The Invincible Supreme Medical God
Chapter 282 - 223: The Ranks of Disciples_2

Chapter 282: Chapter 223: The Ranks of Disciples_2

A trace of cold emotion appeared in Yan Xiaobao’s eyes as the newly forged pair of daggers moved with sudden speed.

The sinister aura returned once again, and this time, Yan Xiaobao was too slow to suppress it. He craved blood, yearned for killing, and his hands flung the two daggers towards Li Cheng’s neck. Feeling no resistance, Yan Xiaobao suddenly felt warm liquid spread across his hands.

Li Sheng’s eyes widened in disbelief, filled with terror, as he collapsed to his knees, blood spurting from the wound at his throat. His hands rose to clutch at the injury, yet before he could act, the student who had already knelt fell lifelessly to the ground, his essence vanishing into the air.

Everyone fell silent, as the fire on the stage raged. Then, as if triggered by a countdown, chaos erupted.

Elders skilled in water manipulation rushed to extinguish the flames using various spiritual arts. The extinguishing process took far longer than expected, and a thread of fear wound its way into the hearts of these cultivators. These weren’t ordinary flames. They seemed to be birthed from spiritual energy, growing as if alive.

Yan Xiaobao stood next to the now lifeless Li Cheng. Behind him, quietly observing, was the Academy Chair. It was impossible for him to escape, so Yan Xiaobao didn’t even make the effort.

Within the boy, a roaring battle was taking place. Two mental projections stood within the Qi cavern: one shrouded in red mist, the other enveloped in white cloud.

A third Yan Xiaobao, neither adorned with cloud nor mist, sat against the wall of the cavern beside Lan Feng. He observed his two replicas as they debated whether killing Li Cheng had been the right choice.

’What do you think?’ Yan Xiaobao sighed as he glanced at Lan Feng, but the Phoenix within the Qi seemed lost in thought as the issue was discussed.

"This is utterly bizarre," Lan Feng said, his eyes widening with incredulity evident in his voice. "Even if you recall certain things from your past life, you shouldn’t have three souls."

"I have three souls?" Yan Xiaobao inquired curiously. Although he hadn’t wanted to kill Li Cheng, the outcome had been inevitable. One day, killing would be necessary, and if he didn’t allow the killing intent to erupt and take control, he doubted he’d have the ability to emerge victorious.

Still, his body trembled when he remembered the act of cutting through flesh—as effortless as slicing through butter—and then the sensation of warm blood pooling in his hands.

Ignoring these feelings, Yan Xiaobao looked again at his two versions, then slowly clapped his hands to quiet them.

’Killing him was our only option this time,’ Yan Xiaobao declared firmly. A smile bloomed on the red mist-covered Yan Xiaobao, while a frown appeared on the white-cloud-shrouded version. "That said," he continued, "I don’t want to kill unless I have no alternative."

This led to the expressions of the two replicas switching places, before both dissolved into mist and gradually returned to their previous positions within Yan Xiaobao.

Yan Xiaobao’s consciousness returned to Lan Feng as he once again sat down.

"So, what were you saying?" he asked curiously, sliding against the Qi cavern wall. Outside, his physical self sat in meditation, seemingly adjusting his body to stabilize the breakthrough he’d achieved. In such a critical moment, no cultivator would be interrupted.

"Certain aspects of your soul have changed," Lan Feng said gravely, his brows furrowing. ’These two are extensions of your soul. But somehow, I cannot sense them. They are unrelated to me.’

"How could this happen?" Yan Xiaobao asked curiously, observing how the once-dominant mist now seemed docile, resting peacefully. It appeared to activate only during combat.

"You’re the only person I’ve known whose soul could undergo such strange mutations," Lan Feng said, as if even he couldn’t believe it. "We won’t find answers anytime soon. Someday, you’ll learn why you’ve changed in this way. Until then, we need to practice controlling these aspects."

After saying that, Yan Xiaobao nodded and returned to his physical body. The elders surrounded him, as though preparing to prevent him from leaving.

"Student Yan Xiaobao," an ancient voice spoke, prompting Yan Xiaobao to turn and face the Academy Chair, giving him a respectful bow.

"You killed your fellow student Li Cheng. Do you have anything to say in your defense?" the Academy Chair, displeased with the outcome, questioned. Yet he fully understood that Yan Xiaobao hadn’t had any choice but to end the battle in that decisive moment. If he had hesitated, Li Cheng would’ve killed him.

"I truly had no choice," Yan Xiaobao replied unapologetically, meeting the elder’s gaze. "I just entered the Disciple Team; my strength wasn’t stable. How could I have known that a senior like Li Sheng couldn’t withstand my attack? He charged at me, and I was scared. There was no other option."

Those icy blue eyes, previously filled with killing intent, had transformed into wide, innocent orbs—like a deer caught in headlights. The boy standing before the Chair looked as though he’d never done anything wrong, as if bullied into the situation.

Many students felt like spitting up blood, revolted by the sheer innocence and naivety radiating from his face, though everything he said made perfect sense.

Throughout the battle, Yan Xiaobao had been fighting against overwhelming odds—a full tier beneath his opponent—having only just entered the Disciple Team. By all accounts, it should’ve been Yan Xiaobao who perished. His victory was nothing short of miraculous. If he hadn’t fought with all his might, winning would’ve been entirely impossible.

The death of Li Cheng was tragic, but it was clear he had been an unremarkable student, fortunate enough to find a decent martial arts skill in the Academy’s Martial Arts Hall. Losing him was a great loss, but a competition without death was nearly impossible to imagine.

Combat between students was both a showcase and a test of abilities—abilities designed for killing. The majority of talented youths didn’t live to see adulthood.

The Chair sighed deeply and waved his hand, signaling for the murmuring crowd to quiet down.

"Unfortunately, student Li Cheng left this world at the conclusion of the match. This year’s champion is student Yan Xiaobao." Once the announcement was made, the elder turned and departed, needing to rush to his office and relay the news to the Royal Family immediately.

It wasn’t just the Chair; every major family and clan within Liluo City was pondering the same thing. Each of them wanted to win favor with this unknown child. Though geniuses rarely survived long, Yan Xiaobao seemed capable of overturning the world—a gamble worth taking for every faction.

Another reason was that these families didn’t truly care whether the boy survived in the long term. What they truly desired was mastery of the advanced martial arts skills he already possessed. He seemed to have perfected at least a few of them, and whatever he mastered could be passed along to others.

After all, he was merely a ten-year-old boy, but one with the potential for ruthless killing—even cold-blooded murder—the kind of power these families presumed was untrained. To acquire mastery over his advanced martial arts techniques was their true aim.

Suddenly, rumors and chatter surrounding the stage shifted to the martial arts skill sold at the Black Market Auction House half a year ago, plunging discussion into silence. For a student of this age, it was clear he required a teacher.

Moreover, that teacher couldn’t possibly be a typical cultivator, for they had imparted such incredible martial arts skills, ensuring a child achieved perfection at such a young age.

An expert ranked within the covenant, who had relocated half a year ago, might well be Yan Xiaobao’s master.

Following the tournament’s conclusion, Yan Xiaobao returned to his courtyard, locking himself inside and refusing to meet nearly all visitors. The only individuals seen entering the Genius Courtyard were the Black Market Auction House’s manager and a messenger from the City Lord.

Typically, a genius like Yan Xiaobao would immediately become a target for assassination after choosing a faction, but despite his apparent alliance with Lord Rong Liang, no one dared act against him—fearful of his mysterious master.

Throughout the ensuing months, Yan Xiaobao received countless invitations to visit the noble families of Liluo City. He rejected every one, even invitations to the City Lord’s mansion and the Ma Family Mansion.

This led the Wang Clan to suspect that Yan Xiaobao hadn’t yet aligned himself with any particular group but had already demonstrated the benefits of acquiring martial arts and spiritual attack skills from Li Fen, who seemed to be selling them.

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