Box-Opening Weapon, Terrifying Indeed

"Lu Renjia? What happened?"

Qin Yu had a particularly deep impression of that name.

But they usually had no dealings with each other. So now...

"Some upperclassmen are over there surrounding the girls from our class, saying they want to guide their cultivation!"

As Lu Renjia spoke, he pointed toward the eastern side of the academy.

Qin Yu frowned slightly, tucked the scroll into his robes, and strode forward.

"Lead the way."

Lu Renjia hurried ahead at a jog. The two crossed several tree-lined paths and arrived at a small plaza on the academy's eastern side.

At the edge of the plaza, several boys in upper-year uniforms stood in a circle. From within came the voices of girls, tinged with anger and helplessness.

"Are you guys ever going to stop...?"

"Oh, don't be shy, junior sisters. Your senior brothers are kindly offering to guide your cultivation. Why are you being so ungrateful?"

"That's right, that's right. We're all Battle Masters. Having us guide a few girls with eight or nine stages of Battle Qi is your good fortune."

Qin Yu walked closer and saw the situation clearly.

Three upperclassmen, all one- or two-star Battle Masters, were surrounding several girls from his class. Xiao Yu was among them.

The girls were trapped in the middle, obvious disgust and unease on their faces. Their hands were held protectively before them as they backed away again and again.

A few students from Yellow Rank Class Two stood nearby, their faces filled with anger. But because of the other side's strength, none dared step forward.

"Move."

Qin Yu's voice was not loud, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.

The three upperclassmen turned at the same time. When they saw Qin Yu, they were briefly stunned before one of them said mockingly,

"Well, if it isn't the top scorer of this year's freshman test... Qin Yu?"

The leader was tall and thin, with an amused smile on his face.

"A nine-star Dou Practitioner. Not bad. Unfortunately... we're Battle Masters."

He deliberately emphasized the words "Battle Masters," making his meaning perfectly clear.

"Zhao Yuan, twenty-two years old, a two-star Battle Master with wind-attributed Battle Qi. He's been in the academy for three years and is Bai Cheng's lapdog."

Over the past few months, besides cultivating normally, Qin Yu had also investigated the lackeys around Bai Cheng. He was guarding against Bai Cheng causing trouble for others after failing to deal with him.

The smile on Zhao Yuan's face stiffened for an instant. He had not expected Qin Yu to know his background so well.

"I remember, the cultivation method you practice is..."

"Don't say it!"

Seeing that Qin Yu was about to continue, Zhao Yuan hurriedly stopped him with a sharp shout.

Who the hell leaked all this?! The fight had not even started, and his side was practically stripped bare already!

"You want me to get on the arena with you, right?"

The moment Qin Yu recognized Zhao Yuan, he understood their intentions.

"...So what if I do? Do you dare?"

Zhao Yuan had originally wanted to say something harsh to bolster his own momentum, but when he thought about how he had no secrets before Qin Yu, he suddenly began to lose confidence.

The power of the box-opening weapon was terrifying indeed!

"Fine. Let's go."

Zhao Yuan froze slightly. He agreed that readily? Could this be a trap?

Had this guy anticipated today's events long ago and started researching them in advance? Otherwise, how could he know so much about him?

Clearly, Qin Yu's initial string of quick box-openings had left Zhao Yuan somewhat lacking in confidence.

"Qin Yu... sorry. I caused you trouble."

Xiao Yu's chin was nearly pressed to her chest, and the hand hanging at her side unconsciously clenched the corner of her clothes.

"It's fine. Wait for me to come back."

Qin Yu rubbed her soft hair, then walked straight ahead toward the arena.

Xiao Yu stood where she was, watching Qin Yu's retreating figure as her lips tightened slightly.

In the end, her strength was still insufficient.

If she had already broken through to the Dou Practitioner realm, if she could handle these troubles herself, Qin Yu would not have needed to stand up for her.

Xiao Yu took a deep breath, composed herself, and followed them toward the arena.

Once she returned today, she had to cultivate even harder!

Meanwhile, Qin Yu walked ahead at an unhurried pace, flipping through the copy of Thousand-Ridge Earth Dragon Armor he had taken from the Scripture Pavilion as he read.

Zhao Yuan followed behind him, staring fixedly at Qin Yu's back. The two upperclassmen beside him leaned close to Zhao Yuan's ears and lowered their voices.

"Brother Yuan, are you really going to let a freshman show you up? We're all Battle Masters. What the hell are we afraid of?"

"Exactly, Brother Yuan. Just give the word, and we'll take care of him right here on the road. Why bother going to the arena?"

"Idiots. Do you think you can catch him?"

Zhao Yuan glared at them, signaling them to shut up.

Whenever he recalled Qin Yu exposing all his information right to his face earlier, Zhao Yuan felt a little uneasy.

Seeing Qin Yu continuously studying that scroll, Zhao Yuan's gaze drifted toward it as well.

"Thousand-Ridge Earth Dragon Armor?"

Zhao Yuan narrowed his eyes. Recognizing the words on it, he could not help sneering.

"Junior Brother Qin Yu, you really are broad-minded."

"You're about to get on the arena, yet you're still reading a combat skill? Learning it on the spot and using it right away?"

Qin Yu did not even raise his head. He continued flipping through the scroll and calmly uttered two words.

"Too noisy."

Zhao Yuan's mouth twitched, his teeth grinding audibly.

"Hmph. I'd like to see what you can possibly learn on this walk."

"A high-grade Profound Rank defensive combat skill. You don't seriously think you can master it just by walking for a while, do you?"

Qin Yu ignored him. At this moment, his mind was operating at high speed.

The cultivation essentials of Thousand-Ridge Earth Dragon Armor were repeatedly deduced in his mind, while his fingers unconsciously traced lightly across the scroll.

Though his footsteps seemed mechanical, every step landed precisely in rhythm with the circulation of his meridians.

Following behind, Zhao Yuan watched Qin Yu's absorbed appearance, and that indescribable unease in his heart grew heavier and heavier.

This guy...

Could he really have learned this high-grade Profound Rank defensive combat skill just by walking?

Impossible.

Absolutely impossible.

Zhao Yuan fiercely rejected the thought in his heart.

That was a high-grade Profound Rank combat skill. How could this brat possibly learn it after walking for a short while?

He had to be putting on an act.

He had to be.

He repeatedly encouraged himself inwardly, but his heart beat faster and faster.

The walk from the small plaza on the academy's eastern side to the arena took no more than the time it took to drink half a cup of tea.

When they reached the edge of the arena, Qin Yu finally stopped.

He closed the scroll, tucked it into his robes, raised his eyes, and calmly glanced at Zhao Yuan behind him.

"We're here. Get up there."

Zhao Yuan gritted his teeth. The small unease in his heart was completely ignited by Qin Yu's indifferent attitude.

"I refuse to believe that in so little time, you could really learn this high-grade Profound Rank combat skill!"

He cursed under his breath, pushed off with the tip of his foot, and leaped onto the arena.

Qin Yu stepped up as well. Quite a few people had already gathered below the stage.

Xiao Yu and several students from Yellow Rank Class Two stood in the front row, their faces filled with tension.

Seeing that both had taken their positions, the referee did not waste words and decisively swung down his arm.

"The match begins!"