Academy... Not a Sect

"I'm watching those two classmates spar," Huo Yuhao replied simply, his gaze never leaving his target.

On the battle stage, two students wearing Jia Nan Academy uniforms were engaged in fierce combat. Judging from their Dou Qi fluctuations, they were only at the level of seven or eight- Dou Zhe.

Although it was called a friendly sparring match, the two students' moves were ruthless, aimed entirely at each other's vital points, as if they had a blood feud. A slight mistake could mean death for both of them.

In the short time Yan Hao had been chatting them up, the two students had accumulated quite a few wounds. Even so, they didn't stop.

"How about it? Our Jia Nan Academy's real combat isn't just child's play, is it?" Yan Hao followed Huo Yuhao's gaze and spotted the two sparring.

Upon hearing this, Huo Yuhao turned around and observed the sparring among his classmates. Although it was quite serious and earnest, they were still holding back some of their strength.

Yan Hao knew what Huo Yuhao was comparing, and explained, "We went through the same thing back then, but now everyone's strength has increased a lot, and the referees can hardly separate us in a crisis."

"It's only because Old Lin is here that we dare to put in a bit more effort; the other Black Grade classes are playing much weaker."

"I see." Huo Yuhao understood, his gaze finding the referee standing below the stage, protecting the two students in the "death match." There were seats behind the referee, but he didn't sit down to rest; instead, his body was tense, ready to stop the two students at any moment.

Huo Yuhao used his spiritual power to probe them, carefully observing them, and casually asked:

"Did you not use a higher-level Dou Technique just now because you were afraid you wouldn't be able to control it?"

"Huh? What higher-level Dou Technique? That move ' Mountain River Tremor ' is already my strongest Dou Technique!" Yan Hao was stunned, somewhat confused.

"You don't know any Earth Grade Dou Technique?" Huo Yuhao was even more confused than Yan Hao. He turned his head to Yan Hao's dark face and stared intently into the other's eyes.

"That's Earth Grade Dou Technique, how could I possibly have it?" Yan Hao spread his hands, as if he had heard a joke, and said with a wry smile, "No student in the entire Jia Nan Academy probably has it. Even if a student's family had Dou Technique of that level, they wouldn't allow them to learn it before Dou Wang!"

"Isn't Jia Nan Academy the number one academy on the continent? Doesn't it have any Earth Grade Dou Technique?"

"At least there aren't any in the Outer Academy; I'm not sure about the Inner Academy." Yan Hao scratched his head violently, as if trying to tear his scalp off.

"I remember a mentor mentioning that there's a Library Pavilion in the academy that's only open to the top five students in the Inner Academy assessments. Maybe it has something there."

Yan Hao patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder. "If you want to learn Earth Grade Dou Technique, strive to become one of the top five in the Outer Academy."

At this point, Yan Hao realized his mistake and slapped his forehead. "Haha, I was confused. With your current strength, Lao Huo, you could easily take first place. Old Lin is no match for you either."

The news that Jia Nan Academy's Outer Academy doesn't teach Earth Grade Dou Technique refreshed Huo Yuhao's understanding. Perhaps it was because many of his abilities from his previous life, after being improved by Huo Yuhao, had reached the standard of Earth Grade Dou Technique. In addition, he obtained several volumes by casually exploring a ruin. Therefore, Huo Yuhao had a considerable misjudgment of the rarity of Earth Grade Dou Technique.

At this moment, Huo Yuhao recalled: Senior Gu He, as High-Rank Dou Wang and Sixth Grade alchemist, did not possess any Earth Grade Dou Technique. So this should be the norm in the Battle Qi Continent.

After realizing what was happening, Huo Yuhao stopped worrying and asked the question that concerned him most:

"Vice class monitor, what happened between you and Instructor Huo De?"

Upon hearing this question, Yan Hao's smile vanished immediately. He sat up straight, his expression serious and earnest. Pointing to the two students sparring, he asked Huo Yuhao:

"Old Huo, let me ask you, what do you think of the two of them?"

"Why ask that?" Huo Yuhao asked, puzzled, but still earnestly offered his thoughts. "They are all very hardworking students!"

"Do you think they should be allowed to live at the Jia Nan Academy?" After asking this question, Yan Hao gripped Huo Yuhao's shoulders tightly with both hands, his eyes fixed on Huo Yuhao's face without blinking.

"Why shouldn't it be..." Huo Yuhao stared into Yan Hao's eyes, feeling the power emanating from them. The words he was about to say stopped there. He didn't choose to answer hastily, but instead began to think carefully.

His mental energy penetrated the two students, allowing him to examine their bone ages.

So, the problem lies in talent! Huo Yuhao sighed inwardly and asked, "What is Instructor Huo De's opinion?"

"That guy believes that students who lack talent and don't work hard enough shouldn't exist at the Jia Nan Academy."

"Not trying hard enough?"

"If he doesn't achieve his goal, it means he hasn't tried hard enough." Yan Hao's voice was exceptionally deep.

Huo Yuhao didn't ask any further questions, his thoughts drifting away to the days before he was a genius.

If it weren't for Wang Dong'er during the first assessment, I probably wouldn't have had the chance to grow at the Shrek Academy. Teacher Zhou Yi wouldn't have kept me on.

Perhaps I'm not so lucky; perhaps there are many students who aren't as fortunate as me, like Teacher Zhou Yi...

A mix of emotions surged within him, and almost simultaneously, Huo Yuhao immediately thought of the academy's higher-ups' attitude towards Zhou Yi.

Dean Yan and the senior professors seemed to only criticize Professor Zhou Yi's issues, but never actually stopped her.

The image of Yao Chen appeared in Huo Yuhao's mind.

"Perhaps... this is why the teacher asked me to come to the Jia Nan Academy?"

Huo Yuhao muttered to himself. He finally realized that Shrek Academy, which he had once thought was as warm as home, was not as good as he had imagined, at least in terms of its treatment of students.

An inexplicable sense of unease gripped Huo Yuhao's heart. He pursed his lips and asked, "What is the academy's higher-ups' view on Instructor Huo De's situation?"

"Some elders and mentors support that ideology, while others oppose it. The vice dean is still weighing the options." Yan Hao didn't pressure Huo Yuhao to make a decision, but instead revealed all the information he knew.

"Most of the new student mentors are on our side. The mentors of the Black Grade classes basically agree with Huo De's viewpoint, after all, the academy still groups students according to talent and strength."

"Wouldn't it be better to divide students into classes based on their abilities? Wouldn't that be a good incentive for them?" Huo Yuhao continued to ask.

Yan Hao shook his head. "We're not actually against the class division system. We don't think there's anything wrong with valuing geniuses either, after all, our class is also a beneficiary of this system."

"What we really can't stand are those hardworking students..." Yan Hao's gaze shifted to the two students who had finished their fight.

Those students who put in a thousand times the effort to become stronger were abandoned and "lost their opportunities" simply because of the light-hearted word "talent"!

"Jia Nan Academy is an academy, not a sect. It shouldn't be like this."