Those words sent Zheng Zhuhe and Wu Yiyi storming into the martial arts arena.

The sight that met them was Lu Chao, spear in hand, standing before the students of Liyan Academy. He was facing seven elderly experts of the Innate Ninth Layer.

One of Zheng Zhuhe’s subordinates quickly explained what had just happened...

After hearing the explanation, Zheng Zhuhe declared, "Excellent. Today will be the day the Fake Lu Chao dies."

A flicker of regret showed in Wu Yiyi’s eyes. She had wanted to conquer the Fake Lu Chao herself. Ultimately, her gaze shifted to the people from Dragon Flame Academy in the stands, landing on Cheng Yunsu and Wu Caicai.

"If the Fake Lu Chao dies, I’ll have you both sent to a brothel," Wu Yiyi said, her voice filled with venom.

In the martial arts arena...

Lu Chao spoke to the Liyan Academy students behind him. "Fall back for now. Just form a defensive line."

The Liyan students gave a bitter laugh and slowly retreated.

’It seems this third trial has nothing to do with us anymore. All that’s left is to pray for the Fake Lu Chao to win. Or, if he loses, to pray that the seven ’fake students’ on the other side don’t decide to slaughter us.’

’From start to finish, no one has even asked our opinion.’

’Zeng Quan and the Beast Flame higher-ups didn’t ask...’

’The Fake Lu Chao asked if we would accept him into Liyan Academy, but it’s not like it was ever our place to decide.’

As the Liyan students formed their ranks and retreated, a voice rang out from the opposing side.

"Fake Lu Chao, I hear you’re quite the fighter—that challenging those in higher realms is as easy as drinking water for you. Let your big sister here be the first to test just how capable you really are."

The speaker was the woman from the Fox Institute, the one with crow’s feet around her eyes. Her voice was deceptively sweet.

But in the next instant, her killing intent erupted.

The woman from the Fox Institute seemed to transform into a ferocious wild fox, lunging to tear Lu Chao apart. The aura of her Heavenly Destiny Bone flared as her hands turned into streaks of sharp light. In a flash, a claw strike materialized before him.

The claw aimed straight for Lu Chao’s heart.

Her very first move was a terrifying killing blow, intended to end Lu Chao’s life instantly. Her movements were nothing like those of an inexperienced student.

But...

...Lu Chao’s life was not so easily taken. The instant the woman’s claw neared his chest, a hand shot out and caught her wrist.

The two currents of True Qi collided in an instant.

The woman from the Fox Institute snapped her head up and let out a strange cackle. "Impressive reflexes! But your realm is weaker than mine. Now, explode!"

WENG—

With a great hum, the woman tried to make her True Qi detonate out of Lu Chao’s grasp.

Her eyes were filled with confidence. She was at the Innate Ninth Layer, while Lu Chao was merely... at the Innate Sixth Layer!

Unfortunately for her, she soon discovered she couldn’t make it detonate. Lu Chao’s grip was like a steel vise. The power he was emitting... his True Qi felt nothing like that of the Innate Sixth Layer. It was boundless.

It carried the explosive might of a Dragon General and the searing heat of the Divine Bird Fire Sparrow.

Before the woman could react, Lu Chao suddenly brought his spear down on her shoulder while forcefully twisting with his other hand.

RIP!

Lu Chao ripped the woman’s clawed arm clean off.

Blood sprayed through the air.

"AHHH!"

Her shriek tore through the sky...

But Lu Chao gave her no time to scream. The spear on her shoulder trembled, and the resulting shockwave struck her head. With a sickening POP, it exploded on the spot.

The scream cut off instantly. The woman from the Fox Institute was dead.

The once-raucous cheering from the crowd fell completely silent. Everyone stared, wide-eyed, at Lu Chao—and at the corpse of the woman from the Fox Institute, now headless and missing an arm.

"No... impossible."

Many people muttered in a daze. ’One down already? That was way too fast!’

Lu Chao, however, simply narrowed his eyes and said softly, "One down. Six to go."

With that, he looked up at his six remaining opponents. Dragging his blood-drenched spear, he started walking toward the so-called students.

The entire crowd’s attention shifted to the other six.

The casual ease on their faces was gone, replaced by thick, heavy gravity.

Suddenly, the ’student’ from the Celestial King Institute roared, "The Fake Lu Chao’s combat power is terrifying! Coordinate your attacks! Let’s go together!"

As soon as he spoke, the fake student from the Celestial King Institute drew his Sword and charged straight ahead.

The other five flashed into motion. WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

One leaped high into the air. Two others flanked Lu Chao, attacking from his left and right. Another burrowed straight into the ground, and the last one vanished without a trace.

In an instant, Lu Chao was surrounded. Killing intent pressed in from above, below, front, back, left, and right—all six directions.

The crowd froze once more. The hearts of Sun Shijin, Dean Jiang, and the others leaped into their throats. They couldn’t help but cry out, "Lu Chao, be careful!" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Lu Chao acted as if he hadn’t heard them. He had stopped moving, but then... BANG!

He stomped hard, shooting toward the fake student from the Celestial King Institute. His spear, now wreathed in the flames of the Fire Sparrow, slammed into his opponent’s Sword with a deafening CLANG.

But the spear’s fiery light pierced right through the point of impact. The Sword went flying, but the spear never stopped!

THWUMP! The spear ran the Celestial King ’student’ straight through the heart. As the man’s eyes widened in disbelief, Lu Chao flicked his spear upward, sending an arc of flame into the sky like the frenzied dance of a Fire Sparrow.

CLANG—

A second clash of metal on metal. The instant Lu Chao swung his spear upward, the attacker from above appeared.

The sound was the collision of his spear against their weapon, of his True Qi against theirs.

The man above felt his vision go dark—blocked by the corpse of the fake Celestial King student—and then a sharp pain pierced his chest.

Lu Chao’s spear had run him through as well.

From the stands, the crowd saw...

...in the blink of an eye, two corpses now hung from Lu Chao’s spear. His voice rang out again. "Second, and third..."

As he spoke, Lu Chao leaped into the air, then angled his spear down, flinging the two corpses to the ground.

THUMP! THUMP!

Two sharp glints of light appeared right where Lu Chao had just been. It was the two ’students’ who had attacked from the flanks. The moment their attack landed, they froze in shock.

They had stabbed the two corpses Lu Chao had just thrown down.

Before they could react, Lu Chao’s voice rained down from above. "Fourth, and fifth!"

Lu Chao landed, stomping on the two corpses. He then reached out and grabbed the two stunned assassins by the neck.

CRACK! He snapped their necks.

As it was done, his voice rang out once more. "Sixth!"

He took two steps back. Just then, a figure burst from the ground in an assassination attempt.

However, a spear plunged down from the sky.

The tip slammed precisely into the man’s skull, and the shaft continued downward, impaling his entire body.

Before the crowd in the stands could get a clear look...

...a bone-chilling voice echoed from behind Lu Chao. "Fake Lu Chao, go to hell!"