Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Zhong Ke Qi’s sudden appearance was beyond everyone’s expectations. They instinctively shifted their eyes toward Duan Ling Tian.
“Are you Duan Ling Tian?” Zhong Ke Qi looked at Duan Ling Tian disdainfully as soon as he arrived, asking, “Which clan or sect are you from? How dare you challenge me? Do you think the Zhong clan is weak? Brat, do you know what a king-rank clan stands for?”
Duan Ling Tian ignored Zhong Ke Qi and asked Chu Feng Yang, “Teacher Chu, since he’s here, I can challenge him in person, right?”
“Yes.” Chu Feng Yang nodded with a smile. Earlier, he had been worried Duan Ling Tian would give up when Zhong Ke Qi appeared and threatened him. He was relieved when he heard Duan Ling Tian’s words. After a moment, he said to Duan Ling Tian through Voice Transmission, “Don’t worry. The dean will protect you. The Zhong clan won’t dare to cross the line. Moreover, with your innate talent and comprehension skills, I’m sure the dean would be more than happy to accept you as his disciple. If you’re the dean’s disciple, the Zhong clan definitely won’t dare to act against you!”
Upon hearing Chu Feng Yang’s words, Duan Ling Tian recalled he had heard the voice of Murong Sui Feng, the dean of the Hidden Fog Academy, during the Zhou clan’s auction. At that time, Murong Sui Feng sounded confident and domineering. He also recalled the rumors he heard about how Murong Sui Feng had possibly broken through and become a Lord of Gods. He also knew Murong Sui Feng was widely acknowledged to be the strongest person in Skywind City.
Duan Ling Tian did not respond to Chu Feng Yang. After all, it was impossible for him to become Murong Sui Feng’s disciple. He only had one master, and that was Feng Qing Yang who was still in the Asura Hell, one of the seven deadliest places in the Devata Realms.
‘I wonder how’s master?’ Duan Ling Tian was overcome with guilt when he thought about his master. After all, it was mostly because of him that his master was in such a state now. Without him, his master would be cultivating peacefully in the Heavenly Palace of the Solitary Destructive Heaven. When the passages between the Devata Realms and the Realms of Gods opened, his master would have a meteoric rise after entering one of the Realms of Gods.
His master, Feng Qing Yang, had comprehended the Sword Dao, one of the Four Daos of Heaven and Earth. Apart from that, he had inherited the legacy of a supreme being. Hence, there was no doubt that he would rise to prominent ranks after coming to the Realm of Gods. However, because of Duan Ling Tian, he could only hide in the Asura Hell, one of the seven deadliest places in the Devata Realms.
At this moment, Duan Ling Tian looked at Zhong Ke Qi and said with a contemptuous smile, “You’re the little prince of the Zhong clan, right? I, Duan Ling Tian, challenge you to a fight now. Are you going to accept the challenge or are you going to run away like a coward?”
Zhong Ke Qi’s expression soured immediately. He did not expect the new student would boldly challenge him even after he had mentioned his clan. He wondered if Duan Ling Tian was unaware of the Zhong clan’s influence in Skywind City or if Duan Ling Tian truly thought the dean of the Hidden Fog Academy would be able to protect him.
“Duan Ling Tian,” Zhong Ke Qi said threateningly through Voice Transmission, “Do you think the dean can protect you? Let me remind you that he’s also the Vice Sect Leader of the Hidden Fog Sect. He’ll be too busy managing the sect and the academy’s affairs to truly protect you. Can he stay by your side all the time to protect you? Whether it’s in Skywind City or the Hidden Fog Sect, our Zhong clan will have a way to deal with you!”
Duan Ling Tian smiled when he heard Zhong Ke Qi’s threats. “There’s no need to threaten me through Voice Transmission. You only have two choices today: accept my challenge or run away like a coward. Wait, there’s also a third choice: admit defeat now. Considering everything, I think the best choice for you is to admit defeat.”
“You!” Zhong Ke Qi did not expect Duan Ling Tian would expose and humiliate him. His anger surged as he roared, “You’ll regret this! I’ll make you regret this!” Then, he looked at Chu Feng Yang and said through gritted teeth, “Teacher Chu, I admit defeat!”
After he finished speaking, Zhong Ke Qi flicked his sleeve and left. Naturally, he was not so stupid to accept Duan Ling Tian’s challenge no matter how angry he was. He was not even a match for Hong Jun who was soundly defeated by Duan Ling Tian; how could he accept Duan Ling Tian’s challenge? As much as he hated it, he knew admitting defeat was the best choice.
He had considered ignoring Duan Ling Tian and returning to his prominent-grade courtyard. Before the time was up, he would send a message to the Zhong clan so the clan would pressure Duan Ling Tian until Duan Ling Tian withdrew his challenge. However, how could he do so when Duan Ling Tian asked if he was going to flee like a coward? Although no one would dare to laugh at him openly, they would definitely make fun of him behind his back. He would be known as a coward from henceforth. Naturally, he did not want this to happen.
As Zhong Ke Qi left, he did forget to say to Duan Ling Tian through Voice Transmission again, “Duan Ling Tian, enjoy the time you have now! You don’t have long to live!”
Duan Ling Tian naturally did not take Zhong Ke Qi’s words to heart. After obtaining the right to occupy Zhong Ke Qi’s prominent-grade courtyard, he did not waste time and left the arena.
When Duan Ling Tian finally vanished from sight, everyone finally regained their senses.
“After so long, there’s finally a switch in the occupants for the prominent-grade courtyards! With this, there are only two unworthy occupants of the prominent-grade courtyards left!”
“Where did Duan Ling Tian come from? He’s really terrifyingly strong!”
“With this strength, he’s stronger than all of the present Ten Stars students! There’s no doubt he’s now the strongest student of the Hidden Fog Academy!”
“To think he’s not even 2,800 years old! When he matures, he’ll definitely hold a high position in the Hidden Fog Sect! Who knows he might even be selected as a candidate to become the future Sect Leader of the Hidden Fog Sect?”
The students discussed enthusiastically among themselves.
The teachers seemed to be in a good mood. Even Yuan Lei was smiling. As a teacher of the Hidden Fog Academy, he naturally hoped for more fairness in the academy and for the Ten Stars students to improve. How could any teacher stand to watch their students’ progress stagnating? With competition, progress would surely follow.
Without competition, the Ten Stars student would only grow complacent. This would only result in them being mediocre. Even if they could join the Hidden Fog Academy, they would not have high positions.
“He’s amazing,” Liu Jin thought to himself. He sighed inwardly, filled with mixed feelings. He had thought the new student would be living in a nominal-grade courtyard like him, but to his shock, in just a day, before even settling down in the nominal-grade courtyard, the new student won the right to occupy a primitive-grade, mediocre-grade, and prominent-grade courtyards consecutively. In the end, the new student would be living in the prominent-grade courtyard that was previously occupied by Zhong Ke Qi, the little prince of the Zhong clan.
…
News of Duan Ling Tian’s actions spread quickly through the entire Hidden Fog Academy.
Everyone, including new students, was shocked by the news.
“We’re all new students, but the difference between us and Senior Brother Duan is too vast! He’s really amazing!”
“That’s right! As soon as he joined the academy, he defeated Senior Brother Hong Jun, one of the five strongest students in the Hidden Fog Academy! He’s now the strongest student of the Hidden Fog Academy!”
“Apart from that, I heard that he’s also the first outsider to have participated in the Ten Stars assessment in 30 years! He’s also the first Ten Stars student in the academy after 30 years! As soon as he appeared, he stirred up such a commotion!”
The Hidden Fog Academy was buzzing.
…
In the evening.
The setting sun cast a red light on the sky.
As darkness gradually descended, two figures flashed away from the sky above the Hidden Fog Academy, leaving no trace behind.
The two figures belonged to a young girl and a beautiful woman. If Duan Ling Tian saw them, he would recognize them as Duan Qiao Yu and Yu Qiu Xuan whom he had met in the Zhou clan’s trading zone half a month ago.
…
That night, a small commotion broke out in Skywind City’s Zhong clan.
“Did you hear? Our Young Master admitted defeat when he was challenged and had to give up the prominent-grade courtyard he was living in!”
Despite Zhong Ke Qi’s wish to keep the news from spreading, it had spread to the Zhong clan as well. After all, the members of the clan had friends in the academy as well.
Apart from that, several king-rank forces received the news as well.
Contrary to the gloomy atmosphere in the Zhong clan, the other king-rank forces took pleasure in the Zhong clan’s misfortune. They openly made fun of the Zhong clan.
That night, there was bloodshed among these disciples of king-rank forces when they met outside.. To be precise, it was the disciples of the Zhong clan against the disciples of the other king-rank forces.
