Teacher Li Chun spoke up again, his voice ringing clear.
"The Academy Grand Competition has now produced its top four. The winner between you two, Lin Hui and Tang San, will compete for first and second place, while the loser will compete for third."
"Of course, as agreed beforehand, only the top three in this competition will receive rewards. Fourth place gets nothing."
"I can also reveal the rewards in advance."
"First place will receive ten Gold Soul Coins, second place eight, and third place five. In addition to the money, all three will receive a bottle of Green Wood Liquid."
"Green Wood Liquid is made from the juices of several plant Soul Beasts. It can temper the bones and body, purge impurities from a Soul Master's body, and improve their physical strength and resilience. The younger you are, the greater its effects. It's perfect for children like you, who are six or seven years old. Our dean was lucky enough to obtain it, and it's incredibly precious. Even an ordinary Soul Saint would have a hard time getting their hands on it."
"So both of you, do your best."
Li Chun's gaze swept over Lin Hui and Tang San on the stage. Although he'd told them both to do their best, deep down, he still hoped Lin Hui would win.
After all, Tang San's methods had been far too vicious. Li Chun really didn't want someone with Tang San's character to win.
As soon as the rewards were announced, the students watching below erupted in astonishment.
"One Gold Soul Coin is enough to cover my family's food and drink for a whole year. And they're offering ten!"
"Forget ten—even five is amazing! If I'd known the rewards were this good, I should've risked my life when I fought Wang Sheng. It's so hard for ordinary families like ours to earn money!" The speaker was one of the contestants who had just lost to Wang Sheng and made it into the top eight. He spoke with immense regret and heartache.
"And that Green Wood Liquid—I heard even the city lord tried everything and couldn't get his hands on it!" another student remarked.
Hearing about the rewards, Tang San resolved to win them.
"Work-study students only earn ten Copper Soul Coins a day. Once I get first place, I can treat Xiao Wu to meat buns!"
At the same time, Lin Hui felt tempted by the rewards, too.
After all, although he'd obtained the Blue Silver Emperor's right leg Bone, he was still a penniless work-study student. It wasn't as if he could sell the Soul Bone!
Even if he only won five Gold Soul Coins, he wouldn't have to work and study anymore. He could spend more time on his cultivation.
"All right... now..." Just as Li Chun was about to announce the start of the match, Lin Hui's voice interrupted him.
"Please wait, Teacher Li. I'd like to ask: are we allowed to use weapons in this match?" Lin Hui raised his hand.
He knew all too well how dangerous Tang San's Hidden Weapons were. He was asking now to head off trouble in advance.
After all, his skills were only a little better than an ordinary Soul Master's. He didn't have the nerve to take Tang San's Hidden Weapons head-on with his body.
First, he had to rule out the possibility that Tang San would suddenly resort to dirty tricks!
Then he'd beat the hell out of him!
"Well..." Teacher Li Chun considered it. The rules for the Academy Grand Competition really weren't very strict, and this point hadn't been clearly settled. They generally assumed contestants would fight unarmed. "I'll discuss it with the other teachers..."
After Lin Hui finished speaking, he saw Tang San opposite him. Tang San looked as if something had touched his face, as if a secret had been exposed. Shame showed in his expression, and his mild face immediately turned fierce.
Seeing Tang San's mortified, furious expression, Lin Hui felt a little pleased with himself.
Little San, don't even think about catching me off guard!
The teachers quickly reached a consensus.
Li Chun returned to the stage.
"Since the Academy Grand Competition is a contest between Soul Masters, we've agreed on the rules: no objects may be used as weapons. You may use only your bodies!"
Lin Hui raised his hand again.
"Then shouldn't we check whether either of us is carrying any prohibited items before the match?"
Li Chun nodded.
"You're right."
A female teacher came onto the stage and patted Lin Hui down from head to toe. "He isn't carrying anything."
Just as Li Chun was about to search Tang San, Tang San took the Sleeve Arrow hidden in his sleeve and handed it over himself.
A girl in the audience immediately exclaimed, "What's that thing he was hiding? It looks dangerous!"
"Could he have secretly used it to ambush someone earlier?" another student guessed.
"Don't talk nonsense! I won my match fair and square. I never used this thing!" Tang San immediately grew agitated.
Ever since earlier, Tang San had been wondering why his classmates were keeping their distance from him—and even seemed to hate him!
His thoughts grew even more chaotic and irritable!
The girl met Tang San's glare, the kind that said, "You've got a death wish," and immediately burst into tears!
At the sound of her crying, nearly everyone assumed Tang San had frightened her.
The students were afraid of Tang San's strength and dared not speak up, but their eyes were full of hostility and contempt.
Even Lin Hui hadn't expected that his suggestion, made to ensure a fair match, would gradually turn everyone against Tang San!
At this rate, Tang San's state of mind was bound to fall apart!
Li Chun confiscated Tang San's Sleeve Arrow and searched him as well.
But after the other students had cast suspicion on him, Tang San saw the search as a deep sign of distrust from both students and teachers. He felt utterly humiliated.
Every last one of you has a death wish!
The thought swept through Tang San's mind.
Once the search was over, Li Chun stepped onto the arena again, lowered his raised hand, and shouted,
"All right, the match begins!"
Tang San made a solemn gesture of invitation. "Tang San, level eleven Battle Soul Master. Please instruct me!"
Lin Hui returned the salute. "Lin Hui, level twelve Battle Soul Master. Please instruct me!"
The moment he heard this, Yu Xiaogang was stunned.
"Lin Hui... That's impossible. According to my theories, Little San absorbed a Soul Ring at the absolute limit for a Soul Master's first year. Tang San absorbed a four-hundred-year Soul Ring and only gained one level of Soul Power. How could Lin Hui have gained two?"
"They only just obtained their First Soul Ring. It's impossible! Lin Hui must be lying!"
Though Yu Xiaogang had a loud voice, none of the teachers or students paid much attention to what he said.
After all, they were more interested in finding out which of the two, Lin Hui or Tang San, was stronger!
No one wanted to disrupt the match.
Still, the sixty-year-old teacher couldn't help commenting,
"I never expected Lin Hui to be level twelve—one level higher than Tang San!"
"But that one-level difference in Soul Power might not make much difference," Li Chun said modestly.
Soon, Tang San charged straight at Lin Hui on the arena.