Chapter 242: The Match Begins, One Strike
Inner Academy, Central Plaza.
At this moment, the Central Plaza was packed with countless students. As far as the eye could see, it seemed like half of the Inner Academy had gathered here.
When Mo Yu jumped down from the Griffon Beast and followed Hu Qian to the plaza, he was a bit taken aback by the dense crowd.
"Haha, it seems the Inner Academy's elders are very interested in your challenge against the Strong Ranking member. They've really made this quite the spectacle. Kid, I hope you can succeed," Hu Qian said, giving Mo Yu a look that wished him good luck.
In front of such a large crowd, if Mo Yu won, he would become famous throughout the academy. But if he lost, he would become a laughingstock. The risk was something only Mo Yu could manage.
"Don't worry, Vice Principal. I'm confident," Mo Yu replied with a light smile.
"Confidence is good. Come with me. Your opponent should be ready by now, though I wonder which Strong Ranking member it will be..." Hu Qian said, waving for Mo Yu to follow him to the center of the plaza.
In the sky, the sun slowly climbed to its peak, casting warm sunlight over the entire plaza.
At a certain moment, soft footsteps echoed from the stone steps outside the plaza, gradually growing louder as they approached. The once noisy atmosphere in the plaza quieted down as everyone turned their eyes toward the source of the sound.
On the stone platform, Xiao Yu slowly opened her bright eyes, stretching her slender legs that had captured the attention of many. Her gaze fixed on that spot, and her already restless heart began to beat erratically.
The footsteps grew closer and louder, until finally, on the stone platform, an elderly figure opened his eyes, casting his gaze in the same direction as everyone else.
Under the gaze of nearly a thousand pairs of eyes, two figures, one old and one young, took their final steps up the stairs.
As soon as the young man appeared, the faint whispers in the plaza fell silent.
Countless curious gazes focused on the young man with silver eyes in the plaza, and for a moment, the entire place was dead silent.
"It's Cousin Mo Yu," Xun Er said with a smile as she looked at the figure she hadn't seen in two years.
"Yes, Cousin Mo Yu is finally here," the black-robed young man beside her said, also smiling.
Behind them, the Pan Gate members, seeing their leader and chief steward paying such close attention to Mo Yu, all turned their eyes toward the young man in the plaza, eager to see who this mysterious figure was.
"This guy... always has to make such a big entrance. He loves showing off. But why are his eyes silver now..." Xiao Yu thought, her beautiful eyes fixed on the figure she hadn't seen in two years. Her once calm heart began to race.
"Yu Er, is that your fiancé? He's actually quite handsome," said one of the girls from Moon Gate standing beside Xiao Yu, giggling as she stared curiously at the figure in the plaza.
"Hehe, but we have to see his strength. Looks alone aren't enough. An Outer Academy student challenging a Strong Ranking expert—this is the first time something like this has happened in Jia Nan Academy in nearly ten years!" the girls laughed. In Jia Nan Academy, where strength was respected, a man's looks weren't the most important thing. What truly mattered was the ability to defeat strong opponents in battle and walk away with ease—that was the ideal man in their eyes.
"I heard that Bai Cheng, the leader of Bai Gang, applied to have one of his Strong Ranking members participate in the assessment to suppress Yu Er's fiancé," said a delicate-looking girl, a bit nervously.
Hearing this, Xiao Yu frowned slightly, then glanced at the calm silver-eyed young man in the plaza and said firmly, "Don't worry. I believe in him."
"Is that Mo Yu?" Bai Cheng, the leader of Bai Gang, stood on a nearby viewing platform, surprised as he looked at the silver-eyed young man in the plaza. He hadn't expected Xiao Yu's fiancé to be such a dignified person.
"He seems steady, maybe he has some skill. But that's about it," Bai Cheng said indifferently, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the young man whose expression remained unchanged despite the massive crowd. As a potential rival in love, Bai Cheng, with his high standards, didn't think much of Mo Yu.
"Don't worry, boss. I'll teach this kid a lesson for you!" said a muscular young man standing beside Bai Cheng, sneering.
"Alright, it's up to you, Fu Ao. I spent 100 Fire Energy to get this chance from an elder. Defeat this kid thoroughly, and I'll reward you with 200 Fire Energy."
"Thank you, boss," Fu Ao said, licking his lips in excitement. His gaze on the silver-eyed young man was like a predator eyeing its prey.
In the center of the plaza, Mo Yu, feeling energized, looked ahead to see a white-haired elder.
"Haha, Hu Qian, is this the Outer Academy student who wants to challenge a Strong Ranking expert to enter the Inner Academy? It's been so many years since something like this happened," the white-haired elder said, smiling at Hu Qian as he noticed Mo Yu.
"Yes, this is Mo Yu," Hu Qian replied with a smile, then turned to Mo Yu and gestured for him to come closer.
As Mo Yu approached, Hu Qian introduced the elder, "This is Elder Su from the Inner Academy. He will be overseeing your assessment today."
"Mo Yu, huh..." Elder Su said, a hint of surprise in his eyes as he looked Mo Yu over. He nodded slightly and said, "At your age, having never trained in the Inner Academy, and yet daring to challenge a Strong Ranking expert—impressive. I hope you can break the academy's record."
"Let's see. Maybe he'll actually succeed," Hu Qian said with a smile.
As they spoke, the muscular young man entered the plaza.
"So, you're Mo Yu?" Fu Ao said coldly, his gaze fixed on the silver-eyed young man in the center of the plaza.
Mo Yu nodded calmly.
"You're not worthy of Xiao Yu. She's our leader's woman. If you surrender now, I might let you lose with some dignity," Fu Ao said, his tone filled with disdain.
"Elder Su, everyone's here. Can we start?" Mo Yu didn't respond to Fu Ao's words but instead turned to the white-haired elder.
Seeing the tension in the air, Elder Su sighed and shook his head. "Mo Yu, this is Fu Ao, ranked 67th on the Strong Ranking, a three-star Dou Spirit. Are you sure you want to challenge him? If not, you can request a different opponent—there are a few one-star Dou Spirit members on the Strong Ranking."
"It doesn't matter. He'll do," Mo Yu replied calmly.
"Alright then. Let's begin the match," Hu Qian said, smiling as he turned to Elder Su.
"Very well," Elder Su said with a sigh. He raised his hand, and his loud voice echoed through the plaza.
"Outer Academy student Mo Yu will challenge Inner Academy student Fu Ao. The match begins now!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Hu Qian and Elder Su leaped away, leaving the stage to Mo Yu and Fu Ao.
As the battle was about to begin, the surrounding students quickly stepped back. They had heard many things about Mo Yu and were eager to see for themselves.
"I wonder if Mo Yu can hold his own against Fu Ao. If not, he might make a fool of himself."
"Hmph, I heard Fu Ao reached the three-star Dou Spirit level last month. Mo Yu is an unknown—challenging Fu Ao is just asking for humiliation!"
"If he loses to Fu Ao, he won't just lose face, he might even lose his woman. That would be quite the spectacle."
"Bets are open! Betting on Fu Ao gives even odds, betting on Mo Yu gives five-to-one odds! Bets in Fire Energy only!"
As the students gossiped, one of them saw an opportunity and set up a betting pool, hoping to make some Fire Energy from the match.
Many students, intrigued by the odds, took out their Fire Energy cards and began placing bets. Although Mo Yu's odds were higher, most people still bet on Fu Ao, whose strength was well known.
Seeing this, Xiao Yan's eyes lit up, and he turned to the elegant young woman beside him. "Xun Er, didn't you say Pan Gate was running low on Fire Energy? Here's a chance to make some. Let's bet everything on Cousin Mo Yu."
Xun Er, quick to understand, covered her mouth and laughed softly. "Brother Xiao Yan, if Cousin Mo Yu knew you were using him to make Fire Energy, he might just laugh at you."
"Haha, let him laugh! Xun Er, gather all the Pan Gate members. If they want to make Fire Energy, tell them to bet everything they have on Cousin Mo Yu. Also, bet everything we have on him too."
"Alright..."
Back in the plaza, Fu Ao, seeing Mo Yu's calm demeanor, couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.
"Kid, you're asking for it!"
With a cold snort, Fu Ao gripped his weapon, and a blue light flashed as a nearly half-meter-long blue trident appeared in his hand.
Gripping the trident tightly, Fu Ao charged at Mo Yu, the trident's tips gleaming with a cold blue light that seemed to cut through the air itself.
Clang!
In the next moment, Mo Yu's long spear swung out, colliding heavily with the trident. The clash of metal sent sparks flying, filling the plaza with the sound of ringing steel.
"A Dou Spirit!"
Fu Ao's body shook as he took a step back, staring in shock at the unmoving Mo Yu. He hadn't expected this Outer Academy student to be a Dou Spirit!
A Dou Spirit was considered a powerful force even in the Inner Academy.
Not only Fu Ao, but all the students watching were stunned to see Mo Yu's strength.
Since when did the Outer Academy produce Dou Spirits?
Many students who had bet on Fu Ao suddenly wondered if they had bet too much. Was it too late to change their minds?
"Hehe, Yu Er, your fiancé is amazing! A Dou Spirit! I heard he even took a two-year leave. I wonder if he needs a wife?" one of the tall Moon Gate girls said, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the silver-eyed young man in the plaza.
Hearing this, Xiao Yu's face turned dark, and she playfully scolded the girl before focusing her beautiful eyes on Mo Yu, her gaze full of admiration.
"Damn it, a Dou Spirit! This guy really has something!" Bai Cheng's face darkened as he watched from the side.
"I won't let you take Xiao Yu from me!" Bai Cheng thought, feeling a pang of jealousy as he saw Xiao Yu's admiring gaze fixed on Mo Yu.
Back in the plaza, Fu Ao spun his trident, pointing its tips at Mo Yu, his expression growing more serious.
Mo Yu's strength had exceeded his expectations. Not only was he a Dou Spirit, but his foundation was incredibly strong, leaving Fu Ao struggling to find an opening.
Determined, Fu Ao kicked off the ground, his body becoming a blur as he shot toward Mo Yu. As he moved, the blue Dou Qi around his trident surged, eventually forming an energy shark.
The massive energy shark, its mouth wide open, charged at Mo Yu, its sharp teeth glinting with cold light. No one doubted that if it bit down, the damage would be fatal.
Dou Qi Condensation—the hallmark of a Dou Spirit, just like the Dou Qi Armor of a Dou Practitioner or the Dou Qi Garment of a Dou Master. When combined with combat skills, it was a devastating force.
The energy shark, over three meters long, sped toward Mo Yu. Through the semi-transparent energy, the sharp trident could be seen hidden inside.
Under countless gazes filled with various emotions, Fu Ao's powerful blue shark attack shot toward Mo Yu's throat like lightning.
But just as everyone expected a bloody scene to unfold, the trident, just half a centimeter from Mo Yu's throat, suddenly stopped as if frozen in midair!
All eyes followed the trident's path, only to see that it was held firmly in place by a slender, white hand. Fu Ao's fierce attack had been stopped cold by Mo Yu's grip.
The plaza fell into an uproar.
Slowly raising his gaze, Mo Yu looked at the shocked Fu Ao and smiled faintly. A slight smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he whispered, "One strike."
With those words, Mo Yu's silver eyes gleamed, and thirty lightning marks flared. His right fist clenched, and a sharp burst of energy cut through the air with a piercing sound.
Sensing the sudden surge of terrifying energy, Fu Ao's pupils shrank, and a look of fear finally crossed his face.
(End of Chapter)