Ye Xuan: A golden opportunity! Lin Yuan, you will live on in my legend!

"Not interested, not going, don't bother me."

Lin Yuan gave a crisp triple rejection, waving his hand as he prepared to walk around her and leave.

"Hey, wait a minute!"

Gu Ningxue hurriedly blocked him again.

She knew it wouldn't be that easy to persuade this guy.

She took a deep breath and played her trump card.

"Lin Yuan, I advise you to reconsider. Before I came here, the principal said that if I couldn't persuade you, he might... have to personally contact Old God of War Lin, who is far away in the Northern Border."

Looking for my grandfather?

Sure enough, Lin Yuan's footsteps stopped.

He slowly turned around, a trace of surprise appearing on his face.

Seeing this expression, Gu Ningxue felt a surge of joy, thinking her "threat" had worked.

She couldn't help but let out a chuckle, teasing him with a bit of smugness: "What? Scared? Let me guess, the reason you participated in the previous School-Wide Competition must have been an order from Old God of War Lin, right?"

In her view, the only person in the world who could make a salted fish like Lin Yuan turn his life around was likely his legendary grandfather.

However, after the initial surprise, the expression on Lin Yuan's face became strange.

He looked at Gu Ningxue and suddenly laughed as well.

"Haha..."

He laughed so hard he leaned back and forth, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world.

Gu Ningxue was a bit unnerved by his laughter, her delicate brows furrowing slightly: "What are you laughing at?"

"I'm laughing because the principal and the others have miscalculated."

Lin Yuan finally managed to stop laughing, wiping away the tears from the corners of his eyes. "If they really dare to go find my grandfather, believe it or not, my grandfather would personally break their legs?"

Gu Ningxue froze, her face full of question marks.

What kind of logic was this?

Seeing her bewildered look, Lin Yuan was in a great mood and kindly explained it to her.

"Before I participated in the competition, I made an agreement with my Old Man. As long as I could take first place, I could lie flat however I wanted in the future."

"If anyone dares to disturb me over such trivial matters, he will personally step in to help me clear the obstacles."

"So, do you understand now? If the principal dares to go complain, wouldn't he be walking right into the line of fire?"

Lin Yuan spread his hands, looking completely innocent.

Gu Ningxue was completely speechless.

She opened her mouth, but found she couldn't say a single word.

How could it be like this?!

She tried to use his grandfather to pressure him, but he turned around and used his grandfather as a shield—and a high-powered version at that!

What kind of eccentrics are this family!

Lin Yuan looked at her cute, defeated expression, nodded with satisfaction, and turned to leave.

After taking two steps, he turned back again.

He waved at Gu Ningxue, who was still dazed in the wind, and said in a very encouraging tone:

"Besides, with you and a Genius like Ye Xuan around, our school will definitely sweep the awards. I won't bother joining in the mess. Good luck!"

Watching Lin Yuan's receding back, Gu Ningxue remained dazed in the wind for a full half-minute.

"This guy..."

She really couldn't help it and burst out laughing, her laughter making her whole body tremble.

She shook her head, her face full of an expression that was both amused and exasperated.

Then, Gu Ningxue didn't delay any longer and turned to walk towards the Principal's Office in the academy's administration building.

When she relayed Lin Yuan's remark about "my grandfather will break your legs" verbatim to the expectant principal and several academy higher-ups, the entire office fell into a bizarre, dead silence.

The white-haired principal's hand, holding a thermos, froze in mid-air.

The Director of Academic Affairs didn't even notice that his glasses had slipped down to the bridge of his nose.

The expressions of several usually stern Special-Grade Instructors were even more colorful, as if they had collectively swallowed a hundred flies.

"He... he really said that?" The principal swallowed hard, his voice sounding a bit dry.

Gu Ningxue suppressed a smile and nodded very sincerely: "His original words, not a single syllable changed."

"Outrageous! Simply outrageous!"

The principal slammed the table in anger, his beard fluttering as he cursed: "That brat! He's simply lawless! I... I..."

He sputtered "I" for a long time, only to realize that he really didn't have any way to deal with Lin Yuan.

Fight him?

He couldn't win.

Scold him? The guy wouldn't even pay attention.

Find his parents?

The guardian was even more protective than he was, and in a very literal, physical sense!

One instructor adjusted his glasses and summarized bitterly: "So... we wanted to use Old God of War Lin to pressure him, but not only did it not work, it triggered a 'reflect' and a 'critical hit' instead?"

The office fell back into silence.

Everyone felt like their worldviews were being repeatedly ground into the dirt by this Lin grandfather-grandson duo.

Finally, the principal waved his hand helplessly, looking like a deflated balloon.

"Forget it, forget it! Let him be! Without him, our Dragon Summer Country Capital Martial Arts Academy can still take the championship!"

"Form the school team immediately! Gather all the top geniuses of our academy! I refuse to believe that without Lin Yuan, the earth will stop spinning!"

Soon, a brand new school team list was announced to the entire school through the academy's internal forum.

[Dragon Summer Country Capital Martial Arts Academy National College League Team List]

Captain: Gu Ningxue (Marrow Cleansing Realm Sixth Level)

Member: Ye Xuan (Marrow Cleansing Realm Second Level)

Member: Li Xuan'er (Marrow Cleansing Realm Third Level)

Member: Zhao Mang (Marrow Cleansing Realm First Level)

Member: Liu Yun (Marrow Cleansing Realm First Level)

...As soon as this list came out, it immediately caused a huge stir on the forum.

"Holy crap! No Lin Yuan! Young Master Lin really isn't participating!"

"I told you, he simply disdains participating in this kind of competition!"

"This lineup is also very strong, okay! Goddess Gu is personally leading the team, and there's also the super dark horse, Ye Xuan!"

"Exactly! Although Ye Xuan is only at the Marrow Cleansing Realm Second Level, his true combat power is definitely more than that! I have high hopes for him!"

"Li Xuan'er is also there. Tsk tsk, this is going to be interesting. Ex and current... bah, new love and old flame competing on the same team?"

...In an Advanced gravity cultivation room of the academy.

Ye Xuan was bare-chested, sweat steaming off his body as he frantically lifted a barbell weighing several thousand catties.

He saw the school team list pop up on his Optical Computer.

A moment of disappointment flashed by like a spark of lightning.

Being unable to personally defeat Lin Yuan on a stage watched by the whole country was his greatest regret.

But in the next second, this disappointment was replaced by an even more burning, even more crazed ambition!

Fine!

Lin Yuan, you arrogant fellow!

Since you are conceited enough to give up this opportunity to make a name for yourself, then I will accept it without hesitation!

Without the mountain that is you pressing down on my head.

In this National League.

All the glory, all the praise, and all the resources will belong to me, Ye Xuan, alone!

I will become the most dazzling light in this team!

I will lead them to victory!

I will let the entire Dragon Xia Kingdom know.

Who is the true Chosen One of the younger generation!

By that time.

You, Lin Yuan, will only be a joke!

A background character living in the legend of me, Ye Xuan, who missed out on an era because of cowardice and laziness!

"Hah!"

Ye Xuan let out a beast-like roar, suddenly hoisting the several-thousand-catty barbell over his head!

A raging fire burned within his eyes!

...Female dormitory.

Li Xuan'er looked at the list, her heart filled with a mixture of emotions.

She and Ye Xuan were finally standing together legitimately as teammates fighting side by side.

This was once the scenario she had dreamed of.

But now, she couldn't bring herself to be happy at all.

In her mind, Lin Yuan's indifferent gaze from the day of the competition and Ye Xuan's pathetic figure kneeling and spitting blood would always uncontrollably surface.

Could that chasm... really be filled by hard work?

For the first time, she felt a deep doubt about her choice.