Chapter 16 (continued)

What the heck was a Star-Attracting Pill?

Li Yang didn't know much about these things, but she knew that becoming a Star Wielder required drawing a star into one's body. The Star-Attracting Pill was probably related to that.

Zhong Kun continued, "Student Fang, the Star-Attracting Pills from the Zhong family aren't the shoddy goods they sell on the market for a hundred thousand apiece!"

"!"

A hundred thousand apiece!

Li Yang quickly thought it over.

Group Six was probably a complete mess right now, and even the safe zone might not be safe. That would make it hard for her to harvest Gradeless mutated plants.

Her points were surely fine. At most, she'd drop to second place.

Second place was good. Li Yang thought being first made her stand out too much anyway.

In that case...

Li Yang said, "If we run into mutated creatures on the way, you have to help."

Zhong Kun said, "I don't even have a weapon anymore..."

Li Yang said, "Just hold them off."

Zhong Kun said, "O-okay."

The two set off. To save time, they stopped detouring around the safe zone and headed as straight for their destination as they could.

They were bound to run into mutated creatures along the way.

A low-stage mutated wild boar charged at them. Zhong Kun gritted his teeth and said, "I'll hold it off, you..."

Li Yang grabbed his arm. "Run!"

Zhong Kun said, "???"

Before he could ask, Li Yang had already dragged him into the woods. They twisted and turned until they shook off the mutated boar.

As the two of them panted for breath, a crunching sound rang out, and a flower-bud head suddenly reached down from above.

Zhong Kun jumped in fright and blurted out, "Run!"

This time, however, Li Yang said, "Hold it off."

Zhong Kun said, "???"

Li Yang sprang up and leaped behind the mutated plant. The flower-bud head chased after Zhong Kun, and she seized the chance to bring her axe down, chopping off its "head."

As expected of a mutated plant, blood actually gushed from its severed neck.

Li Yang hadn't received a system notification, so she knew the plant wasn't quite dead. After peering closely to determine where its Starlight was, she chopped at the tree several more times. Thud! Thud! Thud!

[Lifespan +1 year]

Blood had spattered Zhong Kun's granny-gray hair, and his baby face was filled with terror. "Wh-why didn't we run this time?"

Li Yang answered without hesitation, "Act according to the situation."

Zhong Kun grimaced. "Sis, I can't make heads or tails of the situation."

Li Yang said, "Then follow orders."

Zhong Kun readily agreed. "Got it, Sister Fang."

He could tell now that this woman was fierce. She chopped mutated plants like vegetables, as expected of a ruthless contender who'd fought her way into the top twenty.

Half an hour later, Zhong Kun had figured out a pattern. "Why do you only go after mutated plants?" he asked.

"Because..." Li Yang spouted nonsense without batting an eye. "I'm a vegetarian."

Zhong Kun said, "..."

Like hell you are! Besides, that's not how being a vegetarian works!

But he had seen Li Yang's strength with his own eyes and didn't dare talk back to her. If she missed with an axe swing, his neck wouldn't be any tougher than a mutated plant.

Li Yang was in a great mood.

Zhong Kun was quite useful. Though he didn't have much combat power, he was pretty fast, so he was good at keeping enemies occupied, and she needed someone to do just that.

They had taken down four mutated plants along the way. Though they were all low-stage, she'd gained four years of life. It really was a bumper harvest!

As for points...

Those weren't important. Li Yang couldn't be bothered to look, and she didn't want to remind Zhong Kun to check either. If he discovered that Fang Chuyun's points hadn't changed, wouldn't her cover be blown?

Finally, they ran into the main group.

Zhong Kun panted, "Sure enough, everyone's gathered here."

Each group's area was quite large. Li Yang had spent two days thoroughly covering Group Eight's area, and that was only the safe spots. That alone showed how big the area was.

Group Six was quite safe at the moment, though.

There was strength in numbers, and the First Grade mutated creatures had probably all been killed. With only a little over half an hour left in the practical exam, nobody was panicking anymore. Everyone who could make it had come over to watch the excitement.

As soon as Li Yang and Zhong Kun approached, they heard people talking.

"This is my first time seeing a Second Grade mutant! It's terrifying!"

"Is that a mutated beast or a mutated plant?"

"A mutated plant! A dahlia!"

"Don't think you can fool me just because I didn't go to school much! You call that a dahlia? You think I've never seen one?"

Hearing that, Li Yang's ears involuntarily pricked up.

A mutated plant.

This Second Grade mutated creature was actually a mutated plant.

Li Yang wasn't interested in points, but... how many years of life was a Second Grade mutated plant worth?!

A First Grade Seventh Stage man-eating flower had been worth ten years.

A Second Grade dahlia had to be worth at least fifteen, right?

Li Yang swallowed. She was tempted, but quickly calmed down.

She was no longer a "desperado" with only one year left to live. She had twenty-two years now.

She would observe it first and see how dangerous this Second Grade dahlia was. If it was too dangerous, there was no need to challenge it.

Li Yang's current goal was to pass the assessment safely and get into Zhongdu Military Academy without a hitch.

A single Second Grade dahlia could no longer dazzle her. Right now, her heart and eyes were filled with those vast fields of golden wheat!

Zhong Kun, however, was in a hurry. He wanted to see what was happening up ahead, so he kept pushing his way in, and Li Yang followed in his wake.

A lot of students had gathered here, but they were still quite far from the "battlefield." Everyone was being very careful. They didn't want to go up and provoke that thing; they just wanted to watch the excitement from the "safe zone."

As soon as they squeezed out of the crowd, Zhong Kun shouted, "Holy shit, a two-headed demonic beast!"

What Li Yang saw first, however, was the mountain-sized mass of Starlight. Its density was ordinary, but it covered an enormous area, two meters wide and at least three meters high.

Beneath the Starlight stood a gigantic mutated plant. Four-Leaf Clover had been huge, but the dahlia before them was much bigger.

No wonder Zhong Kun had called it a two-headed demonic beast. How did this dahlia look anything like a plant? It was plainly a monster swinging two heads around.

Li Yang had seen dahlias before. They were fairly common ornamental flowers. The plants themselves weren't very big, but their blossoms were gorgeous, with layers upon layers of petals in a rich variety of colors, beautiful and splendid.

The mutated dahlia before her had nothing whatsoever to do with beauty.

Its body was wrapped in enormous leaves, making it look indestructible. Two vines stretched out from the top like necks, covered in hard scales. They also resembled thick snakes, flexible yet tough, with two dahlia heads in place of the snakes' heads.

Blood-red petals spread open, each long, slender petal resembling a sharp tooth. They unfolded in layer upon layer, occasionally making crunching, chewing sounds...

No wonder the students didn't dare approach. After one look, Li Yang gave up on harvesting its lifespan too.

This monster was like a small mountain!

No wonder killing it would earn a hundred points.

Li Yang even thought a hundred points was too little. Please give that warrior two hundred points instead, thanks!

The examinees all shrank back at the sight, and none wanted to go up and challenge it. Only one person charged forward.

Zhong Kun's face turned green. He muttered, "Has my brother really decided points are worth more than his life?!"

That was right. The one who had declared war on the mutated dahlia was Zhong Qian.

Li Yang finally got to see the strongest student in Donghua Province's class of 301.

Zhong Qian looked nothing like Zhong Kun. He was tall, at least 1.85 meters, but not heavily built. Instead, he was lean and wiry, as though he hadn't quite filled out yet. His hair was a conventional black, and his exposed skin was wheat-colored from wind and sun.

He wore a black combat suit and held a longsword made of a special material. He nimbly dodged the dahlia's attacks while doing his utmost to find an opening.

No wonder he was Donghua Province's strongest examinee. He really was extraordinary.

Although Zhong Qian hadn't drawn a star into his body either, his close-combat skills alone were enough to trounce everyone else.

Physique values were fixed.

Skill was flexible.

With both sides at the same ninety points of physique, the contest came down to combat skills.

Li Yang had seen quite a few examinees use swords, but they were all flashy without substance and had little real combat power.

Zhong Qian was different.

First, his sword was highly unusual, probably custom-made for him by the Zhong family. Second, he had clearly practiced for years. The way he held and wielded his sword followed proper form and was highly lethal.

No wonder he wanted first place.

He truly had what it took to be first!

Even so, this Second Grade dahlia was far beyond what the examinees were expected to handle.

To use the amount of Starlight as an example, this one Second Grade dahlia was equivalent to five Grade One High Stage man-eating flowers and dozens of First Grade Low Stage mutated plants.

Zhong Qian was strong, but even he would have a hard time killing the Second Grade dahlia.

Li Yang had fought a man-eating flower. Alone, she couldn't even beat one of those, let alone this dahlia.

Strong as Zhong Qian was, he hadn't become a Star Wielder. He couldn't kill this Second Grade mutated plant on his own.

Zhong Kun had sharp eyes and spotted the girl standing casually in the crowd at a glance.

Lin Zhaoqin had a lollipop in her mouth and was leisurely watching Zhong Qian battle the dahlia.

Zhong Kun shouted, "Lin Zhaoqin! Why aren't you fighting the Second Grade mutated plant?!"

The shout from the granny-gray-haired boy startled Lin Zhaoqin, but she quickly returned to her languid manner. "I can't get first place anyway, so why bother?"

Zhong Kun said, "Don't you want to be the runner-up?!"

Lin Zhaoqin grinned. "I'm not first anyway, so it doesn't matter whether I'm second or third. Don't bother trying to provoke me. I'm not going to help Zhong Qian. Besides, even the person in first place hasn't made a move, so why should I?"

Zhong Kun still tried to goad her. "All that crap, but when it comes down to it, you're just scared!"

Lin Zhaoqin said, "Yep, yep, I'm scared. Even the person in first place is scared, so what's wrong with me in third being a little scared too?"