Silence, Indeed, Resembles a Master

As the other students made their way toward the Trial Valley, Li Kaiyun anxiously inquired of the three individuals beside him, "Do you truly believe in Lin Xi's ability to win?"

"He should be able to win, right?"

"Most likely."

"He can win."

"…" Li Kaiyun was taken aback by the unanimous agreement of Tang Ke, Bian Linghan, and Hua Jiyue regarding this matter, as if he alone harbored doubts about Lin Xi's capabilities.

"Why?" He could not help but whisper to Tang Ke, Bian Linghan, and Hua Jiyue.

Tang Ke exuded a humble and cautious demeanor, akin to a recently tamed lone wolf, capable of revealing his inherent ferocity if provoked. 

Bian Linghan was gentle and submissive, possessing a mild temperament, while Hua Jiyue, with her straightforward nature, was more audacious than many men; had physical confrontations been permitted at the academy, she would likely have been the first to confront Qiu Lu.

It was perplexing that these three individuals, each with such contrasting personalities, would arrive at the same conclusion. Particularly, Hua Jiyue, known for her candidness, would never utter insincere words for the sake of friendship, leaving Li Kaiyun bewildered.

"I do not believe in him; I trust in the professors of the academy." Tang Ke lowered his voice, casting a glance at Lin Xi ahead. "Professor An has taught him a great deal. I observed last night that the knowledge imparted by Professor An in just a few days could rival my years of practical experience… If he happens to find a suitable weapon, defeating Qiu Lu should not pose a problem."

"Do you consider Ling Du to be a person of power? What about the provincial governor?" Hua Jiyue retorted, sensing Li Kaiyun's unease.

Li Kaiyun hesitated. "Of course."

"There are those above the powerful, who submit to their will… Their intentions are akin to those of dogs. Are not all powerful individuals merely serving the current emperor? If he dares to utter such words and commands so many instructors to mobilize for the duel of two newcomers, even if he is just an instructor… he is certainly no ordinary one. The fact that he seems to favor Lin Xi, combined with Tang Ke's assertion of having witnessed Lin Xi's strength, leaves me with no reason to doubt," Hua Jiyue gestured towards the front.

Li Kaiyun's eyes widened in surprise as he spotted at least seven instructors clad in black robes emerging from the Trial Valley, standing solemnly and preparing to arrange the students' entry in groups.

How many instructors had the academy mobilized for the grand trial by Lingxia Lake? 

Moreover, the duel between two newcomers… indeed, it was a matter too trivial to warrant such attention.

"And you?" Li Kaiyun opened his mouth, at a loss for words, and turned to Bian Linghan beside him.

"Teacher Tong has mentioned that Lin Xi is considered his personal disciple, and if he were to lose, it would be quite embarrassing for him… Since he has allowed Lin Xi to participate, it is clear he believes Lin Xi is unlikely to tarnish his reputation." This was Bian Linghan's true sentiment, yet she could not disclose to Li Kaiyun that she and Lin Xi were undergoing special training as Windwalkers. Thus, she merely nodded slightly towards the elderly figure in the worn black robe, Luo Houyuan, and said, "I, too, believe in their judgment."

"Lin Xi, please don't fight! You've hardly trained for a few days; how could you possibly win… We are all good classmates; harmony brings prosperity!"

Just as Li Kaiyun felt that he was the only one lacking foresight among Lin Xi's friends, someone hurriedly approached from behind, calling out loudly without grasping the situation.

"Pfft!" 

Upon turning to see the person, Lin Xi couldn't help but laugh. "Meng Bai, you've gained weight again."

Meng Bai, noticeably rounder, was followed closely by two students from the Engineering Department clad in red robes. One, with a composed demeanor, was Lin Xi's other friend, Zhang Ping, while the other, slender and youthful yet appearing stubbornly silent, was Zhou Zhou, who had come to express his gratitude after Lin Xi's rescue.

...

A plume of smoke erupted from the Trial Valley.

Bian Linghan, adorned in silver and black armor, observed the other black-armored students around her, all of whom bore marks on their chests obscured by a black liquid applied by the instructors. She finally comprehended why Luo Houyuan had asserted that everyone would be able to witness the decisive battle between Lin Xi and Qiu Lu.

The area where the smoke billowed was a complex terrain of thickets, streams, and scattered rocks. All the other students had gathered on a cliffside adjacent to this slope, offering a clear vantage point to observe the unfolding events.

Ten minutes prior, Lin Xi and Qiu Lu had already entered the Trial Valley, and they were now poised to emerge within everyone's sight.

Two dark figures appeared almost simultaneously before the students on the cliff.

These two black-armored warriors, racing through the woods, could not yet see one another, yet the students on the cliff had a clear view.

"Though it's merely a kitchen knife, at least it's still a knife," Tang Ke remarked, her expression softening behind her silver mask. Now that everyone could see Lin Xi and Qiu Lu had arrived, the black liquid obscuring their chest marks rendered their identities unclear. However, Tang Ke recognized Lin Xi by the bandages wrapped around his hand.

The most common weapons among the border army included three types of blades: a long-handled sabre, the thick-backed black longsword Lin Xi had brought to the academy, and a shorter waist knife. The waist knife, typically used in close-quarters combat amid a throng of soldiers, was colloquially referred to as a kitchen knife.

The short blade Lin Xi wielded was precisely that.

In contrast, Qiu Lu held a black long spear—the Black Flower Spear!

"I am Qiu Lu!" 

As the two black-armored warriors emerged from the woods and caught sight of each other, Qiu Lu brandished the Black Flower Spear, creating a beautiful flourish, and with an air of arrogance declared his identity.

"Tang Ke, Li Kaiyun, are you truly certain that Lin Xi can win?" 

Meng Bai, seeing the disproportionate short knife in Lin Xi's hand compared to the long spear, felt a twinge of dread.

"Black Flower?" 

Upon his first glimpse of Qiu Lu wielding the Black Flower Spear, Lin Xi was momentarily taken aback, a peculiar thought crossing his mind: Could Qiu Lu be the opponent marked with the rose emblem on his chest? 

If so, then Qiu Lu was surely destined to face defeat.

He had already triumphed over this Black Flower Spear once before, and although this "kitchen knife" was slightly shorter than the border army's black longsword, he had become quite adept with it during their previous encounter amidst the spear formations.

However, he overlooked one detail—the list on the announcement board did not include the opponent marked with the rose.

At that moment, Jiang Xiaoyi, her chest mark obscured, was also observing Lin Xi and Qiu Lu from the cliff.

Upon recognizing the weapon in Lin Xi's grasp, Qiu Lu thought to himself, "Lin Xi, you truly have no luck, even failing to procure a decent weapon." The corners of his lips curled into a smirk behind his silver mask as he coldly taunted Lin Xi, "You will die a most disgraceful death today."

Yet, in response to Qiu Lu's brazen provocation, Lin Xi emerged from the woods without uttering a word, merely coldly gripping his knife and continuing to advance leisurely.

"What's this? Where is your usual sharp tongue?" Qiu Lu held the spear with one hand, adopting a standard single whip stance. "Are you so frightened that you've wet yourself?"

Lin Xi remained silent, steadily advancing toward him.

Qiu Lu's brow twitched, his voice lowering, "If you plead with me, I may spare you from a particularly humiliating defeat."

But Lin Xi continued to remain silent, his steps unwavering.

A collective gasp echoed among the onlookers, as Lin Xi's silence projected an aura of chilling resolve and determination.

A sudden chill coursed through Qiu Lu's heart; he found himself unable to voice his thoughts, and his spear tip trembled involuntarily.

"Teacher… it seems you were indeed correct; silence renders one even colder, more formidable, resembling a true master… instilling fear in the opponent," Lin Xi observed the tremor at the spear's tip and inhaled sharply, propelling his entire body forward with fierce intensity toward Qiu Lu!

"Bang!"

A small puddle between Qiu Lu and Lin Xi splashed under Lin Xi's forceful step, sending a spray of murky water flying. In that instant, Lin Xi's left hand swung out; his initial strike was not with the knife but rather with a sharp stone, roughly the size of a fist, hidden in his grasp.

"Hiss!"

Jiang Xiaoyi drew in a sharp breath behind her silver mask, her eyes widening at the sight of Lin Xi's action.

Qiu Lu instinctively stepped back, sidestepping the stone hurled by Lin Xi. Simultaneously, drawing upon his extensive training in spear techniques, he retaliated. The Black Flower Spear fell momentarily, only to spring back like a venomous serpent, lunging toward Lin Xi's chin!

As Lin Xi recognized the swiftly approaching black spear tip, an overwhelming sense of familiarity washed over him, reminiscent of evading the pitch-black spear within the shadowy stone hall. He planted his left foot firmly, twisting his body with remarkable speed to sidestep, and with a muffled thud, his short knife struck the shaft of the Black Flower Spear. As it deflected, the knife flew through the air like a tile skimming across water, directly slicing into Qiu Lu's chest!

"Bang!"

A deep, resonant sound reverberated, causing everyone's hearts to leap.

Particularly, Jiang Xiaoyi and Liu Ziyu gasped audibly.

Jiang Xiaoyi felt a sense of déjà vu from the shadow of that knife, while Liu Ziyu and others gasped in shock, as Lin Xi's agility in that moment mirrored that of a nimble cat wielding a knife, crashing directly into Qiu Lu's embrace!