Inside the private room, both the grey-robed elder and Fei Banqing were staring at Ye Guan.
Puzzlement filled their eyes.
At that moment, Fei Banqing walked over to Ye Guan’s side. She tugged at him gently and asked in a low voice, “What’s wrong?”
Ye Guan snapped out of his thoughts, then said softly, “Nothing. I just had a strange feeling of familiarity.”
He shook his head with a smile. “Let’s go.”
With that, he walked toward the exit.
Fei Banqing glanced once more at the portrait on the wall, then followed him out.
…
On the way back, Ye Guan looked at the Heaven-tier cultivation method in his hands. “Mentor…”
Fei Banqing said calmly, “I told you, it’s just pocket money.”
Ye Guan hesitated, then opened his palm. A small black box appeared before Fei Banqing.
She opened it and found a Heaven-tier demonic beast core inside.
Fei Banqing looked at Ye Guan. “What’s this? You don’t want to owe me a favour?
Ye Guan hurriedly replied, “I just felt a little embarrassed…”
Fei Banqing shook her head. “You are my student. Providing you with a cultivation method is only right and proper. Besides, you promised to win first place for the Academy in the martial examination. You don’t owe me anything.”
Ye Guan was about to speak again when Fei Banqing turned and vanished on the spot.
Ye Guan could only smile helplessly.
Back at the Academy, just as he was about to start cultivating, a man suddenly blocked his path.
The man was burly, wearing a tight black robe that outlined his bulging muscles, radiating explosive power.
He stared at Ye Guan. “You’re Lady Nalan’s fiancé?”
Ye Guan nodded. “And you are?”
The man replied, “Sun Xiong.”
Sun Xiong!
One of the three supreme geniuses!
Ye Guan glanced at him. “Something the matter?”
Sun Xiong grinned. “Life-and-death arena.”
Life-and-death arena!
Ye Guan said calmly, “Sure.”
Sun Xiong laughed heartily. “Whatever else I can say, you’ve got guts. Let’s go.”
He turned and shot toward the horizon.
Ye Guan tapped the ground lightly with his toes, leapt into the air, and followed.
Did he ask why?
No.
Because there was no need.
If you want to fight, then let’s fight.
Soon, Ye Guan followed Sun Xiong to the summit of a mountain. At the peak stood an enormous bluestone arena, a thousand zhang long and wide. On either side lay a ten-thousand-zhang abyss. Around the arena rose dozens of stone pillars over ten zhang tall.
The Life-and-Death Arena!
Within the Guanxuan Academy, if two parties had irreconcilable grievances, they could agree to meet here.
Once on the life-and-death arena, fate decided the outcome.
News of Ye Guan and Sun Xiong ascending the arena spread like wildfire throughout the entire Academy. In no time, several thousand people had gathered around the platform.
On a high terrace somewhere, Fei Banqing quietly watched Ye Guan in the distance. She did not intervene.
Why should she?
Her philosophy had always been: do not start trouble, but never fear it either.
If someone challenged her student and he refused, she would actually look down on him.
At that moment, Lu Chen appeared beside her. He gazed at Ye Guan and said, “Someone is pulling strings in the shadows.”
Fei.
Fei Banqing replied calmly, “I know.”
Lu Chen looked at her. She continued, “Let it be. Let the younger generation settle their own fights.”
Lu Chen nodded slightly.
The Guanxuan Academy was no Buddhist sanctuary. Fighting was permitted. Without competition, the students would become nothing but bookworms devoid of spirit. Then the Academy would truly be finished.
It was worth noting that every successive Dean of the Guanxuan Academy had emerged victorious from the previous generation’s internal struggles.
At that moment, an elder appeared in the arena.
It was Song Ci.
He looked at Ye Guan in the distance, his expression complicated.
That day, Ye Guan had almost become his student, but in the end he had given the spot to Li Chuan of the Li family.
He had never expected the youth would still end up at the Academy.
On the life-and-death arena.
Sun Xiong looked at Ye Guan. “Make your move.”
Ye Guan nodded slightly. Suddenly he charged forward, tearing through the air with terrifying speed.
Sun Xiong’s eyes narrowed. His right hand clenched fiercely. Flames suddenly gathered in his palm. The next instant, he also rushed forward and threw a punch at Ye Guan.
A direct clash!
As the flaming fist came roaring toward him, Ye Guan’s eyes narrowed. Just as the two fists were about to collide, Ye Guan’s clenched fist suddenly opened into a palm. He slid it along Sun Xiong’s arm and struck straight at his throat.
At almost the exact same moment, Sun Xiong’s punch landed squarely on Ye Guan’s chest.
Crack!
Boom!
Both men were sent flying backward almost simultaneously.
Seeing this, Lu Chen’s expression on the stone pillar turned grave. “Did you teach him that suicidal fighting style?”
Fei Banqing shook her head. She looked at Ye Guan in the distance, her own expression complicated.
This fellow really did not fear death.
On the distant arena, Ye Guan was still sliding backward, a mouthful of essence blood spraying from his lips. Yet in the next instant, he forcibly suppressed the churning in his abdomen, shot forward like a cheetah pouncing on prey, and charged at Sun Xiong again.
At this moment, Sun Xiong’s eyes were wide, blood streaming from all seven orifices. His right hand clutched his throat protectively.
He had never imagined the man before him would fight so recklessly, trading injury for injury.
His strength was immense, but his speed was lacking. That was how Ye Guan had managed to wound him so severely.
His throat had taken a heavy blow, leaving him gravely injured. Yet seeing Ye Guan charging again, a ferocious glint flashed in Sun Xiong’s eyes. Ignoring the agony in his throat, he rushed forward once more, flames blazing around his fist as he smashed toward Ye Guan.
Seeing Sun Xiong stake everything on this all-out punch, Ye Guan suddenly rolled to the right, instantly creating distance.
Boom!
Sun Xiong’s punch struck only air. The air exploded with a piercing screech.
Almost instantly, Sun Xiong’s face changed drastically. Ye Guan had already rolled to his feet.
Before Sun Xiong could throw another punch, Ye Guan swept a low kick at his legs.
Bang!
Sun Xiong lost balance and flew backward. At that moment, Ye Guan leapt high and drove a ferocious kick into Sun Xiong’s abdomen.
Boom!
Sun Xiong crashed heavily onto the ground, coughing up a large mouthful of blood.
Ye Guan immediately dropped down, his right hand clamping around Sun Xiong’s throat.
“Ye Guan!”
At that moment, Song Ci’s voice rang out from the stone terrace.
Fei Banqing glanced at Song Ci, expressionless.
Lu Chen merely watched Ye Guan without speaking.
Ye Guan slowly raised his head to look at Song Ci. Seeing the bloodlust in Ye Guan’s crimson eyes, Song Ci hesitated, then said, “Could you spare him?”
Ye Guan replied calmly, “Of course.”
With that, he released Sun Xiong and stood up.
Everyone was stunned.
Even Song Ci was stunned. He had not expected Ye Guan to actually spare Sun Xiong.
After standing, Ye Guan wiped the blood from his mouth. Under the gazes of the crowd, he walked to the side and looked straight at a white-robed man standing on a distant stone pillar.
It was Nan Xuan.
In front of everyone, Ye Guan stared directly at Nan Xuan. “I know you’re the one pulling strings behind the scenes. Since you want me dead, fine. I’ll give you the chance right now. Come down to the life-and-death arena. Let us settle this once and for all.”
At those words, the entire crowd froze, then turned to look at Nan Xuan.
Fei Banqing glanced at Nan Xuan but said nothing.
Nan Xuan stared at Ye Guan. After a moment, he suddenly smiled. “Brother Ye, I don’t know what you’re talki—”
“Get down here!”
Ye Guan suddenly roared, “Stop spewing bullshit. I’m going to end you today. Get down here and die!”
Nan Xuan’s face instantly turned extremely ugly.
He had never imagined Ye Guan would publicly call him out like this.
He knew Ye Guan suspected him of orchestrating Sun Xiong’s challenge, but he was confident Ye Guan had no proof.
Yet this guy didn’t care about proof. He challenged him directly.
At that moment, Song Ci also turned to look at Nan Xuan, his gaze turning icy.
He realised his rather dim-witted student had been used as a pawn.
Nan Xuan suddenly laughed again. “Brother Ye, there seems to be some misunder—”
Ye Guan cut in, “Are you scared?”
The students around them looked at Nan Xuan with strange expressions.
Nan Xuan’s gaze gradually turned cold.
He knew that if he refused today, his reputation would be ruined.
Just as he was about to accept, an elder suddenly appeared beside him. It was Xiao Ge, one of the three great mentors.
Xiao Ge looked at Ye Guan. “A life-and-death challenge is permitted, but we will not take advantage of an injured opponent. One month from now, after your injuries heal, you two may settle it here on the life-and-death arena.”
With that, he took Nan Xuan and vanished.
Seeing this, Ye Guan’s face darkened.
A moment later, he turned and walked away.
At that moment, Sun Xiong, still lying on the ground, rasped hoarsely, “Why didn’t you kill me?”
Ye Guan glanced at him, then pointed to the right. “That’s a ten-thousand-zhang abyss. If you find defeat too humiliating, jump.”
Sun Xiong stared at Ye Guan.
Ye Guan said calmly, “Is defeat frightening? It isn’t. What you should be thinking about now is why you lost to me, not wallowing in humiliation. A real man can bow and rise again. If you cannot endure a single defeat, what kind of man are you?”
With that, he walked into the distance. “Remember, you owe me a favour. Also, don’t just train your body. Train your brain a little, or you’ll keep being someone else’s pawn.”
Sun Xiong was silent. He knew he had been tricked this time.
Around them, the students watched Ye Guan walking away, their expressions varied.
No one had expected Lady Nalan’s fiancé to be this strong.
And this handsome.
Some female students were already looking at him differently.
On the stone pillar, Fei Banqing watched Ye Guan disappear into the distance, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly.
Lu Chen laughed. “This kid is something else.”
Fei Banqing nodded slightly. “I truly didn’t expect him to spare Sun Xiong.”
Lu Chen nodded. “Sun Xiong is a bit simple-minded… well, pure-hearted. Nan Xuan schemes too much. Little Jia is too easygoing… With this, all three of them have probably lost their chance at becoming Chief Student.”
Fei Banqing looked at Lu Chen. “What about that one?”
Lu Chen fell silent.
Actually, the Academy had more than three geniuses. There was one hidden genius personally taught by the Dean himself.
Lu Chen said softly, “This boy has courage and wits, and his character isn’t bad, but compared to that one in terms of strength…”
Fei Banqing’s lips curved. “You think this is all he’s got?”
Lu Chen froze.
Fei Banqing suddenly turned. “I’m off! Going to borrow some money from the Dean. I’m almost too poor to eat.”
With that, she left.
Lu Chen: “…”
…
Ye Guan had only just returned to his palace when he saw Fei Banqing.
She said calmly, “Lie down.”
Ye Guan froze.
Fei Banqing pushed him straight to the floor, then tore his robes open with one swift motion…
Ye Guan hurriedly covered his crotch. “Mentor… please don’t force yourself on me…”
Fei Banqing: “…”
