The Race Begins

Gojo Satoru suddenly spoke up:

"He wasn't some old monster rotten to the core. It was the curse that made the whole world reek. In the end, the curse had to be completely exorcised."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes. It was as if he had already made up his mind and knew exactly how he would carry out his plan.

Jia Meng rubbed his chin, his voice full of calm, reasoned judgment.

"Completely exorcise it? And then what? The curse has to be eliminated bit by bit. Our current strength is too weak to support such a massive undertaking."

"Jia Meng, what exactly are you trying to say?" Gojo asked with interest.

Jia Meng shook his head.

"I'm not saying we shouldn't work toward exorcising every curse. But there's no need to rush. Growing stronger is the most basic prerequisite for anything we do."

A hint of conviction crept into his voice. "Before that, worrying too much will only distract us."

The people around him fell silent.

They all knew Jia Meng was right. No matter what they wanted to do, powerful cursed energy was essential.

Only by becoming strong enough to act could they change this world and reshape it into the world they wanted.

The group kept chatting as they walked. Before long, they reached the main hall of the Kyoto Metropolitan Curse Technical College, where Ye Lian was speaking with the others.

Ye Lian had arrived early because of an urgent matter.

The people who had come to take part in the exchange event between the Kyoto and Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical Colleges had gathered together.

The principal of the Kyoto Metropolitan Curse Technical College, Gakuganji, announced the rules for this year's exchange event.

"The exchange event will last two days. The first day will be a team battle between the Tokyo and Kyoto schools."

"The first-year students will compete as a team. Aside from the designated area, they'll be tasked with exorcising two first-grade curses."

"At the same time, three second-grade curses—the most numerous type in the area—will be scattered throughout the venue."

"If the second-grade curses haven't been exorcised by nightfall, the team that exorcises the fewest will be disqualified."

The rules for the individual matches were more straightforward: the students would compete in single combat, with one match per day, and the winner would be determined by a points-based ranking.

"But I must remind everyone," Gakuganji's voice suddenly turned stern.

"Foul play and killing are forbidden throughout the event. That is the most basic requirement for every student. The only exception is when a student has already lost the match and can no longer fight."

After Gakuganji finished explaining the rules, the students from High Peak began to divide into groups and prepare for their own plans.

"Ye Lian, the exchange event's about to begin. Shouldn't I get to team up with my classmates too?"

Jia Ruo asked in a slightly aggrieved tone.

"Of course." Ye Lian nodded and rubbed her head, his expression gentle.

Ruozi quickly looked over at the assembled students from the Kyoto school. She saw them standing in neat formation, ten in all, while their own side was already—

"Fourteen people. How are we supposed to compete?" Jia Ruo couldn't help grumbling.

"It's because the second- and third-year students couldn't make it. I didn't get a chance to explain it to you." Ye Lian smiled awkwardly.

Jia Ruo was about to explode, but Gojo cut in: "That's fine. There are only two second-grade curses. I think I'll be enough to handle them. You don't even need to come along—I can manage on my own."

"That's true. You're a special grade, so you can handle two second-grade curses with ease. I guess I won't be much use." Jia Ruo replied.

But Gojo reached out and patted Ruozi on the shoulder. "We're supposed to share this experience. How could we leave you out?"

"You finally remembered I came along!" Jia Ruo snapped, refusing to look at Gojo.

"Since we've got so few people, let's increase the difficulty. One person can handle the two second-grade curses, another can take on all the first-grade students from Kyoto, and someone can take on all three first-grade curses. We'll decide who does what first." Jia Meng suggested.

"The two second-grade curses are probably the easiest to deal with, but they'll be harder to find."

"The three first-grade curses are stronger, but there are more of them. The Kyoto students' average strength is higher. If we assign them sensibly, it should be fair." Jia Ruo analyzed.

But as she spoke, a troubled expression appeared on her face.

"Wait, what should I do?"

"Just go give Xia Bu some support and help rescue Ye Lian." Jia Meng chuckled.

"Rescue Ye Lian? The only one who could possibly need rescuing is Gojo, right?" Jia Ruo said, bewildered.

Seeing that Gojo and Xia Bu had no objections, Jia Meng continued, "Let's draw lots to decide."

Jia Meng broke off three small branches from a nearby tree, and the three of them drew lots.

The results were clear: Xia Bu would take on the two second-grade curses; Gojo would face all the Kyoto students; and Jia Meng would handle the three first-grade curses.

With the assignments settled, the three of them immediately sprang into action.

Ye Lian stood nearby, watching the four students prepare. A smile played at the corner of his mouth, and he didn't interrupt them.

Madness. Utter madness. The Kyoto students were his team's only opponents, so naturally he had to stay and hold them back.

And, deep down, he wanted to see just how far Gojo could go.

Xia Bu was skilled with his techniques, and his cursed energy was certainly strong. Once he found the curses, dealing with them would only take a moment.

Gojo wouldn't need long to deal with ten people either. The only thing to worry about was that he might go too far and knock them all out.

The students opposite them could also split into several smaller teams, so they would have to search one group at a time.

The most troublesome task belonged to Jia Meng. He had to deal with three first-grade curses spread across the whole venue. Even if each one took only a single move to exorcise, it would still take considerable time.

Ye Lian thought Gojo would finish first, followed by Xia Bu, and finally Jia Meng.

As time passed, the fourteen elite students from the two schools split into teams and gathered at the entrance to the forest, each poised for action.

The branches of the trees swayed in the wind, their rustling leaves filling the air.

The referee at the side raised his arm and gave the order: "Begin!"

Gakuganji, Ye Lian, and the others watched from the observation area as the students disappeared into the forest.

The students from Kyoto had evidently prepared carefully.

They quickly split into three groups. One group of four charged out like a herd of elephants, heading straight for the Tokyo team's entrance. They were clearly the vanguard, assigned to stop Jia Meng and the others.

The other two groups had three members each. They split up in perfect coordination: one group headed toward the area where the three first-grade curses might be, while the other ventured deeper into the forest to search for the two second-grade curses.

The Kyoto team's plan was sound. They intended to use their numbers to restrain the Tokyo students and come out on top.

But the students at Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College had devised a completely different strategy.

Xia Bu made a hand sign, and a huge bird-shaped cursed spirit appeared out of thin air. It spread its wings, scooped him up, and soared into the sky, intending to search from above for the two second-grade curses.

Gojo chose the most direct approach.

He sprang forward, heading straight toward the Kyoto team.

It wouldn't take long before he ran into the four-person group from Kyoto.

Meanwhile, Jia Meng and Jia Ruo remained where they were.