The End and the Beginning

"Sure, but let's deal with the others first. Then we can compete."

Ning Yue nodded, then motioned with his eyes.

Wang Xueqing followed his gaze and saw that the remaining six people were all looking their way. Instead of competing with one another, they were slowly closing in.

She turned to Ning Yue and said, "Since you're so confident, I believe your combat power can't be weak."

"Three each. Men on the left, women on the right."

Ning Yue chimed in. It was just a contest to see who could eliminate the others first, and that was exactly what he had wanted to say.

Wang Xueqing nodded and charged in first.

She was no stickler for convention. In this world full of danger, there was only life and death. For the sake of survival, apart from certain lines that could not be crossed, unnecessary morals had all been discarded.

"Xueqing, who's that kid?"

"Xueqing, let's join forces. I'll give you the championship in the end."

When those people saw Wang Xueqing charging over, they were still putting on their lovesick acts.

But Wang Xueqing drew her longsword and thrust at them.

Fortunately, the three of them had considerable combat power. Two of them were even in the same realm as Wang Xueqing, all of them in the First-Rank Realm.

"Sure enough, a bootlicker can only move himself."

Ning Yue found it somewhat funny when he saw them fleeing in disarray.

Of course, he also understood that those so-called bootlickers were not true bootlickers. They were only acting the part to win Wang Xueqing.

They all came from prominent families. Who among them had one less trick up their sleeve than anyone else?

Ning Yue was lost in thought, but his movements were anything but slow. He was only one step behind Wang Xueqing.

The three enemies he faced, however, had no intention of putting on a show for him.

Crackle! Bang!

Having just exchanged blows with the other three, Ning Yue discovered that, with his combat power increased ninefold, he was stronger than even two of the First-Rank Realm opponents.

He simply let loose and attacked one of the First-Rank Realm opponents like a madman, sending out strike after strike: cleaving, slashing, hooking, sweeping, blocking, thrusting...

Under his frenzied assault, the First-Rank Realm student was forced back again and again.

"Kill him! This guy's too fierce!"

The First-Rank Realm student bellowed wildly. Ning Yue had him so thoroughly suppressed that he could barely breathe, and he felt stifled.

A dignified First-Rank Qi Absorption Realm genius was being suppressed by an unranked qi and blood martial artist. One could imagine his frustration.

"Kid, stop running! If you've got guts, stand there and let me chop you once!"

The other First-Rank martial artist, wielding a Green Dragon War Saber, kept hacking at Ning Yue's back, but failed to land a single blow.

While fighting them, Ning Yue used Rising Joint by Joint, a martial skill from the Bitter Bamboo Scripture. It was a movement skill that could also be used by consuming qi and blood.

With no attention to spare for what the others thought, Ning Yue focused on killing.

Before long, Ning Yue cut the First-Rank martial artist in two, and he vanished on the spot.

Then, ignoring the student with the Green Dragon War Saber, Ning Yue headed straight for the qi and blood martial artist.

During the fight just now, he had discovered that the student wielding the Green Dragon War Saber had formidable combat power. He had probably used a martial skill, and was no weaker than Ning Yue with his combat power boosted ninefold.

If Ning Yue wanted to take him down, it would be somewhat difficult to do so quickly.

But he was too slow,

so it would be better to deal with the remaining qi and blood martial artist first, then take his time fighting him.

In three strikes, the qi and blood martial artist was beheaded.

"Brother, can we talk? Could you stop running?"

The student wielding the Green Dragon War Saber spoke between gasps, his tone disgruntled.

"All right. Three strikes to decide the winner."

Ning Yue readily agreed. He had taken stock of himself and found that even with the boost from his Iron Yang Physique, he was somewhat tired.

He still had to fight Wang Xueqing afterward.

If he could save even a bit of strength here, he would.

"Good! I'll buy you a drink when we get out."

The student with the Green Dragon War Saber was overjoyed. He continued, "Let's get acquainted. My name is Wen Xi. What's yours?"

"No problem. Let's have a drink together when we get out. My name is Ning Yue, but if we're drinking, I want to bring a few more people."

Ning Yue was also taken by his straightforward manner and answered cheerfully.

Thinking of how Li Feng and the others often snuck off to bars for fun, he figured they probably liked drinking, so he would invite them along.

Then they stood facing each other and used their martial skills at the same time.

"Bursting Forth Across the Sky!"

"Meeting Armed with a Single Saber!"

Their first strikes were evenly matched. Neither took a single step back.

With the support of his Iron Yang Physique, Ning Yue naturally dispersed the force and endured the blow head-on.

Wen Xi, facing him, was different. His qi and blood surged, and when he saw that Ning Yue had not taken a step back, he did not retreat a single step either. Even with his cheeks flushed red from holding it in, he refused to retreat.

"A Saber Strike to the Head!"

"Thunder Descends from Heaven!"

The two clashed again. This time, Ning Yue had the edge. Wen Xi stumbled and took two steps back.

Then both of them unleashed their third strikes at the same time.

Wen Xi forced his aching, swollen arm up and swung it in a sweep. "Sweeping Away a Thousand Troops!"

He was getting desperate.

Seeing this, Ning Yue stepped forward and slashed against the oncoming blade. His strike was faster and fiercer than before, and it cleaved Wen Xi in two.

"Whew, he was strong!"

Ning Yue let out a turbid breath. It might have been only three strikes, but they had tested both men's strength, technique, and courage.

Every attack had been made with all their essence, qi, and spirit.

Even though it was only three strikes, Ning Yue felt more tired than if he had fought three full battles.

Only then did he have time to look to the other side.

He discovered that Wang Xueqing's fight had already ended at some point.

When she saw him look over,

Wang Xueqing asked, "Do you still have the strength to fight?"

"Come on."

Ning Yue had not expected the fight just now to make him use all his strength. Added to the battles before it, he now felt somewhat drained.

Even if he could still fight, he was not confident he could beat Wang Xueqing.

But even if he lost, he would not lose face.

"Let's save our fight for another time." Wang Xueqing gave Ning Yue a long look and said meaningfully, "As it happens, I'm tired of being first. I'll give it to you."

With that, she reversed her longsword and slit her own throat on the spot.

Watching Wang Xueqing turn into specks of light and disappear, Ning Yue was somewhat slow to react.

That's not how the plot is supposed to go.

The peak showdown between first and second place had ended before it even began.

"That girl."

Ning Yue spoke irritably. He had already realized what Wang Xueqing meant.

She was diverting attention.

By giving first place to Ning Yue, she would only be second in the school, and the attention on her would be greatly reduced.

The person people remembered most was always the one in first place. How many could remember the one in second?

As the college entrance exam drew near, Wang Xueqing had also become aware of the danger, and the school's protection of her was steadily weakening.

It was not that the school no longer protected her, but that the college entrance exam was its busiest time, and it could no longer attend to everything.

If she diverted that attention elsewhere, she would be much safer.

Besides, Ning Yue had been a poor student before. Was there anything more attention-grabbing than his sudden rise to prominence?

On Blue Star, where spiritual energy had revived, fortuitous encounters were not uncommon.

But

fortuitous encounters also attracted the most attention, especially from those with poor martial aptitude and powerful family backgrounds.

Of course,

Wang Xueqing was not trying to harm Ning Yue. She was more interested in using him to conceal her own radiance.

In any case, it was only a mock exam, not the real college entrance exam.

She knew Ning Yue's family was rich, and rich people generally had power.

It would be easier for Ning Yue to fend off those prying eyes than it would be for her.

Once Ning Yue had thought it all through,

he did not mind. His family could deal with some minor troubles at school.

So he and Wang Xueqing were each getting what they needed.

[Mock exam concluded. Slaughter Arena closing. Battle Space closing.]

Ning Yue vanished from the Battle Space.

A sentence was spoken.

"This is the end, but also the beginning."

Yes, it was the end of the mock exam, the beginning of Ning Yue's rise, and the beginning of the trouble coming his way.