79: Chapter 79

79

Her opponent was Xiang Nan from Beihua University, a fourth-year student with a Fourth-Order cultivation level and an A-grade Mutant talent—Polar Bear Incarnation.

"Qin Qinglan!"

"Qin Qinglan!"

The moment her figure appeared on the stage, enthusiastic cheers swept through the venue like a tidal wave.

Qin Qinglan's beauty was breathtaking, even slightly surpassing Su Qingxue's. Such a presence was destined to attract all eyes.

Somewhere in the audience, Xu Qing clenched her palms tightly, a flicker of resentment flashing in her eyes.

The live stream's chat was already boiling over:

"My wife has taken the stage! Victory to my wife! I've already prepared dinner at home waiting for your return!"

"Nonsense! That's clearly my lady! My lady, don't listen to that person's lies. Please come to my humble abode for a meal after the match."

"Gentlemen, watch your words. What 'wife' or 'lady'—that's the mother of my child! Mother of my child, come back quickly after the match, the little one is waiting for you!"

"...Shameless!"

Amidst the chaotic clamor, Qin Qinglan and her opponent stood on opposite sides of the arena.

As the referee gave the command, strange ripples emanated from both of them simultaneously as their forms began to change drastically.

Qin Qinglan's body transformed within a glow into a pure white Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox. Meanwhile, Xiang Nan's bones erupted with popping sounds, and in an instant, he had turned into a silver-white giant bear nearly four meters tall.

"Roar—!"

A deafening roar exploded in the arena as Xiang Nan crushed the ground beneath him, lunging forward with the overwhelming pressure of a Fourth-Order Awakened.

Every step that massive figure took made the arena tremble slightly.

The white fox did not retreat.

She raised her eyes, and a strange purple light suddenly surged deep within her pupils.

The charging giant bear slammed to a halt as if it had hit an invisible wall.

Xiang Nan felt his consciousness flicker as the surrounding scenery distorted and shifted; he had been dragged into an illusion.

At that moment, nine long tails rose high, like bowstrings filled with tension suddenly released, and lashed violently against the giant bear's chest.

Bang!

The dull thud sounded like the beat of a heavy drum.

Xiang Nan staggered backward, several faint marks left on his thick fur.

"Roar!!"

After stabilizing himself, an angry roar rang out once more.

Xiang Nan launched another charge, but this time he had learned his lesson—when that purple glint emerged from the fox's eyes again, he decisively closed his own.

Although Qin Qinglan's talent could create illusions across levels, it had one limitation: it required direct eye contact with the target.

Once the opponent closed their eyes or looked away, the ability could not be deployed.

The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox immediately changed her tactics.

The swaying tails behind her suddenly stiffened, and cold light condensed at their tips, thrusting out like nine spears piercing through the air.

Despite having his eyes closed, Xiang Nan dodged rapidly by relying on the sound of the wind and his sense of danger, all while struggling to close the distance.

In the spectator stands, Jiang Haojie narrowed his eyes slightly.

Qin Qinglan had indeed mastered new techniques after her breakthrough. This method of turning her tails into spears was something he had never seen her use before; it added a degree of sharpness and unpredictability to her fighting style.

Inside a hidden room above the gymnasium, Principal Gu Qian of Qingshan Academy sighed as she watched the arena. "Principal Sun, this batch of talents from your Beichen is truly outstanding."

Qin Qinglan has already entered the Fourth-Order as a junior. I'm afraid the heavy responsibility of the academy will fall on her shoulders in the future."

Shen Tianming, who was nearby, snorted upon hearing this. "It's just luck."

"If he hadn't met that child a step earlier back then, the one standing here today might not necessarily be from Beichen."

The principals looked at each other, all recalling events of the past.

Years ago, a mother and daughter who depended on each other were destitute. When the mother was critically ill and on the verge of death, they happened to be met by the passing Sun Wanyu.

Moved by compassion, he stepped in to pay for the medical expenses, saving a life.

This was originally just one of the countless minor acts of kindness in Sun Wanyu's life, and he had long since forgotten it.

Who would have thought that the thin, silent little girl from back then would transform into a brilliant star on the day of her awakening—not only testing as an SSS-grade talent but also displaying the rare ability to manifest as the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox.

The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox was an ancient bloodline that stood alongside the legendary Five-Clawed Divine Dragon.

As the various academies scrambled to recruit her, the young girl took the initiative to approach Beichen and calmly recounted that past story in front of everyone.

Sun Wanyu was stunned for a long time before he could pull that blurry rainy day from the depths of his memory, along with those eyes that were once filled with helplessness but now shone as bright as the morning stars.

Sun Wanyu smiled slightly. "That depends on Qinglan's own plans. She mentioned to me that she wants to go out for tempering during her senior year and then apply for the Holy Academy—I naturally respect her choice."

"It's a pity there's only one invitation to the Holy Academy this time. Qin Qinglan might still have a chance to fight for it, but with Chen Baichuan and the other four present, others probably won't even have an opportunity."

Wang Changxiao sighed softly and shook his head.

The people around him nodded one after another.

The so-called school competition was, in the end, a contest between the Five Great Academies.

But no one could complain; after all, the strength of the Five Great Academies was right there, far too powerful.

Being able to hold their current status among the Top Ten Prestigious Schools was already not easy for them.

At this moment on the stage, the clash between Qin Qinglan and Xiang Nan had entered its most intense phase.

Their figures blurred as they exchanged blows, engaging in close-quarters combat.

While a brawl between Mutants wasn't as full of forceful collisions as that of Physical Enhancers, it had another kind of primal blood-pumping excitement.

Compared to Physical Enhancers, the fighting of Mutants carried a sense of wildness, as if two fierce beasts were fighting for territory, with every move exuding instinctive ferocity.

Xiang Nan's advantage lay in his thick skin and brute strength, while Qin Qinglan's attacks were equally sharp.

Although her frame wasn't as burly as Xiang Nan's, her advantage was being as agile as the wind.

Especially those nine tails of hers, which occasionally thrust out like spears, aiming directly at Xiang Nan's vitals.

"Roar—!"

Xiang Nan roared suddenly, his muscles bulging as a pair of massive bear paws slammed down toward the top of Qin Qinglan's head with a forceful wind.

If this strike landed, Qin Qinglan would be heavily injured even if she didn't die.

"Still not willing to show your true abilities?"

Jiang Haojie's low mutter had just fallen—

Qin Qinglan's aura suddenly surged, and her true pressure was released without reservation.

"Fourth-Order!"

The spectators couldn't help but show looks of surprise as they saw her cultivation jump from the Third-Order to the Fourth-Order.

Although they knew some were hiding their strength, they hadn't expected Qin Qinglan to be one of them.

A trace of surprise also flashed in Xiang Nan's eyes.

He had felt that Qin Qinglan's aura was unusual before, but he hadn't thought deeply about it. Who would have known she had already stepped into the Fourth-Order?

Surprise was one thing, but his hands didn't stop. Those bear paws still carried the momentum of a thousand tons as they slammed down heavily toward Qin Qinglan.

Qin Qinglan neither dodged nor retreated. Her nine tails thrust out like spears again, but this time, every tail carried a heart-palpitating aura of danger.

Bang!

The two collided violently, and Xiang Nan was shaken, stumbling back repeatedly.

Qin Qinglan took advantage of the momentum to advance rapidly. She didn't use any complex moves; only her nine tails flew like shadows. The fierce offensive actually forced Xiang Nan off the arena.

"In this match, Beichen Academy's Qin Qinglan wins!"

As the referee's voice fell, cheers erupted from the Beichen Academy student section.

This victory meant that Qin Qinglan had joined the ranks of the top ten in this school competition.

Seeing Qin Qinglan win, a faint smile appeared on the corner of Jiang Haojie's mouth.

There was no suspense in this battle. If she couldn't win, that would be the real surprise.

"Next match, Zheng Chenxuan from Shuofeng University versus Jiang Haojie from Longcheng University."

Hearing his name, Jiang Haojie stood up calmly and walked toward the arena.

At the other end of the stage, Zheng Chenxuan stepped up steadily.

As a fourth-year student, he possessed an A-grade Wind-elemental spiritual talent and had already reached the Fourth-Order.

Jiang Haojie estimated privately that if he didn't reveal his true trump cards, it would be a bit tricky to deal with, but not without a chance of victory—as long as he found an opportunity to get close.

In the stands, Bai Yang caught a glimpse of Zheng Chenxuan's profile, and an imperceptible cold smile crossed his lips.

A Fourth-Order Awakened. Jiang Haojie, let's see how you struggle this time.

Xu Qing also wore a mocking expression. Even if she couldn't defeat Jiang Haojie personally, it would be satisfying to see him lose with her own eyes.

Low discussions broke out among the audience. "There's no way Jiang Haojie can win this time, right? A Fourth-Order Awakened is on a completely different level compared to his previous opponents."

"It's hard to say, but it looks unlikely to me."

"Even many Fourth-Order Awakened wouldn't dare claim a guaranteed victory, let alone him."

"Being able to break into the finals is already enough to be proud of. Even if he loses, there's nothing to regret."

Although everyone felt respect for Jiang Haojie for making it this far—he didn't have the rich cultivation resources they did, yet he still surpassed many opponents, showing his extraordinariness.

But everyone understood that in today's school-level competition, only the top ten rankings had real meaning.

Beyond tenth place, there were no rankings.

Those still standing on the arena now were all experts who had gone through layers of selection.

Therefore, almost everyone was certain that Jiang Haojie would lose this battle.

"Match start!"

As soon as the referee's voice fell, Zheng Chenxuan immediately backed away to create distance. With a slight movement of his will, several pale green wind blades condensed out of thin air and slashed rapidly toward Jiang Haojie.

As a Fourth-Order Awakened, he wasn't overconfident. He was especially aware of the threat posed by close-combat Ancient Martial Artists like Jiang Haojie—once they got close, the situation would be reversed.

With his strength, suppressing his opponent steadily was more than enough; there was no need to take risks.

Stability was the best strategy.

As the wind blades sliced through the air, Jiang Haojie's figure flickered as he dodged to the side.

If it weren't for his reluctance to expose himself too early, he could have used the Shifting Stars technique to return the attack.

At this moment, he could only rely on his footwork to maneuver.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sharp wind blades struck the spot where Jiang Haojie had just been standing, barely avoided by him, carving several cracks nearly twenty centimeters deep into the hard arena floor.

Zheng Chenxuan wasn't surprised that Jiang Haojie could dodge the attacks; how could anyone who reached the finals be mediocre? Besides, he hadn't used his full strength yet.

With another thought, several more wind blades whistled out.

His own talent was extremely compatible with the wind element, granting him the ability to cast spells almost instantaneously. Although the number he could release at once was limited, it was enough for him to take the initiative—as long as his spiritual energy was sufficient, the offensive could be continuous.

Jiang Haojie had just dodged one round of attacks when he looked up and saw new wind blades already in front of him.

With a tap of his toe, he slid to the side again, his clothes fluttering loudly in the fierce wind.

Jiang Haojie turned sideways to avoid another attack, a dull whistling sound coming from the air.

"Old Shen..."

"Shut up!"

Sun Wanyu shook his head with a bitter smile; this person's reaction was a bit too intense.

The surrounding professors all lowered their heads, hiding the smiles on their lips.

Principal Yuan Changqing of Beihua University spoke slowly: "If it were me, I would definitely take Old Sun's bet."

It's the last round of the finals, and the opponent is a Fourth-Order Awakened. How can Jiang Haojie have any chance of winning?"

"If you want to bet, bet yourselves. Don't drag me into it."

Shen Tianming turned his head away with a cold face.

Sun Wanyu was still smiling: "Old Shen, then who do you think can win this match?"

Shen Tianming simply turned his chair half a circle, facing him with the back of his head.

Who won or lost was none of his business.

"Old Chen, what do you think?"

Sun Wanyu turned to Chen Minan on the other side.

Chen Minan pondered for a moment, his voice deep: "There are indeed some things about Jiang Haojie that I can't see through, but no matter how special he is, it's impossible to defeat a Fourth-Order Awakened across levels."

"With the full effort of our Five Great Academies, it's already the limit for a student to increase one order per year."

The Fourth-Order is usually the level of a senior. Jiang Haojie is only a freshman. Even if he is exceptionally talented, at most he can maneuver against a Third-Order; it's absolutely impossible to cross that chasm."

Sun Wanyu sighed with feigned regret: "Did you hear that, Old Shen? I originally wanted to return those A-grade weapons to you, but if you don't want them, there's nothing I can do."

Shen Tianming still had no reaction, as if he hadn't heard.

Sun Wanyu stroked his chin and spoke again: "How about this, I'll return one to you first, and we'll bet another round."

If you win, the remaining two will be returned together. If I win, I don't want much; you just need to add one more weapon and give it to me along with the one I just returned. How about it?"

How about it?"

Shen Tianming's eyes moved slightly.

Could this old fox have set some kind of trap? Anyone with eyes could see that Zheng Chenxuan had the victory in hand.

If he agreed, but the other party deliberately chose Zheng Chenxuan, wouldn't he be bound to lose?

"Since you're unwilling..."

Sun Wanyu made a gesture to withdraw the proposal.

"Wait!"

Shen Tianming suddenly interrupted, "I'll agree, but I must choose first."

Sun Wanyu spread his hands indifferently, signaling him to go ahead.

Shen Tianming immediately raised his chin, his voice full of pride: "I bet Zheng Chenxuan wins."

The people around exchanged looks and cast playful glances at Sun Wanyu.