Chapter 456

Shh!

Figures shot out from the forest and landed beside Lü Qing'er and Yin Yin Yue on the slope.

"Classmate Qing'er, are you alright?" Bai Bai Mengmeng immediately turned to Lü Qing'er and asked.

Lü Qing'er looked at the newcomers, her tense mood instantly easing, for besides Bai Bai Mengmeng and the others, Yi Yi Lisha's squad and Wang Wang Hejiu's squad had also arrived simultaneously—clearly, they had encountered each other on the way here.

Now, all of Star Sacred Academy's First-Year Division squads were gathered here, except for Bai Bai Doudou's squad.

Their combat strength rose instantly.

"We're fine. We encountered the Sacred Mountain Academy squad—that man must be Sun Sun Dasheng," Lü Qing'er said succinctly.

Yi Yi Lisha and Wang Wang Hejiu heard this, their expressions inevitably shifting: "Sun Sun Dasheng from Sacred Mountain Academy? That one of the three top championship contenders?"

Their gazes turned toward the already devastated forest, where the burly figure held a golden staff, his face radiating a defiant, ferocious aura—just looking at him gave one an intense sense of danger, a man not to be trifled with.

"So that's Sun Sun Dasheng. No wonder he could push Qin Qin Zhulu to this point," Yi Yi Lisha said solemnly.

Qin Qin Zhulu's strength in Star Sacred Academy's First-Year Division was second only to Li Luo, and this guy's fighting style was extremely fierce—he never feared death once he engaged, so his combat power was unquestionable. Yet now he was being so thoroughly suppressed by this Sun Sun Dasheng, proving the three top championship contenders were no mere pretenders.

"Can Li Luo alone hold off Sun Sun Dasheng? At this point, why show off?" Du Ze Duze Beixuan frowned, sounding displeased.

Though they knew Li Luo was extremely strong, Sun Sun Dasheng's reputation was too formidable—if Li Luo got taken out too, their morale would plummet.

"Our captain is a practical man. He must have his reasons, and haven't you noticed Sacred Mountain Academy's squad is over there too? We must keep watch on them," Student Xin Fu said.

Hearing this, the others turned their gazes toward the nearby slope, where several Sacred Mountain Academy squads were also present, their eyes locked firmly on them.

The two sides immediately faced off.

Yet neither side dared act rashly—they waited for the two figures in the forest to make the first move.

Within the forest.

Sun Sun Dasheng's defiant gaze swept over Li Luo's face, then turned to Qin Qin Zhulu behind him: "Is this the one you said is stronger than you in Star Sacred Academy?"

Qin Qin Zhulu rubbed his aching arm and nodded.

Sun Sun Dasheng was clearly surprised: "Really? Looks like this, yet he's actually tough?"

Li Luo smiled: "Actually, those who are both ugly and strong are rare."

Sun Sun Dasheng's eyes widened: "You're calling me ugly?"

Li Luo waved his hand: "Not ugly, not ugly—just uniquely handsome."

Sun Sun Dasheng slung the golden staff over his shoulder and looked down at Li Luo with disdain: "I'm too lazy to waste words with you. You want to take them away? Ask my staff if it agrees."

Li Luo smiled: "I don't just want to take them away—I think you owe my companion an apology for beating him like this."

Sun Sun Dasheng's eyes bulged. He stared at Li Luo with a strange expression and sneered: "So good-looking, yet you're an idiot?"

"I've never apologized to anyone in my life."

"You want me to apologize? Fine. If you can take two swings from me, I'll apologize." He grinned.

Hearing this, Li Luo clenched his palm, and a simple, ancient straight blade appeared in his hand—the blade shimmered in gold-and-jade hues: the Jin Yu Zhu Xuan Xiang Blade.

"Fine. Let's see two swings," he said with a smile.

Then Li Luo turned to Qin Qin Zhulu: "Go join the others. Rest up."

Qin Qin Zhulu nodded. He had heard Li Luo's condition—clearly, this was deliberate, for with Sun Sun Dasheng's arrogant nature, he'd never agree to apologize.

Li Luo wanted to truly fight Sun Sun Dasheng.

Was it to test the real strength of the three championship contenders?

"Be careful. This monkey's no pushover," he warned, then seized his heavy spear and leapt away.

With Qin Qin Zhulu's departure, Sun Sun Dasheng's expression turned cold and serious. He gripped the golden staff tightly, gray-white phase energy erupting from his body like smoke from a wolf's den—within the smoke, a giant ape silhouette flickered faintly, radiating overwhelming ferocity.

Though Sun Sun Dasheng had no regard for Li Luo's appearance, once battle commenced, he had no intention of holding back.

"Phase Stage Third Transformation… Upper Eighth-Rank Stone Ape Phase."

Feeling Sun Sun Dasheng's violent phase energy, Li Luo's eyes darkened with solemnity. He couldn't underestimate the geniuses from other academies—Sun Sun Dasheng's pressure was indeed stronger than Lu Cang's from the Qualifying Tournament.

Good. This was exactly his goal.

He needed to test the true strength of these so-called three championship contenders.

After all, Jiang Jiang Qinge had given him a mission, and the biggest obstacle would likely be Jing Jing Taixu—this man's past actions had angered him, so if they met, it would inevitably be a full-out battle.

Before then, if he could spar slightly with Sun Sun Dasheng, he might infer Jing Jing Taixu's true strength.

Li Luo gripped the Jin Yu Zhu Xuan Xiang Blade tightly. Sun Sun Dasheng's Phase Stage Third Transformation was indeed one level higher than his, but that didn't mean his phase energy surpassed Li Luo's—after all, Li Luo possessed dual phases, one primary and one auxiliary. The phase enhancement from his phase palace's transformation stacked together was enough to compensate for the one-level gap in phase energy.

His expression remained calm; within him, the two phase palaces trembled, and two vast streams of phase energy slowly flowed forth.

On the slope, Sacred Mountain Academy's members watched the violent phase energy surge again and couldn't help but shake their heads.

"Is that guy the overall captain of Star Sacred Academy? What a temper—he actually dares stand up to our boss," a Sacred Mountain Academy student sneered.

"Since our boss just beat their guy, he has to step in to save face—otherwise morale would collapse," another student analyzed.

"He's just had too few beatings. Doesn't he know if he gets beaten too, his face will be even worse?"

"Normal. Back in their own academies, they were all stars—how could they swallow this humiliation?"

"......"

The student called Captain Lu didn't join the others' chatter. His gaze remained fixed on Wang Wang Hejiu's side: "Stay ready. If after our boss defeats this guy, Star Sacred Academy's squad makes any move, strike immediately."

The others nodded in response, silently preparing themselves.

As they spoke, within the forest, the gray-white phase energy erupted violently—Sun Sun Dasheng let out a long roar and shot forward, swinging his golden staff, stirring up wind and clouds.

"Ape King's Three Strokes—Mountain-Bearing Strike!"

Sun Sun Dasheng struck without any hesitation.

He unleashed his full power immediately—Qin Qin Zhulu had been defeated by this very strike!

The golden staff howled, sonic booms piercing the air—each swing seemed to carry an entire mountain.

Farther away, Yi Yi Lisha, Wang Wang Hejiu, and the others' expressions shifted—Sun Sun Dasheng's opening strike revealed terrifying strength. No wonder Qin Qin Zhulu couldn't match him. Could Li Luo really withstand this brutal assault?

(One chapter today)