Chapter 626: Ever-victorious

In the audience, several mentors watched Chen Yuan’s crushing defeat unfold, chatting amongst themselves.

“Heh, a little more and that student of Luo Tian’s would have had his arm crippled.”

“Come on now, it’s just a sparring match. No need to be so violent.”

“That’s right, Tutor Fu. It was your student who did the injuring. Why don’t you go give Master Luo some medicine as a consolation?”

…

Meanwhile, beside the Martial Arts Arena.

When Chen Yuan heard Luo Tian talk about getting revenge, he said urgently, “Revenge? Master, please don’t be reckless.”

Mentors generally weren’t supposed to interfere in matters between students. They would be punished if they used their status to bully or openly humiliate students.

“What are you thinking? I don’t need to get involved myself. Let your seniors get revenge for you!”

Luo Tian shot Chen Yuan a look.

Chen Yuan nodded.

‘Having my seniors help me get revenge shouldn’t be a problem,’ he thought. ‘Although, they’re also being targeted in all sorts of ways and can barely solve their own problems.’

But the student who had just injured him was only at the Peak of the Earth Element Realm Seventh Layer. If Guan Hongfei, Luo Xiaoting, or the others ran into him, it would be simple enough to humiliate him in return.

But Luo Tian’s plans were not that simple!

“From now on, when any of my students face an opponent, there is no need to show any mercy!”

Luo Tian’s cold shout was loud enough for the entire audience to hear.

There were too many mentors scheming against him, and Luo Tian couldn’t be bothered to identify them one by one.

Since these mentors thought he was an easy target.

‘Then fine,’ Luo Tian thought. ‘I’ll use this Chuyang Grand Competition to show them my fangs!’

Chen Yuan was stunned. He hadn’t expected his master to be so domineering!

“What arrogance!”

“Hahaha, so arrogant and ignorant!”

Many of the mentors targeting Luo Tian burst out laughing, their jeers filled with disdain.

In their eyes, Luo Tian was clearly just lashing out in anger. With no other recourse, all he could do was throw a fit.

Could Luo Tian, one man with only a handful of students, really win against a coalition of dozens of mentors?

It was a joke!

“Number 283, Number 776!”

The referee on Martial Arts Arena One called out.

Number 776 was the stoic Zhao Gang.

“Zhao Gang, come over here.”

Luo Tian called out.

Zhao Gang immediately ran over, and Luo Tian whispered a few instructions to him.

It was permissible for mentors to give instructions before a match.

“Understood.”

Zhao Gang nodded and walked onto Martial Arts Arena One.

His current cultivation was at the Peak of the Earth Element Realm Eighth Layer, and so was his opponent’s. This was likely to be a tough fight.

POW! CRACK!

On the Martial Arts Arena, Zhao Gang and his opponent instantly clashed in a fierce duel.

But after only three moves, his opponent was already on the back foot.

On the fourth move, Zhao Gang knocked his opponent back with a single slash, inflicting a significant injury!

‘How can this be? Is the gap between our strengths really this wide?’

The student, knocked back, began to doubt himself.

In the ensuing exchanges, Zhao Gang maintained a firm advantage.

His opponent gave up hope of winning but stubbornly tried to wear Zhao Gang down, even attempting to trade blow for blow!

However, his scheme fell apart instantly.

Zhao Gang suddenly seized an opening, unleashed a finishing move, and sent his opponent flying thirty or forty meters away, his hand severed in the process!

“That bastard. What a disgraceful loss.”

In the audience, a mentor’s face darkened as he cursed.

He had originally thought his student would win.

Even if victory was out of reach, it should have been no problem to at least wear Zhao Gang down and inflict some injuries.

But his student had lost so utterly that the mentor felt he had been completely disgraced.

Before long, it was another one of Luo Tian’s students’ turn to fight.

“Come here, listen to me…”

Luo Tian gave his instructions once more.

After taking the stage, this student also crushed his opponent and severely injured him!

At first, no one noticed a thing.

But as the competition continued…

Luo Tian’s students put on a dazzling performance every time. They swiftly defeated their opponents, and their strikes were vicious and merciless!

The mentors who had ganged up on Luo Tian finally realized something was wrong.

“Luo Tian’s students… it’s as if they know our students inside and out, all their flaws and weaknesses…”

“Luo Tian coached his students before every match. Could he be the one behind this?”

Several mentors discussed among themselves, realizing what the problem was.

“Even if Luo Tian wanted to pull a fast one, it wouldn’t be that easy.”

Liu Lu’s face was grim.

Just a moment ago, one of his students had lost to one of Luo Tian’s and was seriously injured.

Something was definitely wrong. All the mentors noticed that Luo Tian’s students were different now.

“Could it be that Luo Tian investigated all of our students beforehand?”

one mentor speculated.

“That’s highly unlikely!”

“We have hundreds of students between us. How much effort and money would it take to investigate them one by one?”

“Besides, we only made this pact a short while ago. Luo Tian simply wouldn’t have had enough time!”

The mentors debated the issue, concluding it was impossible.

Just then.

On one of the Martial Arts Arenas, another of Luo Tian’s students won, severely wounding their opponent.

In the audience, a mentor’s face fell, and he muttered a few curses at his own student.

The other mentors didn’t look too happy either.

They were the ones who had ganged up on Luo Tian’s students, so why did it feel like the tables had suddenly been turned on them?

Whenever one of their students faced one of Luo Tian’s, as long as the gap in their cultivation wasn’t too wide, they were utterly crushed!

So far in the second round, Luo Tian’s side had suffered minimal losses. The situation for their coalition, on the other hand, was looking grim.

“Luo Tian is only one man, with only nine students. What’s there to panic about?”

Peng Yuweng suddenly barked.

He was also part of this plan.

In fact, it was he who had sent someone to propose the idea in the first place.

During the Celestial Spirit Valley trials, Peng Yuweng had been on the verge of taking first place several times, only to have it snatched away by Luo Tian.

Peng Yuweng had held a grudge ever since, nursing his hatred. He would make Luo Tian pay the price and meet a miserable end in this Chuyang Grand Competition!

“Luo Tian must have been observing our students all along, analyzing their Cultivation and Martial Skills to find their weaknesses.”

“However, some of my students were just testing the waters before, not showing their true strength. The moment Luo Tian’s students run into them, they are doomed!”

Peng Yuweng continued, full of confidence.

His analysis was met with agreement from the other mentors.

“I hope Master Peng’s students meet Luo Tian’s soon…” one mentor said.

He had barely finished speaking.

On Martial Arts Arena Two, the referee announced the names of the two combatants.

“Guan Hongfei, Lu Qian!”

Lu Qian was one of Peng Yuweng’s own students!

At once, the faces of many mentors lit up, their gazes all fixed on Martial Arts Arena Two.

Both Lu Qian and Guan Hongfei were at the Peak of the Earth Element Realm Ninth Layer!

But Lu Qian was a senior student, while Guan Hongfei was a new one.

“Guan Hongfei…” Luo Tian called.

Guan Hongfei came to Luo Tian’s side. A moment later, he stepped onto the Martial Arts Arena, skeptical.

Just now, Luo Tian had described his opponent in great detail, including her cultivated Martial Arts Skills and Techniques, as well as some major weaknesses.

Luo Tian’s description was so detailed it felt unreal to Guan Hongfei.

“Guan Hongfei, I’d advise you to surrender now. It’ll save you from a humiliating defeat later.”

A haughty smile played on Lu Qian’s lips.

“That’s not a given. Maybe you’ll be the one suffering a disgraceful loss.”

Guan Hongfei retorted coldly.

“You talk a big game!”

Lu Qian shouted coldly as her sword flew from its sheath, unleashing a torrent of green sword strikes.

Not to be outdone, Guan Hongfei’s attacks were swift, fierce, and unpredictable.

CLANG! BOOM!

On the Martial Arts Arena, Sword Qi filled the air as the two fought to a standstill.

Guan Hongfei was constantly observing his opponent.

His movements slowed slightly, only because he was reeling in shock. ‘Everything the master said… it seems to be true. Lu Qian’s flaws, the openings in her techniques…’

“Time for your miserable defeat!”

Lu Qian sneered, seizing the chance created by Guan Hongfei’s distraction. She quickened her assault, the power of her Swordsmanship intensifying.

Peng Yuweng, watching the stage, broke into a relaxed and pleased smile. “See? I wasn’t wrong. When faced with my students, Luo Tian and his bunch are helpless.”

“Of course. How could Luo Tian’s student compare to the elites under Master Peng!”

a mentor flattered with a fawning smile.

But just then.

CLANG! POW!

On the Martial Arts Arena, the tide of battle turned abruptly. Lu Qian was sent flying dozens of meters, her Treasure Sword knocked from her hand.

The battle was over. Guan Hongfei was the victor!

“Teacher Peng, it looked like Guan Hongfei instantly exploited an opening in your student’s defense…”

a surprised mentor said.

Peng Yuweng’s face was ashen, his heart reeling in shock and disbelief!

‘How could this be?’

‘Lu Qian had won all her previous fights with ease, without revealing her true strength. How did Luo Tian analyze her weaknesses?’

At this moment.

The mentors who had ganged up on Luo Tian were starting to panic.

This opponent was just too uncanny.

It was as if Luo Tian knew their own students better than they did!

Some mentors, while watching the matches, even had sudden epiphanies about their own students’ flaws, learning a great deal in the process.

Chuyang Grand Competition.

The spectators included outsiders, Middle Level Tutors, and even some Advanced Tutors who had dropped by in their free time.

The performance of Luo Tian and his students drew the attention of many.

“This mentor is quite skilled.”

An Advanced Tutor sized up Luo Tian with great interest.

“He is indeed skilled, but this method of on-the-spot coaching will make the students dependent. What if they run into danger out in the world? Their master won’t be there to guide them then.”

Other mentors also disapproved of Luo Tian’s methods.

On the high platform.

Several Deans of the Branch and vice-deans also cast a few glances toward Luo Tian.

Night fell.

The first day of the second round of competition was over.

The mentors allied against Luo Tian immediately began to plot their next move.

Most mentors instructed their students not to play by the book when facing one of Luo Tian’s. They were even permitted to reveal their trump cards early.

「The next day.」

All the mentors’ preparations were for naught.

Everything was just like the day before.

All of Luo Tian’s students were victorious. Aside from a few matches against opponents with vastly superior cultivation, they won with ease, severely wounding their enemies!

That day, many mentors felt a profound sense of helplessness and fear, some even gave up on the idea of targeting Luo Tian altogether.

Their opponent was simply too terrifying, too uncanny!

And so, many mentors and students spent the rest of the second round in a state of constant anxiety.

The second round came to an end.

Six of Luo Tian’s nine students made it into the top two hundred!

This result left all the mentors who had ganged up on Luo Tian feeling utterly humiliated.

Even Liu Lu, an elite mentor from the War Martial Institute, only had five students make it into the top two hundred.

For a new mentor like Luo Tian to achieve such a feat was frankly terrifying.