The Unexpected Challenge

Chapter 21: The Unexpected Challenge

“Teacher, I want to challenge you!” Feiluo angled the tip of her sword towards the Battle Arts Teacher, issuing her challenge.

“You… want to challenge me?” The Battle Arts Teacher was momentarily stunned.

“That’s right!” Feiluo nodded, her tone firm.

‘If I can defeat the Battle Arts Teacher, if I can prove that my strength doesn’t require these basic exercises, then surely the Battle Arts Teacher won’t bother me about slacking off anymore!’

This was the brilliant idea that had just struck her.

Upon hearing Feiluo’s resolute answer, the Battle Arts Teacher’s expression shifted to surprise. A few disciples nearby, drawn by the commotion, also collectively wore looks of astonishment.

None of them had anticipated Feiluo would suddenly decide to challenge the Battle Arts Teacher.

It was widely known that Feiluo’s battle arts proficiency, far from being masterful, was more akin to a ‘fancy but hollow pillow’—someone who looks good but lacks substance or skill. To challenge the Battle Arts Teacher, there could essentially be only one outcome: getting soundly defeated.

‘Hiss… thinking about it, that actually sounds quite good.’ Many senior and junior sisters with vivid imaginations had already begun to fantasize. They pictured Feiluo, defeated, sitting dejectedly on the ground, her small hands constantly wiping away tears streaming from her reddened eyes, her cheeks flushed with a charming blush from crying, her delicate face filled with unwillingness and sorrow.

At the mere thought of such a heart-fluttering scene, the faces of those senior and junior sisters flushed with excitement, and some had even produced recording stones, their gazes fixed on Feiluo with eager anticipation, longing for that moment to arrive.

Feiluo, naturally, was unaware that her senior and junior sisters were already imagining her post-defeat appearance, with some even preparing to record the scene. Of course, if she had known, she would undoubtedly have cursed them as perverts, glaring at them with disdain to keep them from approaching, before swiftly distancing herself.

‘Hmm… it’s also possible that would only make them more excited.’

“Ahem, back to the present.”

“Teacher, do you agree to accept my challenge?” Feiluo fixed her gaze on the Battle Arts Teacher before her, striving to maintain a serious expression, hoping the teacher wouldn’t dismiss her challenge as mere child’s play.

Although her challenge wasn’t purely motivated, serving instead as a means to better slack off, she still hoped the Battle Arts Teacher would take it seriously. After all, being treated as a loli’s playful whim would be far too embarrassing, a true blow to her dignity.

The Battle Arts Teacher watched Feiluo, whose small face was taut as she earnestly attempted to appear solemn, and felt a slight urge to smile. It wasn’t that she didn’t take Feiluo’s challenge seriously; quite the opposite, she regarded this challenge with considerable importance.

The very fact that Feiluo dared to issue a challenge to her was already highly gratifying. It was crucial to understand that in battle, often what was most needed was not superior combat technique, but rather the courage to face an opponent. Battle arts proficiency could always be practiced and refined, but courage, that elusive quality, was much harder to cultivate.

Therefore, whether acting as a teacher guiding a student or acknowledging Feiluo’s audacious courage in issuing the challenge, she would only take this challenge seriously, never mocking Feiluo for overestimating her own abilities.

The reason she felt an inclination to smile was simply that Feiluo’s expression was too adorable; her endearing, soft, and sweet little face, forcibly trying to project an air of solemn dignity, was utterly comical and charming, evoking a sense of ‘silly fluffiness.’

The Battle Arts Teacher suppressed the amusement bubbling within her and spoke with a solemn expression: “I agree. I will take this battle seriously.”

Having spoken, she formed a hand seal with her right hand, casting a spell.

“Rumble!”

The next moment, a patch of open ground not far away suddenly rose, enveloped by an invisible, faint blue light membrane, and a small arena was conjured forth by the Battle Arts Teacher.

The Battle Arts Teacher leaped up, directly landing on the arena platform from her original spot. She turned, first surveying the other spectating disciples, then shifted her gaze to Feiluo, stating gravely: “I will suppress my cultivation realm to be on par with yours, and this time, we will only compete in battle arts, with no other skills involved.”

Feiluo nodded, taking a step, intending to enter the arena.

Just as she walked past the spectating senior and junior sisters, someone suddenly tugged at her sleeve, and then Yiwu’s voice reached her ears: “Junior Sister Fei, are you sure you want to compete with the Battle Arts Teacher? She’s the teacher for battle arts class, you know! Even if she suppresses her cultivation realm to be the same as yours, and even if we only compete in battle arts, she’s not someone disciples like us can easily defeat!”

Feiluo’s advancing steps halted.

Seeing Feiluo stop, Yiwu assumed she was pondering her words and continued:

“Moreover, teachers who instruct in battle arts are usually martial arts fanatics whose minds are consumed by training; they won’t show you any special tenderness just because you’re a girl! If you compete with her, there’s a real possibility she’ll make you cry! And I mean the really, really sad kind of crying!”

‘So why is everyone so certain I’ll cry!’ Feiluo’s brow furrowed with annoyance.

She gently pulled away from Yiwu’s hand gripping her sleeve and said softly: “Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister, but please rest assured. I am very strong; I will definitely win!”

‘After all, I, Feiluo, have been the Sacred Land’s chief disciple!’

‘I fought my way through numerous disciples to become the Sacred Land’s chief disciple!’

‘Though I never managed to break Moxi’s defense back then, that was due to an immense gap in our cultivation realms!’

‘If they have the guts to suppress Moxi to my realm, they’d see me beat her so thoroughly she’d meekly warm my bed tonight!’

‘I, Feiluo, possess formidable combat power!’

At this moment, Feiluo radiated confidence like a small sun, even infecting Yiwu, who had been worried about her.

‘It seems Junior Sister Fei might not be incapable of winning after all.’ As Feiluo’s retreating figure faded into the distance, this thought abruptly surfaced in Yiwu’s mind.

Then, she found herself slightly amused by the idea.

‘How could that be? That’s Feiluo, who slacks off in class every day.’

‘I even suspect Feiluo has never seriously listened or practiced during battle arts class.’

‘After all, failing the exam wasn’t just handed out arbitrarily.’

“Alas, I should probably start thinking about how to comfort Junior Sister Fei later,” Yiwu sighed. “Being beaten to tears in front of so many people, losing all dignity coupled with physical pain, will surely make her cry for a long time. A few lollipops probably won’t be enough to console her; perhaps I should prepare some strawberry cakes instead.”

Leaving Yiwu to order strawberry cakes, Feiluo, at this very moment, stepped onto the arena platform.

Seeing Feiluo now before her, the Battle Arts Teacher raised a hand, and a longsword from the weapon rack flew into her grasp. Addressing Feiluo, who had assumed a stance ready to attack, she said: “Feiluo, you may take the first move. I will point out any deficiencies in your attacks.”

While she took this spar seriously, she hadn’t forgotten her role as a teacher; her primary goal wasn’t merely to fight, but to instruct Feiluo and help her improve her battle arts.

“Alright.” Feiluo didn’t decline; after all, given the choice to make the first move, who would prefer to react?

Pushing off the ground with the tip of her foot, she exerted a sudden burst of power from her leg, appearing before the Battle Arts Teacher in the blink of an eye. The longsword in her hand danced according to Feiluo’s will, and with it, she executed a swift and precise thrust.

“Wh—” The Battle Arts Teacher’s pupils constricted, seemingly astonished by Feiluo’s incredible speed.

Before she could react to Feiluo’s sudden lunge, the fierce thrust was already bearing down on her face. Without a moment to spare, the Battle Arts Teacher raised her hand, attempting to block the attack.

“Clang!”

A sound of clashing metal echoed throughout the arena.

Feiluo’s direct thrust struck the Battle Arts Teacher’s sword.

The Battle Arts Teacher’s forehead beaded with cold sweat, her eyes wide with shock. In that critical, split-second moment, it was solely due to her extensive combat experience that she barely managed to parry the thrust. Had it been any of the disciples below the stage, they would likely have been defeated by Feiluo with just that single move.

‘What in the world is going on with this little one? How can she be so fast, and her moves so fierce?’

The Battle Arts Teacher desperately wanted to ponder the situation, but Feiluo was not about to grant her that opportunity.

Almost the instant her thrust was parried, Feiluo fluidly transitioned from a stab to a lift, her sword edge sliding smoothly to flick the Battle Arts Teacher’s longsword upwards from beneath.

‘This is bad!’ Even as Feiluo’s initial thrust maintained its momentum and her sword edge continued to move, the Battle Arts Teacher knew Feiluo’s attack was far from over.

Yet, Feiluo’s sword speed was too swift, her change of moves too seamless; she found herself unable to formulate any counter.

She could only watch helplessly as Feiluo flicked up her longsword, and then Feiluo’s three-foot blade was poised against her neck.

The Battle Arts Teacher stood frozen in place, seemingly still immersed in the memory of that swift, changing maneuver, unable to snap back to reality for a long while.

Feiluo retracted the longsword in her hand and bowed to the Battle Arts Teacher, saying:

“I accept your concession, Teacher.”