One Hundred Billion

On the arena stage.

The dark-red, materialized long spear remained steadily poised before Chen Feng's throat.

Its tip shimmered with killing intent.

A bone-piercing chill shot up Su Yu's spine.

Su Yu looked at this second-year grandmaster, utterly broken in spirit.

His tone was calm, without a trace of emotion.

"You lost."

"One hundred billion in cash."

"Hand it over."

Those simple words, to Chen Feng's ears, sounded like the death knell itself.

One hundred billion?!

Where was he supposed to get one hundred billion?!

Although the Chen family was a first-rate clan in the capital with vast assets.

But those were fixed assets—mine veins, industries!

To have one hundred billion in liquid cash ready to go at a moment's notice—that was the domain of top-tier financial tycoons!

Chen Feng's face was ashen. His lips trembled violently.

"I... I don't have it..."

His voice was faint as a mosquito's buzz, laced with unconcealable terror and despair.

"I can't... scrape together that much cash right now..."

Su Yu's brows knitted slightly.

Don't have it?

Then why were you squawking so loudly just now?

The dark-red long spear in his hand nudged forward just a fraction.

In Su Yu's deep-set eyes, a flicker of coldness passed.

Just then.

A figure in black appeared out of nowhere between the two.

The vice-principal.

Battle Sovereign—Nie Changkong.

He extended two fingers and, with what seemed like casual ease, clamped down on Su Yu's materialized dark-red spear.

Hum—

The spear shaft trembled faintly but could not advance another inch.

Su Yu's gaze sharpened, and he smoothly dispersed the spear intent in his hand.

Nie Changkong turned his head, looking down at the thoroughly broken Chen Feng sprawled on the ground.

In his eyes was an authority that brooked no argument.

"The rules of the Capital Martial Academy: In martial arts, fights must be settled."

"You step onto the arena, you set the stakes."

"If you lose, you accept it!"

Nie Changkong's voice carried across the entire Weiming Lake.

"Three days."

"Scrounge up one hundred billion, and hand it over to Su Yu!"

"The rules are the rules!"

Boom!

Those words struck Chen Feng's crown like a heavenly thunderbolt from the nine heavens.

The vice-principal himself had come down to make a ruling!

This was no longer a squabble between students.

This was the top brass of the Imperial Capital Martial Academy backing their exceptional freshman.

If he couldn't produce the one hundred billion within three days—

No need for Su Yu to lift a finger; the academy's own enforcement team would personally pay a visit to the Chen household.

Chen Feng was completely shattered.

His dao heart, his pride—crushed to powder in that moment.

"Ah——!!!"

A wretched, despairing roar tore from Chen Feng.

He scrambled up from the ground, nearly tripping over himself as he lunged off the arena.

Like a stray dog, shoving through the crowd, he ran away as if possessed.

Total silence across the venue.

The two to three thousand elite students gathered by the lake followed Chen Feng's pitiful retreating figure with their eyes, then stiffly, slowly, turned their gazes back to the center of the stage.

No one dared to speak above a whisper.

Only wave after wave of hair-raising intakes of breath rippled through the crowd.

"Materialization... He used materialized spear intent!!"

"Turning the formless into the real, conjuring it from thin air! That's a supreme realm that even War Lords, even Battle Sovereigns, rarely comprehend! And he's only eighteen!"

"Not just eighteen..."

The one beside him swallowed a mouthful of bloody saliva. "Within a single day... he jumped straight past Subtle Entry and the Formless Realm, and just bulldozed his way into Materialization?!"

"Is this guy even human?!"

Everyone's minds were buzzing chaos.

One thousand qi-blood! No weapon in hand!

Armed only with a dark-red, materialized long spear conjured from nothing—one move, and he kills a second-year grandmaster with three thousand qi-blood, wearing royal-grade armor!

In this moment, every challenge, every grievance, every spark of jealousy toward Su Yu's status as "special freshman"—all of it was crushed into dust.

What second-year seniors?

What scions of first-rate families?

Before this youth, they were all mere dirt and dogs!

Back on the arena.

Nie Changkong turned around, setting his gaze once more on Su Yu.

This time, the approval and fervor in this Battle Sovereign's eyes could no longer be contained!

He looked Su Yu up and down.

As if beholding a peerless treasure beyond price.

One day.

In just one single day!

From the first glimmer of spear intent, straight past Subtle Entry and Formless, to the Materialization Realm!

This was no simple genius.

This was a true, peerless prodigy!

A monster capable of dominating an entire era!

Also—in the instant Su Yu struck earlier, Nie Changkong had caught a subtle detail.

Su Yu's qi-blood was too pure.

So pure it carried no elemental lean whatsoever!

He had never cultivated any inner arts!

"You..."

Nie Changkong stared at Su Yu, disbelief lingering in his voice.

"You still haven't cultivated a single ranked inner-art manual to this day?"

Su Yu answered truthfully.

"No, I haven't."

He genuinely had not.

Back in Jiangcheng, he simply couldn't afford one.

Later, he'd gotten the System, and he'd just spent money to raise his realms directly—his qi-blood had been brute-force consolidated.

Nie Changkong sucked in a sharp breath.

Without inner arts, the quality and circulation speed of qi-blood were far lower than those of a martial artist at the same rank.

Yet Su Yu—with that raw, rough primal qi-blood—

plus Materialization-level spear intent—

had one-shotted Chen Feng, who trained a heaven-class martial technique and boasted three thousand qi-blood!

Such physical foundation and battle instincts!

It was absolutely stunning!

"Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!"

Nie Changkong rattled off three straight praises.

He clapped Su Yu on the shoulder, his smile positively radiant.

"Good that you haven't cultivated inner arts!"

"It means your foundation is like a sheet of pure white, unblemished paper!"

"Perfectly moldable!"

Nie Changkong turned and waved at Chu Kuang and the others below the stage.

"Come on."

He looked back at Su Yu, his tone gentle.

"Follow me to process your special freshman paperwork."

"While we're at it, I'll unlock your access to high-reward bounty missions."

"You're short on cash, aren't you?"

"The bounty board at this academy has plenty of opportunities for you to make serious money."

At the word "money,"

a glint of light flashed in Su Yu's deep eyes.

He nodded.

"Sure."

The two walked off the stage.

The crowd parted, carving out a wide path on its own.

Every gaze was filled with boundless awe and reverence.

Standing by the path was Lin Xiaoxiao.

In her hand, she held the heavy Yuan Dragon Spear.

Seeing Su Yu approach, a bright smile bloomed across her fair, lovely face.

"Here."

Lin Xiaoxiao handed the spear to Su Yu.

"Your spear."

Su Yu accepted the weapon, feeling the familiar chill of the metal.

"Thanks."

"What's there to thank?"

Lin Xiaoxiao waved a hand carelessly, her ponytail swaying behind her head.

"You made quite the splash today."

"From now on, I bet no one at this academy dares to poke trouble your way."

She glanced at Nie Changkong walking ahead, then lowered her voice.

"Go handle your paperwork with the vice-principal first."

"I'll go check in at the Fist Department."

"Director Liu Ruyan has already sent me several messages to hurry me up."

Su Yu gave a slight nod.

"Alright."

"See you later."

Lin Xiaoxiao waved, turned, and headed toward the Fist Department area.

Her steps were light, her mood unmistakably pleased.

Watching the retreating silhouettes of Su Yu and Nie Changkong,

up on the high platform—

Chu Kuang, the director of the Gun Department, still stood stiffly in place.