Challenge Match

When Jiang Zichun stepped down from the arena, the crowd below erupted into an uproar.

"What just happened? Why didn't Zhang Yurou even try to block? She let her opponent seal her throat with a single sword strike and finish her off!"

"That was really strange. They were at each other's throats a moment ago, so why did one of them suddenly give up resisting? There's definitely something fishy going on."

"Could Zhang Yurou have been bribed? Is that why she didn't fight back?"

"Jiang Zichun's family probably doesn't have much money. Besides, if they were acting, they'd have to make it convincing. Why make it so obvious?"

"What if this is the opposite of what we expect? That way, no one would suspect them of putting on an act."

"Uh, maybe. Let's see what happens next. I don't believe she could bribe everyone else too."

"True!"

The crowd's main question was why Zhang Yurou had suddenly stopped resisting altogether—and for a full second.

It was as if she had been immobilized.

Immobilizing divine abilities did exist in this world, but they didn't think Jiang Zichun could afford one. Besides, when the two cultivators were at the same level, an immobilizing ability couldn't hold someone for that long.

And the higher the cultivator's level, the weaker the effect.

Generally speaking, if both people were two-star cultivators, the ability could only immobilize someone for about a tenth of a second. But if they were both four-star cultivators, it might only hold them for a fiftieth of a second.

That was why they were certain Jiang Zichun hadn't used an immobilizing divine ability.

The timing simply didn't add up.

Meanwhile, on the viewing platform north of the arena, the other contestants all looked grave.

They didn't believe Zhang Yurou had been bribed.

Even if the two of them could fool the judges and proctors nearby—

The other students would certainly demand a thorough investigation.

If anything suspicious were found, the two of them would definitely be expelled. The academy would never tolerate this kind of cheating.

So it was unlikely that Zhang Yurou and Jiang Zichun would try anything like that.

The risk was simply too great, and the costs far outweighed any possible reward.

Only a fool would do that.

These days, the ones who thought others were fools were the real fools.

So they figured Jiang Zichun must have some kind of new trick.

What kind of trick was it?

They'd find out once they faced her.

Jiang Zichun didn't care what the crowd below was saying. She quietly returned to the viewing platform and joined the other contestants.

When they tried to sound her out, she laughed it off and changed the subject.

She knew she couldn't keep it from everyone forever, but she could keep it secret for a little while.

Ideally, she'd reveal the answer after taking first place.

As Jiang Zichun was thinking this, the matches on the arena continued.

After losing to Jiang Zichun, Zhang Yurou went on to challenge Zhao Lan, who was ranked eighth.

Relying on her steady, methodical style, Zhang Yurou wore Zhao Lan down. In the end, she finished her off with her killing move, "Soughing Autumn Wind," and won.

Seeing this, the crowd grew even more suspicious of the earlier match.

If Zhang Yurou was fine, then Jiang Zichun was the one with something to hide.

They wanted to see whether the same thing would happen to whoever faced Jiang Zichun next.

If it did, then Jiang Zichun must have come up with some new method—perhaps a martial technique, or maybe a divine ability...

Soon, amid wave after wave of cheers, Zhang Yurou fought with increasing ferocity and steadily climbed the rankings, until she was finally stopped at fourth place.

Seeing this, Jiang Zichun thought, It looks like she's really improved a lot.

Now it's my turn.

With that, Jiang Zichun strode onto the arena without hesitation and summoned her weapon.

She was going to challenge the eighth-ranked contestant.

Using the same approach she'd used against Zhang Yurou, Jiang Zichun fought whenever she could. If she really couldn't win, she cheated—no, she used her newly learned Mathematics Divine Ability: Chicken and Rabbit in a Cage, and hit her opponent with a soul-searching question.

None of her later opponents had ever encountered anything like this, so they were all helpless against it.

They were trapped in the illusion for a second. The moment they emerged, they found a sword at their throat or chest. Who could do anything about that? They could only admit defeat.

But after conceding, they were all determined to find out exactly what this divine ability was.

It was so infuriating.

Before long, Jiang Zichun had won six matches in a row and reached second place. Only the top-ranked contestant remained.

But when she looked at the short girl in first place, Jiang Zichun felt uncertain for the first time. Her opponent's reputation was simply too fearsome.

An Youyi had held the top spot at Xiaoxiang Academy for years. She was skilled with a pair of giant hammers, and her martial technique was the Meteor Hammer Technique.

The girl's giant hammers were much like Li Yuanba's Copper Hammers. They looked terrifying, and once they started swinging, even a graze could wound you, while a direct hit meant death.

It was hard for most people to imagine what the contrast between her petite frame and those massive hammers looked like.

In short, it was a strange sight.

An Youyi didn't wield the hammers because she was exceptionally strong. It was because her family's inherited divine ability, "Weight as Lightness," made the several-hundred-pound hammers feel as weightless as iron swords in her hands.

That was why An Youyi had no equal at the academy.

Unless Jiang Zichun had a similar divine ability, like Lightness as Weight, or a long weapon, she'd have a hard time fighting her.

In this close-quarters battle, she probably wouldn't be An Youyi's match.

Still, Jiang Zichun was going to give it a try.

She'd already made it to second place, just one step away from first. She had to at least try.

She didn't want to leave with regrets.

Besides, the judges were nearby. Her life wasn't in danger.

A moment later, the two of them stood facing each other on the arena.

Jiang Zichun looked solemn.

But An Youyi's eyes were filled with curiosity. She wanted to know how Jiang Zichun had made the others give up resisting.

As she wondered, she idly hefted the giant Copper Hammer in her hand. She could hardly wait to experience it for herself.

After the judge announced the start, the two of them quickly closed in. When they were nearly three meters apart, Jiang Zichun eagerly used her Mathematics Divine Ability: Chicken and Rabbit in a Cage.

She didn't want to actually fight An Youyi.

When Jiang Zichun's divine ability hit An Youyi, An Youyi immediately fell into an illusion.

Inside the illusion.

After receiving the information in her mind, An Youyi quickly understood what was going on.

"So it's an illusion. You can use illusions against people now? No wonder the others couldn't fight back at all."

"The time ratio between the illusion and the outside world is ten to one. That means I have to answer the question within ten seconds to get out in one second. And the less time I spend inside the illusion, the sooner I'll get out."

"Chicken and Rabbit in a Cage? So it's a test of how fast I can think!"

With that, An Youyi burned a little Human Luck and then called out, "Begin."

The timer started.

At the same time, a question appeared in An Youyi's mind.

There are animals, each with six heads and four feet, and birds, each with four heads and two feet. Together, they have 498 heads and 284 feet. How many animals and birds are there?

Hearing the question, An Youyi used the Heavenly Origin Technique in her mind to set up an equation, trying to solve it as quickly as possible.

One second later.

She had the answer: thirty-five animals and seventy-two birds.

This time, she'd solved it incredibly fast, in about a second.

Converted to the real world, that was less than a tenth of a second.

So when An Youyi woke up, she saw the tip of Jiang Zichun's sword coming toward her.

An Youyi smiled calmly and casually blocked the iron sword with her Copper Hammer. "Your divine ability doesn't work on me."

"I don't believe that."

Of course Jiang Zichun didn't believe her. An Youyi had fallen into the illusion too, so how could she say it hadn't worked?

Jiang Zichun didn't know why An Youyi had escaped so quickly, but the ability had clearly worked.

An Youyi knew Jiang Zichun wouldn't give up that easily. But relying on that illusion alone to deal with her would be underestimating her.

Meteor Dance.