Chapter 79: Special Exam (6)
The reason why the Jade-faced Mantis was so surprised was that Su Chen broke its magic sword arm with one strike.
This all stemmed from the Nine Nether evil creatures' power system, which is completely different from that of cultivators. Unlike cultivators, who become stronger by absorbing spiritual energy and comprehending heaven and earth, the Nine Nether evil creatures, like most alien races, achieve strength through body mutations—a process commonly referred to as 'evolution.'
Therefore, among the alien races, there is no concept of Qi Gathering, Foundation Establishment, or Golden Elixir.
Their strength is simply measured as 'unevolved,' 'first evolved,' 'second evolved,' and so on.
The reason why the Immortal Alliance also employs terms like "Qi Gathering" and "Foundation Establishment" is to gauge the strength levels of alien races. Essentially, it facilitates cultivators' understanding of the danger posed by evil creatures.
The Jade-faced Mantis that Su Chen encountered was the result of such an "evolution." This is analogous to a cultivator transitioning from Qi Gathering to Foundation Establishment, as both the total amount and quality of spiritual power undergo a qualitative leap.
Each time a Nine Nether evil creature completes its evolution, not only does its physical fitness improve drastically, but parts of its body also mutate, forming special organs similar to a monk's 'natal magic weapon.'
The special organs that the Jade-faced Mantis gained after its evolution are its two arms. Although the Jade-faced Mantis is one of the Nine Nether evil creatures known for its speed, if we focus solely on its demon sword arms, they are almost equivalent to the magic weapons that ordinary cultivators have practiced with for many years.
Su Chen was able to accurately hit the weak spot on its demon sword arm with his first attack, creating a noticeable crack. This was akin to Su Chen destroying a Foundation Establishment cultivator's life-saving magic weapon with one strike.
How could the Jade-faced Mantis not be shocked?
Looking at Su Chen's lotus pupils, the Jade-faced Mantis felt both annoyed and concerned. Its carelessness in underestimating the human cultivator just because he was merely at the Qi Gathering Stage was evident.
There was something strange about this human cultivator's eyes!
Thinking this, the Jade-faced Mantis's murderous intent toward Su Chen intensified. No, it absolutely cannot allow a human prodigy like him to grow; otherwise, he would become a serious threat to its race!
With this thought in mind, the Jade-faced Mantis decisively became serious. It did not choose to fight directly but instead relied on its terrifying speed to create a distance of three body lengths between itself and Su Chen in an instant.
However, its retreat was not an escape but an attempt to regain control of the battle rhythm. In the eyes of the Jade-faced Mantis, Su Chen should be the type to disguise himself and strike swiftly. In such a case, whoever makes the first move typically holds the advantage.
If Su Chen had been anything more than a Qi Gathering Stage cultivator, it would not have been easy for the Jade-faced Mantis to escape so swiftly.
However, although Su Chen possessed amazing swordsmanship and that strange pupil technique, his physical fitness was very average compared to the Nine Nether evil creature after its evolution.
After maintaining a certain distance, the wings behind the Jade-faced Mantis flapped rapidly, creating a gust around it. The compound eyes on its triangular head fixed on Su Chen, and its figure instantly vanished from sight.
Almost simultaneously, Su Chen appeared to predict the future. Suddenly, he turned and slashed in a specific direction behind him.
Bang!
Su Chen's magic sword collided with the Jade-faced Mantis's magic sword again, producing a large amount of sparks.
But this time... Su Chen was at a disadvantage.
The Jade-faced Mantis's next attack was like a storm, leaving Su Chen no chance to breathe. The two demon swords struck alternately like endless waves.
If it had been anyone else, they would have been beheaded by the Jade-faced Mantis by now. However, for Su Chen, who mastered the extreme state of the Traceless Sword Technique, not only was his pure sword-drawing speed nearly equivalent to that of the Jade-faced Mantis, but his superior skill also allowed him to launch even more powerful attacks while using less spiritual power.
On one side were the Nine Nether evil creatures with an obvious physical advantage, and on the other were human cultivators with clear skill advantages. What could have seemed like a one-sided battle was now evenly matched!
Half a minute later, both the man and the evil creature, who had clashed hundreds of times, briefly staggered.
But neither seemed willing to give the other a chance to rest. Almost in tacit agreement, they collided again the moment they stabilized.
Bang, bang, bang!
This was a head-on competition between the alien's swordsmanship and the cultivator's technique—each was trying to see whose sword was faster.
This type of wild battle, which rejected all fancy tactics and reverted to its primitive state, not only made both combatants feel as if they had met a worthy opponent, but their fierce exchange also stunned the teachers and investigators watching from the conference room.
"Is this a sword technique that a swordsman at the Qi Gathering Stage can possess? How did he practice it?"
A teacher from No. 3 High School was so shocked to see Su Chen fighting on equal terms with the Jade-faced Mantis that he could hardly speak clearly. Not only him but everyone around him was similarly astonished by the scene.
No one knew the value of the Jade-faced Mantis better than this group of teachers. Although the Jade-faced Mantis only ranked ninth among the ten evil creatures in the Foundation Establishment Stage during the exam, it had one of the highest elimination rates among all candidates in previous joint entrance examinations due to its terrifying speed. It was essentially a ruthless killer of candidates.
After all, due to a lack of quantity and quality of spiritual power, cultivators at the Qi Gathering Stage cannot master strong defensive techniques. Moreover, real magic weapons cannot be utilized during the joint examination. Hence, most students' performances in the joint entrance examination are much weaker than in reality. Given these factors, ordinary candidates have little chance of fighting back against the Jade-faced Mantis, which is notorious for its speed.
Many candidates eliminated by the Jade-faced Mantis did not even see its attack coming, being beheaded with a single stroke.
Therefore, when they saw the Jade-faced Mantis approach Su Chen, still seemingly alone, they all felt this battle would be a one-sided massacre. The only variable was how long Su Chen could hold on.
Thus, they never expected that Su Chen's swordsmanship would prove so terrifying—so much so that the Jade-faced Mantis's magic sword was damaged in their first encounter, inflicting a loss on it.
This incident contributed to the Jade-faced Mantis's hesitation in subsequent attacks. Whenever it needed to utilize the magic sword in its right hand, it would subconsciously retract its strength, worrying that its magic sword would not withstand Su Chen's assault and be utterly destroyed.
Otherwise, given the Jade-faced Mantis's superior physical fitness, it would have had multiple chances to break through Su Chen's swordsmanship and severely injure him in one blow.
However, from another angle, this also highlighted Su Chen's power. Even if one could identify this pattern, executing it successfully was another matter altogether.
All they could conclude was that Su Chen's strength far exceeded their expectations.
Although they all hoped that Su Chen could defeat the Jade-faced Mantis on his own, everyone present, being veteran Foundation Establishment cultivators, understood that this was merely wishful thinking.
The Jade-faced Mantis in the current scene hadn't yet used its full strength!
In other words, Su Chen had not yet forced the Jade-faced Mantis to a point where it needed to deploy its precious trump card.
Do not be fooled by the notion that the Jade-faced Mantis seemed to be matching Su Chen equally at this moment.
Up until this point, the Jade-faced Mantis had not sustained substantial losses, aside from some exertion of physical strength.
However, Su Chen was entirely different.
Although Su Chen had managed to hold on until now, all he had exhausted was his precious spiritual energy.
Spiritual power regenerates faster than physical strength.
Thus, if this stalemate persisted, it was only a matter of time before the Jade-faced Mantis overpowered Su Chen, draining his spiritual energy.
And it wasn't just the teachers in the conference room who knew this; both Su Chen and the Jade-faced Mantis, engaged in battle, were acutely aware of it.
"Boy, your spiritual power won't last much longer, will it?"
After another exchange, the Jade-faced Mantis flapped its wings and flew to the glass railing on the second floor of the mall.
Half-squatting on it, it looked down at Su Chen with a smile, its breathing slightly hurried.
Faced with the Jade-faced Mantis's ridicule, Su Chen seemed prepared to utilize this precious moment to recover some spiritual energy, so he did not respond.
This nonchalant demeanor only furthered the Jade-faced Mantis's confidence in its victory.
Unable to resist the urge to taunt Su Chen again, it said, "To be honest, human boy, you are the second intriguing prey I have encountered since I came here."
"Your status among the human race must be akin to that of royalty in our Nine Nether Clans."
"The thought of killing a human genius akin to the Nine Nether royal family fills me with exhilaration."
"Because I relish the unwilling and resentful look in your eyes when you geniuses meet your demise—as if you're saying that if only you had a little more time, you could easily defeat me."
"But I just won't grant you that time to practice! Ha ha!"
After laughing, the Jade-faced Mantis's expression turned serious. A multitude of green lines began to appear on its emerald-green insect armor.
At that moment, some mysterious power within released itself freely, making it look as if it were emitting an enigmatic green light.
"You've forced me to activate my innate ability, human boy. Consider yourself quite privileged."
Just as the words left its mouth, the Jade-faced Mantis's figure trembled violently, and three phantoms emerged around it.
The teachers watching this scene in the conference room instantly recognized the ability the Jade-faced Mantis was employing.
"The Jade-faced Mantis's Three Prisons Tribulation Killing Formation has appeared."
The Three Prisons Killing Array is a special ability that the Jade-faced Mantis awakens post-evolution, akin to the innate magical powers of a cultivator.
The primary feature of this ability is that the two phantoms accompanying the Jade-faced Mantis aren't mere visual effects designed to confuse the enemy; instead, they are special clones that possess a portion of the Jade-faced Mantis's strength and can inflict damage upon foes.
The ability of the 'Three Prisons Killing Array' might not be particularly harmful for a strong opponent at the same level but for Su Chen, who possessed a significant cultivation gap compared to the Jade-faced Mantis, it would be undeniably challenging to handle.
Before the Jade-faced Mantis unleashed this special ability, Su Chen was merely striving to maintain a delicate balance. But once this ability came into play, that balance shattered.
Within the mall, the Jade-faced Mantis stood up from the glass railing on the second floor and confidently declared, "Three against one—what are you going to do?"
In response, Su Chen declared his answer.
Magical power... Purple Cloud Divine Fire!
Dazzling purple fire enveloped the left half of Su Chen's body, and a unique long sword forged entirely of purple flames materialized in his left hand.
Immediately after, Su Chen altered his original starting posture, lowering his body and gripping the two swords with reverse holds.
Seeing this familiar scene, the smile on the Jade-faced Mantis's face faltered.
Isn't this... his dual-sword style?
Impossible! How could this kid learn his dual-sword style after such a brief exchange?
Under normal circumstances, that shouldn't be feasible. After all, it would require some time for Su Chen to integrate the skills he had observed into his repertoire.
What had happened, however, was that the ability the Jade-faced Mantis took pride in—its exceptional dual-sword style—shared many similarities with their knife skills.
Consequently, it wasn't overly complicated for Su Chen to learn.
Not to mention, he had accumulated a wealth of experience points during this exam.
Therefore, after only a few brief encounters, Su Chen relied on his understanding and a mere '3,000 experience points' to master the Jade-faced Mantis's dual-sword style completely.
---
[Dual (Sword/Knife) Style: Perfection cannot be upgraded.]
[Effect: The (knife/sword) techniques performed by the non-dominant hand can achieve 100% of the power of the original dominant hand.]
[Current experience points: 1325]
---
In fact, if it hadn't been for acquiring the dual-sword technique of the Jade-faced Mantis, Su Chen would have had multiple opportunities to prevent the Jade-faced Mantis from even unleashing the Three Prisons Killing Formation, going straight for a kill instead.
However, upon discovering the dual-sword skill, which complemented his capabilities, Su Chen switched his priorities.
After all, the prospect of mastering a technique that made both hands equally dominant presented a significant opportunity for improvement.
Upon witnessing Su Chen's expert double-sword style opening move, the Jade-faced Mantis became entirely enraged.
"Die!!!"
Bang!
The Jade-faced Mantis and its two phantoms lunged from the second floor, transforming into three streams of emerald green light and attacking Su Chen.
In the next instant, a multitude of green sword lights appeared from all directions, effectively blocking every possible escape route available to Su Chen.
Faced with this relentless barrage, the double swords in Su Chen's reverse grip morphed into an impenetrable sword barrier, resisting the onslaught coming from every direction.
Ding ding ding!
Despite the three-on-one advantage, Su Chen still found himself at a disadvantage. Although his dual-sword style outclassed even that of the Jade-faced Mantis, this advantage in technique couldn't fully compensate for the numerical disadvantage he faced.
Thus, after more than ten exchanges, Su Chen bore numerous wounds on his body.
It was evident that if this continued, his defeat was merely a matter of time.
Yet for some reason, the Jade-faced Mantis felt inexplicably uneasy when it glanced at Su Chen's constantly rotating lotus pupils.
No, it must resolve this quickly!
During the fight, the Jade-faced Mantis seized an opportunity and slashed at Su Chen's chest.
Su Chen barely managed to block the attack by holding his sword across his chest.
However, the immense force still sent him flying backward.
After executing a somersault mid-air, his legs landed on the ground and skidded for a distance before he came to a steady halt.
Looking at the gashes on his arms and the blood seeping from them, the Jade-faced Mantis believed it had secured the win.
But before it acted, Su Chen unexpectedly spoke up, "Is this all you have?"
"Um?"
The Jade-faced Mantis stared at Su Chen in astonishment, failing to decipher the meaning behind his statement.
But not long after, it comprehended Su Chen's intention.
The lotus pupils in Su Chen's eyes illuminated suddenly, and two green lines emanated from the corners of his eyes, spreading across his entire body.
As the Jade-faced Mantis recognized the familiar patterns, dread bloomed within it.
Wait a minute, this human wouldn't...
In the next heartbeat, two phantoms emerged around Su Chen's body.
That's right—the ability Su Chen displayed was the same special ability the Jade-faced Mantis had just showcased: the Three Prisons Tribulation Killing Array.
Seeing this scene rendered the Jade-faced Mantis utterly dumbfounded.
If Su Chen had managed to master its dual-sword skills in a fleeting glance, it could slightly accept it.
But the moment he activated the "Three Prisons Tribulation Killing Formation," it simply couldn't wrap its mind around it!
No, you're a human! How could you possibly wield the awakening ability of a Nine Nether evil creature just by observing it?
Are you a human or a Nine Nether evil creature?
As for why Su Chen could replicate the Three Prisons Tribulation Killing Formation of the Jade-faced Mantis, it was not complicated.
The answer lay within his Green Lotus pupils, which had reached an extreme state.
---
[Green Lotus Pupils (Twelve Petals Green Lotus): Extreme state (cannot be upgraded)]
[Effect: A green lotus manifests in the eyes. After activation, one can survey the universe without blind spots, remembering magical skills once witnessed for a short duration. With one glance, it sees all magic skills...]
[Special Effect: Power of Green Lotus: Consumes the power of a petal of the green lotus to enhance a specific pupil skill.]
---
Initially, in the advanced stage, the Green Lotus pupils could not replicate the 'Three Prisons Killing Formation,' a skill extremely characteristic of the Jade-faced Mantis race.
However, after the green lotus pupils reached their extreme state and unlocked the special energy of the green lotus power, Su Chen could now amplify his copying pupil technique.
Even if it were an exclusive ability of a non-human race, Su Chen could still imitate it using the power of the Green Lotus.
This, however, was simply a 'copy' of this enhanced pupil technique.
It's worth mentioning that Su Chen possessed three more pupil techniques: 'Strong Vision,' 'Perspective,' and 'Lotus Mark.'
The truly terrifying aspect of the extreme state of the Green Lotus pupil came into play when Su Chen augmented all of his pupil techniques simultaneously.
Only then could the Green Lotus's power in its extreme state shine through fully.
Su Chen had previously experimented with that effect, but as for the results...
All he could say was that if he chose to proceed with it, ordinary Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators would be no match for him!
The Jade-faced Mantis hadn't yet reached the level at which Su Chen could utilize this trump card.
An enhanced 'copying' eye technique was more than sufficient.
Su Chen beamed at the Jade-faced Mantis, which was now so shocked it could hardly articulate.
"If we only discuss theoretical scenarios, then no matter who the enemy is, they will only have one chance to attack me, because I won't be caught off guard with the same move twice."
"But unfortunately, you... missed this opportunity."
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(End of this chapter.)