CHAPTER 110: CONTEMPT

Chapter 110: Contempt

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The sequence of events after the starting signal was too fast and too sudden, and the result left both him and the few spectators nearby in silence.

As soon as the battle begins Zhu Rong’s opponent wasted no time, darting straight at him at full speed, intent on defeating him before he could even make a move.

Though it might have looked reckless, in her eyes Zhu Rong was nowhere near her level.

Zhu Rong was very popular in the academy, though unfortunately not for good reasons, and that popularity had flared up again after the results of the end of semester exam had been revealed.

His high position with a perfect score, and the fact that his name had entered the hall of fame of prodigious students, has angered many, who loudly complained and demanded it to be reviewed.

After all, he was infamous as his family’s talentless failure.

For such a person, obtaining a perfect score, let alone being ranked in the hall of fame, a place where only a handful of truly exceptional students had made it over the years, was impossible.

It was obvious that it was an extremely important and difficult ranking to enter, and yet he had done it.

Knowing his past, no one was convinced.

Still, no matter how dissatisfied they were, no one dared go too far, because everyone knew the academy’s results were extremely accurate.

Stirring up trouble only to discover the result were correct would bring nothing but trouble to them.

So, after the instructors clarified the matter, no one dared to voice their complaints openly.

That, however, didn’t erase the discontent, and his reputation, already bad, became even worse after this incident.

This girl was in the same year as him, though a different class, and she had heard of his reputation.

She didn’t believe for a second he could be her equal.

After all, she was a second stage cultivator, and for someone who had taken more than a year just to step into the first stage, there was no way he could stand against her.

She had been excited when the initial draw put her up against him, because to her this was basically am easy victory.

That was why she didn’t hesitate, charging straight at him without worry, ready to knock him down with a strong blow.

Unfortunately for her, things did not go that way. In fact, the exact opposite happened.

The instant her fast punch reached him, it was stopped cold by his open palm.

The shock stunned her, and she was about to try and break free, but she didn’t even get the chance, as in the very next moment something flashed through the air, and pain exploded in her cheek.

Before she realized what had happened, she was already sent flying, crashing down and sliding across the arena floor.

The strike had come suddenly and with enough force that she immediately lost consciousness, now lying sprawled at the center of the arena, her right cheek burning with the imprint of a hand.

Three seconds.

That was the time it took from the start of the match until it ended.

Everyone stared at the poor girl, out cold on the ground, her cheek swelling, then turned their eyes toward the culprit, who at this moment seemed to be calmly looking at the referee, waiting for him to act.

"Despicable."

A whisper echoed among the group of girls assigned to this arena, quickly followed by other mutters.

Some didn’t even understand what had just happened, everything ending so fast. Others, who had witnessed the whole thing from the start, wondered if their eyes had deceived them.

Soon the murmurs grew, and many girls glared at Zhu Rong with fierce expressions, shouting things like "beast," "disgraceful," "shameless," or "how could he hit a woman like that?"

Seeing the uproar building, the referee, who had also been stunned by the events, finally snapped out of it and spoke.

"Silence."

He too thought Zhu Rong had been a bit too harsh with the girl, but this was a battle, and there had been no violations of any kind.

He could only shake his head and announce the result.

"The winner of the first match of Arena No. 8 is Zhu Rong." As he announced it, others nearby also noticed what had happened, unable to stop themselves from wondering what happened.

After all, the fight had lasted less than a minute, and yet there was already a winner.

Speculation spread while the examiner, ignoring the dissatisfaction in the crowd, turned toward the boy still standing in the arena and asked:

"Student Zhu Rong, you may retire to recover your strength, or you can remain and face your next opponent."

Honestly, he didn’t think Zhu Rong needed to rest, he hadn’t even moved from his spot and the fight had ended instantly.

But rules are rules, so he had to ask it.

Zhu Rong, hearing this, wasted no time and replied with the same expression as before:

"There’s no need. I can continue."

The moment those words rang out, many faces lit up, and soon more and more students began stepping forward, shouting:

"Student Zhu Rong, I, Hu Dun, want to fight you!" a boy called out, followed by many others voicing their intent to battle him.

As the victor, Zhu Rong had the right to choose whether to rest or stay and continue. Choosing the latter, he now also had the right to choose his next opponent.

He saw that many wanted to be the next, but he had no idea who to fight, so he simply left it to the referee to pick at random.

The referee: "..."

’Kid, can’t you at least pretend to be a little interested in the competition?’

It was the first time he had seen someone so carefree. Instead of deciding carefully on his next opponent to avoid someone too strong, this boy just tossed the choice onto him.

Of course, it also depended on whether the chosen student would accept, but judging by the malicious smiles on many faces, it seemed unlikely anyone would back down.

Clearly, Zhu Rong’s attitude had provoked many.

Even Liang Yuexin, who had been watching carefully from the start, was at a loss for words.

She had been waiting to see his abilities in action, and yet all she had seen was him casually slapping the girl unconscious in one move.

She was stunned for a moment, wondering if it had just been a fluke.

Being strong was one thing, but being strong enough to defeat an opponent with a single strike was something else.

She didnt know what to think about it, but there was little she could do about it.

That said, she was a little perplexed by his ruthlessness.

Out of all the places he could have struck, he had chosen that girls face.

Everyone knew how much girls valued their appearance, and most would avoid risking permanent damage if they could. Yet here he was, not caring at all, not even hesitating before landing the blow.

Many cursed him inwardly, and others concluded this guy would surely die alone and a virgin.

’Fine. Since you’re leaving it up to me, don’t cry later.’

The referee, also a little irritated at the boy’s attitude, decided to make him regret his choice.

He scanned the crowd, eyes moving across the gathered students, before finally stopping on one person.

"You, would you like to be the next to face him?" he asked, pointing toward a certain direction at the center of the group.

Quickly, the students made way, revealing the one who had been chosen.

He was a burly boy with short hair and thick arm muscles visible beneath his short sleeved robe.

His eyes had been closed, as though in meditation, but hearing the referee’s words, he opened them and looked toward his opponent.

A trace of contempt flickered in his gaze as he nodded and stepped forward onto the stage.

Seeing who had been called, many gasped, whispering once again.

"Hey, isn’t that Shan Ding?" one student asked his friend, who had also recognized him.

"Sht, it really is him! But wait, didn’t he go into seclusion earlier this month? When did he come out?"

"I don’t know. I hadn’t even noticed him until now. But look, don’t you feel something different about his aura?"

"You’re right... he’s stronger. Could it be he advanced in his cultivation? Damn, he was only early second stage a month ago. Did he really reach mid stage so soon?"

Many whispered, clearly recognizing the newcomer. But none of it seemed to bother Shan Ding. Ignoring the noise, he walked up onto the stage, casting a glance at Zhu Rong, who looked back at him with a bored expression.

"You had the chance to choose a proper opponent, but instead you let the examiner pick for you. Now do you’ll regret it?" Shan Ding asked, clearly having overheard the exchange earlier.

Though he had been surprised at first, he chalked it up to luck. In his eyes, both Zhu Rong and the girl were weak, so it didn’t matter much who won or lost.

Still, it annoyed him that someone weaker than him had dared act so arrogant, even passing the choice of opponent to the examiner instead of calling him out directly.

He was sure the Zhu Rong was now regretting that decision. Unfortunately for him, that wasn’t the case.

"Hm? Regret? Why would I regret it?"