Chapter 48

Chapter 48: The Five Newcomer Kings

Chen De Le’s eyes turned red. “You want to die? I’ll grant your wish!”

Crimson spirit power burst from him. Like a ferocious tiger descending a mountain, he charged at the slender maiden.

His punch slammed toward Lin Zhao’s head. Several people instinctively closed their eyes, expecting blood.

Lin Zhao met him with a punch of her own.

Two men at Chen De Le’s side sneered. “Ignorant country girl. Don’t you know Brother Chen’s Tiger Soul Fist is a Sixth Grade cultivation art? You dare compete fists with Brother Chen?”

In the lobby, a beautiful maiden in purple gauze watched, contempt flickering through her eyes. She glanced at the cool youth across from her. “This woman is far too ignorant.”

The youth wore white. Black hair framed a striking face, and silver eyes shone with a mysterious, sacred light. His aura was elegant and icy, refined in a way that made the purple-dressed maiden’s interest brighten.

“The outcome isn’t decided yet,” he said, then slowly closed his eyes.

The purple-dressed maiden hadn’t expected him to respond at all. Surprised, she turned back to the fight.

Crimson spirit power crashed forward with furious force.

Blue spirit power didn’t budge.

Then, in an instant, a faint blue glow flared.

Chen De Le felt waves of energy explode inside him. The moment their fists met, the blast hurled him backward—straight through the inn’s doorway.

He hit the floor hard.

Then explosions of spirit qi erupted through his body. Chen De Le convulsed and lay there, inhaling but unable to exhale.

Lin Zhao simply drew her fist back and stared down at him as if he were something dead on the road.

“If you want to die,” she said, voice flat, “that’s easy.”

One punch.

An Enlightenment cultivator in Tempering Stage—defeated in one punch.

Even Chen De Le’s companions went stiff. So did the purple-dressed maiden.

Beating Chen De Le wasn’t unheard of.

Doing it like this—clean, ruthless, effortless—didn’t look like something a maiden would do.

“How dare you!” Chen De Le’s companions hurriedly fed him pills to stabilize his injuries, then glared at Lin Zhao. “Brother Chen is the Sacred Light Empire prime minister’s eldest son. You dare hurt him?”

Lin Zhao couldn’t be bothered. She turned and walked away.

Her retreating back only stoked their anger. “Just wait! The Crown Prince of the Sacred Light Empire is one of this year’s Five Newcomer Kings! He’s at the ninth layer of Enlightenment—he won’t let you off!”

Lin Zhao didn’t even look back.

The purple-dressed maiden clicked her tongue. “She has some skill. But without backing to protect that skill, it’s just foolish.”

Her disdain was thick. First, she could sense Lin Zhao was only early Enlightenment—far below her. Second, she couldn’t stand that the cool youth’s attention—attention he had never given her—had fallen, even briefly, on someone else.

Even if it was an ordinary-looking maiden, it wasn’t acceptable.

The youth’s gaze slid toward her, cold. He didn’t continue the conversation. “Holy Maiden, Qu Shu has business to attend to. I’ll take my leave.”

He pulled on a veiled hat that covered his face and stood to leave.

No one in the lobby dared breathe too loudly.

No one knew that the purple-dressed maiden was Lu Xuan Bing, Holy Maiden of Xuan Qing Sacred Land.

No one knew the cool youth was Qu Shu, Holy Son of Penglai Sacred Land—the one who intended to propose to the Lin Family.

After Lin Zhao finally rested, she learned that the Holy Son and Holy Maiden of two Sacred Lands had entered this year’s class of new students.

She was surprised.

She opened her Heavenlink Mirror, found the South Sea Academy plaza, and stared at the dense stream of information until her eyes ached. After thinking for a long while, she finally grasped the rough shape of this year’s newcomer lineup.

A little over three hundred new students had officially enrolled.

More than a thousand were participating in the New Student Grand Tournament—all because of one rule of the South Sea Academy:

Anyone under twenty who could cultivate to Foundation Establishment Great Perfection could still participate. Even if they had been eliminated earlier, a strong performance in the tournament could still earn admission.

And once someone entered the South Sea Academy, the ranks were strict, marked by belt colors.

Official newcomers received a White Belt.

The top three in the New Student Grand Tournament would be awarded a Yellow Belt.

The top ten would earn an Orange Belt.

Those with outstanding performances could receive a Red Belt.

What tasks a student could take, where they could live, what resources they could access—everything depended on belt color.

This year’s newcomers were said to be the strongest the South Sea Academy had seen in a century.

Among them were five truly extraordinary talents—geniuses among geniuses.

They were called the Five Newcomer Kings.

On Heavenlink Mirror, there was even a ranking list of more than a thousand competitors. Lin Zhao scrolled until she found the top five.

First: Zhao Ji Xing, said to be from Zhao Family among the Noble Houses. His most recent battle showed the twelfth layer of Enlightenment.

Second: Qu Shu, Holy Son of Penglai Sacred Land, also twelfth layer of Enlightenment.

Third: Ming Yue, Young Sect Master of Moon Inviting Sect, one of the Three Sects—twelfth layer of Enlightenment.

Fourth: Blood Madman Ji Xiao, direct-line of Ji Family among the Noble Houses and Wan Tang’s brother—tenth layer of Enlightenment.

Fifth: Jia Lan, Crown Prince of the Sacred Light Empire—ninth layer of Enlightenment.

Aside from Jia Lan, who was only late Enlightenment, the top four were all terrifying figures at Enlightenment Great Perfection.

The title Five Newcomer Kings wasn’t empty hype.

Lin Zhao searched for her own name and found it buried somewhere in the two hundreds.

Noble Houses — Lin Family, Young Lord Lin Zhao: Foundation Establishment Great Perfection. With full strength, she can defeat an Enlightenment cultivator in Tempering Stage.

The ranking was generous.

Above the three hundred mark, you almost never saw anyone still in Foundation Establishment.

Lin Zhao weighed her strength quietly. If she fought with everything she had, she could handle someone below the sixth layer of Enlightenment and hold out briefly against an ordinary late-Enlightenment opponent.

That meant her true level was probably closer to around the hundredth place.

Even with the gap between her and the top ten still huge, Lin Zhao wasn’t discouraged.

With Granny by her side, she believed she would change drastically during the two-month New Student Grand Tournament.

It was time.

Lin Zhao flicked the South Sea Academy admission token in her hand, eyes burning with a quiet, stubborn fire.

Since the day Shen Yu Han abandoned her at their wedding, this would be the first time she appeared before so many powers across the continent.

She would not be a joke.