"Eighteenth Elder, it's not that I wanted to fight him," Lu Fan quickly explained. "He wanted to fight me, and I was forced into it!"
Chu Tianhe was slightly taken aback, then quickly said, "Eighteenth Elder, please don't listen to this kid's nonsense. We were just casually sparring, we didn't intend to fight."
"There's a rule within Tongtian Academy: if disciples have grievances, they can go to Tongtian Platform!" the Eighteenth Elder stated. "Once on Tongtian Platform, no matter how you fight, Tongtian Academy will not interfere!"
"Tongtian Platform?" Many disciples exchanged glances, their eyes filled with awe. Tongtian Platform was no ordinary place. Generally, entering Tongtian Platform meant facing a deadly enemy, a life-or-death situation. Within Tongtian Platform, even if one killed the other, Tongtian Academy would not intervene.
"Are you willing to go to Tongtian Platform, you brat?" Chu Tianhe said coldly. "A new recruit who fears no one. I want to see just how brave you really are!"
"Why would I not dare!" Lu Fan replied indifferently.
"Good. Since that's the case, we have a deal. Tomorrow at noon, we shall meet on Tongtian Platform for a life-or-death duel!" Chu Tianhe said with a triumphant look.
"A life-or-death duel?" Lu Fan narrowed his eyes. "Just for such a trivial matter, you want to kill me?"
"If you don't want to die, then kneel and beg for forgiveness," Chu Tianhe said coldly. "Otherwise, we'll meet on Tongtian Platform!"
"Since you are so respectful, I shall comply. Tomorrow at noon, Tongtian Platform, I will definitely be there," Lu Fan shrugged. He would not be easily threatened.
"Good kid, you indeed have courage!" Chu Tianhe sneered coldly and said no more. He then led his group away. Lu Fan, having just entered Tongtian Academy, was already so disrespectful. Now, he had agreed to go to Tongtian Platform. He would use this opportunity to make Lu Fan pay. As for their agreement, the Eighteenth Elder did not interfere. Within Tongtian Academy, there was an unwritten rule that once someone entered Tongtian Platform, even the elders could not intervene.
After they left, Zhao Hanxue frowned and said, "You've only just arrived at Tongtian Academy and already caused such trouble. What should we do next?"
"Tomorrow, we go to Tongtian Platform. He wants to teach me a lesson, doesn't he?" Lu Fan smiled. "I want to see how he plans to teach me a lesson."
"It seems you are full of confidence!" Han Xiaoxiao said with a light laugh. "I was worried about you, but now it seems there's no need. Tomorrow on Tongtian Platform, I will definitely cheer for you."
Lu Fan said nothing more. This matter was ultimately caused by Han Xiaoxiao. He was somewhat displeased that Han Xiaoxiao was so direct and seemed unconcerned.
"Junior brother, Tongtian Platform is not an ordinary place," Bi Qing said. "You must be extremely careful. Even if I wanted to intervene, I might not be able to stop it."
"Thank you for your concern, senior sister. I will handle this matter properly," Lu Fan nodded slightly and returned to his courtyard.
"What's going on? Why is Senior Sister Bi Qing so affectionate towards him?" Han Xiaoxiao asked in surprise. "Haven't seen him for a few days, could he be with Senior Sister Bi Qing?"
Zhao Hanxue shook her head, not wanting to know. Shen Yehong, standing nearby, frowned with a hint of jealousy. In her subconscious, Lu Fan belonged to her, and she could not tolerate such a thing.
In another courtyard, Chu Tianhai frowned. "Big brother, that kid's strength is not weak. Tomorrow on Tongtian Platform, you must be careful not to fall into his trap."
"Don't worry, he's just a freshman who just entered the academy!" Chu Tianhe waved his hand, his gaze even more indifferent.
Not long after, an explosion sounded from the East Courtyard. A figure was violently thrown out. The attire of this person was not from the East Courtyard.
"You dare to injure me? You will pay the price!" The man in purple stared fiercely at Lin Jiutian, his eyes filled with anger. In the plaza of the East Courtyard, many figures had gathered, clearly surprised that Lin Jiutian had so directly beaten a senior disciple from the West Courtyard. As for what exactly happened, they had not seen clearly, but one thing was certain: the senior disciple from the West Courtyard was arrogant and had offended Lin Jiutian, leading to the scene just now.
After doing all this, Lin Jiutian swaggered towards the freshman courtyard, as if all of this meant nothing in his eyes. The entire academy was in an uproar. Everyone crowded together, especially the older students, who were bewildered. They never expected the freshmen of this batch to be so formidable, not only unafraid of the older students but also daring to offend a senior disciple from the West Courtyard.
Lu Fan, in his courtyard, also heard about Lin Jiutian's deeds and couldn't help but praise him. Although they were newcomers, they were unwilling to tolerate discrimination, especially the disdain from these older students. Lin Jiutian was in seclusion in his courtyard, and no one could approach him. His personality was unknown, and he seemed out of place with everyone, making it impossible for anyone to get close to him.
"If you were to fight, could you suppress him?" Zhao Hanxue looked at Lu Fan. "I heard he beat a senior disciple from the West Courtyard, and that senior disciple was a half-saint!"
"A half-saint?" Lu Fan narrowed his eyes. "To be able to teach even a half-saint a lesson, that's no ordinary skill. If you must compare me to him, I'd say it's about fifty-fifty!"
"Really?" Zhao Hanxue was somewhat surprised. She knew Lu Fan's combat strength had reached the half-saint level, but Lu Fan's casual remark made her instantly feel that Lu Fan was not as simple as he appeared.
"I'm just saying it casually. How could I know if I can fight him fifty-fifty!" Lu Fan said with a wry smile.
"You can keep pretending!" Han Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes. "I think you're hiding your strength, which is why you're so calm. Otherwise, you wouldn't have said that so casually."
Lu Fan said nothing more. He also had some guesses about Lin Jiutian's strength. However, Lu Fan was very surprised about what kind of person Lin Jiutian was, or what his family background was, to possess such powerful talent. Especially that innate aura of superiority, which could not be faked.
The next day, the area around Tongtian Platform was already crowded with people. Chu Tianhe, surrounded by a crowd, walked towards Tongtian Platform. It seemed that Chu Tianhe represented the older students, and many of them felt excited. Lu Fan had beaten the older students, and Lin Jiutian had beaten a senior disciple from the West Courtyard. This matter had caused quite a stir in Tongtian Academy. If they could not suppress Ye Fan and the others, what would become of the older students' reputation?