Chapter 108: The Challenge

"You are really overthinking this!" Qin Xiangjun said with a serious expression. "Truly."

Fang Qingyun: "..."

"Divine Generals are known as the Heavenly Pass," Qin Xiangjun explained earnestly. "Although you are currently a high-level General rank and seem close to becoming a Divine General, the gap is actually immense. Many people get stuck at the peak of the high-level General rank."

"Furthermore, there is a significant issue with your high-level General rank."

Qin Xiangjun shook her head and continued, "You rely primarily on your physical body, and your spiritual energy remains low. To be honest, I have never encountered anyone who achieved the rank of Divine General relying solely on their physical body."

She raised a finger and pointed toward the sky. "Even those few among the human race whose physical bodies are slightly stronger than yours—they are at the peak of the General rank, yet they have failed to cross the Heavenly Pass."

"I see..."

Fang Qingyun glanced at his attributes.

[Host: Fang Qingyun]
[Profession: Martial Artist]
[Rank: Fourth Order]
[Strength: 35 (+)]
[Speed: 39 (+)]
[Physique: 38 (+)]
[Spirit: 38 (+)]
[Spiritual Energy: 305 (+)]
[Marksmanship: Intermediate (+)]
[Blade Mastery: Beginner (+)]
[Sword Mastery: Intermediate (+)]
[Spiritual Energy Control: Beginner (+)]
[Cultivation Technique: Slaughter Art (15th Turn) (+)]
[Summoned Beast: Dragon-Lion]
[Origin Points: 9695]

He was different from others. Even those top-tier humans did not have a system. He could use Origin Points to continuously enhance his physical body. Perhaps the number of Origin Points required would increase as he progressed, but there would always be a way to obtain them, wouldn't there? In that way, his base attributes could continue to rise.

Moreover, the more he relied on this, the more he needed the Slaughter Art! What if, in the end, poison became ineffective against him? What would he do then? Both the Slaughter Art and the Blood-Burning Body Refining Technique effectively damaged the body, and their effects became more pronounced as one progressed. Fang Qingyun absolutely loved these two techniques.

In the end, Fang Qingyun declined Qin Xiangjun's suggestion and did not change his cultivation method.

"I have my reasons. Don't worry, I am very calm. You will understand in the future." This was Fang Qingyun’s explanation to her.

To his surprise, Qin Xiangjun seemed to let her imagination run wild again, wearing a look of sudden realization.

"Could it be... you are worried about... *sigh*, the human leadership has indeed been worrisome these past few years. You aren't wrong to have such concerns. A tree that stands above the forest is the first to be broken by the wind. But don't worry, I will find a way to provide you with a good environment for cultivation! The future of the human race needs people like you!"

Qin Xiangjun left with a vigorous, imposing air. Fang Qingyun was left dumbfounded.

*What just happened?*

He wasn't worried because he had a system. Even if he eventually had to change his techniques, he could simply use some Origin Points to level them up; there was no need to worry about wasting time. But Qin Xiangjun clearly had the wrong idea—and who knows where her thoughts had wandered! Human leadership? A tree above the forest? Why did that sound so ominous?

*Should I just lay low at the academy for a while until my strength increases before I go out wandering? At least until I reach the physical Divine General level, right?*

...

He entered the closed-door cultivation chamber and activated the highest-level spiritual energy array. In an instant, Fang Qingyun felt as if he had arrived in another world. He could no longer perceive anything from the outside, and likewise, the outside world could not probe him. There was only a call button.

"What a great place!" Fang Qingyun took a deep breath, sensing the dense spiritual energy surrounding him. It was at least three times as concentrated as outside! No wonder it cost 100 credits per day. With this kind of energy, long-term cultivation would lead to rapid growth. Of course, it was useless to him; he had completely given up on increasing his spiritual energy through cultivation.

He had only opened it for one day to test the waters. If the results were good, he would return in a few days to truly attempt a breakthrough.

"Slaughter Art!"

Fang Qingyun closed his eyes and began to circulate the power of the Slaughter Art. Violent, blood-colored energy instantly filled the entire chamber. Wave after wave of powerful slaughter energy pushed the technique toward a higher level.

When Fang Qingyun opened his eyes, a day had passed. His Slaughter Art was now firmly at the 16th Turn. With a slight exertion, powerful energy surged out of his body. Fang Qingyun felt as though he could destroy anything. Cultivating it was indeed easy, though the impact on his own body was growing. Even with his physique, he felt pain when circulating the Slaughter Art. However, it was still within his expectations.

"Teacher Xi Liuan, where are you? Let’s spar again." Fang Qingyun smiled and muttered to himself. He decided that once he went out, he would find Xi Liuan for another match.

After their last fight, their relationship had unexpectedly improved. When it came to cultivation, both Fang Qingyun and Zhao Junhong would seek Xi Liuan’s advice. Furthermore, during their last mission, Fang Qingyun had asked for Xi Liuan’s help, and he had agreed. If not for him, that mission would never have been completed. Causing a ruckus at a supply point required not just strength, but also trustworthiness and extensive experience. It could be said that Xi Liuan deserved a great deal of credit for that success.

Now that his power had increased and his control over it was even more refined, Xi Liuan was the first person who came to his mind.

As he walked out of the chamber toward the Student Union, Fang Qingyun noticed students rushing hurriedly toward the east side. That was... the main parade ground!

Puzzled, Fang Qingyun stopped someone to ask why.

"President!" The student was about to snap at being stopped, but upon seeing it was Fang Qingyun, he looked surprised. "Why are you still here?"

"What do you mean?" Fang Qingyun was confused. "Where should I be?"

"The main parade ground, there’s a tournament!" The student said as if it were obvious. "The Black-Tooth Military Academy is here to challenge us. As president, you should definitely be there!"

Black-Tooth Military Academy? A challenge? Fang Qingyun was bewildered. Why didn't he know about this? *Oh, right, I was in closed-door cultivation!* But had so much happened in just one day? One military academy challenging another usually required prior notification. Why hadn't he received any news?

Filled with questions, Fang Qingyun went to the parade ground. As soon as he arrived, Gu Xi spotted him and led him to the host’s position. Several middle-aged individuals were already standing there. Seeing him arrive, Gu Xi breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stepped back, yielding the main seat to Fang Qingyun.

"Greetings, are you the new Student Union President?" The leader of the group looked at Fang Qingyun, his brow twitching, but he still offered a military salute.

Fang Qingyun returned the salute promptly. If it were a meeting between high-level officials of ordinary universities, they would shake hands. Martial arts universities would use a martial artist’s salute. Military academies used military salutes because their members were soldiers themselves.

Fang Qingyun noticed the man's unease. After exchanging a few brief words, he pulled Gu Xi aside.

"What is going on?"

Gu Xi sighed helplessly. "A sudden challenge!"

"What do you mean?"

"They were supposed to be taking their students to the battlefield for training. They were just passing through, and I don't know what got into them—snap—a screw came loose, and they insisted on having a challenge."

Gu Xi had a headache. *Are you children, acting on a whim?* However, she had heard of such things before; sudden challenges between martial arts schools happened frequently. It was meant to be a "friendly match," so no preparation time was given—though this "temporary" decision was highly suspicious.

"Ahem!" The lead teacher from Black-Tooth Military Academy coughed and said to Fang Qingyun, "President, can we begin?"

Fang Qingyun noticed the oddity of the situation. Northwest Military Academy was perhaps the most frustrating university to deal with. They were different from other schools. They had no vice-president, and the Snake King, as the principal, was long absent. The ones actually running the show were a group of students in the Student Union. Heaven knows how many people were dissatisfied with this arrangement. How could they engage in equal exchanges? The fact that Northwest Military Academy cultivated many talents for the human race but remained obscure was partly due to this.

"Didn't you already have a match just now?" Fang Qingyun asked, surprised.

"That was just a friendly spar between second-stringers; it doesn't count!" the lead teacher said with a smile. "Those taking the stage now are the true elites."

"Oh!" Fang Qingyun nodded gently, looking at his classmates who had been beaten down, then glanced at Gu Xi.

Gu Xi looked even more helpless. Northwest Military Academy was very close to the battlefield, so students would go there to wander around when they were free. As students, they received double the rewards for battlefield service. Consequently, many powerful students chose to go to the battlefield during their school years to acquire more cultivation resources. This meant that the strongest students were rarely at the academy.

"If they lose, you can't blame me!" Relying on Fang Qingyun’s influence, Gu Xi had gained significant authority in the academy. Few students dared to disobey her orders. But if they weren't there, you couldn't just conjure them out of thin air!

"Sigh," Fang Qingyun shook his head helplessly and looked at Zhao Junhong. Among the Student Union trio, his strength was the lowest. Of course, this was only relative. Recently, through successive missions and continuous combat, his power had grown again. Now, Zhao Junhong’s strength was firmly at the eighth-order martial artist level. Once he entered his berserk state, he could barely contend with a mid-level General rank.

"Should I go?" Zhao Junhong pointed at his own nose. "Would that be bullying them?"

"You're overthinking it!" Fang Qingyun said testily. "They aren't coming with good intentions. Besides, they didn't send second-stringers; they sent a group of newcomers, and their combat effectiveness isn't high. You happen to be a newcomer too, so go!"

"Alright, I'll give it a try!" Zhao Junhong grinned. He didn't even pick up a weapon and just walked onto the ring in a carefree manner.

"Whoa!" Seeing it was Zhao Junhong, the Northwest Military Academy students couldn't help but clamor, followed by bursts of cheering. The Vice-President of the Student Union, one of the few powerhouses within the Union. They could finally watch him fight! The "friendly match" earlier had been a loss for most of the Northwest Military Academy students.

On their home turf, everyone wanted to win in spectacular fashion.

"Eh?" The people from Black-Tooth Military Academy were surprised, murmuring, "Looks like this is a big shot?"

"Pfft!" This comment made several Black-Tooth teachers burst into laughter. *A big shot?* The thought of a group of students being called big shots made them want to laugh. *Haven't they even grown their hair out yet?*

"Bang!"

A person was thrown in front of them, freezing the smiles on their faces. It was their student! He had just been standing on the ring, but after Zhao Junhong stepped up, he had been slapped away with one strike.

"Next!" Zhao Junhong said, smiling at the teachers.

The leader of the Black-Tooth Military Academy looked coldly at Fang Qingyun. "President, isn't this inappropriate? My student was already preparing to leave the ring."

"It is indeed inappropriate!" Fang Qingyun nodded vigorously. "So, please, everyone, knock this kid off the ring. Don't worry about saving me any face."

The lead teacher’s expression darkened further. He nodded slightly and said, "Since the President has said so, we won't be polite."

He waved his hand. The person who had been preparing to step onto the ring stepped back, yielding his place to another. It was a burly man who stomped toward the ring, fuming with rage.

"Kid, you have some nerve, daring to humiliate my Black-Tooth Military Academy!" The burly man’s face was twisted, his body radiating a violent aura.

"Humiliation?" Zhao Junhong looked surprised.

"Nonsense!" the burly man roared. "Can't you see he was preparing to leave the ring? Yet you slapped him and sent him flying."

"Sorry, why don't you slap me back, then?" Zhao Junhong arched an eyebrow. He had done it on purpose. He had seen the looks the teachers were giving them—what did that mean? Besides, since they were here to challenge them, being swatted away seemed perfectly understandable. In any case, he would never go to another school to challenge them.

"Bastard!" The burly man roared and lunged at Zhao Junhong. His strides were massive, his momentum overbearing; as he charged, he was like a moving mountain. Unstoppable!

"Not bad!" Zhao Junhong’s eyes lit up. Recently, he had been feeling discouraged by Fang Qingyun, almost forgetting that he was also skilled in physical combat. No, he was the one who *should* be skilled in physical combat—Fang Qingyun, what was his deal? *Just cultivation problems!*

Without hesitation, Zhao Junhong launched his own charge.

"Bang!"

The two collided heavily, emitting a dull thud. To everyone's shock, it was the burly man who retreated.

"Impossible!" the Black-Tooth lead teacher exclaimed. In a head-on charge, no one in the entire Black-Tooth Military Academy could withstand the burly man. How could just anyone at Northwest Military Academy do it? The lead teacher looked at Fang Qingyun and asked, "President, who is this?"

Fang Qingyun smiled slightly. "This is our Vice-President, Zhao Junhong!"

"Oh!" The lead teacher nodded, feeling a bit better. Northwest Military Academy’s Student Union was famous; every one of the four members who made it into the Union was extremely powerful, a leader among students. As the second-in-command, having such strength seemed logical.

But Fang Qingyun’s next sentence made him feel uncomfortable again. "Although he is the Vice-President, he is also a freshman this year."

*A freshman?* Your freshmen look like this?

The lead teacher stared intently at the burly man, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

"Roar!" The burly man bellowed, gathering a massive amount of spiritual energy into his hand and throwing a punch at Zhao Junhong.

"Bang!"

Zhao Junhong reached out and deftly caught the man's fist. "Returning this to you!"

"Bang!"

He exerted force, shoving the burly man back.

"Ahhh!!!" The man screamed, continuously increasing his power and the intensity of his attacks.

Each time, Zhao Junhong blocked them effortlessly. Zhao Junhong remained almost entirely stationary. The people of Northwest Military Academy began to cheer. In contrast, the people from Black-Tooth Military Academy looked increasingly grim. No one was a fool; the vast difference in rank between the two was obvious at a glance.

"Bang!"

Finally, Zhao Junhong unleashed a kick, sending the burly man flying out of the ring.

"Next!" Zhao Junhong shook his wrists.

"Next what?" Fang Qingyun said crossly. "Get down here, you're done!"

If he let Zhao Junhong single-handedly dismantle the Black-Tooth Military Academy, the two schools would truly become enemies. That was completely unnecessary! Besides, Fang Qingyun didn't fundamentally oppose students from two schools fighting and improving together. Also, you kicked the guy off—why are you shaking your wrists?