81: Win without fighting

After the fierce battle between Li Zicheng and Crown Prince Zhu Yunwen, the atmosphere at the scene remained tense and fervent.

The Nanfeng Hall Elder, expressionless, continued to announce the next round of matchups: "Third group! Xiaguang Realm, Xiaoyao Sect's Yang Xue versus Cangwu Realm, Cangwu Academy's Tang Jingyu!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a commotion arose in the crowd.

Yang Xue gracefully leaped, ascending the stage like a Fairy, her posture agile and spirited.

In contrast, Tang Jingyu appeared somewhat hesitant, his steps slow, seemingly lacking confidence in the upcoming battle.

He secretly thought to himself that his strength was far inferior to his opponent's, and this battle would likely end badly.

However, under everyone's gaze, Tang Jingyu still bit the bullet and walked onto the stage.

Seeing her opponent on stage, Yang Xue smiled and bowed slightly to Tang Jingyu, showing complete courtesy.

Tang Jingyu was clearly surprised and froze for a moment. After a while, he seemed to wake from a dream and hastily returned the bow.

Yang Xue took a deep breath, then slowly opened her palm.

Instantly, an invisible stream of water flowed from her fingertips, winding forward like a nimble snake.

This water spirit power contained endless pressure, making people involuntarily turn their heads.

Seeing the stream of water rushing towards him like an arrow, Tang Jingyu's face changed drastically.

He didn't even have time to react, knowing full well that he absolutely could not withstand such a powerful attack.

Thus, he frantically waved his hands repeatedly, shouting, "No, no, no! I surrender, I surrender!"

Seeing the situation, Yang Xue quickly withdrew her hand.

The surging water spirit power instantly vanished without a trace, as if guided by an invisible hand, quietly flowing back into Yang Xue's body.

The entire process was smooth and breathtaking.

The Nanfeng Hall Elder looked at Tang Jingyu with considerable satisfaction, "A wise man submits to circumstances."

Yang Yun intently felt the water spirit power that Yang Xue had just released, secretly surprised.

One must know that Yang Xue was only at the Golden Core Peak, yet a Nascent Soul power faintly emanated from her.

"I never thought this System's Cultivation Technique would be so powerful!"

Yang Yun's eyes widened, staring intently at the tens of thousands of Cultivation Technique Secret Manuals in his System, feeling a bit at a loss for a moment, "So many Cultivation Techniques, how should I use them? I don't even need them..."

He turned to look at Shangguan Yi, only to see that Shangguan Yi and Ao Ye had clearly found suitable Cultivation Techniques for themselves, and Yan Ning's had also been bestowed.

Then, Yang Yun cast his gaze upon Ji Wufeng and Wang Tianya beside him, thinking, "Sigh, Ji Wufeng doesn't seem to have one yet, does he? After a while, I'll find an opportunity to pick one for him too."

At this moment, Liu Ruyan, noticing Yang Yun was somewhat distracted, swayed her waist and walked up to him with charming grace, her beautiful eyes gazing at him affectionately as she softly said:

"Young Master, your younger sister won the match, why do you seem so unhappy?"

Yang Yun was captivated by Liu Ruyan's enchanting allure, feeling a rush of heat throughout his body and an indescribable urge welling up deep inside him.

Yang Yun tried hard to control his emotions, stammering in response: "Liu… Liu Ruyan, right?"

"Hehe, Young Master truly has a short memory~" Liu Ruyan lightly covered her crimson lips, giggling foolishly, "This humble one saw Young Master's distracted expression, so of course I had to show concern.

Could it be that Young Master and this humble one have met before?" As she spoke, she intentionally or unintentionally moved closer to Yang Yun, the alluring fragrance emanating from her making Yang Yun almost unable to control himself.

Yang Yun took a deep breath, composed himself, and forced a calm and collected expression, laughing:

"Haha, not at all, not at all. This Young Master is just a bit tired. Thank you for your concern, Miss, but it seems we have indeed never met before, have we?"

Although he said so, his eyes never left Liu Ruyan's fiery figure.

"Oh my!" Liu Ruyan chided, her fragrant breath caressing Yang Yun's ear, "Young Master, this humble one merely saw your extraordinary bearing and wished to make your acquaintance."

How could Yang Yun not be aware of Liu Ruyan's little schemes?

Liu Ruyan saw Yang Xue's extraordinary talent, and coupled with Yang Yun himself having Shangguan Yi, a Soul Transformation Peak Realm attendant, by his side, she inevitably harbored some ambitions and calculations.

Liu Ruyan always leaned against Yang Yun intentionally or unintentionally. If not for Yang Xue's presence, Yang Yun would probably have long since invited Liu Ruyan to a secluded place for some in-depth communication.

This match did not cause much of a stir, as Tang Jingyu of Cangwu Academy chose to forfeit, which offered little in terms of spectacle.

In the stands, an old man in a white robe had a grim expression. He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles slightly white from the excessive force.

When his gaze fell upon Tang Jingyu on the stage below, his eyes were filled with unconcealed resentment and anger.

"This fool, he is simply the disgrace of our Cangwu Academy!" the old man gritted his teeth, his voice filled with suppressed rage.

"He actually surrendered without a fight in front of everyone, how will our Cangwu Academy ever have the face to stand in the Eastern Region after this!"

Just then, the middle-aged man sitting nearby suddenly turned his head, a look of extreme mockery on his face.

He looked at the old man with a playful gaze.

"Vice Headmaster Wang, your Cangwu Academy certainly made a splash this time!" the man said with a fake smile, "I think your esteemed Disciple is quite good at assessing the situation, knowing he's not an opponent, he immediately chose to surrender to save his life. This quick wit is truly admirable."

Hearing this, Wang Peng couldn't help but let out a cold snort, his face growing even uglier. He suppressed the anger in his heart and replied stiffly:

"The internal affairs of our Cangwu Academy are not for an outsider like Your Excellency to comment on!"

However, facing Wang Peng's reprimand, the man showed no intention of holding back.

Instead, the corners of his mouth curved slightly upwards, revealing a half-smile, and he continued to speak unhurriedly:

"Why is Vice Headmaster Wang so angry? Although your academy's Disciple's desertion was somewhat inglorious, he did save his life, didn't he? As the saying goes, 'where there's life, there's hope.' Sometimes, knowing when to give up is also a wise move."

Wang Peng's face turned green with anger, veins bulging on his forehead, his lips trembling slightly, just about to retort.

However, at that moment, an old and strong hand reached out and firmly gripped his arm.

He turned his head and saw that it was a Nanfeng Hall Elder standing beside him.

The Elder gently shook his head at him, a hint of warning in his eyes, as if signaling him not to act impulsively.

Although Wang Peng was indignant, he understood the Elder's good intentions.

He gritted his teeth, forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart, glared fiercely at the man, and finally chose to remain silent.

At this moment, his gaze involuntarily fell upon Yang Xue in the arena.

Wang Peng sighed inwardly: "This girl truly has extraordinary talent. To have such an accomplishment at such a young age is a rare prodigy indeed! If given time and careful cultivation, she will surely achieve extraordinary things in the future, becoming a Void Refining expert is not impossible."

If such a talent could be recruited, the overall strength of the Academy would be greatly enhanced.

As soon as he thought of this, a strong desire surged in Wang Peng's heart.

He secretly made up his mind that after this competition, he would personally go to talk to Yang Xue, show her the profound heritage and advantageous conditions of Cangwu Academy, and try his best to persuade her to join the Academy.

Just as Wang Peng was calculating, the Nanfeng Hall Elder's voice came again: "Fourth group..." This meant that a new round of matches was about to begin.