Chapter 108: All the Campus Beauties Are Mine

“Huang Shiyu truly deserves his rank as tenth on the Golden List; that kid Xin Lang is doomed!”
“Masters are in a league of their own. A warrior trying to defeat a master? Impossible!”
“I thought Xin Lang was also at the master level, but it seems he hasn’t reached it yet. He’s bound to lose!”

Among the spectators on the stage, except for the corpulent Gu and Qian Baidu, who had absolute confidence in Xin Lang, everyone else was convinced that Xin Lang would lose. Even Hong Jingang, who was close to Xin Lang, had lost hope for his victory.

The battle on the arena continued. Under the fierce assault of Huang Shiyu’s Heavenly-grade martial technique, “Cloud Dispersing Palm,” Xin Lang had held out for six or seven minutes.

“Is Xin Lang some kind of cockroach? How is he so hard to kill?” asked one student.
“Yeah! Even if he were at the master level, getting hit with so many strikes from Huang Shiyu’s ‘Cloud Dispersing Palm’ should have left him severely injured!” another replied.

Huang Shiyu grew more and more alarmed. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t bring Xin Lang down. Meanwhile, his internal energy was almost completely depleted. At this rate, he would have to admit defeat even without Xin Lang counterattacking.

“Damn it! I’ll fight you to the death!” Huang Shiyu’s face contorted in rage as his hands shifted rapidly. “Mid-level Heavenly-grade technique: Mountain Shaking Palm!”

Boom!

Using the last of his energy, Huang Shiyu unleashed a mid-tier Heavenly-grade technique. Previously, the “Cloud Dispersing Palm” he used was a low-level Heavenly-grade technique, but “Mountain Shaking Palm” was a level higher. As a first-level master, it was extremely strenuous for him to execute such a technique. He barely managed to release half the move before his energy was completely exhausted.

Huang Shiyu’s desperate gamble to use a technique he had yet to master was forced by Xin Lang’s relentless pressure. Unable to defeat Xin Lang otherwise, he risked everything for this final strike.

Unfortunately for him, he lost the gamble.

Xin Lang’s robes were stained with countless drops of blood. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he smirked wickedly. “Now’s the time!”

Seizing Huang Shiyu’s opening, Xin Lang dodged the immature “Mountain Shaking Palm” and decisively threw a punch. Mixing visible and hidden energies and amplified by the “Heavenly Halberd” technique, Xin Lang delivered a devastating blow that shattered everything in its path.

Bang!

Xin Lang charged forward and struck Huang Shiyu’s abdomen with a single punch. Like an arrow released from a bow, Huang Shiyu was sent flying, crashing into the wall of the promotion hall with a thunderous impact.

“Ah...”

Huangfu Sheng, principal of the Martial Arts Academy for many years, had seen countless matches before, but never witnessed a warrior defeat a master.

The gap between a warrior and a master was not merely a chasm, but a qualitative transformation. If “energy” was likened to a sharp sword, hidden energy was like a crude firewood stick. One was heaven, the other earth. Masters saw warriors as mere ants.

Yet today, Xin Lang shattered that rule, defeating a master while still a warrior.

The promotion hall fell into stunned silence. No one dared believe it was true — a warrior had actually triumphed over a master!

Xin Lang defeated Huang Shiyu, but he was not unscathed. Huang Shiyu’s final “Mountain Shaking Palm” had not been unleashed at full strength, but as a mid-level Heavenly-grade technique, it still inflicted serious damage. After using two healing potions and several stamina recovery elixirs, Xin Lang’s aching body finally regained some mobility.

“Ding!” The upgrade device chimed with a mission completion alert. “Side quest completed: Defeat gold-ranked student Huang Shiyu. Reward: 500 experience points!”

Side quests granted only half the rewards of main quests, but 500 experience points was already a generous reward for Xin Lang.

His experience points climbed to a total of 2,813.

Xin Lang thought to himself: “Defeating the tenth-ranked on the Golden List grants 500 experience points. What about the ninth, eighth, seventh? If I defeat the number one, that must be thousands of experience points in reward!”

“It seems I have to get those top-ranked students to come challenge me willingly!”

A sly smile curved Xin Lang’s lips as he devised a perfect plan. He addressed the nearly thousand students below the stage: “I hereby declare that the four campus beauties of the Martial Arts Academy belong to me, Xin Lang, as my exclusive treasures. Anyone who dares to lay a hand on them, no matter their rank on the Golden List, must kneel and apologize to me!”

The hall exploded with uproar again.

“How arrogant!”
“Completely full of himself!”
“He claims the four campus beauties as his own? Who does he think he is? Just because he beat Huang Shiyu, does he think he can take on all the top-ranked students?”
“Hmph, with that kind of arrogance, someone’s bound to teach him a lesson!”
“Exactly! The top three on our Golden List are not low-level masters like Huang Shiyu. One flick of their finger could crush Xin Lang!”
“Heh heh, let’s wait and see the show!”

Hearing the buzz of gossip beneath the arena, Xin Lang chuckled inwardly. “This is exactly what I wanted! Come on, top-ranked students, bring on your challenges!”

The day’s match was over. Xin Lang stepped down from the arena, accompanied by Gu the corpulent and Qian Baidu, and left the promotion hall.

“Boss, you’ve defeated Huang Shiyu and cracked the top ten of the Martial Arts Academy. How about we celebrate at Lan Kwai Fong?” Gu suggested with a grin.

“We should celebrate, but not at Lan Kwai Fong. If we go, let’s go to Wei Ji Xian!” Qian Baidu replied.

“Lan Kwai Fong is better. Not only can we drink, but we can do other things too!” Gu argued.

Xin Lang, having just averted the “erasure crisis” and gained a hefty amount of experience points, was in high spirits. “Let’s go to Wei Ji Xian.”

As the three were about to leave, Hong Jingang rushed out from the promotion hall, face flushed red.

“Going to celebrate? Can I come too?” he asked.

“Tch!” Gu mocked Hong Jingang. “Someone didn’t seem to have much faith in our boss just now!”

“Uh... haha...” Hong Jingang awkwardly said to Xin Lang, “Xin Lang, I accept defeat. From today on, you’re my boss, and I’m your subordinate!”

Xin Lang’s heroic display had thoroughly convinced Hong Jingang.

Having the future “Diamond War God” of the Great Xia Dynasty as a subordinate gave Xin Lang a strange sense of pride. Soon, Hong Jingang would become the youngest Martial Saint of the Great Xia Dynasty and the guardian “Diamond War God” — Xin Lang, as his boss, felt almost elated.

Yet Xin Lang showed no outward reaction. “Jingang, your strength is impressive, but you’re not as smart as Gu and Qian. Learn from them more in the future.”

“Yes, boss!” Hong Jingang turned to Gu and Qian. “Second Brother, Third Brother, please guide your little brother from now on!”

“Heh heh...” Gu patted Hong Jingang’s arm. “Listen to the boss. Start learning from us today — how to pay the bill, for example.”

“Uh...” Hong Jingang was speechless.

The four walked out of the Martial Arts Academy, but not long after, Xin Lang was called back.

Huangfu Sheng stopped him. “Xin Lang, come with me. I have something to ask you.”

“Uh... Principal Huangfu? You’re looking for me?” Xin Lang asked in surprise.

C!