Zuo Heng was stunned. "Qiyue, you...!"
Wu Qiyue coldly stared at him. "What do you want?"
Zuo Heng suppressed the murderous intent in his eyes, forcing a smile. "I just want to teach this ignorant fool... classmate a lesson."
Qin Zhen reacted quickly, his face darkening. "What do you think you are? My student is not someone you can just punish!"
Zuo Heng's expression flickered, knowing that with both Wu Qiyue and Qin Zhen present, he could not make a move. He sneered and said, "Fine, let this classmate live a bit longer. After he's expelled from the academy, I'll have a proper chat with him."
Yang Qingxuan glanced sideways at Zuo Heng, his eyes filled with disdain, as if to say: Who has time to talk to you?
Zuo Heng's face turned purple, his fist trembling with rage. His eyes were full of a venomous glare, silently declaring: No one can save you, no one at all!
Yang Qingxuan only smiled faintly. He had seen many arrogant people like this around the world, and in the end, none of them ever remained so defiant. They all eventually learned to bow their heads.
Qin Zhen's face showed concern. "Yang Qingxuan, it's your turn for the test."
Yang Qingxuan nodded and stepped onto the arena.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out, as a large group of students from Class 4 began to surround the area, led by their class instructor, Yu Liang.
"Class 4 students? What are they doing here?"
The atmosphere in Class 3 immediately grew tense. The two classes had frequent conflicts, so everyone was on edge, staring at the newcomers with hostility.
"Everyone, don't panic," Yu Liang said with a smile. "Our test is almost over, so I thought I'd bring my students over to observe Class 3's assessment."
Yu Liang's gaze landed on Wu Qiyue and Zuo Heng, his eyes briefly flickering with surprise. However, that hint of astonishment quickly faded, and he turned to the rest of the students with a smile. "You all should pay close attention. Watch how excellent Qin Zhen's students are. Let's learn the differences between our classes. Afterward, go back and train hard."
"Understood!" The voice from Class 4 rang out, loud and clear, followed by many mocking stares directed at Yang Qingxuan.
Class 3's students were furious, knowing that the visitors were there to watch them be humiliated.
Qin Zhen's face darkened. "If you want to observe, we can do this the proper way. Teacher against teacher, or student against student—let's have a proper competition."
Yu Liang chuckled. "Teacher Qin, you misunderstood. We, from Class 4, are here to observe with a learning attitude. After all, Class 3 has a famous reputation in the academy, with outstanding results. Who knows, maybe someone will break a historical record during this assessment!"
He glanced intentionally at Yang Qingxuan.
"Ha! Yes, we're here to see the historical record!"
The students from Class 4 burst out laughing, their words filled with mockery. All of them aimed their insults directly at Yang Qingxuan. But he remained indifferent, his expression as calm as ever, his gaze deep and unmoving, as if the insults didn't even register with him.
Qin Zhen was furious but couldn't help but notice Yang Qingxuan's serene composure. He felt an unexpected doubt rising within him. This calmness... something was different about Yang Qingxuan today, and his anger seemed to dissipate.
Wu Qiyue's beautiful eyes briefly flashed with an unusual expression, a faint red glow passing through them before vanishing again.
Qin Zhen snorted coldly but ignored the mocking crowd, turning his attention back to Yang Qingxuan. "There are two ways to complete this assessment. One is to strike the Thunder Drum with full force. If you can generate seven thunder sounds, it will prove your physical strength and confirm that you can train as a mighty warrior. The other way is to channel your martial soul into the Martial Soul Stone, which will test the potential of your martial soul."
A student from Class 4 shouted, "The precondition is—you must have a martial soul potential!"
"Ha ha ha!"
The rest of the Class 4 students laughed mockingly, their jeering words aimed directly at Yang Qingxuan. The students from Class 3 were angered, feeling that their entire class's reputation was being dragged through the mud.
Qin Zhen paid no attention to the mocking voices. He calmly continued, "I know that Yang Zhao has been looking for spiritual medicine for years to cleanse your marrow and improve your true energy. But I'm not sure if you can reach the seven thunder sounds. Go ahead and strike with all your strength. No matter the result, at least you'll have no regrets."
Yang Qingxuan scanned the arena, where a large crimson drum, half the height of a person, was set up. Made from the hide of a Thunder Beast, the drum was designed to measure the force of one's strike by the number of thunderous sounds it produced.
This was the most basic Thunder Drum, capable of producing a maximum of ten thunder sounds. That was already enough to qualify as a Yellow Turban Warrior—a basic but significant achievement.
Beside the drum, there was an irregularly-shaped, translucent crystal known as the Martial Soul Stone. It emanated a gentle, peaceful energy.
It was well-known that martial artists could follow two paths: some focused on physical cultivation to become mighty warriors, while others, through cultivating their martial soul, could unlock limitless potential.
A Yellow Turban Warrior could break mountains and split stones, gain nobility, and carve out a place for themselves in the world.
However, the path of cultivating the martial soul was infinite, with no end in sight.
Yang Qingxuan walked over to the Thunder Drum, resting his hand on the drum's surface. As soon as his palm made contact, he felt a powerful surge of energy radiating from it.
"Strike already! Stop dragging it out. We're waiting to see the record-breaking thunder!" A voice shouted from the crowd.
Yu Liang also smiled and said, "Class 4 students, keep your eyes wide open. Watch how excellent Qin Zhen's students are."
Yang Qingxuan ignored the jeers around him. After briefly touching the Thunder Drum, he lowered his hand and walked straight toward the Martial Soul Stone.
"What's this fool doing? Does he want to test his martial soul potential?"
"Ha, he's insane. If you don't have martial soul potential by the age of fifteen, you'll never have it. He still dares to hope for a martial soul?"
"Maybe he's just nervous, and his idiocy is kicking in again."
"Hahaha!"
The entire crowd was waiting to see him fail. Even within Class 3, many students sighed in disappointment.
Qin Zhen furrowed his brows. He remembered the headmaster personally examining Yang Qingxuan's condition. His soul was incomplete, which led to both mental and innate talent defects, making it impossible for him to awaken a martial soul.
That was why both Yang Qingxuan's grandfather and the headmaster believed he should follow the path of a mighty warrior. Even if he could only become a Yellow Turban Warrior, he could gain great power and prestige, securing a place for himself in Cangnan Kingdom.
Yang Qingxuan turned to Qin Zhen. "Teacher, I want to try."
Qin Zhen was taken aback. The way Yang Qingxuan said "Teacher" felt different, more sincere. It made him pause, sensing a strange shift in his student. With a faint hesitation, he nodded. "Alright, try it then."
Yang Qingxuan extended his hand, placing it gently on the Martial Soul Stone. The smooth and warm surface felt surprisingly comforting.
"Ha!"
A student suddenly burst into laughter. "Look at his serious face, as if he really has a martial soul! Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter."
"Hahaha!"
The students of Class 4 laughed even louder, mocking him. "What an eye-opener! So this is how amazing Qin Zhen's students are!"
"Exactly, maybe a martial soul will actually show up! We better keep our eyes open!"
Zuo Heng sneered. "This fool is quite funny." His scorn was obvious, as he eyed Wu Qiyue's beauty, but she didn't even glance at him. Instead, she focused all her attention on Yang Qingxuan. His anger flared once again.
Zuo Heng thought to himself, I'm so outstanding, and you ignore me completely. But you, this idiot, who is nothing, have her full attention? Fine, once this fool gets expelled, I'll make sure he regrets ignoring me. This will be your punishment for looking past me.
Suddenly, a student's voice shrieked through the air. "Look! It's the light of the martial soul!"