The Fifth: Su Yuan

"Teacher Huang, the vote is three to one now. Even if you disagree, you have to accept it."

"Don't think I don't know what you're thinking."

Ignoring Huang Yi'an's grim expression, Pei Xuan continued writing in his notebook.

"This matter has already been decided. If you have any objections—"

"You can have Director Yuan or Vice Principal Song Ping come talk to me."

Disregarding Huang Yi'an's mood, Pei Xuan quickly arranged the rankings of the thirty students.

"Take a look. If there are no issues, we'll announce them shortly."

Pei Xuan said as he passed the notebook to Wang Zheng and the other two in turn.

"No problem."

"No problem."

"N-no problem."

Pei Xuan nodded. "Good."

He then stood before Su Yuan and the other thirty students alongside Wang Zheng and the three other teachers.

Pei Xuan announced loudly.

"The rankings are out."

"We'll announce them starting from thirtieth place."

"Thirtieth place: Luo Min."

Hearing that she had come in last, Luo Min's eyes dimmed noticeably.

When the Qianshan No. 1 High School students heard that Su Yuan was not at the bottom, they became even more nervous.

"Twenty-ninth place: Xia Weiming."

"Twenty-fourth place: Li Xingyu."

"Twenty-third place: Lin Jie."

"Sixteenth place: Bai Zhenhao."

"Fifteenth place: Wang Long."

More than half the rankings had been announced, yet Su Yuan's name still had not appeared.

Many Qianshan No. 1 High School students felt their hearts tighten, their hearts pounding wildly.

Wang Long's Blood Qi Value was 107.4. Was that still not enough to rank above Su Yuan?

"Tenth place: Fang Yan."

The instant Fang Yan heard his name, he froze on the spot.

Leng Xin and the Second High School students all looked at Fang Yan in shock.

Lin Jie in particular looked utterly dumbfounded.

Even after Fang Yan's name was called, Su Yuan's name had yet to appear.

That meant Su Yuan ranked above Fang Yan, and above tenth place.

Su Yuan, however, remained calm and expressionless.

He actually hoped his ranking would be as low as possible. He had not forgotten Teacher Jiang Huaisheng's promise.

Pei Xuan read out several more names before suddenly pausing.

"Fifth place: Su Yuan."

"Gasp..."

Nearly every student sucked in a breath, their jaws dropping. What had they just heard Teacher Pei say?

Su Yuan, fifth place?

No wonder the four teachers had seemed to be arguing nonstop earlier.

They had been debating Su Yuan's ranking.

Even Su Yuan looked surprised. Fifth place meant he would receive the resources allocated to a Fourth-Realm Martial Artist.

"Su Yuan, congratulations."

Lin Jie could no longer say anything else. A thousand words condensed into a single congratulations.

Li Xingyu felt conflicted. Not long ago, Su Yuan had ranked somewhere in the forties in their class, but now he had become fifth in the Qianshan Class's initial rankings.

The enormous disparity left Li Xingyu feeling rather dejected.

Still, he followed Lin Jie and said, "Su Yuan, congratulations."

Fang Yan wore a conflicted expression. He had not expected Su Yuan to rank several places above him.

After struggling with it for only a moment, Fang Yan congratulated Su Yuan as well.

At once, the surrounding Second High School students, including Leng Xin, all stepped forward to congratulate Su Yuan.

The Qianshan No. 1 High School students watched Su Yuan being surrounded by everyone, and it left a sour taste in their mouths.

Su Yuan was fifth, and Leng Xin's ranking had not yet been announced.

Second High School had taken two spots in the top five.

One of them had a Blood Qi Value of only seventy-something.

If Pei Xuan and the other four teachers had not been present, they would have wanted nothing more than to drag Su Yuan out for a duel.

Bai Zhenhao looked toward Su Yuan, inexplicably feeling a sense of dread.

This ranking was achieved without Su Yuan even revealing all his strength. If he did reveal everything, combined with that absurd talent—

Wouldn't he be aiming for the top three?

Ye Ling and Chu Tianche were also looking at Su Yuan.

"Ling, you'll need to be careful around Su Yuan from now on."

Chu Tianche had been observing Su Yuan for quite some time. The madness in Su Yuan was even more outrageous than Ye Ling's.

Once someone like that grew stronger, he would be hard to deal with.

"Be careful around Su Yuan?"

"Chu Tianche, stop joking. You should be the one being careful around him."

"His Blood Qi Value isn't even half of mine, and you're telling me to watch out for him?"

"Talk to me when he becomes a First-Realm Mid-Stage Martial Artist."

"By then, I might already be a Peak First-Realm Martial Artist."

How could Ye Ling possibly regard Su Yuan as an opponent? Just because Su Yuan had surpassed him in some aspect, he had to take him seriously?

Impossible.

Ye Ling had an excellent mentality.

He admitted that during the afternoon's Light-Pillar Training Room class, Su Yuan had lasted longer than him, and he had been briefly shocked.

But the gap between their Blood Qi Values was far too great. It was not something that could be caught up to in a short time.

Blood Qi Value was the foundation of strength.

No matter how strong your combat power was, if I suppressed you with my Blood Qi Value, what could you do?

"Fourth place: Ding Kun."

As soon as Pei Xuan finished speaking, an uproar broke out among the Qianshan No. 1 High School students. Many stared blankly at Ding Kun. He could rank fourth?

Ding Kun merely grinned foolishly, as though fourth place was only natural.

"Third place: Leng Xin."

Upon hearing that Leng Xin ranked third, the students present showed little reaction.

"Second place: Chu Tianche."

"First place: Ye Ling."

After announcing the rankings of all thirty students, Pei Xuan changed the subject and continued.

"Tonight's class."

It was here!

The final class of the day had finally arrived!

At Pei Xuan's words, numb and dazed expressions appeared across everyone's faces.

This one day had probably involved more training than they usually did in an entire week.

"The top ten students will enter No. 39 Secret Realm together with us four teachers."

As soon as Pei Xuan said that—

Wang Zheng, Zhao Xinxuan, and Huang Yi'an all showed surprise, even a trace of confusion.

"N-No. 39 Secret Realm?"

"Teacher Pei, are you sure you're not joking?"

Liang Jiaxu, who ranked eighth, frowned and looked at Pei Xuan.

"Teacher Pei, isn't this somewhat inappropriate?"

For once, Wang Zheng was not on the same side as Pei Xuan.

Everyone knew that Secret Realms were places every martial university graduate had to enter.

But for a group of high school seniors like Su Yuan and the others, it seemed far too early.

Even martial universities would only arrange for students to enter Secret Realms during their junior or senior years.

Only a few exceptions entered during their freshman or sophomore years.

Throughout Qianshan District, including Linzhou City, there had never been a case of high school seniors entering a Secret Realm.

Even if it was No. 39 Secret Realm, the Secret Realm with the lowest difficulty.

It was not something these students, who had never witnessed killing, could withstand.

"Interesting. I'm willing to enter No. 39 Secret Realm."

Ye Ling suddenly smiled. Whether it was Pei Xuan's outrageous course arrangement or the madness in his heart driving him, Ye Ling very much wanted to see No. 39 Secret Realm for himself.

"Inappropriate?"

"What's inappropriate about it? The four of us are Fourth-Realm Martial Artists entering together. What is there to fear?"

"Or do you not trust my strength, Pei Xuan's strength, to protect ten students?"

Suddenly, blood qi surged from Pei Xuan's body, making the entire area feel oppressive.

"I, Pei Xuan, can clear No. 26 Secret Realm alone, yet I can't protect ten students in No. 39 Secret Realm?"

Upon hearing No. 26 Secret Realm, Ye Ling's pupils shrank slightly.

Even in his family, there were not many who could clear No. 26 Secret Realm, and nearly all of them were Peak Fourth-Realm Martial Artists.

Pei Xuan could clear No. 26 Secret Realm as a Fourth-Realm High Tier Martial Artist, which showed just how formidable his combat power was.

Wang Zheng and the other two still frowned slightly. Huang Yi'an looked unwilling on the surface, but inwardly he was delighted.

You, Pei Xuan, really are arrogant. If something actually happens, what will you use as a guarantee?

"I'm also willing to enter No. 39 Secret Realm."

Suddenly, another voice of agreement rang out.