16: Not optimistic

On the arena, the battle was in full swing.

Huo Lan, fully engrossed in watching the match, suddenly noticed someone standing beside him.

The other person was also a teacher, with a robust build, like a walking brown bear.

"Ge Mu, what are you doing here? I don't have time to bicker with you right now." Huo Lan frowned, his gaze refocusing on Lin Xiu in the arena.

Standing beside him, Ge Mu followed his line of sight and also looked at that arena.

Two students were clashing there. After a brief stalemate, Lin Xiu suddenly burst forth with strength, pushing his opponent off the platform and securing victory.

"I heard Ruo Lin say you found a good prospect." Ge Mu folded his arms. "Is that kid the one you're interested in? He doesn't seem that great. He's eighteen and still hasn't achieved a Breakthrough to a Fighter. Are you really pinning your hopes on him?"

"My business has nothing to do with you. Stop prying here." Huo Lan looked straight ahead.

"We're colleagues; there's no harm in chatting."

Finding Huo Lan unresponsive, Ge Mu shrugged. "Knowing you, you've probably set a test for that kid, haven't you?"

He turned his head to look at the silent Huo Lan and said to himself, "Let me guess, the goal you set for him wouldn't happen to be first place in this year's entrance examination, would it?"

Huo Lan turned to look at him, expressionless.

"Did I really guess right? Then it's over. Although it's the group below Fighter, with Wu Hao there, no one among the new students this year can snatch first place from him."

Facing Huo Lan's increasingly grim expression, Ge Mu spoke louder, a slight, uncontrollable smile playing on his lips.

"Have you said enough? If there's nothing else, please leave." Huo Lan refused to engage.

A heavy look of worry was on his face.

Because Ge Mu's words were precisely what he was worried about.

Even if you don't get first place, as long as you can hold on against Wu Hao for a while, I'll consider you to have passed the test. Come on, kid.

With no change in his facial expression, Huo Lan's resolve was actually wavering internally.

Some things can be seen from one's background.

Although Lin Xiu possessed outstanding talent in Cultivating Fighting Skills, he was unfortunately just a Family servant for someone else before, and had never been exposed to many Fighting Skills.

In contrast, Wu Hao himself had an advantage in Dou Qi, and his Family's conditions in the Black-Corner Region were excellent. To suppress his peculiar Dou Qi, he had undergone a lot of tempering since childhood.

Neither the richness of his Fighting Skills nor his combat experience was comparable to Lin Xiu's.

"Still fixated on that meager thing, Huo Lan, I advise you to just give up." Ge Mu, getting nowhere, dropped a remark and left Huo Lan's side.

On the other side.

Xiao Mei came down from the arena, and her cousin, Xiao Yu, immediately came to meet her.

"It's okay to lose. You've only just arrived at the Academy, after all. If you work hard to Cultivate in the future, you still have a chance to catch up."

Xiao Yu comforted Xiao Mei, who had lost the match. She had also gone through this herself, and could empathize with Xiao Mei.

"Don't take the assessment to heart. It will have some impact on class assignment, but you still have me; your cousin will look out for you."

Walking beside Xiao Mei, Xiao Yu continuously spoke.

Because she had just left her Family, she didn't yet know how vast the world was. Her top-ranking performance in the Family barely made it into the middle tier at the Academy.

However.

After talking for a while, Xiao Yu noticed that Xiao Mei wasn't listening to her at all; her attention was directed elsewhere.

Xiao Yu followed Xiao Mei's gaze and soon saw a figure she didn't want to see.

In the arena, Lin Xiu once again dealt with his opponent, then walked down, breathing slightly.

"This guy is really lucky to still be going." Xiao Yu's first reaction was that Lin Xiu hadn't encountered a strong opponent.

"Cousin, he's not relying on luck, but on strength." Hearing Xiao Yu's words, Xiao Mei instinctively retorted.

She paid more attention to Lin Xiu; the sight of Lin Xiu continuously practicing Fighting Skills these past few days had appeared before her eyes many times.

Could Xiao Mei truly be falling for Lin Xiu? Xiao Yu's thoughts flickered as she intently gazed at Xiao Mei for a moment.

That Lin Xiu was merely a Family servant from another household; such a background destined him to be incompatible with their Xiao Family. How could she outwardly be attracted to such a person?

"Xiao Mei, did that guy secretly say something to you, that you're defending him like this?" Xiao Yu probed, feigning nonchalance.

"He doesn't even want to talk to me." Recalling Lin Xiu's attitude during this period, a hint of sadness flashed across Xiao Mei's face.

That identical aloofness had made her almost mistake Lin Xiu for her cousin Xiao Yan several times.

"At least he has some sense." Learning that Lin Xiu had proactively distanced himself from Xiao Mei, Xiao Yu lightly snorted. "Xiao Mei, just watch, Lin Xiu is about to lose."

"What do you mean?" Xiao Mei felt that Lin Xiu's physical exertion wasn't significant, and he still had full combat strength.

Following Xiao Yu's raised hand, Xiao Mei saw a young man walking down from the arena.

The person was fifteen or sixteen years old, appearing to be about the same age as her cousin Xiao Yan. He had no smile on his face, and his entire being exuded a coldness that kept people at a distance.

"His name is Wu Hao. He has some connections with the Academy's Enforcement Team, and he will definitely join the Enforcement Team after the entrance assessment ends."

While Cultivating at the Academy, Xiao Yu had also heard some news. "I heard that because of his Dou Qi, Wu Hao's Family had never allowed him to enter the Academy, and I didn't expect him to enroll this year."

"Cousin, is Wu Hao even more powerful than Lin Xiu?" Xiao Mei felt that Xiao Yu seemed to think highly of Wu Hao.

"Let me put it this way: before I returned to the Xiao Family, I heard that Wu Hao was hunting Demonic Beasts with someone, and during that time, he seemed to have had a conflict with people from the Black-Corner Region, and he killed a Three-Star Dou Zhe." Xiao Yu said with an astonished tone.

One must know, she herself was only a Three-Star Dou Zhe.

In contrast, Wu Hao hadn't even become a Dou Zhe yet; he was probably at the eighth or ninth part of Dou Qi before. With such a large disparity, he was actually able to kill a Three-Star Dou Zhe.

"He's that strong?" Xiao Mei's mouth gaped slightly in surprise.

In her limited impressions, the only peer who could be that strong seemed to be her cousin Xiao Yan.

"You think this is still Wutan City? There are many more Geniuses at Canaan Academy. Don't always focus on that Lin Xiu. Once you officially enroll, if there's someone you're interested in, I'll introduce him to you."

Xiao Yu nodded solemnly.

Automatically ignoring the latter part of the conversation, Xiao Mei looked at Lin Xiu with a hint of worry in her eyes.

In the arena, a teacher called out names. Lin Xiu and Wu Hao stood up, walked onto the arena, and stopped facing each other about five meters apart.

"Lin Xiu."

"Wu Hao."

Both clasped their fists simultaneously. After the polite greeting, they assumed their combat stances.

Wu Hao was full of confidence, and a sense of relaxation could be felt throughout his body.

He didn't attack immediately.

During the breaks in his previous battles with others, he had also observed Lin Xiu. Although the opponent had won several consecutive matches, he mostly relied on pushing his opponents out of the arena to win.

This person probably has great strength. What a pity; if it were someone else, he might have continued to win, but encountering me, I'll have to say sorry in advance.

Looking at the charging Lin Xiu, Wu Hao's gaze remained fixed on his shoulder, ready to dodge at any moment.