"Oh? So that’s the Mu Chen you were talking about? Other than his strange attire, he doesn’t seem nearly as formidable as you claimed," He Long said, his eyes filled with contempt. "And it looks like he’s a cripple. If I’m not mistaken, he only has one arm, doesn’t he?"

Xuan Yu glanced at the empty sleeve of Mu Chen’s right arm and nodded. "That’s what we thought at the time, too. I may loathe the kid, but you still can’t underestimate him. There’s something strange about his power."

"Heh heh, that’s an exaggeration. In the face of absolute power, all tricks are meaningless. I’m a Third-Ring Martial King. What realm could he possibly have reached in a single month?" He Long watched Mu Chen with brimming confidence. ’I’ll make him my first target for elimination,’ he thought, ’if for no other reason than the deep adoration I saw in Mu Bingling’s eyes for him.’

"Now that the welcoming ceremony for the exchange students has concluded, we must turn our attention to more important matters." Zhun Cang’s voice suddenly shattered the silence in the square. "As for the rules of the competition, I believe you were all informed a month ago, so I will only give a brief overview here."

"The competition will be conducted in teams, with each team having a minimum of four and a maximum of six members. In the preliminaries, all one thousand teams in the academy will compete against each other. The winners will advance to the second round, while the losers will be eliminated directly. The preliminaries will determine the top one hundred teams, and these matches will take place on the one hundred arenas here in this square. The mid-stage will determine the top ten teams, with the matches held in the academy’s arena. The championship match will be held on the Challenge Arena to determine the top three. The top three contestants will receive high-level rewards such as medicinal pills, weapons, Combat Skills, and Cultivation Techniques. Of course, the rewards are merely a form of recognition. The most important aspect of this competition is to test the progress you’ve made at the academy this past month."

"Furthermore, this team competition applies only to the outer circle. The students of the Holy Hall will not participate in the initial rounds. Once a champion team is decided, they will issue a challenge to the Holy Hall. The Holy Hall may assemble a team of any members they choose. However, if they are defeated, it will signify the defeat of all Holy Hall students. If they are victorious, it will mean a complete failure for the outer circle."

"Alright, without further ado, let the drawing begin. This first draw will determine the arena where you will compete. Will the captains of each team please come forward and draw your arena number?" After Zhun Cang finished speaking, he waved his hand, and ten instructors brought ten black boxes up from below the stage.

Mu Chen followed the crowd of captains up to the stage. But as he drew near, all the outer circle captains already on the platform parted in unison, creating a path. And at the foot of that path was Mu Chen, still ascending at an unhurried pace.

Mu Chen was utterly surprised by this. He stopped in his tracks and looked at everyone in bewilderment, only to see them all smiling at him. One of the bolder captains spoke up, "Captain Mu Chen, you should be the one to draw first!"

"But why?" Mu Chen asked, confused.

The other captains chimed in, "Because none of us want to be in the same arena as you! So after you draw, show us the number. That way, we can all pray we don’t have to face you."

Mu Chen was utterly exasperated. "Fine, then."

With that, Mu Chen steeled himself and became the first to draw an arena number. He pulled out the slip. "Number fifty-five."

Zhun Cang smiled. "Mu Chen’s team, Arena Number Fifty-five! The rest of you, hurry up and draw, or you’ll hold things up."

Hearing Mu Chen’s number, the other captains roared and rushed forward. "Dammit, let me go! It’s a one-in-a-hundred chance. I refuse to believe my luck is that bad!"

The numbers were drawn one after another, each result bringing joy to some and sorrow to others. In the end, nine other teams were fated to share an arena with Mu Chen. Seeing their dejected expressions, Mu Chen offered a faint smile. "The competition is just a way to test our abilities. Friendship comes first. It’ll be fine."

With that, Mu Chen turned and walked down from the high platform. Little Tiger, Mo Qing, and the others were waiting impatiently. "Brother Mu Chen, what number did we get?" they asked loudly.

"Number fifty-five," Mu Chen replied.

"Number fifty-five? That seems to be in the middle of the hundred arenas," Ye Shuangshuang said, standing on her tiptoes to peer into the distance. "Let’s head over then. I hear we have to draw again once we get there."

"Mm, alright." Mu Chen put away the number slip and headed toward Arena Fifty-five with the others.

Along the way, Mo Qing asked, "Mu Chen, did any of the students from Demon Castle draw the same arena number as us?"

Mu Chen nodded. "I remember one team. I think their captain is a student named Xue Wen."

Mo Qing frowned. "Then it’s inevitable we’ll run into them."

Qing Lei interjected, "It’s fine. This competition is just a test, after all. Our Demon Castle isn’t hurting for rewards like Cultivation Techniques, medicinal pills, or Combat Skills. So, getting to face Brother Mu Chen isn’t necessarily bad luck."

"..."

By the time Mu Chen and his group arrived at Arena Fifty-five, the other nine teams were already standing in place. Upon seeing the four students accompanying him, several people let out a heavy sigh.

Seeing this, Mu Chen said, "Don’t feel pressured. We’re all students from the outer circle. We have no intention of seriously injuring you during the match. Just bring out your best and fight with all you’ve got."

A few of the captains exchanged glances, then smiled faintly. "You’re right. Since we drew Captain Mu Chen’s team, let’s just give it our all in a good fight. It doesn’t matter if we end up losing."

"Mm... I look forward to it."

Just then, one hundred senior-class Inspectors appeared. Each Inspector held a black box, which presumably contained the matchup slips for each arena.

The Inspector for Arena Fifty-five was a woman. Her looks were average, but she carried herself with a resolute air. As she approached, she glanced at Mu Chen before saying, "The ten team captains, come draw your lots. This first round will determine the top five teams for this arena."

Mu Chen looked at the other teams and saw that no one wanted to go first. With a sigh, he walked up himself, pulled out a slip at random, and glanced at it. "Number two."

Number two meant he was in the first match. Once Mu Chen had drawn, the other captains went up to draw the remaining nine slips. The "Number One" slip fell into the hands of a captain named Zhao Wu. He sighed. "It seems my luck isn’t too good."

With that, he led his team members onto the arena. Mu Chen gave Zhao Wu an appreciative glance. The man hadn’t chosen to give up immediately, but had decided to face the challenge instead.

The Inspector glanced at both sides. "For the first match, Team Zhao Wu has the choice between a group battle or individual combat."

Zhao Wu answered almost without thinking. "We choose a group battle."

"Alright," said Mu Chen. "Bring your best. We will take this match seriously as well."

Zhao Wu laughed. "Of course. And please, Captain Mu Chen, show mercy! HAH!"

As he finished speaking, Zhao Wu let out a great shout, and a surge of Primordial Power enveloped him. An orange Martial Ring instantly materialized at his feet. The rest of his team also unleashed their Primordial Power, but their strength was only at the Martial Artist Realm.

Mu Chen showed no contempt. Instead, he took his stance with great seriousness. Little Tiger stood at the forefront, with Mu Chen in the center. Ye Shuangshuang and Qing Lei flanked Mu Chen on his left and right, while Mo Qing stood behind him. In an instant, they formed a cross formation.

Seated on the high platform, Zhun Cang remarked in surprise, "That’s a Cross Pincer Formation. It seems Xiao Chenzi really respects his opponents."

Di Cang nodded with a smile. "Xiao Chenzi has a fine character. If he can maintain it on his path to the continent’s peak, his name will surely be remembered for ages to come."

Over in the Holy Hall’s designated area, He Long’s gaze kept shifting between Mu Chen and Mu Bingling, so he had been keeping a close eye on Mu Chen’s every move. Now, seeing the team of students facing Mu Chen, He Long could no longer hold back his laughter. "Haha! A team with that level of strength actually made it into the Imperial Academy? The Xuanling Empire truly is a Low-class Empire. They’ll take in just about anyone."

Xuan Yu hastily interjected from the side, "That’s just the academy’s outer circle. The outer circle is specifically for taking in these lower-level students. As for the Holy Hall, you would never find anyone like that."

"Oh?" He Long said with a smirk. "But that Mu Chen belongs to the outer circle too, doesn’t he?"

Xuan Yu nodded. "Yes, but he’s strong enough to enter the Holy Hall. Dean Qin Garden even humbled himself to personally invite him, but Mu Chen flatly refused. Generally speaking, the man has his pride, but he’s also an arrogant fool who doesn’t know what’s good for him."

He Long sneered. "I’ll keep watching for now."

Just as this discussion concluded, Mu Chen’s battle began. Team Zhao Wu’s formation was little more than a straight line. It was clear they hadn’t spent much time studying the importance of team formations, because they simply stood there dumbfounded after seeing Mu Chen’s team array themselves, unsure of what to do next.

Under Mu Chen’s central command, Little Tiger—the team’s primary Attack Power and Defense Power—shot forward with a WHOOSH. His bronze-colored skin radiated the endless aura of a savage beast, immediately putting immense pressure on Team Zhao Wu. The members of Mu Chen’s team had practiced this formation in private countless times, forging an unparalleled synergy. The moment one of them moved, the others would instantly adjust their positions in response to the changing situation.

"HAH!"

With a powerful roar, Little Tiger swung his right arm far back. When he was about ten meters from Team Zhao Wu, he unleashed the punch he had been charging.

With a SWOOSH, an arc of pressure six to seven meters long erupted from Little Tiger’s fist, instantly surging toward Zhao Wu and his teammates.

Zhao Wu was snapped out of his stupor. "Scatter!" he roared, leaping high into the air himself.

A grin spread across Little Tiger’s face as he said, "Their formation is broken."

Mu Chen nodded and gestured to Ye Shuangshuang. She nodded in return, and two scorching, fiery-red fireballs materialized in her hands. Her eyes narrowed, and with a wave of her fair arm, she flung both fireballs toward Zhao Wu, who was still in mid-air...