Maintaining his focus on Peter, Alex's eyes locked onto the injured part of the chest. Sidestepping, he unleashed a punch.
"Peng!"
With a muffled sound, Peter spat blood and was sent flying. Despite his 7th level Foundation cultivation, he couldn't defeat Alex.
"What happened!?"
Shock echoed among the disciples.
"Did I see wrong!? Peter lost!"
"You're right!"
Peter's classmates widened their eyes, wearing perplexed expressions.
Observing Peter fall to the ground like a dead pig, the onlookers were left speechless.
Peter had threatened to defeat Alex in three moves, but the result was the complete opposite. It was Alex who instead defeated Peter in three moves!
If not for the cultivation difference, Peter would have lost early on. This fight was supposed to be a fight between Seniors and Juniors, where seniors need to teach a lesson to their juniors but it turned out to be the complete opposite!
Alex who became the focus of everyone's gaze picked up his sword and walked step by step towards Peter, who was in a miserable state with blood spilling from his mouth and bruises covering his face.
Peter wanted nothing more than to kill himself. He had completely lost his dignity in today's fight especially in front of Lady Aquila and would likely become the laughing stock amongst his peers within the Outer Courtyard.
Alex spoke up, "Thanks for going easy on me, senior," with a smile and cupped his fists.
Upon hearing those sarcastic words, Peter nearly spat out another mouthful of blood and furiously gritted his teeth. Today's incident was certainly the most miserable and unforgettable one in his entire life.
As Alex stepped off the battle platform, Lucas approached him, saying, "You sure are fearsome, Brother Alex. I never saw you fighting so fiercely before."
"Beating him is nothing to be proud of; my ultimate goal is to live a peaceful life," said Alex calmly as he turned to leave, followed by Lucas.
"Kid, stay there," Aquila approached him along with the other outer courtyard Elder and said, "You have won the practice session class, so you can get 5000 academy points and a chance to select an Earth Rank battle skill from the academy library,"
She took Alex's academy jade card and started adding his points.
"Thanks for the reward, instructor," said Alex. He was soon surrounded by his classmates who looked at him with shocked gazes.
Some even asked to be contacted if he ever goes on team tasks and offered their academy IDs for messaging and calls.
"Congratulations, Alex," said Clara with a genuine smile.
"Thanks," replied Alex in a calm tone, then continued on his way. As he walked, five of his classmates eyed him with a competitive spirit.
___________________
The next day Alex and Lucas quickly made their way towards the fair conducted on the outskirts of Heavenly Star City, a biannual event organized by both Outer and Inner disciples of the academy.
Since they were only outer disciples, they were only eligible to attend the fair conducted by outer disciples but inner disciples could enter both of them.
Upon reaching the fair's entrance, Alex noticed the lively crowd and a diverse array of goods on display. Many individuals from the academy and beyond were moving around.
A sign at the entrance indicated that only cultivators below the Martial Ascendant stage were permitted, as most vendors were from the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core stages.
While Alex observed the bustling scene, a disturbance in the crowd prompted people to move aside.
Alex turned his head in surprise as a white luxurious carriage, drawn by Draconic Fire horses with impressive speed and endurance, arrived at the fair's entrance. Each horse exhibited Soul Resonance stage cultivation.
Lucas pointed out, "See the crest with the golden flame spear on the carriage? That's the Flame Pavilion's symbol."
"Does that mean the carriage belongs to the Flame Pavilion Lord?" Alex inquired.
"Who else could it be? There's only one Flame Pavilion Lord in our academy," Lucas replied.
The academy has Nine Pavilion Lords, each with Martial King cultivation levels, equivalent to Alex's grandfather Harrison.
Lucas added, "A person's talent is beneficial until the Soul Resonance stage, but beyond that, success depends on hard work, courage, Luck and comprehension." and sighed when he said the last part.
The carriage came to a halt, and Lucas took a deep breath. "Could it be someone related to the Flame Pavilion Lord himself is coming?"
As the curtain of the carriage was pushed aside, Alex was taken aback. The person who emerged was a young woman.
Seeing her, Alex was surprised as a virtual screen appeared in front of him. Meanwhile, Lucas couldn't take his eyes off her.
"What a beauty that could topple kingdoms! This is it; even Clara appears slightly pale in comparison, and only lady Seraphina could compete with her." Said Lucas mesmerized by her beauty.
[Name: Isabella Phoenix
Race: Human
Age: 22
Affiliation: Daughter of Flame Pavilion Lord, Granddaughter of Phoenix Merchant Emporium.
Cultivation: Golden Core 9th stage
Bloodline: Phoenix Heart Bloodline {God Rank ( Hidden) } ]
The young woman wore a red dress with white robes indicating her status as a Inner disciple, her flame-like red hair cascading down to her waist, her skin radiating the luster of beautiful jade. Her overall appearance was a captivating blend of beauty and strength.
Escorted by bodyguards and maids, she stepped out of the carriage and proceeded into the fair. Wherever she went, it seemed as though numerous colors lit up the area, and peach flowers blossomed.
It was only after the young woman disappeared from his sight that Alex turned his gaze away.
"Who is she? Do you know her, Lucas?" Alex inquired.
Lucas, anticipating the question, immediately responded, "I do know her, but she doesn't know me. She is the only daughter of the Flame Pavilion Lord and granddaughter of the Phoenix Merchant Emporium.
She is one of the dream girls of the academy." As he explained, Lucas glanced at the crowd of new disciples surrounding them, smiling he continued to praise her as if he were her fan.
Alex responded with a casual "oh," having already known her identity and seeking confirmation rather than expressing surprise.
As they explored the fair, Lucas initiated a conversation. "I say, Brother Alex, don't you think her looks are amazing?"
Smiling, Alex replied, "I think her talent is what makes her even more amazing than her beauty."
Lucas shrugged. "I do not know about that. However… Brother Alex, why do you only ask about these martial arts stuff? After seeing such a perfect beauty, aren't your heart moved at all?"