Page 20

Pulling up the quilt beside her and covering herself, Xu Jintang closed her eyes in satisfaction, ready to drift off to sleep.

Early the next morning, Xu Jintang found Song Duoduo as soon as she woke up to discuss something.

After a whispered conversation, the puzzlement in Song Duoduo's eyes gradually turned to excitement. "Class monitor, I think your idea might be worth a try."

That very day, the two ran to the simulated battlefield and began practicing their new tactic.

The trial was a great success.

Song Tianqi had not been idle either.

Although the class monitor and Duoduo had not demanded that he master that move completely, he wanted to contribute more to the team too.

Usually content to slack off, he spent two straight days in the simulated battlefield from morning to night, taking breaks only to eat and sleep. Every time he blew himself up, he immediately started over.

Two days later, Dawn Academy's third-year simulated assessment resumed.

Huang Binhan, who was helping oversee the assessment, stood in the arena and announced, "After the first two elimination rounds, eight teams remain. Today, they will compete for four spots. In half an hour, an instructor from Leikdasi Military Academy, Dean Wang, and academy leaders at various levels will arrive to watch. Be ready, everyone."

The students below were all exceptionally excited.

Not only would Dean Wang and the academy leaders be watching, but an instructor from Leikdasi Military Academy would be there too!

"Everyone's bound to go all out to show what they can do today. The fights are sure to be intense."

"I'm more excited to see Xu Jintang's team, but their opponents seem to have prepared quite a bit too."

On the other side, although Xu Bohan hid it well, it was still clear that he was somewhat excited.

Yao Wenna pressed her lips together, her eyes brimming with excitement.

The draw began.

The captains of the eight teams stepped forward to draw their opponents.

Xu Jintang drew number three.

Perhaps enemies really were destined to cross paths-their opponents were another team from Class Two.

Class Two's teacher, Jiang Zhongtian, smiled slightly and patted Liao Qizheng on the shoulder. "Good luck. Do your best."

Confidence flashed in Liao Qizheng's eyes. He had also drawn number three. "Don't worry, sir. We'll definitely win."

Xu Jintang's team had always been the opponent everyone feared most.

Liao Qizheng had started studying them long ago.

Over the two days since the baseline assessment resumed, his team had been planning their formation and tactics.

Apart from Song Tianqi, no one on Xu Jintang's team was worth worrying about.

As long as they focused their attacks on Song Tianqi first and eliminated him before dealing with the other two one at a time, they had a ninety percent chance of winning.

No matter how strong Song Tianqi was, he could not possibly withstand the combined attacks of all three of them at once.

Jiang Zhongtian's smile deepened. "Good. Go on."

Meanwhile, Jiang Lu was giving his own reminders. "The dean and the instructor from Leikdasi Military Academy will be here soon. Don't be nervous. Fight well. Win or lose, just do your best."

Xu Jintang and Song Duoduo exchanged a look and nodded in unison.

Song Tianqi could only sigh quietly, looking toward the entrance to the arena area with some concern.

With Teacher Zhuang coming, he had to win. He could not lose.

Before long, a large group led by Zhuang Silin entered the arena area.

Jiang Shiyi walked beside her, her expression cool and unreadable.

Smiling, Dean Wang bowed and gestured invitingly. "After you, Teacher Zhuang."

Zhuang Silin did not stand on ceremony. She opened her jacket slightly and headed toward the seat of honor in the viewing stands.

Once everyone had taken their seats, Dean Wang resumed his serious expression and announced, "The third-year simulated assessment's quarterfinal elimination round begins now."

The students below could no longer contain their eagerness to show their abilities, and excitement swept through them.

Xu Jintang glanced curiously at Zhuang Silin in the seat of honor.

Song Tianqi had told her that Teacher Zhuang was his mentor, a Peak Seventh Tier ability user with terrifying strength.

She had not expected her to look so young.

The two teams that had drawn number one entered the arena in turn and began fighting.

Battles between first-tier ability users mostly consisted of trading punches and kicks, with little worth watching.

Before long, the academy leaders in the stands were struggling to keep their eyes open.

Zhuang Silin also closed her eyes and rubbed between her brows, her attention clearly elsewhere.

Ten minutes later, the first match ended.

The teams that had drawn number two entered, beginning another match of punches and kicks with little worth watching.

Still rubbing between her brows, Zhuang Silin opened her eyes and looked at Dean Wang beside her. "When does Song Tianqi's team fight?"

Dean Wang hurriedly answered, "They're up next."

Only then did Zhuang Silin rein in her impatience, shift in her seat, and turn back toward the arena.

Dean Wang nervously wiped the sweat from his forehead.

He could sense that Zhuang Silin was getting a little impatient.

That was only natural. For a Peak Seventh Tier expert like her, there really was not much worth watching in these student matches.

Just then, the second match ended.

"Teams that drew number three, prepare to enter the arena," called Huang Binhan from the platform.

Xu Jintang crouched to tie her shoelaces, then stood and headed toward the arena. "Come on. We're up."

Song Tianqi and Song Duoduo followed close behind.

As they climbed the steps to the arena, Xu Jintang slowed and quietly instructed Song Tianqi, "Once the match starts, keep the other team occupied for Duoduo and me."

The three of them had already worked out their battle plan.

Once the match began, Song Tianqi would hold off all three opponents while Xu Jintang and Song Duoduo put their planned tactic into action as quickly as possible.

"Right." Song Tianqi nodded, his expression utterly serious.

"This is a sparring match. Stop when the point is made. If one side voluntarily concedes, the other must cease attacking." Only after emphasizing the rules did Huang Binhan announce the start of the match.

Every gaze focused on the arena.

In the viewing stands, Zhuang Silin perked up slightly, resting her right hand on the armrest as she turned her eyes toward the arena.

Beside her, Dean Wang sighed in relief and hurriedly sat up straight.

"Begin."

The moment the words fell, Liao Qizheng rushed toward them.

His hands rapidly formed seals. Two seconds later, a giant eagle appeared out of thin air above his head.

This was his ability: Hundred-One Green Chant Eagle.

It was a beast-type ability that summoned a specific demonic beast to assist its user in battle.

The Green Chant Eagle spread its wings and circled high above, its piercing cry ringing throughout the arena.

The sound waves, carrying a mental attack, reached Xu Jintang's ears and left her dazed for a moment.

Once she recovered, she looked up at the Green Chant Eagle circling overhead.

The eagle's cry actually carried a mental attack.

Xu Jintang stopped and quietly activated her domain's power, encompassing the Green Chant Eagle within it.

"Don't let my aura leak out. There's a Seventh Tier expert here. It'll be easy to notice," the Ice Soul Dragon warned.

She had originally intended to use the Ice Soul Dragon's oppressive aura to drive the Green Chant Eagle away directly.

Those words made her stop at once.

Fortunately, no one had noticed what she was doing.

Having received Xu Jintang's instructions, Song Tianqi went all out the moment the match began, doing his best to draw all three opponents' aggro. "You lousy bird! What are you acting so cocky for? Get down here!"

Song Duoduo really wanted to retort, It's an eagle.

Unexpectedly, the Green Chant Eagle really did come down-though it was diving down to peck Song Tianqi.

Delighted surprise appeared in the eyes of Liao Qizheng and his two teammates.

Their plan had been to combine their attacks against Song Tianqi and eliminate him first.

They had not expected Song Tianqi to be so cooperative, arrogant enough to take all three of them on by himself.

"Don't hold back! Take out Song Tianqi first!" As Liao Qizheng spoke, he directed the Green Chant Eagle and ran toward Song Tianqi.

His two teammates quickly closed in as well, unleashing their abilities at Song Tianqi together.

By now, Liao Qizheng and his teammates were so caught up in the fight that they failed to notice Xu Jintang and Song Duoduo had already gathered together.

Xu Jintang raised a hand and pressed it against Song Duoduo's back.

She closed her eyes slightly and began mobilizing all her mental power, channeling it into Song Duoduo.

The corners of Song Duoduo's lips lifted. She raised both hands and drove the datura flowers' growth with all her strength.

Three days earlier, while making inscription talismans and mobilizing her mental power, Xu Jintang had suddenly remembered that her sea of consciousness was twice as large as that of other ability users at her tier.

That meant she had double the reserves of mental power in every battle.

During that battle in the simulated battlefield, Song Duoduo had exhausted all her mental power to temporarily force her datura flower into its next growth stage ahead of time, allowing it to induce hallucinations even against a higher-tier opponent.

At the time, she had wondered what would happen if she channeled all her mental power into Song Duoduo for her to use.

Would the datura flowers' hallucinatory effect produce even more remarkable results?

Later, the two had worked together to test it.

The result had been a great success.

With the boost from Xu Jintang's abundant mental power, Song Duoduo could easily grow three datura flowers at once, which meant her flowers now had an area-of-effect hallucinatory ability.

Each use could make three people simultaneously experience hallucinations for three seconds.

"Crimson Flames of the Nine Heavens!" Song Tianqi pointed skyward and shouted as terrifying flame power swiftly descended.

The Green Chant Eagle circling overhead sensed the aura of the divine beast Vermilion Bird within it and began to shrink back.

All demonic beasts were subject to bloodline suppression.

A divine beast's bloodline stood above all others. A mere Green Chant Eagle naturally could not resist it.

Sensing the Green Chant Eagle's desire to retreat, Liao Qizheng's heart tightened. "Green Chant Eagle, sonic attack!"

This time, the Green Chant Eagle did not respond. After hesitating for half a second, it turned and flew away from Song Tianqi, clearly afraid of the oppressive might of the Vermilion Bird's bloodline.

In the viewing stands, Zhuang Silin finally smiled. "How could a mere Green Chant Eagle dare contend with the Vermilion Bird?"

Across the entire interstellar realm, the people who could awaken abilities possessing a divine beast's bloodline numbered no more than the fingers of one hand.