Chapter 42: First Day of School, Beating Up the Teaching Assistant
Ye Zhong, burdened with the responsibilities of his position and slightly older than most of his peers, was keenly aware of how serious this situation was becoming. Unfortunately, the majority of the students were teenagers who thrived on chaos and excitement.
"Fight! Fight!" a group of rowdy students chanted, not even bothering to pick sides.
Dan Chen, standing below, clenched her small fists tightly, her delicate face filled with worry as she watched Xiao Yan and Song Qing confront each other in the sky. Even Cao Ying's expression wasn't great she knew that their clash was partially due to her instigation. Xiao Yan's final words before flying off had left her feeling strangely tense.
"Xiao Yan, you are no match for me," Song Qing called out coldly, his voice calm but with a hint of arrogance. "Surrender now, leave Cao Ying alone, and for the sake of your teacher, I'll let this slide."
To be fair, Song Qing wasn't eager to make Xiao Yan his mortal enemy. He knew full well that Xiao Yan's potential could one day surpass his own. But giving up Cao Ying? That was absolutely impossible.
"Stop pretending to be some big shot," Xiao Yan retorted, his tone laced with mockery.
"If you kneel and beg for mercy right now, I might spare your life. Oh, and Cao Ying? She's already reserved as my personal maid," Xiao Yan said, his tone dripping with disdain as he gave Song Qing a sidelong glance, purposefully avoiding looking directly at him.
"You you…" Song Qing stammered, unable to match Xiao Yan's cutting words. His face contorted with rage, but he finally managed to suppress it and sneered coldly.
"You've clearly been spoiled for too long under Medicine Venerable's protection. Today, I'll teach you a lesson you'll learn the hard way that there's always someone stronger out there!" Song Qing roared, his body trembling with anger as he vanished in a blur.
"Medicine Venerable? Please, he's not even that protective of me," Xiao Yan thought but refrained from saying it aloud out of respect for his teacher.
In the next instant, a burst of wind rushed toward Xiao Yan as a fist wreathed in green light aimed directly for his face.
"Boom!"
Under the stunned gazes of the onlookers, Song Qing's glowing fist passed clean through Xiao Yan's head.
"Ah!" Some of the more timid girls screamed, covering their eyes. Dan Chen's face went pale, and she looked on the verge of tears. Only Cao Ying narrowed her eyes slightly, sensing something was amiss.
The expected spray of blood never came. Instead, Xiao Yan's head slowly dissolved into thin air.
"A… an energy clone!" Song Qing exclaimed, his pupils shrinking as he hastily turned around and launched another punch.
"Your techniques are decent, but your training is lacking," a voice rang out.
Xiao Yan's real fist collided with Song Qing's, producing a low, muffled boom. Song Qing stumbled back three steps, while Xiao Yan was sent flying several dozen meters.
"Ha! Xiao Yan, your footwork is impressive, I'll give you that. But with your pitiful Dou Qi, do you really think you stand a chance against me?" Song Qing laughed, his face alight with smugness.
"No matter how talented you are, you're still just a fifteen year old kid. The gap between a two star Dou Huang and an eight star Dou Huang can't be bridged with talent alone."
Song Qing's words seemed to resonate with some of the onlookers. The sheer disparity in their strength made Xiao Yan's odds look bleak.
"It's true," Xiao Yan muttered to himself with a wry smile. This 'Burning Flame Art' really does leave me at a disadvantage right now.
At its current level, the Burning Flame Art was only a Huang Tier High Level technique. No matter how exceptional it was, it couldn't compare to the Earth Tier techniques practiced by someone like Song Qing, a disciple of the Tower's Grand Elder. Even if Song Qing didn't have an Earth Tier High Level technique, a mid tier version would give him a significant edge.
Moreover, Xiao Yan's cultivation had recently dropped to a two star Dou Huang. Combined with the energy draining nature of the Burning Flame Art, his true fighting capability was closer to that of a one star Dou Huang.
It was only Xiao Yan's mastery of combat techniques and his exceptionally strong physical body that allowed him to withstand Song Qing's punch. Anyone else in his position would have coughed up blood by now.
"Xiao Yan, if this is all you've got, you should just admit defeat," Song Qing sneered, his Dou Qi wings flaring as he launched himself toward Xiao Yan again.
"Admit defeat?" Xiao Yan's lips curled into a faint smile, his body vanishing like a phantom as Song Qing's punch missed its mark.
"What?!"
Before Song Qing could react, a sudden surge of heat erupted from behind him. He turned just in time to see Xiao Yan hurl a fiery whip of Dou Qi at him.
"You're faster than I thought," Song Qing admitted, dodging the strike.
"But not fast enough," Xiao Yan muttered under his breath.
The fiery whip missed its intended target but struck a nearby boulder, reducing it to molten slag in seconds. The crowd gasped.
"What terrifying precision!" someone whispered.
"He's just toying with him," Cao Ying murmured, her eyes gleaming with interest.
"Is Xiao Yan really this strong?" Dan Chen asked aloud, her voice trembling.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yan's lips curled into a smirk. "Song Qing, if you think I'm just a two star Dou Huang, you're in for a nasty surprise."
Bang! Bang! Bang! Xiao Yan and Song Qing exchanged blows, their explosive Dou Qi rippling through the air, creating waves of energy that drew the attention of numerous elders and disciples.
"Look! It's that genius, Xiao Yan! Why is he fighting Song Qing?"
"Maybe it's just the pride of geniuses clashing. Song Qing is also one of the talents nurtured by the Pill Tower. Two young powerhouses meeting there's bound to be a fight to determine the stronger one."
"Did I ask for your commentary? Hurry up and bring my chair and sunflower seeds!"
"Right away, Teacher."
"And some wine."
"Got it, Teacher."
"Xiao Yan, if you think you can keep dodging and wear me out, forget it!" Song Qing sneered after forcing Xiao Yan back with a powerful palm strike.
Although Xiao Yan's movement technique was slightly superior, his Dou Qi was weak and scattered. By now, Song Qing estimated Xiao Yan had burned through half his energy, while he himself had only expended about ten percent.
"Surrender, walk away from Cao Ying, and I'll spare you," Song Qing smirked confidently.
"Cackling fool," Xiao Yan suddenly let out a sinister laugh, flexing his knuckles. He reached for the black robe covering his upper body and ripped it apart with a sharp pull.
The sound of tearing fabric drew everyone's attention as Xiao Yan's toned, lean torso, full of defined muscles and radiating power, was revealed.
"Crimson Flame Demon Body activate!" Xiao Yan's low growl resonated as the tattoo of a green lion on his back began to glow, lines of green energy coursing through his body like burning flames. Dormant strength awakened in an instant.
Crack! Crack! His bones creaked as his frame grew taller, nearly two meters now. His already well defined muscles expanded, looking as if they had been forged from bronze, every line sculpted to perfection.
"Roar!" A deep lion's roar echoed from within him, and the green lion tattoo on his back seemed to come alive.
"Wow, so cool!" a few female disciples exclaimed, their voices unable to suppress their excitement.
"With a body like that, warming his bed would be the opportunity of a lifetime."
Hearing these comments, Cao Ying frowned and let out a cold humph, silencing the chatter. Still, her narrow, enchanting eyes lingered on Xiao Yan's impressive physique.
Not far away, Dan Chen blushed furiously as she covered her eyes, though the gaps between her slender fingers betrayed her curiosity.
Men lust after beauty, but women are drawn to strength too. Bound by a concept called "modesty," they rarely admit it.
"Song Qing, it's my turn now!" Xiao Yan declared with a cold smile. Before his previous afterimage had fully dissipated, several new shadows appeared in midair.
With his Heavenly Phantom Nine Flashes, Xiao Yan's fist suddenly materialized in front of Song Qing, carrying devastating power. The air around his punch seemed to ripple, leaving faint black cracks in its wake.
Song Qing's face paled as he hastily formed hand seals at breakneck speed, conjuring a small red shield about the size of a human head.
Earth Tier Low Level Dou Technique: Mystic Flame Shield!
Crack! Xiao Yan's fist collided with the red shield, shattering it almost instantly before smashing into Song Qing's chest.
Song Qing's complexion turned ashen as he plummeted from the sky. "How is he this strong?!" he thought in terror. Without the protective armor on his chest, he would have coughed up blood already.
"This isn't good… I'm not his match," Song Qing realized, his body trembling as he desperately tried to flee, transforming into a streak of blue light. But how could his speed match Xiao Yan's?
More afterimages flickered through the sky as Xiao Yan reappeared behind Song Qing, slamming a heavy blow into his back.
Boom!
A muffled thud echoed as Song Qing's body spasmed, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Xiao Yan, I surrender! I surrender!" Song Qing cried out as he fled, only to be met with another punch.
Three punches later, Song Qing's face was pale, and he crashed to the ground unconscious.
"I'll teach you to act so arrogant!" Xiao Yan sneered, his Dou Qi receding as he used nothing but raw strength to stomp on Song Qing's face.
Thud! Thud!
"And this is for showing off!" he growled, punctuating his words with more stomps.
(To Be Continued…)
🔥 Get 30% off on my Patreon and enjoy early access to new chapters.
You can also purchase the next 100 chapters of the novel directly from my Patreon page.
⏰ Hurry up! The promotion ends on January 10, 2026.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/LightKira10