An outright challenge—they had said it aloud, completely disregarding the presence of the Headmaster. But Apollo wouldn't just let all the benefits, which he hadn't even used yet, slip through his fingers.
"Let's change location," Headmaster Axton said, ignoring the challengers' threats against his Personal Disciple.
After a while, they arrived at an open area surrounded by buildings, with a tree in one corner. It was spacious, though not as large as the two-football-field platform from the previous Advancement Examination. Still, the Headmaster deemed it more than enough.
There was a balcony on one of the buildings, where the Headmaster and Elder Yuan could watch the battle unfold. Their disciples were already on the ground, staring at each other with determination.
"Usually, Heru shows his arrogance first with his words, but your disciple seems like he wouldn't let anyone speak before him," Elder Yuan commented, his eyes fixed on the soon-to-be battlefield.
"I still don't know him well. There's a lot I have yet to learn, but it's interesting," Headmaster Axton said, causing Elder Yuan to frown.
"You don't know much about your own disciple? What, don't tell me you just picked him up off the street?" Elder Yuan raised an eyebrow.
"More or less," Axton said with a mysterious smile. Elder Yuan hadn't witnessed the previous Advancement Examination, but he knew that the person who won first place had supposedly perished from the Lightning Tribulation outside the city. What he didn't know was that the once-in-a-thousand—no, ten-thousand—years talent was standing right in front of him.
Only Elmo, Master Popo, and the Great Serpent Headmaster knew the truth. They had seen it up close. Anything can be cut, whether with real weapons or not. The Beggar's True Understanding of the Sword had already reached a level that even Axton admired.
And Yoma was cloaked in mystery, one of the reasons Axton had decided to make him his disciple, even using threats to get what he wanted. He admitted he was being hypocritical—something that would surely draw the wrath of the other Headmasters who had their eyes on Yoma.
"More or less?" Elder Yuan repeated, clearly dissatisfied. He studied the 'kid' closely while continuing, "You're disrespecting the position. But knowing you, that kid must be hiding something. I can't see through his cultivation. Did you give him an artifact?"
"It's always like that. Even I can't gauge his cultivation unless he purposely shows his Qi," Axton said. From what he remembered, Yoma was at the 4th-Step Foundation Building Stage during the Advancement Examination. Yoma was a Wanderer, a beggar. Although his cultivation was low, it simply meant that Yoma had only just begun.
"It doesn't matter," Elder Yuan said with a confident smile. "Heru is at the 2nd-Step Qi Condensation Stage, and he's the strongest among the Senior Status."
Headmaster Axton didn't disagree with the elder's statement. In fact, he agreed. Heru was indeed strong.
But Yoma was his Personal Disciple—not just another Senior.
A fight... I haven't even properly assessed my body, Apollo thought bitterly. He still didn't know how much his strength had increased or what changes had occurred inside him. But determined to remain the Personal Disciple for the benefits, he decided to test himself right here and now. Spreading his senses, he gauged his opponent's cultivation.
He's one stage higher than me... this should be easy, Apollo thought, though he shook his head immediately. He was being overconfident.
"Let me tell you this—I'm not going to hold back," Heru said, pointing a black sword at his opponent.
"I'm just a kid, please have mercy!" Apollo raised his hands, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"A kid? You think I'll believe that nonsense?" Heru smirked. He'd already received a thought transfer from his master, warning him not to trust his opponent's appearance. There was no way the Headmaster would entrust the heavy burden of being the Personal Disciple to a mere child.
Apollo sighed. This guy thinks I'm not a kid? I am! Even though he was over a hundred years old, he still had the body—and emotions—of a child.
"Believe whatever you want," Apollo shrugged.
"Hmph!" Heru scoffed. "You've offended me, and I'll make sure you regret being born!"
"Cringe ass words!" Apollo shot back. He never tired of verbally sparring with someone suffering from Young Master Syndrome. And he definitely never got tired of shattering their overinflated egos!
"You!" Heru's face twitched, veins bulging. "Just because you've received the title of Personal Disciple doesn't mean we're equals! You're just an ant I can easily crush!"
"Blah blah blah! Why don't we just fight it out?" Apollo finally snapped, itching to crush the middle-aged man's face and show him who was boss.
At the same time, Eli received a signal from the Headmaster. Nodding to Axton, he turned to the challenger and the Personal Disciple. "We will begin in five seconds!"
This was the first time he'd acted as a referee for a fight between Qi Condensation stage cultivators. Eli was nervous, but he gritted his teeth and began the countdown.
Apollo glanced at his opponent's sword and sighed. Damn it! I forgot my wooden sword!
The battle had come so suddenly that Apollo had left his weapon behind.
"Haha, are you getting cold feet?" Heru asked, smirking as he noticed Apollo looking back.
"Of course not," Apollo smiled. "Why would I be afraid of someone I can easily defeat?"
Arrogance against arrogance, and the one with the higher ego would lose.
Heru's eyes narrowed angrily. "I'll skin you alive!"
"Do it, then!" Apollo said, gesturing for him to come forward.
Heru was even more furious. This was the first time someone had dared to talk back. Everyone he insulted usually kept their heads down, not even daring to meet his gaze. Heru enjoyed that—humiliating people and watching them silently endure it. But this time, his target was fighting back, enraging him to the point where his veins threatened to burst.
Heru and Apollo fell silent. One held a sword, the other clenched his fists in front of him.
Apollo narrowed his eyes at his opponent.