Once this Prince Mo was displeased, it was common for学员s to be maimed or crippled.
Therefore, most学员s did not like this arrogant and cruel royal.
"Does any other学员 wish to challenge the top ten seats?"
Duan Xuan called out to the crowd, but was met with bowed heads and silence.
The power of the top ten seats made them afraid to step onto the stage to battle.
Because the outcome was obvious, their efforts would be futile.
As for those学员s who had only been in the Vermilion Bird Courtyard for less than a year, they dared not even think about it.
After only one year, most talents had just entered the Xuan realm.
To challenge a Di realm expert was simply a pipe dream, as not everyone was a genius who could challenge those above their level.
Just as everyone thought no one dared to challenge, a slightly thin figure walked onto the martial arts stage at an unhurried pace.
"I am Li Jianxing, and I challenge the second seat, Xiahou Zhangqian."
After a period of silence, the surroundings immediately erupted in gasps.
"Li Jianxing? Do we have someone like that in the Vermilion Bird Courtyard?"
"You don't even know Li Jianxing? Have you forgotten, he is currently the oldest学员 in the Vermilion Bird Courtyard."
"I heard that his senior brothers and sisters from the same batch have basically left the Four Symbols Academy or become academy deacons and elders."
"No way, then he's been in the Vermilion Bird Courtyard for so long, how bad must his talent be?"
Everyone commented on Li Jianxing at will.
Li Jianxing seemed not to hear them, his entire being like a sword returned to its sheath, revealing no sharpness, yet still giving off an invisible pressure.
Xiahou Zhangqian, with narrowed eyes, leaped onto the martial arts stage.
His words carried a hint of disdainful mockery.
"Senior Brother Li, what wind has blown you here? Why don't you continue to stay in your courtyard and practice your trash swordplay?"
Li Jianxing's obsession with practicing swords was known to all disciples of the Vermilion Bird Courtyard.
Others only mocked his swordplay in private, and only Xiahou Zhangqian dared to mock him face-to-face.
However, Li Jianxing's face showed no anger, only a quiet sentence: "Make your move."
This made Xiahou Zhangqian feel as if his mockery had hit cotton, weak and self-defeating.
"Since that is the case, then do not blame this junior brother for being ruthless!"
Xiahou Zhangqian had always harbored resentment towards Li Jianxing.
When he first entered the Four Symbols Academy, he, being weak, voluntarily became Li Jianxing's subordinate.
But when he later learned that Li Jianxing was a disciple with extremely poor talent who had remained in the Vermilion Bird Courtyard for many years, he decisively betrayed Li Jianxing.
This past incident was considered a humiliation by him, and he had repeatedly tried to challenge Li Jianxing, only to be defeated each time.
Now he was the second seat of the Vermilion Bird Courtyard, and the once invincible Li Jianxing was, in his eyes, long insignificant.
"Li Jianxing, watch closely. In front of me, the second seat, you are nothing but trash."
Xiahou Zhangqian's face contorted, and he circulated his spiritual energy.
In front of him, a giant spiritual energy palm materialized, carrying the might of splitting mountains and cracking the earth as it struck towards Li Jianxing.
This is my strongest move, a spiritual rank high-grade martial skill, Mountain Splitting Palm.
I don't believe you, trash, can block it.
However, Li Jianxing, at some unknown time, had already reached for the hilt of his sword at his waist.
But he turned around, seemingly giving up resistance.
"No way, is Li Jianxing not even going to block?"
"I don't understand why he went up."
"I don't understand either. Even if he wasn't going to block, he should have dodged. Xiahou Zhangqian's Mountain Splitting Palm is no joke. Taking such a direct hit would shatter all his bones."
The学员s in the audience's stands could not understand Li Jianxing's strange behavior.
But in the next second, something unexpected happened on the martial arts stage.
Xiahou Zhangqian's spiritual energy palm was suddenly cleaved open, and he himself was sent flying backward with a thud, falling off the stage.
The spectators below curiously moved closer to take a look. Xiahou Zhangqian was already spitting blood and had lost consciousness.
There was a sword-like wound on his chest, as if cut by a sharp sword.
For a moment, everyone seemed to have their vocal cords stuck, and no sound was uttered.
"Little fatty, what just happened?" Liu Muming in the audience rubbed his eyes in disbelief and poked Luo Fei next to him.
Luo Fei was equally bewildered, "I don't know what happened either. It seemed like Senior Brother Li just turned around, and that Xiahou guy was sent flying out."
The audience buzzed with discussions, all trying to make sense of what had just happened.
But no one could explain how Xiahou Zhangqian had lost to Li Jianxing.
Even Liu Fuyao, the first seat, could not see Li Jianxing's movements clearly and looked at the martial arts stage with shock.
Duan Xuan, as a Heavenly realm expert, only vaguely sensed that Li Jianxing seemed to have swung his sword without anyone knowing.
Perhaps only the Dean of the Vermilion Bird Courtyard, Liu Yuanhao, knew everything.
He looked at Li Jianxing with admiration, sighing, "Truly astonishing! I didn't expect a disciple at the peak of the Di realm to comprehend sword intent, something even the King realm might not be able to grasp."
Just now, Li Jianxing had rapidly completed the action of drawing and sheathing his sword without anyone reacting.
And he had not unleashed any martial skills, only a simple sword strike imbued with sword intent.
It had broken through a spiritual rank high-grade martial skill and defeated Xiahou Zhangqian.
"This Li Jianxing has endured for many years, and his first move is a stunning success. He is a good prospect. It seems we can arrange for him to be the leader for the Vermilion Bird Courtyard's trial in the Heavenly Pit Secret Realm this time."
Liu Yuanhao did not hesitate to praise Li Jianxing from the dean's seat.
Although his daughter Liu Fuyao was also excellent, Li Jianxing, who now possessed sword intent,
was not necessarily an opponent even for a Heavenly realm expert.
Coupled with his deep seniority as a disciple, he was more suitable to be the leader.
"Li Jianxing has successfully challenged and become the second seat of the Vermilion Bird Courtyard."
Facing the gasps from the audience, Li Jianxing showed no joy or sorrow, and silently took his place as the second seat.
Liu Fuyao kept an eye on this person. With the powerful Li Jianxing now in the Vermilion Bird Courtyard,
even if no one else dared to challenge the top ten seats, the Vermilion Bird Courtyard had gained an additional chance of victory.
"Sigh, someone else has gone up!"
Someone in the audience exclaimed suddenly.
The attention of everyone turned to the martial arts stage, where they saw a boy with a decent appearance and strength in the middle stage of the Di realm.
"That's... Mo Qian!!"
Luo Fei's gaze sharpened as he recognized the familiar person on stage and couldn't help but cry out.
Isn't this Mo Qian, the former prince who lived in the same courtyard as the boss and him a year ago?
Why is he up there?!
Luo Fei couldn't understand. Although Mo Qian was one of the five great geniuses in the academy entrance test,
he had always been exceptionally low-key and usually taciturn.
Unexpectedly, after a year, his realm had advanced to the middle stage of the Di realm, while Li Xuanhong and others of the same batch were only in the late stage of the Xuan realm.
As soon as Mo Qian stepped onto the martial arts stage, he coldly stared at Mo Xuanxiao, the fourth seat, as if they had a deep-seated hatred.