Two days later
Today was the final day of the biannual assessment. After this, the current batch of Greenwood Academy students would be given a month-long leave.
The martial arena was packed. Unlike previous days, more instructors had gathered, and word had it that several guests from Misty Rain Island had come as well.
Brother Chen and Guo were still running their betting stall in the same spot as before. A group of students surrounded them, chatting and laughing.
In the arena, all the students from the Martial Division stood lined up in rows, with Instructor Jianhong and Instructor Zhao positioned at the front.
Instructor Jianhong stepped forward and addressed the students.
"Some of you may have felt it was unfair when I selected a few seeded candidates. Now, I'm giving you the chance to challenge them. You may pick any one of them and attempt to take their place in the top eight."
After the preliminary rounds, the top eight had been decided. Among them, four were the seeded candidates: Zhao Mingyu, Bai Tian, Ma Yuan, and Ma Hai. The other four had earned their spots through battle: Ren Ming, Wen Yu, Mu Rulan, and Wu Meng.
Mo Tian stood among the students, his thoughts restless.
"I'm still not confident enough to defeat Bai Tian. Once I open a few more meridians, I'll show both Ren Ming and Bai Tian the true power of the Thunder Element," he thought. He noticed there were many outsiders in the stands today.
Rather than making a fool of himself in front of the crowd, it was better to aim for a higher ranking. As for Bai Tian, Mo Tian doubted the Zhao Clan would let someone like Zhao Mingyu associate with a talentless man without cultivation.
His eyes flickered as he stared at Bai Tian, who returned the look with a faint smile. Clenching his fist, Mo Tian stepped forward and spoke.
"Instructor, I wish to challenge Ma Hai."
Instructor Jianhong waited a while, but in the end, only Mo Tian and Zhao Heng stepped up to challenge the seeded candidates.
"It seems the presence of so many guests made them nervous," Jianhong thought. "Especially with Zhao Mingyu here. After all, she's already destined to become the next Misty Rain Lord."
As this crossed his mind, he glanced toward the stands and noticed Vice Principal Liu Ruyan looking back at him. He gave her a small nod.
In the stands, Liu Ruyan sat alongside other instructors.
The academy's administration was divided between divisions, and only the Martial Division's assessment remained. The other divisions had already concluded theirs, but it had become a tradition for everyone to stay and watch the Martial Division's biannual assessment before leaving the academy.
"It seems this batch is weaker than the last one," a beautiful woman in a blue dress remarked. She was the same instructor who had gone to pick up the new students with Instructor Jianhong.
"That depends on how you measure it," Vice Principal Liu Ruyan replied in a calm tone. "If you're only looking at cultivation, fewer have opened their meridians. But in terms of strength, the top students in this batch are far superior."
Several instructors nodded in agreement. There were indeed some exceptional talents this time.
An old man with a muscular build sighed repeatedly before speaking.
"Little Liu, why don't you let me transfer those three students to my division?"
Vice Principal Liu Ruyan's sharp eyes turned to him, her gaze cold as a blade. After a moment, she spoke in a frosty, formal tone.
"Instructor Yan Cang, I am the vice principal of Greenwood Academy. Please mind your words. Students here have the freedom to choose their divisions based on merit. We instructors are forbidden from forcing them."
Though several instructors felt like laughing, no one dared. Despite being one of the youngest, Liu Ruyan was known for her strict discipline and formidable strength as a Foundation Establishment cultivator. It was precisely why she'd earned her position so young.
"Someday, Ruyan might really kill this old fool," the woman in blue silently mused.
....
The arena was abuzz with excitement as the next match began. Mo Tian now stood opposite Ma Hai, the youngest of the Ma brothers.
Mo Tian narrowed his eyes. He knew the Ma brothers had a reputation for terrifying physical strength, which played a vital role in combat during the early stages of Meridian Opening. Even if Ma Hai couldn't match Bai Tian's skill, Mo Tian reminded himself to stay cautious and adjusted his stance accordingly.
As soon as Instructor Jianhong's voice rang out, signaling the start of the match, Mo Tian moved like a streak of light. His sword strikes rained down in a relentless barrage, sharp enough to split stone. Yet Ma Hai made no attempt to dodge. Astral energy surged around his burly frame, coating his skin in a faint blue sheen as he charged headlong toward Mo Tian.
Mo Tian frowned. His sword barely left a mark on Ma Hai's fortified body. Worse, the brute force approach gave Ma Hai more opportunities to launch counterattacks. If this dragged on, Mo Tian knew his energy would run out. And once that happened, Ma Hai would crush him.
Without hesitation, Mo Tian flickered to the side and unleashed Heavenly Arc Flash, a blinding arc of light aimed at Ma Hai's back. To his surprise, Ma Hai spun around, raising his spear just in time to block the strike.
"Tch… this brute isn't just strong. He actually knows how to fight."
Grinding his teeth, Mo Tian quickly revised his plan. He would force Ma Hai to waste his astral energy first.
From that point, Ma Hai fought like a berserker, launching ferocious attacks while Mo Tian narrowly evaded, moving with hair's breadth precision. He never allowed the heavy spear to land a decisive blow.
The battle raged on. Dust swirled around them. The crowd held its breath, captivated by the clash of might and agility. Ma Hai's aura began to flicker, his movements growing frantic.
Finally, Mo Tian saw his chance.
His eyes turned cold. Violet light danced along the edge of his sword. Taking a deep breath, he shouted, "Wrath of the Heavens!"
A violent surge of thunder energy burst forth, crackling fiercely through the air. Invisible sparks danced along Mo Tian's sword, casting flickering lights as the raw power radiated from his strike.
The arena fell into stunned silence.
In the stands, Wen Yu smirked.
"I didn't know he was this smart. Baiting Ma Hai into exhausting himself before finishing him… impressive."
Bai Tian, standing beside him, shook his head.
He was probably stressed that Ren Ming would do the same as you, so he wanted to end the battle quickly. He cares too much about his reputation, which caused him to lose even faster.
Wen Yu scowled but didn't argue.
"Ren Ming… that bastard. Who knew what he is thinking?"
Among the instructors, several eyes lit up as the spark of thunder energy flashed through the arena. Though they knew Mo Tian had a thunder affinity, witnessing it firsthand still sent a ripple of excitement through them. Thunder was a rare and highly prized element, particularly effective against aquatic beasts and water monsters.
Even the new spectators felt their blood boil.
"A Thunder element cultivator!" someone shouted.
"There's one in this batch?!"
Back on the battlefield, Ma Hai roared, pouring every ounce of his remaining astral energy into defense. But no matter how hard he fought, his cultivation realm was too low to endure such a devastating attack.
The thunderbolts tore through his defenses. His body convulsed as he was hurled backward, slamming into the arena floor.
The crowd erupted in cheers. Yet, just as they thought it was over, Ma Hai's hand twitched. Slowly, stubbornly, he tried to rise.
Mo Tian, pale and breathless, rushed forward, pressing the tip of his sword against Ma Hai's throat.
Only then did he allow himself a sigh of relief.
His energy was nearly spent. If Ma Hai had managed one more charge, he would have been powerless.
Instructor Jianhong's voice rang out.
"Winner, Mo Tian!"
The cheers rose louder, thunderous applause sweeping through the stands.
But the excitement abruptly gave way to an eerie hush when Instructor Jianhong called the next names.
"Zhao Mingyu and Zhao Heng, to the arena."
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
Zhao Heng had shocked everyone by challenging Zhao Mingyu. Though he had lost to Mu Rulan earlier, his strength was undeniable. Still, to challenge Zhao Mingyu was a reckless move in many eyes. Yet the crowd's excitement only grew. Most had only heard tales of Zhao Mingyu's unmatched talent, her cold beauty, and her inevitable future as a Sovereign of one of the Tier-1 Islands.
Everyone was eager to witness her strength firsthand.
The arena fell silent.
Zhao Mingyu entered with effortless grace. She wore a dark blue battle robe reinforced with light armor at her shoulders and forearms. Her long, ink-black hair was tied into a high ponytail, her expression calm, her sharp gaze like twin blades. Every movement exuded supreme confidence.
Countless eyes followed her, unable to look away, especially the young men.
Even Mo Tian, still catching his breath, stared at her with undisguised obsession.
"Only she is worthy to be my wife," he murmured, voice thick with longing.
From a distance, Ren Ming's eyes flickered. He had grown up constantly compared to Zhao Mingyu, in talent, status, and achievements. No one knew what he truly felt toward her. Perhaps even he didn't.
Wen Yu, meanwhile, kept glancing between Zhao Mingyu and Bai Tian. The latter's expression remained calm, as if indifferent to everything around him. Wen Yu couldn't help but wonder if his friend was a eunuch.
After all, even he had to admit Zhao Mingyu was breathtaking.
Among the instructors, sharp eyes observed both Zhao Mingyu and Liu Ruyan. The resemblance between them was unsettling, not just in appearance, but in presence, temperament, and raw talent.
As for Zhao Heng, no one even spared him a glance.