10: Chapter 10, are you cheating?

"This batch of students is not bad," a steady and majestic voice came from behind Teacher Yan Ruyu and the others.

"Having cultivated their familiars for only a week, they can already display their combat power decently, and there are even three people who resisted Wang Hong's Mountain Ridge Giant. Even if Wang Hong didn't command personally, this strength is already worthy of praise."

Hearing the voice, the five of them turned around in unison, their expressions respectful, and saluted together: "Principal Ning!"

Teacher Yan Ruyu was even more pleasantly surprised, stepping forward: "Teacher, why are you here?"

Teacher Yan Ruyu had also graduated from a top-tier institution back then and was considered a minor genius across the entire human race. However, after graduating, he did not stay in the core stellar region. Instead, he returned to Blue Star and joined Xingyao Deity Middle School. Among this, there were both his own considerations and the influence of Principal Ning Zhengqi.

Principal Ning Zhengqi gave a slight nod to Teacher Yan Ruyu, swept his gaze over the crowd, and said in a casual tone: "I came to see if there are any good seedlings worth cultivating."

The teachers immediately stepped aside to let Principal Ning Zhengqi stand in the very center.

Principal Ning Zhengqi's gaze was soon firmly attracted by a screen of light.

On the other screens, the students' familiars were still struggling under the siege of the Mountain Ridge Giant and the Stone Demon. Only on this particular screen, although the Underworld Soldiers looked slightly battered, their feet were piled high with the rubble and remains of the Mountain Ridge Giant and the Stone Demon.

"Su Ming?" Principal Ning Zhengqi softly read the name on the light screen. With a gentle wave of his fingertip, the image in the void instantly reversed, playing the entire process of the Underworld Soldiers encircling and suppressing the Mountain Ridge Giant and the Stone Demon.

Upon seeing the Underworld Soldiers flexibly changing formations, strictly obeying orders, and maneuvering with measured advances and retreats, a clear look of satisfaction flashed in Principal Ning Zhengqi's eyes, and he slowly nodded: "To be able to achieve this level only a few days after recruiting familiars, this child is a good seedling."

"Which class's student is this?" Principal Ning Zhengqi looked at the surrounding teachers with a somewhat inquiring tone.

All the teachers turned to look at Teacher Yan Ruyu. Teacher Yan Ruyu immediately stepped forward: "Teacher, this is my student."

Principal Ning Zhengqi smiled, his tone carrying approval: "It seems you've struck gold this year. With his current strength, he will definitely achieve a good ranking in this year's divine examination, and he might even catch the eye of a top-tier institution."

Joy appeared on Teacher Yan Ruyu's face, and he seized the moment to say: "Teacher, I am also very optimistic about him. It's a pity he comes from a commoner background; otherwise, getting into a top-tier institution would be basically secure."

"You brat, you're already so old, yet you're still so slippery." Principal Ning Zhengqi saw through his thoughts at a glance.

This was him asking for resources from himself on behalf of Su Ming.

He looked again at Su Ming's figure in the light screen, thinking to himself: A Netherworld Deity is indeed worth key cultivation. He then spoke, his tone resolute: "Alright, as long as his performance in the next match isn't bad, I will allocate a portion of resources to him."

Teacher Yan Ruyu was overjoyed. He cast his gaze toward Su Ming's light screen and chanted silently in his heart: Brat, you must live up to expectations!

Su Ming, at this moment, was completely unaware of this.

He was suspended in the void, his gaze even more solemn than when he faced the ten Mountain Ridge Giants, staring fixedly at the solitary and lofty figure opposite him.

"Storm Giant!" Su Ming gritted his teeth in a low voice, his tone full of gravity.

Although this Storm Giant was also at the extraordinary fourth stage, merely standing there, the raging wind surging around its body released a terrifying pressure, causing the one hundred Underworld Soldiers under his command to stand somewhat unsteadily.

This Storm Giant was a C-grade familiar after all, far more powerful than the E-grade Mountain Ridge Giant by several folds!

Moreover, higher-tier familiars held a natural suppression over lower-tier familiars.

"Playing dirty, are we?" Su Ming's mouth twitched. Students at this moment had no way of recruiting C-grade familiars. The one battling him right now was clearly not a student, but a teacher.

And this Storm Giant was simply not something Su Ming and his familiars could handle. However, there was not the slightest bit of retreat in the depths of his eyes; instead, a stubborn fighting spirit ignited.

"Want to stump me? It's not that easy!"

Without hesitation, Su Ming immediately gave the order: "Form spears, full-power throw!"

The Underworld Soldiers immediately formed Netherworld spears and hurled them fiercely. The pitch-black rain of spears, shrouded in nether eerie Qi, whistled towards the Storm Giant.

But just as the spears approached within a hundred-meter radius of the Storm Giant, a violent gust of wind suddenly swept over, blowing all the spears away entirely. Some were even blown to pieces, completely unable to get close to it by a fraction.

"The kite tactic won't work, we can only go head-on!" Su Ming's gaze sank, and he immediately adjusted his command: "All forces charge, close-quarters combat, specialize in attacking weak joints!"

The Underworld Soldiers responded immediately, their figures flexibly breaking through the gale and rapidly approaching the Storm Giant. The Netherworld bone blades in their hands flashed with cold light, slashing fiercely into the Storm Giant's body.

"Clang—!"

A crisp sound of metal collision resounded explosively. The bone blades struck the surface of the Storm Giant's body, leaving only a shallow white mark—they couldn't even break through its defense!

Su Ming's brows locked tightly, his heart sinking: If we can't even break the defense, how is this battle supposed to be fought?

Just at this moment, the Storm Giant finally launched a counterattack.

It let out an angry roar, the gale around its body surging violently. Countless sharp wind blades appeared out of thin air, assaulting the Underworld Soldiers like a rainstorm. Even with the protection of the chilly bone armor, quite a few Underworld Soldiers were still scratched by the wind blades, and even a couple of unlucky ones were hit by multiple wind blades simultaneously, being directly sliced into several pieces and having their souls scattered.

Immediately following that, the Storm Giant raised its huge hand, grabbing fiercely towards several clustered Underworld Soldiers.

One Underworld Soldier failed to react in time and was tightly gripped in the giant palm. Accompanied by a crisp "crack" sound, it was crushed without any ability to resist, turning into a wisp of black smoke and dissipating.

"Quick! Spread out your positions, don't clump together!" Su Ming's heart tightened as he immediately gave the order.

Outside the simulation pods, the teachers were all stunned when they saw the Storm Giant in the light screen.

"It seems Old Wang is annoyed." Someone chuckled with a knowing tone.

"How can he not be annoyed?" another person chimed in, "The other two students can still barely resist, but that kid Su Ming nearly crushed the Mountain Ridge Giants and Stone Demons he sent out. Naturally, he has to add some difficulty for this kid."

Teacher Yan Ruyu watched the Underworld Soldiers retreating steadily in the light screen. After hesitating for a moment, he still spoke up: "However, isn't releasing the Storm Giant going too far? These little fellows only awakened their divine domains a week ago; their familiars simply cannot win."

A hint of a smile hung on the corners of Principal Ning Zhengqi's lips as he said in a calm tone: "No matter. The true path of a deity has never been smooth sailing; this little test counts for nothing."

Since Principal Ning Zhengqi had said so, the rest of the teachers, even if they had different opinions, no longer said anything more.

There were two others driven into a desperate situation by the Storm Giant just like Su Ming, and Gu Qingfeng was one of them.

At this moment, he was commanding several Savage Skull Beasts, crazily besieging the Storm Giant. But regardless of size or combat power, the Savage Skull Beasts were comprehensively crushed by the opponent, lacking any power to fight back.

They saw the Storm Giant single-handedly pick up a Savage Skull Beast. With strength exerted from its arm, it tore the body apart raw with a "crack" sound. The shrill wails resounded across the entire battlefield, making one's scalp tingle.

In barely a quarter of an hour, all the Savage Skull Beasts were reduced to scraps of meat, the ground covered in a messy and ghastly sight.

Gu Qingfeng's face turned ashen, staring fixedly at the flexing Storm Giant in the arena, his heart filled with grievance and stifled anger.

If the rules allowed deities to personally make a move, he would definitely tear this Storm Giant into pieces!

But as the Savage Skull Beasts were completely annihilated, his challenge had already failed, and his figure slowly dissipated from the battlefield.