The First Battle!

Xu Yuan stepped into the Gymnasium and searched until he spotted his homeroom teacher, Liu Mingdao, in the stands on the left.

"Sir, I'm here."

Xu Yuan raised a hand and called out.

Liu Mingdao was anxiously discussing something with several other teachers. When he saw Xu Yuan, his eyes lit up and he hurriedly said:

"They're a combined team of outstanding seniors from Xiaoxiang Province, visiting Jiangbei City. Every one of them has already been admitted to the Nine Luminaries through early admissions."

Admitted to the Nine Luminaries.

The Nine Luminaries...

"Did it just start?" Xu Yuan asked.

"It started at two, but we couldn't reach you," Liu Mingdao said.

Xu Yuan looked toward the arena.

A vaguely familiar face had just been knocked back and had fallen to the floor.

It was a student in his year who had awakened Qi Sensitivity.

One of the top students in the year, if he remembered right.

The student sprang up as soon as he hit the floor and charged his opponent again, sword in hand.

His opponent was a handsome young man who showed no alarm. He raised his hand and struck with his sword.

"Beautiful Sword Arts."

The words slipped out of Xu Yuan's mouth.

The stroke was not only exquisite, sealing off the other student's attack completely; the force released through it also sent his Long Sword flying. The student flew backward after it and tumbled across the floor.

"Well fought."

The handsome young man spoke with a smile.

His sleeves were rolled up, and he held a Long Sword whose blade was suffused with a dense, earth-yellow glow.

Earth Spirit?

Earth Spirit could multiply strength severalfold. Called "Earth Force," it made its wielder almost impossible to withstand in a clash of weapons.

That was why a single