“A lot? I actually asked for less than I wanted—my request is already within what you can handle. Who knew you’d be so stingy?” Evan Chu complained, clearly dissatisfied.
“And what makes you think you deserve so many Starstones from us? If you can give us a convincing reason, maybe we’d consider it,” Marcus Gongsun interjected from the side.
“Alright, you said it yourself. You’re the Vice-Dean, so your word should count, right? I can tell you very clearly—
as long as I have enough Starstones to cultivate, I can reach ninth-level Earth Martial Realm within three years, maybe even break into the Heaven Martial Realm. That’s my minimum promise to you.” Evan Chu declared with full confidence.
“Three years to reach ninth-level Earth Martial? Maybe even Heaven Martial Realm? Do you really think that’s possible? No matter how talented you are, that’s impossible.
Kid, don’t try to fool us like that. We’re all experienced here—we know exactly how hard breakthroughs really are.” Dean Xavier almost popped his eyes out in shock. Was this kid even thinking before he spoke?
“You think I’m joking? I’ll tell you the truth—three months ago I was still a ‘waste’ stuck at first-level Xuanwu for two years. Now I can beat a third-level Earth Martial expert. Do you think that’s possible?”
Evan Chu’s words were so confident that they couldn’t help but believe him. The determined look in his eyes made it clear he wasn’t lying.
The three exchanged glances, half-believing, half-doubting Evan Chu’s claim. Jumping from first-level Xuanwu to his current strength in just three months—no one had ever seen progress like that.
“Did you have some kind of lucky encounter, or did your bloodline awaken?” Dean Xavier had seen plenty of strange things—some people were born with powerful bloodlines, and once awakened, their strength could multiply overnight.
“Let’s call it a lucky encounter. As for what it was, I can’t reveal it yet—the timing isn’t right. But one day, I’ll definitely tell you.” Of course, Evan Chu wasn’t about to mention the Sword Spirit.
“Looks like you’ve got plenty of secrets, kid. We’ll agree to your terms, but you’ll have to accept ours too.”
“What do you want? As long as it’s not too difficult, I’ll accept.” Actually, Evan Chu already knew what they wanted—Luna had told him earlier.
“Next year our academy will compete against Sea Dragon Academy. I want you to win. To be honest, Heavenly Dragon Academy hasn’t beaten them in years,” Dean Xavier admitted.
Evan Chu’s talent was obvious. If what he said was true and he had enough Starstones, his strength would skyrocket. As long as he competed, they might actually have a chance to win.
“Is there a reward? Didn’t expect Heavenly Dragon Academy to be so weak! Don’t worry, just leave it to me. As long as the Starstones are in place, I’ll make sure the victory is in place!” Evan Chu was thrilled.
“Alright, I’ll arrange for your Starstones separately. I’ll also get you a private cultivation room. Just don’t let me down.”
Dean Xavier had no other choice. After losing for so many years, it was about time to win again—and maybe this kid was the key.
“Thanks, old man! I’m off! Don’t forget my Starstones—I’m on a tight schedule!” Evan Chu shouted as he dashed away.
“That kid really is a sly one. We got extorted today and can’t even complain. Marcus Gongsun, Elder Wayne, do you think we made the right call?” Dean Xavier asked after Evan left.
“Dean, I think this kid is really something. Look at how he talks to people at our level—no fear at all, straight to the point, no hesitation.
His talent is top-tier. I’m sure he’ll break through to that realm one day.” Elder Wayne said slowly, still in shock at Evan Chu’s potential.
“That’s enough for today. Elder Wayne, go get ready—it’s the start of a new term, and we should say a few words to the students.”
After leaving, Evan Chu didn’t go straight to the ordinary class—he wasn’t sure which one he belonged to. He wandered outside until he saw Elder Wayne approaching and quickly asked, “Hey, old man, which class am I in?”
“You’re in Class One. Later, everyone will gather at the Martial Testing Ground—the Dean wants to speak to you all.” Elder Wayne hurried off, not bothered by Evan Chu calling him ‘old man.’
Evan Chu headed straight for Ordinary Class One. The classroom was already packed, and the young, beautiful instructor was saying something at the front.
Ignoring all the jealous and envious stares, Evan Chu spotted a couple of empty seats and randomly picked one.
Only after sitting down did he realize how right his earlier judgment was—even in the ordinary class, these students were strong. Some had an aura that clearly marked them as Earth Martial Realm; just thinking about it was intimidating.
The beautiful instructor glanced at Evan Chu, then continued, “Since you’re all in the same class, you should help each other.
Especially for newcomers and those promoted from the remedial class—you’d better not bully anyone. If I catch you, it’s a full day in the twenty-times gravity room facing the wall.”
Hearing the instructor’s words, many of the old students in the ordinary class were shocked—it had never been this strict before, even when new students joined.
Getting punished in the gravity room—at twenty times normal gravity—just for bullying? The thought alone was enough to make their skin crawl. No wonder she was called the Demon Rakshasa.
“Everyone, follow me to the Martial Testing Ground. Remember, we’re Class One—there are other ordinary classes too. Don’t embarrass your class; that’s the last thing I want to see!” The instructor gave Evan Chu a special look as she finished.
Led by the instructor, the students quickly gathered at the Martial Testing Ground.
Today was the first day of term at Heavenly Dragon Academy. Not only were there new students, but many returning ones, and even the elite class would show up.
This chapter isn’t over yet ^.^—click next page to continue reading!
The academy had thousands of students, but every returning student here gave Evan Chu a sense of unfathomable depth.
It was as if each one had been tempered between life and death; just standing there, a murderous aura seemed to rise from them, making it impossible to look down on anyone.
Evan Chu lined up behind a student a few years older than him, and soon heard people nearby whispering.
“See that guy? That’s Quinn Wu, ranked fourth among the academy’s Top Ten Experts. They say his martial skills fuse two elements—really bizarre stuff.”
“There’s a Top Ten Experts list? How come I never heard of it?”
“Wow, you really don’t know much. The Heavenly Dragon Academy Top Ten Experts list has always existed—it just gets updated after new students enroll.”
“Are there any newcomers on the Top Ten?”
“Not really. I’m talking about the ordinary classes—four of them made the list. Our class has one, Class Two has two, and Class Three has one.”
“Who are they? Why haven’t I heard about this before?”
“Our class has Ryan Ouyang. He’s already reached third-level Earth Martial Realm and is ranked seventh. The six above him are all veteran students, but rumor has it Ryan’s strength isn’t inferior to theirs—if he shows his true power, his ranking might change.”
“What about the other three?”
“Class Two has Lana Li—don’t be fooled by her looks, she’s fierce. Nicknamed ‘She-Leopard,’ she’s mastered a powerful Profound-grade martial art. Not long ago, she defeated a second-level Earth Martial student in a single move. She’s ranked eighth.”
“And?”
“Class Two also has Ethan Qin. His martial skills are unusual—he fights like a wild beast. People say his attacks are incredible, and he’s ranked ninth.”
“Who’s number ten? I don’t think anyone from Class Three is that impressive.”
“See that kid in off-white? That’s Cole Deng, Class Three’s top expert. He’s at the peak of second-level Earth Martial Realm. No one’s seen him fight, but even some elite class veterans seem afraid of him.
Just for that, the students ranked him tenth—a dark horse with potential to climb even higher.