Good, Good, Good

"Wow, that's amazing, that's amazing!" Liu Ke sighed in admiration, barely short of clapping and cheering. Watching Jiang Xiao and Zhu Wen go back and forth, her big eyes were practically sparkling with little stars.

"Stop, stop!" Jiang Xiao took a step back, his chest heaving violently as he gasped for breath.

The gap—

A huge gap! At least without the help of Star Skills, Jiang Xiao admitted that he couldn't beat Flat Top Bro.

The exchange looked fierce, with both sides seemingly matching one another, but Jiang Xiao could feel that he was far more lacking than that.

Flat Top Bro had probably been training since childhood. Although he started with a kickboxing stance, once the fight began, traces of traditional martial arts appeared in his movements.

With Star Power enhancing him, he was even more formidable.

His leg techniques were especially sharp.

"Not bad. Very good." Zhu Wen looked at Zhu Wu beside him, then at the mixed-race beauty Yi Lena.

Zhu Wu nodded as well. One couldn't set the standards too high for high school students. Judging solely by their skills, those students who had been transferred away to form teams might not necessarily be stronger than Jiang Xiao.

Having earned the Flat Top brothers' approval, the silent Yi Lena finally spoke.

This team's division of labor was quite clear.

"Hi, Jiang. My name is Yi Lena." The mixed-race beauty walked over and said with a smile.

When someone with Western features spoke perfectly fluent Chinese, it felt somewhat strange.

"What's your surname?" Jiang Xiao responded casually, while secretly making plans. This was a godsend opportunity. I'm already late, and joining a team isn't easy—especially a strong one.

If he wanted to represent Class 2 in the competition, he first had to break through the ranks of Class 2.

"Yi." Yi Lena smiled. "My father's surname is Yi."

Jiang Xiao said, "Uh, I thought it was a foreign name transliterated into Chinese. The surname Yi is rather uncommon."

"It's written in the Hundred Family Surnames. Haven't you heard of Yi Yin, the minister of the Shang Dynasty?"

"Oh, I'm ashamed, I'm ashamed," Jiang Xiao said apologetically.

Although Yi Lena was a Huaxia citizen, she had a Western face.

Being lectured on Huaxia culture by her felt rather bizarre.

"Hehe, my family deliberately chose a name with a suitable transliteration, so they named me 'Lena' to make it convenient for my mother's family to address me," Yi Lena said with a smile.

"Oh." Jiang Xiao nodded.

Yi Lena never expected him to reply with an "oh," and the atmosphere grew awkward for a moment.

Little Lolita Liu Ke quietly remarked, "What a conversation genius."

Coming back to himself, Jiang Xiao took the initiative to ask, "Is your team short a member? Aren't there already four people?"

"I'm just filling a spot. I can't fight." Liu Ke hurriedly explained. "Of the Star Pearls the school handed out, I couldn't absorb the Exploding Flame either."

"The school hands out Star Pearls?" Jiang Xiao's voice rose involuntarily.

"Of course. Oh, right, you only arrived yesterday, so you missed the distribution." Liu Ke covered her mouth with her little hand and giggled.

Yi Lena explained, "At the beginning of military training, the school distributed Star Pearls according to everyone's Star Map. Those with a close-combat Star Map received three White Ghost Star Pearls. Those with a magic-system Star Map received one Lava Ghoul Star Pearl."

Lava Ghoul Star Pearls? Were they produced by the creatures in the Other Dimension Space near the volcanoes?

Lava Ghoul Star Pearls were Silver-quality Star Pearls, while White Ghost Star Pearls were Bronze Quality. Although both were basic Star Skills produced in abundance by North River Land, the difference between them was enormous.

"A few students with exceptionally special Star Maps received White Ghost Witch Star Pearls. Unfortunately, no one awakened a Medical Star Technique." Yi Lena looked at Jiang Xiao and asked smoothly, "Since you claim to be a Medical Awakened, you must already have a basic Medical Star Technique. What is it? Blessing?"

"Mm, yes." Jiang Xiao nodded in confirmation.

"Ah, White Ghost Witch Star Pearls." Liu Ke spoke enviously. A single White Ghost Witch Star Pearl represented a great deal.

Either one's family had bought it, or one had gone to the Snowfield and fought for it.

Either way, it was enough to make Liu Ke envious.

"Hehe, I've been to the Snowfield a few times." Jiang Xiao smiled.

"Oh?" Zhu Wen's eyes lit up. "Looks like your specialty isn't sparring, brother, but killing enemies."

"Not bad, not bad." Jiang Xiao gave a perfunctory reply.

"I like people whose hands have been stained with blood. They're ten thousand times better than those sissies." Flat Top Second Brother Zhu Wu spoke up.

Jiang Xiao said, "Uh..."

"How many Star Slots and Star Skills do you have?" Zhu Wen asked. As if returning the courtesy, he added, "I have 20 Star Slots and two Bronze Star Skills: Green Glow and Endurance."

Flat Top Second Brother Zhu Wu said, "Same here. 20 Star Slots and two Bronze Star Skills, Green Glow and Endurance. We're both at the early Star Dust Stage."

Early Star Dust Stage? Judging by Jiang Xiao's Inner Star Map, that meant levels 0 to 3 of the Star Dust Stage.

With 20 Star Slots, they had been accepted into Class 2. In addition, the big fatty Liu Bufan had introduced himself yesterday as having 19 Star Slots.

It seemed that anyone with around 20 Star Slots was already considered exceptionally talented.

Jiang Xiao also knew that those with relatively ordinary talent—who made up the largest proportion of Awakened—had 15 Star Slots.

Anyone with fewer than 15 had poor talent. Above 15, every additional Star Slot meant greater genius. Reaching 20 Star Slots was already quite impressive.

Only now did Jiang Xiao realize just how powerful Xia Yan's 28 Star Slots and Han Jiangxue's 30 Star Slots were.

They were all Ruthless People! Yi Lena rubbed her short brown hair. Bathed in the early sunlight, she looked breathtaking. "Their Star Maps are both fists."

Flat Top Second Brother seemed as competitive as ever. "Fists as big as sandbags!"

"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm." Yi Lena looked helpless as she answered perfunctorily, "I'm at the Star Dust Stage. All four of my current Star Slots are filled. There's nothing particularly special about them: Green Glow, Endurance, Scorching Flame, and Exploding Flame. Oh, right, my Star Map is a two-handed magic staff, and I have 21 Star Slots."

Putting aside the Bronze Star Skills Green Glow and Endurance for the moment—

The Silver Star Skills Scorching Flame and Exploding Flame came from Lava Ghoul Star Pearls. One cost three thousand yuan. Jiang Xiao had no idea whether this girl had killed for them herself or whether her family had bought the Star Pearls for her.

Jiang Xiao was fairly familiar with these Star Skills. Xia Yan had them, and Han Jiangxue did too. He roughly knew how powerful they were. Even the thick-skinned White Ghost monsters couldn't withstand them, much less these high school students.

At least at this stage, Yi Lena could be considered very powerful.

Awakened at the Star Dust Stage could only absorb four Star Skills. Even if Yi Lena had 21 Star Slots, it was useless if her Star Power level couldn't rise.

Yi Lena's combination of Star Skills was highly representative.

For Awakened in North River Land, these four Star Skills were the cheapest, offered the best value for money, and were the most practical.

What was interesting was that after the Flat Top brothers had determined their future direction through their Star Maps, they had not absorbed the Silver Star Skills Scorching Flame and Exploding Flame.

At three thousand yuan per Lava Ghoul Star Pearl, Jiang Xiao believed the brothers' family could afford it. Yet the two of them probably had never even touched a Lava Ghoul Star Pearl.

They both had 20 Star Slots. In theory, they shouldn't be so stingy with their Star Slots.

Then there was only one possibility: these two families had far-reaching plans and had their own arrangements for every single Star Slot.

Jiang Xiao turned to Liu Ke. The girl pursed her lips, looking thoroughly unhappy. "I only have 18 Star Slots. My Star Skill is Scorching Flame. I've already wasted so much of my family's money, but I still haven't managed to absorb Exploding Flame."

"It's all right, Liu Ke. As long as you work hard, you'll absorb it eventually," Flat Top Second Brother hurriedly said.

"Who knows?" Liu Ke clearly wasn't appeased. It wasn't until Yi Lena tugged at her arm that the girl came back to herself and smiled at Flat Top Second Brother.

Before Flat Top Second Brother could even feel sentimental, his adorable goddess healed him, and he immediately perked up.

"What about you?" Zhu Wen asked.

"I don't have many Star Slots. To be precise, I have very few." Jiang Xiao thought it over and decided there was no need to hide it.

"Few? How many?" Zhu Wu asked in confusion.

"Nine." Jiang Xiao sounded slightly embarrassed.

"Pfft." Liu Ke failed to hold back and made a strange noise.

"Nine?" Second Brother Zhu Wu asked in shock.

"Nine." Jiang Xiao nodded heavily.

"My heavens." Second Brother Zhu Wu slapped the back of his head. In all his life, he had never seen anyone with a single-digit number of Star Slots.

Second Brother had even seen peerless experts with 27 or 28 Star Slots! Yet he had never seen a peerless weakling with nine Star Slots. In a certain sense, Jiang Xiao was as rare as Han Jiangxue.

"Hey, Star Slots aren't important at all. Think about it—we're all at the Star Dust Stage. No matter how many Star Slots we have, at this stage we can only possess four Star Skills at most." Jiang Xiao promoted himself. "Don't worry about my potential. Let's only talk about immediate combat strength. Isn't our goal the competition right in front of us?"

"That makes sense." Big Brother Zhu Wen nodded.

"Brother, becoming a Medical Awakened must have been hard on you." Second Brother Zhu Wu patted Jiang Xiao on the shoulder, looking as though he was showing compassion for all living beings.

Jiang Xiao said quietly, "I have three Star Skills: Green Glow, Blessing, and Bell Chime. I may have few Star Slots, but I have enough to heal all of you."

Second Brother Zhu Wu's palm suddenly froze in midair. His mournful expression became extremely colorful, and he was mortified.

What am I doing? Pitying a great expert? Three Star Skills!

And what kind of quality were they!?

Bell Chime was a genuine Silver Medical Star Technique. Not only did this kid have the potential to be a Medical Awakened, he had already realized that potential?

He had even embedded the Silver Star Skill Bell Chime? Big Brother Zhu Wen's eyes lit up, and he shouted three times in succession, "Good! Good! Good!"