Once the competition format was finalized, Su Qing had no objections and was quite satisfied to receive a bag of magic crystals.

It's very valuable!

The deans in the room then took their leave one after another, presumably to go back and instruct their students to prepare well for the upcoming competition.

They may even form alliances behind the scenes.

At least, Su Qing was visited as soon as she returned to the accommodations that had been arranged for her.

It also belongs to a newly established college called Qinghe.

The dean of Qinghe Academy is a very young and refined man.

He greeted Su Qing with a smile, and Su Qing returned the greeting with a cupped-back bow.

"Dean Qinghe, what brings you here?"

Concise and to the point.

As emerging colleges that are also challenging established colleges, there is room for cooperation between the two, but it is not necessary.

In reality, the two sides are still competitors in terms of the nature of the competition.

"Of course, it's to discuss cooperation with the lord!"

The scholarly-looking young man spoke eloquently: "My lord may not know, but the upcoming duel will not actually be fair!"

His eyes flickered: "In previous academy competitions, Xinxing Academy always suffered in various ways. In terms of the draw, those three old guys would definitely rig it, but it wouldn't be too obvious. Besides that, there are also issues with the referees!"

“In the past, there were only one or two emerging academies, and they didn’t dare to say anything, nor did they have the strength to do so. Now that the four of us are in an alliance, our voice should be stronger. I hope that if any issues arise regarding refereeing decisions, Lord, you will stand by us and help us!”

Su Qing understood what he wanted to do. There would definitely be issues with the referees. Those established academies had close ties with those three higher academies. In fact, it could be said that those established academies were divided into three factions, each following one of the higher academies.

And those referees are from these three prestigious colleges, so they'll definitely side with their own people.

However, he wasn't interested in any of that. The only thing the referee could influence was a match between evenly matched opponents. If it was a complete rout, would these bastards dare to lie through their teeth?

If you dare to do that, he won't hold back!

"No problem, no problem!"

Su Qing smiled and agreed, then suddenly changed the subject: "I wonder if Dean Qinghe would be interested in working under me? I'd gladly offer you the position of vice dean of the Scholarly Family Academy."

The young man, with his scholarly air, stiffened slightly for a moment, but quickly regained his composure.

"Your Excellency is too kind. I am not capable enough to disturb you further. I have to go to two other academies to discuss alliances and cooperation. Farewell!"

What's going on? I want to be friends with you, and you're trying to take advantage of me? Please stop messing with me!

The young man took his leave, and Su Qing shook his head regretfully. But it didn't matter; this time, he was determined to eliminate at least four academies, and he was very much looking forward to it.

He can take on deans, teachers, and students alike, and he won't discriminate based on whether they are secondhand or not. As long as they provide value, Su Qing says he will treat them all equally.

He called the students over and had them stand in a row in front of him. Their previously worn-out clothes had been replaced with brand-new ones.

Although it's not worth much money, getting something for free always makes you feel good.

Are you confident about the upcoming competition?

A glance at their faces revealed that none of them were expressionless, showing not a trace of tension.

"Don't worry, Principal!"

Are you confident? Of course!

The various trials along the way were no joke. The combat experience and skill refinement brought all ten of them to a terrifying level of strength within their respective realms.

"Then go back and get some rest, and prepare for the big competition in three days!"

Su Qing abandoned the idea of ​​letting these guys take advantage of their free time to work and earn some money, worried that if he did, the students' mentality would explode.

...

Inside the city lord's mansion, after everyone else had left, leaving only the three people in the main seats, a slight silence fell, which was soon broken.

"We cannot allow that giant dragon to qualify for this competition!"

His opening remarks set the tone for the meeting: even if the other colleges were to make an exception, they absolutely could not allow this so-called "academy of scholarly families" to become one of the 32 institutions of higher learning.

The other two nodded in agreement: "We'll gather the participants in a bit, sort them out, identify the strongest ones, and figure out a way to face off against that dragon's students!"

"The strongest students should all come from our three academies, right?"

"Then why don't we have a competition to see who can eliminate more of that dragon's students?"

"Ha ha!"

The room was instantly filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

The next two days were peaceful until the third day when two groups of people arrived in Gaosuo City.

Unexpected, yet perfectly logical!

The traces of temples and the Papacy are found all over the land, and their influence extends to this remote little place in the northwestern kingdoms.

Standing on the east and west sides, there is a shrine and a church respectively.

They are naturally invited to each academy competition to serve as two witnesses.

At the eastern city gate, a strangely dressed priest, holding a staff, solemnly rode a white-maned lion into the city.

At the western city gate, on a snow-white winged horse, a bishop in red robes praises the glory of God.

The two met on the inner city streets and behaved quite amicably, exchanging greetings, though they were all from their own families.

With nothing to do, Su Qing often scanned the entire city to uncover the secrets of some people. He also noticed this scene when he was extorting money from a few wealthy people.

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