<strong><b>Chapter 48: Demon Hunter</b></strong>


    “These Imperial Academy students are really too arrogant!” A cold voice rang out, drawing the attention of the surrounding crowd.


    The speaker was part of another group of young professionals, who had also just arrived at Hengjiang. Their demeanor was equally impressive, and they looked at Li Yang and his group with clear discontent and hostility.


    “Those are students from”Jixia Academy”…” someone in the crowd whispered, their expression changing as they quietly backed away from the area.


    In the Empire, three academies stood out above the rest:”Imperial Academy”,”Jixia Academy”, and”True Dragon Academy”. These three academies were unparalleled in their research and mastery of the Tianqi system, possessing immense power and resources. Their students were considered the cream of the crop.


    Compared to the rtively low-key and mysterious”True Dragon Academy”, the rtionship between”Imperial Academy”and”Jixia Academy”was far from friendly. In fact, there was a longstanding grudge between them.


    Every four years, all the academies in the Empire participated in arge-scale trial dungeon called”Tianqi Arena”. This event allowed all students topete, with thest person standing receiving incredibly valuable rewards.


    In thest”Tianqi Arena”, a genius student from”Jixia Academy”was killed by students from”Imperial Academy”—and not in an honorable way. The incident caused a massive uproar, with the head of”Jixia Academy”bing so enraged that they personally traveled to the Imperial Capital to demand justice from”Imperial Academy”.


    Tensions between the two academies reached a boiling point, nearly leading to an all-out conflict. It was only through the intervention of the Imperial Council that the situation was defused, with the offending”Imperial Academy”students being punished by a mere one-year suspension.


    Naturally,”Jixia Academy”found this punishment uneptable. To them, it was a p on the wrist—proof that the Imperial Council was protecting”Imperial Academy”. After all, most of the students at”Imperial Academy”came from noble families, and the Empire’s resources were heavily tilted in their favor. The Council, dominated by these same noble families, would never truly punish their “golden child.”


    However, with the Council’s decision final,”Jixia Academy”had no choice but to swallow their anger, though rtions between the two academies soured to an all-time low. Thus, it was no surprise that the students of”Jixia Academy”now looked at those from”Imperial Academy”with nothing but disdain.


    But to the onlookers, both academies were untouchable behemoths, far beyond the reach of ordinary people. As they saw the confrontation brewing, they wisely chose to distance themselves from the impending sh.


    Li Yang’s expression darkened as he heard the challenge. His face twisted into a cruel sneer, and a spark of anger red in his eyes. However, when he realized who was challenging him, he recognized them as students from”Jixia Academy”and let out a coldugh. “I was wondering who dared to speak up—it’s just a bunch of”Jixia Academy”brats. Are you in such a hurry to die?”


    He stood with his hands behind his back, exuding an air of supreme arrogance. And indeed, he had reason to be proud. As the eldest son of the Li family—a noble house in the Imperial Capital—Li Yang was equipped with a full set of Level 20 purple-grade gear. Although these weren’t level-free items, his equipment was luxurious for his level, marking him as one of the strongest professionals in his tier.


    Moreover, Li Yang’s background made him untouchable to most. His father was the Deputy Minister of Military Affairs, responsible for managing veterans’ benefits and the reserve force’s organization. The Li family had connections throughout the Empire’s various departments, making them a force to be reckoned with.


    Li Yang’s gaze turned sinister as he stared down the”Jixia Academy”students, calcting how best to teach them a lesson and drive them out of Hengjiang.


    Among the”Jixia Academy”group, a young man stepped forward with a simrly hostile expression. His features were sharp, and his eyes shone with determination. This was”Xiao Ming”, a freshman at”Jixia Academy”and an S-rank”Demon Hunter”.


    The”Demon Hunter”was a unique ss, not particrly outstanding in its base stats or skillspared to other S-rank sses. However, it had a crucial trait that made it invaluable to humanity:”Void yer”.


    The”Demon Hunter”‘s skills dealt 500% additional damage to void creatures, making it a specialized weapon against the Void. Moreover, the ss had another trait,”Void Sense”, which allowed it to detect the presence of void creatures with uncanny precision.


    In essence, the”Demon Hunter”was a professional tailored specifically forbating the Void.


    Because of this,”Jixia Academy”highly valued Xiao Ming, even though he had only recently taken his entrance exams and was still at a rtively low level, around Level 6. Knowing that”Shattered Heaven”was a rare opportunity that could influence Xiao Ming’s future,”Jixia Academy”had provided him with a special item:


    “Level Seal”: Temporarily increases your level by 10, without affecting your stats or skills, for 120 hours. Single-use item.


    Thanks to the”Level Seal”, Xiao Ming’s level had been boosted to 16, just enough to qualify for the”Shattered Heaven”raid…