Top Eight

"You shouldn't have... hurt him."

This time, the older brother came out without consulting his younger brother.

On his own initiative, he blocked all of Xin Yang's senses. After the older brother emerged, ghost energy materialized and covered his entire body.

Every big shot on the podium stood up in shock.

"Ghost energy materialization at the proficient level?"

"How is that possible? The fastest person to reach the proficient level of ghost energy materialization was the president of Nether Soul University. His record was learning it only in the second semester of his freshman year!"

Xin Yang had never even attended university, yet he could use proficient-level ghost energy materialization.

A light seemed to shine in Wang Han's eyes.

He was taking this student. He said so—Jesus himself wouldn't be able to stop him.

The ghost energy around Xin Yang's older brother grew increasingly condensed.

Hua Yang said, "H-How is that possible...? How could you know proficient-level ghost energy materialization?"

Xin Yang's older brother said, "You made me angry. But my little brother told me to go easy on people."

"So I won't let you die."

"Fight!!!"

Somewhere unseen, an impassioned roar exploded beside their ears. In an instant, Xin Yang's older brother and Hua Yang reappeared in Arena One.

Looking at the increasingly terrifying figure in the distance, Hua Yang felt utterly helpless. How am I supposed to fight against proficient-level ghost energy materialization?

"I didn't think this through. Actually... I don't need you to do it yourself." Hua Yang suddenly spoke. The older brother froze for a moment, only to see Hua Yang rapidly backing away. Was he... running? Leaving the arena without permission?

In Arena One, which was fifty or sixty meters across, Hua Yang quickly retreated to the edge of the ring. Beyond him was the outside of the arena.

Yet Hua Yang did not hesitate. He leaned back and fell.

The older brother stared blankly at the sight. Without a moment's hesitation, he rushed to the edge of the ring at top speed.

Just as Hua Yang's body was about to touch the ground outside the arena—

At the very last moment, Xin Yang's older brother grabbed Hua Yang's left arm.

His grotesque face twisted into a teasing grin as he said, "Caught you. I told you, I'd be gentle."

With a hand coated in ghost energy, the older brother violently yanked Hua Yang back up. Just as Hua Yang was about to surrender—

The older brother fiercely covered Hua Yang's mouth with his left hand, using his body to block the camera and referee's view. Then he activated Dream Origin.

"I have to play with you for a while. I can't let you leave the game so easily, can I?"

The older brother exerted force with his right hand, slowly crushing the bones in Hua Yang's palm.

As for the arm Hua Yang had just broken, the older brother seemed unable to feel any pain as he pinned Hua Yang down hard.

Just as Xin Yang's older brother was about to crush Hua Yang's other hand, the referee in Arena One finally noticed something was wrong with Hua Yang.

"Student Xin Yang, please stop what you are doing! The match is suspended!"

Xin Yang's older brother turned a deaf ear and continued crushing Hua Yang's bones bit by bit.

"Does it feel good...? Want to take a look at your heart?"

Hua Yang's pupils contracted slightly. He could feel that the man before him truly wanted him dead. With a trembling, tearful voice only the older brother could hear, he said, "Please... don't kill me..."

Xin Yang's older brother seemed to be thoroughly enjoying this twisted sensation.

"Student, please stop what you are doing. The match is suspended."

The referee hurriedly warned him again. When Xin Yang's older brother still showed no response, they immediately stepped forward and pulled him away. The older brother did not continue.

Because he understood that if he kept playing with Hua Yang, he might end up dragging his younger brother down with him.

A wave of discussion rose from the students below the arena.

"What happened to Senior Hua Yang?"

"Oh my god, Senior Hua Yang fainted."

"What exactly did Senior Xin Yang do?"

The older brother returned control of the body to his younger brother.

He did not want to face these humans. He preferred quiet places.

The moment Xin Yang came back out, he grimaced in pain.

The arm Hua Yang had broken throbbed faintly.

The referee quickly came to Xin Yang's side and restrained him, saying, "Student, please do not resist. Come with us to the match management office."

Naturally, Xin Yang did not resist. He followed the referees to a place resembling an interrogation room.

The referee gestured for Xin Yang to sit down.

A formally dressed man and woman began questioning him.

"Student, did you improperly use ghost techniques and injure your opponent during the match?"

"I didn't," Xin Yang immediately denied.

And indeed, he had not done it.

I'm absolutely not taking the blame for what my older brother did.

"Then how do you explain the fact that Student Hua Yang currently has comminuted fractures in both arms?"

"Although comminuted fractures can be fully healed within a week with healing ghost techniques—"

"Student Hua Yang will be unable to participate in the upcoming matches."

Xin Yang curled his lip. "He couldn't have won the championship anyway. Besides, he broke one of my arms. I want to apply for treatment."

Xin Yang began putting on a performance in the interrogation room.

One moment his heart hurt, the next his stomach hurt. He loudly claimed that Hua Yang's ghost energy might have injured his internal organs.

An hour later.

Just as the two people in the interrogation room were being driven to distraction by Xin Yang—

Urgent knocking rang out from outside the interrogation room.

Bang—bang—bang.

The man in the interrogation room got up and opened the door.

The moment he did, he found every important figure in Wu City standing outside.

"Commander... President... W-Why are you here?"

Wang Han snorted coldly.

"If we hadn't come, were you planning to keep Wu City's genius from receiving treatment for his injuries?"

The two interrogators immediately rose and lowered their heads as they explained, "President, it isn't that we refused to let this student receive treatment. We were simply conducting an inquiry in strict accordance with the regulations of the Wu City Ghost Energy Masters Association."

"Moreover, this student has been extremely uncooperative, which has caused the inquiry to stall."

Wang Han continued sternly, "Rules are dead, but people are alive. If someone is injured, of course they should be treated first. Whoever made this rule, I will severely punish them."

The female interrogator's face tightened. Gritting her teeth, she said, "The one... the one who established this rule was you, President."

"President, when you first arrived in Wu City, you personally revised some of the local regulations for ghost energy masters!"

Wang Han smiled awkwardly. "Haha~ So it was me! Then never mind. You two carry on with your work. I'll take this student to have his arm treated first."

The Nether Soul University recruitment teachers behind him helplessly facepalmed. They had clearly wanted to leave a good impression on this "genius," Xin Yang.

Instead, Wang Han had made a fool of himself.

Wu City Ghost Energy Guard Commander Yuan Dingjiang looked at Xin Yang as he emerged from the interrogation room.

His sharp gaze fixed on Xin Yang's eyes.

"How did you learn proficient-level ghost energy materialization?"

Brothers, after this arc, the university arc will begin! I'll spend a few more chapters setting things up so the protagonist can obtain the abundant resources available at university.