Chapter Fourteen: Take My Kick!

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.

"Hey! Have you heard? Four of our seniors have already been eliminated within these three days!"

"No way? Are the freshmen really that strong?"

"You better believe it! We should be careful!"

Deep in the jungle, two veteran disciples chatted while scouring the area for freshmen, discussing the strange occurrences in the forest over the past two days. Although the rules strictly forbade teaming up to attack, as long as one person engaged while the other waited, they could circumvent the regulations.

...

"Boom!"

A thunderous roar echoed through the woods. A figure traced a graceful arc through the air before crashing heavily into the ground, sending clouds of dirt flying.

"Heh! Yun Yi! This guy is actually pretty loaded!"

Qian Mo, head bowed and eyes gleaming with excitement, exclaimed loudly as he rifled through a storage bag. Watching Qian Mo continue to rummage through the man's belongings, Lei Ling'er and Qian Duoduo covered their mouths to stifle their giggles. Yun Yi, looking on, sighed helplessly, "Qian Mo, it's time to go. Let's find the next one!"

"Wait a second! Almost done!"

"..."

In the center of the Yingtian Academy plaza, a giant screen clearly projected the quartet's actions—they were simply too conspicuous to ignore. Watching the scene, the elders wore strange smiles, while the disciples chattered among themselves.

"Who is that guy? How can there be such a despicable person among the freshmen? He already emptied the storage bag, yet he's still frisking the guy's body!"

"That green-haired brat is so annoying! The tall, muscular man with the terrifying combat strength is the only cool one!"

"Damn him! That handsome guy did all the work to defeat him, and this green-haired ghost just jumps in to loot the resources!"

Several female disciples nearby were filled with righteous indignation at Qian Mo's actions, pointing fingers and hurling accusations. However, they dared not speak ill of the formidable Yun Yi, for a powerhouse commands respect wherever they go.

"Senior Brother! Isn't that the guy who looked up at us when we were flying across the plaza on our swords?"

Hearing his subordinate, Shen Ziyi lifted his eyelids to take a glance. With an expressionless face, he said coolly, "A mere clown."

Although he was a disciple one year ahead of Yun Yi, most of those participating in this trial were either those with mediocre aptitude and a lack of contribution points, or simply those who were bored.

"Senior Sister Lingling? Senior Sister Lingling?"

"Ah!"

Feng Lingling, who had been immersed in the arrogant and domineering aura of Yun Yi, was suddenly startled by her friend and tilted her head in surprise.

"Senior Sister Lingling, could it be that you've taken a liking to that junior?"

Upon hearing Yan Xinru's inquiry, Feng Lingling's face turned beet red, but she retorted, "Him? He's not qualified yet! Not unless he can defeat me on the Heaven Ranking!"

"That's probably not happening! Everyone knows you're the number one on the Foundation Establishment Ranking for our year," Yan Xinru said, glancing toward Shen Ziyi, who was sitting not far away. She sent a secret voice transmission to him with a look of admiration, as Shen Ziyi was the second-ranked disciple of their year.

Shen Ziyi received the transmission and looked at Feng Lingling, but she didn't even turn her head. His expression darkened. He had been pursuing Feng Lingling for two years without ever receiving a proper look, and now, a newcomer had already captured her attention. Did that mean he wasn't even as good as a freshman? Shen Ziyi glared at Yun Yi and his companions on the screen, his eyes flickering with a bloodthirsty light.

"Elder Wei, why didn't you mention that this disciple has such great talent?"

Hearing the question from a nearby elder, Wei Qing laughed and joked, "I'm getting old! My eye for talent is failing!"

"I think you just wanted to keep such an excellent disciple all to yourself!"

Hearing Mou Hong's disdainful tone, Wei Qing looked annoyed. "If you're so capable, why don't you go next year?"

"Hmph! Fine, I will!"

...

Sensing the tension between the two, the other elders dared not intervene. It was well-known that Wei Qing and Mou Hong were rivals, as Mou Hong had snatched his disciple, Shen Ziyi, away the previous year.

"Heh, we're in for a show. They've run into Zhang Xiang."

Hearing an elder's remark, everyone turned their eyes to the screen.

"So you're the freshmen?"

Zhang Xiang swung his massive fists, creating gusts of wind, and glared fiercely at Qian Mo.

"Uh... I am, so what?"

Thinking of Yun Yi backing him up, Qian Mo suddenly felt a surge of confidence. He stared at the two-meter-tall giant, Zhang Xiang, and forced himself to answer.

"Then I'll start with you!"

"Wait!"

Qian Mo shouted at the charging Zhang Xiang, and to his surprise, Zhang Xiang actually stopped.

"Fight my little brother first! Beat him, then you can fight me!" Qian Mo said as he scurried behind Yun Yi.

"Kid, take this!"

Zhang Xiang wasn't one for chatter. He instantly threw a punch, a whistling gale accompanying his fist as it barreled toward Yun Yi's face. Yun Yi dared not be careless; with a grave expression, he met the blow with a punch of his own!

"Boom!"

The immense impact sent Yun Yi sliding backward, while Zhang Xiang stood his ground, a mocking smile on his face. After stabilizing himself, Yun Yi frowned, "A body cultivator?"

"Kid, not bad! Daring to compare physical strength with me. Come again!"

Feeling his arm go numb, Yun Yi knew better than to clash head-on. As the giant charged, Yun Yi kicked off the ground, leaping into the air to dodge the strike. He seized the moment and delivered a fierce kick toward Zhang Xiang's neck.

Feeling the pain in his neck and stumbling back, Zhang Xiang let out a roar. He slammed his heels into the ground, halted his momentum, ignited his spiritual energy, and charged at Yun Yi once more. It all happened in the blink of an eye. Yun Yi's pupils constricted, and he scrambled backward, but Zhang Xiang seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, relentlessly pursuing him.

"Is the boss going to be okay?"

"Hmph! Shut your crow mouth!" Lei Ling'er, already on edge, was in no mood for his nonsense.

"Hahaha! Is this the 'Freshman King'?"

"Looks more like a rat scurrying through the streets! Hahaha!"

In the plaza, male disciples roared with laughter as they watched Yun Yi being chased around. Shen Ziyi watched with a sneer, shaking his head as if Yun Yi were no longer worthy of being his opponent.

Sensing the pressure from behind, Yun Yi suddenly lunged toward a large tree. Using the rebound force, he erupted with spiritual energy and unleashed a "Mountain-Shattering Strike."

"Hahaha, trying to match brute force with Zhang Xiang is probably... wait, how is that possible!"

Before the man could finish his sentence, a massive vibration echoed out. Zhang Xiang's hulking frame was sent flying backward, causing the crowd to gasp in shock!

"Perfected stage! Mountain-Shattering Strike!" someone exclaimed.

Feeling the bones in his shoulder crack, Zhang Xiang stood up, his face filled with disbelief. Yun Yi was a tough nut to crack, so he shifted his gaze to the excited Qian Mo nearby.

"Hahaha! Is that all, you big lug? You aren't so... Hey! Hey! Your target is him!"

Seeing Zhang Xiang charging toward him, Qian Mo panicked and took off running.

"No way, damn it, why is it always me who gets bullied?"

Everyone burst into tears of laughter watching Qian Mo run away while hurling insults. Spotting a large tree ahead, Qian Mo's eyes widened, but then he noticed something. As he ran, he suddenly exerted force, kicked off the base of the tree, and performed a sliding tackle, ending up right between Zhang Xiang's legs.

Looking at the stunned Zhang Xiang, Qian Mo flashed a lewd grin, curled his lips, and shouted, "Take this from me, the—'Lineage-Ending'—Kick!"