Liang Hongda was someone who cared about upholding his status and wouldn’t host the competition. Therefore, after the lots were drawn, he let Tong Yiming come forth.
Tong Yiming had slowly climbed his way up from a small village in the mountain and didn’t have any complicated backgrounds. In addition to how he abhorred evil and was impartial, most of the examinations and competitions before the 3-star ones would all have him as the main examiner.
During the high-star examinations, interest distributions and politics would come into play. Therefore, it wasn’t a place where someone like Tong Yiming could get involved in.
Tong Yiming couldn’t be bothered to get involved in those matters either.
“It’s my greatest joy to see these rising stars coming up every year!”
Tong Yiming felt emotional and announced the start of the competition.
Sun Mo didn’t bow but frowned slightly. “Teacher Mei, is your body alright? Pardon me for being forthright, but you shouldn’t be participating in battles!”
“En!”
Mei Ziyu lowered her head and gave a soft reply, adding in her heart. (If I didn’t meet you and want to become a 2-star great teacher together with you, I wouldn’t come to take part in the examination.)
To Mei Ziyu who had a sickly constitution, it was already very difficult to continue living. She didn’t have the additional energy to teach and nurture students.
It could be said that over so many years, Mei Ziyu’s daily life was to get treatment and take care of plants. It was only after meeting Sun Mo that she suddenly had this small goal.
“Teacher Mei, I might not be able to win against you in a fight, but if I were to go all out, your body won’t be able to take it.”
No matter how arrogant Sun Mo was, he didn’t dare to compare with Mei Ziyu. What a genius she must be to reach the divine force realm at the age of 18?
As Mei Ziyu was sick, her cultivation duration wasn’t long. Otherwise, her realm would be even more terrifying.
“En!”
Mei Ziyu nodded slightly. After seeing Sun Mo fighting against Han Xi, she knew how amazing Sun Mo was if he were to go all out. She might be able to win against him, but after that, she wouldn’t have many months to live either. It was because the fight would deplete her vitality.
“If it was any other competition, I wouldn’t mind giving in to you!”
Sun Mo said in a solemn tone, “I don’t really care for things like reputations and titles. But for the great teacher examinations, I’m getting support from my personal disciples, and I don’t wish to embarrass them. So, I’m sorry.”
“What happened? Do they know each other?”
“A cheating couple?”
“I don’t think so. I heard that Sun Mo already has a fiancée! She’s even ranked fifth on the Devastating Beauty Rankings!”
“What? There are such things? Quickly share it with me!”
The audience was very gossipy.
Sun Mo drew out his wooden blade. “Sun Mo, third level of the divine force realm. Please give me your guidance!”
“Teacher Sun is a good person!”
Mei Ziyu praised and then drew out her weapon. It was also a wooden blade.
“You’re still saying that they aren’t a pair of cheating couple!?”
Someone meticulous noticed that Mei Ziyu and Sun Mo’s wooden blades were exactly the same.
“Sun Mo, you mustn’t do things that let Sister Xinhui down.”
Gu Xiuxun mumbled to herself and started to assess Mei Ziyu seriously. She had a good disposition and was clearly someone from a reputable background. Moreover, she looked very gentle and weak, spiking other’s feelings of pity and love toward her.
(Excellent. I, Gu Xiuxun, have been fighting valiantly over the years. This time around, I’ve finally found someone who is on par with me.)
“Mei Ziyu, seventh level of the divine force realm. Please give me your guidance!”
Mei Ziyu bowed.
Sssss!
Hearing Mei Ziyu’s cultivation level, the examinees who were watching drew in a cold gasp, almost turning the battle dojo into a vacuum state.
Seventh level of the divine force realm?
That must be a lie, right?
How old was this girl? She looked like she had just come of age, so how come was she already so amazing?
“Ziyu’s aptitude… Sigh, it’s such a pity!”
Liang Hongda felt emotional. For a genius like Mei Ziyu, cultivation realm was just a decor piece. The true strength they erupted in a life and death battle would definitely surpass their current realm.
Mei Yazhi’s eyes were a little red. She felt that she had let Ziyu down. If Ziyu had a healthy body, she’d be able to go and do the things she liked to do and not stay at home to get treatment.
This might be the last time she would get to see Ziyu standing on the stage of a great teacher examination.
“Teacher Mei, please!”
Sun Mo gestured for Mei Ziyu to attack first.
Seeing that Sun Mo didn’t even blink after she had announced her cultivation level, Mei Ziyu felt that she wasn’t wrong about Sun Mo.
“I shan’t stand on ceremony then!”
Mei Ziyu raised her wooden blade and with a swoosh, disappeared from the spot she was at.
“So fast!”
Sun Mo was surprised. He had performed the Grand Universe Formless Divine Art’s Copy, but this was the first time he had lost sight of his enemy. Thankfully, his senses weren’t weak either.
Sun Mo turned slightly toward his right and put his blade upright.
However, at the next instant, he frowned. It was because Mei Ziyu didn’t launch an attack. She just brushed past his body.
Hua!
A commotion broke out.
Sun Mo turned and saw Mei Ziyu standing under the arena.
“What does that mean?”
Sun Mo’s brows furrowed so tightly together that they could clamp a crab to death.
“Aiya, I dashed too fast and made a mistake!”
Mei Ziyu wore a witty smile. “But Teacher Sun’s upright blade was really done to perfection, nothing more, nothing less!”
The latter part of her words wasn’t said out of courtesy. It was a heartfelt praise.
An expert would be able to discern the truth and lie with great ease. Sun Mo’s simple act of holding his blade upright wouldn’t just be able to fend off Mei Ziyu’s first blade attack. It would also stop all angles from which her second attack would come next.
“Teacher Mei, this…”
Sun Mo smiled bitterly. He could tell that Mei Ziyu wasn’t planning on fighting him at all.
“Given my body, if I were to fight it out with you, I’ll definitely become bedridden thereafter. It’s better for me to conserve my energy and prepare for the personal disciples battle.”
Mei Ziyu said, “Teacher Sun, there’s no need for you to mind this. Even if we were to fight for real, I’ll have a high chance of dying from you dragging out this battle.”
The first battle of the top 12 ended in a surprising way.
The people who bet on Sun Mo coming out in first place were elated, while other people were cursing away. (No one would believe it even if you say that the two of them didn’t have some sort of affair.)
However, Sun Mo’s charm was really surprising. The supreme art of war was to subdue the enemy without fighting!
For the next rounds, Liu Mubai passed without any issues, while Shan Shi continued to chop off his opponents’ arms with a single sword, showing up as the strongest dark horse.
…
The next day was the battle for the top six.
The opponent Sun Mo drew was Fang Wuji.
“It’s over! Sun Mo will definitely pass again!”
“It’s all thanks to Sun Mo that Fang Wuji can become so handsome. So what if he were to give him the victory? If I were to be given the chance to improve my looks, I’m willing to be his son for life! Let alone letting him win a competition!”
“Scram! Does our Teacher Sun need other people to give in to him? You’re looking down on him!”
The audience started talking away, thinking that there wouldn’t be a fight once again.
As expected, after Tong Yiming announced for Sun Mo and Fang Wuji to go up the stage, the latter expressed that he was going to give up.
“Teacher Fang, there’s no need to do this!”
Sun Mo felt helpless. (What are you guys doing?)
“If it wasn’t for Teacher Sun, I’d be a living dead. I’ll definitely not fight against Teacher Sun!”
Before Sun Mo could say anything, Fang Wuji jumped off the arena without any hesitation.
“Why do you guys have to do this?”
Sun Mo felt helpless. He had advanced to the top four without making a single attack.
The rest of the competition was very exciting, especially the match in which Liu Mubai was up against a top graduate from the Myriad Spirits Academy. It was the most brutal, bloodthirsty, and exciting match so far.
In the end, Liu Mubai lost by the slightest margin, unable to fight for first place.
In the battles amongst the top six, three victors were decided. The group who had lost had also finished their battles, and the two victors were decided amongst them. After they drew lots, they joined the first and second group respectively, entering the fight for the top four.
Xie Cang didn’t have a strong pursuit for glory. After getting into the top ten, he gave up decisively. Wang Qing, on the other hand, clinched second place.
In the battle for the top four, the four people in the first group were Sun Mo, Xiao Li, Bai Shuang, and Wang Qing.
“If you were to draw my name, don’t give up.”
Sun Mo tried persuading Wang Qing. He really couldn’t take this anymore. Couldn’t they just have a proper fight?
“Don’t worry, my luck has always been bad. Otherwise, why do you think that I can sprain my leg just from walking down a flight of steps?” Wang Qing chuckled.
“That’s because you’re careless, isn’t it? What the hell does it have to do with luck?”
Sun Mo rolled his eyes.
Ten minutes later, it was proven that Wang Qing’s luck wasn’t bad, and as expected, Sun Mo’s luck was exceptionally bad. The opponent he had drawn was Xiao Li who was in the Longevity Realm.
After seeing the results of the lots, Bai Shuang’s brows furrowed tightly. She hesitated for a moment before coming over directly. “Teacher Xiao, please change opponents with me!”
“Why?”
Xiao Li felt curious.
“It’s because I want to educate Sun Mo!”
Bai Shuang couldn’t be bothered to argue on this matter.
As someone inflexible and defensive of those close to her, she felt that there was no way Sun Mo would be able to win against Xiao Li, who was in the Longevity Realm. How was she going to teach him a lesson then? How would she be able to help avenge her junior Gu Qingyan?
“Aren’t you afraid that you’d be the one to be educated?”
Xiao Li laughed softly and assessed Bai Shuang. “I know that you’re the top graduate from Skyraise Academy, but don’t look down on others too much!”
“Are you changing or not?”
Bai Shuang continued to ask, paying no heed to Xiao Li’s sneers. If he wasn’t convinced, they could just fight it out in the battle to determine the top two.
“Your emotional intelligence is really bad, right?”
Xiao Li was speechless. (Given that I’m speaking up for Sun Mo, my reply should be obvious!) “I’m not changing!”
Bai Shuang turned to leave.
“Crazy!”
Xiao Li mumbled.
The first round was Bai Shuang against Wang Qing. It was unknown if Bai Shuang was venting her anger, but she attacked fiercely right off the bat.
Wang Qing wasn’t able to do anything when he fell off the arena in a battered state.
His instincts weren’t wrong. It was still an extremely bad lot to have drawn Bai Shuang.
Or it could be said that when he was put into the first group, it was destined that he’d get the very worst lot.
In the arena, Sun Mo and Xiao Li were up against each other.
“That Bai Shuang is really amazing!”
Xiao Li felt pained. He might not necessarily win if he was up against her.
“That’s for sure!”
Sun Mo nodded. Bai Shuang was a spirit controller, but until now, she hadn’t even summoned her spiritual beasts. Everyone knew that most spirit controllers’ battle prowess came from their spiritual beasts.
“But let’s not care about her. Let’s just have a good fight!”
Sun Mo cracked his knuckles. He was up against someone from the Longevity Realm. It was a very rare experience.
