The crowd’s mockery made Liu Hui both furious and confused.

’What’s this about beating Qin Daye?’

’What about getting there first?’

’And who is this Fairy Liu?’

’Did we miss something important?’

But none of that mattered anymore, because Jin Sanpang, unable to bear the insults, had already lashed out in anger.

"San Pang, hold back! Don’t kill anyone!" Liu Hui quickly shouted a reminder.

Jin Sanpang was at the Early-stage Vajra Realm, while most of the people present were in the Purity Realm.

If Jin Sanpang went berserk and attacked indiscriminately, it was estimated that out of the thousand or so disciples, no more than a hundred would survive.

Going on a killing spree in the Imperial Academy was obviously unwise.

It wasn’t that there was no one among the youths under twenty-six who could contend with Jin Sanpang. Rather, this was just the beginning. The truly powerful and intelligent ones wouldn’t show up right at the start; they would surely choose to observe for a while first.

After all, know your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without defeat.

Hearing Liu Hui’s reminder, Jin Sanpang reined in some of the force behind his attack.

Even so, wielding his two giant hammers, he was like a tiger let loose among sheep. He swept through them like an autumn wind scattering fallen leaves, and in a matter of minutes, the only ones left standing were Liu Hui and himself.

"SCRAM!"

His eyes bloodshot from the fight, Jin Sanpang let out a furious roar. A tyrannical power erupted from his body, and a fierce gale swept through. Everyone—except for the one man who had called Jin Sanpang a pig—was sent flying out onto the main path beyond the Cultivation Room.

The many youths who arrived later saw this scene and halted in their tracks, not daring to step inside.

"San Pang is not a pig!"

Jin Sanpang stared at the person before him, enunciating each word.

The man was already scared witless by Jin Sanpang’s domineering display.

’One man, two hammers, and he flattened a thousand people in a matter of minutes. What kind of power is that?’

’Gods, I actually called him a pig just now!’

’Is he going to kill me?’

"Yes, yes, yes! Of course you’re not a pig, sir. I’m the pig." The man hung his head, drenched in a cold sweat, not daring to look at Jin Sanpang.

Jin Sanpang himself didn’t know why he had singled this person out. He just felt an unease in his heart, a need to do *something*.

Now that the man had submitted, however, he didn’t know what to do.

Liu Hui witnessed all this without interfering or saying a word.

He knew that Jin Quan’s departure had left Jin Sanpang with a lot of pent-up anger. If he didn’t vent it, it would eventually cause a huge problem.

He wouldn’t remind Jin Sanpang what to do as he had before. This was for him to decide.

"You can scram too!"

After a long moment, Jin Sanpang swung a hammer into the man’s chest, sending him flying.

The blow gravely injured the man but wouldn’t take his life.

Seeing this, Liu Hui reverted from his transformation and patted Jin Sanpang’s shoulder. "Feeling a little better?"

Jin Sanpang forced a smile and rubbed his large, bald head. "San Pang is okay now."

THUD, THUD, THUD!

Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder and louder.

Liu Hui was puzzled. ’Someone else dares to come in?’

He looked up and saw a somewhat familiar face.

A blurry memory was awakened, and a name he once hated to his very core surged into his mind.

"It’s you, Nangong Jie!"

The newcomer was none other than Nangong Jie, who had just returned to the Imperial Academy from the Nangong Family estate.

Nangong An had ordered him to kidnap Qin Daye as quickly as possible.

So, he had come here at the first opportunity, just in time to witness a scene that piqued his interest.

’Another Vajra Realm expert has already beaten me here.’

"Hm? You know me?"

Nangong Jie’s gaze had originally been fixed on Jin Sanpang. After all, from his perspective, an Early-stage Purity Realm cultivator like Liu Hui was utterly unworthy of being his rival. Only Jin Sanpang was qualified.

He never expected this person, whom he hadn’t even deigned to notice, to actually know him.

"I know you. Of course, I know you!" Liu Hui said through gritted teeth.

Eleven years ago, before he and his mother were driven out of the Imperial City, his mother had fallen gravely ill and was in desperate need of Spirit Medicine.

He would never forget how, in the shop selling Spirit Medicines, Nangong Jie had used his status to command the shopkeeper to refuse him any sale—not even the lowest-grade Spirit Grass.

Not only that, but he had also snatched the Spirit Stones Liu Hui was going to use to buy the medicine.

Because of this, his mother’s illness dragged on, growing ever more severe.

It could be said that Nangong Jie was largely responsible for his mother’s death!

Compared to Nangong An, Liu Hui actually hated Nangong Jie more.

Now, seeing his enemy face-to-face, he wished he could kill Nangong Jie on the spot with his own hands.

But he knew he was no match for Nangong Jie. It wasn’t that his talent was inferior, but that he was at a great disadvantage in age.

Nangong Jie was a full six years older than him.

"Oh? From the look of you, it seems you bear a deep-seated hatred for me," Nangong Jie said with a contemptuous smile. "But what a pity. You don’t even have the right to be remembered by me, because I can’t recall who you are at all."

Liu Hui sneered. "That’s right. You’re one of the most outstanding disciples of the Nangong Family, and you have that old dog Nangong An to back you up. How could you possibly remember a nobody like me?"

At the words "old dog," Nangong Jie’s smile vanished, replaced by an endless chill.

"You dare insult my great-grandfather? You’re courting death!"

Nangong Jie’s figure remained motionless as he raised a hand and reached for Liu Hui.

It was a simple grab, yet it contained the unique Mental Realm power of the Vajra Realm.

An extremely dangerous sensation made the hairs on Liu Hui’s body stand on end. He knew that even with his Dragon Transformation, he couldn’t withstand this casual attack from Nangong Jie.

WHAP!

At that critical moment, a large, fleshy hand shot out in front of Liu Hui, blocking Nangong Jie’s attack.

"Dazed Dragon, what’s the word? You want me to off him?" Jin Sanpang’s killing intent flared.

Although he usually bickered and argued with Liu Hui, they were in fact extremely close.

What was that saying again?

’I can hit my brother, I can yell at my brother, but no outsider gets to lay a finger on him.’

The question, "You want me to off him?" though crude, said it all.

Liu Hui hesitated for a moment before finally shaking his head.

He wasn’t sure if Jin Sanpang could defeat Nangong Jie. And even if he could, he didn’t want Jin Sanpang to become a target for Nangong An’s retaliation.

Besides, ’revenge is a dish best served with one’s own hands’.

"Hah, off me? No one in my generation has ever dared to say that to me," Nangong Jie sneered. "Although we are both in the Vajra Realm, there are still levels to our strength."

Hearing this, Jin Sanpang grew annoyed. "Why’re you still yapping, old man? What’s this about levels of strength? You think you’re stronger than San Pang? Come and try me!"

The two words "old man" caught Nangong Jie completely off guard.

’I, Nangong Jie, am twenty-three years old, in the prime of my youth! How am I an old man?!’

’I refuse to accept it!’

However, when his Divine Sense swept over Jin Sanpang and he discovered his bone age was only fifteen, his indignation turned to shock and stupor.

’A fifteen-year-old in the Vajra Realm!’

’Is he a monster?!’

’If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, you could beat me to death and I still wouldn’t believe it was real.’

’When did such a genius appear in the Empire?’

’Why hasn’t it caused a huge sensation?’

’Fine. I, Nangong Jie, accept those two words, "old man." I am utterly and completely convinced!’