The Work-Study Students' Battle for Ascendancy

"???" Xiao Yan froze for a moment, stopped walking, and looked at the people surrounding him.

"Is there something you need, senior?" Xiao Yan asked calmly.

"Nothing much. I just wanted to explain our academy's rules to you." The school bully, Xiao Chenyu, gave Xiao Yan a domineering look.

"Oh? What rules? Let's hear them," Xiao Yan said, feigning confusion.

Xiao Chenyu pointed at Xiao Yan's nose and said, "Lowly work-study students like you aren't allowed to eat on the second floor. Seeing you ruins the appetite of us nobles."

"Nobles? Heh." Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Chenyu with disdain and snapped, "Do you really think you're so distinguished? In my eyes, you're just a pile of shit."

"You... you're asking for death! Liu Long, Ling Feng, beat him up!" Xiao Chenyu's expression turned cold as he ordered his lackeys beside him.

Yellow light flared around Liu Long, and a staff over two meters long instantly appeared in his hand. He quickly stepped forward and brought it crashing down over Xiao Yan's head.

Xiao Yan neither dodged nor ducked. A blue-green glow of soul power lit up around him as he raised his right hand and caught the staff.

"A commoner is a commoner. Not a shred of common sense. You actually dared to catch my martial soul with your bare hand." Seeing this, Liu Long curled his lip in disdain.

But in the next instant, blue-green flames spread from Xiao Yan's palm, instantly burning Liu Long's martial soul staff to ashes. Bam! Xiao Yan darted in front of Liu Long and punched him in the head, sending his entire body flying.

Then Xiao Yan flipped his body and followed up with a Tiger-Tail Whip from his right leg, slamming it into Liu Long's back and smashing him hard into the floor.

Xiao Chenyu, who had been watching with complete confidence as Liu Long went to pummel Xiao Yan, suddenly wore an expression of disbelief, his mouth hanging open as his jaw dropped.

At the same time, his other lackey, Ling Feng, sprang into the air. With an agile midair flip, he spread his arms and actually glided toward Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan recognized his opponent's martial soul at a glance. His days of studying in the library had not been wasted. Judging by Ling Feng's method of attack, his martial soul was probably something like a swallow or a crow.

As Ling Feng swooped toward him, Xiao Yan remained utterly still, as though his opponent did not exist.

Just as Ling Feng was about to reach him, something suddenly stirred in Xiao Yan's heart. An inexplicable gleam flickered in his eyes, and he slightly curled his right hand, aiming his palm at Ling Feng in midair.

"Suction Palm!"

As his low shout fell, a powerful suction force threw Ling Feng off balance, dragging him rapidly toward Xiao Yan.

But when Ling Feng had been pulled to within three feet of Xiao Yan, the suction in Xiao Yan's palm abruptly ceased, and all the soul power within his body burst out through his palm.

At once, a fierce blast of wind slammed into Ling Feng's body.

Bam!

Two forces moving in completely opposite directions collided in midair. Caught at the center of that collision, Ling Feng was blasted several meters away and crashed heavily to the floor, following Liu Long's example by passing out on the spot.

Seeing the results of his Suction Palm, Xiao Yan's young face filled with delighted surprise. The collision between suction and repulsion produced no small amount of destructive power.

If I had gone all out, Ling Feng would definitely have been seriously injured!

Watching the scene before him, Xiao Chenyu's eyes widened in disbelief. He could not believe that his two most capable lackeys, Liu Long and Ling Feng, had failed to withstand even a single move from a newly enrolled work-study student.

As the commotion spread, students from other years also sensed something unusual and hurried over. Before long, quite a few students had gathered in little groups on the cafeteria's second floor.

Xiao Wu, who had finished eating and was leading Wang Sheng and the others back to the dormitory, also ran over.

"Damn it, are the heavens about to change? Are work-study students this strong now?" Xiao Chenyu let out a long breath and muttered to himself.

"Holy shit! Xiao Yan's this fierce?" Wang Sheng, who had just arrived, stared at Liu Long and Ling Feng lying on the floor, disbelief written across his face as well.

"He's just a little stronger than most, and his opponents were too weak. I could do it too." Hearing Wang Sheng praise Xiao Yan, Xiao Wu curled her lip disdainfully. In her eyes, Xiao Yan's attacks had no technique to speak of; he relied entirely on brute force.

Hearing this, Xiao Yan turned to Xiao Wu and said, "Little rabbit, since you're so strong, why don't you go fight this Xiao Chenyu?"

"Hmph, fine, I will! This guy's always bullying us work-study students. I've wanted to deal with him for ages." Looking every bit the boss girl, Xiao Wu stepped between the two sides.

Xiao Chenyu instinctively turned his gaze toward Xiao Wu.

"Little girl, you think you can fight me? Of course, if you insist, I wouldn't mind having another pet rabbit." Xiao Chenyu laughed scornfully.

Just then, a quiet voice suddenly sounded beside Xiao Wu's ear. She turned her head, and delighted surprise shone in her beautiful, large eyes.

"Yay, Little San, you're back!"

The person who had come to Xiao Wu's side was none other than Tang San. After registering at the Spirit Hall, he had collected eleven Gold Soul Coins in total, including Grandmaster's allowance. He had been heading to the cafeteria for a good meal when he saw the scene before him.

Tang San looked at Xiao Wu, wanting to say something, but held back.

"What? Are you going to call me impulsive again?" Noticing his hesitation, Xiao Wu planted her hands on her hips and huffed.

Tang San shook his head at her words. "Not really. We work-study students can't let these nobles bully us forever, can we? Settling this problem once and for all today would be good."

"Next, let me play with him." Tang San took a step forward.

"You little brat, you like sticking your neck out, huh? Just watch me break your legs today." With a dark expression, Xiao Chenyu walked toward Tang San, his eyes full of contempt and disdain.

After all, neither of his two lackeys had become a soul master yet, so losing to a highly talented, powerful work-study student was understandable. He, however, was a genuine one-ring Battle Soul Master. How could he possibly fear a six- or seven-year-old child?

"Xiao Chenyu, martial soul: wolf. Level eleven, one-ring Battle Soul Master!" A white Soul Ring lit up around Xiao Chenyu as he completed his Martial Soul Possession.

"Tang San, martial soul: Blue Silver Grass. Level thirteen, one-ring Battle Soul Master!" Tang San raised his hand, and softly gleaming Blue Silver Grass grew from his palm. A yellow Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet, circling his body as it pulsed.

Looking at the two facing off, Xiao Yan simply turned and headed to the cafeteria's serving window, where he ordered a portion of stir-fried fresh rabbit meat. With the showdown having reached this point, the work-study students' rise was already unstoppable. There was no need for him to keep watching.

Taking the plate handed to him by the woman at the serving window, Xiao Yan walked over to a long table, sat down, and began digging into his meal.

As for the fight, with Xiao Chenyu up against Tang San, the outcome hardly needed explaining. A single, simple Entanglement soul skill brought everything to an end.

One thing worth mentioning was that after Tang San defeated Xiao Chenyu, Xiao Wu seemed to feel a tremendous sense of achievement and introduced herself. "My name is Xiao Wu. I'm a first-year work-study student and Tang San's boss. My martial soul is a rabbit, and I'm a level twelve, one-ring Battle Soul Master. If you're not satisfied, come find me for a fight in the future."

"Gulp... level twelve?" The onlookers instantly sucked in a breath of cold air.

A foolish rabbit would always be a foolish rabbit. When announcing her level, perhaps she had never considered whether recklessly revealing such a high soul power level might allow news of her extraordinary talent to reach the Spirit Hall.

If the Spirit Hall casually sent down a Platinum Bishop at the Soul Douluo rank to investigate a soul master with innate full soul power, she would probably be finished-turned into spicy rabbit head.

P.S. Please send monthly votes and recommendation votes.

The first round of recommendations starts today, so please don't stockpile chapters. This affects whether the author can advance to the next recommendation round. I guarantee at least two chapters every day, and there'll be another chapter later tonight. If you have monthly votes or recommendation votes, please send some my way. Kowtowing here, bang, bang!!