Regardless of what he thought, Ye Yu’s lips curled into a slight smirk as she turned and leaped onto the arena.
The two of them finally stood in the center of the field, drawing the gaze of the entire audience.
"Li Yan and Ye Yu, right? I remember someone saying before that these two are the most outstanding students in the Inner City this year."
"But Li Yan is said to have reached Rank 4 Scavenger now? Ye Yu hasn't reached that yet, has she?"
"Let's just watch and see."
The reporters waited with excitement. Part of the reason this "cultural exchange" between the two academies could even happen was because of these two top-tier students.
Ye Yu stood at the edge of the arena, her iron whip wrapped around her wrist as she looked at Li Yan opposite her.
"Ye Yu," Li Yan spoke, his tone carrying a hint of gentlemanly grace. "You have never been my match. Just surrender."
Ye Yu: "?"
"Huh?" She tilted her head in annoyance. "What kind of crap are you spewing? What do you mean I've never been your match? When have we ever fought?"
Li Yan’s expression didn't change. He simply smiled and shook his head with the air of a superior master.
"Oh, right." Ye Yu seemed to remember something, and her gaze shifted slightly downward. "Are you... still a man right now?"
The atmosphere went silent for a moment, followed by a burst of raucous laughter from the Qingping Academy side.
Li Yan’s face instantly darkened, and the veins in his temples throbbed. Although the words were simple, their lethality was immense.
The previous battle with Bai Feifei was the greatest humiliation of his life. No matter how much his strength increased, it was still a hurdle he found difficult to overcome.
He said nothing, but his gaze slowly turned icy.
"Begin the match!"
The moment the words left the announcer's mouth, Li Yan moved.
His presence exploded instantly as he stomped heavily on the ground. At the same time, he shouted:
【I have wrestled with myself for so long, and I am all of them!】
Spiritual light erupted from his body.
Those spheres of light twisted and stretched in the air, transforming into humanoid silhouettes in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, dozens of Li Yans were standing on the arena!
Every Li Yan was clutching a short sword.
Cold light flickered as dozens of gazes simultaneously locked onto Ye Yu.
"Clones? And they have weapons?" someone in the press gallery gasped. "How much mental strength does it take to control this many clones?"
"I remember the young lady of the Ye family hasn't awakened a Word Soul yet."
"This is bad. It's almost impossible to close a gap like this with just combat experience."
"Regretting it now?" Dozens of Li Yans' mouths laughed in unison. "It's too..."
Before the word "late" could leave his mouth, Ye Yu’s iron whip had already lashed out.
Instead of retreating, she advanced. The iron whip traced an arc through the air, the tip striking the head of the foremost clone. With a sharp crack, the clone exploded instantly.
"Why are you talking so much?" Ye Yu snapped without looking back as she shattered a second clone.
Li Yan’s dozens of clones moved at once.
Short swords stabbed in from every angle—upper body, lower body, left ribs, and the heart. Every strike was cunning and ruthless.
Ye Yu’s figure wove between the dozens of clones, her iron whip dancing so fast it seemed to form a seamless barrier.
But there were simply too many. Even when she repelled some, new clones immediately filled the gaps, attacking from even more awkward angles and with even greater speed.
"Can juicing actually increase the power of a Word Soul?" Xu Mo remarked in Bai Feifei's mind. "It looks like he really injected a new variety this time."
"What level is he at right now?" Bai Feifei asked.
"Just a stray dog, but as things stand, Ye Yu is probably in trouble."
On the arena, Ye Yu’s movements began to grow strained.
In a short amount of time, several wounds had already appeared on her body.
Her strength wasn't infinite, but the opponent's clones seemed endless.
No matter how high her combat skill was, it was impossible to win under these circumstances.
A hint of frustration flashed in Ye Yu’s eyes. She couldn't help but remember that back at the coal mine, Bai Feifei had dealt with this man in a single strike, in a single instant...
Qingping Academy was in such a good position, and now, because of her, they were about to lose the most critical round.
Feeling his current power, a cruel smile played on Li Yan’s lips.
"Have you recognized reality yet?" dozens of mouths asked with a laugh.
Just then, a clone suddenly lunged from behind Ye Yu, its short sword aiming straight for her heart.
Ye Yu twisted her body to dodge, the blade grazing her ribs. At the same time, Li Yan’s cold, sinister voice rang in her ear.
"Just surrender. Considering we have some history, I don't want to hurt you."
"You only need to publicly admit on this arena that Bai Feifei’s teaching method is wrong, and that the potions are Dawn City’s greatest innovation!"
"That Outer City woman is simply out of her mind. She has no idea what she’s fighting against or what kind of overwhelming tide she’s opposing!"
"Listen to me. This will be good for both you and your family."
Hearing his words, Ye Yu laughed out of pure anger, her eyes filled with mockery.
"Heh... Did you find some powerful backer that gave you the confidence to talk like this?"
"What history do we have? Wasn't it always you unilaterally trying to climb into my family’s good graces like a desperate lickspittle?"
"Regardless of what Bai Feifei’s philosophy is, at the very least, she won't be like you—a dog chasing after bones everywhere!"
Hearing this, Li Yan’s gaze instantly changed.
Lies don't hurt; the truth is the sharpest blade!
Taking advantage of how the outside world compared him to Ye Yu, he had indeed thought about getting close to her to latch onto the Ye family’s influence.
But now, he didn't need to!
As long as he performed well enough, he could officially join the Li family. His surname "Li" would officially become the Li of the Li family.
Moreover, emerging, revolutionary powers like the pharmaceutical companies might very well become the sixth major family! He didn't need the Ye family anymore!
After his shame turned to rage, his gaze became cold and sinister, like a venomous snake staring at its prey.
He truly began to harbor murderous intent!
So what if she was from the Ye family? On this arena, he wasn't just performing; this was his pledge of loyalty!
Thinking of this, Li Yan suddenly made a move that no one expected.
He threw away his short sword.
All the clones retreated, and the short swords in their hands vanished instantly.
He spread his arms, his body unfolding almost parallel to the ground. He tilted his neck back, stretching it under the lights. The veins bulging on it looked like writhing little snakes, a terrifying sight.
His lips began to move rapidly, his eyes bulged, and the presence surrounding him became increasingly unstable.
Below the stage, Xu Mo’s mocking voice rang in Bai Feifei’s mind:
"Oh? Looks like he’s losing his cool."
"This contestant seems to want to put on a real show for us. However, you need to pay attention too."
"Attention to what?" Bai Feifei asked instinctively.
"It’s probably time to go up. Your chance to play the hero and save the beauty has arrived."
Bai Feifei: "?"
On the stage, Li Yan, whose neck veins looked ready to burst, finally shouted a command.
【A Myriad of True Selves, Ten Thousand Arrows Through the Heart!】
This was his... second Word Soul!
Rate on N.U.
