Chapter 52: Invincible Throughout?
“Xiaolong!” What was out of his expectations was Li Lu’s familiar call the moment he stepped into the classroom.
Huang Xiaolong looked towards the direction of the sound and saw Li Lu waving enthusiastically at him, smiling and exposing two lovely dimples; Huang Xiaolong smiled with a trace of helplessness inside – he’s in the same class as Li Lu?
What Huang Xiaolong didn’t know was that every batch of new students was placed together in the same class because there was only one class for every year.
And Huang Xiaolong’s appearance attracted the new students’ attention.
“He’s that ‘awesome’ waste!”
“On registration day, his guards beat up Academy teachers, not only nothing happen to him even all his fees were exempted, too awesome!”
“Awesome? No matter how ‘awesome’, he’s still a waste relying on his family. If not for the recommendation letter, is he qualified to enter Cosmic Star Academy? In my opinion, at the most, his martial spirit is just a grade six!”
Most of the new students saw what happened between Huang Xiaolong and Xiong Meiqi on registration day, and the scuffle with Zhong Yuan and the rest.
Huang Xiaolong’s brows slowly creased as the gossip entered his ears.
“Xiaolong, sit beside me!” Li Lu ignored the discussions around her, went up and pulled Huang Xiaolong’s hand to a seat next to hers; Huang Xiaolong shook his head and smiled; however, it’s not nice to refuse Li Lu’s kind intention in public.
Huang Xiaolong just sat down, and a young blonde boy, about ten years old, in a pale gold robe came in; this blonde boy was born with delicate features, albeit a little arrogant.
“Jiang Teng!”
“He is Jiang Teng? From what I’ve heard, on registration day, his martial spirits was determined to be Bright Holy Tiger, a grade eleven superb martial spirits!”
“Since our Cosmic Star Academy’s establishment, there has never been a superb talent martial spirit. When this matter reached the Principal and Vice Principal, both of them already said they wanted to take him as their disciple!”
“Both the Principal and the Vice Principal?! This has never happened in Cosmic Star Academy before!”
In the midst of the students’ discussion, the blond boy walked to an empty seat in the middle of the class and sat down.
Huang Xiaolong who was on the second row watched the blond boy; this boy’s martial spirits was out of his expectation-- grade eleven martial spirit, Sacred Bright Tiger!
As if he felt Huang Xiaolong’s gaze, the blond boy Jiang Teng turned his head, and their eyes collided. And when their eyes met, in the blond boy’s eyes, loathing flashed across them: the same emotion that was in Xiong Meiqi’s eyes when she looked at him on registration day when he gave her his recommendation letter.
Then he turned his head back in contempt.
Huang Xiaolong noted the other side’s dislike and contempt, while his heart sneered; whatever good impression he had of the other side instantly dropped to the lowest point.
While the students were discussing in whispers, suddenly, a cold female teacher entered the classroom and it was Xiong Meiqi!
Seeing Xiong Meiqi, Huang Xiaolong was a little startled: don’t tell me this female bear is the class teacher?!
Xiong Meiqi entered the room and went up to the platform: “I am your Class Teacher, Xiong Meiqi!” confirming Huang Xiaolong’s guess.
After Xiong Meiqi finished saying that, her eyes were like daggers as she glared at Huang Xiaolong for a split second.
Huang Xiaolong was calm and indifferent, directly ignoring Xiong Meiqi.
Seeing his reaction, Xiong Meiqi laughed coldly and went on to inform the class some of Cosmic Star Academy’s rules and the course content that they will be learning in the coming days and some methods to advance in class.
There was only three class years in Cosmic Star Academy: Sixth Order and below in the First Year; a breakthrough from the peak late-Sixth Order to the Seventh Order gives one eligibility for taking the Second Year class’s examination. Those who pass can advance one year-- as for the Third Year, students were required to be a Ninth Order.
Anyone who reached twenty-two years old but failed to enter the Second Year class will be expelled from Cosmic Star Academy.
Xiong Meiqi said, “To breakthrough to Seventh Order before twenty-two is hard for some of you, but it is not so for those with grade nine and above martial spirits. After our Cosmic Star Academy’s nurturing; as long you are willing to work hard, in general, most of you can breakthrough Seventh Order before reaching twenty-two years old. As for waste that came in using a recommendation letter, no matter how much the Academy nurtures and guides them, a waste is fated to remain a waste.”
As if intentionally or maybe not, Xiong Meiqi furtively glanced at Huang Xiaolong.
Huang Xiaolong frowned.
“Wastes with recommendation letters at most possess a grade seven, or six martial spirits, maybe even grade five; even if they cultivate till forty years old, sixty years old, they still have no chance of breaking through to the Seventh Order. Thus, they have only one ending - expulsion from the Academy!” Xiong Meiqi continued, and as if ‘hate’ wasn’t enough, her eyes stared at Huang Xiaolong with an icy coldness as she spoke.
All the new students in the classroom looked at Huang Xiaolong, making him the center of attention.
Then, Xiong Meiqi’s voice tone suddenly changed, her cold expression replaced with an amiable smile, saying, “I would like to introduce everyone to our Academy’s most talented genius in more than one hundred years, Student Jiang Teng!” Xiong Meiqi pointed at the blond boy Jiang Teng when she finished the introduction. “Student Jiang Teng possess a grade eleven martial spirits, Bright Holy Tiger; he’s our Academy’s first student who has a superb talent martial spirit since its establishment.”
At this time, Jiang Teng stood up from his chair and nodded to the surrounding classmates, his head held a little too high.
Xiong Meiqi led the class in a thunderous applause.
Feeling the envious and admiring gazes on his body, Jiang Teng’s demeanor became even more haughty, but when he caught a glimpse of Huang Xiaolong’s indifference as he sat there, clearly having no intention to join in the applause, Jiang Teng’s smile reduced slightly. The dislike in his eyes increased even more.
At this point, Xiong Meiqi abruptly spoke, “Let me tell everyone a fantastic piece of news: our Student Jiang Teng just reached ten years old, but he’s already a Fourth Order warrior! A peak early-Fourth Order!”
“Ten years old already is a peak early-Fourth Order!”
“This is too scary!”
Shocked was evident in every new students’ expression and envy and admiration almost shot through the roof as they looked at Jiang Teng.
“Jiang Teng, Principal and Vice Principal said you had learned battle skills?” Xiong Meiqi smilingly asked Jiang Teng.
“It’s true Teacher!” Jiang Teng answered with a laugh.
“Can you demonstrate and let everyone see?” Xiong Meiqi requested.
“Okay,” Jiang Teng nodded and walked out proudly to an empty spot in the classroom. He stood still, suddenly a bright light burst out revealing a huge tiger behind him; this huge tiger’s entire shone brightly, breathing out radiant flames. It let out a deafening roar, exuding a superb talent martial spirit’s oppression.
Then, Jiang Teng leaped up and bellowed: “Tiger Flame Palm!” one after another tiger paw was stamped in midair.
While watching, the new students applauded and cheered nonstop.
However, Huang Xiaolong shook his head. This Tiger Flame Palm should be a high grade Mysterious rank battle skill and it isn’t bad, but in Jiang Teng’s movements, it was full of weakness.
Listening to the applause and cheers, Jiang Teng worked harder and at the end of it, he complacently looked down at his classmates, shouting, “Bright Holy Tiger appear, invincible throughout the world!”
Invincible throughout?
When Huang Xiaolong heard Jiang Teng’s shout, he failed to hold in his laughter and a ‘puff’ rang out. Huang Xiaolong’s laughter came so abruptly that the whole class was shocked silent. Everyone’s attention zoomed to Huang Xiaolong.
Xiong Meiqi lost her smile and stared icily at Huang Xiaolong, screaming, “Huang Xiaolong, stand up!”
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Note:
Some might be confused why both disciples and students were used for Cosmic Star Academy: it is how the author wrote it-- xuesheng (student) and disciple (dizi).
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Back to regular schedule! Next release: Weekend
Edit: Thanks @"Xian N1" for the help!