Jun Wu stepped out from the underground passage dressed in a plain white robe.
The robe was simple, yet on him it carried a quiet nobility, as though the fabric itself bent to his bearing.
He climbed the podium with ease and grace, every step asured, steady, and dignified.
For many in the audience, this was the first ti they had ever laid eyes on him.
His handso appearance and calm deanor left them breathless.
The noise that had filled the stadium only monts before vanished.
Tens of thousands of people held their breath, as if afraid the slightest sound might break the mont.
On the stage, Elder Shen and Elder Kang exchanged a knowing glance.
Without a word, they stepped down from the podium, leaving the space entirely to him.
The stage was set.
The air was thick with expectation.
Now, everything was left for Jun Wu to take the bull by the horns.
Under the gaze of tens of thousands, his expression did not falter. He stood tall, his calm composure unshaken, and t the sea of eyes with steady confidence.
His posture, his presence, his quiet authority—these things spoke louder than any words.
Among the Jun clansn seated in the audience, teeth ground with suppressed envy and hatred.
Jun Zhenya’s face twisted into an unsightly grimace.
Beneath her long sleeves, her fist clenched tightly, the nails digging into her palm.
The Gong clan mbers, for their part, kept their expressions controlled.
Still, their eyes betrayed them.
The cold glint in their glares spoke volus, screaming their desire to strike him down where he stood.
The students of Mystic Path Academy shifted uneasily.
They had long been told of Jun Wu’s arrogance, of his unfounded pride, of how unworthy he was.
Yet what they saw now contradicted those claims.
His noble bearing was not sothing that could be feigned.
Nobility was written into his body without such a background, no one could fake it.
His appearance alone had won half of them over.
Among the students, Jiang Yawen drew in a sharp breath.
Her eyes sparkled with sudden realization.
She had seen Jun Wu before, yet sohow she had never noticed his presence in this way.
Today, under the grand light of the coliseum, it struck her like lightning.
Jun Wu was breathtakingly handso.
At the Frostwind Academy’s seating area, the reaction was different.
Many of the male students scowled in jealousy at his looks and aura, while the females were unable to hide the stars that glittered in their eyes.
Whispers passed like waves, excitent barely suppressed.
The Xie clan mbers, however, sat stiff and pale. The re sight of him made their hearts tremble.
The mory of what had happened the previous night gnawed at them like a relentless vice.
There was no response, only silence, and the silence was more terrifying than any answer.
To see him standing there so calm, so untouchable, was unbearable.
i Ling, hidden beneath her hood, watched with unwavering eyes.
On the surface, her expression remained cold, unyielding, as if carved from ice.
Yet anyone close enough to catch the faint gleam in her gaze would have realized the truth—beneath that mask, she was fascinated.
With his appearance alone, Jun Wu had already swayed countless hearts.
Those who had mocked him, those who had spoken venomously against him, now held their tongues.
Their earlier words suddenly seed hollow.
And yet, not everyone in the audience was convinced. Hidden agendas still lurked, concealed behind polite masks and forced smiles.
All of this, however, ant little to Jun Wu.
His heart was steady.
His purpose was clear.
Today, he would leave a mark on the Soaring Cloud Region that no one could erase.
He stepped forward and spoke. "Hello, everyone."
His voice was soft, almost casual, yet it carried clearly across the coliseum.
It was as though the wind itself carried his words, laying them gently in every ear.
The audience fell into perfect silence, the world reduced to nothing but the sound of his voice and the faint whisper of the breeze.
"You all know my na," he continued calmly. "I won’t waste your ti with introductions. Instead, let us move straight to the lecture."
The crowd leaned forward, anticipation swelling.
But just as Jun Wu began, a voice cut through the silence like a blade.
"Who gave you the right to lecture us?"
The words ca from Bo Qiang, who had stood up abruptly. Every gaze in the coliseum snapped toward him.
He raised a finger and pointed it directly at Jun Wu.
"Everyone claims you created the Array Plate," he sneered, his voice loud and mocking.
"But has anyone actually seen you do it? For all we know, it could be the work of others, while you bask shalessly in their glory."
He paused, his lips curling in disdain.
"With your age, do you even comprehend the vastness of array formation? I’ll give you a piece of advice: step down from that podium and stop dragging the nas of array masters into the mud!"
Hiss!
A chorus of sharp intakes of breath echoed throughout the stadium.
Gasps of shock spread like wildfire, leaving wide eyes and murmured disbelief in their wake.
In the Gong clan’s section, smiles tugged at the corners of their lips. They had known this was coming.
Bo Qiang was nothing more than a pawn, a sacrificial lamb ant to strike the first blow.
They did not expect him to stop the lecture, but if he could plant seeds of doubt and tarnish Jun Wu’s na even slightly, then his purpose would be fulfilled.
In the stands, voices began to rise.
"Right! Has anyone ever actually seen him make an Array Plate?"
"I knew it—it’s impossible for a boy his age to craft such a complex design."
"That’s right. No matter how talented he is, that invention is too advanced for a re child."
The tide began to turn. Many who had been impressed monts ago now faltered, leaning toward suspicion.
Yet on the podium, Jun Wu’s expression did not change.
He simply stood there, calm and immovable, his gaze locked on Bo Qiang. He gave no sign of anger, no flustered defense.
He rely waited, watching with eyes that seed to pierce through the man’s charade.
In the VIP section, the Frostwind Academy’s Vice Dean’s face darkened with fury.
She had warned that fool not to cause trouble, yet he dared defy her. Her grip on the armrest tightened until her knuckles turned white.
’Good. Very good,’ she thought coldly. ’You actually believe the Gong clan will protect you after this? We will see about that.’
The room’s atmosphere thickened. Everyone could sense her rage, but no one dared speak.
Bo Qiang, anwhile, mistook Jun Wu’s silence for weakness.
He thought he was winning.
His plan was simple.
Provoke Jun Wu into an argunt, then force him into a contest of array knowledge where he could pry out the secret of the array plates.
But Jun Wu remained still, serene, unshaken.
And then... he spoke.
"Are you speaking for yourself," Jun Wu asked slowly, his voice soft yet carrying to every corner of the stadium, "or for the Frostwind Academy?"
The words were not loud, but the weight behind them fell like thunder.
The entire coliseum froze, stunned by the sharpness of his response and the implication laced within it.
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