Feng Silu sized up the crowd, then turned to look at Wan Lei, only to find him gazing at her with a smile in his eyes.

Feng Silu's pretty face flushed red, and she said with feigned anger, "What are you looking at?"

"N-nothing, I just think it's a pity for someone as smart and calm as you to be just a student. How about coming to my manor as a strategist?"

Wan Lei laughed heartily.

"Get lost. If I went to your manor, wouldn't I be completely devoured by you?"

Feng Silu rolled her eyes, displaying her enchanting charm.

"Exactly, if anyone's going, it's to my manor. Don't even think about stealing Silu from me, let's duel, Lei-shao!"

Sui Xiaohang howled.

"Alright, stop it, let me finish."

Feng Silu gave them each a punch and continued, "There are about two hundred participants in this competition, mostly at the eighth level, with fewer at the ninth.

On the Vice-Dean's side, the leader is Wan Jin, and there are ten disciples at the peak of the ninth level."

As she spoke, Feng Silu pointed to Wan Jin. Wan Lei followed her gaze and saw that Wan Jin was also looking at them.

Wan Jin sneered, raised his middle finger at Wan Lei, and then made a throat-slitting gesture, a blatant provocation.

Next, Feng Silu pointed to the other side and said, "On your side, the leader is Guan Zhan. He comes from a small family, with a poor background, but exceptional talent.

Your father saved his father's life and often supports his studies and cultivation. He's extremely loyal to your father and is also the strongest person on your side. There are five at the peak of the ninth level of the Initial Force Realm on your side."

Well, the gap is quite large.

Wan Lei looked over and saw a tall, resolute-looking young man standing there, surrounded by others like a moon surrounded by stars.

That young man was Guan Zhan.

Guan Zhan saw Wan Lei looking at him, gave him a cold glance, and then turned away.

Feng Silu explained, "Although Guan Zhan is loyal to your father, he looks down on you, thinking you're just a useless纨绔废品 (wankuwufeipin, good-for-nothing playboy).

The time you defeated Wan Tu, and the time you joined forces with Qi Manyao to defeat the five brothers, no one was watching, and they blocked the news, so no one knows your strength. Don't blame Guan Zhan."

Mentioning Qi Manyao, Feng Silu shook her head and said, "Ah, it's a pity Qi Manyao isn't here. If she were, she'd be someone who could barely contend with Wan Jin. I wonder where she went."

"Give me a break. If she were here, she'd definitely kill me first, since no one's bullying you here."

Wan Lei scoffed.

Behind the martial arts arena, there was a low mountain, and on the mountain was a pavilion. Standing in the pavilion, the scene in the martial arts arena below was unobstructed.

Inside the pavilion, Wan Hongxin stood side by side with a middle-aged cultivator dressed as a professor from the Xin Xing Academy.

"Hongxin, are you confident this time? If we lose this time, the Xin Xing Academy that you and I created will really fall into the hands of your second uncle."

The middle-aged cultivator was none other than Zhao Dongxing, the dean of the Xin Xing Academy and a good friend of Wan Hongxin.

"Just do our best and leave the rest to fate. What if Lei'er can create a miracle?"

Wan Hongxin said with a faint smile.

"This child Lei'er, I've watched him grow up since he was little. I always thought he didn't have any cultivation and didn't want to cultivate. Who knew you old fox had been hiding his talent for so many years and only released him now? But you gave him to me too late.

I haven't even had time to teach him, and he has to face this competition."

Zhao Dongxing sighed.

Wan Hongxin was strictly secretive about Wan Lei's tribulation, and even to Zhao Dongxing, who was as close as a brother, he refused to admit it at all, only saying that he had been secretly teaching Wan Lei all these years.

"Ah, it's all my incompetence. Over the years, I haven't cultivated many outstanding disciples for the lord, but instead, your second uncle's forces have infiltrated to such an extent. I, Zhao Dongxing, am incompetent."

Zhao Dongxing beat his chest and stamped his feet.

"Since you know you're incompetent, you should retire early and give the position of dean to someone capable. Am I right, Dean Zhao?"

At this time, a frivolous voice came from outside the pavilion. The two looked over and saw two middle-aged cultivators approaching.

The speaker was none other than Liu Dehuai, the vice-dean of the Xin Xing Academy. Beside him was Wan Honglin, Wan Xiaotian's eldest son and Wan Jin's father.

Behind them were more than a dozen instructors.

"Hmph, the results of the competition haven't been released yet, Vice-Dean Liu is speaking too soon."

Wan Hongxin snorted coldly, emphasizing the words "vice-dean" as if to remind Liu Dehuai not to forget his identity.

"The results of the competition? Hehe, it's really something to look forward to. Let's see how many of the top ten will be able to support our Dean."

Liu Dehuai said with a confident smile.

Wan Hongxin snorted coldly and ignored Liu Dehuai, turning his head to look at the martial arts arena.

From beginning to end, Wan Hongxin didn't say a word to Wan Honglin, which showed how much their relationship had deteriorated.

At this time, an academy instructor walked to the center of the martial arts arena, encouraged the disciples, briefly announced the rules of the competition, and then asked all the participating disciples to enter the arena.

Almost all the disciples at the eighth and ninth levels flew to the center of the martial arts arena. As soon as they entered, they clearly divided into two factions.

One faction was the Vice-Dean's faction, led by Wan Jin, with a large number of people, as many as ninety-odd.

The other faction was the Dean's faction, led by Guan Zhan, with fewer people, only forty-odd.

Seeing this situation, the other disciples consciously went to the other side, watching the two factions coldly. They were the neutral faction and planned to see how the situation developed before making a move.

After the people had gathered, Wan Lei withdrew his cultivation aura and slowly walked into the arena, heading towards the Dean's faction.

As soon as he entered, both the disciples in the arena and those outside immediately began to discuss.

"Isn't that the trash Wan Lei? What's he doing in there? Is he qualified to participate in the competition?"

"I heard he can cultivate now. I've seen him in the academy a few days ago."

"Then how high can his cultivation be? He dares to participate in the competition after cultivating for a few days? He really doesn't know how he's going to die."

"Exactly, the instructors don't even say anything about kicking him out. It's different when you have a big background. People at the seventh level of the Initial Force Realm like us aren't qualified to participate, but he's fine, he can just come in."

"Going in is just asking for death. Do you think the Vice-Dean's faction will spare him? If the rules didn't prohibit killing, he'd probably be blasted into渣渣 (zhazha, dust)."

On the pavilion, Liu Dehuai saw Wan Lei enter the arena and said with a sneer:

"Oh, Brother Hongxin, why are you willing to let your precious son out this time? Aren't you afraid that he'll be thrown out with both legs broken as soon as he enters the arena?"

Wan Hongxin snorted when he heard this: "It's not certain who will break whose legs. Vice-Dean, you're speaking too soon."