This year's freshmen completely overwhelmed the senior students during the Fire Energy Hunt, and ever since the newcomers moved into the Inner Academy, the story had spread like wildfire. The senior students, feeling their dignity threatened, had begun to stir. Losing to freshmen was the ultimate humiliation—something that had never happened since the founding of Jia Nan Academy. Such disgrace could not be allowed to stain their class. To restore their status and pride, the seniors were determined to defeat the newcomers.
After wandering around a bit with Zi Yan, Goku returned with her to their temporary residence. Naturally, Zi Yan moved in without hesitation.
Knock knock!
Early the next morning, Goku was woken by an urgent knock on the courtyard gate. He frowned slightly.
"Good morning, Goku!" Yuriko greeted him softly, seeing he was already awake. She smiled gently, rose quietly, and helped him dress with practiced ease.
Saeko, who had been up even earlier, walked in carrying a basin of water. Together with Yuriko, they finished dressing Goku and began his morning wash. The rest of the girls began to stir, still half-asleep but slowly waking up.
"What's going on?" Goku asked, rinsing his mouth and glancing toward the door.
"There are more than a dozen freshmen outside. They say they want to see you," Xun'er said as she stepped in, blushing slightly at the sight of the girls helping Goku get dressed. She frowned slightly, her gaze resting on him.
"Looking for me? What could they want?" Goku was puzzled but stepped outside, followed by Saeko, Yuriko, and Xun'er. The other girls quickly sped up their dressing, eager to see what was going on.
As they stepped out, they saw several freshmen standing by the courtyard gate, some bruised and battered, their faces and arms covered in injuries—it was clear they had been beaten.
"What happened? Got roughed up?" Goku opened the gate and asked, frowning slightly. Wasn't private fighting forbidden in the Inner Academy?
"Senior Goku, you have to help us! These senior students are too much!" a bruised young man exclaimed emotionally. Goku vaguely remembered him—his name was Tai Lang.
"Looks like you guys got worked over pretty badly," Goku said with a faint smile.
"You don't say! Those seniors are unbelievable. Just because they've been in the Inner Academy a few more years, they look down on us. Early this morning, a group of them came to our area demanding some so-called 'Freshman Tribute'—two days' worth of Fire Energy per person. We didn't want to cause trouble as newcomers, so we paid. But then more senior groups started showing up, demanding more tributes. It's been three waves now! I finally couldn't take it and spoke up, and they jumped me in secret. They're totally out of line!" Tai Lang. was shaking with rage.
"Yeah! Senior Goku, you've got to stand up for us! These seniors are bullies! You've got to teach them a lesson—let them know we freshmen aren't to be messed with!" The other freshmen began shouting in agreement.
"This is outrageous." Hu Jia arrived upon hearing the commotion, her face grim. She turned to Saeko. "Let's go show these seniors that we freshmen aren't to be pushed around!" But Saeko looked to Goku for his input.
"Go ahead," Goku nodded calmly. "These seniors need a reality check. Time to give them a good lesson. When you walk the night road too often, eventually you'll run into trouble."
Saeko and Hu Jia's eyes immediately lit up.
"Let's go! Today we'll teach those arrogant seniors a lesson!" Xiao Yu was visibly excited. It was rare for freshmen to challenge seniors at Jia Nan Academy—how could she not be thrilled?
They walked out into a tree-lined path leading toward the general freshman residence. Compared to Goku's courtyard, the other freshmen's quarters were far more basic, reflecting the clear hierarchy within the Inner Academy—a method no doubt designed to motivate the students.
After walking for four or five minutes, they arrived at the freshman district. The gate was crowded with people, and the noise of arguing and shouting filled the air. Around ten freshmen were still clashing verbally with a group of seniors.
When they saw Goku and the girls arrive, the freshmen lit up with joy. They were about to greet him but were silenced by a wave of Goku's hand.
With a group of stunning girls flanking him, Goku's appearance made even the seniors momentarily forget their taunts. A rare moment of quiet settled over the scene.
But only for a moment.
The seniors soon erupted with whistles and lewd comments, acting like total degenerates—nothing like respectable students.
The freshmen looked on with a mix of schadenfreude and anticipation. Some had made the same mistake once—and were still in the infirmary because of it. They knew these girls were off-limits. Anyone who made a move would regret it. To them, Goku was the embodiment of invincibility. He had never lost a fight in the Outer Academy—his legend was unshakable. Their trust in him bordered on blind faith.
"What an annoying bunch," Goku muttered. "Saeko, teach them what manners are."
As soon as Goku spoke, the atmosphere became charged and tense.
At that moment, the path leading out of the freshmen area was blocked by six senior students, each wearing the Inner Academy's signature tower-shaped badge. Behind them stood over thirty more seniors gathered to watch the spectacle. Clearly, many of them were looking forward to seeing the freshmen put in their place—after all, they had all experienced the same kind of bullying back when they first arrived.
"You've got a big mouth, kid," said the leader of the seniors, a young man with a calm expression and arrogant tone. "No matter how talented you are, once you enter the Inner Academy, you play by its rules. Break them, and you'll face the consequences."
He clearly felt superior. He too had once suffered abuse when he was a new student—but now the tables had turned, and it was his turn to be on top.
But his smug warning was quickly drowned out by the rowdy chatter of the seniors behind him.
"Damn! They really are all beauties! Guess Mu Li wasn't lying!"
"So many stunners all at once! The Inner Academy finally hit the jackpot this year!"
"Hehehe… looks like we're in for a treat…"
"Wonder which lucky bastards will get their hands on them…"
The loud jeers made the lead senior's face twist in embarrassment.
'Damn it! Can't you guys read the room? This is not the time to be ogling girls! You're making us all look like fools!'
"Shut the hell up! Do you all want to lose face in front of the freshmen!?" barked a tall, handsome young man among the six. His shout quickly silenced the rowdy crowd. It seemed he had considerable authority in the Inner Academy.
"Alright, enough talk. Listen up, kid. The 'Freshman Tribute' has been a tradition here for years. We're not being unreasonable. Just hand over two days' worth of Fire Energy each. Consider it a small price to avoid trouble," said a senior around twenty-five, grinning as he looked at Goku's group. Then, his eyes flicked toward the girls. "Of course, we're not unfair. The ladies get a special deal—just one day of Fire Energy each. In return, we guarantee you peace and quiet in the Inner Academy. Quite the bargain, don't you think?"
"Hmph! If you want our Fire Energy, show us you're strong enough to take it!" Hu Jia stepped forward, staring disdainfully at the group of seniors. After months of training with Goku and surviving brutal battles against the Soul eater Ants, she had no fear of these clowns.
"Heh… Seems like this year's batch has some real backbone," the lead senior sneered. "In all these years, I've never seen freshmen rob seniors of their Fire Energy during the hunt. You lot are certainly… unique. Since you're so confident in your strength, I suppose we'll have to adjust the rules for you."
Despite Hu Jia being a girl, he didn't go easy on her. Two years of harsh training in the Inner Academy had shaped his mentality—beauty alone didn't impress him. In this world, beautiful women were everywhere. What truly stood out were those who had both strength and beauty. Those were the ones who drew real attention here.
"Cut the crap! If it's a fight you want, bring it on. Who's first?" Hu Jia stepped forward again, her face brimming with excitement. Beating up senior students—just thinking about it was thrilling.
"Well, well… Seems we really do need to show you your place. In the Inner Academy, even if you're gifted, you've got to learn to keep your head down!" the lead senior growled, his expression darkening. "If you want a fight, come to the arena. I'll show you what senior pride really means."
"If we're going to fight, then hurry up already. What's with all this crap about going to the arena? I'm not in the mood to waste time," Goku replied with a cold, disinterested tone. To him, the so-called "rules" of the Inner Academy were meaningless. As long as he was here—he was the rule.
The senior froze, clearly caught off guard. He hesitated. After all, he was well aware of the academy's strict punishment for unauthorized dueling. The other seniors looked at Goku with disdain. This guy must be a clueless newbie… totally fearless like an idiot.
But Hu Jia gave him no time to think. Her powerful aura suddenly bursts forth—clearly at the level of a seven-star Great battle master. The surrounding seniors were visibly surprised. For a freshman, that was extremely impressive!
'So, they really aren't ordinary freshmen,' the senior thought to himself, though a trace of contempt remained in his eyes. 'Still… just a seven-star Great battle master. Not enough.'
Even so, he hesitated. "Private duels are banned here. If the Discipline Squad finds out, we'll be in trouble… Let's go to the arena instead."
"Afraid?" Hu Jia asked mockingly, her voice dripping with scorn. With Goku here, the so-called rules of the Inner Academy were nothing more than a joke.
"I say we take it to the next level," Xue Lan's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Let's go to the arena and challenge every top-ranked expert in the Inner Academy! Let's see how they all measure up!"
"I like that idea!" Saeko was the first to nod in agreement, her eyes gleaming.
"Alright then," Goku chuckled. "If we're going to make a scene, we might as well do it properly. The arena it is."
With that, he turned and led the girls straight toward the Inner Academy's central combat arena.
"Hmph, how arrogant. Challenging the entire Inner Academy? What a joke! Sure, a Great battle master might be impressive in the Outer Academy—but here? They're a dime a dozen," the seniors muttered with disdain. To them, this was the most ridiculous thing they'd heard in years.
As the group reached the arena, students began to pour in, curious to witness the bold freshmen who dared challenge the system. They'd heard the rumors—now they wanted to see for themselves.
"A seven-star Great battle master? That's impressive for someone your age," said the senior standing across from Hu Jia. "But in the Inner Academy, it's nothing special."
His aura surged—and he instantly revealed himself as a one-star Dou Spirit, a level above Hu Jia. Her expression turned serious, but her fighting spirit flared with excitement. A Dou a spirit… this would be her first real challenge!
"Shen Lang. One-star Dou spirit. Ranked 48 on the Heavenly Rankings. Let's see what you've got," the young man said coolly. The tension in the arena skyrocketed.
The audience leaned forward in anticipation. It was time to see what these rule-breaking freshmen were truly made of.
___
"That girl should be Hu Qian's granddaughter, right? Hu Jia, I believe? What do you all think—who will win this match?" Grand Elder Su Qian asked with a faint smile, his eyes fixed on the man and woman standing on the combat platform below.
Originally, they had been on their way to discuss the Fallen Heart Flame issue with Goku. However, upon encountering this situation along the way, they had decided to pause and observe. They had climbed to a high observation tower overlooking the arena, curious to see for themselves just what made the girls traveling with someone like Goku so unique.
"Though the girl is only a seven-star Great Battle Master," one of the elders replied calmly as he watched the scene unfold, "she's been training under that man for some time. The techniques and battle arts she's learned must be anything but ordinary. Crossing realms to challenge a higher-tier opponent isn't impossible. We'll only know once we see the fight."
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