"This… this is impossible…"
Wang Tao stood frozen, disbelief written all over his face.
Before coming here, he had deliberately investigated Zhang Xuan's strength. A Martial Artist of the Third Layer, True Qi Realm—a waste so notorious that the entire academy knew his name for all the wrong reasons.
And yet—
That man had caught his full-powered sword strike with two fingers.
To accomplish something like this required not only terrifying strength, but flawless judgment of timing, angle, and force. A single miscalculation would have resulted in severed fingers or grievous injury.
Even his own teacher—an Open Acupoint Realm elder—could not accomplish such a feat so casually!
And this man was supposed to be trash?
"How could this be…!"
Wang Tao's face twisted violently.
"Coincidence!" he roared inwardly. "It must be a coincidence!"
With a furious bellow, he exerted all his strength.
"Let go of my sword!"
Veins bulged across his arms and forehead as he pulled with everything he had. His face flushed blue, blood surging wildly through his body—yet no matter how hard he tried, the sword remained unmoving.
It was as though it had been fused into steel.
No—worse.
As though Zhang Xuan's fingers had taken root.
A chill crept into Wang Tao's heart.
"Could it be… his cultivation isn't actually at the True Qi Realm?"
The thought made his scalp prickle.
Impossible!
The Teacher Qualification Examination had only ended recently. Zhang Xuan had barely reached the peak of the True Qi Realm back then—everyone in the academy knew it.
Even if he had broken through since then, reaching the Skin & Bone Realm like himself, it still wouldn't explain this level of suppression!
"Get out."
Zhang Xuan's voice was calm, indifferent.
Before Wang Tao could react—
Hū!
A terrifying force surged through the sword.
The world spun.
His body was lifted straight off the ground.
Bang!
Wang Tao slammed violently into the classroom door and was flung outside like a discarded rag.
Zhang Xuan dusted off his sleeve and turned back calmly.
"Alright," he said lightly. "Let's continue class."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Wang Ying, Zhao Ya, Liu Yang, Zheng Yang, Yuan Tao—every student stared blankly at the scene before them.
A Martial Artist at the Fourth Layer, Skin & Bone Realm—
A full-powered sword strike—
Blocked casually.
Then thrown away.
Their minds simply refused to process it.
Wasn't their teacher supposed to be the weakest in the academy?
How could this be possible?
"Teacher…" Zhao Ya's eyes suddenly lit up. "He's hiding his strength!"
Her face flushed with excitement.
That had to be it.
There was no other explanation.
Only someone who deliberately concealed his cultivation could explain such effortless dominance—such precise guidance, such terrifying combat strength.
Her realization spread like wildfire.
The others clenched their fists unconsciously, hearts pounding.
Who entered an academy without dreaming of finding a powerful master?
They had been mocked for choosing the academy's worst teacher—
But now they understood.
They hadn't lost.
They had struck gold.
No—They had found a peerless expert.
At that moment, Teacher Lu Xun… Teacher Wang Chao… all those so-called famed instructors were instantly pushed to the back of their minds.
Compared to Zhang Xuan—
Even the academy elders might need to kneel.
Outside the classroom.
Elder Liu frowned anxiously.
"Things shouldn't escalate too badly, right…?"
Yao Han chuckled confidently.
"Don't worry. Young Master Wang Tao has already reached the Skin & Bone Realm. Zhang Xuan is only at the True Qi Realm. He'll be dealt with quickly—and Young Lady Wang Ying will be brought out."
Yao Han's lips curled in anticipation.
He imagined Zhang Xuan being beaten until his teeth scattered across the floor, his arrogant facade shattered.
Suddenly—
A furious roar echoed from inside.
"They've started!"
Yao Han's eyes gleamed.
Suppressing his excitement, he tiptoed toward the door, intending to peek inside—
Bang!
The tightly shut iron door burst open.
Smash!
Yao Han didn't even have time to react.
The door slammed straight into his face.
"Crack!"
Bone shattered.
The last two teeth he had left were sent flying.
"Pu—!"
Blood sprayed violently as Yao Han collapsed, vision spinning, his head ringing violently.
Yesterday he had been beaten.
Today, smashed by a door.
If not for his strong constitution, he might have died on the spot.
"Y-Young Master…!"
Elder Liu cried out in shock.
Only then did they realize—
The person sent flying wasn't Zhang Xuan.
It was Wang Tao.
Fortunately, Yao Han had cushioned the impact. Wang Tao suffered no serious injuries, but the memory of being casually flung away sent lingering fear through his heart.
He roared angrily, yet dared not step forward again.
"Damn it… damn it!"
Yao Han struggled upright, dizzy and bleeding.
"Y-Young Master Wang Tao… you…"
Only now did he realize who had struck him.
"You weren't… teaching someone a lesson? How did you end up flying out?"
"I—I was testing a new martial skill!" Wang Tao blurted out.
There was no way he could admit he had been thrown out by a so-called waste teacher.
"A martial skill…?" Yao Han was still dazed and didn't question further. "Then… did you expose that man's true face? Did our young ladies—"
"Cough!" Wang Tao interrupted hurriedly. "I didn't have time. My sister stopped me. Let's… let's wait here for now."
His expression was stiff and awkward.
Admitting the truth would be more humiliating than death.
"I see…" Yao Han nodded, suspicion flickering but saying nothing more.
After a moment, he suddenly asked, "Young Master Wang Tao, may I ask—does the academy have any female teachers with the character 'Blue' in their name?"
"Blue?" Wang Tao thought briefly. "The most famous would be Teacher Shen Biru—the academy goddess. I heard Zhang Xuan is even trying to pursue her…"
He stopped mid-sentence.
Before, that rumor had sounded laughable.
Now—
After witnessing Zhang Xuan's terrifying strength—
Calling him a toad lusting after swan meat suddenly felt… wrong.
"Shen Biru?" Yao Han's eyes gleamed. "Does Zhang Xuan truly pursue her?"
"Yes," Wang Tao nodded. "Many teachers admire her, but the most prominent is Teacher Shang Bin, the grandson of Elder Shang Chen."
Yao Han's expression shifted subtly.
"I see… I was just asking casually."
But deep within his eyes, cold light flashed.
"So it's Shang Bin… If it was him who offended me…"
The chief steward of White Jade City—second only to the lord himself—had never swallowed such humiliation.
This debt—
He would repay it.
No matter the cost.
At the same time—
Inside another corridor, Teacher Shang Bin, having just dismissed his class, stepped out—
And ran straight into Teacher Cao Xiong.