CHAPTER 171: CHAPTER 171: PROFESSION COUNTERMATCH, HONGYU INSTRUCTOR’S PLEA

Lu Yiyi couldn’t help but say to Lu Renjia, "Although I’ve seen Fang Zhou’s battle videos and know his combat prowess is amazing, I never imagined he could achieve such an outrageous record! I doubt that even if I challenge him, I could be certain of victory..."

Lu Yiyi didn’t finish her sentence, but Lu Renjia naturally understood her unspoken meaning. Given Fang Zhou’s monstrous combat prowess, she had no confidence in defeating him in a ring challenge, even though she was an Upper-tier Apprentice Archer. After all, she knew her own limits best.

If I were placed in Cave No. 1, I might be able to last three days, Lu Yiyi thought to herself. But accumulating as many Hunting Points as Fang Zhou is something I wouldn’t even dare to imagine.

Lu Renjia shook his head, his face filled with emotion. He sighed softly, "Compared to Fang Zhou, our year of Cultivation feels like it has gone completely to waste. That said, even you and I might not be able to defeat Fang Zhou now, let alone Meng Hongzhuang, Ye Fan, and the other first-year students. Even though they’re all elite Seeds, chosen from hundreds of candidates, they are still far too behind Fang Zhou!"

The discussion in the stands was fervent.

Meanwhile, on the main platform, a group of military academy instructors was also engaged in an animated discussion, speculating on this year’s Seed Student rankings.

As the special training instructor for Ye Fan’s "Demon Hunter" research project, Instructor Chen Qingshan had witnessed every step of Ye Fan’s growth and was naturally full of confidence in his combat ability. He looked at a female instructor in a Jade Magical Robe and smiled. "Instructor Zhang, I know you care deeply about the students in your Nature Series Professional Association. But I have to tell you, Ye Fan has been meticulously preparing for today’s ring challenge for a long time. He carefully analyzed Meng Hongzhuang’s fighting style and designed several combat strategies. I think Meng Hongzhuang will have to concede her No. 2 Seed position to Ye Fan this time."

The female instructor, surnamed Zhang, merely smiled. "Ye Fan may indeed have some talent," she said nonchalantly, "but in my opinion, his personality is far too arrogant. To put it bluntly, he’s a classic case of ’empty vessels make the most sound.’ How could he possibly compare to Hongzhuang? I know this for a fact. Hongzhuang’s true target has always been Fang Zhou. Ye Fan? He’s never even been on her radar!"

The two instructors bantered back and forth, sparking enthusiastic discussion among the other instructors. Besides Meng Hongzhuang and Ye Fan—ranked second and third on the Cave Hunting points leaderboard—other outstanding Seed Students like Gu Zhiqiu and Zhao Yuan were also part of their discussion.

After all, a ring challenge was different from Cave Hunting; it was the most direct reflection of one’s individual combat prowess. Furthermore, among the different Professions, certain subtle relationships and counters existed. Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will be victorious in every battle. If one could pick a suitable opponent whose fighting style and weaknesses were thoroughly understood, it wasn’t impossible for the weaker to defeat the stronger and successfully seize a higher rank.

Of course, all the instructors tacitly avoided discussing the fate of the No. 1 Seed. What a joke. There was nothing to discuss.

Fang Zhou’s strength and battle record were there for all to see. There was a categorical gap between him and the other first-year Seed Students. Such a massive gap could not be overcome by minor tactics like Professional counters or information gathering.

However, in a corner of the platform, one instructor was not participating in the discussion. Instructor Shen Hongyu, dressed in a fiery red Magic Robe, looked somewhat melancholy, her gaze drifting aimlessly over the Seed Students in the arena. The other instructors thoughtfully left her undisturbed.

Her adopted daughter, Shen Ziwei, had been overconfident during the Cave Hunting. Relying on the Marvel she had specially crafted for her, the Ring of Burning Fire, she had dared to venture deep into the Frozen Tundra with only the strength of a Lower-tier Apprentice. In the end, the unfortunate Shen Ziwei was ambushed and surrounded by Jackal Wolfman Knights. Although she escaped safely under the protection of a Black Iron-grade Shield Scroll, she paid a heavy price: her left arm was incinerated by a Jackal Wolfman Warlock.

Because of this, not only was Shen Ziwei eliminated from the military academy’s Seed Student selection, but her future Cultivation as a Warrior was also severely impacted. After being evacuated from the Cave, Shen Ziwei had been receiving treatment at the military academy’s medical center. Although her condition was stable, the bond between mother and daughter runs deep. The thought of her daughter having to rely on a mechanical prosthesis for Cultivation and daily life, just like herself, sent a sharp, twisting pain through Instructor Shen Hongyu’s heart.

Her only comfort was that Shen Ziwei’s current mindset was relatively positive. She had said that after Fang Zhou rescued her from the Jackal Wolfman encirclement, he had mentioned that he was researching the topics of skeletal enhancement and regeneration. Perhaps there was still hope for her left arm.

As a Silver-grade Flame Mage who was also highly skilled in Alchemy, Shen Hongyu’s breadth of experience and knowledge were naturally far superior to that of newly Awakened Apprentices like Fang Zhou and Shen Ziwei. Thus, deep down, just like Instructor Wang Tao, the Pegasus Knight who had handled the Cave rescue, she held a pessimistic view of Fang Zhou’s claims.

In her experience, even if Fang Zhou had truly and independently deduced the Undead Mage’s Skeleton Series Skill Tree, greatly enhancing the Profession’s combat power at the Apprentice Stage and marking him as an unprecedented prodigy in the history of Sea City Military Academy, the chances of success for his so-called research on skeletal enhancement and regeneration were still incredibly slim, given the precision and complexity of a Professional’s physical body.

Thinking of her daughter’s expectant eyes, Shen Hongyu sighed softly. Her gaze unconsciously swept across the ring again, searching for Fang Zhou. For her daughter’s sake, she had to ask him, no matter what. Even if it meant weaving another beautiful lie, she had to help Ziwei recover from the trauma of losing her left arm as soon as possible.

* * *

Under the crowd’s expectant and curious gazes, Fang Zhou, clad in an Apprentice Mage Robe, finally walked into the training ground.

So many people?

Fang Zhou casually glanced up at the surrounding stands, immediately sensing the tense and excited atmosphere in the air.

"Fang Zhou, please follow the walkway onto the ring."

A second-year student, responsible for maintaining order and guiding the Seed Students, spotted Fang Zhou. His eyes lit up and he immediately waved him over.

Following the guide, Fang Zhou stepped onto the ring, quickly drawing the attention of every spectator both inside and outside the venue. In the stands, the already lively atmosphere grew even more frenzied.

Fang Zhou himself might not have realized it, but in less than three months, he had already become a legend in the minds of many students. Perhaps he hadn’t reached the status of an idol yet, but his potential influence was already astonishing.