The comments said I was deeply affectionate, I just added points by using an alternate account.

An Changqing couldn't help but smile when he saw him like this.

Beside him, Long Ao opened his eyes, and something was burning silently in them.

He will catch up.

Until one day, we can catch up with the prodigies of our time.

Qin Wu seemed to remember something and turned to look at An Changqing: "By the way, how did Bai Huanran's match go? Knowing Lao Bai as I do, I hope that kid's Dao Heart hasn't been shattered."

"He beat Nakamura Yu from Kamiya Academy. It seems he's come to his senses."

An Changqing's words were concise and to the point.

"It's good that you've figured it out." Qin Wu nodded, leaned back against the headboard, and looked relaxed. "With an unreasonable guy like Chen Guan in our year, the competition is actually pretty much a foregone conclusion."

"That's not necessarily true," Chen Guan said modestly. "There are always unexpected things that can happen."

Qin Wu looked at him, speechless. "Are you in Versailles, kid?"

The movement aggravated the wound, resulting in another suppressed gasp.

"Alright, if the wound reopens, the medical team will come after us."

An Changqing stepped forward and straightened the blanket for him: "You and Long Ao can rest here and recover from your injuries during this one-day break. We will both be there for the quarterfinals."

"I know."

Qin Wu nodded, then turned his gaze to the silent Long Ao, adopting the air of an elder brother: "Did you hear that? I told you to get some rest. Don't always have that long face, like everyone owes you money."

Long Ao gave a muffled "hmm." He had gotten used to being hit hard for so long, and there was really nothing to be discouraged about.

Wait for me, I'll catch up.

"Then we'll head back now. You all get some rest."

An Changqing nodded to the two of them, signaling everyone to leave.

……

Back in the dormitory area arranged by the college, Chen Guan pushed open the door to his room.

As he entered, the motion-sensor lights automatically turned on, casting a soft glow throughout the space.

He leaned the huge coffin against the wall, then sank into the soft sofa; it was still most comfortable at home.

He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into his mind.

"Baal, how did you feel when you were stabbed just now?"

His voice echoed in the mental space; he still couldn't forget that warning.

"Heh heh, of course I felt it the moment you made that strike."

"Many eyes are being cast upon us from very far away."

"But don't worry, those guys are far away from us, they can't do anything about it, and their attention will soon be drawn to something else."

"What is it?" Chen Guan asked curiously.

"That Onmyoji kid, there's a very interesting aura about him, it's a blessing from the gods."

"Gods?"

"Yes, a local deity, perhaps out of pity for him, or perhaps because he valued the pure Dao heart he possessed after losing all the ghosts, gave him a small compensation. All eyes were drawn to that deity's aura."

Barr's tone was full of schadenfreude.

"So you're perfectly safe now, don't worry."

Chen Guan was processing the information brought by Bal.

Native deities? Are they the beings from Takamagahara in Japanese legends?

It seems that Hiiragi Seiba has turned misfortune into a blessing in disguise this time.

Buffalo, someone's about to get buffed again!

……

The day after tomorrow, at nine o'clock in the morning.

In the rest area of ​​Huaqing College, Chen Guan was still resting with his eyes closed in his usual spot.

Light flowed across the giant holographic screen before finally settling on a single point.

"The first match of the quarterfinals: Kamiya Academy, Kamiki Jun, versus Zero Academy, Ross."

An Changsong's voice sounded tired. He skipped all the formalities and just wanted the competition to start as soon as possible.

At Zero Academy, Ross stood up, took a deep breath, and the flippant confidence he had shown when facing Shan Heng was gone from his face.

"Go, Ross, prove yourself."

Charles patted him on the shoulder in encouragement.

On the other side, in the rest area of ​​Kamiya Academy, Kamiki Jun stood up, bowed deeply to everyone, and demonstrated the spirit of a craftsman.

When he straightened up again, he turned and walked heavily towards the field.

The two stood in the center of the room.

"The match begins."

The moment the words left his mouth, Shenmu Xun moved.

His body surface, beneath his skin, revealed eerie crimson patterns as he charged straight toward Ross.

"Oh?"

An Changqing stopped wiping his longsword. He looked at the figure in the arena and said softly, "Is this the Sacrifice Technique? I didn't expect to see this technique in the academy competition."

The principle behind this technique is similar to that of the Nine Dragons Elixir, but it has a higher barrier to entry and more severe side effects, so it is generally not used lightly.

He has no way out.

Su Yuehe's voice was soft, tinged with regret.

The captain's Dao heart was shattered, and the academy's dignity was trampled upon. Given the school motto of Kamiya Academy, it is not surprising that such a thing was done.

Judging from the previous behavior of Nakamura Yu, this academy values ​​its reputation above all else.

Faced with Shenmu Xun's suicidal aura, Ross shook his arms, and countless metal fragments once again transformed into a swarm of snakes, weaving together into thick metal shields in front of him.

clang!

Shenmu Xun slammed his fist into the first shield, the terrifying force shattering the shield into pieces, but his forward momentum was also momentarily halted.

In that instant, Ross's figure had already drifted back several meters, creating distance between them.

Shenmu Xun persisted relentlessly, launching repeated, fearless charges.

Rose, on the other hand, is like a wide rice noodle in a hot pot, constantly being stretched and pulled through countless variations.

The scene became quite ugly, even drawing boos from some uninformed people in the audience.

"Attack! What is Rose doing? Scared?"

"This is so disgusting! Is this still the genius from Zero Academy?"

But all the true masters saw through Ross's cleverness.

Shenmu Xun's patience finally ran out, and the crimson patterns on his body shone brightly, raising his speed and power to a new level.

He stomped on the ground, his entire body transforming into a blood-red afterimage, instantly breaking through Ross's metal defenses and punching him in the face.

The punch was so fast that Rose didn't even have time to rebuild his shield.

Just when everyone thought Rose was about to be severely injured, his body suddenly became transparent and turned into a mist the instant the fist struck him.

Shenmu Xun's punch, powerful enough to split mountains and shatter rocks, passed through the mist without any hindrance and struck empty air.

"This is!"

An Changqing's pupils narrowed slightly.

The mist reformed the moment the fist passed through it.

Ross was unharmed: "The game is over."

He looked at Shenmu Xun, who had revealed a huge opening due to excessive force, and raised his right hand.

The metal powder that had been shattered by Shenmu Xun and scattered throughout the arena received a command at this moment.

They vanished silently, and when they reappeared, they had coalesced into a sharp spear behind Shenmu Xun, silently piercing his back.

Shenmu Xun's pupils constricted sharply, becoming ethereal? This isn't sinister?!