This was the God-Demon Death Seal, which Su Chen had just derived from his comprehension of the Primordial God-Demon Art. Looking at it now, the first God-Demon Death Seal he had mastered was incredibly domineering; he could only imagine how powerful the second, third, or fourth seals would be once he grasped them.
***
Xing Yingxue’s face was dark. She stared at the burly man before her and spat angrily, "Tang Hao, I’ve already told you: I don’t like you. Here are the points; you can take them."
Tang Hao was a broad-shouldered man with a scar running across his resolute face. His hair stood up like sharp spikes, and his piercing eyes remained fixed on the beautiful woman before him. "Yingxue, my dear, I have been pursuing you for an entire year. What exactly is it about me that you don't like? Tell me, and I’ll change it immediately."
He truly couldn't fathom what he was lacking.
He came from a good family, had a decent reputation, 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 possessed the Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel.
If not for Xing Yingxue, he never would have stooped to training at the Eastern Wasteland Academy. He had only come to take advantage of his proximity to her and successfully win her over.
And yet?
A whole year had passed.
He had tried countless methods, but he had never managed to move her.
"I have already said it countless times: I don’t like you. Why must you keep pestering me?"
"Yingxue, my dear, I promise that if you agree to marry me, my Tang Clan will fully support you in regaining the recognition of your own clan. How about that?"
"Shut up! I am who I am, and they are they. They have nothing to do with me!"
The mention of her family seemed to strike a nerve; Xing Yingxue roared with a frantic rage.
Tang Hao sighed deeply and said helplessly, "I will accompany you across the Eastern Wasteland to see if we can find a way to change your Blood Wheel."
"Tang Hao, I can tell you right now: I don't like you. Please stop pestering me from now on."
Having been rejected repeatedly, Tang Hao’s fury reached a breaking point. He had already sacrificed so much for Xing Yingxue, yet she still pushed him away.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He could no longer control himself and said coldly, "Hmph! Xing Yingxue, I have my limits. Since you refuse to accept a favor, don’t blame me for being forceful. Once I’ve had my way with you, I’d like to see if you can still reject me like this."
Upon hearing this, Xing Yingxue’s face drained of color.
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Why wouldn't I?"
Tang Hao seemed like a different person. He had only disguised himself while pursuing her because he was from the Tang Clan and had been forced to humble himself for her sake, only to be met with constant rejection.
"The power of my Tang Clan is on par with your Xing Clan. Furthermore, no one in your clan cares about your existence. The Xing Clan’s pride is their Golden Sparrow Blood Wheel, yet you awakened a Partridge Blood Wheel. Even if I take you by force, the Xing Clan won't offend the Tang Clan just for you."
"Aren't you afraid of the Academy?"
"Not at all." Tang Hao smiled. "History is written by the victors. When the time comes, I’ll just tell the Academy that you were trying to latch onto the Tang Clan and deliberately seduced me. Who do you think the Academy will believe—you or me?"
"You're shameless."
"It doesn't matter."
Since he couldn't win her over, he would make her his by force. Tang Hao was unwilling to wait any longer. He had given her enough time and face; it was Xing Yingxue who had refused to cooperate, so he could not be blamed.
Watching Tang Hao step toward her, Xing Yingxue’s face was filled with despair. She clenched her fists, ready to take her own life. Even if she died here, she would not allow Tang Hao to defile her. A man with a human face and a beast’s heart—it was fortunate she hadn't promised herself to him.
"Xing Yingxue, don't think that just because you come from the Xing Clan, you'll receive special treatment at the Eastern Wasteland Academy. You’re just a cultivation failure; otherwise, you wouldn't have been stuck in the worst primary class all this time."
"You’re from Class 22?"
A surprised voice suddenly rang out.
"Who’s there? Get out here!"
Su Chen walked out slowly. He was just passing by and hadn't intended to intervene; it had nothing to do with him, and he had been planning to wait for them to finish their private business before stepping in to snatch their points.
He never expected that this so-called Xing Yingxue was actually from his own class—the worst primary class in the Academy.
"Yes, I’m from Class 22. My name is Xing Yingxue."
Su Chen walked up to Xing Yingxue, completely ignoring Tang Hao. He smiled and said, "I just joined the Eastern Wasteland Academy and I’m also a student in Class 22. Is the Senior Sister in trouble? Do you need my help?"
Of course she needed help, but looking at Tang Hao, Xing Yingxue didn't know how to speak. Tang Hao’s strength was clear: he was at the Peak Foundation Establishment Realm and possessed the Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel. Not to mention a student from Class 22, there wasn't a single person in the entire primary class who was Tang Hao’s match.
Being ignored—and by someone from Class 22, the worst class in the entire Eastern Wasteland Academy, where everyone knew the students were cultivation failures abandoned by the school—made Tang Hao furious.
To think a piece of trash like this dared to ignore him. He truly didn't know the meaning of death.
An enraged Tang Hao said coldly, "Brat, I don't care who you are. Get out of my sight immediately. If this weren't the Eastern Wasteland Academy, I’d take your life."
Stifling his endless anger, Tang Hao—despite hailing from the Tang Clan—didn't dare to strike randomly. This was the Eastern Wasteland Academy, the top power in the entire region; no clan or sect dared to provoke it recklessly.
The Submerged Dragon Competition had a clear rule: no deaths were permitted under any circumstances. If the Academy decided to execute him, he believed even the Tang Clan wouldn't dare to protest.
Looking at Xing Yingxue, Su Chen understood her concerns. She was simply afraid that he would get hurt by Tang Hao. He nodded and said, "You can bully others if you want; no matter how shameless or disgusting you are, I won't meddle in other people's business. But the people of Class 22—I, Su Chen, will protect them."
"Just you?"
Tang Hao found it truly laughable. A piece of trash from the worst class dared to be so arrogant before him. He couldn't understand what gave this person such courage.
"Just a piece of trash. Today, I’d like to see how you play the hero. As long as you can last three moves against me, I’ll let you take her and leave."
"Junior Brother Su, be careful! He’s from Class 1, at the Peak Foundation Establishment Realm, and possesses the Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel."
Whether he was at the Peak Foundation Establishment Realm or not didn't matter to Su Chen. He had even killed those in the Void Pill Realm, let alone the Foundation Establishment Realm.
He was only surprised by the Blood Wheel Tang Hao possessed. Back at the Su Clan, he had heard 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 supposedly possessed the Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel. It was an incredibly domineering, power-based Blood Wheel. He hadn't expected to run into someone from the Tang Clan at the Eastern Wasteland Academy.
His eyes lit up. Su Chen wanted to see just how domineering the top Blood Wheels of the Eastern Wasteland truly were.
"Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel? Then I’ll have to test it."
As soon as he finished speaking, his Blood Wheel manifested above his head, containing an illusory sword shadow. Accompanied by a sword hum, a sharp and domineering sword energy roared from the Blood Wheel.
"Level 8 Foundation Establishment Realm!"
Xing Yingxue gasped. Even Tang Hao was surprised, as a Level 8 Foundation Establishment martial artist should have been unable to enter the worst primary class.
Tang Hao, however, smiled scornfully. Provoking him with a Level 8 Foundation Establishment Realm was not enough.
"Brat, today I’ll show you just how vast the gap between us really is."
His own Blood Wheel manifested above his head, featuring a hammer engraved with a Qilin pattern. Low, guttural roars emanated from it.
One sword, one hammer. The sword energy and the hammer’s force collided violently in mid-air, neither willing to yield an inch, as if intent on destroying the other completely.
"Brat, do you dare to sign a life-and-death pact with me and engage in a life-and-death battle?"
"Junior Brother Su, you must not!"
Xing Yingxue said anxiously. She understood what Tang Hao meant. The Submerged Dragon Competition did not allow for deaths, but there were exceptions to everything.
This exception was the life-and-death pact.
Whether within the Academy or during the competition, disputes were inevitable. If the grievances could not be resolved and the Academy could not stop it, students could sign a life-and-death pact to conduct a "life-and-death battle."
In such a battle, one’s life was left to fate. No matter who lived or died, the Academy would not intervene. It was a true battle to the death.
***
Xing Yingxue was anxious and worried, terrified that Junior Brother Su would agree to Tang Hao’s challenge.
Once a life-and-death pact was signed, even if Tang Hao killed Su Chen, the Academy would not intervene; that was the rule.
Because of this, no one was willing to sign such a pact unless there was a life-and-death grievance.
Su Chen nodded and smiled. "I’d be happy to oblige."
As soon as he spoke, both of them forced out a drop of essence blood. The drops merged in mid-air, forming a strange power—the life-and-death pact.
The moment the pact was signed, both erupted with a powerful, domineering aura, their respective Blood Wheels roaring toward the sky.
Tang Hao’s cold eyes were filled with murderous intent. He didn't take Su Chen seriously at all. So what if Su Chen was at the Level 8 Foundation Establishment Realm? There was a gap of two levels, and he possessed the Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel.
They both moved simultaneously, piercing through the space between them and colliding violently.
Su Chen did not dare to be careless. He knew that just because he could defeat someone in the Void Pill Realm did not mean he could suppress every single Foundation Establishment martial artist. Some monstrous talents might not be inferior to him at all.
This was the Eastern Wasteland Academy; he would certainly not let it be known that he possessed three Blood Wheels.
Tang Hao summoned his Qilin Hammer, expanding it to several dozen feet, and smashed it toward Su Chen. The Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel was power-based, and this was its most direct attack.
"Junior Brother Su, be careful!"
Su Chen channeled his Nine Tribulations Sword Technique into his Sword Blood Wheel. A black-red sword shadow appeared in his hand and struck out toward Tang Hao.
Sword and hammer collided, sending shockwaves in every direction. The ground could not withstand the impact and began to shatter inch by inch.
Both retreated. Su Chen only stepped back once, but Tang Hao was forced back six or seven steps. His eyes were wide with shock; he never expected Su Chen to take the blow head-on.
He was full of confidence in his own strength. He could not only sweep through his peers but also defeat enemies of higher levels. With the Qilin Hammer, he could even defeat a Level 4 Void Pill Realm expert.
And yet?
Having retreated multiple times, he had technically lost the first exchange, but he was unwilling to admit it.
"Let me show you the Qilin Hammer Technique of my Tang Clan."
He vanished like a ghost, his Qilin Hammer swinging violently again. One hammer strike after another—the falling hammer shadows were like a torrential downpour.
"My body is a sword!"
Su Chen stood still, his sword moving in place. Dense, domineering sword energy formed a protective dome.
*Bang!*
*Bang, bang!*
The sharp, domineering hammer shadows relentlessly hammered against the sword dome, increasing in speed.
Xing Yingxue clenched her fists, watching the scene with dread. Junior Brother Su must not be harmed, or she would never be at peace in this life. She would be burdened by guilt forever.
But she couldn't intervene; her strength wasn't enough to contend with Tang Hao. She could only hope Junior Brother Su would win.
"Brat, let’s see how many of my strikes you can withstand!"
Like a sandstorm, the dense hammer shadows enveloped the sword dome. Su Chen’s figure was no longer visible; only Tang Hao, swinging his Qilin Hammer back and forth, could be seen.
The violent collision was like the mixing of water and fire; the resulting shockwaves nearly blew Xing Yingxue away.
*Pfft!*
She spat out a mouthful of blood, her pale face twisted in pain. Her cultivation was too low to withstand such terrifying ripples.
As the battle escalated and he failed to hammer Su Chen to death, Tang Hao’s expression turned increasingly gloomy, his icy gaze fixed on the spot covered by his hammer shadows.
He pushed the Qilin Hammer Technique to its limit—there were eighty-one strikes in total. Gritting his teeth, he swung continuously. When he reached the eighty-first strike, the sword dome began to emit a buzzing sound. The more it happened, the more anxious Tang Hao became, as dragging it out was disadvantageous to him.
He couldn't accept this. His talent was peerless among his generation, and he possessed one of the top Blood Wheels in the Eastern Wasteland. He should have been able to hammer a piece of trash from the Academy’s worst class to death.
Now? He couldn't suppress him. This was an utter disgrace.
Stifling the waves of weakness in his body, Xing Yingxue held her breath, watching the life-and-death battle with worry. According to the current situation, Junior Brother Su was clearly at a disadvantage. If this continued, he would be in big trouble.
What to do?
Blood seeped from Tang Hao’s mouth, his face deathly pale. Forcing the eighty-one strikes of the Qilin Hammer took a massive toll on him. He had to end this quickly, or he would die from the backlash before he could even kill his opponent.
"Eighty-one strikes, hammer the heavens and the earth—break for me!"
All the hammer shadows merged into one massive shadow, smashing down toward the sword dome.
*Boom!*
The sword dome cracked like a giant spiderweb. But the moment the dome shattered, Tang Hao also spat out a mouthful of blood, his body flying backward and slamming into a large tree, which snapped upon impact.
Su Chen also slowly bled from the corner of his mouth. A domineering Blood Wheel, indeed, especially when paired with the Qilin Hammer Technique; the power of eighty-one strikes stacked was enough to cause him minor injuries.
"Your Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel is not bad. Your attack is over; now, it’s my turn."
Tang Hao’s face was as dark as could be. He couldn't accept the reality of the situation; Su Chen’s defense had made him tremble. Even after eighty-one strikes, he hadn't managed to hammer him to death.
Could he withstand Su Chen’s Sword Blood Wheel?
If it were before, he would have had full confidence, but now, the situation was completely different. He had no confidence at all.
They had signed a life-and-death pact. Even if he died here, the Academy would not blame Su Chen if they found out. And as for the Tang Clan taking revenge later? So what if they did? He would already be dead.
Thinking of this, the terrified Tang Hao dared not linger. He turned and ran. As long as he could survive and leave the Academy, he wouldn't fear this person even with the pact.
Su Chen was faster than Tang Hao, appearing before him in an instant.
"You haven't taken my sword strike yet."
"I am from the Tang Clan."
"So what?"
Not even the Tang Clan could intimidate this man. Tang Hao’s face darkened further. He clutched his identity token, his soul ready to pour into it; as long as he triggered the special power within, the teachers of the Eastern Wasteland Academy would descend instantly.
***
At this moment, Tang Hao was terrified. He could not die here under any circumstances.
If a life-and-death pact hadn't been signed, he believed Su Chen would never dare to kill him. After all, the Academy’s rules were absolute. But now, everything was different.
Sensing the cold murderous intent Su Chen released, Tang Hao’s expression changed abruptly. His soul had already poured into his identity token, touching the special power inside.
"Su Chen, even if there is a life-and-death pact, this is still the Submerged Dragon Competition. If you kill me, the Academy will hold you responsible!"
Too much nonsense.
Su Chen didn't hesitate. Since they had already signed the pact, it didn't matter if the Academy knew. In the face of a life-and-death battle, even the Academy wouldn't intervene.
Taking a step forward, Su Chen used his finger as a sword, channeling the Nine Tribulations Sword Technique. The domineering power of his Blood Wheel merged with the technique, and streaks of icy, sharp sword energy shot out.
"You wouldn't dare!"
A threat? Su Chen didn't care at all.
Watching the sword energy approach, Tang Hao, left with no other choice, clutched his Qilin Hammer and swung it out desperately. As long as he could hold out until a teacher arrived, he would be safe.
"Stop!"
An urgent voice echoed from afar, and a massive, domineering aura rolled in—a teacher from the Eastern Wasteland Academy had arrived.
Tang Hao was delighted. He sneered, "Su Chen, if you want to kill me, you'll have to wait for your next life."
*Bang!*
Before Tang Hao could finish his taunt, the dense, domineering sword energy struck the Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel repeatedly.
This time, Su Chen did not show the slightest mercy. The sheer power of the sword energy was something Tang Hao could not withstand; even his Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel shattered instantly.
Accompanied by a shrill, pig-like scream, Tang Hao’s body flew backward and slammed into the ground. Blood stained his chest, and the Qilin Hammer Blood Wheel hovering above him collapsed like shattered glass.
A figure materialized instantly—a man six-foot-three with a square face and small eyes. He immediately shoved a pill into Tang Hao’s mouth.
"Teacher Teng."
Teng Long, a teacher for the primary class at the Eastern Wasteland Academy, was a Nascent Soul Realm expert known for being stern and upright. Having been summoned by Tang Hao’s power, he had arrived, but ultimately, he was one step too late.
With a dark expression, Teng Long hadn't expected Tang Hao’s Blood Wheel to be shattered directly. This was a huge problem; Tang Hao’s identity was somewhat special.
"I told you to stop. Did you not hear me?"