Chapter 20 – The Arrogance of Elephant Armored Academy

"This is the truth of this world: the strong devour the weak," Yun Yibai said calmly.

Not long after, he and Yu Tianheng witnessed another similar incident.

It happened in a quiet corner of the city, with the same culprits—students from Elephant Armored Academy.

Four of them had cornered three female students from Tianshui Academy on the street. Although there were a few bystanders nearby, most people had quietly backed away, unwilling to get involved.

Still, someone hurried off to call the city patrol.

The four Elephant Armored students were tall and burly, but their appearances were rather rough—lacking charm or refinement.

"Tianshui girls are fine pieces of work,"

grinned the largest one, a lascivious smile tugging at his lips, his eyes brimming with greed and desire.

His crude and blatant words drew approving glances from the other three, their eyes flaring with heat.

"Come on, we're all part of the Five Elemental Academies—keeping us company isn't asking too much, is it? Hahaha!"

"Back off!!"

Not all the Tianshui girls were pushovers.

One of them—a beautiful young woman with sky-blue hair—snapped coldly.

"Hahaha! Not moving! What are you gonna do, fight us?"

The four stepped in even closer.

"Sister Ling, what do we do?"

one of the Tianshui girls asked nervously.

"Hmph. They think they can bully Tianshui girls in Shuiyue City of all places?"

The one called Sister Ling shook her head slightly, signaling the others to stay calm. Her sharp gaze swept over the four men, her tone icy:

"You from Elephant Armored Academy—do you realize this is Shuiyue City? This is our Tianshui Academy's territory. You act this arrogant and reckless—aren't you afraid of turning everyone against you?"

"Sister Ling, forget it—let's just hit them!"

Another girl had already been enraged by their behavior. Her soul mark flared to life as she gathered soul power in both hands, ready to strike.

The four Elephant Armored students sneered.

The largest among them stepped forward and scoffed:

"Hah! Tianshui Academy? You think we're afraid of you?"

"Come on then—let's have some fun! Hahaha!"

"You're asking for it!"

Sister Ling shouted.

Her Martial Soul activated and her soul ring appeared. With a wave of her hands, countless water elements gathered into icy spears, hurtling toward the four like glinting arrows.

The ice lances tore through the air with bone-chilling cold.

The Elephant Armored students quickly unleashed their soul skills to defend themselves.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The ice lances shattered harmlessly—their thick skins and robust bodies were hardly scratched.

"That's all you've got? Pathetic."

One of them scoffed.

By the time Yun Yibai and Yu Tianheng arrived, the two sides were already fighting. The Tianshui girls were outnumbered, smaller in build, and clearly at a disadvantage.

But before they could step in, three young men in deep blue uniforms approached from the distance.

Seeing this, Yun Yibai said with mock regret:

"Looks like your 'rescue the damsels' fantasy is over."

"Quit being annoying."

"Judging by the uniforms, those are students from Thunderclap Academy."

"At first, I thought this was just an isolated incident—some Elephant Armored guy acting out. But now… looks like the entire academy's rotten."

"Huh. So this is where all the noise is coming from?"

said one of the Thunderclap students with a sneer.

"Figures—it's just a bunch of idiots."

"Four men picking on two unarmed women. As fellow men, you're a disgrace."

"Oh? Thunderclap Academy?"

The leader from Elephant Armored Academy narrowed his eyes.

"What—planning to play hero?"

"We're all from the Five Elemental Academies. Don't you think you're acting a bit above yourselves?"

"If you insist on meddling, we'll call more people over—let everyone see what kind of trash Elephant Armored Academy is turning out."

"Tch…"

"We'll remember this."

"Let's go!"

Knowing Thunderclap Academy's notoriously forceful reputation, the Elephant Armored students backed off.

After they left, the three girls from Tianshui Academy quickly stepped forward to thank the Thunderclap students.

"Looks like Thunderclap Academy holds a high position among the Five Elemental Academies."

"Of course. They're backed by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan—Elephant Armored Sect doesn't even compare."

"Come on, let's go."

Yun Yibai and Yu Tianheng arrived at the hotel where the elite squads from the other Four Elemental Academies were staying.

The moment they walked in, they could feel the oppressive atmosphere in the lobby.

In the four corners of the large room sat four people, each wearing uniforms of a different color.

Yun Yibai and Yu Tianheng paused, stunned.

Those seated weren't just anyone—they were the representatives from Thunderclap Academy, Elephant Armored Academy, Divine Wind Academy, and Blazing Fire Academy.

The two had no idea what had transpired, but these four sat like sentinels, radiating tension—the kind that comes from clashing egos.

Ignoring them, Yun Yibai and Yu Tianheng headed straight to the front desk to book their rooms and ask about where Thunderclap Academy was staying.

"This is the room, right?"

"Yeah, the front desk said Room 702. Should be correct."

Inside Room 702, Yu Tianxin was busy working. Hearing movement outside, he frowned slightly and walked to the door.

When he opened it, his eyebrows lifted.

"Yu Tianheng? Yun Yibai?"

"Hey hey hey—what's with that face? You're the one who sent us the letter."

"Heh."

Yu Tianxin crossed his arms and leaned casually against the doorframe.

"Don't get it twisted. I didn't want you two to come. The invitation wasn't my idea—it was an order from the clan."

His expression remained cold and detached.

"And really, what use are the two of you going to be anyway?"

"Don't look down on us," Yu Tianheng snapped.

"You're just a bit older than me."

"Oh really?"

Yu Tianxin's voice was calm, but every word dripped with contempt.

"You chose not to join Thunderclap Academy, and instead enrolled in that elite playpen, Heaven Dou Royal Advanced Soul Master Academy. That's your so-called conviction?"

In the eyes of those from the upper circles, the truth about Heaven Dou Royal Academy was no secret.

Sure, it boasted some of the best educational resources.

But its admissions were strict—commoner soul masters had no chance of getting in. The place was filled with nobles and aristocrats, soaked in entitlement and class oppression.

What kind of soul masters could a place like that produce?

At best, it was a place for the sons and daughters of the powerful to put on a show and get a little polish on their names.