Chapter 103: New King Xu Jingming! The Academy

Xu Jingming hadn’t even stepped down from the arena when Song Qiuyun’s voice rang out.

Immediately, a fragrant breeze swept over as Song Qiuyun, clad in a fitted dark ink-colored battle suit, leapt lightly onto the arena.

“You… you’re challenging me too?”

Li Chengzhi, still dazed, was utterly stunned.

Yes, maybe I’m arrogant.

But I only made provocative gestures toward Xu Jingming—how did I end up drawing you in too?

Li Chengzhi hadn’t recovered, but the other new students watching below had already sensed something odd.

Their gazes kept flicking back and forth between Xu Jingming and Song Qiuyun.

Something’s going on! There’s definitely something between these two!

Especially some of the male students, seeing Song Qiuyun standing beside Xu Jingming.

Deep down, they were seething with envy, teeth grinding in frustration.

Yet to the outside, they could only offer Xu Jingming friendly, harmonious glances.

The precedent was right there—they had no choice but to be cautious…

“He hasn’t recovered yet. Take it easy.”

Xu Jingming wasn’t particularly surprised by Song Qiuyun’s sudden appearance.

He’d figured it out—she was a battle addict…

“Don’t worry, I’ve got control. You go down. I’ll handle this.”

On Song Qiuyun’s delicate face burned an eager fighting spirit.

Challenging Li Chengzhi was partly because his provocative gestures had annoyed her.

But also, she wanted a worthy opponent of equal rank to fight properly.

After all, this guy Xu Jingming was too monstrous.

Fighting him gave zero thrill—only one-sided abuse.

Everyone else was too weak, so she’d come to Li Chengzhi.

Across from her, Li Chengzhi, his entire body charred black by electricity, finally snapped back to awareness.

Damn, you two are playing tag with me?

But his whole body ached, his skin burned as if ninety percent cooked.

Though his formidable physique could heal this injury in four or five days,

He definitely couldn’t fight now.

Song Qiuyun clearly saw Li Chengzhi’s condition was poor, and smiled faintly:

“Don’t worry—I’ll fight you in an hour. Use this time to see a tutor from the Support Academy for treatment.”

In the second phase of the New Student Competition’s free challenge matches, it was possible for one person to face multiple consecutive challenges.

To prevent exploitation, challenged competitors were allowed to fully recover before their next match.

The Support Academy had at least six-rank tutors with healing abilities.

For injuries like this, full recovery took less than two minutes.

“Eva, are tutors permitted to treat students during the second phase of the New Student Competition?”

To be safe, Song Qiuyun confirmed.

“Yes.” Eva nodded, her expression blankly innocent.

As Qinghai Province’s top-ranked new student, Li Chengzhi had been dazed by Xu Jingming’s assault,

But he knew Song Qiuyun was also second-rank lower tier, just like himself.

Once healed, who won or lost was still uncertain!

So, after a deep breath, Li Chengzhi replied:

“Fine. In an hour, I’ll fight you!”

“Eva, take me for treatment.”

Medical staff waiting nearby swiftly moved forward and carried the severely injured Li Chengzhi away.

With no major fight left to watch, the surrounding new students began to disperse.

Song Qiuyun also leapt down from the arena.

Striding over with her long, shapely legs, she approached Xu Jingming with a mischievous smile:

“Done. Just watch me beat him up later.”

Xu Jingming smiled faintly at that.

He silently mourned for three seconds for the charred Li Chengzhi on the stretcher.

Having fought both Song Qiuyun and Li Chengzhi, he could clearly sense Song Qiuyun was stronger.

Li Chengzhi might have greater physical strength, but he used a greatsword, and his sword technique was only intermediate level.

Song Qiuyun wielded a massive halberd, and her halberd technique had reached advanced proficiency!

In close combat, Song Qiuyun was clearly superior.

Moreover, Song Qiuyun mastered magical combat techniques—something Li Chengzhi couldn’t match.

Xu Jingming could already picture Li Chengzhi getting brutally beaten by Song Qiuyun.

Sure enough, when an hour passed,

Li Chengzhi, fully restored and confident, stepped onto the arena against Song Qiuyun.

He was met with total, one-sided domination.

Her exquisite halberd techniques and endless light-based combat spells left him utterly overwhelmed.

In just ten minutes, Li Chengzhi lost again.

“Winner of this match: Song Qiuyun!”

As the AI Eva’s voice echoed,

The crowd of new students erupted into fresh chatter.

“Song Qiuyun, dual-attuned in physical and magical combat, is definitely stronger.”

“Li Chengzhi’s enhancement-type ability is inherently weak against nature-type abilities.”

“Come to think of it, he’s really unlucky—just got beaten, healed up, and now he’s been beaten into serious injury again.”

“...”

The new students stared at the bloodied figure on the arena with strange expressions.

They’d assumed Li Chengzhi, who’d shown such astonishing power in the first round, would be this year’s New King.

But instead, he peaked on his debut—and then suffered two crushing defeats in a row.

Of course,

They knew it wasn’t that Li Chengzhi wasn’t strong—just that his two opponents were monstrous.

“Hey, why don’t those two fight each other?”

Watching Xu Jingming and Song Qiuyun walk off together, one new student asked.

“Obviously not—have you ever seen a couple enjoy fighting each other? Besides, do you think Song Qiuyun can beat Xu Jingming?”

The new student beside him rolled his eyes.

“Oh right!”

The first speaker suddenly understood, nodding vigorously.

As the strongest first and second-ranked students,

Xu Jingming and Song Qiuyun, after their matches against Li Chengzhi, now found themselves idle.

Meanwhile, Liu Wentao and Qi Dongxia were extremely busy—either challenging others or being challenged.

And all one hundred arenas on the field remained packed throughout.

Time passed swiftly.

At six p.m., four hours later, the second phase of the New Student Competition officially ended.

All new students lined up in the No. 3 training ground according to their newly confirmed rankings.

The strongest among them, Xu Jingming, the New King, stood at the very front.

Behind him stood the slender, graceful Song Qiuyun.

Third place remained Li Chengzhi.

Notably, after seeing Li Chengzhi defeated twice—both times severely injured—

Several new students in the top ten challenged him.

Li Chengzhi, already seething with rage, saw someone daring to come to him voluntarily.

He didn’t hold back—he crushed them into serious injury, finally venting his fury.

Meanwhile, Qi Dongxia rose twenty-six places in rank, while Liu Wentao dropped to thirty-ninth.

Lei Zhou, who had previously challenged Xu Jingming, ultimately secured ninth place, proving his strength.

“Free challenge phase complete. The New Student Competition is officially over!”

On the podium, Dean Sun’s gentle voice rang out:

“Your evaluation permissions and credit rewards have been issued. Check them on the school’s official website.

The battle suits and cultivation resources for the top ten will be delivered to your dorms tonight—please check for them.”

The Freshman Competition has ended, regardless of whether you are satisfied with your ranking.

Your rating will not be revised again until the year-end assessment.

Additionally, the freshman courses will officially begin in two days; please check your schedule and do not skip classes.

After a brief summary, Dean Sun paused, then announced:

“The Freshman Competition is over; now begins the college selection!

I represent the Element College and will state our admission criteria first.

Our college accepts only students with elemental abilities, or natural abilities of the lightning, ice, light, or dark elements.

Here, you will have the chance to explore the essence of elemental abilities and witness their ultimate power!

Welcome all to choose our college!”

Just this single criterion eliminates a large number of applicants.

In fact, such ability users can eventually reach the level of a mage in online games.

They can unleash their abilities from great distances to inflict massive damage on ferocious beasts.

Many freshmen greatly aspire to become roles like “mages.”

Unfortunately, among over a thousand freshmen, those with elemental abilities may be fewer than one-third.

After the Element College finished speaking, it was the Weapons College’s turn.

Since Dean Yang Zhentian was absent, a slender young woman stepped forward:

“I am Deputy Dean Zhou Hui of the Weapons College; our college aims to combine abilities with weapons to unleash greater power!

Here, you will witness the most extreme training methods and the harshest weapon techniques!

Of course, to unleash a weapon’s power, a strong physique is essential.

Thus, our college also cultivates the most formidable physiques!”

The Weapons College primarily trains close-combat ability users.

Its students are also the most numerous among the five colleges of the Metropolis Ability University!

Nearly half the entire school’s students come from the Weapons College.

And as Deputy Dean Zhou Hui said, the Weapons College’s teaching methods are extremely strict and extreme.

Otherwise, Dean Yang Zhentian would not have earned the nickname “Yang the Helllord.”

After the Element College and Weapons College announced their philosophies,

Long Ke, dean of the Tactics College, stepped forward next:

“Our Tactics College aims to train tactical commanders.

Ability users with mental abilities may choose our college.

Of course, any ability user who believes themselves mentally sharp may also choose us.

But we warn you: our courses demand high cognitive ability.

If you cannot keep up with the pace afterward, the consequences are your own.”

Unlike the deans and deputy deans of the Element and Weapons Colleges,

Dean Long Ke of the Tactics College emitted no overwhelming aura.

Yet no one dared underestimate him.

After all,

At the same rank, a tactical commander is far more valuable than a combat ability user.

To hold the position of Tactics College dean at the Metropolis Ability University,

Long Ke must certainly be no ordinary person.

He possesses an A-rank mental ability and has reached the mid-level of the seventh rank.

He has also commanded frontline operations multiple times, leading battalions to annihilate ferocious beast hordes numbering over a million.