Divine Emperor of Heavenly Destiny

At the finish line of the first round...

The area fell silent with the appearance of Zeng Quan and the other high-ranking members of Beast Flame.

Finally, Zeng Quan announced grimly, ”For the second round, you will draw lots for one-on-one duels to determine thirty winning academies. The victors will advance, while the losers will be eliminated.”

The sixty academies that had passed the round merely clenched their fists. But beyond the finish line, the nineteen eliminated University Institutes stared with chilling intent, waiting for Zeng Quan to give them a satisfactory explanation.

The next moment, Zeng Quan spoke again...

”To become a Beast Flame Outer Courtyard, it’s not enough for your students to be strong. You must also compete on your academy’s own appeal.”

”Therefore, one more rule will be added to the duels in the second round.”

Everyone’s heart began to race, a suffocating tension filling the air. ’What could this rule be?’

”The rule is as follows: any academy may attempt to recruit students from those who have already been eliminated.”

Zeng Quan continued to explain, ”In other words, you can leverage your academy’s appeal to recruit students from the institutions eliminated in the first round... There is no limit to the number of students you can recruit. The more you recruit, the higher your chances of winning the duels in the second round.”

The entire area was quiet for a split second, and then... PANDEMONIUM!

Waves of clamor erupted one after another!

Many of those who had passed looked beyond the finish line toward the students of the nineteen University Institutes. So, they could recruit these eliminated students to compete in the second round.

What’s more, there was no limit to the number of recruits.

This meant that if a single academy managed to recruit all the eliminated students, they would have over a thousand people.

At that point, would they even need to fight the second round? They could just declare victory outright.

At the same time...

Over at Dragon Flame Academy, Sun Shijin’s face turned ashen, Yu Fei trembled violently, and Dean Jiang’s teeth chattered uncontrollably.

The Jiang Family Siblings and the other senior Dragon Flame students turned deathly pale...

Jiang Yi couldn’t stop himself from growling like a beast, ”Bastards! This is... this is a blatant move against us!”

In that instant, everyone from Dragon Flame Academy understood.

This was a new rule aimed directly and entirely at Dragon Flame Academy...

When the time came for the drawing, whoever Dragon Flame Academy was matched against would immediately be joined by the students from the nineteen University Institutes.

’Using your academy’s appeal to recruit’? What a load of sanctimonious crap. It was just an excuse.

Just then, amidst the uproar, the other academies, large and small, all began to grasp the situation. One by one, they turned sharply to stare at Dragon Flame Academy.

The gazes from Sky Cliff Academy and the four other mid-tier academies immediately became incredibly complex...

The students from Zhongyue Academy and the others who had discarded their Weapons and Elixir Pills let strange, cold smirks form on their lips.

Behind the finish line, everyone from the nineteen University Institutes, from their leaders to their students, revealed sinister, terrifying expressions. They began cracking their knuckles, looking as though they were ready to start a war at any moment.

Behind Zeng Quan, Li Wumian, Zheng Liyuan, and the others wore wide, triumphant smirks.

”Now, let the drawing begin,” Zeng Quan’s voice once again boomed across the entire area.

THUD—

Suddenly, Marquis Longyin took a heavy step forward. ”Head Dean, since the point is to showcase each academy’s appeal, wouldn’t it be fairer to hold the drawing *after* the sixty qualified academies have finished their recruitment?”

”Recruiting after the drawing, after all, could easily incite personal feuds and cause problems.”

A cold glint flickered in Marquis Longyin’s eyes. All traces of his earlier drunkenness had vanished, replaced by a gaze simmering with rage.

Hearing this, the crowd immediately looked at Marquis Longyin, then turned to Zeng Quan...

If they drew lots first...

...Dragon Flame Academy’s opponent for the second round would be known immediately. The nineteen University Institutes wouldn’t even need to think twice; they would swarm to join that opponent.

But if they recruited first, it would be a different story.

No one would know Dragon Flame Academy’s opponent, so the students from the nineteen University Institutes would have to be distributed among the other fifty-nine qualified academies.

The reinforcements their opponent received would be reduced from over a thousand students to just one fifty-ninth of that number.

With Lu Chao’s ability to fight single-handedly, it would basically be a guaranteed victory.

In response, Zeng Quan shifted his gaze to Marquis Longyin.

He replied, his face devoid of expression, ”Marquis Longyin, you are mistaken. Drawing lots first is not unfair. You have to consider... if an academy has provoked so many personal grudges, then the problem must lie with them.”

”A competition of appeal...”

”If a certain academy’s appeal is in the negatives, then they should ask themselves why they are so disliked.”

”One can only say their morals are lacking, their character is trash... They are unworthy of joining Beast Flame.”

Having said his piece, Zeng Quan ignored Marquis Longyin and announced the commencement of the drawing.

But Marquis Longyin couldn’t resist asking one more time, ”Is it possible it’s not a lack of appeal, but that they are so talented it invites jealousy?”

Unfortunately, no one paid any mind to Marquis Longyin’s attempt to argue...

Instead, Li Wumian swaggered forward holding several dozen lots. He shouted, ”The leading disciple from each academy, come forward and draw!”

The qualified academies looked away one by one, as their leading disciples walked out and approached Li Wumian.

Over with Dragon Flame Academy...

Jiang Yu asked in a trembling voice, ”Senior Brother Lu Chao, even Marquis Longyin couldn’t help. What are we going to do?”

It was true that Lu Chao had previously fought a thousand people alone, but that had been on a narrow mountain path.

And when he blocked the path later, the scene was chaotic. Many students from the nineteen University Institutes had been injured and thrown into disarray by the charge from Sky Cliff Academy and the others.

The battlefield for the second round wouldn’t be on a mountain path...

On open ground, how could the ten of them possibly defeat over a thousand opponents?

Lu Chao suddenly licked his lips. No one noticed the excitement and bloodlust glinting in his eyes.

He began to walk step by step toward Li Wumian, leaving them with a single sentence: ”When the time comes, just worry about protecting yourselves.”

Jiang Yi and the others were stunned. ’Senior Brother Lu Chao isn’t bothered by this at all?’

But Luo Wendeng watched Lu Chao’s retreating back and couldn’t help but smile. Luo Wendun, Tan An, Yu Xiaoping, and Fan Jinxiang all smiled as well.

Their smiles were unsettling, and a surging will to fight welled up inside each of them.

Dean Jiang stared blankly at the five of them. ”What are you all smiling about?”

Lifting his head, Tan An chuckled. ”Brother Lu was actually going easy on them during the first round. If Zeng Quan is going to be this blatant about targeting us in the second round, then we don’t need to show them any mercy.”

Luo Wendeng added nonchalantly, ”During the first round, Brother Lu didn’t know if there was anyone in Beast Flame who would stand up for justice, so he held back his strength and focused on leading the small institutes.”

Following that, Yu Xiaoping chimed in, her voice crisp and clear, ”And now we’ve all reached the Innate Realm. This is so exciting!”

Dean Jiang and the others stared, their mouths agape. ’What in the world are they talking about?’ they wondered.

To that, Luo Wendun added...

”The University Institutes? They’re just a disorganized mob. Not a single one of them is in the Transformation Realm. They may carry the title of so-called geniuses, but compared to the armies we faced during the war in the Chaotic Hundred Countries, they’re nothing.”

During the war in the Chaotic Hundred Countries, as elites among the Descendants of Azure Flame, it was common for them to charge deep into enemy armies.

The students from the nineteen University Institutes are only higher in cultivation realm than the soldiers from back then...

But in terms of organization, they are far, far inferior. Why would they fear such a rabble? Just as Yu Xiaoping said, compared to the war in the Chaotic Hundred Countries, they now have their Heavenly Bone and have reached the Innate Realm.

If they weren’t afraid, then Lu Chao, of course, was even more fearless...