Everyone was bewildered, utterly failing to comprehend the actions of the Ge Nan Academy disciples. While others were actively fighting monsters, their seemingly complacent demeanor stood out starkly, making it impossible for observers to simply ignore.
"Surrendering is unlikely, but I suspect they've given up," someone remarked, chuckling with schadenfreude. "Perhaps knowing they couldn't win, they decided to play dead."
"While the Ghost-faced Spider is a Yellow-tier spirit beast, honestly, they have three people. It's not like they'd feign death. Their hesitation to act can only mean their cultivation levels are below Yellow-tier."
"What? Below Yellow-tier? I can understand one person being below, as I heard Ge Nan Academy is in dire straits these days. But all three of them being below Yellow-tier? I don't get it. If they're below Yellow-tier, how did they dare come here?"
"Exactly! How dare they participate in the competition if they're below Yellow-tier? Isn't that just asking to be killed?"
Although disciples of other tiers were present, three disciples below Yellow-tier participating in a group match was akin to offering themselves up as food, something that would draw ridicule from everyone else. Had Ge Nan Academy truly run out of disciples to such an extent?
"Hush, stop talking. Their leader is here."
Just as the crowd was engaged in a lively discussion, someone tugged at them. Turning around, they saw Yan Jiaojiao approaching briskly with Xiao Youzi. Yan Jiaojiao's aura was remarkably powerful, causing onlookers to stare blankly, intimidated into silence.
Yan Jiaojiao noticed the peculiar gazes and observed the current progress of the Ge Nan Academy disciples. A moment of thought revealed the reason for their situation. She smiled subtly, choosing not to explain to others.
"They seem to be making quite good progress," Xiao Youzi commented. She was privy to their strategy and, seeing her academy's members executing Yan Jiaojiao's plan meticulously, a smile graced her face.
The crowd eavesdropped intently on their conversation. Someone scoffed, "Impressive. This is the first time I've seen someone speak such blatant nonsense. What strategy? Aren't they just spewing rubbish deliberately?"
"You call sitting there doing nothing a strategy?"
"Hahaha, this is hilarious!"
The speaker, brimming with arrogance, laughed heartily for a while before suddenly feeling a chill in the air. He shivered, turning his head to look. There stood Yan Jiaojiao, glaring at him with a menacing expression, as if ready to pounce and slap him.
The man suddenly felt a sting in his face and, somewhat cowardly, retreated a few steps, muttering grudgingly, "You're the ones whose academy members are slacking off. Why are you looking at me like that? Are you blaming me?"
The man believed his words were foolproof, leaving no room for rebuttal even from Yan Jiaojiao. However, Yan Jiaojiao spoke with unyielding dominance, "Does it concern you how my academy's members are doing? With so many words in your mouth, why don't you dare fight me?"
"You!"
Although the competition had started, the rule against fighting was still in effect! Was this Yan Jiaojiao so venomous, such a violent woman, to challenge people to a fight at the slightest provocation?
The man recalled how even disciples from major academies dared not confront Yan Jiaojiao directly, making him even more hesitant to speak. With the second round approaching and Ge Nan Academy seeming poised to lose, if a problem arose because of him, giving them an opportunity and allowing them to escape unscathed, those people would surely not spare his academy or himself. They would undoubtedly place all blame on him!
"Yan Jiaojiao, you are so malicious! You're deliberately bullying me, trying to make me a target!" The disciple felt he had seen through Yan Jiaojiao's wicked intentions, his face a picture of anger and grievance.
Yan Jiaojiao snorted, "For you to criticize my fellow disciples behind their backs is just speaking your mind. For me to retort a few words is deliberately bullying you? If that's how you want to interpret it, then yes, I am bullying you. What are you going to do, go cry to your dean?"
The disciple was speechless. How could he possibly go to the dean to cry? What kind of image would that project! He was a cultivator, after all. If he were to run to the dean crying at the slightest encounter, everyone would surely look down on him. Seeing the other onlookers' gazes shift uncomfortably, as if he were still a child, the man whimpered, "Don't talk nonsense!"
"I am not what you describe; I am a valiant cultivator!"
Yan Jiaojiao responded with an "Oh," "And your so-called valor is pointing fingers at others while they're competing? Do you understand that your kind of valor is disgusting to others?"
"Do you realize everyone dislikes your kind of valor?"
"I..."
Being lectured by Yan Jiaojiao, the man found himself unable to utter a word. The others, having experienced Yan Jiaojiao's sharp tongue before, cast glances of sympathy at the disciple. Why on earth did you have to provoke her! If you don't admit defeat, it's not Yan Jiaojiao!
The disciple, hiding behind his senior disciples, appeared timid and utterly silent. Yan Jiaojiao was satisfied. The disciples from other academies, witnessing this, felt like giving Yan Jiaojiao a thumbs-up. Someone so articulate and strong in actual ability was perfectly suited to be the academy's official spokesperson. Ge Nan Academy's reputation, despite its current state, remained excellent and was not extensively ridiculed, with Yan Jiaojiao undoubtedly contributing to this.
"Quick, look at Ge Nan Academy's spirit beast orb!"
The crowd suddenly erupted. Everyone turned their heads to see an utterly bizarre scene unfolding within Ge Nan Academy's spirit beast orb. The disciples who had been motionless, as if cultivating, had somehow flown into the air. Beneath their feet, the Yellow-tier spirit beast, the Ghost-faced Spider, was prostrate, appearing to be kneeling before them like a devout follower before their god.
"My heavens, what does that mean? Has the Ghost-faced Spider recognized them as its master?" Astonishment was etched on everyone's faces. They had witnessed many instances of spirit beasts devouring humans. At one point, someone, to warn everyone against viewing spirit beasts as benevolent creatures, had specifically used a recording talisman to capture precious footage of spirit beasts eating people. This footage was widely circulated, instilling fear of spirit beasts in everyone for a considerable period. It was only later, when people realized that spirit beasts were not inherently ferocious and could be dealt with by those with some cultivation, that they resumed interaction with them. However, no one had ever witnessed such a scene!
"A spirit beast recognizing its master? How is that possible? If they had subdued it, it wouldn't be so astonishing! But they didn't do anything!" As they spoke, the entrance of the spirit beast orb opened, and the trio emerged unharmed, looking composed and relaxed.