Okay, Okay, Okay

"Wow, amazing, amazing!" Liu Ke sighed softly, almost clapping her hands in joy. Watching Jiang Xiao and Zhu Wen spar, her big eyes seemed to sparkle.

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

The gap...

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

The scene looked intense, with back-and-forth action, but Jiang Xiao could feel that he was more than just a little bit behind.

Flat Top Bro must have trained since childhood. Although his stance was that of a mixed martial artist, there were many elements of traditional martial arts once the fight began.

With the enhancement of Star Power, it was even more formidable.

Especially his leg techniques, they were truly 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 expect too much from high school students. Judging solely by their fighting skills, the students in their class who had been assigned to other teams might not even be stronger than Jiang Xiao.

Having received the approval of Flat Top Bro, Yi Lena, who had been silent, finally spoke.

This squad's division of labor was quite clear.

"Hi, classmate Jiang Xiao, my name is Yi Lena." The mixed-race beauty walked over, smiling.

When a person with Western features spoke fluent Chinese, it felt a bit strange.

"What's your surname?" Jiang Xiao continued the conversation, but he had his own agenda. This was a godsend. He was already late, and joining a team wouldn't be easy, especially a strong one.

To represent Class 2, he had to at least break through within Class 2 first.

"Yi Lena." Yi Lena replied with a smile. "My father's surname is Yi Lena."

Jiang Xiao: "Uh, I thought it was a transliteration of a foreign name. Yi Lena surname, that's quite rare."

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

Jiang Xiao apologized: "Oh, I'm ashamed, I'm ashamed."

Although Yi Lena was a Huaxia person, she had Western features.

Being educated about Huaxia culture by her felt very bizarre.

"Hehe, my family specifically chose a name that was easy to transliterate and named me 'Lena,' so it would be convenient for my mother's family to call me," Yi Lena said with a smile.

"Oh." Jiang Xiao nodded.

Yi Lena never expected him to just reply with "Oh," and the atmosphere became a little awkward.

Loli Liu Ke quietly remarked, "A genius at conversation."

Jiang Xiao snapped back to reality and proactively asked, "Are you guys short a person? Aren't there four of you?"

"I'm just here to make up the numbers, I can't fight," Liu Ke quickly said. "And I didn't absorb 'Exploding Flame' from the Star Beads the school gave out."

"The school gives out Star Beads?" Jiang Xiao's voice rose involuntarily.

"Of course! Oh, right, you only arrived yesterday, so you missed the distribution period," Liu Ke said, covering her mouth with her small hand and chuckling.

Yi Lena explained, "When the military training first started, the school distributed Star Beads based on each person's Star Chart. If the Star Chart was for melee combat, they would receive 3 White Ghoul Star Beads. If it was for magic, they would receive 1 Lava Ghoul Star Bead."

Lava Ghoul Star Bead? A creature abundant in the Other Dimension Space near the Volcanoes?

This Lava Ghoul Star Bead was a Silver Quality Star Bead, while the White Ghoul Star Bead was Bronze Quality. Although both were basic Star Techniques produced in the North River Land, the difference was not small.

"A very small number of students with special Star Charts received White Ghost Witch Star Beads. Unfortunately, no one awakened a Medical Star Technique." Yi Lena looked at Jiang Xiao and took the opportunity to ask, "Since you claim to be a Medical Awakened, you must already have a basic Medical Star Technique. What is it? Blessing?"

"Yes, that's right," Jiang Xiao nodded in confirmation.

"Ah, White Ghost Witch Star Bead." Liu Ke said enviously. One White Ghost Witch Star Bead was enough to represent many things.

Either it was bought by family, or they went to the Snowy Plains to kill for it themselves.

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

"Hehe, I've been to the Snowy Plains a few times," Jiang Xiao said with a smile.

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

"It's okay, it's okay," Jiang Xiao replied perfunctorily.

"I like people who have blood on their hands. They're a million times better than those sissies," Flat Top Bro Zhu Wu said.

Jiang Xiao: "Uh..."

"Brother, how many Star Slots do you have? How many Star Techniques?" Zhu Wen asked, and as if returning the favor, he added, "I have 20 Star Slots and two Bronze Star Techniques, Cyan Glow and Endurance."

Flat Top Bro Zhu Wu: "Me too, 20 Star Slots, two Bronze Star Techniques, Cyan Glow and Endurance. We're both in the early Star Dust Stage."

Early Star Dust Stage? Judging by Jiang Xiao's Inner Star Map, that would be Star Dust Stage 0-3.

With 20 Star Slots, they were recruited into Class 2. Plus, Liu Bufan, the big fatty, introduced himself yesterday with 19 Star Slots.

It seemed that having around 20 Star Slots was already considered excellent talent.

Jiang Xiao also knew that those with relatively mediocre talent, making up the largest proportion of Awakened, had 15 Star Slots.

Fewer than 15 is considered low aptitude. Every Star Slot above 15 is a mark of genius, and reaching 20 Star Slots is already quite good.

Jiang Xiao, only realizing it now, finally understood how powerful Xia Yan's 28 Star Slots and Han Jiangxue's 30 Star Slots truly were.

"They're both Ruthless Persons!" Yi Lena rubbed her short brown hair, looking stunning under the morning sun. "Their Star Charts are both fists."

Flat Top's second brother, as competitive as ever, chimed in, "Fists the size of sandbags!"

"Mhm, mhm, mhm," Yi Lena replied perfunctorily with a helpless expression. "I'm in the Star Dust Stage. My current 4 Star Slots are full, nothing special, just Cyan Glow, Endurance, Scorching Flame, and Exploding Flame. Oh, right, my Star Chart is a two-handed staff, with 21 Star Slots."

Bronze Star Techniques, Cyan Glow and Endurance, can be set aside for now.

Silver Quality Star Techniques, Scorching Flame and Exploding Flame, come from Lava Ghoul Star Beads. Each one costs three thousand Ocean Coins. I wonder if this girl hunted them herself or if her family bought the Star Beads for her.

Jiang Xiao was quite familiar with this Star Technique; Xia Yan had it, and Han Jiangxue had it too. He had a rough idea of its power. Even the tough monsters like White Ghouls couldn't withstand it, so these high school kids certainly couldn't.

At least for this stage, Yi Lena was quite formidable.

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

Yi Lena's combination of Star Techniques was quite representative.

For the Awakened in North River Land, these four Star Techniques were the cheapest, most cost-effective, and most practical.

What was interesting was that after determining their future direction through their Star Charts, the Flat Top brothers did not absorb the Silver Quality Star Techniques Scorching Flame and Exploding Flame.

Jiang Xiao believed that the brothers' families could afford Lava Ghoul Star Beads at 3,000 Ocean Coins each, but it seemed neither of them had ever touched one.

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

The only possibility then was that these two children's families were very forward-thinking, with grand plans, and had their own intentions for each Star Slot.

Jiang Xiao turned to look at Liu Ke. The girl pouted, looking unhappy. "I only have 18 Star Slots. My Star Technique is Scorching Flame. It wasted a lot of my family's money, and I still haven't managed to absorb Exploding Flame."

"It's okay, Liu Ke, as long as you work hard, you'll absorb it eventually," the second brother of Flat Top quickly said.

"Who knows," Liu Ke didn't appreciate it. It wasn't until Yi Lena tugged her arm that the girl snapped back to attention and smiled at the second brother of Flat Top.

Before the second brother of Flat Top could feel dejected, he was healed by his own adorable goddess and immediately beamed.

"What about you?" Zhu Wen asked.

"I don't have many Star Slots, to be precise, very few," Jiang Xiao thought for a moment and felt there was no need to hide it.

"Few? How many?" Zhu Wu asked, confused.

"9," Jiang Xiao said, feeling a bit awkward.

"Pfft," Liu Ke couldn't help but make a strange sound.

"9?" The second brother Zhu Wu asked in disbelief.

"9," Jiang Xiao nodded heavily.

"My heavens," the second brother Zhu Wu slapped the back of his head. In his entire life, he had never seen someone with a single-digit number of Star Slots.

The second brother had even seen absolute powerhouses with 27 or 28 Star Slots! But he had never seen an absolute weakling with 9 Star Slots. In a way, Jiang Xiao was as rare as Han Jiangxue.

"Hey, Star Slots aren't important at all. Think about it, we're all in the Star Dust Stage. Even with more Star Slots, we can only have a maximum of 4 Star Techniques at this stage," Jiang Xiao pitched himself. "Don't worry about my potential, let's just talk about our combat power. Isn't our goal the current competition?"

"That makes sense," the elder brother Zhu Wen nodded.

"Brother, it must have been tough for you to become a Medical Awakened," the second brother Zhu Wu patted Jiang Xiao's shoulder with a look of pity.

Jiang Xiao said quietly, "I have three Star Techniques: Cyan Glow, Blessing, and Bell Chime. Although I have few Star Slots, it's enough to heal you all."

The second brother Zhu Wu's hand froze mid-air, his mournful expression turning incredibly complex, filled with extreme embarrassment.

What was he doing? Pitying a god-tier player? Three Star Techniques!

And what quality were they!?

That "Bell Chime" was a genuine Silver Quality Medical Star Technique. This kid not only had the potential to be a Medical Awakened but had already realized that potential?

He had even equipped the Silver Quality Star Technique Bell Chime? The elder brother Zhu Wen's eyes lit up, and he roared three times in succession: "Good! Good! Good!"