This was the first Divine Demon Death Seal that Su Chen had just comprehended and derived from the Primordial Demon God Art. Looking at it now, the first Divine Demon Death Seal he had grasped was remarkably tyrannical; one could only imagine how terrifying it would be if he managed to comprehend the second, third, or fourth ones.
Xing Yingxue's expression was extremely grim. She looked at the burly young man in front of her and said angrily, "Tang Hao, I've already told you that I don't like you. Here are my points; you can take them all."
Tang Hao had a robust physique, a scar across his resolute face, and hair that stood upright like spikes. His piercing eyes fixed on the beauty before him as he said, "Yingxue, little sister, I have pursued you for a full year. Just where do I fall short in your eyes? Tell me, and I'll change immediately."
He simply could not fathom what was wrong with him.
He came from a prominent family, had a fine character, and was hailed as the top genius of the primary class. At the Peak Foundation Establishment Realm, he was on the verge of breaking through to the Void Pill Realm, and he possessed the Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel.
Had it not been for Xing Yingxue, he would never have lowered himself to cultivate at Eastern Wasteland Academy. His sole purpose was to secure the advantage of proximity and successfully win her heart.
And the result?
A whole year.
He had lost count of the methods he had tried, yet he had never been able to move Xing Yingxue.
"I have said it countless times: I do not like you. Why must you persistently pester me?"
"Yingxue, little sister, I can promise you that as long as you are willing to marry me, my Tang Clan will go all out to help you regain recognition within your clan. How about that?"
"Shut your mouth! I am myself, and they are them. They have nothing to do with me."
Mention of her family touched a raw nerve in Xing Yingxue, sending her into a frenzy of furious shouting.
Tang Hao let out a deep sigh and said with helpless resignation, "I will accompany you across the Eastern Wasteland to see if we can find a way to alter your Blood Wheel."
"Tang Hao, I can tell you right now: I don't like you. Please never pester me again."
Having been rejected repeatedly, Tang Hao was already burning with rage. He had given up a great deal for Xing Yingxue, yet she still rejected him.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he grew. No longer able to restrain himself, Tang Hao said coldly, "Humph! Xing Yingxue, even my patience has its limits. Since you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit, I'll just take you right now! Once what's done is done, I'd like to see if you can still reject me like this."
Hearing this, Xing Yingxue's expression changed completely.
"How dare you!"
"Why wouldn't I dare?"
Tang Hao seemed like a different person. Previously, he had forced himself to keep up a facade in order to pursue Xing Yingxue. After all, he hailed from the Su Clan—wait, the Tang Clan. He had humbled himself to pursue her, only to be met with rejection, rejection, and more rejection.
"The strength of my Tang Clan is on par with your Xing Clan. Furthermore, within the Xing Clan, not a single person cares about your existence. The Golden Sparrow Blood Wheel that the Xing Clan prides itself on turned out to be a Partridge Blood Wheel when it awakened in you. Even if I use force, the Xing Clan won't offend the Tang Clan over you."
"Aren't you afraid of the academy?"
"Not at all."
Tang Hao laughed and said, "History is written by the victors. When the time comes, I'll simply tell the academy that you tried to cling to my Tang Clan and deliberately seduced me. Do you think the academy would believe you or me?"
"You're shameless."
"Doesn't matter."
Since he couldn't win her affection, he would force the issue. Tang Hao was unwilling to wait any longer; he had already given Xing Yingxue plenty of time and dignity, but since she refused to appreciate it, she had only herself to blame.
Watching Tang Hao step toward her step by step, Xing Yingxue's face was painted with despair. Clenching her fists tightly, she had already prepared to take her own life. Even if she died here, she would not allow herself to be defiled by Tang Hao—this beast in human clothing. At least she had the solace of not having given in to him.
"Xing Yingxue, don't think that just because you come from the Xing Clan, you'll receive any special treatment in Eastern Wasteland Academy. You're nothing more than cultivation trash; otherwise, you wouldn't have lingered in the worst primary class all this time."
"You're from Class 22?"
A voice of surprise rang out abruptly.
"Who's there? Get out here!"
Su Chen's figure slowly walked out. He had merely been passing by and had seen the two of them, but he had never intended to meddle—it had nothing to do with him in the slightest. His only goal was to contend for points, and he had even planned to wait until they finished their private business before stepping in to snatch the points.
He had never expected that this so-called Xing Yingxue actually came from the same class as him—namely, the worst primary class in the academy.
"Yes, I'm from Class 22. My name is Xing Yingxue."
Walking up to Xing Yingxue and directly ignoring Tang Hao, Su Chen smiled and said, "I just entered Eastern Wasteland Academy and I'm also a student of Class 22. Senior sister having trouble? Do you need my help?"
Of course she needed help, but as she glanced at Tang Hao, Xing Yingxue truly didn't know how to speak up. Tang Hao's strength was plain to see: Peak Foundation Establishment Realm, wielding the Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel. Leaving aside the students of Class 22, looking across the entire primary class, not a single person was Tang Hao's match.
To be ignored like this—
And by someone who was also from Class 22, notoriously the worst class in all of Eastern Wasteland Academy, common knowledge being that students in the worst primary class were all cultivation trash abandoned by the academy.
For such trash to dare ignore him—they truly didn't know whether death was spelled with a front or back stroke.
A furious Tang Hao said coldly, "Punk, I don't care who you are, get out of my sight immediately. If this weren't Eastern Wasteland Academy, I'd take your life."
Suppressing the boundless rage in his heart, Tang Hao, despite hailing from the Tang Clan, still did not dare to strike casually. This was Eastern Wasteland Academy, the supreme power of the entire Eastern Wasteland; no race or sect dared to provoke it lightly.
The Hidden Dragon Contention had clear rules: under no circumstances was anyone permitted to die. Once the academy executed him for murder, he believed even the Tang Clan wouldn't say much in protest.
Looking at Xing Yingxue before him, Su Chen understood the misgivings in her heart—she was simply afraid that he would be harmed by Tang Hao. Nodding, he said, "It's fine if you bully others; no matter how shameless and disgusting you are, I won't stick my nose into other people's business. But when it comes to people from Class 22, I, Su Chen, will protect them no matter what."
"Just you?"
Tang Hao found it utterly laughable. Trash from the worst primary class actually dared to act so arrogant before him; he couldn't fathom who had given this fellow such courage.
"Just a piece of trash. Today, I'd like to see how you play the hero saving the damsel in distress. As long as you can last three moves in my hands, I'll let you take her away."
"Junior brother Su, be careful! He's from Class 1, at the Peak Foundation Establishment Realm, and possesses the Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel."
Whether someone was at the Peak Foundation Establishment Realm made not the slightest difference to Su Chen; he could even kill those in the Void Pill Realm, let alone someone in the Foundation Establishment Realm.
He was merely surprised by the Blood Wheel Tang Hao possessed, because back at the Su Clan, he had heard tales of some of the top families in the Eastern Wasteland.
For instance, the Su Clan possessed the Sword Blood Wheel.
Among the many top families, the Tang Clan apparently possessed the Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel. This type of Blood Wheel was extremely tyrannical, focusing purely on raw physical power. He hadn't expected to run into someone from the Tang Clan here at Eastern Wasteland Academy.
His eyes lit up; Su Chen was very eager to see just how tyrannical a top-tier Eastern Wasteland Blood Wheel really was.
"The Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel? Then I must certainly test it."
As his voice fell, a Blood Wheel condensed instantly above his head, within which floated an illusory sword shadow. Accompanied by a roar of sword hums, sharp and tyrannical sword qi surged wildly within the Blood Wheel.
"Level 8 Foundation Establishment Realm!"
Xing Yingxue cried out in surprise. Even Tang Hao was astonished, because a Level 8 Foundation Establishment martial artist had no business entering the worst primary class.
Yet Tang Hao merely sneered; attempting to provoke him with a Level 8 Foundation Establishment realm was far from qualified.
"Punk, today I'll let you know just how vast the gap is between us."
A Blood Wheel likewise condensed above his head, featuring a hammer engraved with a Qilin pattern. Low, deep roars echoed out from the Blood Wheel.
A sword and a hammer—sword qi and hammer force collided fiercely in mid-air, neither willing to yield an inch, as if each sought to utterly destroy the other.
"Punk, do you dare sign a life-and-death pact with me and fight a battle of life and death?"
"Junior brother Su, absolutely not!"
Xing Yingxue said with great anxiety. She understood what Tang Hao meant: while the Hidden Dragon Contention did not permit fatalities, there were exceptions to every rule.
That exception was the life-and-death pact.
Whether within the academy or participating in the Hidden Dragon Contention, students inevitably harbored irreconcilable grievances of life and death. If even the academy could not resolve them, they could sign a life-and-death pact to conduct a so-called life-and-death battle.
In a life-and-death battle, one's fate was left entirely to the heavens; regardless of who lived or died, the academy would not intervene. It was a genuine battle to the death.
Xing Yingxue was extremely anxious and worried, terrified that Junior Brother Su would agree to Tang Hao's life-and-death pact.
Once a life-and-death pact was signed, even if Tang Hao killed Su Chen, she believed the academy would not interfere. Such were the rules of the academy.
Precisely because of this, unless an irreconcilable blood feud existed, no one was willing to sign a life-and-death pact.
Su Chen nodded and smiled, "I'd be happy to oblige."
As his voice fell, the two of them each forced out a drop of essence blood, which fused together in mid-air to form a strange, otherworldly power—the life-and-death pact itself.
The moment the pact was signed, formidable and tyrannical auras erupted from both of their bodies simultaneously, and their respective Blood Wheels roared toward the heavens.
Cold eyes filled with bone-chilling killing intent, Tang Hao didn't take this fellow seriously at all. So what if Su Chen was at Level 8 Foundation Establishment? There was a full two-tier gap between them, and what he himself had awakened was the Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel.
The figures of both men moved simultaneously, piercing through layers of space to collide fiercely with one another.
Without the slightest bit of contempt, Su Chen knew very well that being able to defeat the Void Pill Realm did not mean he could necessarily suppress every single Foundation Establishment martial artist.
Some monstrous Foundation Establishment martial artists might not be inferior to him in strength.
This was Eastern Wasteland Academy, and the fact that he possessed three Blood Wheels must certainly not be leaked.
A Qilin Hammer materialized in Tang Hao's hand, expanding to several dozens of feet as it smashed directly toward Su Chen with ferocious might. The Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel inherently leaned toward the power-type, prioritizing the most direct and brutal hammering.
"Junior brother Su, watch out!"
Melding the Nine Tribulations Sword Art into his Sword Blood Wheel, a crimson-black sword shadow appeared in Su Chen's hand, slashing outward toward Tang Hao in kind.
Sword and hammer collided violently, instantly sending ripples spreading across the surroundings. The ground failed to withstand the shockwave and began to shatter inch by inch.
Both men stepped backward simultaneously. Su Chen retreated only a single step, while Tang Hao was forced back a full six or seven steps. His shocked eyes were filled with disbelief; he had never imagined that Su Chen could take his blow head-on and hold his ground.
He possessed absolute confidence in his own strength.
Not only could he sweep through his peers, but he could also cross realms to kill enemies, and relying on his Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel, he could even defeat those at Level 4 Void Pill Realm.
And now?
Having stumbled back several steps, strictly speaking, he had already lost the first clash, yet he refused to admit defeat.
"Let you experience the Qilin Hammer Art of my Tang Clan!"
Vanishing from the spot like a ghost, Tang Hao frantically swung the Qilin Hammer in his hand once more. Hammer stroke followed hammer stroke, an endless, overwhelming torrent of hammer images sweeping outward to engulf the area.
"I am the sword!"
Su Chen stood his ground without moving, wielding his sword right where he stood. Denser and denser tyrannical sword qi formed a protective barrier of blades.
Bang!
Bang, bang!
The fierce and tyrannical hammer images continuously hammered against the sword barrier, their speed escalating wildly.
Clenching her fists tightly, Xing Yingxue stared fixedly at the scene before her, her face full of worry. Junior Brother Su must not come to any harm; otherwise, she would never find peace of mind for the rest of her days.
A lifetime of guilt.
Yet she was powerless to intervene. Her strength was simply insufficient to contend with Tang Hao; she could only pray that Junior Brother Su would emerge victorious.
"Punk, I'd like to see how many of my hammers you can block!"
Striking with the ferocity of a dust storm, the dense forest of hammer images enveloped the sword barrier entirely. Su Chen's figure was no longer visible; only Tang Hao could be seen frantically swinging the Qilin Hammer back and forth.
The violent collisions were like the intertwining of water and fire, generating a shockwave that nearly blew Xing Yingxue away.
Puff!
A mouthful of blood sprayed forth, her pale face contorted with pain. Xing Yingxue's cultivation was simply too low; how could she possibly withstand such a terrifying aftermath?
As the battle continued to escalate—
Unable to hammer Su Chen to death after all this time, Tang Hao's expression grew increasingly gloomy, his icy gaze locked onto the figure of Su Chen covered by his hammer images.
Pushing the Qilin Hammer Art to its absolute limit, it featured a total of eighty-one strikes. Gritting his teeth, he swung relentlessly, strike after strike, cascading one after another until he reached the eighty-first strike.
The sword barrier began to emit a buzzing sound. The more it resisted, the more anxious Tang Hao became, because the longer the delay, the more unfavorable it was for him.
He found it hard to accept this reality.
His talent surpassed all his peers, and he possessed a top-tier Eastern Wasteland Blood Wheel—the Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel. Let alone martial artists of the same rank, he could ordinarily hammer even those in the Void Pill Realm to death.
And now?
Facing a piece of trash from the worst primary class in Eastern Wasteland Academy, he was repeatedly failing to suppress and kill him. To him, this matter was an absolute and utter humiliation.
Suppressing the waves of weakness rising within his body, Xing Yingxue held her breath, watching the life-and-death battle before her with a face full of worry. Judging by the current situation, it was glaringly obvious that Junior Brother Su was holding the lower hand. If things continued this way, he would likely be in immense trouble.
What should she do?
A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of Tang Hao's mouth, and his complexion grew increasingly pale. After all, forcing out the eighty-one strikes of the Qilin Hammer Art brought with it a monstrous backlash.
He had to finish this quickly. If this dragged on any longer, before he could hammer the other guy to death, he would likely perish from his own backlash.
"The eighty-one strikes of the Qilin Hammer—smashing heaven and earth, break for me!"
All the hammer images fused together into a single, incomparably gigantic hammer shadow, smashing down fiercely toward the sword barrier before it.
Boom!
The sword barrier developed cracks, spreading across its surface like a massive spiderweb. However, the instant the sword barrier shattered, Tang Hao likewise coughed up a mouthful of blood. His body flew backward, slamming heavily into a large tree that snapped in half upon impact.
A tiny thread of blood slowly oozed from the corner of Su Chen's mouth as well. What a tyrannical Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel, especially when paired with the Qilin Hammer Art—its power stacked layer upon layer. The accumulation of eighty-one strikes was enough to inflict minor injuries even on him.
"Your Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel is not bad at all. Your attack is over; now it's my turn."
Tang Hao's gloomy expression couldn't have been uglier. He simply couldn't accept this reality; after all, Su Chen's defense had filled him with dread. Even after executing a stack of eighty-one consecutive hammer strikes, he still hadn't managed to hammer this fellow to death.
Would he be able to withstand Su Chen's Sword Blood Wheel?
If it were before, he would surely have possessed absolute confidence in blocking it. But now, the situation was completely different, and he had zero confidence left.
Since they had already signed a life-and-death pact, even if he perished here and Eastern Wasteland Academy learned of it, they would not blame Su Chen.
As for the Tang Clan avenging him in the future—even if they could exact full vengeance, what good would that do him?
He would already be dead, and the dead cannot come back to life.
At this thought, the terrified Tang Hao dared not linger any longer and turned to flee. As long as he could successfully leave the academy alive, he believed that even with a life-and-death pact signed, he had nothing to fear from this fellow.
Su Chen's speed was even faster than Tang Hao's, and he instantly materialized directly in front of him.
"You haven't taken a sword stroke from me yet."
"I come from the Tang Clan."
"So what?"
Even the Tang Clan failed to intimidate this fellow. Tang Hao's expression grew even gloomier. Gripping his identity jade token, his soul poured into it at any moment; as long as he triggered its special power, an Eastern Wasteland Academy instructor would descend instantly.
At this moment.
Terror gripped Tang Hao's heart; come what may, he could not die here.
Had they not signed a life-and-death pact, he believed this fellow would never have dared to kill him—after all, the academy rules were right there. Unless someone had a death wish, who would dare violate them?
Yet right now, the situation was completely different.
Sensing the bone-chilling killing intent radiating from Su Chen, Tang Hao's expression shifted drastically. His soul had already flooded into the identity jade token, touching the special power within.
"Su Chen! Even if a life-and-death pact is signed, this is still the Hidden Dragon Contention! If you kill me, the academy will definitely hold you accountable!"
So much useless chatter.
Su Chen didn't waste any more breath. He and Tang Hao had already signed a life-and-death pact; what did it matter even if the academy found out?
Before a life-and-death pact, not even the academy would interfere.
Taking a step forward.
Su Chen used his finger as a sword to execute the Nine Tribulations Sword Art. The tyrannical Blood Wheel fused seamlessly into the sword art, and streams of cold, piercing sword qi shot out in an endless stream.
"You dare!"
Threats? Su Chen didn't take them seriously in the least.
Watching the sword qi close in helplessly, Tang Hao had no choice but to grip the Qilin Hammer and swing it out with all his might, fighting a desperate battle for survival. As long as he could hold out until an instructor arrived, he would be safe.
"Stop!"
An urgent voice echoed from afar, accompanied by a vast and tyrannical aura rolling inward—an instructor of Eastern Wasteland Academy had arrived.
A surge of joy washed over Tang Hao, and he sneered, "Su Chen, if you want to kill me, you'll have to wait for your next life!"
Bang!
Before Tang Hao could even finish running his mouth, the dense array of tyrannical sword qi had already struck the Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel in rapid succession.
This time, Su Chen did not hold back in the slightest. The sheer tyranny of the sword qi made it impossible for Tang Hao to withstand it, and even the Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel shattered instantly.
Accompanied by a piercing shriek like a slaughtered pig, Tang Hao's body flew heavily into the air before crashing violently to the ground. Blood stained his chest crimson, and the Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel condensed above his head completely collapsed like shattered glass.
A figure condensed in a flash—a man standing a full one hundred and ninety centimeters tall, with a square face and small eyes. He immediately popped a medicinal pill into Tang Hao's mouth.
"Instructor Teng."
Teng Long, an instructor of the Eastern Wasteland Academy primary class and a Nascent Soul Realm powerhouse, was known for being exceptionally stern and upright. Having received Tang Hao's distress signal, he had rushed over immediately, but ultimately he had arrived a step too late.
With an extremely gloomy expression, Teng Long had never expected that Tang Hao's Blood Wheel would be directly shattered. This was going to cause massive trouble; after all, Tang Hao's background was somewhat special.
"I just told you to stop. Did you not hear me?"