"So expensive..." Roxy said with tears in her eyes that wouldn't fall. Although she still had quite a bit of funds left, she just had this nagging feeling that it still wasn't quite enough.
"There's no helping it. After all, the boss seems to be using high-grade magic wood from the root section for you, so the price is unavoidable," Dan Feng explained calmly. High-grade monster materials were indeed relatively expensive.
For example, the fire-resistant magic wood around the labyrinths in Millishion belonged to low-grade mutated magic wood. True high-grade magic wood came from towering ancient trees.
"Alright then. So what are we doing next? It seems like there's nothing left to do, right?" Roxy asked Dan Feng, which also made him fall into thought.
"Let's buy some supplies first. After all, we'll be heading to the Basheran Duchy soon, and the journey will take several days," Dan Feng suggested.
Since it was Dan Feng's suggestion, Roxy naturally had no objections.
The two of them then headed toward the adventurer supply specialty shop.
After casually purchasing some long-shelf-life dried foods, the pair prepared to return to Ranoa Magic University.
Upon returning to Ranoa Magic University, the two noticed that the surrounding students were all hurrying in one particular direction. They exchanged puzzled glances.
"Want to go check it out together?" Roxy asked, showing a hint of curiosity as she sought Dan Feng's opinion.
If Dan Feng didn't want to join the crowd, she wouldn't go either.
Dan Feng thought for a moment. There wasn't really anything pressing to do right now—might as well see what was happening over there. Who knows, there might even be some opportunity or something.
"Sure, let's go take a look," Dan Feng replied to Roxy.
The two followed the crowd and arrived in front of a large building.
Neither Dan Feng nor Roxy had ever been here before, so they had no idea what it was used for.
They slowly entered the building, which by now was already packed to capacity.
"Have you heard? Today two noble young masters made a bet and scheduled a match. This is gonna be good," someone in front of Dan Feng and Roxy said to his companion.
At this point, most of the students had already taken their seats, while two people dressed in luxurious clothing stood in the medieval-style arena.
The two on the platform were nobles from the same country—the Dragon King Kingdom, apparently. It seemed they had gotten into a dispute over something and thus arranged this match in the arena.
After all, the arena was equipped with powerful healing magic circles—as long as the head wasn't struck fatally, anyone could be saved.
"Dan Feng, this place seems to be an arena," Roxy whispered after listening to the chatter around them.
Dan Feng nodded to indicate he understood.
He then turned his gaze to the two on the platform. Both were holding swords, so it looked like a swordsmanship duel.
"Heh, Pardo, you actually dared to show up?" Besdofen sneered, his eyes filled with contempt as he looked at Pardo. "It seems your family no longer has the power to protect you, does it?"
Faced with Besdofen's questioning, Pardo appeared somewhat flustered and uneasy. His face paled, and a thin layer of sweat even appeared on his forehead.
"Besdofen, what happened that day was my fault. It was all Benikrans who willingly... Why won't you listen to my explanation? Do you really have to resort to swords against me?" Pardo's voice trembled slightly, clearly terrified of Besdofen's hostility.
The students below the platform, hearing the two's conversation, immediately began murmuring and whispering among themselves, speculating about what exactly had happened between them.
"Is there anyone from the Dragon King Kingdom who can explain? I have no idea what they're talking about," one student shouted loudly, his voice standing out clearly amid the noisy crowd.
"No clue, but I think Benikrans is the daughter of some lower noble from the Dragon King Kingdom too," someone replied. This answer didn't make the situation any clearer to everyone.
At that moment, the two on the platform suddenly moved at the same time. Their long swords drew two streaks of cold light through the air, instantly clashing together with a crisp ringing sound.
However, in Dan Feng's eyes, this so-called fierce battle was anything but.
He watched the two on the platform swing their long swords chaotically like children fighting—no technique whatsoever.
Dan Feng inwardly evaluated: "Their swordsmanship level is probably only intermediate at best."
Even Roxy thought the same: "Their swordsmanship wouldn't even be enough to become adventurers, would it?"
And so, Dan Feng and Roxy silently watched as the two on the platform hacked at each other until Besdofen emerged victorious.
"Hahaha! You think you're worthy of touching my fiancée with skills like that? Come back in another two and a half years!" Besdofen laughed loudly, then turned his arrogant gaze toward the students in the stands above and shouted, "Anyone else!?"
The student arena was a place for students to spar with each other. Typically, bets were placed, and the winner would take both their own and the opponent's stakes.
The winner became the champion, and others could challenge them.
This was something the principal was happy to see—commoner students would work hard to study and defeat others to earn money.
However, the arena forbade strikes to vital areas. Anyone who broke the rules would be expelled from Ranoa Magic University and barred from ever returning for life.
"Dan Feng, this match is so boring. Let's go," Roxy said in an exasperated tone.
Dan Feng felt the same, so he and Roxy stood up, preparing to leave.
But Dan Feng's presence made him hard to miss. The moment he rose, the arrogant Besdofen on the platform immediately spotted him.
"Hey, black-haired kid! Get down here for a one-on-one! I just got my revenge today—I'm in a good mood, so I'll give you a chance to challenge me," Besdofen shouted loudly toward Dan Feng.
Noticing the surrounding stares, Dan Feng only felt that this Besdofen was far from human but very close to divine intervention, so he prepared to leave directly.
Seeing Dan Feng ignore him, Besdofen grew anxious.
He then offered a condition that caught Dan Feng's interest.
A bet of fifty Ranoa gold coins.
"Fine, I accept," Dan Feng said calmly to Besdofen on the platform, then slowly walked down under the astonished gazes of those around him.
Roxy looked at the arrogant and domineering Besdofen on the platform and couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. These nobles really were dumb with too much money!
At that moment, the match officially began.
With a swift flick of Cloud-Piercer, the sword was instantly knocked flying. Dan Feng won easily.
However, all of this happened in a mere two seconds—too fast for almost anyone to react.
At this point, Besdofen hadn't even had time to make a single move before Cloud-Piercer, moving at an imperceptible speed, was already at his throat.
Some students in the stands were left gaping in shock. They never imagined the match would end so abruptly—and in such a one-sided manner.
Immediately afterward, murmurs began rippling through the crowd. Everyone was stunned by Dan Feng's astonishing strength.
"You lost," Dan Feng said expressionlessly as he looked at Besdofen, his tone calm.
With that, he withdrew Cloud-Piercer from Besdofen's neck.
Unlike other nobles, Besdofen didn't try to welch or make excuses like those who couldn't accept defeat. Instead, he straightforwardly counted out fifty Ranoa gold coins from his pouch and handed them to Dan Feng.
This action undoubtedly made Dan Feng the new champion of the day.
By the rules, the champion could not refuse challenges from others.
And so, many students who hadn't clearly seen Dan Feng's dazzling moves earlier rushed onto the platform to challenge him—incidentally paying him some "tuition fees" in the process.
Dan Feng naturally accepted all comers.
Those who used swordsmanship were all instantly disarmed by him and lost the match.
As for the magicians, they fared even worse—often still in the middle of chanting spells when Dan Feng closed in with a single sweep of his spear and knocked them off the platform.
Throughout it all, Dan Feng's expression and demeanor never changed in the slightest. This greatly irritated those who had lost both money and face, because it seemed like Dan Feng hadn't even swung his spear more than a few times against them.
It was almost as if he were silently saying: "Sorry for not letting you entertain me properly."
Among the students gradually entering the arena were some who had been adventurers in Millishion. Upon seeing Dan Feng's appearance, one immediately exclaimed in the crowd: "Cold Dragon Young?!"
When the surrounding students heard this nickname, they immediately pressed the person for an explanation of why the one on the platform was called that.
The adventurer then spread tales of Dan Feng's exploits in Millishion. He himself had admired Dan Feng so much that he had traveled thousands of miles to study at Ranoa Magic University.
And so, the nickname spread like wildfire here.
Thus, Dan Feng once again earned the title "Cold Dragon Young" at Ranoa Magic University.