Chapter 93: Support Him

"Shen Wei is very strong, and his Seven Kills True Intention certainly lives up to its reputation," Xu Wuyi said after a moment of thought. "He nearly forced me to go all out."

Other than not having fully unleashed his Melting Furnace Boiling Blood, using only a hint of its power, he had indeed used every other technique he had.

This left Zhang Qiming and the other two teachers looking at each other, unsure for a moment whether they should praise him or not.

’An opponent on Shen Wei’s level, and this kid still held back?’

After a moment of silence, Wang Wenhai shook his head. "We just received word that Yu Peiling is back. She had bad luck in her second match and was paired against Chu Shanhe."

Xu Wuyi’s eyes shifted. "She lost?"

"Yes, she lost." Teacher Zhou Yun’s voice held a hint of regret. "There wasn’t much suspense. Chu Shanhe’s strength is truly unfathomable."

Xu Wuyi nodded. He wasn’t surprised by the outcome.

If one didn’t account for a dark horse like himself, Chu Shanhe was the undisputed number one in the province. The gap between him and Yu Peiling was undeniable.

Principal Zhang looked at Xu Wuyi, his tone growing serious. "According to the current matchmaking rules, you and Chu Shanhe both have two wins and the highest scores. The probability of you two facing each other in the final match tomorrow is over ninety percent."

Wang Wenhai added, "That’s right. Chu Shanhe is the last and strongest obstacle on your path in the college entrance exams."

"Get a good rest tonight and don’t feel any pressure. You’ve already far exceeded our goals by getting this far. Tomorrow, just go all out!"

Xu Wuyi’s gaze was serene, showing no fear. Instead, a fighting spirit began to burn within him. "I understand, Teacher Wang. I’ll be ready."

At this stage, whether he placed first, second, or in the top five in the college entrance exams made no fundamental difference to him.

But he looked forward to facing a powerful foe. An opponent like Chu Shanhe was the perfect litmus test for the fruits of his past few months of arduous training.

He believed Chu Shanhe felt the same way.

"Alright, go back and rest for now," Principal Zhang said gently. "The most important thing is to recover. Don’t worry about anything else."

Xu Wuyi bid farewell to the three teachers and turned to walk toward the hotel.

...

Watching Xu Wuyi’s back disappear into the crowd, Wang Wenhai couldn’t help but remark with emotion, "I never would have thought... in just a few short months, that kid would make it this far."

Zhou Yun chimed in, "I know. Even though he performed brilliantly during the tri-school joint exam, who could have predicted he’d soar this high in the college entrance exams, aiming straight for the provincial champion title?"

The smile on Principal Zhang’s face slowly faded. He said to the two of them, "The Lin Family came to see me."

Upon hearing this, both Wang Wenhai and Zhou Yun’s expressions turned serious.

"So soon?" Wang Wenhai frowned. "What do they want?"

"What else could they want?" Principal Zhang’s tone was flat, yet it carried a hint of ice. "Seeing that Xu Wuyi’s rise is now unstoppable, they want to smooth things over."

"It was Lin Zhengwen who came. He was very deferential. He said that if Xu Wuyi has any trouble with cultivation resources, the Lin Family is willing to provide ’friendly’ assistance."

Teacher Zhou Yun mulled it over for a moment before looking at Principal Zhang. "Principal, I think it’s better to resolve feuds than to prolong them."

"Xu Wuyi comes from an ordinary family. The further one walks the path of Martial Arts, the more resources are required—an astronomical amount. The subsequent medicinal baths for an Advanced Body Refining Technique, rare artifacts to aid cultivation, High-Grade Martial Arts Secret Manuals... aren’t all of these astronomically expensive?"

"It will be incredibly difficult for him to get by on his own. If he could secure a substantial ’sponsorship’ from the Lin Family, the road ahead would be much smoother."

Although Wang Wenhai was still resentful of the Lin Family’s past actions, he nodded calmly. "Teacher Zhou has a point."

"Once you get to university, especially one of the ’Three Greats,’ which of the geniuses there doesn’t have a powerful background and a mountain of resources?"

"No matter how talented Ah Yi is, without the backing of resources, the gap between him and the others will only widen. If he can use this opportunity to... well, to ’secure’ a significant amount of resources, the benefits would outweigh the drawbacks for him."

He had wanted to say "extort a huge sum from the Lin Family," but he changed his words at the last second. Everyone understood what he meant, though.

The two teachers’ positions were genuinely born from concern for Xu Wuyi, colored by their own past experiences.

Both of them had also come from ordinary families and had worked hard to get into a university.

It was only after entering university, however, that they learned the path of Martial Arts was also a path paved with money.

Just to keep pace with others, the cost of Life Potions required during the Martial Disciple Stage alone was an astronomical sum, to say nothing of the expenses after becoming an Official Martial Artist.

There were no such luxuries as school funding in university; every penny had to be earned by oneself.

The top students could earn scholarships, the mid-tier could use their various skills to earn money from the wealthy students, and those at the bottom had no choice but to risk their lives on the Star Realm Battlefield.

And once they started spending time on earning money, it was only natural that their classmates, unburdened by resource constraints, would easily surpass them.

Many talented Martial Artists from common backgrounds couldn’t accept being surpassed one by one. Their resolve would waver, and they would take on risky missions, only to meet a violent end on the battlefield.

Principal Zhang remained silent, unconsciously rubbing his fingers together.

It wasn’t that he didn’t understand this principle. As a principal, of course he hoped his student could have the brightest possible future, unconstrained by a lack of resources.

But whenever he thought about what the Lin Family had done, a knot of anger formed in his chest.

"I know you’re both right," Principal Zhang finally said, his voice low. "Logically speaking, accepting the Lin Family’s olive branch in exchange for tangible benefits is the most advantageous choice for Wuyi."

"But..."

Wang Wenhai and Zhou Yun exchanged a look but said nothing. This was the harsh reality of their world.

"Forget it." Principal Zhang’s tone shifted, his eyes regaining their clarity. "Ultimately, this is a matter for Xu Wuyi to decide."

"We are only his teachers. We can offer advice, but we can’t make the decision for him."

"After his college entrance exams are completely finished, I’ll find a time to tell him exactly what the Lin Family proposed and let him choose for himself."

His tone was firm. "Whatever he decides, the school will support him."

Wang Wenhai and Zhou Yun both nodded in respect for the principal’s decision. They trusted that the student, who was as composed as someone far beyond his years, would make the choice that was truest to himself.

...

「The morning of the third day of the combat exams.」

Xu Wuyi was having a simple breakfast in the dining hall when he ran into Yu Peiling, who had also come to eat.

Yu Peiling seemed to be in good spirits. Upon seeing Xu Wuyi, she proactively sat down across from him.

"I heard you beat that Shen Wei kid pretty badly yesterday?" Yu Peiling asked, her words muffled as she picked up a steamed bun and took a bite.

"Mm, it was a lucky win," Xu Wuyi replied.

"Oh, come on. A lucky win?" Yu Peiling rolled her eyes at him. "Shen Wei didn’t say much after he got back, but I recognized that look on his face. It’s the same one I had back then. You nearly shattered his martial spirit."

She paused, a hint of schadenfreude in her voice. "But it’s a good thing. It’ll teach him that there’s always someone better out there and maybe knock that smug look off his face."

Xu Wuyi just smiled and didn’t reply.

Yu Peiling’s smile faded, and her expression turned serious. "You’re up against Chu Shanhe today. Are you confident?"

Xu Wuyi shook his head. "We’ve never fought, so I don’t know. He’s very strong."

She looked at Xu Wuyi and said earnestly, "I know you have a lot of trump cards, but Chu Shanhe’s Martial Arts Techniques are beyond anything you can imagine. Be careful."

"I will," Xu Wuyi nodded.

After finishing breakfast, the two parted ways and headed to their respective examination halls.