watching from below had begun to hope that Lin Hui would defeat Tang San.
Before long, the top four in the First-Year Grand Competition had been decided.
They were Xiao Wu, Wang Sheng, Tang San, and Lin Hui.
"Next match: Tang San versus Lin Hui!" Teacher Li Chun called out.
As soon as the words rang out, the atmosphere below the ring erupted.
After all, this was the match everyone had been eagerly anticipating!
Teacher Li Chun was on the edge of his seat. "I hope Tang San won't go just as hard on Lin Hui..."
Yu Xiaogang, however, wore an exceptionally satisfied smile.
"Tang San, beat him! Crush him! Humiliate him!"
"That brat Lin Hui has questioned my theories in class again and again!"
"Once you defeat him, and since you're my disciple, those rumors will fall apart on their own!"
"You need to teach that brat what happens when he doesn't know his place and dares to oppose us!"
At that moment, a thousand wicked thoughts had already taken root in Yu Xiaogang's mind.
He was desperate to prove himself and had long since stopped caring what it took!
Lin Hui stepped into the ring. Before long, Tang San came up too and stood facing him.