"Little Sword Gang, tell me about this force."
Yan Qingshan wasn't too surprised. He had anticipated facing resistance from the senior students when he decided to establish the Qingshan Faction in the Inner Academy.
The logic was simple. The Jia Nan Academy Inner Academy valued competition, which gave rise to countless gangs and forces. Amidst the turnover of numerous old and new powers, outstanding talents played a crucial role. The Inner Academy's new blood came only from the new students who enrolled after the annual Fire Energy Hunting Competition.
These talented new students naturally became the targets of various forces. Yan Qingshan's direct recruitment of all the students in this class was bound to cause objections.
However, compared to Xiao Yan's later struggles in establishing the Pan's Gate, Yan Qingshan's Qingshan Faction had more advantages and less resistance. Firstly, there was Yan Qingshan's strength.
He had won the Fire Energy Hunting Competition with absolute strength. Upon entering the Inner Academy, he was ranked in the middle of the Strong Ranking.
Having mastered Di-rank Dou Techniques, he possessed the strength of at least an intermediate Dou Spirit, making him a formidable figure even in the Inner Academy. Few were willing to provoke such strength and potential.
Another reason was the support of Liu Qing and Lin Xiuya, and their respective forces. These two were hailed as future pillars of the Inner Academy, and their strength was not to be underestimated. Few dared to offend them.
These two factors allowed the newly established Qingshan Faction to become a second-tier force in the Inner Academy upon its arrival. Naturally, trivial matters like newcomer tribute fees didn't happen to this class of new students, which drew considerable attention.
As the Qingshan Faction gained a foothold in the Inner Academy, some senior students from previous classes who were struggling also came to join, further exacerbating the dissatisfaction of some established forces.
The Qingshan Faction's monopoly on a class of new students was already somewhat disruptive. Their absorption of senior students from previous classes to strengthen themselves further damaged the interests of some established forces.
The Inner Academy was highly competitive. Each year, new students entering the Inner Academy had essentially three choices: first, to be a lone wolf and forge their own path; second, to slowly develop in a small team of three to five people; and third, to join an existing force.
The third choice required sufficient strength and talent, as these forces didn't recruit just anyone. New students who chose the first two paths were often subjected to bullying by senior students and various forces, with tribute fees being the least of their problems.
Under such immense pressure, many new students grew rapidly, climbing from the exploited class to the middle and upper echelons. Even Liu Qing and Lin Xiuya had gone through this process.
But this class of students, due to Yan Qingshan's influence, didn't experience this. Their favorable environment naturally attracted some senior students who hadn't yet risen to power. Being a new force, the Qingshan Faction had lower entry barriers, giving many exploited senior students a backing.
This series of actions damaged the interests of the medium and large forces that exploited the unattached individuals and small forces.
Coupled with the betrayal of Bai Cheng and Bei Ju, it led to the targeting by the Little Sword Gang and the instigation of more forces.
"Is that the situation?"
Yan Qingshan stopped tapping his fingers and turned to Lin Yan. "Lin Yan, go find Lin Xiuya and ask him to deliver a message to Yang Sheng of the Little Sword Gang. Tell him I'll settle our scores at the arena tomorrow at noon."
"Okay!"
Lin Yan nodded and stood up, leaving the room swiftly. Inside the room, the conversation resumed between Yan Qingshan, Han Xian, and Han Yue, discussing the future development of the Qingshan Faction.
…
The fighting arena was one of the most popular areas in the Inner Academy. Due to the intense competition in the Inner Academy, many students had various conflicts, and the arena was the place to resolve them.
The Black-Corner Region was chaotic. The Jia Nan Academy, located on the edge of the Black-Corner Region and occupying a strategic position, frequently clashed with the Black-Corner Region's thugs. Many students suffered losses due to lack of experience.
The Inner Academy, being the elite of the Jia Nan Academy, naturally had to prevent this. Fighting Arena was one method.
Today, the arena was filled with countless figures as usual. The scene was a sea of black heads, and the extremely noisy chatter rang in people's ears like demonic sounds, causing headaches for those who weren't used to it.
The massive arena had many fighting platforms, but today, most people gathered in front of one platform. Even many important figures from various forces in the Inner Academy had arrived.
"What's happening today? How come even the leaders of the Golden Knife Gang, Iron Gang, Moon Spirit gang... are here? So many Dou Spirit spectators, what big event is this?"
"You don't know? The Newcomer leader of this class and Yang Sheng of the Little Sword Gang are settling their scores. Of course, they're all here."
"Yang Sheng of the Little Sword Gang is a powerhouse ranked thirty-sixth on the Strongest Ranking. Even though the Newcomer King of this class is famous, he probably isn't his match!"
"Who knows? I heard the Newcomer leader of this class has mastered Di-rank Dou Techniques. During the Fire Energy Hunting Competition, even Lin Xiuya and Liu Qing, who are ranked in the top eighty, were defeated by him. He might be able to fight Yang Sheng."
"Di-rank Dou Techniques? That's impossible!"
"No wonder so many people are here. These forces must be panicking."
…
Voices exchanged below the platform, and countless eyes focused on the two opposing groups.
The members of the Little Sword Gang wore badges with a small sword, and their strength was not to be underestimated.
On the Qingshan Faction's side, most were still wearing Outer Academy attire, and their strength was slightly inferior. However, they had more numbers, and Lin Yan, Han Yue, and Han Xian were not inferior to some of the Little Sword Gang's high-level elites.
"Yang Sheng is here!"
"Boss, take him down!"
"Let those new brats know the power of our Little Sword Gang."
…
Amidst the cheers, Yang Sheng, the leader of the Little Sword Gang, stepped out of the crowd and onto the arena. Yang Sheng was a young man of about twenty-five or six, with a powerful aura. Unfortunately, he had a faint blade scar on his face, almost splitting his entire left cheek in half.
With a flash of azure light, Yan Qingshan's figure appeared on the other side of the arena, his hands casually placed at his sides, facing the leader of the Little Sword Gang calmly.
"You're Yan Qingshan. Not bad strength."
The moment Yan Qingshan appeared, the pupils of all the Dou Spirit experts in the arena, including Yang Sheng, contracted. Such swift and agile movements were probably better than even wind-attribute Dou Spirit of the same rank. His footwork was quite proficient!
"Yang Sheng of the Little Sword Gang, you should understand that challenging me is not a wise decision."
Yan Qingshan glanced at Yang Sheng and made a mental assessment. He responded calmly. Although Yang Sheng was a six-star Dou Spirit, Yan Qingshan was no ordinary two-star Dou Spirit. The four-star difference was significant, but not too difficult for him.