The crowd in the Great Spirit Arena was still buzzing even after the referee finally forced the match to end. Feng Xiaotian had rolled out of the arena half‑conscious, escaping Lu Yuan's clutches only because the officials stepped in.
The match had been over before it even began.
With Lu Yuan on the stage, the gulf in strength between the two sides was like a canyon, and even though everyone had expected a slap‑fest, what unfolded was far more thrilling.
Thrilling, of course, because Feng Xiaotian was beaten like a piñata.
"Tons… tons… hiccup…!"
Lu Yuan leaned casually in the rest area, guzzling wine straight from his jar. His cheeks were already red, his grin satisfied.
"Yufeng, you brat! You weren't half bad today." Lu Yuan waved him over, slinging an arm on his shoulder with drunken camaraderie. "Come on, drink with me!"
Yufeng's heart felt lighter than ever. For once, Brother Lu Yuan wasn't trying to flatten him. He clutched the offered wine jar in both hands and knocked back large gulps. He usually didn't drink, but with Lu Yuan around, refusing wine felt more dangerous than drinking. Wine was the only shield his teammates had found so far against Lu Yuan's fists.
"Thank you, Brother Lu Yuan!" Yufeng bowed his head with exaggerated gratitude, half sincere, half terrified.
"You're welcome. Hahaha. Next time, you and I will be the ones fighting together!"
Yufeng froze mid‑gulp, wine dribbling down his chin. Was that… good news, or the worst death sentence of his life?
"Yufeng, we believe in you!" one of his teammates shouted from the side, voices filled with forced encouragement.
"Yeah, you can fly, after all. You'll be fine."
"…Right."
Their burdens seemed to lift suddenly, dumped squarely onto Yufeng's shoulders. His knees nearly buckled from the weight.
"Brother Lu Yuan!" he blurted out nervously. "I—I swear, I won't change uniforms this year. Anytime you want me, I'll be there. We're allies, right? Strong allies!"
The poor boy's face turned pale as he imagined the countless times he would be dragged into disaster in the future.
Meanwhile, back at the Tiandou Royal Academy, Mengshenji was leaning back in his office chair with a smug smile plastered on his face.
The elders from the Five Element Academies had just sent over a formal request: Cancel Lu Yuan's qualifications for the Tiandou Cup immediately.
Their reasons? It was too unfair. Too cruel. Too horrifying.
Apparently, after watching their star students smashed one by one, the proud Five Element heads suddenly realized that Lu Yuan's presence ruined the entire exchange tournament.
Mengshenji almost laughed himself off his chair.
"Oh, now you regret it!" he chuckled gleefully, drumming his fingers on the desk. "Didn't I tell you before? Don't put him in! But no, you just had to insist. Now, are your precious students itchy from that beating?"
A report like that, citing "safety concerns"—what nonsense.
How could he agree? Emperor Xue Ye was personally watching the tournament every day, eager to see this so‑called genius. With the Emperor here, did they really think he could just pull Lu Yuan out?
Dream Machine refused their petition on the spot.
In fact, he was enjoying this so much he could almost taste it. Not only would Tiandou Royal win the championship handily this year, but Lu Yuan's savage fighting was also an opportunity to humble the arrogant Five Element Academies publicly.
It was perfect.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
"Enter."
The door opened and Bai Baoshan, second seat of the Academic Affairs Council, stepped in holding a stack of folders.
"Chief, there's a request on your desk," Bai Baoshan said, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "A school called Shrek Academy from Soto City wishes to merge into the Tiandou Royal Academy."
"Shrek?" Mengshenji frowned. The name was familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.
"They're not a formal academy," Bai Baoshan explained, setting the documents down, "but they've trained some surprisingly good students. One of our own elite teachers, Qin Ming, came out of Shrek."
"Ohh, so that's why!" Mengshenji's eyes lit slightly as he flipped quickly through the papers. "I remember Qin Ming mentioning them. His talent was solid, and he became a Soul Emperor at a young age."
The files detailed impressive profiles. One in particular stood out.
"Twelve years old… and already Soul Venerable? Hm. Good. Not as freakish as Lu Yuan, of course, but still remarkable."
Mengshenji tapped the record thoughtfully. A Soul Lord at that age was rare—talented enough to potentially build a new generation of fighters for the Royal team once the current Huangdou group graduated. They couldn't rely forever on Lu Yuan, who was half‑useless outside of drinking.
"Not bad," Mengshenji muttered. "Very good recruitment potential."
"However, Chief," Bai Baoshan added hesitantly, "Shrek Academy has some… conditions."
"Conditions?"
Bai bowed slightly. "They want all their teachers to be accepted as faculty here, fully in charge of their students' training, with zero interference from us."
Mengshenji slapped the desk. "Ridiculous! They just want to use our equipment and resources, raise their disciples under our roof, then leave whenever they feel like it. They're treating Tiandou Royal as a stepping stone!"
"They did say they would win honors for the Academy," Bai said calmly.
Mengshenji gritted his teeth, then sighed. "Fine. Report it upward. At the same time, tell them this: their demands can only be considered after we see the students fight."
He wasn't stupid. Paper reports meant nothing. Talent had to be proven under the arena's bright lights.
Back at the Great Spirit Arena, the Tiandou Cup pressed on.
Lu Yuan was lounging in the rest area, cheeks bright red, bottle in hand, humming a tune lazily while his teammates did their best to pretend they weren't watching him.
"Brother Lu Yuan, are you there?" A head poked nervously through the doorway.
Yu Tianheng glanced up. "Oh, look who came crawling back. Feng Xiaotian, here for round two?"
"If you don't speak," Feng Xiaotian muttered irritably, "no one will mistake you for a mute."
The poor captain was still sore all over from yesterday. He had barely crawled out of bed this morning; his bruises were blossoming in shades even painters hadn't invented.
He ignored Tianheng and approached Lu Yuan, his movements comically cautious, like a man inching up to a temperamental beast.
"Brother Lu Yuan." He lowered his voice respectfully. "I know you like wine. Please try this jar of mine."
Lu Yuan sniffed, his drunken haze focusing as his sharp instincts judged the liquor. Surprise flickered in his eyes. "Oh? This one's good."
"Please," Feng Xiaotian urged, forcing a smile.
Lu Yuan took a generous gulp, then narrowed his eyes at him. "Hah… you brat again? What are you scheming for this time?"
Feng Xiaotian shuffled closer, glancing nervously around to make sure the others weren't listening. "Brother Lu Yuan, I… I want to beg you."
"For what?" Lu Yuan tilted the wine lazily.
Feng Xiaotian clenched his jaw and whispered quickly so only he could hear. "You're fighting Blazing Academy next. Please… don't hurt my little sister. You can crush the rest of the bastards, I don't care—but spare Huo Wu."
He licked his lips nervously, then added, "Afterwards, I'll bring you another jar of even better wine."
For a moment, Lu Yuan said nothing, letting the tension drag on. Then, with that drunken grin of his, he chuckled.
"…Fine. For the sake of this jar of wine, I'll spare her. But only her. The rest are fair game."
Feng Xiaotian sagged with relief. The stone on his chest loosened, and he nearly cried from joy.
"Thank you, Brother Lu Yuan! The others? They're nothing. Smash them as much as you want!"
From across the room, Yu Tianheng watched suspiciously. Something about Feng Xiaotian's whispers reeked of scheming, but he couldn't hear enough to confirm. He'd have to deal with the fallout later.
Soon, the referee's voice boomed through the arena:
"Tiandou Royal Academy versus Blazing Academy! One minute preparation!"
On one side, Blazing Academy's team drew into formation. Huo Wushuang's face was stiff with dread, his eyes darting constantly to the other side of the field.
"Brother," Huo Wu muttered lowly, "do we really need to use that plan?"
"Of course," he hissed back. "If we don't, Lu Yuan will flatten us instantly."
"But… people will scold us."
Huo Wushuang snorted bitterly. "Let them scold. If they think they can handle him, they're welcome to step up."
Across the field, Lu Yuan was staggering into place, a wine jar dangling from his fingers, his lips still curved in a lazy smile.
"What plans? What schemes? You're all just jars of wine waiting to be knocked down," he mumbled drunkenly. "All but the girl. The girl can go free."
His eyes gleamed, and for Blazing Academy, doom was about to descend.
--
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