Fan Yu

When the energy fluctuations of Blood Demon Thunder Baleful Intent spread, an old man in white robes, with a kindly face and an aura of light, immediately sensed the anomaly. He hurried toward the scene, feeling the unsettling pressure in the air and hearing faint wails along the way.

Upon arriving, he saw Tian Chen raise the Emperor-Slaying Ghost Blood Blade, wreathed in blood-colored arcs of electricity, and slash it down. Rolling dark clouds and streaks of blood-red lightning overhead made for a breathtaking sight.

Yan Shaozhe stood a short distance away, his gaze intent as he watched Tian Chen's raised Emperor-Slaying Ghost Blood Blade and the blood-red lightning churning across the sky.

Feeling the pressure filling the air, he raised his eyebrows slightly and thought, Such domineering lightning, powerful enough to stir a phenomenon in heaven and earth. This has to be Ultimate Thunder!

Once he confirmed his suspicion, his thoughtful expression swiftly gave way to wild delight. Ultimate Thunder was exceptionally rare. No soul master with this attribute had appeared in ten thousand years, yet today, he had discovered such a genius among the outer court students. The boy needed special attention and careful nurturing. One day, he might become a pillar of Shrek.

As Blood Demon Thunder Baleful Intent crashed down, an immense surge of energy tore through the air, sending countless fragments of stone and clouds of dust flying. The tremendous force plowed a furrow through the surface of the square.

As the dust gradually settled, Tian Chen was the first to retreat from the center of the explosion. His silhouette stood out clearly amid the swirling dust. He steadied himself with the Emperor-Slaying Ghost Blood Blade, its edge scraping across the ground and throwing up sparks and tiny stones as it left a deep skid mark.

Suddenly, a piercing metallic crack rang out. A shower of metal fragments shot from the center of the explosion and scattered across the ground.

One fragment happened to land beside Tian Chen's foot. It glinted faintly, seemingly still carrying traces of soul power fluctuations.

Tian Chen glanced down at the fragment beside his foot and noticed the intricate runes engraved on its surface. A defensive soul tool! he thought.

Meanwhile, as the smoke and dust cleared, Zhou Yi emerged on the opposite side in a sorry state, her body blackened and her clothes in tatters.

The mask on her face had also been shattered by Tian Chen's Blood Demon Thunder Baleful Intent. Beneath what had been a face covered in wrinkles was a beautiful woman.

The students exclaimed at the sight. "So that's what the old hag really looks like! She's actually kind of pretty."

"You little bastard!" Zhou Yi was overcome with humiliation and fury. Having her body exposed in front of everyone was mortifying.

Almost blinded by rage, Zhou Yi stopped using her soul power to suppress the wound on her arm. She gathered her soul power again, her right hand shining with an even more dazzling red light as the flickering flame in her palm burned hotter. This time, Fire Dragon's Grasp seemed even stronger than before. Clearly, she was determined to salvage her dignity at any cost.

Faced with the surging attack, Tian Chen put away the Emperor-Slaying Ghost Blood Blade.

Watching from midair, Yan Shaozhe had intended to observe a little longer, but now he could barely restrain himself from stepping in to save the boy.

After all, Zhou Yi was merely an outer court instructor. If not for Fan Yu, she would have been dismissed long ago. The boy facing her, however, was an extraordinary genius who possessed Ultimate Thunder!

Just as Yan Shaozhe was about to intervene, a strange fluctuation of power radiated from Tian Chen. He pressed his palms together and swiftly formed a seal. An intricate runic hand seal appeared in the air and spread outward with a low hum—the power of Soul Profound Hand Seal.

At the sight, Yan Shaozhe abruptly halted. He realized that Tian Chen apparently still had a hidden trump card.

The two powerful attacks shot forward together. When Zhou Yi's Fire Dragon's Grasp collided with Tian Chen's Soul Profound Hand Seal, a tremendous shock wave swept across the entire square. The runic hand seal intertwined with the blazing dragon claw, producing a blinding flash and a deafening explosion.

The shock wave only pushed Tian Chen back a few steps before he quickly steadied himself. He had suffered no obvious external injuries.

Zhou Yi, on the other hand, was in far worse shape. The mental impact of Soul Profound Hand Seal struck her directly, causing blood to flow from all seven orifices. Unable to withstand the backlash, she was hurled backward and ultimately collapsed unconscious on the ground.

Seeing this, Wang Dong immediately ran over. He first glanced at the unconscious Zhou Yi, then turned to Tian Chen, his face filled with shock and concern. Only now did he realize just how overwhelmingly Tian Chen had held back during their duel.

He hurried to Tian Chen's side, unable to hide his anxiety. After looking him up and down, he could not help asking, "Tian Chen, are you all right? That power was terrifying. I didn't even have time to figure out what happened!"

Tian Chen shook his head slightly and replied calmly, "I'm fine." His gaze remained composed, without a trace of panic despite the fierce battle.

Wang Dong breathed a sigh of relief at his answer, though the concern in his eyes did not entirely fade. He hesitated, glanced at Zhou Yi on the ground, and added, "But... Teacher Zhou..."

He had barely finished speaking when a sharp shout rang out.

"Zhou Yi!"

A tall man and a middle-aged man wearing glasses flew toward them.

As soon as Fan Yu arrived, he rushed anxiously to Zhou Yi's side and lifted her into his arms.

Du Weilun was more composed. After surveying the surroundings, he turned to a nearby man dressed in white and said, "Go and treat Zhou Yi."

The man in white nodded. Seven Soul Rings lit up beneath his feet—two yellow, two purple, and three black.

He raised both hands, and a rich aura of life burst from his palms. His seventh soul skill lit up.

As the man in white activated his seventh soul skill, his body transformed into a towering tree. Emerald leaves drifted slowly down, covering Zhou Yi. Radiating a rich aura of life, they gradually merged into her body.

As this happened, a little color returned to her pale face, and the bleeding from her seven orifices was brought under control.

Meanwhile, Du Weilun asked the surrounding students what had happened.

Seeing Zhou Yi's condition improve, Fan Yu felt both relief and anger. He demanded urgently, "Who did this? Who hurt Zhou Yi like this?" His voice was firm and brooked no argument. Clearly, he was ready to seek justice for her.

The people around him were at a loss and turned to look at Tian Chen.

Seeing their reactions, Fan Yu immediately strode up to Tian Chen and asked darkly, "You did this?"

"I did!" Tian Chen admitted without hesitation. He had done nothing wrong and had nothing to fear. Why would he be afraid to admit it?

At Tian Chen's answer, Fan Yu knitted his brows, anger and confusion flashing in his eyes. "Why would you attack a teacher? Don't you know you should respect your teachers?"

Tian Chen met his eyes and replied evenly, "Oh? This teacher wanted to hurt me. I was only defending myself. Is that wrong? Is she allowed to hit me while I'm not allowed to hit back? By that logic, if someone tried to kill me and I killed them in self-defense, would that make me a murderer?"

Fan Yu's expression darkened further. He drew a deep breath, trying to calm himself. But Tian Chen's next words made him erupt. "Besides, respect your teachers? Take a good look at her. Is she even fit to teach? She starts by calling students idiots and trash, then subjects them to physical punishment, all on the strength of that ridiculous claim that anyone who doesn't cause trouble is mediocre. She threatens students with expulsion at every turn and doesn't care in the slightest about their physical condition. All she cares about is her own laughable vanity."

"A qualified teacher helps students improve instead of using oppressive methods to weed out the weak. If she thinks violence can solve problems, then I'll use my strength to teach her what respect means."

Fan Yu clenched his fists and shouted angrily, "You're just a student! What right do you have to judge a teacher's behavior? Regardless, you injured her, and you must pay the price!"

At that moment, Du Weilun stepped forward, trying to ease the tension. Looking at Fan Yu, he spoke calmly but firmly. "Teacher Fan Yu, I've just looked into what happened. Zhou Yi did indeed strike first, and Tian Chen's actions amounted to nothing more than self-defense. Although her injuries are rather serious, they aren't life-threatening."

After hearing Du Weilun's explanation, Fan Yu frowned deeply. He looked toward the teacher in white, who nodded in confirmation. "That's right. Zhou Yi's injuries are somewhat serious, but her life isn't in danger."

Fan Yu unclenched his fists, his tone conflicted. "Even so, a student attacked a teacher. If everyone uses 'self-defense' as an excuse, how are we supposed to maintain order in the academy?"

Tian Chen sneered. "You say nothing about disrupting order when Zhou Yi abuses her authority, but when it comes to me, suddenly you have plenty to say. Quite the double standard."

"A teacher using violence to control a class is the greatest disruption of order. I didn't act out of a personal grudge. I wanted her to understand that the truly strong don't need to oppress the weak. If you find my actions unacceptable, I'm willing to withdraw from the academy, but don't use 'respect for teachers' to excuse her mistakes."

Fan Yu's expression shifted slightly at those words. For a moment, he did not know how to respond.

But he simply could not swallow his anger. Zhou Yi had been beaten so badly. If he did not seek justice for her, what right did he have to call himself her husband?

Just then, Yan Shaozhe slowly descended from the sky.

The teachers present all bowed when they saw him. "Greetings, Dean."