Chapter 28: Senior Rules, Junior Bleeds
The Academy had one unspoken rule:
If you're weak, you shut up.
If you're strong, you show it.
Unfortunately for Lin Yan, he had accidentally shown too much.
The Senior Who Didn't Smile
The challenge came before lunch.
A tall figure stepped onto the training platform, arms crossed, aura sharp enough to sting the skin.
Third-year.
Elite Division.
Ranked Top 30 in the Academy.
His name echoed through the crowd.
Zhao Feng.
"You," Zhao Feng said, pointing at Lin Yan. "Scholarship first place. Come up."
Lin Yan froze.
Star whispered urgently,
"MASTER. DANGER LEVEL: HIGH. EGO LEVEL: UNACCEPTABLE."
Lin Yan whispered back, "Can I refuse?"
Star paused.
"YES. BUT THEN HE WILL BULLY YOU SOCIALLY UNTIL YOU GRADUATE."
"…I hate this school."
No Refusal, Only Regret
The instructor nodded. "Sparring allowed. No killing."
Zhao Feng smirked. "Don't worry. I won't kill him."
Lin Yan climbed onto the platform.
His legs felt heavy.
Star whispered,
"MASTER. REMEMBER. SLIGHTLY OP. NOT 'SUMMON ANCIENT DISASTER' OP."
Lin Yan inhaled. "Got it."
The First Exchange
Zhao Feng moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
His palm strike slammed into Lin Yan's chest—
BOOM!
Lin Yan flew backward, skidding across the platform, coughing.
The crowd gasped.
Someone shouted, "That's a third-year move!"
Star screamed inside his head,
"MASTER! CHEST DAMAGE DETECTED! EMOTIONAL DAMAGE ALSO DETECTED!"
Lin Yan groaned. "Okay… he hits harder than rocks."
Zhao Feng scoffed. "So this is first place?"
Mu Qingxue's eyes narrowed.
Lin Yan Fights Back (Carefully)
Lin Yan stood up slowly.
He adjusted his stance.
This time, when Zhao Feng attacked again—
Lin Yan moved.
Not fast.
Precise.
He sidestepped by a hair's breadth, letting the strike pass, then tapped Zhao Feng's wrist.
Just a tap.
Zhao Feng's arm went numb.
"What—?"
Star whispered proudly,
"MASTER. YOU JUST USED ADVANCED FORCE FLOW."
Lin Yan blinked. "I did?"
"Yes. ACCIDENTALLY."
The OP Slips (Just a Little)
Zhao Feng growled and unleashed his full aura.
Pressure crashed down.
Weaker students staggered.
Lin Yan felt something inside him respond.
A warmth.
A pull.
His eyes sharpened.
For a second—
The air distorted around him.
Zhao Feng's attack slowed.
The crowd couldn't breathe.
The instructor's face changed.
"This pressure…!"
Star panicked.
"MASTER! OP LEVEL RISING! PLEASE THINK OF BORING THINGS!"
Lin Yan screamed internally, SPACE TAXES! BROKEN TOOLS! DEBT!
The pressure vanished.
Lin Yan coughed blood.
Zhao Feng stumbled back, pale.
"…What the hell are you?"
Lin Yan smiled weakly. "Tired."
Almost Death
Zhao Feng snapped.
He formed a killing strike.
The instructor moved too late.
Mu Qingxue shouted, "STOP—!"
Zhao Feng's strike descended—
And Lin Yan raised one finger.
CRACK.
The strike shattered.
The shockwave blasted Zhao Feng off the platform.
He hit the ground and didn't move.
Silence.
Someone screamed.
Star whispered softly,
"MASTER… HE IS ALIVE. BARELY."
Government observers stood up instantly.
"Enough," one said coldly.
Aftermath
Medical teams rushed in.
Zhao Feng was carried away.
Lin Yan collapsed to his knees.
Mu Qingxue grabbed him. "You idiot. You nearly exposed yourself."
Lin Yan laughed weakly. "Still… holding back…"
Star chimed in loudly,
"MASTER. YOU ARE BLEEDING INTERNALLY. ALSO YOU WON."
Mu Qingxue stared at Star. "…I'm starting to like you."
"I AM VERY LIKEABLE," Star replied.
Chapter End Hook
That night, Lin Yan lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.
His body hurt.
His mind buzzed.
Deep inside—
Something shifted.
A seal cracked.
And far away, a government report was finalized:
"Subject Lin Yan:
Threat Level—Reevaluation Required."