Chapter 47: The Jealous Thunder! Lei Dong Rejected by Instructor Jiang Han!
At the northern gate of the Imperial Capital's Grand Academy, a crowd of awakened students had gathered.
Most were first-year students, with only a few upperclassmen who had returned early. Today, around noon, the elite second-year students who had represented the Imperial Capital's Grand Academy in the Global Advanced Awakeners' Academy Tournament would be arriving by school bus.
These students had gathered to catch a glimpse of the elites who had participated in the prestigious tournament. The newly admitted first-year students were particularly eager to see the genius second-year students.
"Did you hear? Around noon today, the top ten second-year students from our academy will be back!"
"Of course I heard! Even though our freshman courses have been intense, I still followed the Global Advanced Awakeners' Academy Tournament and saw our academy secure the global second place this year!"
"I watched it too! In the finals, our academy's Yong Yu fought fiercely against North Yin Domain's Drake, pushing him to the brink several times. It's just a pity that we lost by a hair. If there were a rematch, Yong Yu would surely win!"
As Lin Tianming arrived at the northern gate, led by Ye Qingxue, he overheard the students discussing the North Yin Domain. This made him think of Alice from the North Yin Domain, whom he had encountered the previous night.
Instead of joining the discussion, he stood quietly with his girlfriend Ye Qingxue under a shady tree, waiting.
The nearby students, engrossed in their conversation, did not notice the renowned new student among them.
"To push the North Yin Domain's top talent to the limit and achieve second place is already impressive for our academy. The North Yin Domain has the world's best resources and top-notch students, so losing to them isn't shameful!"
"Winning against the North Yin Domain in the Global Advanced Awakeners' Academy Tournament is extremely difficult. The last time our academy secured first place was when Wang Yanran led her team, crushing the North Yin Domain's talents!"
"But in the past decade, only Wang Yanran's team has defeated the North Yin Domain to claim first place. Every other time, we've been thoroughly outmatched!"
"I wonder if our freshmen, after a year of training, can produce someone capable of defeating the North Yin Domain's top talents and making them eat their words!"
Listening to the enthusiastic discussion, Ye Qingxue pumped her fist encouragingly at Lin Tianming.
"With a genius like you, our batch of freshmen will definitely outshine the North Yin Domain!"
[Although I wasn't a new student at the Grand Academy in my previous life, I did follow the Global Advanced Awakeners' Academy Tournament a year later. Tianming won decisively, even beating the North Yin Domain's top talent!]
[With me, the reincarnated Ice Goddess, as his training partner, and my peak Ice God cultivation insights, winning the global championship will be a breeze!]
Lin Tianming, hearing her inner thoughts, smiled slightly.
"Qingxue, you need to work hard too. Let's aim for a showdown in the finals next year!"
Even without Ye Qingxue's encouragement, Lin Tianming was confident about the Global Advanced Awakeners' Academy Tournament a year later. He had defeated Alice, the North Yin Domain's top talent, just the previous night, and believed he could do it again.
Just then, Ye Qingxue noticed a school bus arriving at the northern gate. She nudged Lin Tianming's arm.
"Tianming, look! The school bus is here. The ten elite second-year students must have returned!"
Lin Tianming looked towards the gate.
One by one, formidable-looking awakened students stepped off the bus and leisurely entered the academy.
These were the top ten second-year students of the Imperial Capital's Grand Academy.
As they entered, they observed the crowd of students at the gate.
One of the second-year students, exuding confidence, greeted the surrounding freshmen as if he were returning home to a hero's welcome.
He commented to his companion, "So these are the new first-year students? They look energetic. I wonder how many of them can actually fight!"
Another second-year student, struggling to stay awake, muttered, "I'm exhausted. This time zone shift is killing me... I just want to go back to my dorm and sleep. I don't care about anything else!"
The confident student glanced at the sleepy one. "You that tired, Zhang Zixi? And you know you're not a first-year anymore, right? You're a second-year now. These are your juniors. Make a good impression!"
Zhang Zixi, half-asleep, responded, "Uh... Li Hao, weren't we first-years when we left for the tournament?"
Li Hao rolled his eyes. "That was then. Now the new term has started, and you're a second-year!"
Zhang Zixi yawned again. "Oh, right..."
Ignoring the drowsy Zhang Zixi, Li Hao approached another second-year student engrossed in his phone.
Seeing a video of Lin Tianming's battle with Feng Lan playing on the screen, Li Hao patted the student's shoulder.
"Lei Dong, you've been watching this video since yesterday. Why are you so interested in these two first-years? Or are you particularly interested in the Feng family's eldest daughter? She is beautiful. Are you planning to ask her out?"
Lei Dong, glaring at Li Hao, sparks of lightning flickering around him, growled, "Get lost! Stop annoying me!"
Unfazed, Li Hao teased, "Did I hit a nerve? Are you in love, Lei Dong?"
A female second-year student laughed, "I don't think he's interested in the Feng family's eldest daughter. Lei Dong has been repeatedly watching that video because of the boy named Lin Tianming!"
Even the sleepy Zhang Zixi joined in, "Lei Dong likes guys?"
Lei Dong, enraged by their teasing, shouted at Zhang Zixi, "You want to die?"
Li Hao, still curious, turned to the female student. "Mo Jinghong, why do you think Lei Dong is interested in Lin Tianming?"
Mo Jinghong explained, "Because that boy is the first student Instructor Jiang Han has ever accepted. Lei Dong, with his SSS-level lightning ability, requested to be Jiang Han's disciple last year and was rejected. I think he's still bitter about it!"
Hearing this, Li Hao smirked. "I see. So Lei Dong is jealous of the freshman Lin Tianming!"
"Mo... Jing... Hong! Li... Hao! You two want to fight?"
Lei Dong, sparks flying, was clearly agitated.
The lead second-year student cleared his throat. "Lei Dong, calm down. We're surrounded by freshmen. Don't set a bad example. And Mo Jinghong, Li Hao, stop provoking him."
"Lei Dong, I'm just stating facts. Why get angry at me? I'm not afraid of you!" Mo Jinghong retorted before turning to the lead student. "Yong Yu, for your sake, I'll let it go today. Lei Dong needs to deal with his issues."
Li Hao shrugged, not saying more, while the other second-year students remained indifferent.
Feeling frustrated, Lei Dong put away his phone and continued walking with Yong Yu and the others into the campus.
Just then, a nearby student's comment caught Lei Dong's attention.
"Hey, isn't that Lin Tianming, one of the two freshmen admitted on special recommendation? Didn't expect him to be here to see the returning second-years!"
"It is! He beat Feng Lan in the Wind Chime Arena yesterday and even thrashed a level 25 second-year, Wang Jian, the day before. He's a big name among the new students!"
"Wonder if he can match up against these returning top second-years. After all, he did defeat Wang Jian!"
Following their gazes, Lei Dong quickly spotted Lin Tianming.
Having watched the video repeatedly, he recognized him immediately.
Lin Tianming, noticing Lei Dong's intense stare, narrowed his eyes slightly.
He didn't know this second-year student. Why the hostility? Could it be someone else wronged by the original host in the past?
His system was supposed to be about binding with goddesses, not getting entangled with guys!
So why was this second-year targeting him?
Ahead, Yong Yu, the lead second-year, turned back to Lei Dong.
"Lei Dong, we need to report in before we can leave. Don't get separated."
Ignoring Yong Yu, Lei Dong moved swiftly towards Lin Tianming, his aura crackling with electricity, exerting a palpable pressure.
"You must be Lin Tianming?"