Chapter 140
Chapter 140
Lu Ming stared at Qin Lan, who stood before him wearing a mocking smile, and deep wariness surged through his eyes.
Mental attackers were the opponents no one wanted to face.
Their attacks were impossible to guard against, and one careless moment could leave a person controlled. They held every advantage even against opponents of the same tier.
Curse energy might cancel curse energy, but if the enemy’s mental power suppressed one’s own, one would still fall at a disadvantage.
“Old Xu got lucky. He actually found himself a fine prospect…”
The wrinkles on Lu Ming’s face twitched. Humiliation crossed his expression, but he ultimately forced down his anger and questioned Qin Lan in a low voice.
“Private fighting is strictly prohibited during the tournament. Aren’t you afraid you’ll be disqualified for breaking the rules?”
It was a threat, but everyone could hear the lack of confidence behind it.
Qin Lan looked surprised. “Huh? I could be disqualified?”
Then his face immediately changed into a wicked grin. “What the hell does that have to do with me? You think I care?”
Lu Ming’s face grew even darker.
At his age, what he feared most was an unpredictable hothead like this.
You spoke to him about rules; he answered, “Because I damn well feel like it.” Most people had weaknesses and left themselves some room when acting… but some stubborn young men genuinely cared about nothing.
Anger one of them, and he truly dared to come after you.
“Besides, when did I attack anyone?” Qin Lan spread his hands and adopted an innocent smile. “I only told him to slap himself. He could’ve chosen not to. I’m not his father.”
“He wanted to listen. How is that my fault?”
Before Lu Ming could respond, Qin Lan smiled and continued.
“But since he’s so obedient… tell me.”
[If I ordered him to die, would he do it?]
[If I ordered him to kill those people beside him, would he do it?]
Qin Lan’s voice was soft, yet it possessed a magic that dragged consciousness into the depths.
When Lu Ming sensed that mental fluctuation again, his face changed drastically.
He turned around. Sure enough, the boy whose face was now swollen from his own slaps struggled even more violently, practically rabid!
He attacked his companions in a frenzy, roaring with bloodshot eyes that held no trace of reason.
“You dare!”
Lu Ming erupted in fury. His tier-four Curse Core vibrated as surging curse energy poured out and washed toward Qin Lan.
He possessed no mental skills and couldn’t directly cancel Qin Lan’s ability. His only option was to attack Qin Lan himself and try to interrupt it.
To his surprise, Qin Lan remained as steady as a mountain beneath the impact of his curse energy, showing no sign of moving.
Instead, Qin Lan yawned.
“What are you doing? It tickles… Keep this up and I’ll report you for sexual harassment.”
A curse energy assault?
First get through my eighty-two points of curse resistance.
Lu Ming’s expression shifted sharply. A vicious light flashed in his eyes as he increased his curse energy output further. He expected Qin Lan to falter, yet still nothing changed.
“Impossible! I’m expending at least seventy-five points of energy per second. No matter how gifted he is, how much energy can a young man with a tier-three Curse Core possibly hold?!”
“Even two hundred or three hundred should have been exhausted by now!”
Lu Ming was utterly shocked.
The difference in curse energy between a tier-three and tier-four Curse Core was like heaven and earth.
Advancing to tier four directly multiplied one’s original energy limit. Beyond that, the accumulation after reaching tier four alone was enough for a tier-four Core to crush a tier-three.
Yet Qin Lan endured for over ten seconds. Even after Lu Ming had consumed nearly half his own curse energy, nothing changed.
He resembled a reef standing amid the waves. No matter how the water scoured him or how fiercely the surf crashed down, he remained immovable.
That was the absolute advantage granted by curse resistance.
Before an attack exceeded that threshold, nothing could shake Qin Lan in the slightest–unless its user’s physical power could suppress him.
But were four base attributes averaging seventy really so easy to suppress?
Behind them, the boy’s roars grew increasingly violent. He had even injured the companions trying to restrain him.
Seeing they were about to lose their grip, Lu Ming’s face twitched. At last, he growled.
“Enough!”
“I admit I was wrong! Make him stop!”
Lu Ming helplessly withdrew his curse energy and was forced to bow his head to Qin Lan.
He might be Skyfeather Academy’s chief professor, and Qin Lan might be a mere youth, but Lu Ming still had no choice but to yield.
He didn’t dare gamble.
If Qin Lan truly was a madman who cared nothing for the consequences and made several students Lu Ming had painstakingly trained slaughter one another, Lu Ming would bear inescapable blame when he returned to the academy.
“You should’ve done that from the start.”
Qin Lan smiled and shifted his gaze to the boy on the verge of losing control. “Hey, that’s enough.”
The instant Qin Lan spoke, the boy froze.
Then, as though every trace of strength had been drained from his body, he collapsed limply, rolled his eyes back, and lost consciousness.
Lu Ming’s expression was hideous. He immediately ordered,
“Take him away! Back to the lounge!”
The other Skyfeather Academy students looked unwilling and glared at Qin Lan with hatred.
“But Professor, he–”
Lu Ming practically roared. “I said, leave!”
The students were furious, but once Professor Lu lost his temper, they had no choice but to obey.
Faced with Qin Lan’s infuriating smile, Lu Ming didn’t want to continue the conflict despite his overflowing rage. He could only grind his teeth, turn, and leave.
“Take care, Professor Lu!”
“See you at the tournament!”
Qin Lan even waved goodbye. His warm enthusiasm made them look like old friends of many years.
Only after everyone from Skyfeather Academy disappeared down the corridor did Qin Lan drop his smile.
“Skyfeather Academy? Hah…”
Xu Minghu approached at that moment.
His old face was covered in a sleazy grin. He poked Qin Lan’s shoulder and asked suggestively,
“Little Qin, were you standing up for me?”
“When did we become that close?”
Speechless, Qin Lan sidestepped away from the nasty old man. “Keep dreaming. You think I was standing up for you?”
“Be grateful I didn’t beat you along with them, you old pervert…”
Xu Minghu retreated in disappointment. “I didn’t even offend you. Why insult me so harshly…?”
Song Lingyan, meanwhile, stood frozen in place with a complicated expression. She seemed to want to say something but felt too embarrassed to speak.
She silently watched Qin Lan’s back, her thoughts in turmoil.
“He had nothing to do with that incident. Why would he still clash with Skyfeather Academy…?”
“He could’ve ignored everything…”
Song Lingyan suddenly thought of something and looked toward Su Xiaoyue.
“Did Xiaoyue tell him what happened?”
At that exact moment, Qin Lan happened to turn. His gaze met Song Lingyan’s.
Those black pupils held three parts cool detachment, three parts unruly freedom, and three parts… I forgot the rest. Use your imagination.
“He really knows! That’s why he acted…”
“But why would he do that?”
Looking into Qin Lan’s “meaningful” eyes, Song Lingyan suddenly felt an indescribable flutter in her heart.
Our man of the hour, Qin Lan, was thinking about something else entirely.
“Heh heh…”
“Skyfeather Academy should spread the news for me now, right?”
“Once the other eight academies all hear what happened… Heh heh, I’ll have a way to get that Pure Heart…”
At the thought of his plan, Qin Lan revealed a smug and infuriating smile.
In Song Lingyan’s eyes, however, his brilliant smile carried a completely different meaning.
“No need to thank me.”
Song Lingyan paused, and a thought arose in her heart.
“He… actually seems rather nice.”
Even she failed to notice the unprecedented emotions quietly emerging within her.