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Zhong Kun was as cunning as a monkey. He wasn't strong enough to help, so he was trying to prod the formidable Lin Zhaoqin into action.

That woman was incredibly strong. If she joined the fight, she and Zhong Qian might really have a chance of killing the dahlia together.

But Lin Zhaoqin was a sly one too. She was waiting for the hidden expert at the top of the points rankings. If Li Yang didn't make a move, neither would she. Let that blockhead Zhong Qian do the work himself.

This was an examination venue, anyway. With a crowd watching, nothing serious would happen.

Seeing that he hadn't managed to provoke Lin Zhaoqin, Zhong Kun turned his attention to Li Yang.

He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Li Yang! I know you're here! Don't you want to come out and challenge this Second Grade mutated plant?!"

The students watching were all grinning at the spectacle. Someone who recognized Zhong Kun teased him, "Kunzi, don't just shout! Why don't you go help your brother yourself?"

Zhong Kun couldn't be bothered to answer him. "Li Yang! Do you really think you've got first place in the bag? Once my brother kills this Second Grade mutated plant, you'll be second!"

Someone cut in, "If I were Li Yang, I wouldn't step in either. Why sew a wedding dress for someone else? She'd be better off killing more low-grade mutated beasts for points!"

Zhong Kun shouted back, "Group Six ran out of mutated beasts ages ago! There's only half an hour left. She doesn't have time to go harvest points in the other groups!"

"So what? Even if she doesn't step in, Zhong Qian might not be able to kill the Second Grade mutated plant."

Zhong Kun raised his voice. "Li Yang, I don't believe you're a coward! Are you willing to put your fate in someone else's hands? Are you willing to watch someone else kill the only Second Grade mutated plant? Are you willing to let the first place you worked so hard for go to someone else?!"

It had to be said, Zhong Kun really had a silver tongue. Coupled with his impassioned expression, his words set people's blood boiling.

Li Yang was standing right beside him, and listening to him made her a little embarrassed.

Zhong Kun kept shouting at the top of his lungs. "Li Yang! Are you really a coward?! Even if you win first place this way, you won't deserve the title! This is a once-in-a-lifetime practical exam! Do you want to be left with an indelible regret?!"

Zhong Kun continued, "Why did this Second Grade mutated plant awaken only after the top three candidates on the points rankings gathered in Group Six? Because it's a test meant for the three of you! We're future military academy students, and even more than that, we're Huaxia's regular military. We must be brave and decisive, but we also need team spirit!"

With that, he looked at Lin Zhaoqin and said, "Countless teachers are watching this, and footage will spread throughout Huaxia afterward! Do you really want to embarrass yourselves all the way to-"

Lin Zhaoqin couldn't listen anymore. She cursed, "Zhong Kun, quit trying to guilt-trip me! I don't fall for that crap!"

Zhong Kun's aim was clear: if the three of them joined forces, they had a chance of killing the Second Grade dahlia, and the final blow would decide who got the hundred points.

Zhong Qian had the highest Physique Points, so Zhong Kun was creating an opportunity for him. As long as he dealt enough damage, the final blow would most likely be his.

Yet after all that shouting, Li Yang hadn't even shown her face.

What a dog!

She really is the god who stripped those Gradeless plants bare.

Zhong Kun's mind raced. He quickly scanned the crowd but didn't see any familiar faces.

There were plenty of experts in this examination, of course, but they were scattered across other remote areas and might not make it to Group Six.

The other candidates would only get in the way if they joined the fight... Wait, he did have a little expert right beside him.

Settling for the next best thing, Zhong Kun looked at "Fang Chuyun" beside him. "Fang! Can you go help my brother?"

Li Yang: "..."

Zhong Kun lowered his voice. "You just need to go in and add some damage. I've seen how strong you are. You're no worse than that Li Yang. Besides, with my brother keeping it occupied, you can pull out anytime things go bad. I know you don't need the hundred points. Afterward, I..." He held up three fingers, meaning three Star-Attracting Pills.

Li Yang said, "That wouldn't be appropriate, would it?"

Zhong Kun said, "Don't worry, it's not against the rules. Besides, it'll do you some good. There are a ton of teachers watching right now. If you join the fight, you'll at least earn some points for your performance. Maybe after you enroll, famous teachers will even fight over who gets to teach you!"

Li Yang was just a tiny bit tempted.

She didn't care about points, and she didn't want famous teachers fighting over her, but Zhong Kun was offering far too much.

Three Star-Attracting Pills-even the kind sold on the market were worth three hundred thousand.

Li Yang weighed it up and decided to get the ugly words out of the way first. "What if I accidentally land the final blow?"

Zhong Kun took it as a joke. Please, how could she possibly snatch the final blow from Zhong Qian? Even Li Yang, who ranked first on the points board, couldn't do that. Zhong Qian's 93 Physique Points were the highest in Donghua Province!

Zhong Kun said, "Then you'd have earned it with your own strength. Nobody could complain!"

Li Yang said, "Don't get angry when it happens."

Zhong Kun said, "What would I have to be angry about? If you go up there and help, you'll be my brother in arms. No matter what happens from now on, I'll have your back!"

Li Yang emphasized it again. "Let's get this straight first. Either I don't go, or I go all out. So..."

Zhong Kun made a bold promise. "Swing away! If you land the final blow, I'll give you one more!"

Li Yang: "..."

There was no helping it. Rich people were simply too rich, and she was just an ordinary person. She really couldn't resist the temptation.

Li Yang readily agreed. "All right."

She didn't underestimate the dahlia. To be safe, she quickly summoned her system panel and put one year into her Physique Points first.

She didn't have Zhong Qian's skills, so she could only rely on "brute force."

System: [You trained continuously for one year. Unable to break through the limits of the human body, your Physique Points increased to 93.]

Li Yang: "?"

Why are there limits now?

Is it because I haven't drawn Starlight into my body?

Li Yang didn't think this was a bad thing. Getting only three points for a year seemed like a loss, but it also set her mind at ease.

At least she wasn't a "freak" with 100 Physique Points before drawing Starlight into her body.

Li Yang went ahead and put in another year.

System: [You trained continuously for one year and reached the human body's limit. Your Physique Points increased to 95.]

At the same time, another line appeared under the notes: [Your Physique Points cannot increase further. Please draw Starlight into your body as soon as possible.]

Oh-ho, this system knows about drawing Starlight into the body too!

But Li Yang didn't have time to investigate that now.

She pulled the axe from her waist, focused on the densely packed Starlight, and darted into the battlefield.

The crowd hadn't noticed what Zhong Kun and Li Yang had whispered to each other. All they saw was a tall, slender girl charge at the Second Grade dahlia, swing an axe up, and bring it down hard on the plant.

"Whoa, who's that?"

"Could that be Li Yang?!"

"It has to be her! Who else would be interested in this Second Grade mutated plant?!"

"She's fierce! She really came up to snatch the points."

"Zhong Kun was right. There's not enough time, and all the First Grade creatures in Group Six have been wiped out. Even if she went looking for Gradeless mutated plants to kill, they'd be hard to find. She might as well come chop at this Second Grade mutated plant!"

"This is exciting! Zhong Qian's spotted her too, and he's attacking even harder. Oh my god, that blow must have done at least 200 damage!"

The watching candidates clamored, and Lin Zhaoqin raised an eyebrow as she looked toward the battlefield. She took a few steps over to Zhong Kun and asked, "Who is she?"

Zhong Kun had naturally heard everyone shouting too. A thought struck him, and he lifted his chin. "Li Yang!"

That's right. He'd let Lin Zhaoqin mistake Fang Chuyun for Li Yang. That way, she'd join the fight against the mutated plant too.

Zhong Kun glanced at her and sneered, "Li Yang's already gone in. What about you?"

Lin Zhaoqin frowned. "She's really Li Yang? Didn't you two come over together? If you knew she was Li Yang, why did you shout so much...?"

Clearly, Lin Zhaoqin wasn't easy to fool. She was sharp and had noticed something fishy.

Zhong Kun said, "I didn't ask her name before. After I'd been shouting for a while just now, she tugged on my sleeve and quietly told me she was Li Yang."

Lin Zhaoqin: "..."

Zhong Kun deliberately said, "All right, I know you're timid. This battlefield belongs to first and second place. You, in third place..."

At last, Zhong Kun's provocation worked.

Lin Zhaoqin tossed away her lollipop, picked up her Lin Family saber, and joined the fight.

The candidates broke into another round of exclamations. "Wow! Lin Zhaoqin's in too!"

"That's the Lin Family saber! So cool!"

"Now they've got enough damage. I just wonder who'll get the final blow."

"Go, Li Yang! Get those hundred points, and you'll be the undisputed number one in Donghua Province's 301st class!"

"Go, God Zhong! The top spot in Donghua Province is yours!"

"Charge, Goddess Lin! Get those hundred points and you'll... ahem, overtake God Zhong!"

Both Zhong Qian and Lin Zhaoqin were well known in Donghua Province. The former was a member of the Zhong Family, while the latter belonged to a famous branch of the Lin Family.

Although neither had become a Star Wielder yet, both had trained since childhood. Their sword and saber techniques were measured, practiced, and exquisite.

Physique Points represented destructive power.

Zhong Qian and Lin Zhaoqin had 93 and 91 Physique Points, respectively. With their techniques added to the mix, several of their attacks had unleashed destructive power equivalent to at least 200 Physique Points.

For candidates who had yet to draw Starlight into their bodies, they truly were Heavenly Chosen among Heavenly Chosen, monstrous talents among monstrous talents.

By comparison, Li Yang had little technique to speak of, but she still gave countless candidates a visual shock.

Her figure was actually tall and lean, but her relatively loose Huangcheng school uniform made her look somewhat slight and shapeless.

Yet this very girl gripped a massive iron axe in both hands and swung it with a fierce, commanding might.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three consecutive axe blows landed in the same spot, clearly enraging the Second Grade dahlia.

A furious roar rang out, and one of the Second Grade dahlia's heads lunged at Li Yang. Its densely packed petals stabbed toward her like countless sharp swords.