Chapter 16 - The Battle Royal

"Alright. The thirty of you will now proceed to the combat grounds for a battle royal with all the second and third-year classes," Guan Hai announced, shocking even the prince and princess, who was related to the emperor but not a candidate for the throne. Not many people considered calling her princess.

"Right now?" Mu Xing cried, the noble girl, also being in the same class as Guo Yang and Guo Mei again.

"The tournament between the eight schools is in three months. You must prepare for nothing short of victory. I need to see your capabilities now in order to create proper training regimens," Guan Hai responded and turned to Guo Mei. "You are eager to fight, yes? You'll have plenty of that today. I want Class 3-B to fight the other classes first. I expect my class to own the top three ranks. You do not want to know the consequences of failure. I especially expect the five of you to take the top eight spots. You know who you are. With your cultivation, failing to take those spots will result in immediate punishment. I will redefine your imaginations of what hellish training truly is."

"Is killing allowed?" Guo Yang asked. "I practice poison cultivation."

"No. However, the tournament between the five schools allows it. You want to kill? Do it there," the teacher answered.

"It's not that I like to kill. I just hate holding back all the time," Guo Yang shrugged and was the first to leave, stunning the ten transfer students while the other nineteen sighed, already familiar with his poison cultivation.

"You guys are transfers?" Guo Mei said as she walked past them. "Besides the children of the imperial clan, you will all lose. I'll make sure of it."

"Those two don’t really get along with others. Don’t feel offended. They have the strength to back it up," Guo Lin laughed as he followed his siblings, the other students trailing after him.

"What do you think of them?" Shen Dong asked Guan Hai.

"Guo Lin is indeed powerful and has a normal personality, without arrogance in his heart. His sister is like her element: cold and dark, as if she were made of shadows. She must feel inferior to her younger siblings. As for the last one, he is the one to watch out for. Based on the reports I reviewed before ordering our transfer here, his practitioner arts resemble those of snake magical beasts. That snake of his is also a variant I have never seen, and he is said to own four more snakes. Without poison practitioner arts, you must be wary of his elemental arts and spear techniques. Because he follows poison cultivation, he has no need for attribute-less practitioner arts like other students," Guan Hai explained. "In terms of challenging you two for the first and second top ranks, only the brothers can match you. Guo Yang is also in the third level of cultivation, while Guo Lin can fuse elements together to create his own unique practitioner arts. The sister evidently cannot control her power and relies too much on speed and elemental attributes. She will be no contest for the top three ranks."

"What do we do, cousin?" Shen Hua asked.

"We take out the other classes first. When we and the triplets are the top five, we defeat Guo Mei first and fight them one-on-one. You will fight Guo Yang. Let me handle Guo Lin and his manticore," Shen Dong answered and turned his head at a noise.

He saw the snake staring at him before flying out in Guo Yang’s direction. Shortly after, Guo Yang learned of their plan. He only sighed as the snake didn’t hear who the third member of the imperial clan was. It seemed he would have to find out during the battle royal.

"Whoa! So many people," Guo Lin exclaimed as the triplets walked onto the combat grounds, seeing the other students in large groups according to their classes. However, the second-year students were more united, knowing they were weaker than the third-years.

"All the second-year students decided to team up to take down each class of third-year students. Smart," Guo Yang commented as he gazed over the students. "You guys go fight the third years. I’m going to have fun squashing these second-year students. It’s not every day I get an opportunity to just let loose."

"Just don’t kill anyone," Guo Lin warned, his gaze drifting to the stands. "Hey... that’s mom, dad, grandpa, and grandma! They knew the school tournament was today and didn’t tell us!"

"So that’s why grandma made me end this morning’s training early," Guo Mei nodded. "We’ll be fighting with our Class 3-B students. Don’t lose, Guo Yang. I need to pay you back."

"Heh. You’re welcome to try. Just expect to fail," Guo Yang shrugged as he was the only third-year walking toward the second-year students while the other third-year students decided to fight each other first. They saw the second-year students as cannon fodder and didn’t even consider them a threat.

"Ah, Guo Lin and them saw us," Guo Feng sighed as he, his wife, and the elders of the Guo Clan sat in the stands, younger children of the clan waving banners to support the triplets.

"Guo Yang is going to fight one hundred and fifty second-year students?" Ji Ting cried in shock.

"Oh, calm down. He is in the third level of cultivation, and none of those second years, transfer or otherwise, are even at the Spirit Forming Stage. Only their numbers make them a decent warm-up for Yang'er. Still, I’m surprised he’s attacking from the front. He never fights head-on," Guo Jing said, curious.

"I know why," Guo Li said, turning to her husband. "Guo Yang just sees them as stress relief. He’ll spend little spirit energy to defeat them, as the difference in cultivation is two levels. So young and already at the third level of cultivation. He could have already graduated and left for a sect or academy."

"That’s why he’s fighting all those kids? Because he’s saving his spirit energy? I don’t think so. My son and I don’t get along as well as a father and son should, but I do know his personality by now. He’s just like a snake. He’s fighting them all to instill fear into the hearts of the other third-year students. He’ll break the bodies of those second-year students to make his future opponents surrender before he even lifts a finger at them," Guo Feng said. "I’m sure members of the more powerful clans are realizing this by now."

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the combat grounds of Tang Arts School for Practitioners. I am retired imperial guard captain and current teacher of Class 3-B, Guan Hai. We have gathered here today to witness the emergence of the top eight and top three students. Three will receive a prize from the school, while those three and five others will represent the school in a nationwide competition against the other top nine schools on the Pangu continent," Guan Hai began, the crowd awed into silence as many could not sense his cultivation. "As an Earth Mortal, I guarantee your safety in the stands. This battle royal will determine the top eight most powerful practitioners of the student body. Without further ado, let the match BEGIN!"

As the third-year classes clashed instantly, Guo Yang just smiled at the second-year students. All of them drew their weapons, sweat dripping down their brows as Guo Yang unsheathed his sword and revealed Red Death in its true form. Red Death slithered behind him, acting as a barrier to prevent interference or escape. Any third year with other ideas was instantly smashed into the walls beneath the stands, Red Death’s tail casually flicking and breaking nearly every bone in their chests and backs.

"Ah, being outnumbered like this brings me back to my glory days. It’s as if it’s me against the world again. This feeling of being at the top and gazing at the insects below is truly gratifying. I really thank whoever came up with this tournament. Don’t worry, juniors. This senior is only going to break a few bones short of your life," Guo Yang cackled maniacally as his spirit energy burst from his body.

"W-what? A third-year student at the Element Adept Stage?" a transfer student cried out. "I thought only the imperial clans had such prodigies."

"Stand firm! We outnumber him. Everyone, use long-range practitioner arts!" a boy screamed, prompting those who knew such arts to stand at the front of the hundred and fifty, focusing all their spirit energy on Guo Yang.

"Yes! It is this feeling! This feeling! Come! Attack me all at once! Do it!" Guo Yang roared, grinning from ear to ear with ecstasy. "Let me show you how futile your efforts are."

Guo Yang condensed his spirit energy into his body and let it explode outward with a roar. All the practitioner arts and projectiles that flew toward him were incinerated, a blast of spirit energy slamming into the second years. Many of the weaker students fainted upon impact, crashing into the wall behind them. Some coughed blood and rolled twice on the ground before landing on their backs. Guo Yang had used the light practitioner art: *Viper’s Dominance Art*. It was a simple practitioner art that expelled light spirit energy, the damage dependent on the difference in cultivation levels between Guo Yang and his targets.

"HAHAHAHA! Do you see it now? You are nothing to me. Nothing. You should have forfe

ited when you had the chance. Since you are here in the combat grounds, your lives are mine!" Guo Yang laughed. "I can’t kill you, but you will know the consequence of facing me. No matter how much you beg and scream, no one can help you. I can’t use the point of my beloved spear, or you’d all die. So, you can only pray your bones don’t break when I use the butt of the spear. You won’t die, but you’ll certainly feel like it."

Guo Yang took out his Moon Lotus Spear, twirled it to the blunt end, and charged at the sprawled second-year students. He was like a fiend on a battlefield, bodies and screams filling the air wherever he passed. He smashed knees, broke arms, and crushed legs. He tossed students into the air with his spear and hit them as if they were baseballs.