The Conspiracy Has Arrived

Just as Bai Cheng was about to take action...

Yan Hao suddenly grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth, and beckoned to Bai Cheng with his finger. "Alright! See you at the Martial Arena after dinner! Whoever chickens out is a coward!"

Watching Bai Cheng's departing figure, Lin Xiuya asked in bewilderment, "Seriously, Lao Yan! You could really bring yourself to lay a hand on someone like that?"

"This... Bai Cheng, is he very weak?" Xiao Yi Xian asked.

"He entered the school a year earlier than us," Lin Xiuya explained. "Because he wasn't confident of making it into the top five, he stayed in the Outer Academy for an extra year. Back then, he came to our class to provoke us, relying on his higher cultivation level."

"And then?" Xiao Yi Xian pressed.

"Ha!" Lin Xiuya chuckled dismissively.

"Didn't Old Huo just say he was going to offer a weapon-refining class? ---" Yan Hao took out the Earth Hammer and played with it for a moment. "This is a perfect opportunity to make a name for ourselves! Let everyone see the power of Spirit Artifact firsthand!"

"This person—must be the culprit who spread rumors about us!" Huo Yuhao said casually.

"Him? We'll have to treat him well later!"

The Martial Arena was bustling with noise. Because Bai Cheng and Yan Hao's strength both surpassed that of the Outer Academy instructors, the elder in charge of this area personally stepped down to act as the referee.

Thanks to the promotion by Bai Cheng's henchmen, the area was crowded with students who had come after hearing the news, and the air was filled with buzzing discussions.

"The game is open! Yan Hao pays 5 to 1, Bai Cheng pays 1 to 5!"

"Of course I'm betting on Yan Hao! He's already broken through to the Nine-Star Da Dou Shi!"

"Bai Cheng dared to challenge him, he must have some trump card up his sleeve, right?"

"So what if you have a trump card? It's not like Yan Hao doesn't have one!"

"Begin!" the elder referee commanded.

On the arena, Bai Cheng gripped his spear, his eyes bloodshot, and the pent-up jealousy, anger, and humiliation in his heart erupted completely! He disregarded the consequences and directly pushed the secret technique given to him by his family beyond its limits.

The violent blood energy surged into his meridians, bringing a tearing pain and causing Bai Cheng's aura to surge instantly, barely allowing him to cross the threshold of a one -Dou Ling!

"Roar!" Bai Cheng let out a roar that was not human, the blood vessels under his skin bulged out menacingly, and he pounced on Yan Hao like a wild beast that had lost control. He gathered his Dou Qi on his spear and used his signature Dou Technique!

"Die! Blood Earth Eight Cracks!"

Yan Hao looked at Bai Cheng's reckless, almost desperate, demeanor and was speechless. Was it really necessary to go to such lengths for a simple sparring match? With this kind of attitude, how could he possibly break through to the Dou Wang? Dream on!

"My God! Has Bai Cheng gone mad?!"

"A secret technique! He used a secret technique that overdraws his potential!"

"It's all over! Yan Hao is in danger!"

"Fool! You're ruining your future just to save face!"

The stands were filled with a cacophony of gasps, regrets, and jeers.

Bai Cheng ignored the noise, his eyes fixed only on Yan Hao, whom he was about to pierce! He could almost see Yan Hao coughing up blood and flying backward, a twisted smile spreading across his face.

However, faced with this seemingly fierce but actually flawed attack, Yan Hao didn't even bother to lift his eyelids. A flash of light appeared on the Storage Ring on his right hand, and he gripped the Earth Hammer with both hands.

He didn't even bother using Dou Technique! He simply grabbed the hammer and, just like he would when smashing a rock, delivered a simple and unadorned uppercut to Bai Cheng who was lunging at him!

Buzz-!

The hammer's earthen-yellow body shimmered with spiritual light! A heavy, mountain-like sense of oppression suddenly descended! In Bai Cheng's shocked, angry, and desperate eyes, the Earth Hammer struck first, landing squarely on Bai Cheng's chin.

Duang!!!

A crisp, loud bang!

Amidst everyone's stunned gazes, Bai Cheng, who had charged forward with such ferocity, was like a baseball hit with a home run. His entire body transformed into a blurry afterimage, accompanied by a short scream, and with a whoosh, he flew directly out of the ring area!

Bang!

Bai Cheng crashed heavily onto the bluestone ground outside the arena, rolling several times before stopping, raising a cloud of dust. He lay motionless on the ground, his body still twitching unconsciously.

The entire Martial Arena was deathly silent.

The elder referee stared wide-eyed, his raised hand still frozen in mid-air.

Around the arena, all the trainees remained frozen in place, as if they had been collectively petrified.

Yan Hao leaned on the massive Earth Hammer with one hand, picked at his ear with the other, looked at the "mud" below the stage, curled his lip, and muttered under his breath, "Tsk, is that all?"

In a corner of the arena, Huo Yuhao wasn't watching the match at all; he was contemplating whether he could set up an array for the Martial Arena, and which type of array would be most suitable.

"Elder Huo! The Vice Dean wants to see you at a meeting!" A mentor ran over quickly, covered in sweat.

"A meeting at this hour?" Huo Yuhao frowned. "Okay, I'll go right now."

"What?! The Eight Gates are going to auction off our students?!"

Vice Dean Hu Gan's roar almost lifted the roof off the conference room. He slammed his hand on the long table with a "bang," making the teacups clink and spilling tea all over the table.

--

Hu Gan's eyes blazed with fury as he glared at the elder who had reported the news, as if he wanted to devour him alive. "Where's Wu Tian?! What has this Law Enforcement Team been doing?! Letting students be kidnapped and auctioned off right under his nose?! Where is he?!"

In his rage, Hu Gan didn't even notice that Wu Tian's usual seat was empty.

"Vice Dean, please calm down!" An elder who was on good terms with Wu Tian hurriedly explained, his voice urgent, "Elder Wu —he thought the child was dead in battle! As soon as he confirmed that he had been captured alive, he rushed out without saying a word!"

"He went alone?!" Hu Gan, and he felt his blood pressure spike. Pointing in the direction of the Black-Corner Region, his finger trembled. "Those beasts from the Eight Gates dared to do this? Did they not have an ambush?! And Wu Tian dared to barge in alone?! Does he have a death wish or does he think we don't have enough trouble already?"

The situation was urgent! Hu Gan forcibly suppressed his boiling anger, glanced at everyone present, and directly ordered, "Elder Zhou, go to the Inner Academy to inform the Grand Elder. Elder Huo and I will go to support Wu Tian."

Hu Gan around at the elders and said, "While we're away, Elder Huo will be in charge of guarding the academy."

"Vice Dean, I'll go rescue them. It's more suitable for you to stay." Huo Yuhao suddenly suggested, "In case there's any further conspiracy, everyone will feel at ease if you're here at the academy. My abilities are better suited for infiltrating and rescuing people."

Elder Huo had been silent all along, slowly rose, his hoarse voice carrying a hint of certainty. "Elder Huo's suggestion is good. I will go with him, but it would be best if you, Hu Gan, stayed behind."

Elder Huo Huo's eyes, which were somewhat cloudy from the medicinal smoke, now burned with a cold rage.

After a brief and silent exchange of glances, the plan was finalized: Elder Huo, Huo Yuhao, and three Dou Wang elders skilled in combat would immediately depart for Black Mark City!

In a secluded corner of the academy, Bai Cheng's henchman was kicking a rock in frustration, cursing, "Pah! He's a good-for-nothing, his underhanded tactics backfired, and he can't even beat Yan Hao. And he blames it all on me! If it weren't for this godforsaken place, Jia Nan Academy— "

"What would you have done if it weren't for the Canaan Academy?"