Chapter 102: The One Who Crushes Lu Bu
"Hahaha, such an enthusiastic group of students! Hahaha!" The male instructor laughed heartily as he addressed the group.
"Ah… Instructor Ruo Lin's class really has a lot of girls…" A yellow clad male student shamelessly scanned the female students of Yellow Rank Class Two, his gaze lingering as he grinned lecherously.
The female students squirmed under his gaze, visibly uncomfortable, and many frowned in displeasure.
The male instructor observed this and nodded slightly, as if affirming something. Bai Shan's suggestion of an interclass sparring session seemed like a great idea. After all, Bai Shan's intentions were no secret he had been eyeing Xiao Xun'er for quite some time. Not only was this known among the students, but even the teachers were aware of it.
Jia Nan Academy didn't prohibit student relationships, as long as they didn't escalate to fatalities. Even if such incidents did occur, the worst case scenario would be expulsion.
That said, most students at the academy were elites with decent self control. They wouldn't usually act recklessly, no matter how heated things got.
Instructor Ruo Lin frowned. She wasn't interested in such matters. With the selection tournament approaching, everyone's skills and Dou Techniques were still secrets. Nobody would want to expose the fruits of their semester long efforts in some so called "interclass exchange."
"What do you think, Instructor Ruo Lin? Perhaps we upperclassmen could guide our juniors," Bai Shan suggested with a polite smile.
"Exactly! Brother Bai Shan is absolutely right!" The yellow clad student eagerly agreed, his wide grin practically splitting his face.
Ruo Lin took a deep breath, visibly displeased. Bai Shan's smug attitude grated on her. Did he really think he could dominate every student in her class?
"That's enough. Instructor Lin Sai, Bai Shan, and all of you from Xuan Rank Class One please leave," Instructor Ruo Lin said firmly. "With the selection tournament so close, this kind of sparring isn't appropriate. If you want to compete, wait until the tournament begins."
"Instructor Ruo Lin, that's a bit extreme," Bai Shan retorted, unwilling to back down. "It's precisely because the tournament is approaching that we need to face different opponents. Students within the same class know each other's strengths and weaknesses. Sparring within the class won't offer much progress anymore."
As soon as Bai Shan finished speaking, the previously chatty girls fell silent. They weren't fools they could see clearly now that Bai Shan's so called "exchange" was nothing more than an excuse to stir up trouble.
Instructor Ruo Lin had already declined, yet they persisted. It was obviously deliberate.
Some of the girls furrowed their brows and began to distance themselves from Bai Shan, realizing his intentions.
Lu Bu casually rubbed his ears. As expected, they were targeting him…
Sigh… I haven't done anything to provoke any of you… Why me?
"Cough, Instructor Ruo Lin, since these students are so insistent, how about I give it a shot?" Lu Bu said with a light laugh.
The girls' faces showed concern. After all, Xuan Rank Class One was renowned for its strength within the outer academy, rivaled only by the Enforcement Team and the Alchemy Division. Could Lu Bu really handle them?
"This junior seems unfamiliar. Are you new?" Bai Shan asked with a smile. "Even if we're all classmates, you should still call me senior."
Lu Bu ignored him entirely and turned to Instructor Ruo Lin.
Ruo Lin's gentle expression faltered slightly as her brows knitted together. Although both were Da Dou Shi, Bai Shan was a five star Da Dou Shi, significantly more powerful. Even Ruo Lin herself, without exerting full effort, might not win against him.
"Tsk tsk… This newcomer doesn't know his place," the yellow clad student muttered, his small eyes glinting with anger.
A shadow of malice flickered in Bai Shan's gaze. This ignorant fool truly thought his so called "talent" from his homeland could challenge someone like him? Today, Bai Shan decided, he would teach this kid a lesson about the vastness of the world.
"Haha, a new student? Perfect!" Instructor Lin Sai laughed, fanning the flames further.
Seeing the situation escalate, Instructor Ruo Lin finally relented with a sigh. "Alright. Since you insist, Lu Bu, you can spar with a student from Xuan Rank Class One. Remember, keep it light no injuries!"
She had already set up the arena, ready for the match to begin immediately.
"Brother Bai Shan, why not let me handle this?" The yellow clad student whispered to Bai Shan. "This pretty boy doesn't look like much. You don't need to waste your energy on him."
Bai Shan considered for a moment before nodding indifferently. "Fine. Just be careful don't hurt him too much."
The yellow clad student grinned maliciously. He understood perfectly he'd make sure to teach Lu Bu a painful lesson.
By now, Lu Bu had stepped into the center of the arena. Smiling faintly, he glanced at the students from Xuan Rank Class One and asked, "So, who's up first?"
Although the words were directed at all of them, his gaze landed squarely on Bai Shan. Among this group, only Bai Shan was remotely worth his attention.
"Kid, you're not even worth Brother Bai Shan's time!" The yellow clad student leapt into the arena with a loud laugh, his broad grin revealing his confidence. "The name's Shi Yuzhan. I just advanced to one star Da Dou Shi a few days ago. Be careful now."
One star Da Dou Shi… The girls' expressions shifted, realizing Lu Bu's rank advantage was now gone.
"Xuan Rank Class One is starting with a Da Dou Shi right away?"
"And Shi Yuzhan is an earth attribute Dou Qi user known for his endurance. If this drags on…"
"This doesn't look good… Can Lu Bu handle this?"
"I doubt it…"
"Shi Yuzhan?" Lu Bu raised an eyebrow and muttered under his breath, "No wonder you look so yellow."
"Newbie, you've got a real punchable face, you know that?" Shi Yuzhan said, clenching his fists. Earth yellow Dou Qi began to surge around him, forming a slightly crude but sturdy set of Dou Qi armor.
Lu Bu smiled faintly. It had been a while since he'd encountered someone this brimming with youthful energy.
It was amusing to think about Protector Wu, who'd tried to flee the moment things looked grim, or Eight Gates' Yuan Yi, who had fallen to his knees begging for mercy, his previous arrogance completely gone.
Academy life truly is refreshing.
"Alright, both sides get ready. Remember, this is a friendly spar no serious injuries!" Instructor Ruo Lin shot a sharp warning glance at Shi Yuzhan, her tone filled with caution.
"Begin!"
With Instructor Ruo Lin's sharp declaration, Shi Yuzhan roared deeply from his throat. Kicking off the ground with explosive force, he pounced forward like a ferocious tiger descending a mountain.
His fists clenched tightly, a layer of brownish yellow Dou Qi gathered around his knuckles, resembling a hardened layer of compacted earth.
"Roar! Take this punch!"
Shi Yuzhan twisted his waist and unleashed a powerful punch. The air howled as his Dou Qi surged violently.
"Ah…" The girls gasped, hurriedly covering their mouths to stifle their exclamations.
Some of them even shielded their eyes, too afraid to see Lu Bu injured by such a heavy blow.
Pa!
Lu Bu raised his left hand and slightly leaned back, casually holding it up as if signaling traffic to stop. Shi Yuzhan's full force punch landed squarely in the center of Lu Bu's pale palm.
"What?!"
Shi Yuzhan let out a sharp cry of disbelief. Besides Bai Shan, had someone else actually managed to block his punch in such a manner?
"No way… Is Lu Bu this strong?"
"He looks so thin! How does he have such strength?"
"Does this mean his strength far surpasses Shi Yuzhan's? Didn't he just say he recently advanced to Da Dou Shi?"
A chorus of astonished exclamations echoed from the girls, their wide eyes filled with wonder. After all, Shi Yuzhan was from Xuan Rank Class One, the class that gathered the strongest Da Dou Shi of their age group.
Even Bai Shan couldn't hide his shock. This newcomer had some real skill. How could his strength be so overwhelming?
"Your strength… it's not quite there," Lu Bu remarked with a light chuckle.
"Arrogant!" Shi Yuzhan roared angrily, raising his knee to strike at Lu Bu's chest.
"Jie…" A glint of amusement flashed in Lu Bu's eyes. With a swift motion, his left hand transformed into a blade and slashed horizontally, striking Shi Yuzhan's wrist.
The enormous force instantly threw Shi Yuzhan off balance.
Taking a quick step forward, Lu Bu advanced like an arrow. His palms shot out, pressing together into a single strike. With a sudden push, both palms struck Shi Yuzhan squarely under the chin.
Pa!
Shi Yuzhan felt a deafening explosion in his mind, and his vision blurred instantly.
Thud!
Like a kite with its string cut, Shi Yuzhan flew backward, his head tilted, before crashing to the ground. He lay there motionless, as limp as a salted fish unable to flip over.
He had been knocked unconscious.
The chin houses the vagus nerve, and a severe blow to this area can easily cause disorientation or unconsciousness.
"That… that's it?" The girls stared wide eyed, still processing what had just happened.
Wasn't this supposed to be a battle between Da Dou Shi? Where was the Dou Qi? Where were the techniques? How did it end so quickly?
"His strength is impressive!" Bai Shan's eyes flickered with intrigue as he stepped forward to stand before Lu Bu. It seemed it was up to him to put this newcomer in his place.
"Phew… Bai Shan is stepping in," the students from Xuan Rank Class One exhaled in relief. That earlier display had been embarrassing, but with Bai Shan taking action, no one could stop him.
"This junior has remarkable strength," Bai Shan said with a faint smile. "But battles can't rely on brute force alone. My Dou Qi is of the lightning attribute it's highly offensive and incredibly fast. Be careful, junior."
"What? Bai Shan's Dou Qi is lightning attribute?"
"You didn't know?"
"I honestly didn't. This is my first time seeing him fight… Damn, doesn't this mean Lu Bu's in trouble?"
"Five star Da Dou Shi paired with lightning attribute Dou Qi… Lu Bu's in for a tough time!"
The girls' faces were filled with worry, while Xiao Xun'er remained expressionless, seemingly indifferent to the discussion.
To be honest, she was a bit curious about Lu Bu's true strength. Both were Da Dou Shi, and she refused to believe that she, a member of the ancient clans, would be weaker than him.
"Be careful now, junior," Bai Shan said calmly.
As his words fell, a sudden crackling sound of electricity rang out, and Bai Shan disappeared in a flash of arcs.
The girls collectively held their breath, their eyes wide as they searched for Bai Shan's figure.
Lu Bu chuckled. Using such tricks against an alchemist? Did Bai Shan not realize that alchemists excel in spiritual perception?
Hearing the whistling wind from his left, Lu Bu casually shifted his body. A lightning clad hand swiped past, slicing off a few strands of his black hair.
"That was close! Bai Shan nearly hit him!"
"Don't say anything. I'm too nervous to speak…"
"Did he see through me?" Bai Shan's eyes gleamed as another burst of electricity surged. He disappeared again. "Let's see if you can keep up with this!"
In an instant, a white blur darted around Lu Bu, weaving left and right, up and down, moving so fast it left the audience dizzy.
"He's too fast! I can't even tell where Bai Shan is!"
"Damn, is lightning attribute Dou Qi really this strong? How is he moving so quickly?"
"I can only see a white blur… Damn, he's getting faster! I can't see anything anymore!"
"I can only hear sounds, nothing else… How is anyone supposed to fight against this?"
"As expected of Bai Shan. His strength is extraordinary!"
"Jie… Junior, can you still track my position?" Bai Shan's voice echoed from within the flickering white blur, but it was elusive, coming from all directions at once.
Swish!
The sound of fabric tearing through the air broke the tension.
Suddenly, a gust of wind surged, accompanied by a series of crackling electric arcs. The white blur vanished in an instant.
"Watch out!"
The girls screamed in alarm as Bai Shan reappeared above and behind Lu Bu. A triumphant grin spread across his face as his right leg descended like a battle axe.
The wind howled, lightning crackled, and this downward strike seemed unstoppable.
"Junior, let me teach you… Against me, your so called strength is worthless!" Bai Shan sneered, his grin widening.
"Huh?" Lu Bu slowly turned, his gaze meeting Bai Shan's mid air figure. He smiled faintly and said, "Honestly… your speed isn't impressive."
With that, Lu Bu stepped aside gracefully, dodging the kick. At the same time, his right hand clenched into a fist and lifted slowly.
Bai Shan's expression shifted drastically as he realized that Lu Bu's fist was aimed squarely between his legs.
"Damn it, pull back!"
Smack!
Before Bai Shan could finish speaking, his body had already collided with Lu Bu's fist.
"Ungh…!"
Bai Shan's eyes bulged, blood vessels popping in his sclera. Cold sweat poured down his face in torrents.
Watching Bai Shan writhing in pain, Lu Bu furrowed his brow in mock seriousness. "I can't believe I just got crushed in a fight… Jia Nan Academy students are really strong."
"Too strong. Truly terrifying."
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