Chapter 336 - Second Match
The trio exited the arena, and their teacher hurried toward them. “Leng Ning, when did you acquire such a powerful Skill? Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I was worried about all of you. With your current strength, I will stake my honor as a teacher to convince the principal to secure a seat for you in a top-ranking college!”
Meng Qi’s eyes sparkled at the thought of bypassing the grueling admission process. “Teacher, what about us? Will we get into a top-ranking college too?”
The teacher looked at him and sighed. “Meng Qi, do you really think it works that way? The principal doesn’t control admission to the top colleges. You two are fortunate to have teamed up with Leng Ning this time. This alone will earn you plenty of Assist Points, so take advantage of the opportunity to grow stronger. Don’t get cocky. But I believe that if you keep working hard, you’ll be able to secure a top-ranking college spot on your own.”
Meng Qi caught the subtle dismissal in the teacher’s tone. He wanted to protest and explain that he was only slightly weaker than Leng Ning and that his moment hadn’t come yet.
“But—”
The teacher cut him off mid-sentence. “Enough. Stop wasting time. Meng Qi, Han Wu, go back and rest. I need to take Leng Ning to report today’s events to the principal.”
Before they could respond, the teacher dragged Leng Ning away, leaving the two standing in stunned silence.
Meng Qi’s eyes widened. “Wait, is he really a teacher? Han Wu, do you think the academy would expel me if I just whacked him?”
Han Wu chuckled. “I’m not sure if you’d get expelled, but you’d hit the ground in no time. The teacher is an Inferior Master, and I doubt you could fight him.”
Meng Qi grumbled, “Fine, I can’t beat the teacher, but I can handle our opponents. Tomorrow, I’ll show them just how strong I am. Stay out of it, alright?”
Han Wu sighed and nodded. He had transmigrated here mainly to experience a different culture, not to chase power, so the outcome of the competition didn’t worry him.
The next day arrived quickly, and it was time for Azure Sea’s second match. The trio stepped into the arena again, facing the representatives of Nurturing Rain Academy, another low-ranking school. Their opponents consisted of two Inferior Elites and one Intermediate Elite, and they were all staring at Leng Ning with visible fear.
The Nurturing Rain students had learned of the match only yesterday and immediately requested footage to study their strategy. Watching Leng Ning in action had left them horrified. Her Skill had frozen her enemy almost instantly. Confronting her was essentially a death sentence. They had even sent for equipment designed to resist ice damage and freezing in hopes to tilt the odds slightly in their favor.
However, none of them anticipated that Leng Ning would sit this one out. Meng Qi had insisted on showing off in front of the teacher, and Leng Ning had decided to let him take the spotlight.
The announcer signaled the start of the match, and both sides moved at once. The three Nurturing Rain students unleashed their Skills simultaneously, directing Fireball, Lightning, and Air Cannon straight at Leng Ning. Their plan was simple: eliminate her first and deal with the others later.
Leng Ning remained calm and didn’t move at all. She gave no indication that she intended to retaliate. Her opponents had no idea what she was planning.
That was when Meng Qi leapt in front of her and summoned the Golden Bell. The bell materialized around him, encased his body in a shimmering protective shell, and deflected the attacks from the three adversaries. Each strike made the bell chime loudly, yet it remained unbroken. With every blow it absorbed, the dragon engraving on its surface grew sharper, almost as if drawing strength from their assaults.
“Damn. That tank can handle long-range attacks. We’ll need to fight him up close,” one of them muttered.
They changed tactics and used Skills that specialized in melee combat. One became a blazing human torch and emitted intense heat. Another erupted with electricity, bolts jumping across their limbs. The last summoned a powerful whirlwind that tore through the ground.
The trio approached Meng Qi and struck the Golden Bell. The bell rang continuously under their barrage, finally cracking after more than twenty seconds. Had Han Wu and Leng Ning joined the fight during that window, the attackers would have been finished instantly. But Meng Qi wanted to demonstrate his power, so his two companions didn’t make a move and watched quietly.
Meng Qi waited until his Golden Bell began to crack before activating his second Skill, Imperial Yellow Jacket. A blinding light erupted across his body, forcing the three students to shield their eyes. Experienced enough to react instantly, they shut their eyes and summoned every ounce of strength to deliver the final blow that shattered the Golden Bell.
The moment their fists struck Meng Qi’s Imperial Yellow Jacket, the damage they inflicted rebounded violently. Within a few hits, the three students’ fists were drenched in blood from the reflected impact.
Meanwhile, Meng Qi remained unscathed and grinned with a hint of mockery. “Getting tired already? Good. Now it’s my turn!”
Meng Qi then activated his third Skill, Dragon Armor. A grand armor covered his body and made him look like a general.
The three students tried to flee, but Meng Qi had anticipated their move. He instinctively struck the strongest among them. That single punch carried the force of the Imperial Yellow Jacket’s Reflection effect combined with the Dragon Armor’s defensive power. The student flew five meters backward, gravely injured. The other two watched in disbelief, drained of any will or strength to fight.
Meng Qi’s power was overwhelming. They had assumed Leng Ning was the only powerful fighter, but Meng Qi proved just as dangerous. He lacked Leng Ning’s lethal edge, yet his resilience allowed him to endure the fight and wear down his opponents.
Meng Qi chuckled. “Do you want to see what it feels like to fly too?”
Realizing they could not overcome him, the two remaining students shook their heads and surrendered. “We give up.”
The crowd erupted. A massive wave of Assists poured in for Han Wu and the others: Meng Qi claimed 60%, Leng Ning 30%, and Han Wu 10%. Even at just 10%, Han Wu earned over 3,000 Assist Points.
“I could get this much just by winning a match? I want in next time,” Han Wu said, quickly calculating his potential gains and sharing his plan with the others.
Leng Ning nodded. “Fine. You go tomorrow. I’m eager to see how strong you really are.”