C5 Yang Xiao

Ling Chen stood there like a god of war, unshakable and resolute.

"Is this really the best you can do?" Ling Chen scoffed, "And you have the audacity to claim your talent surpasses mine?"

The faces of the students who had come to challenge him were twisted with frustration, their eyes brimming with resentment.

Despite their irritation, they were at a loss for words; they had been soundly defeated today.

Utterly and completely defeated.

"Sigh…" Ling Chen shook his head, a hint of boredom in his voice, "I had thought you might have some skill, but to think you're all so mediocre. I'm baffled as to how you even got into the Empire Academy with such abilities."

Ling Chen's sneer was laced with contempt.

These guys had actually believed they were better than him?

He was determined to put them in their place today, to give them a taste of their own medicine.

"Ling Chen! Don't get too cocky... Will you dare to wait right here?" At that moment, a defiant voice rang out.

At those words, Ling Chen let out a derisive laugh.

He turned his attention to the speaker.

With a dismissive glance, Ling Chen retorted, "Looking for reinforcements? Go ahead, I'll be right here waiting."

Now that the situation had escalated, Ling Chen had no intention of backing down.

Today, he would make an example of anyone who dared to underestimate him!

The challenger, hearing Ling Chen's taunt, took off like a shot, vanishing from the marketplace in an instant.

It was unclear whether he had gone to summon help or had simply fled.

Ling Chen watched the direction in which the man had disappeared and declared, "If anyone else has a problem, feel free to call for backup. I'm ready to take you all on today!"

Following his challenge, several others hurried out of the marketplace.

The rest were either still sprawled on the ground or hanging around to see what would happen next.

The students from Class 3, who had been bested by Ling Chen, were particularly disheartened.

They had no real beef with Ling Chen and had only come to see what the commotion was about.

Little did they know that Ling Chen's prowess had grown so formidable that he had laid more than a dozen of them low...

Meanwhile, Su Wanqing could only watch with a sense of helplessness as her classmates were defeated by Ling Chen.

These guys brought it on themselves. Who told them to pick on Ling Chen?

Yet, Ling Chen has certainly surprised her more than she could have imagined.

Had she not witnessed it herself, she might have believed Ling Chen's Second Heaven cultivation level was somewhat underwhelming.

Little did she expect that Ling Chen's supposed Second Heaven cultivation was a facade.

Ling Chen's true power turned out to be incredibly impressive...

Right then, Ling Chen caught Su Wanqing's gaze fixed on him.

He smiled and inquired, "What's the matter, class monitor? Why the intense stare?"

Caught off guard by the question, Su Wanqing paused.

She quickly realized that Ling Chen was smiling once more.

It dawned on her that Ling Chen really seemed to have transformed.

When Su Wanqing remained silent, Ling Chen furrowed his brow and prompted, "Class monitor?"

"Ah... Ah... I was just..."

Su Wanqing snapped back to reality, her face breaking into an embarrassed grin.

Ling Chen, unable to resist, shook his head and asked with curiosity, "What's on your mind, class monitor?"

At his words, Su Wanqing's cheeks flushed. She stole a flustered glance at Ling Chen.

Then she muttered, "It's nothing... You're not hurt, are you?"

Ling Chen responded with a light laugh, spreading his arms, "Do I look like I'm in any trouble?"

Su Wanqing was torn between laughter and tears at the sight of Ling Chen's cheery demeanor.

It had been just a day since she'd last seen him, and yet Ling Chen seemed to have undergone a complete personality shift.

In the past, Ling Chen would never have offered her such a smile.

Then Ling Chen turned his attention to the quivering footboy.

The poor fellow was merely a vendor; he never expected to be caught up in such an ordeal.

Ling Chen addressed him, "Boss, ten gold coins, will you make the sale?"

"Sell! Sell! Sell!"

The footboy, too scared to refuse, hastily accepted the gold coins from Ling Chen and promptly handed over the Crimson Reishi.

Afterward, he fled the scene as if his life depended on it.

Witnessing this, Ling Chen couldn't help but smile wryly.

"That's the guy!"

Suddenly, Ling Chen heard a loud shout.

From within the crowd, Liu Fei, bruised and battered, pointed directly at Ling Chen.

His voice instantly captured the attention of everyone in the room.

A young man clad in a white robe, cradling a longsword, stood at the doorway with an air of arrogance.

All eyes were fixed on the white-robed youth.

Those who had previously felt the sting of Ling Chen's lessons now looked on with excitement.

"Yang Xiao!" Su Wanqing's heart raced as she spoke with a grave tone.

Upon hearing the name, Ling Chen scoured his memory for any recollection of the man, but nothing came to mind.

Seeing the blank look in Ling Chen's eyes, Su Wanqing couldn't hide her frustration. "You don't know who he is?"

Ling Chen nonchalantly rubbed his nose and replied, "Should I?"

"He's the top prodigy from our neighboring class, a scion of the Yang family, and the heir to the Cloudstrider technique."

As Su Wanqing relayed Yang Xiao's credentials to Ling Chen, a shadow of apprehension crossed her face, for she knew she was no match for him.

Ling Chen's own expression turned uneasy.

Cloudstrider...

The name seemed familiar...

More than familiar, it was something he knew well...

While Ling Chen was lost in thought, Su Wanqing quickly stepped in front of him.

With a stern voice, she advised, "Ling Chen, you're no match for him. Leave now. I've already sent for a teacher."

Ling Chen's face fell into a resigned expression.

It appeared that his former self was indeed quite weak, if even a girl felt the need to protect him...

At that moment, Yang Xiao was escorted by several young men to stand before Ling Chen.

Yang Xiao gave Ling Chen a cold, dismissive glance.

When he noticed Su Wanqing standing protectively before Ling Chen, his eyes flickered with contempt.

"Is this the one who gave you a beating?" he questioned skeptically.

The young man beside him nodded vigorously and gestured towards the other youths gathering around. "See for yourself, he's the one responsible."

"Indeed, and do you know what he claimed? He said he'd take on anyone who came at him today, clearly not considering you a threat," another young man lamented, voicing his grievances to Yang Xiao about Ling Chen's audacity.

Yang Xiao's brow furrowed involuntarily.

His gaze remained fixed on Ling Chen.

With a stoic expression, he asked, "Did you really hit our classmate?"

As Ling Chen was about to respond, Su Wanqing interjected, "Yang Xiao, they were the ones who insisted on fighting. Ling Chen was simply defending himself."

"Did I ask you?" Yang Xiao shot Su Wanqing a cold glance and dismissed her, "This doesn't concern you, so don't interfere."

Turning back to Ling Chen, Yang Xiao challenged him, "Be a man and step out from behind a woman!"

Ling Chen didn't wait for Yang Xiao to finish, stepping aside with a look of contempt. "So you're their backup? Do you really think you can take me on?"

Yang Xiao was taken aback by the remark.

The young men around him erupted into laughter.

"Hahaha..."

"What am I hearing..."

"Ling Chen! Take a good look at who you're talking to. This is the top talent of our third class! Do you honestly believe you stand a chance?"

"Exactly, Yang Xiao could beat you with just a flick of his finger..."

Their laughter echoed, mocking Ling Chen's bold statement.

At that moment, Su Wanqing felt a wave of embarrassment.

Yang Xiao was not like the others egging him on; he possessed genuine strength.

Ling Chen's taunt was only fueling his desire to fight.

A smirk of disdain crossed Yang Xiao's face.

It was the first time someone had dared to speak to him in such a manner.

It appeared he needed to reinforce his reputation at the Empire Academy.

With that thought, Yang Xiao held his head high, his eyes locking onto Ling Chen with intent.

"Ling Chen, since you're so full of yourself, let's settle this with a fight!"

As he spoke, the young man beside Yang Xiao stepped back.

Beside Ling Chen, Su Wanqing's expression grew serious.

She wanted to urge Ling Chen to back down for the moment.

But Ling Chen had already advanced two steps, showing no sign of fear.

Su Wanqing's face fell, her anxiety mounting.

If a fight ensued, she was convinced Ling Chen was no match for Yang Xiao.

"Let's see who dares to make a move now!"

At that moment, two figures emerged from the crowd.

A sharply dressed, mature woman and a middle-aged man walked in side by side.

The woman spoke with a piercing tone, "Who gave you permission to engage in a private fight outside of school?"

Ling Chen glanced at the woman upon hearing her words.

Her name was Liu Yan, Ling Chen's homeroom teacher. In her thirties, she had already risen to the position of Deputy Director of Education at Empire Academy, making her a person of considerable influence.

The man next to her, if Ling Chen's memory served him right, seemed to be the homeroom teacher of Class Three, Tan Wei.

Yang Xiao's bravado diminished somewhat at the sight of the two teachers.

Yet, his expression remained defiant.

Su Wanqing, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief. With the teachers present, it seemed a fight would be averted.

Liu Yan then turned to Ling Chen and inquired, "Ling Chen, what happened here?"

Ling Chen's brow furrowed slightly at her words; Liu Yan's assertive demeanor was unsettling to him.

Su Wanqing quickly stepped forward and recounted the events to both teachers.

After Su Wanqing's explanation, Liu Yan and Tan Wei's expressions diverged.

Tan Wei looked particularly grim.

His students from Class Three had suffered the most in the incident.

Sensing Tan Wei's displeasure, Liu Yan cleared her throat and suggested, "It appears to have been a misunderstanding. Let's let it go this time, but let it not happen again..."

"Hold on!"

Tan Wei suddenly cut Liu Yan off.

He then turned a cold gaze towards Ling Chen and asked, "Were you the one who struck them?"

Ling Chen, unapologetically, nodded in affirmation and replied, "As you can see."