"Huh!! Calm down spectators! No lethal casualties for Xiao Yanrui... Let’s continue the final battle of Round two," Luo Zhen growled, his voice crackling with slight tense. "The next match is between Lin Yuan and Teng Haoran."

"Lin Yuan grabbed his first win in less than a minute..." Luo Zhen continued, darting his head toward incoming Lin Yuan and Teng Haoran. "Could the mighty Teng Clan’s disciple put Lin Yuan in a struggle?"

Lin Yuan smirked as he listened to the words. Teng Haoran definitely possessed strong willpower and precise attacking methods. But Lin Yuan... he was something else.

"Wait..." Luo Zhen muttered, his eyes widening in shock. At the same time, the masters and assistant masters sensed a sudden change in Lin Yuan. "He ascended to the Mid-Stage?"

The truth behind Lin Yuan’s smirk was his breakthrough. Teng Haoran frowned, overhearing Luo Zhen’s words.

’Mid-Stage?’ Teng Haoran thought, his frantic eyes darting toward Lin Yuan. ’How the hell did this bastard ascend to the Mid-Stage? We have a whole realm of difference between us now. Fuck... Darn it!’

Teng Haoran and Lin Yuan stepped onto the stage, facing each other with unfazed gaze.

"Lin Yuan... Even though you are the strongest in this academy, I will defeat you!" Teng Haoran’s voice boomed, the silver-white essence flickering once in his eyes.

Lin Yuan just stood still with an unbothered expression.

"Begin!" Luo Zhen stepped out of the battle stage.

Three thin streaks of wind crescents launched from Teng Haoran’s palm, slicing through the air toward Lin Yuan. Lin Yuan stepped to the side of the incoming crescents, his hair wavering like a dancing ocean wave. He dodged every attack gracefully.

Teng Haoran lunged, vanishing into thin air. Utilizing the power of the Wind-Falcon, he appeared in front of Lin Yuan in the blink of an eye, slashing his hand downward with enough force to cut him in half. Seeing this, Lin Cangxuan clenched his fists tightly, ready to stop the attack.

"Headmaster Cangxuan," Dan Zhenren caught his hand, nodding his head slightly. "Don’t interrupt... See your grandson... He had a great cunning smile. Hahaha!"

Lin Yuan was smiling slightly. "Haha... You fell into the trap, rich bastard."

His leafy green beast essence rumbled around Lin Yuan’s palm, a swirling wave of energy that dimmed the light. As Teng Haoran descended, Lin Yuan snapped sideways like a fly dodging frog’s tongue. The moment Teng Haoran’s legs touched the ground, Lin Yuan leapt upward, slamming his palm into the center of Teng’s back.

Bam!

The force slammed Teng Haoran onto the stage, forming a deep crater of spiderweb cracks.

Cough! Cough!

Teng Haoran spat a handful of blood, groaning as he struggled to stand again. As Teng Haoran pressed his palms against the cracked ground to get up, Lin Yuan stomped on his back with heavy force, knocking him completely unconscious. Teng Haoran fainted under Lin Yuan’s foot.

"The match is concluded!" Luo Zhen blazed, climbing onto the battle stage. "The winner is Lin Yuan!"

Lin Yuan didn’t bother about the unconscious Teng Haoran. He just left the stage toward the competitors’ stand.

"Again?"

"Lin Yuan defeated Teng Clan’s disciple in an instant!"

"What the fuck is wrong with him?"

"He doesn’t seem like a fifteen year boy to me!"

"Headmaster... Lin Yuan is no ordinary fifteen-year-old boy," Mo Qinghe muttered, his sharp gaze skimming across the frenzied faces of the spectators. "He is something beyond our understanding... We must keep a close eye on him. I only hope he won’t succumb to a demonic nature."

"Haha... Leave it for now, Mo Qinghe," Lin Cangxuan forced a smile on his face. "We will have a close eye on him and we will discuss this after the competition."

"Round 2 is completed! Tomorrow is Round 3 and the final round! You may all leave. Be careful on your way to the city," Luo Zhen stated as he walked toward the VIP stand.

The spectators sprawled toward the academy gates to leave.

"Let’s go and see Xiao Yanrui once, Lin Yuan," Chen Ming solicited, grabbing Lin Yuan’s hand.

"Are you mad, Chen Ming? The Xiao Clan’s representatives know that I killed Xiao Chen. Do you think they will remain calm if they see us together?" Lin Yuan scoffed, flicking his hand out of Chen Ming’s grip.

"Tskk... You think too much," Chen Ming clicked his tongue. "We are only going to see Xiao Yanrui, not declare war against the Xiao Clan."

Lin Yuan ignored him and continued walking toward the academy gates. The other spectators slowly sprawled around them. A few clan elders escorted their disciples away. Some merchants murmured about today’s battles.

Some spectators still discussed Lin Yuan’s frightening and fastest victory over Teng Haoran.

But after taking only a few steps, Lin Yuan slowed down. His eyes drifted toward the medical hall surrounding the Xiao Clan representatives. Chen Ming was strolling toward them sluggishly.

’I can’t let this idiot wander there alone.’ Lin Yuan sighed, rubbing his temples frantically. ’I need to go... Tsk.’

Chen Ming was talented, but he was too kind when dealing with people, especially influential clans. Lin Yuan walked toward Chen Ming.

"Troublesome, brat!" Lin Yuan yelled, sprinting toward Chen Ming.

"Huh?" Chen Ming blinked.

"We will just see and come soon." Listening to Lin Yuan’s words, Chen Ming’s face immediately brightened. "Hahaha! I knew you would agree!"

"Shut up."

The two young men changed direction and walked toward the Xiao Clan’s gathering. Xiao Clan guards immediately noticed them, and their expressions became complicated. Especially after recognizing Lin Yuan. The atmosphere instantly turned strange and suffocating.

And the nearby spectators slowed down to watch. After all, the person who killed Xiao Chen was walking toward the Xiao Clan.

Thud! Thud!

Lin Yuan and Chen Ming arrived before the group. Without hesitation they cupped their fists politely in a traditional way. "Greetings, elders."

Xiao Clan representatives returned the greeting even with immense anger inside, but nobody dared to create trouble, because Lin Yuan carried the Qing surname. And far from them Lin Cangxuan gaze is locked onto the medical hall. Among the group laid Xiao Yanrui on the bed.

The red-haired youth glanced at Lin Yuan once, then squinted his eyes deliberately, and his expression remained emotionless.

Lin Yuan observed him quietly. Xiao Yanrui was dangerous. Lin Yuan knows that Xiao siblings are here to only kill or lethally injure Lin Yuan — who killed Xiao Chen.

Xiao Lanxue sat beside Xiao Yanrui’s bed. The blue-haired girl appeared calmer than her brother. She merely observed the surroundings without speaking. Chen Ming awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

"So... your match was impressive..."

Nobody responded. The eerie silence became agonizing. Lin Yuan immediately regretted following Chen Ming.

’This fool truly didn’t know how conversations worked,’ Lin Yuan thought.

After some time, an elder from the Xiao Clan finally spoke. "You too fought well today."

The elder’s gaze lingered on Lin Yuan. "Both of you."

"Thank you!" Lin Yuan nodded politely.

The elder did not continue any other words, neither did Lin Yuan. The conversation died instantly, and Chen Ming realized the atmosphere was horrible. After sitting there for a few minutes exchanging only a mouthful of words, Lin Yuan finally stood up.

"We will take our leave!" Lin Yuan muttered, bowing his head slightly. The Xiao Clan representatives nodded.

The moment Lin Yuan and Chen Ming left the area, both simultaneously released a sigh.

"Holy shit!" Chen Ming scorned, wiping sweat from his forehead. "That was more terrifying than fighting beasts."

"You insisted on coming," Lin Yuan snorted, patting on Chen Ming’s back.

"I didn’t expect them to stare at us like that," Chen Ming scratched his head sheepishly.

"What did you expect?"

Those two slowly left the academy grounds. The evening sun dyed Green Hollow City in shades of orange and gold. The merchants were already preparing lanterns, and the children played throughout the streets. The atmosphere in the city streets was calm and peaceful.

Chen Ming and Lin Yuan walked side by side.

"Lin Yuan." Chen Ming called out, breaking the silence.

"Hm?"

"When did you ascend to Mid Stage?" Chen Ming was curious about Lin Yuan’s ascension in less time.

The question immediately attracted Lin Yuan’s attention. After all, half the academy had wondered the same thing,

"Yesterday!" Lin Yuan shrugged, letting out a faint smile.

"Yesterday!?" Chen Ming stumbled once.

"Why are you surprised?"

"You ascended before the competition and didn’t tell me?" Chen Ming muttered, pinching the ear of Lin Yuan.

"Ahhh! Sorry," Lin Yuan freed himself, and darted his head straight. "You didn’t ask."

"What kind of explanation is that?" Chen Ming clicked his tongue frenziedly.

Lin Yuan smirked slightly, and patted on his back. "I fed all the beast essence stones I had stored."

"All of them?" Chen Ming stunned, his eyes twisting in shock.

"All of them!" The smile on Lin Yuan’s face widened slightly. "Every single beast essence stone from the Green Jade Forest."

Chen Ming immediately remembered the many beast essence stones they had gathered.

"You fed everything to the turtle?" Chen Ming asked, his jaw dropping slowly.

"Obviously! Such a silly question." Lin Yuan mocked, laughing out hard.

"Silly? Darn it... You’re insane," Chen Ming scolded, his face filled with disbelief. "What if it died?"

"It worked! Leave it now, Chen Ming," Lin Yuan muttered, walking forward again.

Chen Ming suddenly felt depressed, while he carefully managed every cultivation resource he possessed, Lin Yuan simply threw everything at his beast and somehow succeeded. The difference in luck felt unfair.

"What is your beast essence percentage now?" Chen Ming asked in curiosity.

Lin Yuan thought briefly before answering. "Roughly twenty five percent."

Chen Ming nearly cursed. Only a short time ago Lin Yuan had barely entered the Spirit Beast Realm. Now Lin Yuan was already in the Mid Stage.

"No wonder you crushed Teng Haoran that easily!" Chen Ming sneered, turning his head away from Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan laughed softly. "Teng Haoran wasn’t weak, he looked weak... because he fought me."

Chen Ming fell silent. The memory of Teng Haoran being slammed into the arena still remained inside his consciousness. Those two continued walking through the city. And, the familiar streets of Green Hollow City appeared before them.

"Tomorrow is Round Three," Chen Ming said, stretching his hand forward to gesture a goodbye. "You better not lose."

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow. "To whom?"

Chen Ming opened his mouth, then paused. After thinking carefully, he couldn’t actually name anyone capable of defeating Lin Yuan.

"Tsk... Arrogant bastard," Chen Ming scorned, waving his hand once. "See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," Lin Yuan murmured, walking toward his house. Only after Chen Ming was gone did Lin Yuan turn toward the Qing Clan’s residence. The evening breeze brushed past his robes.