"How is this possible?!"
"How could this happen?! Rongguang and Liu Meijun's attack actually froze in the midst of moving!"
"What's really happening?!"
In an instant, there was nothing but questions running through the crowd's minds.
Their reasoning told them that this was something impossible, for what was taking place right in front of their eyes was too magical, too surreal to believe– it didn't matter that they were witnessing it with their own eyes.
Including Zhou Teng of the inner courtyard, the pale-faced youth, and the other students behind them, all were shocked.
Right at that moment, Sun Zhang and Xiong Chu shot up from their seats as they watched the golden rings move closer to Rongguang and Liu Meijun.
Their shock increased when they realized that both Rongguang and Liu Meijun's movements halted as if someone used a petrification spell on them, both remaining frozen in place.
Everything on the stage seemed to have come to a halt.
The airflow.
The lightning and the palm print.
The blue ice… even the wind was stopped in its path!
Sun Zhang, Xiong Chu, Zhou Teng, the pale-faced youth, and everyone else watching widened their eyes in disbelief. Their jaws dropped open wide enough to stuff an extra-large pear inside their mouths.
Considering Sun Zhang and the rest had such a reaction, the two being 'contained' by Huang Xiaolong felt it even more. Although Rongguang and Liu Meijun could not move physically, their consciousness was unaffected, and strangely, they could still talk.
Before many astounded eyes, Huang Xiaolong's palm prints landed on Rongguang and Liu Meijun.
Huang Xiaolong's left palm print struck Rongguang in the chest. Rongguang let out a muffled groan and his body flew back. However, when Huang Xiaolong's left palm print was about to hit Liu Meijun on her chest, he noticed her full, plump bosom. Instead of hitting her chest, he decided to subtlety deviate the course a little and the attack hit her shoulder.
Liu Meijun was sent flying as well.
Both Rongguang and Liu Meijun were knocked away and fell from the stage area.
Landing on the ground, both of them stumbled back a few steps before steadying themselves.
The two of them lost!
When Liu Meijun steadied herself, she was switching between shock and embarrassment. Just now, Huang Xiaolong's palm nearly touched her bosom– it was a close call!
The wind force brought by Huang Xiaolong's palm scraped past her upper body, raising a strange feeling inside of her.
A long time after Rongguang and Liu Meijun fell to the ground, the Holy Hall was still submerged in silence before cheers and applause filled the huge hall like a thunderbolt.
Thunderous applause resounded in the Holy Hall, and some of the passionate fangirls were screaming, shrieking their hearts out.
"Huang Xiaolong, you're such a freak!" One of the high-strung girls cried out, "But, I like it!"
"I love you~~~!"
The Holy Hall was submerged in wave after wave of these declarations of love.
Some of the fangirls even wanted to rush up the stage to Huang Xiaolong, but luckily there were Academy guards hindering them and maintaining order.
Below the stage, Chen Caixiu may have not been affected by the fervor, but her eyes were shining as they stared at Huang Xiaolong.
On the main platform, Sun Zhang and Xiong Chu were dumbstruck. Looking at the reaction of these frenzied female students, both shook their heads and exhibited wry smiles.
Some distance away from Chen Caixiu, Zhou Teng noted the spark in her eyes as she watched Huang Xiaolong. Zhou Teng clenched his fists tightly, the expression on his face was grim.
"Huang Xiaolong wins!" The judge announced amidst the screams coming from the fangirls.
Huang Xiaolong wins!
Another wave of applause resounded in the Holy Hall.
Standing on the stage, Huang Xiaolong was rendered speechless by the enthusiastic female students' response and smiled helplessly inside.
There were no singers or movie stars in the Martial Spirit World, but these female students were more terrifying compared to those fans in his old world.
The female students gradually calmed down, but the shock still lingered in the air and the crowd had not yet adjusted themselves.
The battle for the Third Year's number one was finally concluded.
Huang Xiaolong taking that spot was something no one ever imagined nor expected.
However, the main event was coming up next: the battle for overall Academy champion.
When the judge asked Huang Xiaolong if he wanted to challenge the inner courtyard's number one, Zhou Teng, for the overall Academy champion, his answer was: "Yes, of course!"
Once again, there was an uproar when the crowd heard Huang Xiaolong was going to challenge Zhou Teng for that number one spot.
Excitement rose in the Holy Hall.
Zhou Teng, the number one student of Cosmic Star Academy's inner courtyard, had advanced to peak late-Tenth Order one year ago, and he was someone infinitely close to a Xiantian realm expert.
Zhou Teng was perhaps the same level as Liu Meijun, however the gap in their strength was no secret. Half a year ago, Zhou Teng fought Liu Meijun and defeated her effortlessly.
In the upcoming battle between Zhou Teng and Huang Xiaolong, who would take the Academy's number one spot?
Everyone waited with bated breath.
On the main platform, Sun Zhang chuckled, "The next battle for the overall champion truly makes one look forward to it with anticipation ah!"
Xiong Chu agreed, "It has already been two years since anyone dared to challenge the inner courtyard's number one, and now, finally someone has the guts to challenge him this year! It's been quite a while since the annual competition was this lively!"
Below the stage the teacher for Third Year Third Class, Chen Xiaojing, felt rueful again and again.
Just an hour earlier, he was advising Huang Xiaolong not to act recklessly, to wait to challenge the class's first place next year…
Moments later, Huang Xiaolong and Zhou Teng stood on the stage.
"Big brother, fight!" Huang Min and Huang Xiaohai cheered for their big brother from below the stage.
Huang Xiaolong smiled and nodded at them, and then turned his attention towards Zhou Teng who stood opposite of him.
"You are Xie Wei and Jiang Hengyu's disciple?" Huang Xiaolong asked in an easygoing voice.
The people that used 'Tenth Order' qualifications as an excuse to hinder him from entering the inner courtyard included Xie Wei, Jiang Hengyu, and Cheng Fengli!
Zhou Teng was stunned for a moment at the sudden question: "Yes."
"You were the one that used Lin Han?" Huang Xiaolong's expression turned cold.
Zhou Teng snickered coldly, "So what if it was me? I just did not expect that that wastrel couldn't even take a punch from you!"
"In my eyes, you are no different from him: a wastrel!" Huang Xiaolong commented as if he was talking about the weather.
The brutal glint in Zhou Teng's eyes burst out. Bright light surged from Zhou Teng's body as a giant tortoise emerged behind him! The tortoise's shell was black, yet it reflected a greenish glow, and the moire patterns on the tortoise shell formed the word 'sage*'.
This was Zhou Teng's martial spirit, Blackshell Sage Tortoise!
Blackshell Sage Tortoise was not a superb talent martial spirit, but it was one of the top grade ten martial spirits that was infinitely close to a superb martial spirit existence.
Zhou Teng did not waste time. After calling out his Blackshell Sage Tortoise, he instantly soul transformed. A black light flashed and at the same time, a black shell similar to that of his martial spirit's appeared on Zhou Teng's back. On the surface of the black tortoise shell were black runic patterns that once again formed the word 'sage'.
Staring at Zhou Teng's appearance after his soul transformation, Huang Xiaolong was stunned for a second. A wry smile hung at the corner of his lips after seeing the transformation, he thought Zhou Teng really did look more like a 'tortoise' in this form. Moreover, Zhou Teng's looks were borderline ugly to begin with. His mouth was bigger than average, and he had a nose that was also bigger than average, which reminded Huang Xiaolong of the Undersea Dragon Palace's Prime Minister Turtle.
Zhou Teng's face flushed red when he saw Huang Xiaolong shaking his head and laughing after his soul transformation. The rage in his heart exploded! Although his martial spirit Blackshell Sage Tortoise's grade was infinitely close to a superb talent martial spirit, he had to admit that he indeed looked ugly after fusing with his martial spirit. This was a sore spot in his heart.
Zhou Teng leaped out. Everyone watched as he actually tucked in both of his hands and legs. His entire body rotated at rapid speed akin to a tornado that rose from the surface of the sea, rushing towards Huang Xiaolong.
"Seawind Tornado!"
* 圣 – Pattern/character on the tortoise shell. This character can mean holy/sacred/saint/sage.