Chapter 106: Crushed by a Whale
Defeat in the individual combat exam did not equate to a score of zero. If losing really resulted in a zero, the exam would be a joke. Individual combat was a lottery-drawn one-on-one match. So, this type of scoring would mean that half the school would pass, while the other half failed with zero points. Anyone with even an ounce of common sense knew that such a system was entirely unfeasible and ridiculous.
The scoring in the individual combat exam was based on a student's performance during battle. If they did well, even if they lost, they could score only one or two points lower than the student who won. If someone defeated a stronger opponent through wit and strategy, they would often receive an even higher score.
The reason Nora scored only 20 points in individual combat assessments was that she surrendered very quickly. Sometimes, when one knew they were no match for the opponent, surrendering was also a strategy. Surrendering fast could also increase one's chances of survival. Because of that, Nora had always comfortably secured those 20 points.
Wang Xingnuo swept her gaze around the room. Her eyes lit up, and she beckoned to two students. "Zhou Qingmei, He Xing, come here. Have an individual combat match against Nora and Yu Xian."
A heroic-looking girl with her hair tied in a bun and a sword on her back walked over together with a narrow-eyed boy. Yu Xian turned his gaze toward them and immediately used Appraisal.
Name
- Zhou Qingmei
Codename
- Heroine
Race
- Human
Gender
- Female
Age
- 17
Lifespan
- 148
Rank
- Lower Bee Rank
Affiliation
- Huaxia Dragon Dynasty
- Divine Sword Sect
[Abilities]
Nine-Cycle Sword Scripture
- With each completed cultivation cycle of this art, the practitioner gains insight into a sword art that belongs to them alone. The greater their aptitude, the more powerful the sword art they comprehend.
Sword Control Art
- Through this art, the user can command a bonded flying sword with their spiritual energy to attack a target. The stronger the flying sword and spiritual power are, the greater their power becomes, with no upper limit.
Summary
- To strike the person, strike the sword first. Striking the sword is the same as striking the person.
Zhou Qingmei was clearly one of Supernatural Academy's top students. Unfortunately, Yu Xian had seen far too many major battles by now. While Zhou Qingmei was most likely already a big shot in the eyes of ordinary students, to him, she was nothing more than a greenhorn.
Name
- He Xing
Codename
- Brother Peach
Race
- Kuafu[1]
Gender
- Male
Age
- 17
Lifespan
- 580
Rank
- Upper Bee Rank
Affiliation
- Huaxia Dragon Dynasty
[Abilities]
Peachwood Physique
- Turns the user's body into peachwood. Thrives and grows when exposed to water.
Sun-Chasing Strides
- Enables the user to run at speeds beyond all imagination. A legendary gait that allows the user to pursue stars, seize the moon, and outrun the sun in pursuit of light.
Yellow Left, Azure Right
- Transforms the user's left hand into a yellow serpent to detoxify, heal, and cleanse negative statues. Transforms the user's right hand into an azure serpent to devour poisons, synthesizing them into five lethal venoms with completely distinct, non-overlapping effects.
Summary
- A little peach tree that runs very fast.
Yu Xian felt that He Xing had decent potential. If Yu Xian became a squad captain in the future, he could consider inviting him to join his team.
Having gone through the two students' attributes, Yu Xian now had a good idea of what to expect in the combat match.
Under Instructor Wang's arrangement, Nora was to fight Zhou Qingmei, while Yu Xian was matched against He Xing. Everyone moved over to the formation arena, with the first match being Nora against Zhou Qingmei.
The most expensive equipment in any Supernatural Academy was the formation arena used by students for sparring. The arena's full name was the Torch Dragon Sun-Moon Reversal Time-Reversing Grand Formation Arena.
Once an instructor activated the arena's formation, students could fight inside it freely. No matter how badly they were injured, they would completely recover the instant they left it. The formation arena could also foresee the future and teleport a student out of the ring before they died.
This formation's designer was Zhang Daoqin. He had set forth a requirement that every Supernatural Academy in the country build this formation. Any material required for the formation was sold at half price when purchased through official channels.
Even so, most Supernatural Academies had managed to build their formation arenas only by pooling the resources of an entire city, along with contributions from countless supernatural beings. One could imagine just how expensive it was.
Nora and Zhou Qingmei stepped onto the formation arena, and Wang Xingnuo immediately activated the grand formation. The grand formation gave off a faint glow, and the four Torch Dragons in the corners slowly opened their eyes.
Wang Xingnuo looked at the two students in the arena. "The match begins!"
Nora immediately raised her hand and cast Blood Flame. Zhou Qingmei easily split it apart with a slash of her sword, but as the flames parted, she saw Nora holding up a gun and firing several shots in succession.
Not good! Zhou Qingmei immediately dodged to the side while controlling her flying sword to slash at the bullets. Her sword blocked the bullets, but they exploded with a thunderous boom. Shrapnel scattered wildly in every direction.
A flying shard grazed Zhou Qingmei's cheek, sending blood trickling down her face. She wiped it away as her left hand quietly formed a sword gesture.
Her flying sword was a paired mother-and-child sword. Hidden inside the main flying sword was an even smaller sword. Faced with the financial firepower of a whale, she had no choice but to send out the hidden flying sword as well.
Nora had considered surrendering. But when she thought about attending college together with Yu Xian, she instinctively wanted to save money. Saving money did not only mean avoiding unnecessary spending. It also meant scoring higher on the exam.
The higher her score was, the fewer points she would need to buy, which would save her a huge sum as well. If Yu Xian's score was not enough, she could even use her money to help him buy points. That was the reason she chose to fight.
In fact, ever since her encounter with Aberrant Parasites at Third High, she had been thinking about how to fight. Although she had been diligently cultivating the Sunward Sunflower Divine Art, too little time had passed. It wouldn't translate into real combat strength for years to come.
In the end, she chose to storm her way through her problems with money. Since firearms could threaten Aberrant Parasites, they could naturally threaten other supernatural beings as well.
Moreover, firearms were far from the only equipment she could buy. In the past, she had simply never experienced real danger before. She had always stayed in a safe environment, and that was why a group of ordinary humans had managed to ambush her. Now, Nora had already grown. If she ever encountered a situation like that again, the ones who died would definitely be her enemies.
A small flying sword suddenly shot out from the smoke of the explosion, hurtling toward Nora with lightning speed. With her speed, there was no way Nora could react in time. However, she did not need to react.
Clang!
An energy shield blocked the flying sword. The bracelet around Nora's wrist glowed blue, forming an oval barrier that protected her without leaving a single gap.
Zhou Qingmei frowned. "Nora, if you rely entirely on equipment, your score will still be very low. Is there any point in doing this?"
Nora said with complete seriousness, "But defeating a stronger opponent while you're weaker earns a higher score. Besides, the winner gets twenty points just for winning. That isn't a small amount."
Compared to those points, what does the cost of some equipment even matter?
Seeing that she could not shake Nora's fighting spirit, Zhou Qingmei had no choice but to continue fighting. She recalled the child sword and stepped onto it, using Sword Control Art to dodge bullets in midair while controlling the mother sword to keep attacking Nora's shield.
Nora, meanwhile, focused on shooting Zhou Qingmei. She paid no attention at all to the mother sword draining the shield's energy. It was now a contest of who could wear the other down first.
In the end, Zhou Qingmei's spiritual energy was nearly depleted, and she had no choice but to land helplessly in the arena. "I admit defeat!"
There was no point in continuing. She knew she was definitely going to lose. Nora's bullets were too powerful. The shrapnel from the explosions had already cut Zhou Qingmei's cheeks, arms, and calves. If they kept fighting, she would only suffer more injuries.
Once her spiritual energy ran out, Nora would be able to kill her with a single shot. This time, she had truly experienced what it felt like to be crushed by a whale.
Wang Xingnuo deactivated the grand formation, and the four Torch Dragons at the corners slowly closed their eyes. All the injuries on Zhou Qingmei's body instantly vanished.
Wang Xingnuo announced, "For the first match, Nora wins, and Zhou Qingmei loses. Nora receives 68 points, while Zhou Qingmei receives 55 points."
Nora was rather pleased, while Zhou Qingmei was somewhat speechless.
Nora had been getting 20 points for years, so getting 68 points was a huge improvement. Zhou Qingmei, on the other hand, had always been a 90-point powerhouse. Suddenly dropping to 55 points felt terrible. At that moment, Zhou Qingmei secretly swore to herself that she would also make money and buy equipment.
After the two of them stepped down from the formation arena, Wang Xingnuo solemnly said, "Nora, you're too dependent on equipment. It will be very hard to get a high score that way. You'd be better off finding a way to integrate your ability with your equipment. That way, when the time comes, the examiners will give you a higher score."
Zhou Qingmei had also used equipment: her flying sword. But she could still score highly because her Sword Control Art complemented her equipment. If Nora could combine her ability with her firearms, she could get a high score as well.
Nora nodded to show she understood.
Next was the fight between Yu Xian and He Xing. At Instructor Wang's signal, the two of them stepped onto the formation arena.
1. 夸父 (Kuā Fù) is a giant from Chinese mythology best known for chasing the sun. In the myth, he dies of thirst during the pursuit, and his staff later transforms into a peach forest. ☜