The room crackled with tension.
Xiao Chenyu stepped forward, his voice sharp with guilt and fear. "It was... Qian Yu."
"Qian Yu?" Xiao Zhantian's eyes narrowed into cold slits. "And who might that be?"
"He's a new work-study student at our academy. Just enrolled. But his strength... it's frightening. I challenged him, and he beat me down. My brother tried to defend my honor—and ended up like this!"
As the words left his mouth, fury ignited behind Xiao Zhantian's eyes. His aura erupted like a storm breaking loose—spiritual pressure rolled out in waves, shaking the very air.
"Since when does anyone in Notting City dare lay a hand on a member of the Xiao clan?" he roared, each syllable laced with thunder. "Guards!"
With a rustle of boots and armor, an elite squad of soldiers assembled before him, kneeling in formation with disciplined haste.
"Send for the finest physician in the city—whatever the cost, I want my son healed. The rest of you, come with me to Notting Academy."
His voice dropped to a low, lethal murmur. "Even if that school dares to protect him, I will raise it to the ground. I'll cut Qian Yu into pieces myself."
The guards echoed in unison. "Yes, my lord!"
Notting Academy
Elsewhere, in a quiet dormitory lit by the soft morning glow, Tang San was helping his mentor, Yu Xiaogang—the Grandmaster—out of bed. The older man winced, moving slowly, each motion deliberate and stiff.
"Teacher, please, take it slow," Tang San murmured, supporting his arm.
Yu Xiaogang nodded, placing a trembling hand on the boy's shoulder as he stood. A strange awkwardness filled the air. The Grandmaster's voice had changed. It was... higher now. Lighter. Almost strange to Tang San's ears.
The young man said nothing.
He knew what had been lost in that last battle—the damage was more than physical. Some scars didn't bleed, but they never truly healed either.
"Xiao San..." the Grandmaster said, his fingers unconsciously curling into a delicate, orchid-like gesture. "What's been happening while I was out?"
Tang San's spine stiffened. The sudden gesture, paired with that voice—it unnerved him. "N-nothing much," he lied quickly.
"Good." The Grandmaster sighed with an air of forced cheer. "Then let's go have a look around."
Tang San nodded, still unsure how to respond. The two of them stepped out into the courtyard.
At the Academy Gates
The streets of Notting were ablaze with torchlight. Shadows flickered and danced across the stone walls as soldiers, clad in polished armor, formed ranks before the academy gates. The flickering glow illuminated a man standing at the front of the battalion, arms clasped behind his back, face like carved granite.
It was Xiao Zhantian, Lord of Notting City—and he had come for blood.
At his side stood Gongsun Chi, a Soul King of the fifty-eighth rank, a master of support techniques. Behind them, a small army of Soul Masters and Spirit Lords gathered, their power thrumming like thunderclouds ready to burst.
Xiao Zhantian's voice shattered the night. "Bring me Qian Yu! Hand him over, or I'll burn this academy to the ground!"
Inside, startled by the uproar, the Grandmaster frowned. "What's going on out there, Xiao San? Why all the shouting?"
Tang San shook his head. "I'm not sure."
"Then let's go find out."
By the time they arrived, nearly the entire academy had poured out into the square. Students crowded near the gates, peering over shoulders and whispering in hushed tones.
"Isn't that... the City Lord?"
"He came here himself? For a first-year student?"
"I heard Qian Yu beat Xiao Chenyu. His brother tried to take revenge—and ended up crippled."
"Crippled? But Qian Yu's just a student... right?"
"If he's strong enough to bring down Xiao Zhantian's son and his Soul Master brother... we're talking about a monster."
"No wonder the City Lord's furious..."
On the front lines, Dean Su—an instructor with some authority—stepped forward, sweat trailing down his brow as he bowed deeply.
"City Lord Xiao, to what do we owe this visit?"
Xiao Zhantian didn't blink. "Spare me your courtesies. Bring me Qian Yu now, or I'll bury this entire school beneath the ashes."
Su flinched at the venom in the man's tone. "S-Sir... May I ask what crime this student committed?"
"He severed my son's arms!" Xiao Zhantian's voice boomed like an executioner's hammer. "You either give him up, or I swear—not one stone of this school will be left standing!"
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Qian Yu?
Impossible. He was their prodigy—the most gifted student Notting Academy had ever seen. Calm. Collected. Dangerous in silence. But to maim someone like that?
Could it be true?
Teachers murmured amongst themselves. The crowd thickened. Students whispered with fearful awe.
"He's just a first-year..."
"Talent like his never lasts long. The bright ones always burn out first."
"Still, going up against the City Lord? He's doomed..."
The plaza glowed with torchlight, fire licking the walls of the academy as if sensing the rage that brought it here. Shadows danced like phantoms across the stone. And in the middle of it all, Director Su stood frozen beneath Xiao Zhantian's seething glare.
If the headmaster were here, perhaps things might be different. But he wasn't. And if he didn't find Qian Yu soon, it would be his head rolling first.
"Find Qian Yu!" Su snapped at the faculty. "Now!"
The instructors scattered.
Then, turning back to Xiao Zhantian, Su bowed again. "We'll find him. You have my word. Notting Academy will answer for this."
Behind the gate, the Grandmaster crossed his arms, eyes gleaming beneath the torchlight.
"So that's the storm," he murmured. "Seems Qian Yu picked a fight he wasn't meant to."
Tang San looked up at him, uncertain. "Teacher... Can Qian Yu stand against someone like the City Lord?"
A slow, wry smile played across the Grandmaster's lips. His mind flicked back to that unforgettable battle—Qian Yu, standing unfazed before the mighty Haotian Douluo himself. Even with his power suppressed, Tang Hao had been no match.
The Grandmaster shook his head slowly. "Whether he can or can't... it doesn't matter."
His voice turned cold, distant.
"This is a battle between beasts. Let them fight. We'll sit back—and watch the tigers tear each other apart."
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