"Is there something wrong with your brain?" I asked, irritated. "I came here to enroll in Imperial Valley University, not to get involved in drama with you."
"You…you…!" Na Lan Yan Ran spluttered. The invigilator cleared his throat.
"Ms. Na Lan," he said as he consulted his tablet. "This young man, Shu Cong, is really a student in our Imperial Valley University. He has a recommendation letter written by Cheng Long, the leader of the Divine Dragon Sect, and he has passed the entrance exam without suffering an injury. He is more than qualified to be a student here."
"No, he isn't!" Na Lan Yan Ran shouted. "You saw his entrance exam, didn't you? He didn't summon a single spirit beast! He used swordsmanship to defeat the cyclops rats and cyclops wolf! How can someone like him be suitable for Imperial Valley University?"
"Hah! I knew it!" one of the other candidates burst out laughing. "He really used a sword to defeat the creatures instead of summoning techniques!"
"He should join Ten Thousand Swords University instead!"
"Get out of here! We don't need a non-summoner!"
The candidates in the courtyard erupted into jeers. The invigilator coughed hoarsely, and at the sharp sound, everyone fell silent.
"There is no rule that you have to be a summoning cultivator in order to join Imperial Valley University," he said. "The only rule is that you have to pass the entrance exam and display competence as a cultivator, regardless of whatever techniques you used. Yes, Imperial Valley University is famous for its summoning department, but contrary to popular belief, not all the disciples and masters here are summoners. We still have a variety of disciples and masters ranging from blacksmiths, healers, physical tempering experts, to swordsmen. There is nothing wrong with not using summoning techniques to pass the enrollment exam."
Everyone fell silent at his words. They exchanged uncomfortable glances, realizing that he had a point. Even summoning cultivators needed support in the form of healers, blacksmiths and frontline fighters to help reinforce their summoned spirit beasts during combat. It wasn't as if summoners could summon everything and anything. I could remember a story where readers were complaining about how a summoner was stupid because he couldn't summon a healing-type beast. Like, what the fuck? Did they think summoning worked like Doraemon's Anywhere Door? That if you want a healing spirit beast, you could pull it out of no-fucking-where? Reality wasn't so convenient.
"I understand that, but I'm afraid that this person has sinister motives in wanting to enroll here." Na Lan Yan Ran pointed accusingly at me. "He's a stalker! Even though I rejected him so many times, he refused to…to…"
She then blinked, as if suddenly realizing something.
"…he humiliated me!"
"Huh? How exactly did I humiliate you?" I couldn't believe the nerve of this girl. She had switched from accusing me of being a stalker to an entirely different complaint altogether. I was getting confused by her jumping back and forth.
"How dare you refuse to get engaged to me? Right in front of my father and grandfather too! Did you think that just because you became the first disciple of the Divine Dragon Sect, you suddenly gained the status to reject me?"
I threw up my hands in exasperation. "What the hell are you talking about now?"
"You think I'm not worthy of you? Is that it? Or was this petty revenge because I rejected you before, and now you want to get back at me by being the one who refused me instead?"
While Na Lan Yan Ran was on a tirade, all the other candidates were whispering to each other in confusion.
"What's going on?"
"Wasn't she accusing him of stalking her? How did it suddenly change to her getting dumped?"
"Is there something wrong with this girl's brain?"
"She's confusing herself too. So is she angry at him for refusing to marry her, or furious at him for stalking her? Make up your mind."
"Hmph! Stuck-up bitch who thinks she's so good." a female candidate folded her arms and shook her head. "She obviously thinks she has a God-given right to toy with men and then cruelly dump them when she had her fun. She's a slut!"
Fortunately, Na Lan Yan Ran didn't hear that or she would have gotten into a fight. She was focused on raging at me.
"Or did you plan everything? Ao Tian couldn't possibly be a traitor! You must be the one who set him up, all so you can steal his position as first disciple!"
"Whoa, is that true?"
"What a bastard."
"To think that he would backstab his own first senior to steal his position for himself…"
Damn. These people didn't know the truth and they were just latching onto what Na Lan Yan Ran said and condemning me. Then again, people didn't care about the truth. They just wanted to participate in witch hunts and watch others suffer.
"Listen to yourself." I sighed and shook my head. "And you wonder why I refused the engagement?"
"He has a point," a female candidate muttered. "Even I can't help but be angry while listening to that bitch."
"Enough!" the invigilator roared, rounding on Na Lan Yan Ran. "This is not the place for you to carry out your personal vendetta!"
"H…how about this?" Na Lan Yan Ran swallowed and then turned to point a finger at me. "Let's make a bet! We'll have a duel to decide who gets to stay and who gets to leave. The winner gets to enroll in Imperial Valley University, the loser leaves!"
"Sounds good to me." I remembered what Zhu Shou told me the other day. Something about Na Lan Yan Ran finally able to successfully evolve her spirit beast. I wanted to see what it was. Was it a phoenix? If that was the case, then I wanted to see it firsthand.
Additionally, it would be great to accumulate combat experience. Training by myself could only take me so far. The more I fought against live opponents, the more I could grow.
The invigilator seemed intrigued by the idea too, for he considered Na Lan Yan Ran's proposal for a few seconds before finally nodding in agreement.
"Good idea. We'll make it an official academy duel. Do both parties agree to the conditions?"
"I was the one who raised them, so of course I do."
"I have no problems with the conditions." I nodded and took a deep breath. "Let's do this."
The invigilator made a call with his smartphone, booking an arena. All the students followed Na Lan Yan Ran and me, mostly because they wanted to watch the show. I could see the audience bringing melons and popcorn. I felt a stab of irritation, but decided to leave them be. I guess I might as well put on an entertaining show.
The invigilator led us to a coliseum in the middle of Imperial Valley University. It was a vast, open space with many seats – which the spectators gratefully occupied in less than five minutes. Both Na Lan Yan Ran and I went up the stage and waited for the invigilator to take his place as the referee. He studied the both of us.
"Are you ready?"
"Yeah."
"Of course."
The invigilator nodded before swinging his hand down to signal the start of the match. Immediately, Na Lan Yan Ran summoned her spirit beast. Majestic flames unfurled across the heavens, embers raining down in an impressive display of pyrotechnics.
"Amazing…!"
"This is the spirt phoenix of the Na Lan clan's first young miss!"
"How enviable…I wish I have such a spirit beast too!"
"Go kick that bastard's ass! He deserves to get thrashed for betraying his first senior!"
"Non-summoners should be kicked out of our academy! Teach him a lesson!"
The spectators were roaring in delight. I rolled my eyes and merely faced the hovering phoenix. Na Lan Yan Ran smirked.
"Ready to give up?"
"No." I sighed and beckoned her with a hand. "Hurry up and attack. Don't waste time talking nonsense."
Na Lan Yan Ran's eyes narrowed and she scoffed, swinging her hand down to deliver a command to her phoenix. "Since you're so eager to die, I'll fulfill your desires! Phoenix, incinerate him with your spirit flames!"
A torrent of crimson fire surged toward me, but I was able to evade it thanks to my Heavenly Flow and Earthly Paths. It was but a simple task for me to predict the trajectory of the flames and dodge accordingly. While I weaved through the stream of spirit flames, my qi sense picked up something interesting.
"Oh, spirit flames, huh? They are very different from normal fire."
"What do you know, you ignorant bumpkin?" Na Lan Yan Ran sneered. "The spirit flames of a phoenix are undoubtedly special! They are miraculous flames with recuperative properties, but at the same time they are powerful enough to incinerate any evil! The moment these flames make contact, there will be nothing left of you but ashes!"
"I'm so scared," I mocked. "But that does sound like the amazing spirit flames. Now I want them."
"Hah! Are you jealous now? Do you understand the difference between us? A commoner like you will never be able to get your hands on such amazing spirit flames…not in your lifetime!"
"Really?" I pushed my glasses up my nose and smiled. "We'll see about that."
At a thought, I summoned my magic carp. The little fish appeared and hovered at my right shoulder, flapping about helplessly. He ogled the majestic phoenix with wide eyes (then again, his eyes were always wide, so I couldn't tell the difference) and almost panicked.
"Wait, what? Did he just summon his spirit beast?"
"So he can summon after all. No wonder he chose to come to Imperial Valley University."
"Hah! So what if he can summon a spirit beast? It's useless! Just look at that stupid fish. It obviously has no combat ability whatsoever. It's trash!"
"Ha ha ha ha! Did he just summon a garbage-tier magic carp? If I had a spirit beast like that, I would be too ashamed to summon it in front of everybody! Is he trying to make a fool out of himself?"
"No wonder he used a sword during the entrance exam! That fish is useless in battle! It can't fight at all!"
Laughter and mocking jeers filled the arena. Several of the spectators hurled their popcorn or empty melon skins at the stage, only for the invigilator to glare at them. They cowered, but continued to hurl abuse in place of food.
"Get off the stage!"
"You're embarrassing yourself!"
"Even if you don't feel ashamed, we at Imperial Valley University feel ashamed for you!"
"Just give up already! We don't want you here! You're an embarrassment!"
"You're trash! Your spirit beast is trash!"
"Carp…" My magic carp looked at me sadly, but I shook my head and patted him.
"Ignore them. They don't know your true strength. I believe in you. We'll prove them wrong."
"You…you…!" On the other hand, Na Lan Yan Ran was spluttering disbelievingly in rage. She pointed her sword at me. She was carrying a sword as per the Na Lan family tradition, but she hadn't used it yet, obviously believing that her phoenix's flames were more than enough to defeat me. "Are you trying to insult me?! Summoning a trash spirit beast like that against my heavenly phoenix? Even if you want to mock people, there has to be a limit!"
I snorted. "Trash, trash, trash. Is that all you guys have to say? You're so narrow-minded and blind that I'm at a loss for words. Quit wasting your time with insults. If you want to defeat me, then attack."
"Hah! Since you want to die so badly, I'll fulfil your wish! Phoenix, burn both that trash spirit beast and its ignorant master to ash!"
The phoenix obeyed immediately, launching a second wave of spirit flames in our direction. My magic carp trembled in fear as he watched the incoming divine inferno. On the other hand, my lips curled into a smile. Pushing up my gleaming glasses, I issued a single command.
"Magic Carp, Devour the Heavens."
My magic carp opened his mouth as wide as he could before he swallowed all of the spirit flames in one gulp. Within three seconds, all of the heavenly flames disappeared into a churning vortex that went down his gullet.
Then my magic carp patted his belly with a fin and burp out some smoke.
For a few moments, there was a long silence as Na Lan Yan Ran, her phoenix and the spectators stared at the unbelievable sight in utter astonishment. Then…
"NANI?!"