Flender adjusted his glasses and said, "I originally didn't plan this, but since your trials will be easier now, even with Su Ming only using his fourth spirit ability, I still expect you all to maintain a winning streak. As such, 30% of your winnings must be handed over to the academy!"
"Of course, that 30% will be used for future educational expenses. Rest assured, it will be spent wisely."
Though Flender made some sense, it didn't sit well with the students. Why should they hand over 30% of their hard-earned winnings just because the academy was poor?
Su Ming couldn't help but think to himself: Isn't this just like a middleman fee? And such a high one at that!
He wasn't going to let the miserly Flender get his way. Who knew whether the money would actually go toward teaching or just pad Flender's personal stash?
Su Ming spoke calmly, "Dean, don't you think this is a bit inappropriate? We've only been at the academy for a short time, and the money we earn from the battles is our own. Why should we hand over 30% of it?"
Everyone else nodded in agreement. If they managed to maintain a winning streak, 30% would add up to a considerable amount.
"Also, look at our academy—it's got nothing. What exactly do you plan to do with this money? Any specific arrangements?"
Flender's face stiffened, but he responded sternly, "I haven't thought of anything specific yet, but I assure you the academy won't misuse it. Besides, are you sure you can maintain a winning streak? If not, it's not like it'll be a lot of money."
Su Ming smiled confidently, "Of course I'm sure, or I wouldn't be opposing it. Even if I can only provide support, my abilities can still enhance the others' combat effectiveness significantly. And you've seen Xiao Wu's strength firsthand."
"If the opposing team doesn't have at least half of their members at the Soul Ancestor level, Xiao Wu's strength alone will likely lead to a quick victory."
"And if the opposing team is full of Soul Ancestors, that means I'll be allowed to attack as well, which makes victory even more certain."
Even though Su Ming's words seemed a bit arrogant, no one present could deny that he had the ability to back them up. Even Tang San had to admit it.
Xiao Wu was formidable in one-on-one combat, but Su Ming was able to handle multiple opponents simultaneously, making him even more fearsome.
Seeing Su Ming's confidence, Flender sighed and said, "Alright, how about this: if you manage to maintain a winning streak, the academy will only take 20%. But if you lose, the academy will take 30% of your winnings, and Master will put you all through some grueling training."
"Of course, the money will be spent on things that benefit you all, and Master here can vouch for that."
Su Ming glanced at his teammates, and seeing no objections, he replied, "Alright, that sounds fair."
"But, let's also agree that food and lodging expenses should come out of that 20%. After all, that's part of educational expenses, right?" Su Ming added with a smirk.
Flender's face darkened. He couldn't help but feel that Su Ming was even more calculating than him. Covering the food and lodging expenses for such a large group would be a significant cost!
On top of that, Yu Xiaogang had insisted the academy start providing more nutritious meals, not just the simple porridge and buns they used to serve. This was meant to support the students' physical development, but it greatly increased the academy's financial burden.
Su Ming's right, Flender thought. If we're going to accept extraordinary students, we need to be prepared to bear the costs.
Once everything was settled, the group signed up for their two-on-two battles before the team match. They all saw the team fight as relatively easy, so they decided to use the two-on-two matches as a warm-up.
The results were unsurprising: total victory. The most outstanding performance came from Su Ming and Xiao Wu's Thousand Hands Charming Rabbit duo. Su Ming stood in place while Xiao Wu swiftly dealt with their opponents.
What surprised Su Ming this time was Xiao Wu's attack method—she used a ranged attack, slicing the air with her foot to send out a vacuum blade. It was Arashi Kick!
The power was immense, cutting one of their opponents so deeply that their bones were visible. Su Ming could only give Xiao Wu a helpless glance before healing the injured fighter.
After all, these were just competition matches, and the blows were supposed to stop short. Xiao Wu's attack had been too harsh.
The others were also amazed by Xiao Wu's vacuum blade. Once they stepped off the stage, Xiao Wu playfully stuck her tongue out at Su Ming. "Sorry, big brother! I didn't mean to cause trouble. I didn't expect the attack to be so strong!"
Internally, Xiao Wu marveled at the power of the Arashi Kick. She hadn't even used her full strength, yet her opponents seemed so fragile.
Su Ming ruffled her hair, "It's fine, just be more careful next time. Luckily I was here, or they'd have been in real trouble."
"But Xiao Wu, how did you come up with the idea of using your foot to launch a vacuum blade? The power is much stronger than the air blade you used before."
Xiao Wu smiled sheepishly, "Well, when I was cutting through Tang San's Blue Silver Grass with my air blade, I thought I could develop a more practical ranged attack. So, I practiced yesterday and today. I used it for the first time tonight, and I didn't expect it to be so powerful."
Master, Tang San, and the others, who were walking over, were shocked by the strength of Xiao Wu's self-created technique. It was far more powerful than what they'd seen from her before.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing were equally impressed. They hadn't expected Arashi Kick to be so strong, especially since the technique seemed to grow more powerful as the user's strength increased.
Tang San, however, felt a pang of jealousy seeing Su Ming's close interactions with Xiao Wu. He longed to be that close to her, but now wasn't the right time—he had to be patient.
Master asked curiously, "Xiao Wu, is this air blade your self-created spirit ability? What's it called?"
Xiao Wu nodded, "Yes, I just developed it over the last few days, but I haven't thought of a name yet."
She turned to Su Ming and asked sweetly, "Big brother, do you have any ideas? Could you help me name it?"
Su Ming hesitated for a moment, then suggested, "How about we call it Arashi Kick?"