ASER - Chapter 143
Chapter 143: Finding People
While Jiang Zhou was fraught with worry, he discovered he too had encountered terrible news.
"Everyone, I'm afraid you cannot leave. You'll have to stay here for a full 12 hours. After all, it wouldn't be good if you went out to help these examinees."
Under Lushan Academy's rules, who the hell would dare to help? What was there to do in this desolate wilderness for 12 hours? Everyone cursed inwardly, but on the surface, these individuals from various top educational departments were all subservient, smiling as if bathed in a spring breeze, like newly-wedded daughters-in-law from feudal times in ancient regions. After eating, they didn't even dare to sit, only standing by to serve the meal.
Alas, before Lushan Academy, they were truly in a difficult position.
Three hours later, a surface maglev train glided into Kyoto's Yuanyang No. 014 station. As it slowed to a stop, the train was packed with people—travelers, commuters. Even though it wasn't peak morning or evening rush hour, there were still many seated passengers. Among them was a handsome young man dressed entirely in black.
Several cute young girls were surreptitiously taking photos with their phones, whispering excitedly as if on a sugar rush, their faces flushed. But this handsome man was too cold. His brow was furrowed, his aura as frigid as ice, and his arms were crossed over his chest as if he were on high alert.
In any novel or TV drama, such a person would undoubtedly be the male lead.
So cold, so heartless, I love it!
Compared to this focal point of the crowd, a tall, thin woman in a dowdy sweatsuit and pants was like a grain of sand tossed into a dune. The mask covering most of her face made her a bit conspicuous, but such people weren't unheard of, so no one paid her any mind.
She was looking at the news displayed on the train and the 3D map of the nearby regional center.
As she watched, she memorized the terrain.
After a while, the train came to a complete stop. The doors opened, and a dense crowd of people disembarked… The few young girls specifically followed the handsome man like little ducklings.
After exiting the train, the handsome man checked the terrain and breathed a sigh of relief. Just one more stop to go.
Since his equipment wasn't working, he could only go to buy a ticket manually. As he turned to leave the platform… he suddenly heard the whistling sound of wind cutting through the air, along with the surprised cries of some people.
Swish!
He ducked. The black-clothed man who had jumped down from an official flying vehicle behind him missed, rolled on the ground, and aimed a swift leg sweep at him.
The handsome man did a sudden backflip but was caught by the neck by a second black-clothed man who jumped down from behind, pressing him to the ground.
This sudden turn of events startled many people. The young girls screamed…
The young man was also stunned. He struggled and shouted, "Who are you people!"
"Lushan Academy examination office, official business! Resisting means failing the preliminary exam! Take him away!"
The black-clothed man's voice was deep and resonant, meant for both the handsome man and the surrounding passengers.
But before anyone else could react, upon hearing he would fail the preliminary exam, the young man grew anxious. He twisted his body to break free and punched fiercely at the black-clothed man's chest. Swish! The black-clothed man was highly skilled, leaping back and landing smoothly. Meanwhile, the other black-clothed man delivered a rapid series of combination punches from behind, thudding into the handsome man's waist and acupoints. With a couple of sharp blows, the man went limp, kneeling on the ground as he was pinned with one hand.
On the other side, the black-clothed man who had leaped back and landed squinted his eyes, glancing at a red dot on his wristwatch. He leaped up abruptly, darting towards the woman in the sweatsuit who was hiding in the crowd, trying to leave.
Seeing the menacing approach, the woman in the sweatsuit took a step back, feigning panic… Then, just before the man's hand could grab her shoulder, she instantly seized his arm, spun sideways.
Bang!!
A swift shoulder throw.
The black-clothed man felt a dull ache as if his flesh and blood had been hammered.
Immediately after, A'Diao sidestepped to avoid a leg whip from another black-clothed man attacking from behind, simultaneously retaliating with a high side kick.
The whip kick was like an afterimage, crisp and decisive.
Bang!! The opponent was sent flying over three meters, landing on his knees. He fumbled to draw a Spiral Flying Star from his waist. With a flick of his fingertips, crackling electric currents accompanied the flying star as it shot towards A'Diao. Just as it was about to hit her, she shrugged her shoulder, her leather jacket slipping into her hand. With a roll and a flick, a force combining hardness and softness precisely sent it back.
The black-clothed man's expression changed. He dodged to the side in a sorry state. The Spiral Flying Star hit the ground; it wouldn't kill, but it could easily paralyze someone with electricity.
A tough nut to crack. The man looked up, panting, and shouted, "Damn it, there's a big fish here! Brothers, come quick!"
He can call for backup?
A'Diao immediately vaulted over the railing with one hand and disappeared down the stairwell in a few leaps. But the nearby black-clothed men on flying vehicles were faster, and seven or eight of them ascended into the air, chasing right after her.
The vast train station had become a hunting ground.
"So cool!"
"So amazing! Is she a student taking the Lushan exam? Seriously cool!"
"She must be specializing in combat… So awesome."
The young girls behind looked at the handsome young man being pressed down and taken away by a black-clothed man, then at the plainly dressed but formidable young woman. Suddenly, the handsome boy didn't seem so appealing anymore.
If he couldn't break free and escape before the exam ended, he would fail, right?
So weak?
The sister is better.
Upstairs was the station hall, bustling with people. The floor was spacious and brightly lit, with well-dressed, seemingly high-status travelers everywhere. But today, everyone had to make way for one thing!
As A'Diao leaped out of the stairwell, flying vehicles whizzed out from behind her. Eight black-clothed men landed one after another, surrounding her and attacking from all directions.
These men were probably elites from the military. They likely also had rules against using spiritual power, at most employing some auxiliary stun weapons. A few of them would be manageable, but a large group would be troublesome and time-consuming.
Most importantly, A'Diao wasn't sure if their numbers would keep increasing. Logically, it was unlikely a whole group would target just her, right? Was she really that unlucky?
Toilet posed a soul-searching question: "What if?"
Damn it!
In terms of combat skills, she wasn't particularly talented. She was currently relying on her strong mental body, superhuman reflexes, and robust physique. Once surrounded and her reaction space limited, she would genuinely be in for a beating.
A'Diao's mind immediately started working. According to the principle of equivalent settings, she should also be able to use some weapons.
Unwilling to be surrounded by eight men, A'Diao's gaze swept around. She suddenly burst into a sprint, directly towards the black-clothed man in front of her…
She leaped up, stepping on his shoulder with one foot, kicked his jaw with the other, and did a backflip, landing perfectly on a flying vehicle controlled by another black-clothed man. This man immediately tried to make the vehicle descend, but A'Diao wasn't trying to snatch the vehicle. Instead, she used it to launch herself several meters higher. One hand shot out and grabbed the arm of a suspended statue on the wall.
A handsome and well-built statue of an archer, holding a bow and arrow, with a quiver on his back. His eyes burned, as if he had seen A'Diao… A'Diao didn't even look at him. She quickly took the bow, arrows, and quiver from him. As several black-clothed men on flying vehicles pursued her up to a height of seven or eight meters to capture her, she let go and fell.
While falling, she rapidly nocked an arrow and drew the bow.
The purest and most ancient method of hunting. The air tore like silk.
An arrow shot in mid-air. As the man hit by the arrow fell, A'Diao had already landed and fired several more shots. It was all too fast, so fast it seemed she didn't even need to see where they were to lock onto them.
Every arrow found its mark.
After a few shots, all of them were dealt with. Since they couldn't use armor and their spiritual power was also sealed, each arrow struck an acupoint, not killing them, but temporarily neutralizing their combat ability unless their wounds were treated.
Then, A'Diao quickly took the opportunity to search them, stripping them of their wristwatches, signal devices, and even their Spiral Flying Stars, before swiftly escaping.
As she fled through Hall B, she heard a commotion. Turning her head, she saw another intense fight on the other side; it seemed someone else was also entangled by the black-clothed men.
Qi Biyuan from the Northern Five Prefectures?
So formidable, his combat skills are this strong, and his mental body…
A'Diao raised an eyebrow and quickly departed.
Toilet: "Ostensibly, Lian Tingbi is the leader, but in reality, these Northern Five Prefectures, much like the South, have their share of cunning individuals pretending to be weak while being strong."
A'Diao: "Are you implying something about me, or about that person in my class?"
Toilet: "It's all the same."
Actually, it wasn't strange at all for A'Diao to encounter Qi Biyuan at this station. The closest direct route from Preliminary Exam Point 13, Tiger Skin Green Suburbs, to Kyoto was in this direction, utilizing these main lines. Most would have to pass through this station; it was just a matter of which stop they disembarked at.
After she left, Qi Biyuan heard the commotion and turned to look, only catching a silhouette disappearing around a corner. Not long after, he encountered many people.
They were all individuals who had just come from the preliminary exam point and were now quickly transferring at this station to the one closest to the check-in location.
Some chose other modes of transport, and some employed various clever methods, but many more were still KO'd by the black-clothed men.
There was no shortage of handsome, cool, and seemingly formidable individuals who were taken down after just a few rounds.
In Lushan Academy's subordinate Information Department, screens on both sides were densely packed with red and blue dots.
One screen belonged to the examinees. There were 15 exam points in total, with 2,000 people at each point, making a total of 30,000 people—meaning 30,000 small red dots, now scattered throughout Kyoto, mostly in various transportation hubs.
The other screen displayed 60,000 small blue dots representing the black-clothed personnel, seconded from the military to apprehend these examinees.
The rules seemed simple, but there were actually many ways to approach it.
"This preliminary exam tests nothing more than two abilities: first, pure combat power, and second, adaptability. Combined, it's practical survival capability. Spiritual energy has been recovering for so long now; if one's cultivation is still solely the result of being fed resources, they're just a mediocrity. Recruiting them would be useless, merely a waste of resources in a different place."
Was there a shortage of geniuses in this world? What was lacking were geniuses with strong adaptability.
Those coddled, mama's-boy geniuses were truly useless.
Lushan Academy was exceptionally ruthless in this regard, but so far, they showed no favoritism towards any examinee, as the monitoring data wouldn't reveal it.
Everything was proceeding in secret.
Two hours later, A'Diao, now in the urban district, entered a private booth in an internet cafe tucked away in a bustling alley.
You ask why she wasn't in a hurry to check in?
Because she realized there was no need to rush.
Previously, A'Diao had noticed the black-clothed men checking their wristwatches and knew that all examinees were being tracked in real-time. These black-clothed men were the biggest hurdle in the preliminary exam—capturing them, obstructing them from reaching the check-in point.
Failure to break free meant failing the preliminary exam. To make matters worse, spiritual power and the like were all prohibited; one could only rely on personal combat skills and reconnaissance/evasion abilities to escape.
However, there were some loopholes to exploit.
A'Diao dismantled several of the black-clothed men's wristwatches, figuring out their wiring and assembly rules. She also dismantled her own wristwatch, carefully studying the differences between the two. After a few attempts with the blue dot wristwatch, she managed to transfer its wiring to her own.
The blue dot covered the red dot.
Then, she removed the intact blue dot wristwatch chip and also dismantled her own original device, which was currently disabled by the wristwatch.
Disabled, but that didn't mean the components inside the device were useless.
If what was on her person couldn't be used, she just had to dismantle it and assemble it elsewhere.
Toilet: "Aren't you afraid it will detect it, that there's a rule against tampering, and that once you use the device for something, you'll be immediately judged as having failed the preliminary exam?"
A'Diao: "You're overthinking it. Do you really think they're guarding against us calling for help and taking a shortcut? I noticed earlier, this wristwatch has a sensor system. Each time it senses something, the brightness of the pattern on it changes slightly. Since spiritual power and such are all sealed, and I haven't detected it measuring mental bodies, it must be the most basic life-form smart sensor. Then, after dismantling it, I found it contains the most cutting-edge Guangwu computing chip. This thing is usually used to calculate combat points. I reckon it can monitor and judge every battle an examinee encounters in real-time, and assign points accordingly."
Toilet: "Huh, didn't they say that for the preliminary exam, as long as you check in before six o'clock, you pass… So, how you pass is also calculated, right? There might be benefits."
Of course, there were benefits. This could be inferred from the fact that principals and others brought people to Kyoto even knowing many wouldn't actually get into Lushan Academy.
Coming to Kyoto in these turbulent and treacherous times was risky, a matter of life and death. Naturally, there had to be immense benefits to make it worth the risk.
Even failing to get in could yield great benefits.
So A'Diao gave up on the simple method of just reaching the check-in point and started tinkering with these wristwatches.
She had to be quick, otherwise the black-clothed men from that side would soon find this place—she wasn't sure if they would notice when the blue dot covered the red dot, but with so many blue dots gathered here, they would eventually realize.
"Fortunately, these red and blue dots aren't numbered. It's probably to ensure the confidentiality of the examinees' identities, to prevent them from being locked onto and their scores peeked at prematurely, and also to prevent malicious individuals from capturing information for assassinations. Only after I check in and submit can the officials know."
"This Lushan Academy is indeed watertight, but they should also be able to find me quickly."
"Theoretically, the better I perform, the more interested they'll be, and the more they'll want to test my limits. So, for the next wave, they'll definitely send more people."
A'Diao raced against time, using the internet cafe's optical computer to infiltrate the wristwatch information system. Soon, she saw the entire distribution of red dots.
What was she looking at this for?
Toilet: "You want to hunt them?"
A'Diao: "No, I just want to find someone."
Her fingers began to move, typing a series of codes with a clatter.
Information Department.
"Interesting, finally someone has started to tackle the wristwatch system. But she's being reckless, making quite a bit of noise. It might have just caused fluctuations in other wristwatches."
"Huh? Then some examinees might notice and start messing with their wristwatches too."
"Intercept this one first, then capture her!"
A group of experts, thrilled, began to rapidly intercept and pursue. Soon enough, the wristwatch system experienced several waves, then increasingly more, even dozens or hundreds of probing attacks.
It was basically certain that these examinees were individuals with certain information technology and counter-reconnaissance capabilities, all trying to gain an advantage from this system and evade capture by the black-clothed men.
"You got one over there? I've got one here too."
"Nice, I've got one as well."
"This is tough. Several of them are quite skilled. I bet they're from Kyoto First Academy or the three top universities."
"Hahaha, I've intercepted this one! Sending the location, capture him, quick!"
A group of people excitedly stirred up trouble, using their powerful technology to crush these geniuses. Soon, they also found A'Diao's location.
"Ah, this instigator, get her!"
Suddenly, a mango came flying over, hitting the excited young man and leaving him dazed. The supervisor at the back rolled his eyes and said, "Idiot, get what? Just now, someone took advantage of the chaos and your distraction from this wave of attacks to simultaneously activate the cameras on both blue dot and red dot wristwatches. Didn't you notice the frequency was a bit off?"
"This person is either an examinee looking for the identity and location of other examinees to eliminate them, or the wristwatch has fallen into the hands of some criminals. Activate Level Two procedures, enter protective network status, and upgrade the wristwatch sensor level. Immediately notify if any mental body exceeds a certain threshold… Suspicious individuals are to be eliminated on sight!"
"Also, this instigator is a bit suspicious. Go capture her!"
At this moment, A'Diao realized she must have been exposed, but she had already synchronized and found the identities of that group of university students and their current locations.
The former was through the network, the latter through the blue dots' cameras.
The black-clothed men must have tracked and captured these individuals before, so they could naturally determine their appearances and approximate locations.
A'Diao then used their appearances to determine their identities… effectively locking onto her targets.
Toilet: "You're going after these university students?"
Soon he realized A'Diao's target wasn't that broad. To be precise, she was targeting people affiliated with a certain small educational clique.
"Chen Xun's affairs are none of my business. Anyway, with his intelligence, it's impossible for him to stumble over such a low-level trick. Ten to one, it's related to the death of the Empress in the imperial court and the princes' power struggle spreading to the factions within the Central Academy of Sciences. He probably entered the trap voluntarily to protect himself and avoid the vortex, or perhaps he's using it as an opportunity to lay out his own plans. In any case, that's his business."
"But if they try to ruin my affairs, then that's not good."
A'Diao was someone who didn't ask for reasons, only looked at pros and cons. If this group had the ability to form a small clique within the Central Academy of Sciences and successfully set a trap, regardless of whether Chen Xun intentionally walked into it, it showed that the other party was not to be underestimated. Coincidentally, their influence was in the education system, and she happened to be taking the Lushan Academy exam. Although the latter was formidable, a step that group couldn't reach, she still feared the schemes of petty people.
A'Diao decided to strike first.
So, she made a final attempt to see if she could take the assembled information device with her. She found that once it was disconnected from the internet cafe's optical computer and linked solely to herself, it became ineffective.
As expected, the wristwatch targets all attached items.
Then other devices, whether newly bought or obtained elsewhere, couldn't be moved and taken along.
A'Diao could only give up. She got up and left. Not long after, the black-clothed men found a reeking trash can.
A movable trash can—because the trash had been collected by a garbage truck, and they had followed the garbage truck for over a dozen streets.
Finally, they found some discarded blue dot wristwatches in the trash can.
"Fine! This examinee better not get caught by me!!! So wicked, an unscrupulous fiend!"
The black-clothed man, sitting in the garbage truck and reeking, gritted his teeth in hatred.
But they had still lost track of this person.
"She must have used a blue dot to cover her red dot, truly cunning."
"Forget it, let's give up on this person. She probably wants to avoid us and check in. That counts as a decent performance."
"Let's catch the others."
An hour later, they saw a large cluster of red dots. They predicted that these examinees wanted to team up to fight the black-clothed men.
This wasn't an isolated incident, as some had already started doing so. The Northern Five Prefectures and several universities were teaming up, clashing with groups of black-clothed men several times to avoid being picked off individually.
But for over twenty to gather at once, it was indeed a considerable scale.
"It's very likely people from the Southern Five Prefectures academies. These guys participated in the southern coastal campaign, their combat strength is not weak. Send more people over."
Ten minutes later, a hundred black-clothed men on flying vehicles arrived at the warehouse and opened the door.
Over twenty examinees were inside, but all had their limbs broken, their chances in the assessment ruined. But as the door opened…
Hiss, hiss, hiss, some homemade incapacitating gas billowed out.
"Damn it! Retreat quickly!!!"
The door, the outer door, was slammed shut, trapping a group of them inside…
After a while, A'Diao, wearing a gas mask, opened the door, went inside, and took all the Spiral Flying Stars from the unconscious black-clothed men. Then she used their signal devices to send a signal to headquarters.
Another twenty minutes later, a more formidable and cautious wave of black-clothed men arrived for the rescue… They locked onto a dormant blue dot. One group went to surround it, while another headed to the warehouse to rescue people.
The leader of the ambush team was analyzing: The blue dot would be visible, the opponent wouldn't fail to notice, so why hide here? She must have temporarily removed the wristwatch… But can wristwatches be detached from the body?
Yes, blue dot wristwatches could, because the black-clothed men didn't need to be assessed.
"But red dots can't. So if this examinee deliberately took off the blue dot wristwatch and placed it there as bait, her own red dot would also be exposed…"
"So she's faking her departure, but in reality, she herself is still hiding under the red dot covered by the blue dot. Trust me, she must be there, because she needs to be within a certain range to ambush us for the wristwatch to calculate her score."
"Proceed with the encirclement as planned, go!"
A group of men, alert and cautious, executed the encirclement, finally launching a collective surprise attack. Then they discovered that at the location of the blue dot wristwatch lay a popular internet "Wang Nima doll," ugly and cheeky, with a blue dot wristwatch placed on its head.
"Not good! We've been tricked!"
Before they could react, Spiral Flying Stars, with their power sources dismantled and buried in the ground, were remotely triggered, crackling with electricity…
Damn it!
The only thought in the mind of the fallen team leader was—she's not here, but she needs to get points for this PK, so where would she be hiding? It can only be still in this area… the warehouse! She's still in the warehouse!
Before the Spiral Flying Stars discharged, the rescue team opened the warehouse door. They were prepared, all wearing gas masks. Seeing the scene before them, "Damn, what a ruthless person! Quick, save them!"
Just as a group was about to start the rescue, naturally prioritizing the examinees… one of the black-clothed men lying on the ground suddenly opened his eyes, rose up like a ghost from behind, and launched a surprise attack.
The warehouse erupted into a chaotic brawl. Three minutes later, a person walked out of the warehouse main door, wiping blood from her cheek.
It was five in the afternoon. The afternoon sun was somewhat warm, shining on the black-clothed pursuer's uniform she wore, making her appear tall, long-legged, slender-waisted, and incredibly cool.
The kind that would make young girls scream in admiration.
Unfortunately, A'Diao's mind was currently full of racking up points. She glanced at her wristwatch.
She didn't know how many points were recorded now, but time was almost up.
"No more. If more people come, I won't be able to handle them."
After finishing two consecutive waves, A'Diao quickly made a strategic retreat, hurrying towards the check-in point.
Meanwhile, the black-clothed men's headquarters soon confirmed that both groups had been KO'd.
Damn it… where did this formidable person come from.
"If it were a straightforward fight, it would be one thing, like those strongest few who can take on dozens. But this examinee is too devious, full of tricks!"
"Is she waiting for a third wave? Who should we send? How many people?"
"…"
Honestly, they didn't really want to go.
But they really wanted to know who this unscrupulous fiend was.
Felt like putting a sack over her head.
At the check-in point for Exam Point 13, Tiger Skin Green Suburbs, the periphery was similarly inaccessible to spies. Perhaps Lushan Academy intended for this entire assessment to be kept confidential?
Anyway, many people had already checked in and were now waiting for companions or classmates to return, or simply waiting for the preliminary exam to end.
Cheng Zhang counted the people from his own academy. A few hadn't arrived, but the most important person was also still missing.
Yuan Shu had been pacing back and forth several times, constantly muttering.
His mouth was full of "so-and-so" this and "so-and-so" that.
No one paid him any attention.
"Song Ling, why isn't she here yet? Did she go to the restroom?" Cheng Zhang would die before believing that a cunning rogue like A'Diao would get stuck halfway.
Song Ling: "I don't know."
She wasn't particularly flustered, because she had also arrived late—arriving early was useless; scoring more points brought greater benefits. She had figured it out, so A'Diao definitely knew too. She was probably busy hunting in the wild and was now on her way?
As they waited, after a while, several figures suddenly appeared on the horizon at dusk.
Arriving one after another, just making it in time.
The foremost was Qi Biyuan. This man was travel-stained. After checking in, he saw that Xiao Du and the others had already returned. It seemed the academy's people were very punctual; he was the slowest.
Then who were the people behind him?
Qi Biyuan looked back and saw three figures rushing over from the distance. When they checked in, everyone learned they were from Dongshan University, one of the universities second only to the three top-tier institutions, and also the best school in the Northern Five Prefectures. This wouldn't normally be remarkable, but at the start of the exam, those whose leg bones were broken seemed to be from Dongshan University.
So, everyone had a deeper impression of them.
These three were no small matter. Relying on the stronger resources of a university, they were all at the middle-grade Transcendent Realm and seemed to have a considerable reputation in the North, not inferior to people like Guanshan.
But after the three finished checking in and the wristwatch restrictions were lifted, releasing their auras, one of them, Zheng Duan, turned to look, staring at some people from Danzhou Academy, and said coldly, "Where is the person who dared to break my school's students' legs? Tell her to roll out."
The person isn't here, how can she roll out?
Tuoba raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly. "Can't take a loss?"
He could now also fight those in the lower-grade Transcendent Realm, even if he was slightly inferior. But he was also two or three years younger, wasn't he? With two or three more years of prime development, who would be on top next year was still uncertain.
Ming Ze also said sarcastically, "This is an exam, what do you mean 'play'? Be serious."
What nonsense. Before the spiritual energy revival, every single one of them was a guaranteed candidate for the three famous schools. A bunch of people who got into schools below the top three—it wasn't that they were bad, but they were acting all high and mighty when they weren't that great. Weren't they just relying on having gone to university first?
Going to university first makes you awesome?
Fine, even if you are awesome, you can't take a loss like this?
Before coming to Kyoto, everyone had tacitly agreed to act subserviently, but that was towards the noble houses and powerful families like the Baili Clan, existences they couldn't hope to contend with even after many years of development.
But what were these people? Bullying others too much!
Zheng Duan sneered. He might fear those from Qingzhou, but what did Danzhou amount to?
"A bunch of trash who haven't even reached the Transcendent Realm dare to speak? I'll say it again, that Chen Adiao, stinky gir—"
Before he could finish, a terrifyingly murderous aura of a weapon erupted from somewhere, and then everyone only saw a horrifying sword qi slam into Zheng Duan.
One sword strike shattered his armor.
He flew back three meters, landing on his knees and violently vomiting blood.
The crowd from the North became solemn. Liu Qiushan and the others all frowned. This sword strike… was quite formidable.
The people from Danzhou all turned their heads in unison to look towards the Qingzhou side.
The people from Qingzhou were also very surprised at this moment.
Everyone was looking at the woman who had suddenly and resolutely drawn her sword and taken down Zheng Duan in one strike.
Xu Ye.
She hadn't sheathed her sword yet, merely holding the hilt in a reverse grip, and said faintly, "Have you said enough? Is the North using a Transcendent Realm piece of trash, piled up with resources, to humiliate us from the South?"
She was strikingly beautiful, but too cold. It wasn't arrogance, just a natural coldness, as if no matter what you did, she wouldn't take you to heart.
This was very insulting—to the proud and arrogant.
Lian Tingbi chuckled in anger, releasing his spiritual power. "It seems we really have to fight today. Is it three versus three, or seven versus three? You choose."
His words seemed to disregard the other Transcendent Realm cultivators from the South.
Song Erhu and the others had thought that after being thrashed by Brother Zhao, they wouldn't get so angry. But on second thought: Damn it, only an unparalleled powerhouse like my Brother Zhao is qualified to be this arrogant! What are you guys?!
They were just about to speak up.
Xiao Du and Yin Canghe, with nonchalant expressions, released their spiritual power.
"Three versus seven is also fine," Yin Canghe said with a smile, summoning seven coffins.
Damn it!
But…
"Four versus seven would also be acceptable." Han Zhuo saw Song Ling about to step forward and immediately preempted her, stepping up. A bone-chilling coldness emanated from him, with blood-red flames leaping, making hearts palpitate.
"Let me see if you are stronger than a Level Seven Demon Spirit."
Vaguely, the cold, proud, and reserved Young Marquis Han Zhuo also carried a hint of a "Ritian-esque" tone.
The art of the Level Seven Demon Spirit flex, have you caught on?
The people from the North were indeed stunned, but just then… Beep beep beep, a small three-wheeled truck suddenly drove up to them. A'Diao, getting out of the truck, was startled by the scene before her and decisively skirted around them, going to check in from the other side.
She didn't look too good; there was blood on her body and face, and also wounds.
Rao Xueya and others anxiously asked what happened.
A'Diao, while signing her name, muttered, "What else could it be? A group of people shouting they were from Donglin University or something, ambushed and tried to assassinate me, saying I beat up people from their school and that I should get lost and die a horrible death. Luckily, I was quick-witted and hid in the women's restroom. You wouldn't believe it, I hid from the women's restroom on Line 01 all the way to the women's restroom on Line 18… Do you think those university people are perverts?"
A'Diao seemed to have just realized something. She turned her head to look at both sides and asked faintly, "Um, were you guys just fighting because of me?"
Xu Ye: "No."
So cold, not giving any face at all.
Song Ling saw A'Diao's expression and knew she was about to put on a show. She silently stepped back, giving her space. Tian Zhongye and the others also instinctively retreated…
In the next second, A'Diao leaned on the table, clutched her chest, and pointed a trembling finger at the people from the North and Donglin University. "You… you are bullying people too much! If I had known you would vent your anger on my southern brothers and sisters because of me, and wrongly accuse me, I would rather have kneeled and endured your insults!"
The people from the North and Donglin University: "?"
Before they could respond.
Her eyes had already reddened, tears welling up. "I, Chen Adiao, have lived a pure and innocent life, I wouldn't even harm an ant, and have never done a single thing to trouble my conscience. I never thought, never thought that today I would feel so ashamed before others. Fine, since you are so aggressive, then I will…"
The people from Danzhou thought woodenly: …tell my big brother!
"I'll tell my big brother!"
Isn't your big brother in jail?!
Song Ling's brow twitched. In the next second, A'Diao dialed an optical computer video call.
Beep… beep… beep… It connected quickly.
The floating optical computer video displayed Zhao Ritian's appearance.
Good heavens, he was covered in blood, and there were many corpses behind him.
The people from the South: "!!!"
She really added him on WeChat, and he answered instantly?!!
How could the people from the North not know the name of Zhao Ritian, who had turned the tide in the Southern Sea battle? His reputation had even reached the North.
This was a formidable individual who had single-handedly killed a Glimmer Realm cult leader.
The Dongguo family's dream of a meteoric rise ended at this person's hands. Speaking of which, if the Dongguo Young Master hadn't died, all the geniuses in the ten southern and northern prefectures would be considered trash.
But he died, a miserable death at this person's hands.
His military merits skyrocketed faster than a rocket, directly from a commoner to the Grand Admiral of Qingzhou. Most importantly—he seemed to be a direct descendant of the Zhao Clan.
A terrifying figure, a crushing-level powerhouse to them!
"Brother Ritian!"
"Sister Diaodiao, what's wrong? Why are you crying? Tell me, who bullied you! I'll make them see how the sky breaks!"
"No, no one bullied me."
She tilted her head up at a 45-degree angle, trying hard not to let the tears fall. "It's just… sand got in my eyes…"
"Very well. Speak, who bullied her? Roll out."
Zhao Ritian said faintly, while A'Diao silently aimed the video camera at the people from the North and Donglin University.
Damn it!!!
Does true domineering pampering require her to list out who insulted her? No, absolutely not!
He didn't even ask, just told them to roll out!
From the Donglin University group ++++
From Guanshan +255555!
From Chen Shuhe +333333!
From Lian Tingbi +555555!
From…
This is deadly! This originally had nothing to do with them from the North!
"No one? It seems I, Zhao Ritian, can kill Glimmer Realm cultivators while in the Transcendent Realm, yet you lot don't have the guts to use your Transcendent Realm to kill me, another Transcendent Realm cultivator."
Those words were too venomous.
Everyone also just learned that Zhao Ritian was still in the Transcendent Realm, and they were shocked and stunned.
Mental Power points were flooding in.
Zhao Ritian seemed to have lost interest in them. He turned to A'Diao and said, "Compete well. I'm busy killing people over here, really can't get away. If someone really wants to fight you, throw talismans. At least your teacher is a good friend of my sister-in-law, so that makes her my good friend too, and that makes you my disciple. Feel free to use Level Six or Seven talismans. If you run out, ask me for more. If you smash someone to death, I'll handle the funeral services, the whole package."
A'Diao: "Okay, Brother Ritian. Thank you for your hard work, Brother Ritian. Take care, Brother Ritian."
The video call ended. A'Diao turned to the dumbfounded Lushan teacher in charge and said, "Teacher, is my check-in complete? Am I the last one?"
She even slipped into a Taiwanese accent.
Just as she finished speaking, black-clothed men brought in a batch of people, all injured and eliminated examinees.
Most of the eliminated examinees were just tired, dejected, and unwilling.
But… this batch wasn't quite right.
Too miserable, group limb fractures?
The people from Donglin University were shocked and furious. Someone recognized that these injuries were clearly…
But at this moment, no one dared to question, even two upper-grade Transcendent Realm students from Donglin University remained silent.
Self-preservation. Moreover, they recognized that this group of heavily injured individuals mostly belonged to one particular faction.
This made the situation deeply thought-provoking.
But A'Diao didn't respond at all, didn't even look at these people. After finishing her check-in, she was done, merely standing to the side and faintly watching those people having their injuries treated.
She met their resentful but bewildered gazes.
Because they also couldn't see who exactly had attacked them… they just instinctively resented A'Diao.
Some even wanted to curse out loud but were stopped by a few classmates.
However, A'Diao still responded: "If one of my brothers falls, thousands more will stand up. I hope your legs do too. One must look forward. Take care."
Everyone: "…"
At first glance, it sounded like she was talking about leeks.
One cut down, and more would sprout in waves.
However, were these people really her brothers, or leeks? Wait, no, were they leeks, or was it her own doing?
Everyone was bewildered.
But A'Diao had already obediently lowered her head to check the wristwatch she had gotten back, looking perfectly ordinary, innocent, and pitiful.
Inwardly, however, she sneered: Stand up? You chose the wrong tree to cling to. If the tree is to fall, you naturally have to fall too. Don't blame me for ruining your prospects. Just wait and cry!
On the other side, the Lushan teacher glanced at the mysterious number revealed on the data screen. After decryption, it represented 350 points, meaning her effective defeat count against the black-clothed men had reached 350. This data ranked first among all personnel currently at Exam Point 13, Tiger Skin Green Suburbs, and by a landslide.
She took a deep breath and smiled. "Alright, the data has been registered. Everyone will be assigned designated accommodations."
Enjoy your stay, you ferocious, unscrupulous fiend.
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