Chapter 377: Circling Wolves (2/2)

He nodded. Although Shangwu Academy could not be compared to the Astral Combat Academy, it was actually very normal for such an institute to have a few powerhouses. Meng Yue, Zhao Yilong, Schutz were all among the weaker students of Astral-10, followed by Hui Daynight, Michelle, and the others. Although Northgate Lie had beaten Meng Yue, he was not even close to being Michelle’s match and was about the same strength as Hui Daynight.

To be able to rival a Daynight clan expert was pretty decent.

The most hilarious battle was Coco’s. She ran about frantically with her giant syringe, as if she was going to jab whomever she caught. The giant syringe indeed looked terrifying, and Lu Yin, even now, did not dare to suffer its jabit. It looked very painful.

However, she had still been defeated since her weakness was very obvious. She was vulnerable to ranged attacks and had not been able to hold out despite her syringe’s impressive defense, since it could not last for too long.

After Coco’s defeat, Xia Luo was up next. Lu Yin knew this could not be considered a battle to Xia Luo. After all, the man was nearly invincible within Astral-10: second to only Lu Yin and about on par with Silver. If the two of them battled, the outcome would not be easily determined, but either of them were able to crush almost everyone else. The Astral Combat Tournament’s results had answered many people’s questions about the two’s strength. They were strong enough to battle against other student leaders.

Lu Yin had never been able to get a clear read of Xia Luo’s power, but his progress was unbelievable, just like Silver’s.

“He should be one of the top students of Astral-10, right? Once he acts, even the strongest fighters in Shangwu Academy will be defeated without any suspense.” Lily Anne’s eyes lit up as she watched Xia Luo’s battle.

Lu Yin nodded. “He’s second only to me.”

Lily Anne was shocked. “Of course. It’s no wonder why even Northgate Gang wasn’t able to force him to reveal his true strength with his current power.”

Lu Yin rolled his eyes. Even he could not see through Xia Luo’s true potential, so forget someone like Northgate Gang. Xia Luo had never seriously fought against Lu Yin before, and Lu Yin finally realized that their previous battles which he had considered serious had all been nothing more than jokes to Xia Luo.

The wave of challenges that Astral-10 faced from Shangwu Academy was just a small distraction. Arrangements had already been made for Lu Yin to stay in the grandest hotel near the Northgate Platform. Lily Anne tried to invite Lu Yin to stay at her house, but she was tactfully declined.

When he saw the Northgate Platform, Lu Yin was shocked. The square stone platform was incomparably large and floating freely in the air. The vast universe indeed held many mysteries.

Lily Anne did not bother Lu Yin much longer, and she soon left after making some arrangements.

Lu Yin stood inside his hotel room, looking outside where there were many students exuding a youthful energy. For them, the Northgate Platform Competition was a lively event, but that was mostly because they did not know that the gathering was actually a tragedy for the Northline Flowzone. A tragedy to intimidate external enemies, and a tragedy where they had to reveal their strength.

Lu Yin contacted Old Cai, but he did not hurry back to Astral-10. Since he was already at Northgate Platform, he naturally wanted to better understand the people of this academy. After all, it was under his direct supervision since the Ten Arbiters Council had appointed him as overseer for the Northline Flowzone when he had become a member of the Council of Astral Academy.

Lu Yin rested for a day.

His accommodation had its own courtyard, and outside of that was the hotel lobby.

Lu Yin casually ordered a few dishes while he sat in the lobby, observing the area. Since it was mealtime, more students started appearing.

“Why do you think the Astral Combat Academy students are so strong? Our Shangwu Academy has gathered all the top geniuses of the Northline Flowzone, but we’ve racked up more losses than wins.”

Not far away from Lu Yin, there were a few students stuck in a bad mood who were loudly discussing the recent fights. Lu Yin ignored them and kept to himself as he ate.

“Alright, stop getting a big head. What ‘more losses than wins?’ Almost no one from our academy won besides the top students like Northgate Gang.”

“Not necessarily. That girl can be beaten.”

“Aren’t you ashamed that you’re even considering fighting a girl?” a female student berated.

“Alright, don’t blame him. It’s really not good to provoke the Astral Combat Academy students. Don’t you remember how the eldest daughter of the Lily family, Lily Anne, even rebelled against her family and insisted on attending the Astral Combat Academy? And Northgate Lie tried his best to enter the Astral Combat Academy, but ended up staying here after the Shangwu Academy Headmaster promised to groom him with more generous resources.”

“The difference between the academies is too great. The lowest mentors in that academy are Hunters while those at our Shangwu Academy are mostly Cruisers. Hell, some aren’t even Cruisers!”

“You can’t say that either. A good deal of the Top Hundred Rankings didn’t attend the Astral Combat Academy. One’s strength still largely depends on their personal aptitude.”

…

Shangwu Academy’s wave of challenges had triggered these students’ competitive spirit, but a sobering wave of reality had crashed down upon them soon after.

Lu Yin smiled when he heard that Astral-10 was no pushover. Although the crazy headmaster had caused Astral-10 to decline, the current batch of students were different. Old Cai and the other mentors had made up their minds to individually instruct the students personally, which allowed Meng Yue and the others to undergo vast improvements. By now, they were able to match up to the average students from the other branches of Astral Combat Academy. Darkvoid, Michelle, and many others had even surpassed the average students and were closing in on the level of an Area Master. Also, there was Lu Yin himself.

“Seventh Bro, isn’t hearing the helplessness of others behind their backs very satisfying?” the Ghost Monkey asked with a laugh.

Lu Yin drank a mouthful of his wine. “It’s pretty good.”