Chapter 19: The Aloof and Eccentric Yu Tianheng

“Wait.”

A clear, youthful voice called out. From the crowd, a young man stepped forward with a proud and cold expression, his gaze fixed intently on Tang Xi as he said, “Teacher, I request to compete against Tang Xi’s team in the next round.”

Before Qin Ming could respond, Tang Xi immediately objected, “Teacher, I insist on following the normal drawing procedure.”

Yutian Heng, who had just stepped forward to claim the spotlight, was interrupted by Tang Xi’s words. A surge of inexplicable anger rose within him, and he shouted, “Tang Xi, don’t you have any ambition?”

Tang Xi’s smile seemed never to fade. She gently took Ye Lingling’s hand and replied softly, “Young Master Yu, I don’t want to waste my chance to advance just to satisfy your pride, especially since I’m responsible for my teammates too.”

Qin Ming, well aware of the pride these nobles carried, motioned for Tang Xi and the others to step down and warned, “Yutian Heng, there has never been such a precedent in the entrance exams. I ask everyone to respect the school’s rules.”

“You...” Yutian Heng had never seen a girl dare to defy him before. He stepped forward, provocatively challenging, “Tang Xi, if you were still a man...”

“...” Tang Xi tilted her head and calmly pointed to herself. “Isn’t it obvious I’m a girl?”

Dugu Yan’s expression shifted slightly. She stepped forward and pushed Yutian Heng aside, muttering under her breath, “You watch too many reckless revenge novels starring overpowered heroes!”

Then, blocking Yutian Heng, she looked at Tang Xi and apologized softly, “Sorry about what just happened. Please pretend it never occurred. He acts like this for a reason...”

“Don’t waste your breath on her.”

Yutian Heng’s once proud and noble demeanor shattered. His youthful arrogance twitched at the corner of his mouth. Quickly averting his gaze, he grabbed Dugu Yan and turned to leave.

Tang Xi watched the two leave silently, feeling inexplicably amused. She murmured, “Isn’t Yutian Heng supposed to be cold and aloof?”

Ye Lingling shook her head. She seemed to have some acquaintance with Yutian Heng and whispered, “He used to be just a bit arrogant, but now he looks down on everyone. I don’t know when he became so difficult to approach.”

Tang Xi lowered her eyes and said nothing further.

Yutian Heng had always been ambitious and proud. As a child, he had boldly declared he would lead the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus sect to surpass the Martial Soul Hall and the Haotian sect to become the number one on the continent. If she could recruit him, he would be an excellent ally.

She wasn’t sure if Yutian Heng still remembered how she used to report on his misdeeds, snatch the top spot from him, and how, even when he had a forty-degree fever, he forced himself to attend school just to participate in the one-on-one training, only to be pinned down and beaten by her. Tang Xi’s expression flickered, and she decisively decided not to seek Yutian Heng to prove her identity for now.

She had made quite a few mistakes in her youth.

The first round of matches soon concluded. The defeated bowed their heads in defeat and left the arena under the staff’s guidance.

Half the competitors had been eliminated, but the knockout rounds were far from over. Whether by design or coincidence, Dugu Yan, Yutian Heng, and Tang Xi never faced each other in these rounds.

After several rounds, Qin Ming looked at the dozen or so children still present with a smile and announced with satisfaction, “Congratulations to all of you for earning admission to the Tiandou Royal Academy!”

The children who had fought in several rounds breathed a long sigh of relief. However, Qin Ming’s tone suddenly shifted, his eyes flashing sharply.

“But from now on, except for the support class, all other students will undergo an additional round of one-on-one matches. The top seven will be officially admitted to the elite class.”

“The elite class offers the privilege of having a teacher personally guide you to obtain soul rings. You will be directly recommended to participate in the continental high-level soul master elite competition held every other year. If you win first place, you will be granted a royal title upon graduation.”

He paused, his gaze growing more serious. “Furthermore, the school guarantees that before you graduate, it will unconditionally secure a soul bone for each of you.”

Soul bones!

These were treasures even some titled Douluo coveted but could not obtain!

Tang Xi had never heard of soul bones being given upon admission. She reached out, lightly tapping her chin, puzzled. “Why is Tiandou Royal Academy so generous this time?”

Ye Lingling, standing behind her, whispered an explanation, “I heard it’s because for several years in a row, some students whom the academy originally planned to admit early were snatched away by the Martial Soul Hall’s Soul Master Academy. The education committee is holding a grudge.”

Tang Xi had long been out of touch with news from Tiandou City. Seeing Ye Lingling so familiar with these matters, she casually asked, “The Martial Soul Hall has infiltrated the Tiandou Empire and openly competes with the Royal Academy for students?”

The people around her, overhearing the question, showed contempt as if it were obvious and retorted, “It’s always been like that. Didn’t you know?”

Another sneered, “Ignorant bumpkin. She might have a little talent, but how could she possibly know such things?”

Before Tang Xi could reply, Yutian Heng shot a sideways glance at the speaker and coldly said first, “You’d better watch out. That bumpkin will beat you like it’s nothing.”

Yutian Heng’s words silenced those who had openly shown hostility toward Tang Xi.

Tang Xi was somewhat surprised that Yutian Heng would stand up for her. She cast him a few more looks.

Yutian Heng frowned, lifted his chin arrogantly, and looked at Tang Xi, “What are you staring at?”

Tang Xi’s bright eyes gleamed earnestly. “Suddenly, I think Young Master Yu is quite handsome.”

The unexpected compliment flushed Yutian Heng’s face with extreme discomfort. He turned around and pulled Dugu Yan to stand on the other side.

Qin Ming watched the childish squabble among the children but made no move to intervene. When the dispute ended, he brought out balls marked with different numbers and announced loudly, “Now, students from the agile attack, control, and heavy attack classes, step forward for the draw.”

Ye Lingling gently tugged at Tang Xi’s sleeve and whispered encouragement, “Good luck.”

Tang Xi smiled and took her number. The bold “1” was clearly visible.

“First round, Tang Xi versus...”

Qin Ming glanced at their numbers and quickly found Tang Xi’s opponent.

“Dugu Yan!”

The two names stunned both sides for a moment. Those who had been intimidated by Yutian Heng into silence just moments before burst out laughing.

“Ah, this is going to be a good show.”

“Although there’s a five-level gap between them, the bumpkin hasn’t obtained a soul ring yet, and Dugu Yan is descended from that lineage. Her use of poison is unpredictable! The bumpkin’s in trouble!”