Chapter 7: Is It Reasonable for the Fate-Selected Boy to Have a Little Luck?

Zhu Hongyuan lightly kicked off the ground and leapt gracefully onto the arena.

Let’s be honest, the campus top three still have real strength—just look at how effortlessly and casually he stepped onto the stage; no ordinary student could pull that off.

The students below burst into applause.

“So cool, Brother Zhu!”

“No wonder he’s in the top three—his posture is so elegant! I just wonder if Ye Chen can beat him.”

“Who knows? Both are at Qi Condensation Level 6—this is going to be good to watch!”

「……」

Lin Mo occupied an excellent viewing spot, studying the two fighters on stage and silently analyzing the situation.

On paper, both were at Qi Condensation Level 6.

But Zhu Hongyuan had reached Level 6 during the summer before his final year, while Ye Chen only reached it at the end of the first semester of his final year.

That’s about a six-month gap between them.

Logically, Zhu Hongyuan should have the advantage.

But since they’re both at Level 6, that advantage isn’t as significant as it might seem.

When Qi Condensation levels are nearly identical, what matters most is the quality and mastery of their spells.

Although the school library has a variety of Qi Condensation spells, they’re all basic, low-grade techniques.

There aren’t many spells suitable for arena battles, and students mostly just reuse the same handful of techniques with minor variations.

If you’re looking for the most practical arena skill, Basic Sword Technique is definitely number one.

Qi Condensation arena fights are mostly just novices brawling.

Especially students like them, whose spell cultivation is far from refined.

Take Lin Mo’s own [Control Fire] and [Rain Summoning] skills—his proficiency is barely better than a tiny flame or a water pistol; they have almost no offensive power.

If they actually hit the opponent, they might just give them a weird “ice and fire” sensation—and if the opponent yells, “That was awesome, do it again!” wouldn’t that be embarrassing?

Basic Sword Technique is far more practical—no matter how poorly you’ve trained it, swinging a wooden sword randomly still has a decent chance of making your opponent scream in pain.

Sure enough, Zhu Hongyuan drew a wooden longsword from his waist, spun a graceful flourish in the air, and said to Ye Chen:

“I’ll give you time to get your weapon—don’t lose and then make excuses.”

Ye Chen looked down at him with disdain, crossed his arms behind his back, and sneered:

“I don’t need a weapon. Just attack.”

What a showy line—got it… Lin Mo thought to himself.

“Then don’t regret it later!”

Zhu Hongyuan’s face darkened; he gripped his sword in his right hand, formed a sword finger with his left, and lunged forward with a simple straight thrust.

“Shhh!”

A sharp whistle cut through the air.

The strike was clean, precise, and incredibly fast—not something an ordinary student could manage.

Many spectators below hadn’t even reacted when the sword was already inches from Ye Chen’s face.

Facing this swift, accurate strike, Ye Chen remained calm and shouted:

"Mystical ice transforms into sword beams, frost descends upon all directions!"

A chilling aura gathered at his fingertip, and with his finger as a blade, he thrust directly toward Zhu Hongyuan’s wooden sword.

“Crack!”

In an instant, Zhu Hongyuan’s wooden sword shattered into pieces, and his body was violently flung backward, crashing onto the stone pavement beside the arena.

“Pfft!”

A spray of blood burst from Zhu Hongyuan’s mouth.

Instant KO?

The students around him stared in disbelief.

Zhu Hongyuan himself was even more stunned—he clutched his aching chest, lay on the ground, and looked up at Ye Chen on the stage, his eyes filled with utter disbelief.

At the same Qi Condensation Level 6, he never imagined he’d be defeated so utterly.

Ye Chen looked down at him and said, “You lost. Don’t forget to transfer your cultivation hours to me tomorrow.”

As soon as he spoke, the crowd erupted in cheers.

“Yes! Brother Ye is awesome!”

“One move and he took out the campus top three? That’s insane!”

“Top three? Now the top three has a new member!”

“Don’t say that—the Immortal Exam is based on scores, not arena fights.”

“Who cares? Winning is what matters!”

“He won, sure, but Zhu Hongyuan’s bleeding—wasn’t that a bit too harsh?”

“Yeah, maybe… but still, winning is awesome!”

「……」

Amid the chaos, Zhu Hongyuan, his expression grim, was carried off by his classmates.

Lin Mo’s face showed a flicker of surprise—he hadn’t expected the “protagonist” to be this strong!

And that finger-sword technique just now? Clearly not the Basic Sword Technique taught at school.

The power was immense—could it be a Tier-1 Mid-grade spell?

He silently speculated.

On the open market, Tier-1 Mid-grade spells cost at least five low-grade spirit stones.

Converted to ordinary currency, that’s over a million yuan!

Is he this rich?

Lin Mo eyed Ye Chen suspiciously—the guy’s family background was as ordinary as he claimed, even poorer than Lin Mo’s family, who sold peaches.

For an average working-class family, saving that much would take decades—so buying it seems impossible.

That leaves only one explanation: [The Protagonist Having a Lucky Break Is Totally Reasonable, Right?]

Totally reasonable… Lin Mo couldn’t argue with such a convincing logic.

“Ye Chen is too strong—he took out Zhu Hongyuan with one move!”

Passersby gushed.

Lin Mo shook his head—Ye Chen wasn’t necessarily strong; it was the “fate” effect that was just too powerful.

Recalling when Ye Chen first transferred into Class 10 of Senior Year, he was average in talent, appearance, and personality—just one of the most ordinary students in their ordinary class.

Now he’d risen to become a campus sensation, defeating even the higher-ranked Immortal Second-Generation Zhu Hongyuan with a single move.

Of course, Ye Chen might have trained hard—but how many students here don’t train hard?

Even Zhang Dahai, who constantly dreams of inheriting his family business, sits in meditation over ten hours a day—other students are even more obsessed.

If you go to Nanshan No. 4 High and don’t have hemorrhoids, you’re not even allowed to say you’re from Nanshan.

So, in conclusion, the key to Ye Chen’s rise lies entirely in the word “fate.”

As Lin Mo walked toward Building Three, he couldn’t help but sigh:

“This protagonist template is so enviable—when will I ever get my own fate?”

No sooner had he spoken than a system alert chimed in his ear:

【Ding! Accumulated merit points reached 1,000. Fate value condensed: 1】

Lin Mo froze in place, mouth slightly open.

Huh?

He blinked, then quickly opened his system interface—and sure enough, a new line appeared below his merit points:

【Fate Value】: 1

「……」

He was momentarily speechless.

Wait—merit points can condense into fate value?

Does that mean I can become a fate-blessed protagonist too?

Then the next question arose:

How much fate value is needed to become a true protagonist?

Instantly, Lin Mo’s mind conjured Ye Chen’s image.

In Nanshan No. 4, Ye Chen was the only known fate-blessed protagonist.

Three years ago, when Ye Chen first transferred in, he was still mild-mannered—he might’ve been able to answer this question back then.

But ever since he gained the “Fate-Blessed Protagonist” title, his personality changed completely.

From once being gentle, he became arrogant and haughty, practically looking down his nose at everyone, ignoring others’ attempts to talk to him.

Lin Mo recalled the last time he spoke to him—it was a year ago.

He’d simply asked Ye Chen a question about spells, but was mocked and ridiculed, then dismissed with a cold, “You can’t explain ice to a summer insect,” before strutting off in full show-off mode.

Since then, Lin Mo had never again tried to warm up to that icy butt.

“He’d never tell me anything even if he could!”

He shook his head.

After thinking for a moment, he pulled out his phone and sent a message to his homeroom teacher, Mr. Li:

"Teacher Li, how much Qi Fortune do I need to become the Chosen One of Fortune?"

Soon, Teacher Li’s reply came back:

"Stop daydreaming! Finish eating, then come to my office after evening self-study to copy out the Essentials of Qi Refining!"

Oh, Teacher Li doesn’t know either… Lin Mo thought to himself.

Given Teacher Li’s personality, if he knew the answer, he’d definitely brag about it.

If he didn’t, then he definitely didn’t know.

Forget it!

Lin Mo no longer dwelled on the issue of Qi Fortune; being able to gather Qi Fortune was already a good thing.

Only when he stepped into the first-floor lobby of the third teaching building did he suddenly remember something:

Come to think of it, do I have the potential to become a “protagonist”?