"Did you really think that just because a few of you managed to win once by trickery, you could act so arrogant?"

  "Respecting your seniors—that is the first lesson at Radiant Academy." Ghost Face let out a sinister laugh, looking as if victory were already in his grasp.

  Just then, a voice interrupted him.

  "I wouldn't be so sure about that."

  Without anyone noticing when he had arrived, Chi Yongqiu appeared next to Ke Minglang and sat down on the ground with a look of utter defeat, not caring in the least if the floor was dirty.

  "Why are you down?! How many did you eliminate?" Ke Minglang gasped. He hadn't been paying attention to the freshman stage; he never expected Chi Yongqiu to be knocked out so soon.

  "Four. I did my best," Chi Yongqiu sighed. He had real experience fighting magical beasts, which made him stronger than the average sophomore who only focused on cloistered cultivation. But his lead was limited. Taking out four people was his absolute limit.

  "I knew it. Your true strength is mediocre at best. Once you're in a formal setting like this, your true colors show," Ghost Face sneered, seizing the opportunity to mock them.

  "Forget it. I suppose we really do need more training," Ke Minglang sighed, his shoulders slumping.

  "No, I’m not depressed because I was knocked off the stage," Chi Yongqiu shook his head suddenly. "I’m depressed because I lost my bet with Ying Feng... again."

  Ke Minglang froze, then snapped his head toward Ying Feng’s stage.

  Right at that moment, a sophomore student was being unceremoniously kicked off the platform by Ying Feng.

  Ying Feng stood in the center of the arena, laughing heartily with his Knight’s Sword propped casually over his shoulder.

  "Who else?! I’m asking, who else wants a piece of this?!"

  "How... how many has he eliminated?" Ke Minglang was so shocked he started to stutter.

  "Ten? Fifteen? I lost count," Chi Yongqiu said, a playful, knowing smirk appearing on his face as he looked at Ghost Face.

  Ghost Face’s heart skipped a beat. He whirled around to look at Ying Feng’s stage. In the few seconds it took to exchange those words, another sophomore was sent flying off the stage by a single, well-placed kick from Ying Feng.

  "This... this is impossible! How can a freshman be this strong?!" Ghost Face screamed in disbelief.

  Standing in the corner of the square, Zhong Lingyun watched Ying Feng with genuine intrigue.

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  "What a fascinating freshman. I wonder where he learned his martial arts. His combat techniques are already on par with some instructors."

  Zhong Lingyun’s status as one of the few instructors authorized for all grades was built on her own formidable combat skills and profound strength. To her, the verdict was already clear.

  "It seems the winner of this Grade War is decided."

  The combat techniques Ying Feng had been forced to develop under the "monsters" in Kael’s shop were no joke. Against those god-tier opponents, surviving even one extra second was a massive achievement. Using those skills against students who had zero real-world combat experience? It didn't even break a sweat.

  Forget thirty opponents. Even if there were three hundred, Ying Feng could have kicked them off the stage one by one.

  "Hahaha! This feels great! Is anyone else coming up? Hurry it up!" Ying Feng shouted. All the frustration he had accumulated from being bullied in the Arena over the past few days was finally being unleashed.

  The sophomores who had been kicked off the stage looked humiliated. Being utterly helpless against a freshman was a disgrace they would never live down.

  Ke Minglang’s eyes glowed with excitement. It seems it’s definitely time for me to pay a visit to the Boss’s shop.

  "You’ve lost again," Chi Yongqiu mocked, mimicking Ghost Face's earlier tone while sitting on the ground. "Want to challenge us again next time? We’re ready whenever you are."

  "How... how can this be..."

  Ghost Face watched as Ying Feng leaped off his own stage, ran over to the stages held by Mo Hei and Mo Bai, and kicked them off too. He nearly collapsed to the floor. This match had been decided by a single person.

  The strategy of attrition—sending wave after wave of opponents—had failed completely. He never imagined a human's combat technique could reach such a level.

  "Impressive."

  Zhong Lingyun clapped lightly and walked over.

  "Instructor Zhong." "At ease," she waved a hand, then looked at Ying Feng, who looked like he hadn't had enough yet. "Hello, Instructor Zhong," Ying Feng greeted her politely; he certainly knew who the academy's most famous beauty instructor was.

  "Your technique is very strong. It’s no inferior to that of an instructor," she praised.

  "You overpraise me, Instructor," Ying Feng replied with uncharacteristic humility.

  But to Ghost Face, those words were a thunderclap. On par with an instructor? How did a monster like this end up in this year's freshman class?! He felt like spitting blood.

  "The winner of this Grade War is the Freshman Class," Zhong Lingyun announced.

  "YES!" "YING FENG IS A HERO!"

  The freshmen erupted into cheers that shook the heavens. Ignoring their bruises and pain, they swarmed Ying Feng and tossed him into the air. In contrast, the sophomore side was a picture of misery. Some were already frantically calculating how many academy points they were about to lose. The atmosphere between the two groups had completely flipped.

  Zhong Lingyun nodded to herself. It looks like the freshmen might actually stand a chance in this year's Grand Academy Tournament.

  Back at the shop, Kael closed the doors as the business day ended. Over the past few days, Shier had fully adjusted to life at the store.

  "Let’s go, Shier. I’m taking you out for a feast today," Kael called out, leaning against the small door leading to the training room.

  "Coming, Manager!" Shier replied, appearing before him in an instant.

  Cloud Mist City — Cloud Drunk Restaurant.

  Since Kael’s last meal here, he had been craving the taste again. It was a well-known chain for a reason. He told himself this was a belated "Welcome Banquet" for his new employee to maintain his "Dignity as a Manager," but in reality, he was just hungry.

  Shier, however, was quite touched by the gesture.

  "Order whatever you like, don't be shy," Kael said grandly, handing her the menu. He needed her to order a lot so it wouldn't look like he was the one overeating.

  "Thank you, Manager," Shier said sweetly, though she was still quite reserved and only ordered a few dishes.

  "Will that be all?" the waiter asked respectfully.

  "For now," Kael waved a hand. "We'll add more if we need to."