Chapter 77: Special Exam (4)
In a huge conference room on the campus of No. 2 High School, teachers from three schools and ten observers from the Taoist academy were gathered, carefully watching the students' performance in the examination room on the screen.
"Ten days in the simulated battlefield are equivalent to one day in reality. Who do you think can hold on until the end of this joint exam?"
A teacher from No. 2 High School looked at the candidates struggling onscreen and asked a colleague from No. 3 High School with a smile.
The teacher from No. 3 High School thought for a moment and replied, "Lu Xiaoye from No. 1 High School, Bian Shouyi, Chu Gucai, and Jin Shanli from No. 2 High School, and Liu Zhaodao from No. 3 High School—those individuals should all have a chance."
"After all, not only have they reached the peak of the Qi Gathering stage, but they also each possess unique abilities."
"Lu Xiaoye has awakened her innate magical power; Bian Shouyi has an innate sword body; Chu Gucai and Jin Shanli come from cultivator families; and as for Liu Zhaodao from our school, there's no need to mention him."
"If he weren't the grandson of our principal, he would have been recommended to one of the four major academies long ago. The college entrance examination would have been just a formality for him."
The teacher from No. 2 High School nodded in agreement with the remarks made by the teacher from No. 3 High School.
Many students had indeed reached the peak of the Qi Gathering stage in this joint examination.
However, as experienced individuals, they understood that even if they were both at the peak of the Qi Gathering stage, there was still a gap between them.
After all, for the Immortal Alliance, reaching 10,000 spiritual power points is the pinnacle of the Qi Gathering stage.
For many geniuses, the upper limit of their spiritual power during the Qi Gathering stage isn't 10,000 points.
For instance, Lu Xiaoye and the others they just mentioned make up a small group of gifted individuals whose spiritual power limit far exceeds that of ordinary people.
But just when these teachers focused their attention on Lu Xiaoye and the other well-known geniuses, a Taoist academy observer, who had been silent all along, keenly discovered a potential candidate not on his list.
He looked at Su Chen, who was actively searching for the Nine Nether evil creatures on the screen and was secretly surprised.
He had witnessed how Su Chen killed four Nine Nether evil creatures, the Spider-Faced Men, in an instant.
Although many candidates could accomplish this, the Spider-Faced Man was merely a small soldier among the Nine Nether evil creatures and did not pose much threat.
Yet, killing these four spider-faced men so cleanly and efficiently in a completely dark environment required not only outstanding abilities but also strong character, demonstrating that Su Chen was unaffected by such a harsh situation.
Character is a quality that cannot be seen through data on paper, yet it is equally important for monks.
All in all, Su Chen's performance was quite impressive.
Moreover, judging from the data alone, this candidate named Su Chen seemed to have great potential.
It's strange; why hadn't he received any prior news from the Ministry of Education about such a candidate?
Could it be that Su Chen had just risen to prominence recently due to some fortuitous encounter?
The investigator lowered his head and carefully looked at the data about Su Chen he had just found on his phone.
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[Name: Su Chen]
[School: Jiangnan City No. 1 High School]
[Cultivation: Ninth level of Qi Gathering Stage]
[Spiritual Root Qualification: Top-grade Five Elements Spiritual Root]
[Evaluation: Suspected to have excellent comprehension and a very high level of sword skills.]
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Top-grade spiritual roots, excellent comprehension, outstanding sword skills, and a steady mind...
No, how could there be no news about such a child with outstanding potential before? Could he be a trump card that has been hidden for a long time?
They did not want him to miss the college entrance exam due to lack of recommendation; rather, they wanted him to shine in the college entrance exam and make Jiangnan City No. 1 High School famous.
Thinking this, the Taoist academy observer secretly wrote down Su Chen's name and prepared to focus on observing him.
After all, if he could discover a potential candidate for one of the four major academies, it would be a great achievement for him!
In the joint examination involving three schools in the ruins of Yushan City, a full ten hours had passed since the joint entrance examination began.
Although ten hours in the exam corresponds to only one hour in reality, during these short ten hours, more than 200 of the original 875 candidates had been eliminated, leaving only over 600.
Moreover, the number of eliminations was still increasing, demonstrating the difficulty of this exam.
After ten hours of baptism, many candidates had initially adapted to the environment of this alien battlefield.
Only by understanding their objectives could they better exert their strengths.
If there were still candidates foolish enough to act on the streets in broad daylight at the beginning, after today, most would choose to proceed with caution.
"It's getting dark soon, and it's almost time for me to act."
Su Chen stood in front of the window of an apartment above the underground garage, quietly observing the scene on the street.
Although he had verified that he could gain experience points by killing evil creatures in this joint examination, he remembered the saying that one should not rush into things.
If he acted too hastily, he risked attracting a large number of Nine Nether Clan evil creatures and being trapped among their ranks.
Then, even with many trump cards, he would inevitably face death.
Not to mention that some of these evil creatures were in the Foundation Establishment stage.
Thus, his best approach was undoubtedly to ambush lone evil creatures as much as possible and then move to another location after dealing with them.
The main guerrilla tactic was to withdraw when the enemy advanced and harass when the enemy retreated.
In this way, he could remain in the joint examination longer and gain more experience points.
After all, he was planning to earn enough experience to upgrade the skill "Dragon Roar Sky Breaking Strike" to the "Extreme State."
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[Dragon Roar Sky Breaking Strike: Extreme State 1/30000]
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"Thirty thousand experience points; I don't know if I can reach that this time."
Su Chen glanced at the now completely dark sky outside the window, then turned and walked out of the room.
The hunt... begins!
At nine o'clock in the evening, on a street in the ruins of Yushan City.
"Zheng Liu, haven't I told you many times not to use the Red Flame Talisman carelessly? It's too easy to expose your position and attract nearby evil creatures!"
Chai Xi pulled the spear out from the head of the spider-masked man in front of him and said to Zheng Liu, who was beside him, with a hint of dissatisfaction.
Zheng Liu had her explanation for this.
"No need for the Red Flame Talisman; Chai Xi, do you think I am a crude body cultivator like you? I am a Talisman Master; do you understand? A Talisman Master!"
"Besides, what else can I use if I don't use the Scarlet Flame Talisman? It is the most powerful attack talisman at my disposal!"
"But we don't need your talisman attacks. Just focus on giving us auxiliary talismans."
Facing Chai Xi's scolding, Zheng Liu groaned and tilted her head.
After all, she knew she had been a bit rash just now.
She shouldn't have used a talisman-like the Red Flame Talisman in the dark, as it produced a lot of light and explosive noise.
But it couldn't be all her fault!
Who made the spider-faced man so scary? He had suddenly broken through the encirclement of Chai Xi and Xu Jianliang and rushed toward her.
This was just her instinctive reaction!
Seeing Zheng Liu's somewhat aggrieved expression, Xu Jianliang, part of the trio, immediately acted as a peacemaker.
"Alright, alright, Chai Xi, don't scold her anymore. It's my fault for not stopping that evil creature, which caused Xiao Liu to overreact."
Seeing Xu Jianliang say this, Chai Xi held his tongue.
After all, unity was vital for a team of three.
It was quite rare for the three of them to meet early in such a large examination room.
As long as they avoided repeating their previous mistake during the mock exam at No. 1 High School by recklessly provoking a monster like Su Chen, they could achieve good results with their excellent configuration of "one body, one symbol, and one technique."
In this joint examination format, cooperation among candidates is common.
In chaotic battlefields like these, they could only maximize their advantages through collaboration.
"Okay, we've almost cleared out the evil creatures here, so we should..."
Just when Xu Jianliang was about to discuss the next plan with the others, Chai Xi, who was standing by, suddenly discovered something and quickly pushed the two of them aside.
At that moment he pounced on the two, a giant worm crawled out from the spot where the three of them had just stood.
The trio rolled on the ground several times before coming to a halt.
After getting up again, Xu Jianliang and Zheng Liu looked at the huge creature that was ten meters long, their heads feeling as if they had been hit by a sledgehammer, instantly losing their ability to think.
A giant armored worm at the peak of the Qi Gathering stage?
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[Name: Giant Armored Worm]
[Race: Nine Nether Clan]
[Strength: Eighth level of Qi Gathering Stage]
[Features: A very common worm in the Nine Netherworlds. Although it has no vision, its hearing and sense of smell are extremely sensitive. Its body surface is hard, making it invulnerable to swords and spears.]
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"What now?"
Zheng Liu looked at this enormous creature, her face pale.
"What else can we do? Run!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Chai Xi was the first to bolt toward the far end of the street.
Zheng Liu and Xu Jianliang snapped to attention and immediately ran after Chai Xi.
As for the option of turning back to fight the giant armored worm, none of them even considered it.
Fight? What could the three of them possibly use to battle this giant armored worm?
Turning back would only mean delivering themselves to the giant armored worm; running away was their only option!
On the street, the three of them ran wildly as the giant armored worm chased them relentlessly.
The giant armored worm, with a body as large as a small train, moved freely through the streets.
The abandoned vehicles along the way were like fragile toy cars, crushed effortlessly under their weight.
Seeing this, Zheng Liu and the others had no choice but to run toward the surrounding streets and alleys.
She hoped to use the complex terrain to slow down the giant armored worm's pursuit and thus shake it off.
Ideals are beautiful, but reality is cruel.
The giant armored worm's hard body made it function like a bulldozer.
It crashed through anything blocking its path.
As a result, the three weren't able to create any distance between themselves and were at risk of being caught.
Feeling the increasing noise behind her, Zheng Liu, who was trailing, subconsciously glanced back.
This one look nearly made her scream on the spot.
The giant armored worm was now less than ten meters away from her.
At this distance, she could even see the remnants of flesh threads stuck in the giant worm's teeth, a visually impactful sight.
She couldn't imagine what would happen if this creature bit her!
It was just a mock exam; she wouldn't die, but Zheng Liu had already forgotten all that.
In her mind, this was a real battlefield.
"What should we do? What should we do? Come up with a solution!" Zheng Liu cried out.
Hearing this, Chai Xi quickly analyzed their current situation.
"No, if we continue like this, none of us will escape!"
"What should we do then?" Zheng Liu cried out again.
Just when Chai Xi was about to shout for everyone to run separately, Xu Jianliang suddenly spoke.
"I'll stop it; you guys go first."
"Ah?!"
Zheng Liu and Chai Xi looked at Xu Jianliang in astonishment as he prepared to face the giant armored worm alone, leaving them stunned.
Zheng Liu, who was more emotional, was so moved that she burst into tears at Xu Jianliang's brave yet tragic stance.
Even Chai Xi, who had always remained composed, couldn't help but admire him.
However, he guessed that Xu Jianliang might want to impress Zheng Liu and showcase his so-called heroism.
But he had to admit, Brother Xu, you played it beautifully by acting as the hero at this moment!
Although he felt touched, Chai Xi didn't stop but instead ran even faster.
After all, for someone experienced like him, his main skill was to stay discreet and avoid danger.
He never engaged in missions he knew were impossible.
As for Zheng Liu...
Though overwhelmed with emotion, her timidity made her continue to flee because she was fearful of insects.
On the street, Xu Jianliang left alone, stared at the rapidly approaching giant armored worm and took a deep breath.
In Xiao Liu's eyes, he must look very handsome right now... right?
Then he confidently turned to face the giant armored worm and suddenly roared, "Come on you monster!"
Faced with the provocation from Xu Jianliang, a mere human, the giant armored worm immediately sped up, eager to feast on the succulent prey being delivered to it.
Just as the giant armored worm approached within striking distance, Xu Jianliang suddenly put his hands on the ground, and wood-attributed spiritual power surged forth from his body.
A large number of wooden thorns erupted from the ground, blocking the giant armored worm's path.
If it were any other evil creature from the Nine Nether Clan with a weaker physique, it might choose to avoid Xu Jianliang's dense wooden thorns.
But the giant armored worm with its tough body armor feared no obstacles.
Cars and concrete walls crashed into each other at will; mere wooden spikes from a seventh-level Qi Gathering stage cultivator were nothing to fear.
Boom, boom, boom!
Xu Jianliang's wooden spikes ultimately posed no threat to the giant armored worm and were smashed to pieces in an instant.
Soon, the giant armored worm reached Xu Jianliang and opened its bloody maw to bite him.
At this moment, Xu Jianliang felt remarkably calm.
He never thought about how long he could stop this giant armored worm.
His true purpose was to sacrifice himself to buy time for his beloved classmate, Zheng Liu, to escape!
Never underestimate a man's determination to protect the one he secretly loves!
Watching the giant armored worm's gaping maw approaching, Xu Jianliang closed his eyes resolutely.
Everything... was about to end. He hoped that Student Zheng could escape safely.
Almost simultaneously with his closed eyes, a familiar, deafening dragon roar echoed in his ears.
Swish!
Accompanied by a strong wind blowing past his ears, Xu Jianliang heard a sharp, slicing sound.
A moment later, he heard two heavy thuds as large objects fell to the ground.
Then, Xu Jianliang felt a warm sensation on his face, as if the liquid had splattered onto him.
When he opened his eyes again, he saw the once-massive giant armored worm had been cleaved in two by someone.
Two body halves lay on either side of the street, with torrents of black blood spilling across the ground.
Looking at this shocking scene, Xu Jianliang's mind went blank.
What happened?
"Student Xu, being a bootlicker is bound to lead to no future."
Xu Jianliang turned his head to see Su Chen emerging from the alley next to him, the magic sword in his right hand still vibrating.
Finally, he regained his senses.
There was no doubt: the person who had suddenly appeared and slain the giant armored worm with a single sword strike to save him was Su Chen.
But Classmate Su, when did you become so powerful?
Seeing Xu Jianliang still in a daze, Su Chen didn't say much; instead, he turned to look in the direction where Chai Xi and Zheng Liu had run.
Because the two who should have been escaping had dashed back toward them!
Behind these two unfortunate figures was yet another giant armored worm!
These two had just escaped the tiger's den and stumbled into the wolf's den!
Chai Xi sprinted desperately while shouting, "No! Zheng Liu, why didn't you tell me you were on your period? You f***ed me over!"
Zheng Liu, visibly upset, retorted loudly,
"How could I have known that this holographic helmet was so realistic it could even perfectly replicate the timing of my period?"
Just as the two were forced to run back, blaming each other, they suddenly saw Su Chen and Xu Jianliang standing next to the giant armored worm's corpse.
What's going on?!
With looks of shock, the two ran to Su Chen and Xu Jianliang but stopped for some unknown reason.
What made them even more confused was that the second giant armored worm was now attracted by the smell of blood from Zheng Liu.
For some reason, she halted at that moment, standing more than ten meters away from them with a fearful expression.
Chai Xi glanced at the giant armored worm's corpse next to Su Chen and Xu Jianliang and quickly regained his senses.
He pointed at the corpse and exclaimed in disbelief, "Classmate Su, did you do this?"
Su Chen didn't have time to answer. Instead, he walked past Chai Xi and took the initiative to approach another giant armored worm.
After all, with such rich experience points in front of him, he had no time to engage in idle chatter.
As Su Chen approached, the giant armored worm that seemed invincible in the eyes of Chai Xi and the others began to retreat continuously.
Although Su Chen could lower his aura, when the distance closed enough, the giant armored worm, with its keen hearing and sense of smell, sensed immediately that he was not someone to be trifled with, causing it to fear him.
As Su Chen got closer, the giant armored worm could no longer hold its ground.
Under the shocked gazes of Chai Xi and others, the second giant armored worm that had been chasing them suddenly turned its head and tried to burrow into the ground to escape.
When Su Chen saw this scene, his expression turned cold.
"Did I... tell you to leave?"
After finishing his statement, Su Chen took a step forward.
Immediately afterward, his figure transformed into a shadow, instantly appearing above the body of the giant armored worm.
At that moment, one-third of the giant armored worm's body had already drilled into the ground.
In response, Su Chen's eyes flashed, and the magic sword in his right hand released a roar reminiscent of a dragon's cry.
Sword Technique... Water Dragon Roar!
"Roar!"
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(End of this chapter.)