Chapter 420: The First Showdown

The girl slowly turned around and looked at him firmly. "I am not who you think I am, nor am I someone you can easily understand. You shouldn't ask any more questions, because you won't get an answer."

Her words were like a cold sword, piercing into Lu Yu's heart. His mental power was still unable to detect any information about her, which made him feel unprecedented doubt.

"Are you really a human?" Lu Yu finally couldn't help but ask this question.

The girl's eyes froze slightly, but she did not answer directly. Instead, she smiled softly, "Human? I can only tell you that I am an existence that you cannot understand." Her voice was low and full of mystery, "You will never understand."

Lu Yu's mood became more complicated. Every word the girl said seemed to be a warning to him, warning him not to ask any more questions and not to try to uncover her mystery. But the doubts in his heart became stronger and stronger, like an irrepressible torrent, forcing him to continue exploring.

"Why do you always avoid me?" Lu Yu finally couldn't help but ask another question.

The girl's expression became a little cold, and she sighed softly, "I'm not avoiding you, but the things you shouldn't know, the sooner you let go of them the better." Her eyes were deep and firm, "You think you can understand me, but you are wrong. If you really understand me, you will pay the price."

Lu Yu was stunned. He felt an endless sense of oppression from the girl's words. She seemed to be reminding him that some things should not be touched lightly, and he had begun to touch the edge of those taboos.

"Where are you from?" Lu Yu asked again, with a hint of pleading in his voice.

The girl did not respond directly, but turned slowly, with her back to Lu Yu, a trace of pain in her eyes, "I didn't come from anywhere, I'm just a boundary that cannot be crossed." Her voice gradually became low, as if she was in deep thought, or as if she was talking to herself, "I no longer belong to this world, and I am no longer an existence that you can understand." "Have you heard? The reward for this year's college competition has doubled!" A young man wearing the uniform of the Tiandou Royal Academy said excitedly to his companions, his eyes shining, as if he had already seen the prize money falling into his arms.

"Of course I heard about it! I heard that the champion will not only get 10,000 gold soul coins, but also get a top-level soul bone specially customized by the academy for the competition!" The companion was equally excited and couldn't help but clench his fists. "This is a reward that I wouldn't dare to think about normally! You know, that soul bone is said to be the left arm bone of a 50,000-year-old soul beast, which enhances the strength attribute. It's simply a sky-high price!"

The two stood at the edge of the Tiandou Royal Academy training ground, talking as they looked at the students who were training in the center of the field.

“I see that the third-grade teams are very strong this year. Their captain, Wang Long, is a three-ring soul master with incredible strength. I’m afraid those of us in the lower grades don’t stand a chance.” The shorter boy sighed, with a hint of helplessness in his tone.

"Hey, don't be so pessimistic. There are always unexpected things in competitions. I heard that the rules of the competition may be adjusted this year. Maybe it will be fairer." The tall boy patted his companion on the shoulder, as if to comfort him.

At this moment, there was a commotion not far away. The two looked in the direction of the sound and saw a large group of students gathered in front of the bulletin board, talking about something. It was obvious that there was some new news.

"Let's go and take a look!" The tall boy pulled his companion and the two of them ran over quickly.

The crowd was packed in front of the bulletin board, and everyone was staring at a new competition rules announcement that had just been posted.

"Let me see quickly, what's going on? What are the rules this year?" The short boy squeezed for a long time and finally saw the contents of the notice through the gap between the people.

"The rules of the 17th Tiandou Royal College College Competition are as follows:" He read out in a low voice, "The competition is divided into two rounds: the preliminary round and the final round. The preliminary round adopts a team points system. Each team has five people. Points are accumulated through battles. The eight teams with the highest points will enter the final round..."

"Team competition? Doesn't this give stronger teams a greater advantage? Those guys who are good at fighting alone will have no chance!" The tall boy frowned.

"Don't worry, there's more to come." The short boy continued to read, "The final will be an elimination match, and the winner will advance until the final champion is decided. The rules of each game will be announced before the game to test the students' all-round strength."

There was a murmur among the crowd.

"This rule seems to be quite fair. It can reflect both teamwork ability and individual strength. Unfortunately, our team's strength is too ordinary. It is still a question whether we can enter the finals." The short boy sighed.

"At least we still have a chance to try! The bonus and soul bones are so tempting, how can we be willing not to give it a try?" The tall boy clenched his fists, his eyes full of fighting spirit.

At this time, a clear female voice came from behind them.

"You two, backing out so early is not what a student should do."

The two turned around and saw a girl in a college uniform looking at them with a smile. The girl had a pretty face, elegant temperament, and a pair of lively eyes with a hint of teasing.

"Xue'er! Why are you here?" The tall boy blushed, obviously having a good impression of the girl.

"Why? Can't I come and see? I heard that you also formed a team and are preparing to participate in the competition?" Xue'er smiled slightly, with a hint of teasing in her tone.

“Well, even though our strength is average, we can’t just not even try.” The short boy scratched his head embarrassedly.

"Then come on, but you have to be careful. I heard that several senior teams are determined to win this year, and they have invested a lot of money in preparing for the competition." Xue'er shook her long hair lightly and said in a relaxed tone.

“Humph, what’s so great about the seniors? Even if they are strong, we won’t necessarily lose!” The tall boy gritted his teeth, obviously his fighting spirit was aroused.

Xue Er couldn't help but laugh when she saw this. "It's good to be ambitious, but you can't win a competition just by talking. You should practice more."

After saying that, she turned and left, leaving behind only a lingering fragrance.

"Xue'er is right. We can't just talk big. We need to intensify our training in the next few days." The short boy looked at Xue'er's departing back, his tone becoming more determined.

"Yes! Starting from today, practice three more hours every day!" The tall boy nodded vigorously.

……

On the training ground, other teams were also making intensive preparations.

"Be careful, that's the third-year Wang Long team over there. The captain is very strong. I heard that he defeated two teams single-handedly last year." A student whispered to his teammates.

"Not only Wang Long's team, but also the fifth-grade Li Tianyi team. They have been the champions of the competition for two consecutive years, and their strength this year is even more unfathomable." Another person added.

Some people in the crowd were not convinced. "What are you afraid of? The competition is not just about the level of soul power. Tactics and coordination are also important."

"That's easy to say. Have you seen the coordination of Li Tianyi's team? They are impeccable. Every time they make a move, it's like they are a precision machine."

"Hehe, that's not necessarily true. Even the strongest people can make mistakes sometimes. There is no absolute winner in a competition."

Just as everyone was discussing, a loud bang suddenly came from the center of the training ground. Everyone looked over subconsciously and saw a tall young man sparring with another student in the center of the field. Each of his attacks was as powerful as thunder, overwhelming the opponent so that he could not fight back at all.

"That's the captain of the Wang Long team!"

"Such a strong force, there is no way to get close to him!"

"It seems like they have a good chance of winning the championship this year."

On the other side of the training ground, Xue'er's team was also training. Although her team members looked ordinary, they worked together very well.

"Do it again!" Xue'er gave an order, and everyone quickly took their positions. One soul master activated his soul skill to create a large fog, while another soul master took the opportunity to quickly shuttle through the fog, looking for opportunities to attack.

"Yes, the cooperation this time is much better than last time." Xue'er nodded.

"Captain, if we meet a strong team like Team Wang Long, do we really have a chance of winning?" A member of the team couldn't help but ask.

"Strong team? Haha, in a competition, who is strong and who is weak is not fixed." Xue'er curled her lips and showed a confident smile. "Remember, our advantage is wisdom, not brute force. As long as we play to our strengths, even Wang Long may not be able to win."

After hearing this, the team members on the side nodded, and the fighting spirit was rekindled in their eyes.

……

There is no mistake in the poem, post, content, and read the book on 6, 9, and bar!

A few days later, the preliminary round of the college competition was held as scheduled.

In the competition field, fierce battles were fought simultaneously in eight arenas. Each team tried their best just for the highest glory and generous rewards.

Xue'er's team met a strong senior team in the first match. The other team obviously looked down on them and thought that a junior team was not worth mentioning.

"Kids, this is not the place you should be here. Just admit defeat as soon as possible." The captain of the opposing team said with a sneer.

Xue'er showed no sign of weakness and smiled slightly.

"It's still unclear who will win or lose."

At the beginning of the game, Xue'er's team gave full play to their tactical advantages. They used the cover of fog and obstacles to break through the opponent's defenses one by one, and finally won the victory with clever tactics.

At the end of the game, the opposing team's captain looked in disbelief.

"You juniors... actually..."

Xue'er just smiled, turned around and left with her teammates.

"Next." Her voice was calm but full of confidence.

In the early morning, the top of the Tiandou Royal Academy was covered by a hazy morning light, and in the distance there were clouds and mist, like a fairyland. Today was the annual college competition of the academy, which was also a grand event that every student was looking forward to. The open space on the top of the mountain was bustling with people, and in the noise there was an irrepressible excitement and expectation.

In the center of the venue, six arenas were arranged in a semicircle. The arenas were surrounded by students and referees who were responsible for the order of the competition. Their expressions were serious and earnest. Outside the arenas, there were neatly arranged audience seats, which were already crowded. Everyone stared at the arena and talked about it.

Behind the ring, a spacious temporary platform was built at the entrance of the Academic Affairs Council, which was filled with carved chairs. In the middle of the platform was the main seat prepared for the senior members of the Academic Affairs Council, and on both sides were seats for noble guests. On the platform, several elders wearing the unique academic robes of the Tiandou Royal Academy were already sitting, with solemn expressions, their eyes occasionally sweeping across the ring, and occasionally whispering to the distinguished guests beside them.

"This year's competition seems to be more lively than last year." A nobleman stood on the right side of the platform, looking at the bustling crowd below with a smile on his face, with a hint of disdain in his tone.

"Of course it's lively." A noble lady nearby smiled softly, holding a gorgeous feather fan in her hand. "I heard that there are many geniuses among the students participating in this year's competition. Even His Highness Xue Qinghe specifically instructed us to pay attention to several key competitions."

"Her Highness Xue is paying personal attention to this? Interesting." The noble young man raised his eyebrows, with a hint of amusement in his tone.

At this moment, a clear bell sounded from the platform. The noise of the crowd instantly quieted down, and everyone's eyes turned to the center of the platform.

"Dear students, distinguished guests, welcome to the annual college competition." A middle-aged man stood up from his seat and walked to the edge of the platform. He was wearing a robe specially made by the Academic Affairs Committee of Tiandou Royal College, with the college emblem outlined in gold thread embroidered on his chest. He looked majestic yet gentle.

"I am the chief referee of this competition, Coach Li. I believe everyone is already impatient, so I will not say any more nonsense! I hope that every participating student can show their style in the competition, and I also hope that all the audience can enjoy the wonderful duels! Now, I declare that the college competition - officially begins!"

As soon as the words fell, thunderous cheers and shouts broke out from the audience.

On the stage, several referees quickly appeared and began to guide the first round of competition according to the order that had been assigned long ago. At the same time, the participating students also walked out of the waiting area one after another and stepped onto the stage.

"Xiao Wu, which arena will our competition be held on?" A young man in the crowd pulled the sleeve of the girl next to him, with a hint of excitement in his tone.

The girl was pretty, slender, and had a lively look in her eyes. She smiled and glanced at the sign-up sheet in her hand: "Third stage, first match."

"So fast? Let's go over there quickly!" The young man showed anticipation on his face, and pulled Xiao Wu towards the third arena.

Around the ring, the audience's emotions were completely ignited, and cheers and applause were heard from time to time.

The first match began soon.

On the ring, a skinny boy was facing off against a burly man. The skinny boy was named Lin Yu, and he was a top student in the second grade of Tiandou Royal Academy; while the burly man was a freshman from the outer courtyard, and was said to be incredibly strong.

"Hey, kid, admit defeat! Otherwise, I won't show mercy later." The burly man grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, with a hint of provocation in his words.

Lin Yu snorted coldly, a hint of fighting spirit flashed in his eyes: "Don't talk big too early, let's talk after the fight!"

The referee stood between the two of them, glanced at both of them, and said in a deep voice: "The game begins!"