Faced with the clever pleading of the young man, Chu Chengzhou didn't respond verbally—he simply cast an illusion and knocked him out of the match.
According to the original plan for the advancement match, among the ten members of the Lanba Battle Team, those getting special treatment during the qualifiers—Zhangzhu, Jing Ling, and Huang Yuan—were just substitutes, and Ning Rongrong and Oscar, who weren't very combat-capable, were there mostly for show.
Chu Chengzhou and Xiao Wu, who both had the strength to 1v7 an entire team, weren't meant to start either. Instead, they were to rotate in as backups, letting Zhu Zhuqing, Ma Hongjun, and Tai Long rotate as starters to showcase their strength.
The reason Chu Chengzhou started this time was because Liu Erlong specifically requested it—so it was just the Balak Academy's unlucky day.
Of course, Balak Academy probably wouldn't be the only unlucky ones. While Ma Hongjun and Tai Long, both three-ring Soul Elders, were strong, weaker academies might not even survive a 1v7 from Zhu Zhuqing.
Even strong teams—if their starters couldn't take out a single member of Lanba Academy—would be just as vulnerable to a complete sweep once Chu Chengzhou or Xiao Wu took the stage.
You might argue advancement matches are meant to showcase individual strength of academy members? But if it's always a 1v7, how's anyone else supposed to demonstrate their abilities?
"Emmp~ But am I not a competitor too?""Also, in terms of age—aside from our own Lanba Academy team—who among them isn't older than me?"
When Chu Chengzhou walked off the stage, the rest of Lanba Academy immediately surrounded him.
"Drag him off! Next one! Tsk tsk~ Boss Chu, you were awesome!"
Mimicking Chu Chengzhou's earlier tone and gestures, Ma Hongjun flattered him with exaggerated praise.
"Stay low-key, stay low-key,"Chu Chengzhou pressed his hand down slightly, smiling.
"Low-key? Boss Chu, that eye-kill of yours—you call that low-key?"
Oscar responded dramatically.
"You guys just don't get it,"Tai Long flexed his biceps, shaking his head."When our captain says 'low-key,' he actually means 'as flashy as possible.'"
"Ohhh, I see! Gotta be 'low-key'!"The two "Club Princes" (Oscar and Ma Hongjun) suddenly understood.
Chu Chengzhou: "…"
Lanba Academy's first-round performance was undoubtedly perfect.
Even though Chu Chengzhou's overwhelming power was exposed right away, what difference did it make if others knew his strength? If the gap in strength is too big, tactics don't matter—you'll still lose.
After all, a power gap isn't something you can just fix with strategy.
In the matches that followed, the other four teams that advanced from the Heaven Dou preliminaries also won their respective matches.
Although all were teams in the advancement round, it was undeniable that the Elemental Academy team was far stronger than most of the Kingdom and Duchy teams.
Even the Elephant Armored Academy, which didn't qualify in prelims, would've been mid-tier if placed in the advancement rounds.
All five teams representing the Heaven Dou Empire won their first advancement matches, making Emperor Xue Ye beam with pride.
Right then and there, he announced that each winning team would be rewarded 1,000 gold soul coins, and even losing teams would receive 500.
After the seven matches on the first day ended, the academy deans came onstage to draw lots for the next day's opponents.
To Ma Hongjun's delight, their Dean Liu Erlong had great luck—their opponent would be the Plant Academy from the Silves Kingdom.
Of course, Ma Hongjun wasn't focused on the name or the kingdom.
What caught his attention was that all members of the Plant Academy team were beautiful young women—and all possessed plant-type martial souls.
Fire beats wood. Air beats ground.Time for your grandpa Ma to shine!
And while he's at it, why not impress the ladies of the Plant Academy with the prowess of the Little Phoenix Prince?
Liu Erlong, Flender, and Zhao Wuji had full confidence in their team. Other than aiming for a strong opener today, all tactical decisions were left to team captain Chu Chengzhou.
After drawing lots, on the way back to camp, Ma Hongjun kept looking at Chu Chengzhou pitifully.
The meaning was clear: Let me start tomorrow!
"Fatty, don't look at me with those eyes,"Chu Chengzhou said helplessly.
"Heh heh~ Boss Chu, just let me go first! If I don't get to show off at the tournament, how will I ever get a girlfriend?"
Ma Hongjun grinned shamelessly.
Chu Chengzhou rolled his eyes. "Fine. But let me be clear—if you can't beat even one opponent, forget about ever going first again!"
"No problem! Don't worry, even if their captain goes up first, I'll still win!"
Ma Hongjun beat his chest confidently.
Though only at level 39, while Plant Academy's captain was a four-ring Soul Ancestor, Ma Hongjun believed that his superior martial soul, elemental advantage, and flying ability could compensate for the level gap and missing fourth ring.
If he had already broken through to Soul Ancestor, he figured he could probably 1v7 too.
That night, something... minor happened.Someone (whose name we'll not mention) tried to sneak into a girl's room at midnight…Only to be promptly kicked out.
The advancement rounds moved faster than the prelims—no public spectators, just results. Without all the formalities and noise, most contestants could focus and perform better.
Lanba Academy's match was fourth. As soon as they arrived, Chu Chengzhou sensed someone staring at him with wariness.
Turning, he saw a long-legged girl in a green (environmentally friendly? "forgiveness"?) team uniform staring intently at him.
Noticing that this Plant Academy captain was quite good-looking, Chu Chengzhou smiled and gave a cheeky whistle.
Yao Zi: "…"
"Tss~"
Suddenly, Chu Chengzhou felt a sharp pain in his sides and hissed.
Looking down, he saw two small hands had grabbed his waist and were now twisting his soft flesh 180 degrees.
"Whistle~ go on, keep whistling! Why'd you stop? Rongrong, Zhuqing—twist harder!"
Xiao Wu crossed her arms and glared.
"Ahem, Xiao Wu, I was just gathering intel on the opponent!"
Chu Chengzhou quickly grabbed Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing's hands and explained awkwardly.
"Intel requires whistling? Why not say you're trying to flirt too?"Xiao Wu glared harder.
"No, no! Definitely not!"
Chu Chengzhou waved his hands frantically.
"Hmph, I'll deal with you later!"
Given the crowd, Xiao Wu let it slide—for now.
"You scumbag, aren't we enough for you?"
Ning Rongrong leaned in and whispered in his ear, giving another pinch.
Chu Chengzhou straightened up, serious."Rongrong, don't talk nonsense. I really was just scouting the opponent. Nothing else."
"Try flirting again and say goodbye to your little Chengzhou,"Zhu Zhuqing made a scissors gesture with her fingers.
Chu Chengzhou: "…"
What he didn't know was—the three girls had already agreed to keep a tight watch over him. No new additions allowed.
After three matches, it was finally Lanba vs. Plant Academy.
Like Balak Academy, Plant Academy chose to avoid putting their strongest up first and instead sent a three-ring Soul Elder.
The strategy wasn't impressive, but they wanted to avoid a total sweep.
Seeing that Lanba Academy's first up wasn't Chu Chengzhou but a chubby guy not even at Soul Ancestor level, the Plant team sighed in relief.
Victory? Probably not—with a monster like Chu Chengzhou on the roster, that was a pipe dream.But getting 1v7'd again? That shouldn't happen.
No way this chubby dude is as insane as Chu Chengzhou, right?
"Little fatty, big sis will take good care of you~"
Before the match started, the long-legged captain smiled at Ma Hongjun.
To Xiao Wu and the girls, Ma Hongjun seemed sleazy—but to older girls unfamiliar with him, his chubby look was actually kind of cute.
"Oh? And how exactly will big sis take care of me?"
Ma Hongjun licked his lips and grinned pervertedly.
That one look and action blew his cover.
Plant team captain: "…"
Thought you were a cute chubby kid… turns out you're just a perv?
"Match, begin!"The referee called.
"Lava Fire Phoenix, Possess!"
With a low shout, a phoenix cry echoed. A black phoenix engulfed in orange flames flashed behind Ma Hongjun as powerful soul force surged from him.
"Phoenix?"
The Plant Academy captain's eyes widened.
Plant-type soul masters—especially control types—are notoriously weak to fire-types. And Ma Hongjun's martial soul wasn't ordinary—it was the phoenix, king of birds.
Even if it wasn't a Fire Phoenix, the majestic aura made it clear this was a pureblood variant—Lava Fire Phoenix.
As the second spirit ring lit up, a surge of blazing orange flames shot into the sky. Immediately afterward, a scorching stream of lava burst forth, heading straight toward the opponent.
There was no time to dodge. The girl from the Plant Team, whose Wuhun was the manifested wisteria vine, had no choice but to raise a dense barrier of vines as a shield.
Unfortunately, this was where the power of elemental countering showed itself most vividly.
Fire naturally counteracts wood. Moreover, the Lava Fire Phoenix was a top-tier fire-type avian spirit, while the wisteria vine was of much lower quality—not even a top-tier Wuhun. The searing lava instantly corroded through the dense vines and splashed onto the girl's eco-green uniform.
Feeling the intense lava beginning to burn through her protective soul power, the shocked girl from the Plant Academy didn't care that this was a public match. She immediately tore off her clothing to avoid suffering irreversible injury.
After all, girls cherish their appearance. Compared to risking disfigurement, showing a bit of skin wasn't a big deal—especially since she was still wearing intimate undergarments.
However, the girl didn't forget that she was still in the middle of a match. Dense wisteria vines surged from behind her, lashing out at Ma Hongjun in an attempt to stop the lecherous little fatty from launching another attack.
But facing the oncoming vines, Ma Hongjun acted like he didn't see them at all. He let them hit him while his wide eyes stared unblinking at the girl, who had just torn off her clothes to reveal her figure in nothing but purple lace-trimmed underwear.
Just relying on his second spirit ability—the Lava Phoenix—Ma Hongjun was surrounded in orange phoenix fire, forming an impenetrable barrier. Any vines that approached instantly turned to ash.
"We forfeit this match!"
The Plant Academy's team leader, a charming middle-aged woman, rushed into the arena without hesitation and shouted to the referee.
Her student was still an innocent maiden! What kind of scene was this, standing in the middle of the arena in only her underwear?
If they had any chance of winning, maybe it would've been worth it. But since defeat was inevitable, there was no reason to press on.
"You pervert!"
Storming into the arena, the middle-aged woman pulled a new set of clothes from her soul tool and draped them over her student, glaring angrily at Ma Hongjun.
It's just a match—why burn her clothes? Don't you know she's a girl?
Had she not technically violated the rules by entering the arena without the referee's permission, she would've made sure to give that little rascal a good beating!
"Plant Academy's team leader, please leave the arena immediately and send in your second competitor.
Also, let me repeat: during matches, no non-participating team members from either academy may enter the field. Violators will be disqualified and held accountable!
However, considering the situation and that it did not affect the outcome, Plant Academy is issued a warning. No further penalties will be pursued."
The referee announced loudly.
"What a shame!"
Watching the girl cover herself again, her alluring figure now hidden, Chu Chengzhou outside the arena slapped his thigh and exclaimed with deep regret.
"Indeed, what a pity!"
Oscar nodded in agreement.
"What's a pity?"
As soon as he spoke, Chu Chengzhou heard Xiao Wu's annoyed voice beside his ear.
"I meant it's a pity that Plant Academy broke the rules and still wasn't disqualified!"
Chu Chengzhou immediately turned to Xiao Wu with a straight face and replied seriously.
Xiao Wu frowned slightly, "Really?"
"What else would I regret, Xiao Wu?"
At that moment, Chu Chengzhou's gaze was purer than ever.
"Hmph, I'll let you off!"
Xiao Wu snorted and turned away.
On the arena.
That match seemed to open the door to a whole new world for Ma Hongjun.
Three more girls from the Plant Academy came on stage one after another, and all had their eco-green uniforms burned by Ma Hongjun's scorching lava.
Fortunately, the girls had expected such perversion from the chubby guy and came prepared.
Even though the Plant Team didn't have enough soul tools for every member, the tools could be shared and easily bound to a new user. Everyone brought spare clothes, so there was no embarrassing moment of having nothing to wear.
Well... except for a few ruined uniforms.
But while the clothing issue was handled, the elemental weakness wasn't. Against Ma Hongjun's blazing lava, the entire Plant Team suffered terribly.
After four consecutive losses, a Spirit Ancestor with four rings finally came up and defeated Ma Hongjun, whose spirit power was mostly depleted.
Of course, that girl didn't walk away unscathed. Even though she held the level advantage, she had to step down after using too many spirit abilities and running out of power.
After the match, Ma Hongjun quickly wolfed down one of Oscar's recovery sausages to regain his strength.
"Boss Chu, how'd I do?"A little recovered, Ma Hongjun puffed up his chest and asked proudly.
"Not bad, Fatty!"
Chu Chengzhou gave a big thumbs up and praised him.
The opponents were all top-tier control-type spirit masters specialized in duels. For Ma Hongjun to defeat five of them—one of whom was a Spirit Ancestor—was a solid show of his 'Little Phoenix Prince' strength.
After all, he was only at spirit level 39. Expectations couldn't be too high.
Next up was Xiao Wu. Even without the elemental advantage, her strength was far beyond Ma Hongjun's. She was nearly on par with Chu Chengzhou from the day before.
With her Soft-Boned Rabbit Wuhun activated and second spirit ring glowing, her charm skill instantly immobilized the entire enemy team—including their captain Yao Zi, a level 44 Spirit Ancestor. One kick later, she sent them flying off the stage.
Per the rules, stepping out of bounds equals elimination.
Xiao Wu's spirit power and spiritual strength far exceeded those of regular Spirit Ancestors, especially since she had also cultivated the "Eternal Will" method to enhance her mind. The Plant Team's two Ancestors stood no chance against her charm skill.
Over the next 10 days, Lanba Academy crushed every opponent, including Tianshui Academy who they hadn't faced in the qualifiers.
In each round, Zhu Zhuqing, Ma Hongjun, and Tai Long rotated as starters, with Chu Chengzhou and Xiao Wu rotating in as backup. By the 12th match, Lanba Academy had never needed more than two fighters per round.
With two "goalkeepers" this strong, most teams couldn't even get past the front door.
In the fifth match, against a weak team, Zhu Zhuqing followed Chu Chengzhou's lead and became the second to achieve a "one versus seven" victory in the Heaven Dou Division's advancement round.
By then, Lanba Academy had won 12 out of 14 matches.
Worth noting:In the tenth round, facing Shenfeng Academy, Ma Hongjun was defeated early on by Feng Xiaotian.
Feng Xiaotian could also fly. His Windstorm Twin-Headed Wolf was a top-tier beast Wuhun, not much weaker than Ma Hongjun's Lava Phoenix. Though only a level 44 Spirit Ancestor, his signature move "Windstorm Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Slash" made him just as strong as a level 51 power-type Spirit King. Ma Hongjun was no match.
But just as Shenfeng Academy seemed poised for a major upset, Xiao Wu came in for revenge. Her second spirit ring lit up, and with one stare, she stunned Feng Xiaotian. Three seconds into the match, she kicked him off the stage and proceeded to defeat the rest of the team by herself.
Xiao Wu: "Seven's not enough—I want to fight ten!"
Following Chu Chengzhou, the infamous "tree-hanging demon," Lanba Academy had now revealed a second monster who could wipe out Spirit Ancestors in seconds. Their next two opponents simply forfeited.
They knew they couldn't win. At best, they'd take out one Lanba fighter before getting steamrolled. Better to surrender and conserve energy for the next day.
Next morning, at the arena.Liu Erlong submitted Lanba Academy's lineup.
Shortly after, she returned with a smile.
"Dean Erlong, how'd it go?"Chu Chengzhou asked quickly.
Today's opponent was Thunderclap Academy—one of the elemental schools, backed by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Surely they wouldn't give up easily?
"Good news!"Liu Erlong replied with a grin.
Chu Chengzhou's face immediately fell.
For him, good news = the match was canceled = the opponent forfeited.
Even Thunderclap Academy—backed by one of the continent's Three Great Clans—gave up?
He hadn't even had the chance to hang that so-called "Blue Lightning Twin Star" Yu Tianxin from a tree!
"My nephew Tianxin said I'm his aunt—he didn't feel right fighting us."Liu Erlong said with a smile.
Everyone: "…"
More like he was scared of being hung from a tree.
And honestly, it made sense. Better to forfeit than be humiliated in front of a crowd.
Yu Tianxin: "Surrendering to my aunt's academy isn't shameful!"
"Who's our last opponent in the advancement round?"Chu Chengzhou asked.
"It's Bacal Academy, under the Duchy of Bacal. Their team isn't very strong—only two Spirit Ancestors—and they're ranked low."
Ning Rongrong replied after some thought.
The Duchy of Bacal was the only duchy among the five kingdoms and duchies under the Heaven Dou Empire.
"Alright, looks like our advancement round actually ended back on Day 10."Chu Chengzhou said helplessly, shrugging.
T/N: For up to 30 chapters ahead on most of my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle