C11 The Person from the Vermilion Bird College, Qi Dongsheng!!

"Bai Le, you said it yourself!"

Murong Lianjie gasped for air, his voice tinged with fury.

He had come alone to challenge Bai Le, not really expecting to win.

He simply wanted to put on a good show and salvage some dignity.

But he hadn't anticipated Bai Le's outrageous arrogance!

Did Bai Le truly believe he was unbeatable just because he'd slain the beast leader with a single blow?

Murong Lianjie's talent had emerged when he was just sixteen, and since then, he'd devoted himself to mastering command strategies.

He had noticed that Bai Le's saber summoning took time.

With his own command skills, he was confident he could work with Wang Doukun to overwhelm Bai Le before the saber even appeared!

Without his saber, Bai Le seemed rather ordinary to Murong Lianjie.

"Yeah, that's what I said."

"After tomorrow's noon comprehensive exam for non-combat talents, meet me at the school's dueling platform."

"And tell Wang Doukun to show up. Don't chicken out."

Bai Le responded earnestly.

Afterward, he joined the dumbfounded Zhuo Yunhang for drinks and barbecue.

The crowd of onlookers quickly dispersed.

One by one, they silently set their alarms, eager to snag a good spot to witness the showdown the next day.

After dinner, everyone headed home.

Bai Le meticulously practiced the Five Beasts Forging Technique and the 24 Skysplitting Forms five times, as was his routine.

Though they were foundational techniques, for Bai Le, they warranted thorough and repeated study.

It was only in the quiet of the night that Bai Le consumed a Dong Kui Fruit and got ready for bed.

He wasn't the only one staying up late; many others had foregone an early night's rest.

Take Qi Dongsheng, for instance, a soon-to-be junior at Vermilion Bird College, who had traveled all the way from Aermagh to Huthwaite.

"Qi Dongsheng? What brings you to Huthwaite?"

"Why are you knocking on my door in the middle of the night? What do you want?"

In the hotel, Lan Yuran, the striking journalist from Aermagh, cracked the door open to question him.

"I came to see you, Yuran," Qi Dongsheng said, a mischievous grin on his face.

"You're nuts."

"I've got important business tomorrow morning. Beat it!"

Lan Yuran threatened to slam the door shut.

Despite Qi Dongsheng's status as a second-grade martial artist with an Awakened Grade A combat talent and his impressive ranking at Vermilion Bird College, she was far from impressed.

"Wait, wait, Yuran, I've got something important too."

"Really important!"

Qi Dongsheng managed to wedge the door open.

"Our college is very interested in that Bai Le from Huthwaite High School," he continued. "I was in Huthwaite City visiting family, and the admissions office asked me to check him out."

"I figured since you've interviewed him before, I'd ask you about it."

He loathed Lan Yuran's dismissive attitude, but he kept his disdain hidden deep inside.

On the surface, he was all smiles, eager to ingratiate himself.

"What's there to ask?"

"Haven't you and the admissions office seen Bai Le's 'Last' talent?"

"Regardless, recruiting him to Vermilion Bird College is the right move!"

Lan Yuran's demeanor softened slightly as Qi Dongsheng brought up Bai Le.

"Who's to say his one-strike ability isn't just some one-hit wonder trash talent?"

Qi Dongsheng scoffed with a sneer.

It was clear to him that Lan Yuran might have a soft spot for Bai Le.

"Jealous of his talent, are we?"

"Tomorrow at noon, Bai Le will face off against two B-class combat talents at Huthwaite High School. You'll see what I mean when you get there!"

Lan Yuran's words were punctuated by the sharp sound of the door slamming shut.

Qi Dongsheng stared at the iron door, his expression growing increasingly grim.

You smug woman, enjoy it while you can. One day, you'll be mine!

After I've used you up...

I'll show you what real torture is!

...

The following day at the Huthwaite High School Martial Arts Arena, a blood-red flag emblazoned with the character for 'Martial Arts' billowed in the breeze.

The stands were overflowing with spectators eagerly anticipating the arrival of today's protagonist.

Outside the arena, a throng of people who hadn't snagged seats prepared to watch the live broadcast.

Lan Yuran and the cameraman had made it there early.

She was supposed to head back to Aermagh today, but she postponed her trip to capture this battle on film.

She couldn't wait to witness Bai Le unsheathe his sword once more!

"Pfft, a battle between unranked Awakened? How dull."

Qi Dongsheng buzzed annoyingly around Lan Yuran, arms crossed and oozing contempt.

"And yet, here you are."

"What's with the act? It's nauseating."

Lan Yuran cursed her lack of martial prowess, her only gift being the D-class auxiliary talent 'Detection.'

If only she could, she'd smack him dead on the spot!

Qi Dongsheng just smirked, offering no reply.

Soon after, Murong Lianjie and Wang Doukun made their entrance, both clad in their finely crafted combat gear.

Wang Doukun was a burly, black-haired young man with a pair of blunt axes strapped to his back, exuding the aura of an ancient warrior.

Murong Lianjie, sword in hand, also had a pair of air pistols at his waist – fully equipped for battle.

Shortly thereafter, Bai Le made his way to the venue.

"Bai Le!"

Principal Du Mei rose to her feet at the sight of him, and the bustling arena fell into a hushed silence.

All eyes were on Bai Le.

Even in the plainest of combat gear, his presence was undeniable.

"Student Bai, I've come at your challenge!"

Wang Doukun's voice boomed, stepping forward with a fierce glare.

The night before, Murong Lianjie had exaggerated Bai Le's challenge to him, and as a man who thrived on combat, Wang Doukun didn't hesitate to accept the joint challenge.

Bai Le leapt onto the 18 by 20-meter stage with a calm demeanor, greeting his opponents with a traditional fist salute.

"Student Wang, I look forward to learning from you."

"Student Murong, likewise."

They both approached, returning the gesture with solemn faces.

"Student Bai, let's learn from each other!"

They then backed away to their starting positions.

The large screen outside the arena lit up with the live feed as the crowd quieted down – the fight was imminent!

"Remember, friendship first. Students, be mindful of the intensity and stop at the right moment!"

The school-appointed referee called out from below the stage.

The trio on the stage paid him no mind.

Raised in a world where battling vicious beasts was the norm, they were taught the harsh lessons of survival, not the delicate tending of greenhouse flowers.

Even in a friendly spar, injuries were expected; the idea of holding back was foreign to them.

"Bai Le, aren't you going to call forth your saber?"

"Are you underestimating us?!"

Wang Doukun brandished his frosty Xuanhua Axe, crouching in preparation to strike.

Murong Lianjie, sword in hand, positioned himself behind Wang Doukun.

"Fellow students, the truth can sometimes be quite painful."

Bai Le let out a wry laugh in response.

He went on to say, "You two aren't yet worthy of seeing my blade!"