13: Luxurious Canaan College

The fierce wind howled, and clouds rapidly swept past beneath their feet.

Jiang Donghua stood on the broad back of the Gryphon Beast, the strong wind causing his robes to flap loudly.

This was his first time truly soaring across the sky, looking down at the mountains and rivers below, which appeared as tiny as pieces on a chessboard.

"So this is what flying feels like..."

He took a deep breath; something was burning in his chest.

Liu Yuting beside him was gripping the Gryphon Beast's feathers tightly, her face pale.

"B-Big Brother Jiang... aren't you scared?"

Jiang Donghua turned back with a smile, his voice still clear despite the wind.

"What is there to be afraid of?"

"If we fall, Instructor Yan will definitely catch us."

Yan Feng, who was leading the group ahead, heard this and glared back at him.

"Stinky Kid, if you really fall, I'd be too lazy to save him!"

But the corner of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.

Jiang Donghua stopped speaking, letting the gale whip against his face.

Looking at the outline of the Jia Nan Academy gradually appearing in the distance, his heart swelled with ambition.

"Idling until Dou King! If I can't win, at least I can run!"

This thought made him burst out laughing.

That's right. Once he could soar freely like these Gryphon Beasts, those opponents who could only run on the ground wouldn't even be able to touch the hem of his clothes!

A sharp light flickered in Jiang Donghua's eyes.

"Jia Nan Academy, here I come."

The flock of Gryphon Beasts pierced through the clouds and fog, and suddenly, the area ahead opened up.

As the Gryphon Beast flock dove down, the full view of Jia Nan Academy gradually became clear.

The towering academy gate was inlaid with tens of thousands of Dou Qi crystals, reflecting a colorful halo in the sunlight.

Even more shocking was the immense crowd gathered on the plaza in front of the gate, resembling an ant colony.

By Jiang Donghua's estimation, there were easily over ten thousand students just waiting to watch the excitement, not to mention the instructors maintaining order.

"My goodness..."

Even the usually composed Liu Mingyu blurted out an exclamation.

"There are way too many people here, aren't there?"

The Gryphon Beast flock landed steadily, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Last batch of New Students, form ranks!"

As the Dean of the Outer Academy gave the command, tens of thousands of gazes simultaneously shot towards them.

Jiang Donghua could clearly feel that among them were gazes of curiosity, contempt, and several sharp, sword-like looks of scrutiny.

Yan Feng turned around and grinned at his students.

"Brats, the show is about to start."

Jiang Donghua leaped off the Gryphon Beast's back. The moment his feet touched the ground, he felt an invisible pressure envelop the entire area.

Looking up, he saw Dean Lei Tian standing on the high platform with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze like lightning, sweeping over the last group of New Students to arrive.

"Silence!"

Dean Lei Tian's voice was not loud, but it rolled out like muffled thunder, making everyone's eardrums tremble.

The previously somewhat noisy plaza instantly fell silent, as if even the sounds of breathing had been cut off.

Jiang Donghua's eyes flickered slightly, and his heart tightened.

"Is this the pressure of a Dou Huang expert?"

Seeing that no one dared to whisper, Lei Tian nodded in satisfaction and continued.

"According to tradition, the last batch of arriving instructors must determine their qualification to teach the Yellow Rank Class through a student competition."

His voice was neither fast nor slow, yet every word struck the hearts of the crowd like a hammer.

"The winner will have priority in selecting resources for the Yellow Rank Class; the loser can only pray for a good draw next year."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Feng's breathing noticeably quickened. He leaned closer to Jiang Donghua and whispered.

"Kid, it's up to you." His rough hand heavily patted his shoulder.

"Among the few hundred people in the camp earlier, there were only dozens of Dou Practitioners, and only six were Two-Star Dou Zhes."

Jiang Donghua nodded slightly.

He naturally remembered that among those six, besides Lin Xiuyuan and Zhao Wuchen, the remaining four varied in strength, but none who reached this point were easy to deal with.

"Don't you dare shame me!"

Yan Feng grinned.

"If you win, I'll personally take you to the Scripture Pavilion to pick out a Dou Technique!"

Jiang Donghua's lips curled up slightly. His gaze swept toward the opposite side of the arena, where several sharp lines of sight were openly directed at him.

As soon as Dean Lei Tian finished speaking, the plaza erupted into chaos.

"Instructor! Let me go up!"

"I am at the peak of the Ninth Stage of Dou Zhi Qi, I might not be inferior to a Dou Practitioner!"

"How could our White River City's Wave-Stacking Palm lose to these country bumpkins?"

A dozen or so young men and women at the Ninth Stage of Dou Zhi Qi surrounded their respective instructors, flames of defiance burning in their eyes.

These people were all celebrated geniuses in their respective hometowns. How could they admit they were inferior to a true Dou Practitioner now?

"Nonsense!"

A blue-robed instructor, annoyed by the persistent requests, flicked his sleeve and shouted angrily.

"Though the arena fights aren't fatal, no one cares if you break a few bones!"

"Please, Instructor, grant my request!"

The richly dressed youth stood his ground stubbornly.

"Our Wang family's Golden Rainbow Finger specializes in breaking Dou Qi defenses!"

On the other side, a girl in a red dress had already leaped onto the arena, stating clearly.

"Liu Xuan of Fenglin City, please enlighten me, seniors!"

Suddenly, a miserable cry came from the arena.

Everyone looked over, only to see Liu Xuan, who had been so spirited moments before, staggering backward while clutching her right arm.

Her opponent, the quiet black-clothed youth, had earthy-yellow Dou Qi in his palm that condensed into a sharp spike, directly piercing her protective Dou Qi.

"Shi Lie, of Huangyan City."

The black-clothed youth's voice was hoarse.

"Thank you for the guidance."

The observation area burst into an uproar. No one expected that the first person to be carried off the arena was actually an outstanding figure among those at the Ninth Stage of Dou Zhi Qi.

"See that?"

Yan Feng pointed gleefully at the youths whose faces had turned pale.

"This is reality!"

Yan Feng folded his arms and sneered, his voice loud enough for the surrounding instructors to hear.

"Who among those recruited to the Jia Nan Academy wasn't a genius in his hometown?"

He glanced sideways at the few Ninth Stage Dou Zhi Qi youths still shouting on the arena, revealing a grin.

"Fighting above your rank? Wishful thinking!"

His words were crude, yet they caused several instructors to nod subtly in agreement.

"Those who come from small cities in the Northwest frontier, no matter how talented, have limitations."

Yan Feng continued his mockery, deliberately raising his voice.

"Do you really think you're those monstrous talents from the Central Region? The prodigies of the great Central Region clans take medicinal baths at five, practice Dou Techniques at seven, and can master Yellow Rank cultivation methods by ten. What do you have to compare with that?"

On the arena, a purple-robed youth flushed upon hearing this and retorted defiantly.

"My Li family's Purple Lightning Force has also defeated those above its rank..."

"Bang!"

Before he could finish speaking, he was blasted off the arena by his opponent's palm strike, rolling several times in a sorry state before stopping.

Yan Feng burst into loud laughter.

"See that? This is reality!"

In just a few minutes, the participants in the arena had changed three times.

The Ninth Stage Dou Zhi Qi youths who had just been clamoring for cross-rank challenges were now scattered around the arena, sitting miserably.

Some were clutching bruised arms, some had patches of hair singed by fire, and one richly dressed youth had a wet patch on his trousers, having been directly washed off the platform by an opponent's water-attribute Dou Technique.

"Now, the main event begins!"

Yan Feng rubbed his rough hands together, a sharp glint in his eyes.

The other instructors also straightened their backs.

After all, the upcoming Dou Practitioner competition directly determined who would secure the qualification to be an instructor for the Yellow Rank Class.

That was a lucrative post, allowing them to prioritize selecting talented students and receive an extra Xuan-rank Combat Skill!

Just then, the crowd suddenly quieted down.

An old man with gray-white whiskers reaching his chest walked over unhurriedly, leaning on a crooked peach wood staff.

Every step he took seemed measured; though he walked slowly, he reached the center of the arena in the blink of an eye.

"Elder Wang!"

The surrounding instructors all cupped their hands in salute, and even the proudest Zhao Laosi lowered his head.

The old man coughed twice, and his peach wood staff gently tapped the ground.

The youths who had been defeated and knocked off the platform immediately felt a gentle Dou Qi sweep over their bodies, and their injuries were alleviated by more than half.

"Children,"

Elder Wang's voice was hoarse but gentle.

"The path of cultivation is long. This old man only broke through to become a Dou Practitioner at nineteen, yet am I not still living well now?"

His words caused several defeated youths to feel a sting in their noses.

A girl in a red dress even burst out crying, "Waaah." She had just been defeated by a single move from her opponent, without even having the chance to use her inherited Dou Technique.

Elder Wang shook his head, and his peach wood staff suddenly paused.

"Instructors, call up all your Dou Practitioners. Old rules: we will draw lots one by one to determine opponents."