“It wasn’t me who opened it,” Wan Xiao quickly waved his hand.
The soundproofing of the Martial Arts Room was excellent, but with the door wide open, plus Li Yuan’s sharp ears, he naturally heard the voice that had come through.
He couldn’t help but turn his head to look.
He saw a youth in a black martial outfit, well-proportioned, and with a buzz cut, who took a few quick steps and arrived at the entrance of Martial Arts Room 4011.
The youth was half a head shorter than Wan Xiao, about the same height as Li Yuan, and had a rather delicate-looking face.
“Wan Xiao, how could you jump out the window… Eh! How come this Martial Arts Room now has an owner?” The youth was about to speak when he noticed the green sign on the door of the Martial Arts Room.
There are three types of signs at these Martial Arts Rooms’ doors, indicating different statuses—occupied, empty, or invaded.
A green sign signifies that it was opened normally by the owner.
“4011 wasn’t empty… Who are you? How do you have access to 4011?” For the first time, the youth noticed Li Yuan inside the Martial Arts Room and looked at him with a puzzled face.
The youth wasn’t stupid.
He had thought that Wan Xiao had opened the Martial Arts Room by jumping through the window.
But from Wan Xiao’s words, coupled with the green sign at the door, he instantly deduced—Li Yuan was the owner of the Martial Arts Room.
“Wan Xiao, aren’t you going to introduce us?” said Li Yuan with a smile.
He could tell that the youth harbored no ill will; he was simply straightforward and unsophisticated.
“That’s Gu Qianghan from Class One, Year Three.” Wan Xiao laughingly introduced the youth: “Nickname ‘Not-So-Strong’.”
Class one of every grade level is the Elite Class.
“Wan Xiao, I’m telling you again, call me Gu Qiang, and if you call me by my full name next time, I’m really going to lose it,” the youth said with displeasure.
Wan Xiao just laughed it off and didn’t pay any mind, then pointed at Li Yuan and said, “Gu Qiang, didn’t you keep talking about Li Yuan after Teacher Xu’s class the other day? Look, this is Li Yuan.”
The youth, who was previously unhappy, instantly brightened up and stared at Li Yuan: “You’re the Li Yuan that Teacher Xu Bo mentioned, the one with the extremely impressive spear technique?”
“Uh, an impressive spear technique?” Li Yuan said with a smile: “I wouldn’t say my spear technique is that impressive, but if Teacher Xu Bo was referring to Li Yuan from Class Two, Year Three, then it must be me.”
Li Yuan already knew who the youth was.
When checking the end-of-term rankings for the second year, he naturally took notice of the top ten students from the previous grades.
Gu Qianghan was indeed the third in martial arts performance at the end of the second year.
However, his appearance was a bit unexpected for Li Yuan, having a delicacy that didn’t quite match his name.
“If Teacher Xu says you’re good, then it must be true,” said Gu Qianghan, his eyes shining: “I checked, and at the end of last semester, your score in Martial Arts Skills was the highest in the whole grade.”
“Mhm,” Li Yuan looked at the youth with interest.
“I want to challenge you,” stated Gu Qianghan, excitedly fixing his gaze on Li Yuan, eager to try.
“Li Yuan, don’t underestimate him.”
“This guy is quite crafty. When I first got to the Elite Class, I was fooled by his looks,” Wan Xiao hastily added.
“What do you mean fooled by me, I didn’t ambush you, I challenged you fair and square,” Gu Qianghan said with disdain: “You look like a bear but couldn’t even take ten punches from me, and you still have the nerve to say that.”
Wan Xiao was taken aback.
And was left speechless.
When he first arrived in the Elite Class, he encountered Gu Qianghan challenging him. Misled by the other’s delicate features and assuming he was easy to bully, he ended up… suffering a terrible defeat.
“Ten punches?” Li Yuan nodded slightly, not surprised.
Just based on the end-of-year results in the second year, Gu Qianghan’s raw score was even higher than his own, so defeating Wan Xiao was normal.
“How about it?” Gu Qianghan fixed his eyes on Li Yuan: “We’ll fight in full armor. I want to test your spear technique.
Gu Qianghan’s eyes shone with a fighting spirit.
Li Yuan just smiled.
From the conversation between the two just now, Li Yuan had guessed the reason why the other wanted to challenge him.
Probably, Teacher Xu had used his spear technique as an example in the Elite Class and made some unflattering remarks.
For instance, “You call yourselves the Elite Class? I don’t see any of you living up to Li Yuan from Class Two, Year Three.”
“A Li Yuan who hasn’t even awakened his Martial Spirit, his spear technique alone is enough to take all of you down.”
Using students from other classes as examples to suppress students from the class they are teaching is a common tactic used by many teachers.
Similarly, it has inadvertently drawn a lot of animosity toward Li Yuan in the Elite Class.
“Li Yuan, if you are a Martial Artist, then accept my challenge,” Gu Qianghan looked at Li Yuan.
Li Yuan looked at Wan Xiao with an odd expression, it had been a long time since he had heard such a melodramatic phrase.
Wan Xiao spread his hands as if to say ‘he has always been this melodramatic’.
“I do not accept,” Li Yuan shook his head.
Gu Qianghan’s eyes widened: “Li Yuan, do you lack the spirit of a Martial Artist?”
“I’m not even a Martial Artist yet, so naturally, I don’t have the spirit of one,” Li Yuan rolled his eyes at Gu Qianghan.
“Alright, this is my Martial Arts Room. I’m going to start training,” he declared.
In fact, Li Yuan’s refusal to fight was not because he was scared of the opponent.
It was meaningless and carried risks.
Sparring with Teacher Xu Bo was different—the teacher’s strength greatly surpassed that of the students, able to control the entire scene, ensuring no one would get hurt.
But when two students with similar strengths sparred using cold weapons, it was impossible to fully control endangering oneself.
Even fully armored and using dull cold weapons, one could easily suffer serious injuries or even death.
Such incidents were not uncommon.
Li Yuan was not willing to risk any danger for a cause that had no benefits.
“You…” Gu Qianghan was about to speak again.
“Gu Qianghan, who gave you the audacity to engage in a private duel?” A stern voice suddenly came from outside the door.
Gu Qianghan’s expression stiffened, and instead of getting angry at being called by his full name, a trace of fear flashed through his eyes.
“Sis—” Gu Qianghan suddenly turned around, placing his hand on Li Yuan’s shoulder, his face now filled with a smile: “I was just joking with Li Yuan, right, Li Yuan?”
Li Yuan was momentarily stunned, somewhat caught off guard.
Wan Xiao shrugged, indicating that this was nothing new to him.
Gu Qianghan shook Li Yuan’s shoulder vigorously, frantically gesturing to Li Yuan with his eyes.
But Li Yuan stood his ground, immovable as a rock, his gaze had already fallen on the figure at the door.
A girl roughly seventeen or eighteen, wearing a crimson tight-fitting martial arts uniform, her face delicate yet strong, with bright eyes and white teeth, her brows and eyes exuding a sharp and resolute temperament.
Her jet-black hair was swept up high behind her head, giving her an especially capable appearance.
However, the most eye-catching thing was the fiery red longsword hanging at her waist.
“Hello, Li Yuan, I am Lin Lanyue from Senior Class 3 (1).” The girl also looked at Li Yuan and took the initiative to say, “I apologize on behalf of my brother for his crazy streak; I hope you won’t mind it.”
“I’m fine,” Li Yuan said with a handshake and a smile.
The girl nodded, her gaze becoming sharp again as she turned it back to Gu Qianghan, making his scalp tingle.
“Sis!” Gu Qianghan involuntarily removed his hand from Li Yuan’s shoulder.
“If I catch you in a private fight again, even calling for your mom won’t save you,” the girl said coldly.
Gu Qianghan awkwardly touched his head without daring to utter a word.
Since childhood, Gu Qianghan had always harbored an innate fear of his cousin, who was only half a year older than him.
“It’s all trivial stuff.”
“Don’t blame him; none of us has any problems,” Li Yuan said with a smile.
Li Yuan instantly recognized the person before him.
She had spoken more than once at school-wide assemblies.
From the time she enrolled, her name had constantly been on the honor roll.
She was the top Martial Path student in the senior year, recognized as the most likely candidate to get into Starry Sky University—a martial arts prodigy—Lin Lanyue.
“As long as you don’t blame him, that’s fine.”
The girl nodded, still focusing on Li Yuan: “It’s wrong for my brother to seek a private duel with you, but Teacher Xu said your martial arts skills surpass everyone in our class, and it’s not just my brother who is dissatisfied.”
“Frankly, I’m not convinced either.”
Li Yuan was startled.
Wan Xiao was also taken aback.
Gu Qianghan’s eyes lit up with excitement, fully aware of his cousin’s personality.
She seemed affable on the surface, but was actually very tough at heart.
“I would also like to learn from you and see for myself how impressive the person that Teacher Xu said has spear technique close to ‘Unity’. But it won’t be a real combat,” the girl set her sights on Li Yuan, “how about a match on Starry Skies Fighting Network?”
Starry Skies Fighting Network was a virtual fight; nobody would get hurt.
“What’s in it for me?” Li Yuan shrugged and smiled, “I never do anything without benefits.”
“Benefits?” Lin Lanyue frowned.
“How about this, we make a bet,” Li Yuan said with a smile, “If you win, I will publicly acknowledge that you have the best martial arts skills in the entire grade.”
“If I win, you give me two thousand Blue Star Coins, how does that sound?” Li Yuan smiled.
“What kind of bet is that?” Gu Qiang scoffed, “A sure win, you’re thinking too beautifully.”
“Up to you.”
“If you don’t agree, please leave and don’t delay my training,” Li Yuan said with a smile.
“Fine, I agree,” Lin Lanyue said, looking at Li Yuan.
“Sis!” Gu Qiang was astonished.
“Shut up,” Lin Lanyue frowned.
“Let’s make it next Sunday afternoon at two, how about that?” Li Yuan said with a smile, “Let’s add each other as V friends first, then I’ll send you my account name.”
“Fine.”
Soon, they became virtual network friends.
“Gu Qiang, let’s go,” Lin Lanyue turned and walked away, with Gu Qiang reluctantly following her.
That left Li Yuan and Wan Xiao alone.
“Li Yuan, that was a huge loss,” Wan Xiao said, unable to hold back, “You don’t know, Lin Lanyue’s family is very wealthy; if you had bet five thousand or even ten thousand Blue Star Coins just now, I think she would have agreed.”
Li Yuan shook his head, “Foolish.”
“The law of Xia Country states that bets on Starry Skies Fighting Network cannot exceed two thousand Blue Star Coins for minors.”
“Any amount over two thousand Blue Star Coins is not protected by law.”