"The Ten Academies Tournament has four main rounds. First, each academy can select one 'seed' player to advance directly to the fourth round, which is the random-draw finals. The first round is called 'Breaching the Three Academies.' Three academies will be randomly chosen, and each will dispatch one person to guard a territory. All participants from the other seven academies will attack. They are not allowed to use techniques or talents. They only need to break through the guarded territory to advance. If the number of people who break through exceeds half of the total participants, the three guarding academies will all be judged to have failed and eliminated," Elder Cai said.
Lu Yin's eyes narrowed.
Elder Cai paused, then continued, "The second round is called 'Striking the Dragon Gate,' or 'Sounding the War Drum.' The war drum symbolizes the start of the Ten Academies Tournament. Each academy will first send one person to guard the drum. When all of that academy's participants who passed 'Breaching the Three Academies' arrive, they must sound the war drum. If they cannot sound the war drum, that academy is judged to have failed and is eliminated."
"The third round is 'Respecting the Seniors.' Similarly, each academy will first send one student to the third round. After their academy's participants who passed the first two rounds arrive, they must light the incense and pay respects to the heroic spirits of the Ten Academies' predecessors. If they cannot light the incense, that academy is judged to have failed and is eliminated."
"As for the fourth round, that is the random-draw finals, to determine the true strongest of the Ten Academies."
Lu Yin said seriously, "That war drum and the incense for 'Respecting the Seniors' must not be simple."
Elder Cai gave a strange laugh. "Of course. The war drum is made from the hide of a Starry Sky Giant Beast. It's not so easy to sound. One must at least have comprehended battle-qi, or they won't be able to make a sound."
Lu Yin's brow twitched. "And the incense?"
"Same. Those who haven't reached a certain level can't even touch it," Elder Cai said.
Lu Yin grew serious. "One seed, one 'Breaching the Three Academies' defender, one 'Striking the Dragon Gate' drummer, and one 'Respecting the Seniors' incense-lighter. In other words, each academy must at least have a 'Top 4' in strength, and three of those academies must have a 'Top 4'."
"You can understand it that way. That's why I gave you the mission to seize a Trial Site. Otherwise, when the Ten Academies Tournament starts, you won't even know what anyone is capable of. How would you play?" Elder Cai rolled his eyes.
Lu Yin silently calculated. With the Tenth Academy's current lineup, it was enough. "Elder Cai, what should I do now?"
"Hide your strength. Before the tournament, don't let outsiders see too much of you. Oh, and maintain your battle-qi in an external state at all times, but don't let others detect it," Elder Cai said.
Lu Yin nodded. Battle-qi swirled around his body, then was suppressed to the surface of his skin, unable to penetrate his clothes. This way, others wouldn't detect it. However, it was exhausting to maintain this state constantly.
...
Leaving the Treasury Pavilion, Michelle was waiting not far away.
"Shall I help you comprehend battle-qi now?" Lu Yin asked.
Michelle pondered for a moment. "Give me one month. We'll meet at the Sea of Reminiscence Sands in one month."
"Fine." Lu Yin agreed. He could use this month to go out and earn some Star Crystals. He hadn't rolled his die in a long time. No money. To roll the die now, he needed at least 100,000 cubic Star Crystals. Otherwise, rolling a six would be too much of a waste. A six was a roll that could cause a metamorphosis; it couldn't be wasted.
...
The next day, a piece of news shook the Starry Sky Academy: The Purgatory Path's Bottomless Pool had been seized. The ones who did it were from the Tenth Academy.
This news came from the "Academy Report," with the headline: "The Tenth Academy's Glory Re-emerges, Seizing the Bottomless Pool".
The article vividly described the battle scene between Uro and the Tenth Academy students. The editor, Wu Da, used his extremely seasoned writing to depict a lively battle, making readers feel as if they were there. More importantly, the introduction of the Tenth Academy students shocked many at the Academy.
'Xia Luo, Tenth Academy freshman, a new Lockbreaker, a rising star, quietly ascending. He easily resolved Domain Master Uro's full-power attack, setting the stage for Uro's defeat. This writer believes that without Xia Luo, this victory would not have been possible. It was he who dealt Uro a decisive, heavy blow. It was he who took on Uro's strongest attack. His strength is comparable to a Domain Master. More importantly, this person is only a Melder. A monstrous prodigy, wasted away at the Tenth Academy.'
'Yin, Tenth Academy freshman, a smiling assassin. His butterfly knives are eerie and ever-changing, injuring Uro several times and leaving him unable to dodge. In the end, it was he who dealt the 'decapitating' blow. His smile evokes a fear of death. His knives can shatter the void, striking from unknown angles. This writer even believes he possesses the power of a Domain. It was he who suppressed Uro's attacks, making him afraid to act recklessly. This person is also a Melder. Another monstrous prodigy, wasted at the Tenth Academy.'
'Lulu Mebis, genius girl of the Mebis clan, inheritor of the Mebis's terrifying talent. Every strike from her cracks the heavens and earth. Beneath a beautiful and delicate exterior lies the power of a war god. Her heavy blows left Uro unable to resist, smashing him into the ground and even through a mountain wall. Her presence left Uro helpless. Even more astonishing, she possesses battle-qi. Her strength is sublime. This person is, again, a Melder. Another monstrous prodigy, wasted at the Tenth Academy.'
'Michelle, alias Red Lotus (Hong Lian) Demoness. No explanation needed. She is the sister of Senior Hong Lian Yao Gong, Comilla. A genius girl who joined the Decablan Council as a Melder. A bewitching appearance with a heart of ice. Her Red Lotus arrow is enough to pierce the void. Every step Uro took was precisely calculated by her. In the end, it was she who dealt the decisive blow. The goddess in this writer's heart, flawless in appearance! Worth noting, she is also a Melder. The Tenth Academy has wasted too many geniuses. A pity, a pity.'
'Lu Yin, the legendary Top Student of the Tenth Academy. The man who defeated Phoenix—an expert on the Fire Realm's trials-board—and flirted with Xi Yue. His strength is decent, but in the battle with Uro, he did not play a decisive role. This writer believes he may be a smokescreen released by the Tenth Academy to hide the existence of the others. Based on his performance in the battle with Uro, this person probably wouldn't even rank in the Tenth Academy's Top 5. Of course, his strength isn't too bad; he could trade blows with ordinary students from other academies. But compared to his previous achievements, his performance was far too poor. This writer believes the reliability of his previous achievements needs to be re-verified.'
This was Wu Da's report on the Battle of the Bottomless Pool. This introduction completely lit a "fire" under the Tenth Academy. Xia Luo, Yin, Lulu, and Michelle were exposed to the eyes of the entire Starry Sky Academy. Of course, Wu Da had learned his lesson and didn't detail their combat characteristics, but his description of the battle was exceptionally brilliant, causing many students to read it like a novel.
Unfortunately, by the time Wu Da arrived, the battle was almost over, so the first half was all his own fabrication. He hadn't seen Lu Yin's clash with Uro. His introductions for Xia Luo and the others also had elements of fabrication and exaggeration. But none of that mattered. The important thing was... the Academy Report was a hit.
Whether it was entertainment gossip or battle news, there had to be highs and lows. For example, Xia Luo and the other four were praised to the high heavens by Wu Da, while he deliberately "drowned" Lu Yin. This was to create a focal point. In Wu Da's eyes, Lu Yin really wasn't worth reporting. That one Heavenly Beast Claw was not very strong. He had no desire to even investigate Lu Yin, assuming his guess was correct: Lu Yin was just a "liar" (decoy) the Tenth Academy put out to deceive other academies. Otherwise, how could the Tenth Academy possibly have a terrifying expert who could suppress the likes of Xia Luo?
...
Starry Sky Second Academy. Liu Tang (Liu Shaqiu) looked at the Academy Report with interest. "Not bad, Tenth Academy. Able to defeat Uro. Even though they teamed up, they're all Melders. Some real strength. But... this Lu Yin is the genius Lockbreaker she (Liu Ji) mentioned? Why wasn't his Lockbreaker identity mentioned?"
Starry Sky Sixth Academy. Karon burst out laughing. Refreshing! So refreshing! He couldn't do anything to Lu Yin, but seeing the Academy Report belittle him felt incredibly satisfying. "Excellent! This Academy Report has a future!"
Liu Ji stared at the report, frowning. Of the people mentioned, she knew Xia Luo and had met Yin. The assessment seemed on point. But the introduction for Lu Yin was "tian po" (skewed/biased). She never thought this guy was actually the Tenth Academy's Top Student. Why didn't it report that he was a Lockbreaker? And a One-Star Bright-Eyes Primary Lockbreaker at that. This editor was irresponsible.
As for Lu Yin's strength, Liu Ji didn't rate it highly. Perhaps he really was just a decoy. In her impression, the most terrifying ones were the smiling Yin and that black-haired man (Hei Xu).
Starry Sky Eighth Academy. Ranuk (Phoenix) slammed the Academy Report shut. That bastard Wu Da! He better not let me see him! How dare he say Lu Yin's battle record is unreliable. I was genuinely crushed! That guy's strength is definitely not simple.
Tenth Academy. Da Pao, Xiao Pao, and the other students also saw the report, overjoyed that the Tenth Academy's name was famous once again.
Michelle frowned. She didn't expect anyone else to have seen that fight. Moreover, Lu Yin's strength was severely underestimated. If he hadn't worn down Uro's battle-qi, the fight wouldn't have been so easy. Uro's first heavy injury was also caused by him. He wasn't even injured by the end. His true strength was bottomless. She even suspected he could "solo" (one-on-one) a Domain Master. Yet he was degraded so much. Could it be... that person didn't see the first half of the fight?
At this moment, Uro was "bu dan dang" (in a foul mood). The report's description practically made him the villain. He swore he would hunt down that bastard... that bastard named Wu Da.
His gaze swept over the report again, finally landing on the part about Lu Yin. Others didn't know, but he knew exactly how much trouble this person had caused him. His full-power battle-qi hadn't even injured this guy, and this guy also had battle-qi. His body was terrifyingly strong. That one palm strike that heavily injured him was etched into his memory. How could he be so weak? That Wu Da must be blind!
Closing the report, Uro decided to retaliate. He would take back the Bottomless Pool. With that thought, he endured the pounding headache and entered the Zone.
...
While the students of the Starry Sky Academy were discussing the Academy Report, Lu Yin had already left the Tenth Academy and appeared in space. He had seen the report, too, and just shrugged it off with a smile. He had wanted to "an wen" (lay low) for a while anyway. He hadn't expected this Wu Da to do it for him. Now, even if he went out and declared he had really earned the Top Student position through strength, no one would believe him!
However, the assessment of Xia Luo and the others was very on point. Wu Da himself thought he had exaggerated, but from Lu Yin's perspective, it wasn't enough. He felt that Xia Luo and Yin were still hiding their true strength. At the very least, Lu Yin had never seen them use their specialty techniques.