Chen Youyi wore an expression of saintly compassion, his demeanor like that of a benevolent savior, and his tone heavy with moral weight.
Many couldn't help but feel moved.
Some students came from poor families, with nothing to rely on but their own abilities as lords. For them, the trial's rewards were invaluable.
Even more so was the achievement it represented.
For others, who were under the protection of influential families, failing to perform well could mean losing that support entirely, shutting down their future prospects.
The crowd's anger swelled, and the students turned their hostile gazes toward Wu Chi.
Of course, not everyone was so simple-minded.
Some individuals seemed to understand the situation but chose to remain silent, blending in with the crowd to avoid standing out.
For a time, the accusations piled on:
Wu Chi was cruel, cold-blooded, and ruthless.
According to their logic, even if he had the power to defeat everyone, he should have sacrificed himself for the benefit of the group.
After all, individual interests should be subordinated to the collective—wasn't that only natural?
In the midst of the uproar, the only one who didn't participate was Li Bo, someone who actually knew Wu Chi.
But one voice couldn't compete with the overwhelming shouts of the crowd.
The cloud sea buzzed with noise, growing louder and louder.
Wu Chi's expression darkened. He snorted coldly, ready to retaliate with yet another "1v100."
Suddenly!
"Silence!"
The chilling command swept through the crowd like a freezing wind.
Everyone felt an oppressive force weighing down on their souls, silencing them instantly.
Floating before the crowd appeared Fairy Luo, her crimson and white robes fluttering gracefully. Her expression was as icy as her voice.
"Principal!"
No one dared utter another word. They quickly bowed in respect.
Fairy Luo's voice was calm but commanding. "The rules I mentioned earlier have changed."
The crowd: "???"
The teachers: "???"
As the audience stared in shock, Fairy Luo announced with an indifferent tone, "New rules."
"For all participants: you will be rewarded with 100,000 Void Crystals, a special Arrow Tower, a rare job-transfer voucher, and the choice of one rare unit!"
The moment her words landed, the entire audience froze in disbelief—then erupted into joy.
However, before the excitement could fully take hold, Fairy Luo added coldly, "Except for those who just attacked or insulted Wu Chi."
The faces of those who had been berating Wu Chi stiffened.
The joy they'd felt just moments before turned into stunned disbelief and deep regret.
"Principal! I didn't mean it! I wasn't thinking straight!"
"Principal, I'm sorry! I made a mistake!"
"It wasn't me—it was Chen Youyi! He instigated us! I was blinded by greed, but I see my error now!"
In a flash, the majority of the crowd began backpedaling, some even apologizing to Wu Chi directly.
Wu Chi could only stare speechlessly at the absurd scene.
His gaze shifted to Fairy Luo, who seemed unfazed.
"This soft knife of hers is truly sharp," he thought.
Many students now turned their angry glares toward Chen Youyi.
Chen's face turned pale. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out.
He didn't care much about the rewards himself, but how many people present could afford to dismiss them?
For newcomers, such rewards were practically unobtainable through normal efforts. It could take an average lord two or three years to achieve the same, if they survived that long.
"Chen Youyi, Li Jiaqi, Chu Renjie, Xu…"
Fairy Luo listed off one name after another, all belonging to those who had caused trouble earlier.
"Your results are failing," she declared.
Chen Youyi's face turned ashen. Though his expression fluctuated between anger and frustration, he ultimately didn't dare argue.
No one dared.
"Now, go collect your rewards!"
Fairy Luo gestured lightly to a female teacher, who smiled and nodded. She led the stunned students out of the small world, still reeling from what had just happened.
When it was Wu Chi's turn to leave, Fairy Luo stepped forward to block his path.
"What's this?" Wu Chi asked, raising an eyebrow. "Are you saying I don't get my reward either?"
Fairy Luo smiled faintly, her expression unreadable.
"Of course you do," she said, taking a step closer. Her bright eyes shimmered with intrigue as she leaned in slightly.
"You…"
"What do you want?"