Unexpectedly, Zhao Fenghua's casual words betrayed his incredible speed. Yue Qinglong's cultivation wasn't high, and Ming Qi hadn't personally confirmed his true strength, but he estimated it to be around the sixth or seventh level of the Acquired Realm.
At this moment, Zhao Fenghua suddenly attacked. Given Yue Qinglong's current strength, it was likely he wouldn't be able to escape unscathed.
Seeing Zhao Fenghua's lightning-fast attack, Yue Qinglong was startled and quickly dodged.
But it was too late.
In a flash, Zhao Fenghua had moved to Yue Qinglong's side. A smile crossed his eyes, and the two looked like old friends reminiscing about the past. However, Yue Qinglong's face paled slightly.
Using his body as a cover, Zhao Fenghua's right hand had quietly extended, his index finger pointed precisely at Yue Qinglong's waist.
"Ah, it's the Soul-Pulling Thread!"
Ever since Zhao Fenghua appeared, Meng Junyi had been watching him intently. Seeing him silently extend a finger, he was startled and blurted out, as if he was extremely afraid of Zhao Fenghua's move.
"The Soul-Pulling Thread?"
Ming Qi had naturally witnessed Zhao Fenghua's move, but he had no idea how powerful it was. It seemed to have a rather intriguing name: the Soul-Pulling Thread.
Zhao Fenghua's move was lightning fast, but just as his finger was about to touch Yue Qinglong's waist, a green light suddenly flickered from beneath Yue Qinglong's clothing. In the blink of an eye, it formed a halo the size of an egg, precisely blocking Zhao Fenghua's finger. The halo shifted in an indescribably strange way.
"Hmm?"
As the halo appeared, Zhao Fenghua's expression suddenly changed. He instantly withdrew his finger and stared at Yue Qinglong in surprise.
Yue Qinglong had already taken advantage of the opportunity to leap away.
Zhao Fenghua stopped attacking and simply waved his hand expressionlessly behind him. "Help him up."
"Wait!"
As the Xuanwu Academy disciples approached, they saw another foot on Luo Zheng's head.
Ming Qi had already walked over.
Luo Zheng was suffering terribly. Many present at this moment already believed that even if he wasn't crushed to death, his head would likely be deformed.
Zhao Fenghua turned his head in surprise, glanced at Ming Qi, and smiled brightly. "Boy, you're quite courageous." Then, after a second of contemplation, he pointed a finger at the other Tianqi Academy members. "Did you give them all their courage?"
...
What kind of thinking is this?
Ming Qi was speechless, but he didn't move his foot from Luo Zheng's head. "You could say that."
This was a bit amusing, and some of the people around him chuckled softly.
I've seen people dividing up money, loot, and things, but I've never seen people dividing up courage.
Ming Qi stepped on Luo Zheng's head and, without beating around the bush, said, "He can only get up after we've driven him away." He stomped on him again. Luo Zheng was barely breathing, but not dead yet. Ming Qi's pressure unleashed a mosquito-like scream.
"Brother Meng, as the eldest brother of Tianqi Academy, you have the responsibility to oversee the situation. Naturally, you can't just accept a fight casually. So, I, a nobody, will challenge you."
"Oh?"
Zhao Fenghua didn't care that he had failed to pull Luo Zheng up, but he looked at Ming Qi with interest. "Then wouldn't my victory be honorable?"
Ming Qi grumbled inwardly. This guy was truly a hypocrite. He secretly orchestrated Tie Mohan's death, and now he's pretending to be respectable. He was truly shameless.
"It's easy to claim glory. Your first three moves were all about defense, not attack. That counts as three moves for me, making it fair."
Well, Ming Qi really did apply what he'd learned. He immediately repeated Ge Chuncheng's exact words. Ge Chuncheng had originally intended to trick Meng Junyi, but hadn't succeeded.
"Hehe."
Zhao Fenghua chuckled, but didn't immediately agree.
Zhao Fenghua's hands were white and slender. He was looking at his right index finger with interest, admiring something, perhaps lost in thought.
"Why, you don't dare, old man?" Ming Qi looked at Zhao Fenghua with amusement.
Ming Qi could already tell that Zhao Fenghua was trying to test his patience. But who was Ming Qi? A master assassin, his patience rivaled that of the lurking Canglang. In terms of patience, he considered himself several levels above Zhao Fenghua.
After a moment's silence, Zhao Fenghua suddenly smiled and said, "It seems you just joined the Biyou Sect this year. I, Zhao Fenghua, don't bully newcomers. Go back and let Meng Junyi come."
At this time, more outer disciples had gathered in front of Xuanwu Academy, and even quite a few inner disciples had their attention fixed on this place from afar.
Everyone perceived Tianqi Academy's first challenge in five years as a sign of tiredness and longevity. However, the situation before them clearly showed that the Tianqi Academy had the upper hand.
After all, it was the Xuanwu Academy disciples who were being constantly bullied.
Ming Qi remained motionless, simply pointing at Luo Zheng beneath his feet. "This guy's thick-skinned, he's a tough sell."
Hearing this, Zhao Fenghua, who had remained calm, finally grew impatient, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "I'm giving you a chance!"
"Same here," Ming Qi waved his hand carelessly. "If Senior Brother Zhao Fenghua doesn't dare, I'll have no choice but to return."
At this point, Ming Qi was clearly using his words to provoke Zhao Fenghua.
Zhao Fenghua was extremely cunning and meticulous. Only by thoroughly enraging him could he better identify his weaknesses.
However, Zhao Fenghua was clearly not easily angered. He glanced at Luo Zheng, whose face was covered in blood, his expression changed slightly, but then returned to normal.
"How about we have a bet?"
"How?" Ming Qi asked with a smile.
Zhao Fenghua flicked his sleeves and actually walked towards Meng Junyi.
Zhao Fenghua's action shocked the few Tianqi Academy disciples. They couldn't figure out what Zhao Fenghua was up to.
"Meng Junyi, let's make a bet."
Zhao Fenghua had actually ignored Ming Qi and gone straight to Meng Junyi. The implication was clear.
Meng Junyi's expression was solemn. He knew Zhao Fenghua was ruthless and calculating, and he might be up to something else.
"What's the bet?" Meng Junyi asked.
Zhao Fenghua smiled mysteriously. "It's simple. If you lose this challenge, all of you from Tianqi Academy will be incorporated into Xuanwu Academy. Of course, the Tianguan Pagoda will also become ours."
Meng Junyi's face darkened, and he fell silent.
Betting the entire Tianqi Academy, even the Tianguan Pagoda, meant that if he lost, the entire Tianqi Academy, along with the Dean's years of hard work, would vanish into thin air.
"What? You don't dare?"
Zhao Fenghua stared at Meng Junyi, eagerly awaiting his response.
"Senior Brother Meng, no!"
Tang Qi, standing beside him, said anxiously.
Zhao Fenghua was the strongest in Xuanwu Academy. Tianqi Academy was dwindling in talent, and none of the people present could match him. Moreover, they had never witnessed Zhao Fenghua's true strength. In their memories, Zhao Fenghua played every battle lightly and calmly, as if he hadn't even given it his all.
Seeing Meng Junyi's silence, Zhao Fenghua suddenly sneered and shouted, "Don't dare? If not, then apologize immediately to Junior Brother Luo Zheng and get out of here!"
Hearing this, Meng Junyi understood that Zhao Fenghua was ruthless and would inevitably become a laughing stock.
For a moment, he was once again caught in a dilemma.
At this moment, Ming Qi's voice rang out.
"A bet, of course!" Ming Qi laughed heartily, as if everything was a sure win.
Zhao Fenghua was immediately surprised. He looked Ming Qi over carefully and offered a few favorable comments.
"Junior Brother Ming, this is a trap!"
Tang Qi said anxiously.
"It's okay." Ming Qi waved his hand and said to Zhao Fenghua with a smile, "Then let's talk about your bet."
Zhao Fenghua was delighted to see that the Tianqi Academy had taken the bait. He smiled slightly and said, "You tell me."
Ming Qi, still stepping on Luo Zheng's head, spoke slowly, "We don't have the appetite of a fellow like you. If you lose, I only want one person to come to our Tianqi Academy and serve us unconditionally."
When Ming Qi mentioned this request, Zhao Fenghua immediately thought that Ming Qi was asking for him, Zhao Fenghua. However, Zhao Fenghua naturally didn't think he would lose to anyone from Tianqi Academy. That was impossible. There was no chance at all.
"Okay, it's settled. Who do you want?"
Seeing Zhao Fenghua agree, Ming Qi deliberately held his tongue and instead shouted to the people around him, "Did you all hear that? He's agreed. He can't go back on his word."
As he spoke, he turned to Zhao Fenghua, "So, the person I want is Miss Ji Ruyue, the dean of your Xuanwu Academy!"
Whew!
For a moment, the surroundings fell into complete silence, a pin drop audible.
Zhao Fenghua, who had been smiling and composed, suddenly turned pale when he heard who Ming Qi wanted.
Ji Ruyue, the dean of Xuanwu Academy, was an innate powerhouse!
An innate powerhouse wields supernatural powers and is ruthless in killing. Everyone knew Ming Qi was quite bold, but they had never imagined he was so bold as to target an innate powerhouse.
But the most shocked and anxious at the moment were the people from Tianqi Academy.
"Junior Brother Ming, are you crazy?"
"Junior Brother Ming..."
Ming Qi simply smiled at Zhao Fenghua, just as Zhao Fenghua had smiled at Meng Junyi moments earlier.
The two sides exchanged blows, their minds and wits now at loggerheads.
Zhao Fenghua no longer had his previous composure. His face was as green as a green-haired turtle, his eyes fixed on Ming Qi.
Betting with the Dean, this was no joke!
"Why, you don't dare? Well, destroy your own meridians right here and now to appease my Senior Brother Tie's spirit, and I'll spare your life!"
Ming Qi refused to give in. Zhao Fenghua had murdered Tie Mohan through scheming, and he needed to vent his anger, and do it once and for all. This was the first step for Tianqi Academy to rise to prominence.