Chapter 54: Battle Begins! Instant Kill!

At 11:42 a.m., Magic City Institute of Supernatural Abilities, Practical Training Building.

On the first floor of the Practical Training Building, there are ten arenas numbered 1 through 10.

This area is specifically designated for student sparring or resolving personal grudges.

At this moment, the spectator seats surrounding the arenas were already densely packed with students.

Most of them were freshmen, roughly four to five hundred in number.

Keep in mind, the total number of freshmen who have reported to campus is only slightly over six hundred.

In other words, most freshmen have gathered here because of this match.

“Jiangsu Province is an educational powerhouse—this battle between the top two scorers is bound to be spectacular!”

“The freshman competition starts after September enrollment; this is the perfect chance to see the provincial top scorer’s strength.”

“But I’ve been checking records lately and realized Xu Jingming clearly benefited from his exam center’s location—if they’d taken the same test, Lei Zhou would’ve been Jiangsu’s provincial top scorer!”

“So does that mean Lei Zhou has a higher chance of winning?”

“Not necessarily—Xu Jingming only recently broke our school’s punch power record.”

“Hah, what’s a punch power record? Supernatural combat isn’t all about brute strength. I think Lei Zhou is stronger!”

“......”

Students buzzed with speculation, each offering their own predictions on the outcome.

Many freshmen who had researched the matter believed they’d uncovered a scandal.

They thought Lei Zhou was stronger, and that Xu Jingming won the provincial top scorer title solely due to an easier exam center.

“Qiuyun, who do you think has the better chance?”

In a corner of the spectator seats, Song Qiuyun and her roommate Qi Dongxia had also come to watch.

“Xu Jingming,” Song Qiuyun murmured, her red lips moving without hesitation.

Her certainty startled Qi Dongxia.

Though they’d only become roommates recently,

Qi Dongxia knew Song Qiuyun always weighed things carefully before reaching a conclusion.

This was the first time she’d seen her so unshakably confident.

“Still, I think Lei Zhou is stronger—he has the upper hand.”

Qi Dongxia might be loyal to Xu Jingming’s looks,

but in terms of actual power, she favored Lei Zhou.

Besides, she agreed with the rumors among freshmen:

“Xu Jingming did get lucky with his exam center to win provincial top scorer.”

Yet Song Qiuyun dismissed this entirely:

“The state mandates that students must take the Wu Ke exam at the same location where they attended junior and senior high.

Xu Jingming may have benefited from his exam center, but he didn’t gain any of the superior educational resources of the provincial capital.

He came from the impoverished Jiangcheng—and still claimed the provincial top scorer title, proving his exceptional ability.

If Lei Zhou and Xu Jingming swapped identities,

Xu Jingming, raised in Ning’an City, would still have won the provincial top scorer.

But Lei Zhou, raised in Jiangcheng, might not even crack the top hundred in Jiangsu Province, let alone compete for the top spot.”

Song Qiuyun’s beautiful eyes glowed with wisdom.

Beside her, Qi Dongxia froze.

Of course!

Everyone focused only on the difference in exam centers, ignoring the massive disparity in their backgrounds and resources.

If the Wu Ke exam in wealthy Ning’an City was normal difficulty, then Jiangcheng’s was hellish!

Xu Jingming rising to the top in Jiangcheng’s hellish conditions

proves his immense strength and potential!

Just as Qi Dongxia grasped this, a commotion erupted in the spectator seats as everyone turned toward the entrance.

“Xu Jingming’s here!”

She quickly turned her gaze to the entrance.

Indeed,

a tall, slender figure walked in against the light.

Xu Jingming’s aura was undeniably powerful.

At one meter eighty-nine, clad in a black combat suit, he appeared towering and muscular without a trace of bulk.

His resolute, chiseled face held clear, sharp eyes, dark and bright.

On his back hung a thick, jet-black spear, its blood-grooved tip gleaming with chilling light under the midday sun.

Merely entering the arena, his overwhelming presence silenced the entire venue.

“Tch, my junior’s appearance—once he shows his strength, he’ll charm even more senior girls.”

Liu Ming, who had just taken a seat in the back row, couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

A great physique and looks, combined with immense power, would make him every girl’s ideal partner at Magic City Institute of Supernatural Abilities.

Of course,

signs of this were already visible in the audience.

Many young girls stared intently at Xu Jingming as he entered; some even pulled out phones to take pictures...

“Xu Jingming’s rank has risen.”

In the front row, Lei Zhou, his opponent, sharply sensed the change in Xu Jingming’s aura.

“Still, I’ve prepared something too.”

Lei Zhou thought to himself.

He hadn’t become Jiangsu’s second-ranked student by being a fool—he didn’t assume victory was guaranteed.

Especially after Xu Jingming broke the record just weeks ago.

His confidence to challenge Xu Jingming came with a hidden trump card.

“Xu Jingming, just deciding the winner is too boring—how about we add a stake?”

As Xu Jingming approached, Lei Zhou stood up.

“What stake?” Xu Jingming raised an eyebrow.

“All your credits.”

On Lei Zhou’s still-handsome face, malice was unmistakable:

“I’ll put up an equal value in credits and Daxia currency—the winner takes it all.”

“Fine.”

Xu Jingming had no reason to refuse a free windfall.

“Alright, to prevent cheating, we’ll transfer our credits to Teacher Zhou’s account.”

Supernatural combat is extremely dangerous; failing to hold back can easily result in severe injury or death.

To prevent students from dying on the spot, a teacher with a healing-type auxiliary ability always stands by the arena each day.

Today, the teacher on duty is a woman named Zhou Yun.

She is a sixth-rank mid-tier supernatural being with a B-rank auxiliary ability: Healing Light.

Even if these first-rank students fight fiercely, she can still save them.

At the same time, Teacher Zhou Yun is also the match referee.

Xu Jingming transferred all 370 of his credits to Teacher Zhou.

Lei Zhou transferred 50 credits and an additional 3.2 million Daxia currency.

“Tch, a bet worth 3.7 million—what a lavish stake!”

“Neither of them looks like a pushover—if you lose, it’s a crushing blow.”

“A stake’s good—it’ll make the fight more exciting!”

“......”

The freshmen were stunned by the wager.

On one hand, they were all new students—3.7 million was a massive sum.

On the other, the crucial freshman competition loomed in two months.

Losing this money meant losing a huge chunk of cultivation resources for either side.

Their progress in power would inevitably fall behind.

“Both contestants, enter the arena.”

After confirming the credit transfers were complete, Teacher Zhou Yun spoke.

Xu Jingming and Lei Zhou stepped onto the arena separately.

The arena was a 30-meter by 30-meter square; Xu Jingming and Lei Zhou stood ten meters apart, facing each other.

One held a spear, the other a blade.

“Before we begin, I’ll reiterate: once one side yields or loses consciousness, the other must stop attacking immediately.

Otherwise, the match will be halted, and the offender will face the school’s harshest punishment. Do you understand?”

Teacher Zhou Yun emphasized sternly.

These two men are the top and second-ranked in Jiangnan Province.

Injury isn’t a problem, but if either side dies, it becomes a trouble.

Therefore, continuous pursuit after surrender is strictly forbidden in combat.

“Understood.”

Xu Jingming and Lei Zhou both nodded.

“Good. Prepare to begin.”

Zhou Yun nodded and immediately began the countdown:

“3!”

“2!”

“1!”

“Begin!”

The instant the countdown ended, Lei Zhou, wielding a large blade, let out a low roar:

“Forest’s Karma Flame!”

BOOM!!

Flames—pale white flames—erupted outward from Lei Zhou!

Forest’s Karma Flame: an A-rank elemental fire ability!

Combined with Lei Zhou’s high-tier rank, the Forest’s Karma Flame generated terrifying heat.

The air temperature around them surged rapidly due to the flame’s emergence!

Spectators in the front rows felt as if flames had scorching their skin.

Startled, they scrambled to sit further back.

“Xu Jingming, I’ll reclaim every ounce of honor you took from me today! Flame Slash!”

On the arena, terrifying white flames surged toward Xu Jingming, while Lei Zhou stepped forward.

He crossed over nine meters in an instant, arriving before Xu Jingming.

Then he raised his right hand; the white blade wrapped in flame slashed downward with a heavy, thunderous rush!

“Such flawless combat technique linkage! Closing distance, then launching the slash!”

“That’s probably a combo of Advance and Flame Slash—he executed it perfectly.”

“No wonder it’s an A-rank ability; this flame’s heat is terrifying.”

“...”

The audience of new students held their breath, eyes locked on the scene.

Advance is a common C-rank mobility technique that lets you dash a set distance.

But few here could follow it with another technique, as Lei Zhou did.

It demands extraordinary mastery.

And this seemingly simple combo would defeat 90% of those present!

“No wonder he’s second in Jiangnan Province—his fundamentals are rock-solid.”

As the new students marveled at Lei Zhou’s technique linkage, Xu Jingming on the arena moved.

Crackling—

With a sharp hiss of electric arcs, azure-purple Zixiao Divine Thunder first encircled Xu Jingming.

Like an eggshell, it sealed out the Forest’s Karma Flame.

The next instant,

The dark, icy spear moved!

No one saw how Xu Jingming struck—only a blur in their vision.

Then came a metallic CLANG, echoing through the arena.

By the time others reacted, the black spear had already blocked the blade’s strike.

“Blocked... blocked it?”

“Just a casual spear thrust to break a technique? Is that even allowed?!”

“What the hell? What kind of power is that?!”

“...”

The new students stared, dumbfounded.

You need to know,

Techniques fuse spiritual energy and bloodline power.

Most people either dodge techniques or counter with their own.

But Xu Jingming used no technique at all.

He simply blocked Lei Zhou’s Flame Slash with a single, casual spear thrust.

In simpler terms: Xu Jingming’s basic auto-attack shattered the opponent’s ultimate.

“How is this possible?!”

Lei Zhou on the arena couldn’t believe it either.

But in response, Xu Jingming’s cold, low voice replied:

“Nothing’s impossible—you’re just weak.”

Then came a THUD.

Lei Zhou’s body bent sharply into a C-shape as a crushing force slammed into his waist.

The Forest’s Karma Flame, destabilized by agony, vanished instantly; he himself flew like a cannonball.

He crashed into the arena’s alloy restraining cable, then collapsed lifelessly to the ground, face covered in blood.

At his former position, Xu Jingming, wreathed in azure-purple Zixiao Divine Thunder, slowly withdrew his spear.

That was merely a single spear strike.

But his speed was so fast, Lei Zhou had no time to react—he was simply launched away.

As Lei Zhou fell, the audience fell utterly silent.

From start to finish, Xu Jingming had only swung his spear twice, right?!

And the match... was already over?!

Where was the epic battle?!

Where was the claim that Lei Zhou was stronger than Xu Jingming?!

How did Lei Zhou get instantly one-shot?!

RNM! Refund my money!

What? No ticket fee? Then never mind...