153: Chapter 153 Ye Xiao also got snatched away? Southern Union is winning big!

The instructors' eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

What was going on?

From the sound of it...

It wasn't that Su Ming had chosen one of them?

But rather, every single academy had chosen Su Ming?

How did that even work?

Did the Federal Bureau of Education even allow this?!

A slightly bolder local academy instructor

couldn't help but ask in a trembling voice,

"Teacher Chu Yao, this... Student Su Ming, in the end, which..."

Chu Yao turned around, wearing a professional, fake smile.

"A joint training pilot program specially approved by the Ministry of Education.

Student Su Ming now holds primary enrollment at our Southern United Martial Arts Academy,"

"secondary enrollment at Modu University,"

"plus Supreme, lifetime specially invited exchange student status at the four academies of Imperial Capital, Xuanjia, Lingyun, and Youying."

Her speaking pace was steady,

but every single word was like a small hammer,

pounding against the chest of every instructor present.

Principal Ma felt his legs go a bit weak.

He instinctively leaned against the nearby wall to keep himself from sliding down.

The other instructors' facial expressions were also a complete mess,

their mouths hanging open wide enough to fit an egg.

Had there ever been a precedent in the history of federal education?

This was no longer just fighting over a student.

This was six top-tier powers

jointly nurturing a single student?!

Seeing everyone collectively petrified, Su Ming thoroughly enjoyed the moment.

He puffed out his chest,

letting the six school badges gleam once more under the corridor lights,

and even spun the interstellar black card in his right hand with a flourish.

That posture was just so damn asking for a beating.

Looking at the kid's showboating manner, Commander Qin Luo's temples throbbed.

You really know how to show off!

Shen Qingci walked half a step behind Su Ming with her head lowered.

A faint blush still lingered on the tips of her ears,

and her gaze was locked firmly on the tips of her shoes.

The scene of being dragged in front of him by this bastard in front of everyone in the meeting room

was still playing on a loop in her head.

Meanwhile, the instructors from the six prestigious academies, who had just been bickering like they were in a wet market,

now tacitly took half a step back,

establishing a safe distance between themselves.

Each of them seemed less inclined to smile than before...

They really wanted to beat this kid up.

But as for a one-on-one fight...

They couldn't beat him!

Of everyone present, truly no one dared to guarantee a victory.

This guy's combat strength was too monstrous,

already exceeding their understanding of the word "student."

Forget it!

Just bear with it!

They were all well past their youth,

so being a kindly teacher was also quite nice.

They would leave the opportunity to teach him a lesson to someone else!

Just as the atmosphere became bizarrely harmonious,

at the corner of the corridor,

Ye Xiao was striding over from the other end.

Lightning-element Source Energy crackled faintly around him,

making him look like a walking Tesla coil.

"What are you doing here?" Su Ming was somewhat surprised.

Ye Xiao's gaze swept over Su Ming and Shen Qingci,

then glanced at the long line of people behind him,

and paused as he saw the row of blindingly bright school badges on his chest.

"I saw you guys hadn't returned for a long time, so I came to look for you."

He was concise, immediately asking,

"And by the way, I wanted to ask which school you ended up applying to."

The corner of Su Ming's mouth curled up.

He took two steps forward,

stepping aside

so Ye Xiao could clearly see the row of "trophies" on his chest.

Ye Xiao stared at the six school badges for three seconds.

One, two... six.

Ye Xiao was a straight-laced guy, but he wasn't stupid.

Looking at the group of top-tier instructors with complex expressions behind Su Ming,

and the unhideable smugness on Chu Yao's face—

"You took all six?"

"Yeah, barely." Su Ming shook his collar.

Ye Xiao fell silent for a moment.

Then, his eyes lit up.

It wasn't shock. It wasn't jealousy.

It was pure Battle Intent.

A Genius who could make the six top-tier powers fight so desperately over him

was truly worthy of being Ye Xiao's opponent.

"Good." Ye Xiao grinned, his tone filled with anticipation.

Teacher Lin Qinyin, who was standing to the side, also noticed Ye Xiao.

She naturally recognized this young man.

S-rank [Nine Heavens Thunder Body],

who had transferred over from Modu.

Apart from the Consul's probing of the Source Beasts,

she was also somewhat aware of the situation with the Ye family.

Seeing that Su Ming and he seemed to have a good relationship,

Teacher Lin Qinyin's mind stirred, and she took the initiative to speak.

"Ye Xiao, would you be willing to return to the Imperial Capital?

Regarding the matter between you and Fang Mingjing, I can step in..."

"Thank you, Teacher Lin."

Before she could finish,

Ye Xiao interrupted her with a stubborn look on his face,

"There's no need. I will resolve it myself."

His tone was calm, but anyone could hear the stubbornness in it.

Teacher Lin Qinyin's lips twitched slightly, but in the end, she didn't say anything more.

Su Ming and Shen Qingci exchanged a glance.

Fang Mingjing?

What was that about?

"Hey, kid!"

Lang Qingyun, who was nearby, leaned in.

His eyes stared at the lightning arcs dancing around Ye Xiao, his envy palpable.

Being a wind-and-lightning dual-sequence Awakener himself, he felt a natural affinity toward lightning-element geniuses.

Even if he couldn't snag the King, bringing back an Ace wasn't bad either!

He patted Ye Xiao's shoulder,

"An S-rank lightning-element talent!

My Eastern Lingyun Academy is the cradle of wind and lightning Dual Cultivation!

Why don't you join our academy? I'll guide you personally!"

Ye Xiao shook his head.

"Over here!"

Tie Moshan chimed in with a muffled, booming voice,

slapping his chest with a hand as large as a cattail leaf fan,

"An Awakener's Foundation must lie in their physical body!

Come to my Northern Border Black Armor! Those who refine their bodies must go head-on to the very end!"

Ye Xiao shook his head again.

Under everyone's puzzled gazes,

Ye Xiao tilted his head and glanced at Su Ming.

"Wherever he goes, I go."

"Ha!"

Hearing this, Chu Yao laughed so hard she trembled.

"Great!"

She generously pulled out another crimson Vermilion Bird badge from her spatial storage,

and stuffed it into Ye Xiao's hand without giving him a chance to refuse.

"Welcome! Southern United welcomes hot-blooded youths like you the most!"

Ye Xiao looked at Su Ming, then at the badge in his hand, and grinned.

It was sunny, bright, and completely free of Impurities.

Looking at his smiling face, the hairs on the back of Su Ming's neck stood on end.

Wait, bro, what kind of look is that?

I really don't want to have any weird bonds with you!

You bastard...

you don't actually want to make a move on me, do you?

Even if I let you try,

you wouldn't be able to handle it anyway!

Su Ming instinctively leaned a bit closer to Shen Qingci.

Shen Qingci: "..."

Behind them, several recruitment teachers from the vocational high schools finally couldn't hold it in anymore and cursed under their breath.

"There were only two geniuses in total, and Southern United took both of them!"

"We came all this way and didn't even get a drop of soup!"

"A wasted trip, completely wasted! If I'd known, I wouldn't have come!"

"How are other schools supposed to survive?!"

"Let's go, let's go. Staying any longer will give me a heart attack."

...

Ye Xiao pinned the school badge to his collar, turned to look at Su Ming, his eyes full of eagerness.

"The annoying business with the Tongyuan Society and recruitment is finally over."

He warmed up his wrists, the lightning crackling and popping.

"Shall we head downstairs and have a fight right now?"

Just as Su Ming was about to speak, Principal Ma's annoyed voice drifted over from behind.

"Fight? Fight what?!"

Principal Ma Aiguo lunged forward,

pointing his finger in Su Ming's direction,

his face extremely grim.

"Go fight outside the school!

The Martial Arts Arena was completely demolished by you, kid!

Do you have any idea how much it costs to rebuild a Martial Arts Arena?!"

"If you want to fight, do it off-campus! The school's small grounds can't handle your roughhousing!"

He waved his hand as if shooing away flies.

"Just go report to your academy in half a month."

Pausing, Principal Ma Aiguo's voice softened slightly.

"In the future... come back to visit your alma mater in Jiangcheng when you have the chance."

Su Ming raised an eyebrow.

Oh, kicking us out, are we?

But indeed, there was no longer any reason to stay.

"Alright, Principal Ma, take care of your health." Su Ming waved his hand casually.

The discouraged out-of-town instructors nearby also began to take their leave one after another.

"Let's go, let's head back."

"This trip was way too thrilling. I have to tell my buddies all about it when I get back..."

"I feel like my entire worldview has been restructured."

The crowd began to move toward the school gate.

————

At the same time,

outside the gates of Jiangcheng No. 1 High School.

outside the cordon, a man was pacing back and forth.

The man was 1.85 meters tall,

with sharp, sword-like eyebrows and eyes as bright as stars.

A neatly tailored black Hunter uniform outlined his broad shoulders and narrow waist perfectly.

A golden "Six-Star" Hunter Association armband was embroidered on his epaulet,

looking exceptionally eye-catching under the sunlight.

He was the only son of the President of the Hunter Association,

a Tier 6 earth-element Awakener,

Young Master Gu Lingfeng!

...