Chapter 1867: The Danger of Shangmo
"But we are entering the path of demonic cultivation. For those who will walk this path, fighting is ingrained in our bones and marrow."
Elder Yi shook his head slightly. "Is the true meaning of demonic cultivation merely 'fighting'? Dean Guan, you should reflect deeply on this. What is the true significance of fighting? Is it simply about being competitive and seeking victory?"
Guan Feng was stunned. He looked at Elder Yi. "If we do not compete, how can we become strong?"
"What defines a strong person?" Elder Yi looked at Guan Feng seriously. "Dean Guan, you must ponder this. Is a true strong person simply one who wins in physical combat?"
Guan Feng paused. "Then, according to Elder Yi’s view?"
Elder Yi smiled faintly. "Focus on this competition first. Perhaps during the matches, you will understand what a true strong person is."
Some truths are better understood through personal experience than through words. Elder Yi spoke thus to let Guan Feng realize it himself. Only by understanding the true nature of strength could one become a seed of greatness. If one did not even understand what strength meant, Elder Yi feared that Shangmo Academy was truly beyond saving, likely leading to its eventual destruction.
The existence of the five academies—Shenhuang, Jingmei, Yuanwu, Shangmo, and Shengren—was meant to balance various needs. If one academy faltered or was destroyed, it would be a bad omen.
After hearing Zhu Yanyi’s words a few days prior, Elder Yi felt deeply that the current Shangmo plane was in grave danger. Equally dangerous was the state of Shangmo Academy itself.
Elder Yi did not know why the plane had become this way, but once the cause was found and changes made, the plane would inevitably transform. In such a scenario, no one knew what would happen to Shangmo Academy.
This was why Elder Yi warned Guan Feng now. They had known each other for many years, and Guan Feng was actually a decent person. Elder Yi did not want Guan Feng to become a victim of this plane’s turmoil.
Guan Feng did not fully understand why Elder Yi said this, but he had a feeling that the small-scale competition starting tomorrow might bring a qualitative change for him.
That day, apart from the initial encounter with Shenhuang Academy students, the Shengren Academy group did not face trouble from other academies.
The day passed, and a new one dawned. The day of the formal competition had arrived.
"The style of each competition changes. No one knows the content in advance. Shengren Academy has not participated in such small-scale competitions for many years, so we are even less certain of the style. Everyone must listen carefully to the hosts and judges’ instructions, and be cautious of your opponents during the matches," Yi Yunfei, as the senior brother, earnestly advised his junior brothers and sisters.
The others nodded, understanding his meaning.
"Senior Brother, rest assured, we will be careful," Ouyang Yunfei and others said.
Yi Yunfei glanced at Jian Feiyan and Mi Xiao. "Among all of you, I am most worried about these two. Do not rely solely on your sword cultivation or body cultivation to ignore schemes and tricks. Sometimes, you must use your brains. If you cannot outsmart your opponents during the competition, just use medicine directly. Understood?"
"Understood." Jian Feiyan and Mi Xiao scratched their heads sheepishly. They were not usually like this; it was not that they didn’t think, but thinking was too exhausting. Besides, wasn’t direct action more satisfying than scheming?
Seeing them agree, Yi Yunfei felt half-relieved.
By late afternoon, the venue was set. The judges’ platform faced south, with the independent competition stage opposite it. Students from the five academies sat on both sides and the front of the stage.
The student seating was semi-circular. The host academy sat in the center, with two academies on each side.
Coincidentally, Shengren Academy was seated on the same side as Shenhuang Academy.
After everyone took their seats, they listened to the judges’ hosts explain the rules.
Zhu Yanyi felt that these rules, in essence, boiled down to eight words from the mortal realm: "Friendship first, competition second." However, this was merely lip service. If competition were truly second, no one would strive so hard for the championship.
Zhu Yanyi looked at the Shangmo Academy students in the center. As the hosts, they had nearly a hundred students present, making them the largest group among the five academies.
The other academies, except for Shengren Academy, had brought thirty students each: Shenhuang, Jingmei, and Yuanwu.
"Why do I feel like they are trying to bully us with numbers?" Shi Chengchen whispered with a smile.
Wasn’t it bullying with numbers? Among the five academies, only Shengren Academy had seventeen students. With two elders, they totaled nineteen, not even reaching twenty. The other four academies, not counting the host Shangmo Academy’s hundred students, had at least thirty each.
"We value quality over quantity. Don’t you understand, silly Eleventh?" Mi Xiao tapped Shi Chengchen’s head, giving him a look that said, You are really stupid.
Shi Chengchen thought about it and nodded. "You have a point. After all, we are all elites."
That was quite a thick-skinned statement.
Each academy stayed in its own area, and there was little to say.
The Shengren Academy group was cheerful. To the other academies, Shengren Academy was seen as merely participating for fun, never a threat for the championship. Thus, the other four academies were not overly hostile toward Shengren Academy. Instead, they eyed each other with fighting spirit, seemingly determined to suppress the other three.
"Truly Shangmo Academy’s territory. We’ve barely sat down, and everyone looks like fighting cocks. It feels strange," Gu Jun said directly.
Liu Qirong replied, "We just need to remain carefree. Their disregard for us is our opportunity."
Although Shengren Academy had the fewest participants, everyone kept a clear account in their hearts. They knew that to change the situation of this plane, they first had to change the outcome of this competition. Only if Shengren Academy won could they prove to others that results are not always as they appear on the surface.