Chapter 47: Commanding the Battle
Clearly, she had worked so hard, and both the teacher and her second father had praised her for doing so well. Why, then, did that other teacher say she was not qualified to join the academy? Xia Ran pouted, feeling utterly aggrieved; her young heart struggled to bear such a blow.
“Yang Yi, that’s nonsense!”
The first to erupt in anger was not Xia Jiuxuan, but Yao Yunya.
The moment she heard Yang Yi read out Xia Ran’s name, she flew over at once, landing atop the elevated platform of the square.
“Teacher Yao, mind your manners. How can you speak so crudely?” Yang Yi remained smug, utterly unconcerned by Yao Yunya’s furious glare.
“I’ll mind your mother.” Yao Yunya’s chest heaved with rage as she retorted, “Yang Yi, you scoundrel, in front of so many apprentices and teachers, how dare you use your position for personal vengeance and declare Xia Ran unqualified!”
Yang Yi snorted dismissively, “She simply isn’t qualified. What, is she your relative and you want to cover for her? I warn you, Yao Yunya, keep up this nonsense and I’ll appeal to the head of the academy to revoke your teacher status and throw you out of the Azure Lotus Sword Academy!”
“Who do you think you are? Are you even worthy?” Yao Yunya was unyielding. “Do you know what talent my disciple Xia Ran possesses? You dare revoke her admission? Not just you, even the academy head wouldn’t dare cancel her qualification so lightly!”
Yang Yi, being berated in front of everyone, felt humiliated and erupted in rage. “Crazy woman, get down and stop this lunacy! Everything I’ve done accords with the academy’s regulations. If you’re not satisfied, take it up with the head!”
“Bah! I’ll take it up with your mother!” Yao Yunya spat in his face, coldly declaring, “Even disregarding her constitution, my disciple Xia Ran climbed nine hundred and eleven steps, passing the assessment. How dare you twist facts and claim she’s unqualified?”
Yang Yi smiled with utter confidence, “Ignorant fool, stop your tantrums! Climbing the staircase is not enough to qualify. Sorry, but her age does not meet requirements—she cannot be admitted!”
“You’re making it up. The academy has no such rule!” Yao Yunya’s brows knitted as she pointed at Yang Yi.
“What’s the matter? I’ve already consulted the academy head. This year, we won’t accept disciples under ten years old. Still want to argue?” Yang Yi sneered.
…
Watching the confrontation escalate, Xia Jiuxuan turned to Xia Ran and said, “Ranran, let’s not join this lousy academy, all right?”
Xia Ran blinked her big eyes, clearly reluctant. “Second Father, but I want to join the academy. Can you please ask that teacher for me?”
Xia Jiuxuan pondered for a moment. “Then tell me, why do you want to join the academy so much?”
Xia Ran tilted her little head, thinking, “There are many brothers and sisters here who like me, and teachers who like me too.”
“Anything else?” Xia Jiuxuan asked.
“Um… Ranran can become strong, and when I grow up, I’ll protect Second Father,” she replied in her childish voice.
Xia Jiuxuan took a deep breath. The little one’s desire to join the academy was intense, and such a young child, if kept isolated, would surely become lonely.
“All right, Second Father promises you—you’ll stay in the academy.”
“Hurray! Second Father is the best, heehee!” Xia Ran was overjoyed, snuggling tightly into Xia Jiuxuan’s arms.
Holding Xia Ran, Xia Jiuxuan walked forward, then soared onto the elevated platform.
“You can target me if you wish, but if you let the Taixuan Academy miss out on a peerless genius, can you bear the blame for that?”
Standing on the platform, Xia Jiuxuan met Yang Yi’s gaze head-on.
Yang Yi was momentarily stunned upon seeing Xia Jiuxuan appear.
This boy was supposed to have been sent to the Nirvana Institute—how was he swaggering out here so boldly?
“Who do you think you are? This is the rostrum. Who allowed you up here?” Yang Yi scolded coldly.
Xia Jiuxuan remained calm, replying with composure, “I’ll ask only this—can you bear the blame for missing a genius? Answer what I ask, don’t waste my time with nonsense.”
Wow!
All the disciples of the Azure Lotus Sword Academy stared in astonishment at Xia Jiuxuan atop the platform.
Who was this youth, daring to speak to Teacher Yang in such a manner? Even scions of noble families wouldn’t dare be so audacious.
“Outrageous! This is the core of Taixuan Academy. How dare a lowborn nobody cause trouble here? Guards, subdue him at once!”
Yang Yi exploded with fury.
He thought to himself: That madwoman Yao Yunya is difficult, but surely I can handle this little upstart!
Immediately, several experts at the fifth stage of the Profound Realm flew over, surrounding Xia Jiuxuan.
“Don’t you dare!” Yao Yunya blocked Xia Jiuxuan, “Yang Yi, don’t think your family background lets you do as you please in the academy. On what grounds do you attack him?”
Yang Yi half-squinted, eyeing Yao Yunya with amusement. “I say, Yao Yunya, you defend this wild brat so fiercely—do you have some special relationship with him, hmm?”
With such words uttered before all the academy apprentices, Yang Yi delivered a tremendous insult to Yao Yunya.
“You scoundrel—taste my sword!”
Enraged, Yao Yunya drew a purple soft sword from her waist and charged at him.
The platform instantly became a battlefield, and Xia Jiuxuan retreated for the moment to avoid the fray.
“Madwoman, you think you can take me on?”
Yang Yi was not angry but delighted. He had deliberately provoked Yao Yunya to attack first, so he could claim the moral high ground!
Yao Yunya’s figure twisted in midair, sending wave after wave of sword intent surging at Yang Yi.
Yang Yi, meanwhile, wielded a battle axe, clashing fiercely with Yao Yunya.
After a brief exchange, Yao Yunya spotted a flaw in Yang Yi’s defense and pressed forward, unleashing her killing strike!
“Haha, such a simple-minded woman.”
Yang Yi sneered inwardly—this flaw was a deliberate bait to lure Yao Yunya in.
“Azure Lotus Sword Dance!”
Yao Yunya spun wildly, sword intent coalescing into lotus blossoms around her.
The sword lotus burst forth, its power multiplied, striking toward Yang Yi.
Bang!
Just then, golden light erupted from Yang Yi’s body—a layer of earth-yellow armor shielded him, blocking all the sword lotus attacks.
“You have a Black Tortoise Armor!”
Yao Yunya, now in close quarters with Yang Yi, was shocked.
This Black Tortoise Armor was the Yang Family’s ancestral treasure, said to be damaged, but now it appeared fully restored.
“Crazy woman, I’ll break your core and make you suffer!”
Yang Yi grinned maliciously, blue light surging from his giant axe as he swung swiftly at Yao Yunya’s abdomen.
“Teacher Yao, sidestep half a meter, lower your body, bend your waist, reverse your grip, and thrust your sword—strike three inches under his armpit.”
Just as Yao Yunya sensed danger, a calm voice reached her ears. Without hesitation, she followed the instructions.
In the span of a single breath, Yao Yunya’s sword found its mark, piercing the only crack in the Black Tortoise Armor, three inches beneath Yang Yi’s armpit.
This was a flaw that no one but Xia Jiuxuan could have discerned.
“You—boy!”
Yang Yi, who had been basking in triumph, now turned pale.
Rip!
The sword stabbed into his side, nearly piercing his heart.
“Die!” Yang Yi’s body was wracked with pain, but he refused to relent, swinging his axe at Yao Yunya’s head.
“Teacher Yao, focus your sword intent into a lotus and strike his lower abdomen!”
Bang!
A spray of blood mist—Yang Yi’s figure was blasted backward.
His axe had already grazed Yao Yunya’s head, slicing off several strands of her hair.
But Yao Yunya’s attack was faster—her lotus sword intent struck Yang Yi first, sending him flying.
After this duel, the entire Azure Lotus Sword Academy was stunned into silence, their hearts shaken.
None was more astonished than Yao Yunya herself.
She stared at Xia Jiuxuan with incredulous eyes, thinking to herself—Xia Jiuxuan could not only comprehend combat at the Sealing Spirit Realm, but also effortlessly pinpoint flaws!
It was simply unfathomable—truly extraordinary!