Chapter 35

"Refined and charming" could not have suited him better.

Yu Wanyao stepped forward, her face cold. "Xue Zhongqi, what are you up to now? You want us all to fight so you can hide behind us and reap the benefits?"

The onlookers around them turned to Xue Zhongqi in surprise.

"So he's Xue Zhongqi, fourth on the joint examination red ranking!"

"I think he used to be third, until Xu Jintang pushed him down."

"I heard he's also a first-level inscriptionist, and now he's the personal disciple of the chief president of the Federation Inscriptionist Association."

Xue Zhongqi closed his folding fan and said with a smile, "A-Yao, we were classmates for three years, after all. Don't you know what kind of person I am?"

Yu Wanyao sneered. "I know you all too well. I won't believe a single word you say!"

Seeing the two at each other's throats, Jing Yuanzheng sighed softly and had no choice but to step forward to persuade them. "It's just the title of first place on the joint examination red ranking. Is it really worth all this scheming?"

"I said I would get into Leikedasi with the highest score in this year's joint examination." Yu Wanyao's voice was utterly certain.

The smile on Xue Zhongqi's face slowly faded. "Unfortunately, I'm also very interested in taking first place in this joint examination."

Seeing this, the other examinees around them were even less inclined to speak.

With the top-ranked big shots of the joint examination all here, how could they have any say?

But why hadn't the third-ranked Xu Jintang and fifth-ranked Wei Zixuan arrived yet?

Time ticked by, and the situation reached another stalemate.

Meanwhile, the five military academy teachers watching the simulated battlefield's live broadcast began discussing things with keen interest.

"Xue Zhongqi has already reached the second tier, and he's also a first-level inscriptionist. Relatively speaking, he's much stronger than both Yu Wanyao and Jing Yuanzheng," Shi Lekang said with a broad smile.

The other three military academy teachers all agreed.

"Indeed. I'll make a bet: Xue Zhongqi may be the one to pull out the red flag first."

"But Jing Yuanzheng isn't weak, either. The future potential of his Heavenly Remnant Kan Water Diagram is no less than that of the Peacock Token that Leikedasi recruited through special admission."

"Oh, right." Reminded by those words, Shi Lekang suddenly thought of something and turned to Zhuang Silin. "Ms. Zhuang, I remember Leikedasi offered Jing Yuanzheng special admission too, didn't it?"

Zhuang Silin nodded and gave a quiet "Mm." "He turned it down. He said he had another goal."

Shi Lekang's eyes filled with shock. "He even turned down special admission to Leikedasi? Which military academy does that kid want to attend?"

"My guess..." Zhuang Silin paused. "He might want to join the Federation military directly."

"What?" The other three military academy teachers were all shocked.

Ordinary students had to study and receive instruction at academies and military academies before they could enter the Federation military and become commissioned officers.

Trying to skip military academy and enter the military directly was no different from dreaming the impossible.

"Wait, his surname is Jing?"

One of the military academy teachers suddenly spoke, having guessed something.

Shi Lekang and the others exchanged glances, realization dawning on their faces. "So he's from the Jing Family. Then I'm not surprised."

Zhuang Silin remained silent.

She had long known Jing Yuanzheng's background, so she had not been particularly surprised when he rejected their special admission offer.

"Speaking of which, this year's students really are interesting. Several of them turned down special admission offers from military academies. They've got guts. The Federation needs talent like that," Shi Lekang continued, fanning himself with his folding fan.

At the red flag location on the joint examination's simulated battlefield.

More and more spectators hurried to the scene.

The joint examination countdown continued, but still no one dared to make the first move.

Xue Zhongqi began to grow impatient with the wait. Waving his folding fan, he broke the silence. "Everyone, we can't just stand here wasting time forever."

Yu Wanyao shot him a cold glance. "Then what do you suggest?"

"How about..." The corners of Xue Zhongqi's mouth slowly curved upward. The next second, his eyes turned cold, and he flung out countless inscription talismans with a wave of his hand.

In an instant, several offensive air blades took shape and began flying in all directions.

"Watch out! Everyone, get out of the way!"

The examinees who had been watching the spectacle had no choice but to defend themselves.

The scene descended into chaos.

With so many people present, once someone attacked carelessly, it was easy to accidentally injure those beside them. Those people, defending themselves, quickly attacked as well.

Just like that, a chaotic battle involving hundreds of people broke out.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Xue Zhongqi leaped into the air and reached for the red flag five meters above the ground.

"Xue Zhongqi, you bastard!" Yu Wanyao shouted, swiftly jumping up, grabbing the hem of his clothes, and hauling him down.

Xue Zhongqi cursed under his breath. "Can't you just let me take first place?! It's one thing for Jing Yuanzheng not to compete with you, but you've kept me down for so many years. What's wrong with letting me take first for once?!"

"If I can't take first, neither will you." Yu Wanyao immediately summoned the Black Armor Ice Shield and smashed it toward Xue Zhongqi.

The ice shield was incomparably hard. It could defend, but it could also serve as a weapon.

Caught unprepared by the blow, Xue Zhongqi could only force his hands up to block it. The impact from the shield left his arms numb.

Now he could no longer spare any attention for the flag and had to focus entirely on fending off Yu Wanyao's attacks.

Xu Jintang, who had been silently watching the scene, realized the moment had come.

As she turned her head, Wei Zixuan gestured to her from a tree opposite hers. "Sis, go get it. I'll hold the others back."

Xu Jintang nodded, withdrew her gaze, and jumped from the treetop. Once airborne, she drove her mental power to its fullest, gathering strength and flying straight toward the red flag overhead.

"It's Xu Jintang! Jing Yuanzheng, stop her!" Yu Wanyao had been keeping an eye on the red flag out of the corner of her eye. The moment Xu Jintang appeared, she reacted.

Xue Zhongqi, still locked in combat with her, also froze briefly and glanced up.

By then, Xu Jintang was already halfway to the red flag.

Jing Yuanzheng reacted and immediately summoned the Kan Water Diagram. "Kan Water Formation, draw in!"

A powerful suction pulled Xu Jintang toward Jing Yuanzheng.

Xu Jintang's eyes darkened. Her mental power blazed up in an instant, breaking her free of the Kan Water Diagram's pull. She stepped on an examinee's head, gathered her strength, and leaped skyward again.

"Thanks, brother."

After thanking him, Xu Jintang flew toward the red flag once more.

"Brother Jing, your opponent is me!" Riding a giant eagle demonic beast, Wei Zixuan slowly flew out of the treetops and into the scene. Smiling, he waved at Jing Yuanzheng.

Jing Yuanzheng frowned, finally realizing what had happened. "So you've been hiding in the shadows all along."

"Stop fighting. Someone else is going to snatch the red flag." Seeing things going wrong, Xue Zhongqi grew anxious and began backing down before Yu Wanyao.

Yu Wanyao snorted coldly, her attacks growing fiercer with each strike. "It doesn't matter, as long as you don't take first."

Xue Zhongqi was speechless.

He glanced at Xu Jintang, who was almost within reach of the red flag. Catching Yu Wanyao off guard, he immediately waved his hand, taking every inscription talisman out of his bracelet's storage space and sending them all at Xu Jintang.

"Miss, I've got over twenty Attack Inscription talismans here. If you're trying to play the oriole waiting behind the mantis, I'm afraid you won't withstand this attack."

"Where are you looking?!" Yu Wanyao raised her ice shield and smashed it at him again.

This blow forced Xue Zhongqi back several steps.

Over twenty inscription talismans took shape in an instant, forming a matrix that blocked Xu Jintang's path.

Although they were only first-level Attack Inscriptions, there were so many that their combined attack fluctuations nearly matched an all-out strike from a peak second-tier ability user.

Xu Jintang did not panic at all. She merely replied, "Do you have more inscriptions than I do?"

As she spoke, Xu Jintang took out her remaining sixty-plus Attack Inscriptions and used her mental power to shatter them all.

In the blink of an eye, air blades formed from inscription talismans surrounded the entire scene.

Xue Zhongqi's meager collection of inscription talismans could not compare and was swallowed up instantly.

Below, Xue Zhongqi stood stunned for a long while before shouting furiously, "Where did you get so many inscription talismans?!"

A single first-level inscription cost several hundred, and over sixty inscription talismans would cost at least a hundred thousand star coins.

With that kind of money, most people would surely choose to buy natural treasures or magical treasures to improve their strength. No one would be willing to spend so much money on these first-level inscriptions.

"None of your business," Xu Jintang replied indifferently. She thrust her hand into the ball of light, gripped hard, and pulled out the red flag.

[Points +10,000]

"Congratulations to examinee Xu Jintang on successfully taking first place. The joint examination red ranking will update shortly."

The announcement rang across the entire joint examination simulated battlefield. Xu Jintang's name flashed red as it shot to the top of the ranking.

"The red flag has been pulled out. This joint examination is now over. All examinees will be automatically teleported out of the simulated battlefield in five seconds."

"The red flag has been pulled out. This joint examination is now over..."

Chapter 35

Holding the red flag, Xu Jintang slowly descended from high in the air and landed steadily.

Everyone who had still been fighting stopped at once, their gazes turning to Xu Jintang at the same time.

The red flag had been pulled out. The outcome was decided, with no chance of reversing it.

Naturally, no one fought over it anymore.

They simply hadn't expected that Xu Jintang would be the one to seize the red flag first, after so many people had been watching it all this time.

Xue Zhongqi's face darkened as he stared at Xu Jintang, probably still wondering how she could have so many inscription talismans.

Yu Wanyao snorted coldly, put away her ice shield, and walked over to Jing Yuanzheng. "How interesting. This year's joint examination winner actually isn't a student from our Empire Affiliated Academy."

The same gentle smile remained on Jing Yuanzheng's face as he congratulated Xu Jintang. "Congratulations."