Free Web NovelChapter 43: Chapter 41: Shocking Everyone
It wasn’t that Feng Hao was arrogant; it was just that his opponent was only a Magic-type Mage. To put it bluntly, a Mage. And in front of an Assassin, a Mage was as fragile as a child, to say nothing of the vast gap in their strength.
For Xiao Yu to have made it into the top four, her strength and talent were both considerable. She had her own unique insights into selecting and using Secret Techniques, unlike Zhang Meng, who would just mindlessly learn them and open with a wild bombardment.
If Zhang Meng was a brain-dead, turret-style Mage, then Xiao Yu was more of a technical Mage—it was just that her skills weren’t fully developed yet.
When Feng Hao took the stage, the crowd erupted once again. The beautiful girls from the Dance Team, led by Li Ting and Xiaoyou, were particularly loud. They screamed their lungs out, cheering for Xiao Yu, while occasionally throwing a few jeers at Feng Hao. The scene was quite vicious.
Meanwhile, in the stands, the Old City Lord had also noticed Feng Hao. "Not bad, not bad at all. The little guy really did make it to the top four."
"He made it to the top four too?" Xi YueLuan asked, her expression strange.
The Old City Lord asked in surprise, "What, Luan Girl, you know this little fellow?" freewebnσvel.cøm
"He’s the disciple of that Alchemist from the Miao Medicine Tower," Xi YueLuan said. "If I remember correctly, he’s supposed to be an auditing student."
Hearing this, Zhao Hao hurried forward to join the conversation. "Feng Hao is indeed an auditing student, but his performance has been excellent. We were just discussing whether to officially enroll him."
"Officially enroll him?" Xi YueLuan sneered playfully. "I’m just afraid *he’s* the one who might not be willing."
"Not willing? How is that possible?"
Xi YueLuan smiled mysteriously. "You can never be too sure."
Zhao Hao was completely bewildered, but due to some lingering trauma from his youth, he didn’t dare press the issue.
The Old City Lord, however, seemed to grasp Xi YueLuan’s meaning. He furrowed his brow, seeking confirmation. "Luan Girl, you mean...?"
Xi Yueyao gave a slight nod, confirming his suspicion.
"No wonder," the Old City Lord said with a meaningful smile, his eyes glinting with a peculiar light as he watched Feng Hao on the stage. "A very interesting little fellow. It seems my Magic Soul has found its master."
Everyone on the high platform was stunned. Dean Zhao Hao asked with a peculiar expression, "Old City Lord, you favor Feng Hao?"
The Old City Lord nodded with a smile.
"How is that possible? Surely you don’t think he can defeat Zhou Chen?" a few Elders said in disbelief.
Xi YueLuan knew the Old City Lord’s capabilities better than anyone. Seeing him hold Feng Hao in such high regard, she couldn’t help but study Feng Hao seriously. Unfortunately, after observing him for a long while, she still couldn’t see anything special about him.
To be honest, from their last encounter until now, she really couldn’t see anything outstanding about Feng Hao. Moreover, he was from the Thief God Hall, which made the whole thing even more baffling to her.
"Could the Old City Lord have misjudged?" As Zhou Chen’s master, Elder Gu was naturally the one who found this hardest to accept.
The Old City Lord’s eyes crinkled into a smile. "I may be old," he said calmly, "but my ability to judge character hasn’t faded."
Hearing this, all the higher-ups were skeptical but intrigued. They began to pay close attention to the match on the stage, particularly to Feng Hao’s every move.
...
On the battle stage, the match was about to begin. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
"Student Feng Hao, please use your full strength. I want to defeat you fair and square," Xiao Yu said. Dressed in white, she looked elegant and otherworldly, her words carrying a blend of pride and confidence.
"Um... are you sure?" Feng Hao asked, clicking his tongue.
Xiao Yu frowned, clearly displeased. "Are you looking down on me?"
"Alright." Feng Hao shook his head in resignation as the Dark Moon Dagger appeared in his hand. "Begin!"
The moment he spoke, Feng Hao transformed into a black shadow, hurtling toward Xiao Yu. ’Since she asked for it, I might as well put in a little effort. Not that it matters. It’ll be an instant kill either way.’
Xiao Yu reacted as if facing a formidable foe. The Magic Sword in her hand flared with light as she sidestepped and simultaneously threw out a ring of cyan mist.
But unfortunately, Feng Hao was too fast, his movements too erratic. By the time she had thrown out the mist, he had already swept past her.
At the same time, a dark glint flashed before her eyes, and a terrifying wave of dark energy instantly invaded her body.
PFFT!
In a single instant, the outcome was decided. Feng Hao stood up straight, striking a cool pose, while behind him, Xiao Yu crumpled to the ground.
The entire arena fell deathly silent. The girls from the Dance Team were especially stunned, each one staring wide-eyed, unable to process what had just happened.
The once-feverish arena fell eerily quiet. Even the academy’s higher-ups in the stands shot to their feet in shock. At this moment, every single gaze was fixed on Feng Hao.
"Match over! Feng Hao is the victor!" The referee’s announcement came a moment later, like a lit fuse that caused the entire stadium to explode.
The arena instantly erupted in an uproar.
If Feng Hao’s previous victories could be explained away by his opponents being too weak, then after this battle, no one dared to question his strength.
Compared to Zhou Chen’s performance in the last round, the difference was like night and day. There was simply no comparison!
Yue Linglong looked dazed. ’He adjusted his attack position the very instant Xiao Yu lifted her hand to cast her Magic. Is this what they call true combat technique?’ The theories she had clung to for so long suddenly came crashing down.
As for his three followers, they were so excited they could barely contain themselves, their eyes shining with fervent adoration.
Only Xi Yueyao seemed to be on a completely different wavelength. She puffed her cheeks and pouted, annoyed that Feng Hao was stealing the show. "Hmph. He’s only a *little* bit stronger than me," she muttered.
Meanwhile, up on the viewing platform, everyone except the Old City Lord was rendered speechless by shock.
"Another one-hit victory... Th-this... how is this possible?" Zhao Hao stammered, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Xi YueLuan was equally astonished. "Such powerful dark energy damage!" she exclaimed. "How can a level seventeen possibly deal such terrifying damage? And with dark energy, no less, which is the most difficult to cultivate!"
"So? Was I mistaken?" the Old City Lord asked, smiling as he scanned the group. "Precision, speed, and perfect timing. This boy’s abilities have long surpassed the scope of a junior academy."
"This can’t wait! We must enroll him officially!" Zhao Hao’s breathing grew ragged, his eyes locked on Feng Hao.
"To think an auditing student could possess such combat power. We nearly overlooked a true genius," the Elders lamented in unison. Only Elder Gu’s expression remained grave.
The Old City Lord gave Zhao Hao a meaningful look. "You know," he said, "there’s no need to cling so tightly to those rotten rules from the Academic Federation. Sometimes, true geniuses are hidden among those with seemingly ordinary qualifications."
Zhao Hao asked pensively, "Old City Lord, you mean...?"
"Rongcheng is a border city in Jinzhou," the Old City Lord said with a sigh. "Transportation is difficult, and the Academic Federation pays little attention to junior academies like ours. Therefore, there’s no need to be so rigid about certain rules. As the dean of this academy, you must learn to be flexible. The future of Rongcheng must be your priority. Only then can I confidently entrust Rongcheng to your care."
Upon hearing this, something seemed to click for Zhao Hao. He stood and bowed respectfully. "This student has learned his lesson."
"Good." The Old City Lord nodded in satisfaction and turned his gaze back to the arena.
...
Despite being the center of everyone’s attention, Feng Hao remained perfectly calm. He casually took out a Tier Three Blood Recovery Pill and offered it to the pale-faced Xiao Yu. "You’ve lost. Take this pill and recover."
"Thank you." Xiao Yu gave a dim smile and took the Blood Recovery Pill. "You’re very strong. I have no complaints about this loss."
"You have a good attitude," Feng Hao said with a nod and a smile. "I look forward to seeing what you can do in the future."
"I will. One day, I’ll challenge you again." After taking the Blood Recovery Pill, the color had already returned to her face.
"I’ll look forward to it." Feng Hao nodded pleasantly and watched her walk off the battle stage.
’Come to think of it, Xiao Yu probably has the best attitude of any girl I’ve met at the academy. She’s unyielding and dedicated to her goals.’
’Of course, Xi Yueyao doesn’t count. That girl is so thoughtless, she probably doesn’t even know what the word ’attitude’ means.’
According to the tournament rules, there was supposed to be a short break to rest after the two finalists were decided. But Feng Hao didn’t need a break at all.
With a faint smile, he scanned the audience below, his gaze finally locking onto Zhou Chen. "Student Zhou Chen, how about we get up here and settle this? Let’s not waste any more time."
