GAMMT - Chapter 91
Chapter 91: Challenge You
Was this polite, with everyone watching?
Fu Ye turned to look and saw a red-haired young man in the front row of the senior students' section.
She didn't recognize him, but she knew who he was.
Zhan Xuandong.
From the look in his eyes… it seemed to have something to do with her?
Fu Ye's gaze shifted slightly to Fu Chuan, as if she were considering whether stepping forward to defend her would count as part of their act of affection. But going too far could easily cause her to attract a difficult opponent because of her.
While she was still considering it, she saw her fiancé-to-be size up Zhan Xuandong, then lower his head, pick up the banana peel with two fingers… silently take it to the trash can, and then pull out a tissue to wipe his chair.
Fu Ye: "?"
Adaptable. Very good.
Perhaps no one expected Xie Keli to endure it, but considering the provocateur was Zhan Xuandong, it seemed understandable.
The man was level 43, ranked 5th in East Guan's Trial Tower last semester and 35th among the four academies. He was definitely not someone a new student could afford to provoke. On the other hand, while 700,000 points sounded intimidating, anyone who had watched the exam process knew he had been taking intellectual shortcuts. In a direct confrontation, his current combat power was higher than the likes of Li Cang, but he was no match for these senior students. Forget the S-Class seniors; he couldn't even defeat the ones from Class A.
That being said, he had just removed the banana peel and sat down. Before the long-suffering Husband Xie could even see the academy's senior staff and teachers arrive on stage, a strange voice cut through the bustling crowd of students.
"Xie Keli, are your 700,000 points still intact?"
The speaker… was from Class A.
It had been half a month, and despite being in the same class, Fu Chuan had yet to meet these classmates. They had invited her to gatherings and the group chat several times, but she was incredibly busy and had completely ignored them.
This was a bit of a slight, and some people had long been displeased with her. Her reputation within the academy wasn't particularly high.
How to put it? She was too high-profile, always seeking fame, yet she lacked a reputation earned through hard-fought battles. Her strategy and intellect were strong, and people acknowledged that, but her arrogance was grating. And to top it all off, she was living with Fu Ye.
Who could tolerate that?
Fu Chuan remembered the roster. The speaker was Zhang Linjian. Though not one of the top leaders in Class A, he had a sizable following among the 52 students and held considerable influence.
"What about them?" Fu Chuan wondered if someone was after her points from behind the scenes, so she replied coolly.
"We're all students of Class A, and helping each other is the norm. How about we wager some points in the Trial Tower? Of course, don't think I'm bullying you. This is actually a long-standing tradition."
Zhang Linjian appeared quite refined and didn't resort to the low tactic of using harsh words for provocation. He simply issued a direct challenge.
Fu Chuan glanced at him. "You're seven years older than me and enrolled earlier. To be fair, will you compete against me without using pets, sprites, or potions? If you're willing to be so generous, then I certainly won't hold back."
In your dreams.
A few people with Zhang Linjian grew angry and started to rise, but he raised a hand, silencing them like a seasoned leader. He smiled and said, "We don't need to use any of that. Let's compete in the Arcane Tower. It purely tests one's arcane abilities. I remember you performed outstandingly in the second selection round, so you must have received a very good Arcane Truth Stone as a reward. With your talent, you must have grasped its principles long ago. Are you telling me you're still not confident enough to face me?"
Fu Chuan was now certain a major noble family was pulling the strings, because they had connections in the guilds and the Education Ministry and would know some inside information.
"In that case, I'm really not confident. Unless you agree not to bring any mental power potions, then I'll compete with you."
Shamelessness could be a profession in itself.
This time, Zhang Linjian didn't smile or speak, projecting an aura of authority without showing anger, like a true superior. The other Class A students sneered.
It seemed the matter would end there.
Suddenly, another person in the crowd laughed sarcastically. "That's right. If I were Student Xie, with a beautiful wife in my arms, I'd have plenty to keep me busy every day. Why would I be in a hurry to bother with the Trial Tower? A tower is hardly as important as a person."
On the surface, the words were innocuous, but the sordid underlying meaning was disgusting. Many of the female students' expressions darkened.
Everyone who made it into the four great academies, male or female, was proud and ambitious. Who would be willing to listen to such filthy remarks?
But since they weren't the ones being targeted, they couldn't very well condemn the speaker, because nothing had been said explicitly.
Even if you were the target, you couldn't just jump up and accuse them of fantasizing about your marital life.
But this would obviously offend Fu Ye, so why bother? It was clear this was a probe to test their relationship.
Wei Mingtang seemed oblivious to the conflict, her head bowed as she scrolled through news on her communicator, occasionally glancing up at the stage to see if the teachers had arrived. A casual glance happened to fall on Fu Ye, who was seated diagonally in front of her. Fu Ye's eyes were lowered, her slender fingers stroking a ring. Her beautiful, jade-like face was placid, yet it held a hidden depth, like a still pond silently swallowing the reflection of a sword amidst a storm.
Should she be angry?
"What did you say?" Xie Keli suddenly stared at the speaker.
"Ah? What did I say? I was just expressing my envy that Student Xie could marry such a perfect wife as Senior Fu Ye…" The person wore an innocent expression, smiling as if he were the friendliest person alive.
See, this kind of provocation was truly despicable, yet it left no grounds for complaint or a legitimate reason to retaliate.
If Fu Chuan made a move, she would be held responsible and punished. But if she did nothing, she would seem… spineless?
No, based on Xie Keli's past behavior, no matter how shrewd and cunning, he never suffered a loss. Most importantly, he never let his own people be wronged.
This fact naturally wouldn't escape the notice of the major nobles' think tanks.
Therefore, if Xie Keli endured this, and Fu Ye eventually became pregnant, then nine times out of ten, he wouldn't be the father.
Unless Fu Ye could delay the birth for much longer, allowing people to believe they had developed feelings for each other over time…
But that was clearly impossible now. Nine months, at most.
Honestly, probing their relationship was far easier than probing her actual strength.
If they couldn't pass this test, it would basically confirm something was amiss.
Fu Chuan and Fu Ye were well aware of this. So, after a moment's thought, Fu Ye took the initiative to place her hand over the back of Fu Chuan's and offered the speaker a faint smile. "Thank you for the compliment. Having Ah Li is my good fortune as well."
To be honest, although their engagement was public knowledge, seeing Fu Ye make such a public statement in this manner… still shocked many people.
But in the next second, they received a second shock. The person in question, Xie Keli, pulled his fiancée's hand away. While she was still stunned, he snapped, "When men are talking, women should keep quiet. Is this any place for you to speak?"
Fu Ye: "?"
Holy hell!
Those words were vicious.
Not only did Fu Ye fall silent, but all the students present were too shocked to make a sound. Wei Mingtang pressed a hand to her lips, concealing the slight parting caused by her astonishment, then lowered her eyes, lost in thought.
This person… if this was an act, he had to be insane.
Single-handedly offending every female student in the vicinity. No holding back!
The student body erupted.
Over in the S-Class section, all fifteen students—four of whom were girls—turned to look, their expressions unreadable. A blonde girl raised an eyebrow at Fu Chuan. "Xie Keli? You seem a bit arrogant."
This was Bai Yumo, whose point ranking could occasionally surpass even Zhan Xuandong's.
It was safe to say that no one in Class S was to be trifled with, and the girls who made it there were even more formidable.
Zhan Xuandong and Zhang Linjian had never imagined that the situation they had so carefully orchestrated would unfold in this manner.
It was like digging a pit to hunt a rabbit, only for the rabbit to change into its own burial shrouds and hang itself from a low branch right next to the pit.
So damn convenient. What kind of divine prey was this?
However, Xie Keli seemed to realize he had misspoken, so he added, "What are you all looking at me for? I'm disciplining my own woman. What business is it of yours? It's not like any of you are my wife."
How to put it? He was truly making a bad situation worse.
Fu Ye snapped back to reality, probably thinking: Is this his way of confirming our relationship through reverse psychology? It won't work. They'll never believe I'd be with someone like this. Instead, they'll…
But with such an obvious flaw in the act, why would Xie Keli do this?
It was almost as if…
Fu Ye's gaze swept around before she suddenly reached out to tug on his sleeve again. "Ah Li…"
"Don't pull on me. Keep your hands to yourself. We're not at home. Be serious."
"…"
This time, Fu Ye said nothing. She looked utterly wronged, lowering her gaze. Her long lashes seemed to hold a fragile sadness as her beautiful hand gently released his sleeve, her teeth lightly biting her soft, crimson lower lip.
And then—holy hell!
At least half the men in the audience shot to their feet.
Excellent. With just two sentences, he had managed to thoroughly offend 99% of the students present. An absolute beast of a man.
Even someone as scheming as Que Baimo was shocked. He repeatedly studied Xie Keli's expression, thinking, Something's not right. This is wrong. His and Fu Ye's reactions are completely off!
What are they planning?!
Just then, a young man from Class A spoke up. "Xie Keli, I've studied you. You excel at strategy and can reach the pinnacle of your craft even without the academy's guidance. So, are many of us here your strategic targets? I doubt the entirety of Class A is enough to satisfy your appetite. Do you have to drag Class S into this as well?"
This was Chen He, one of the top three seniors in Class A and no ordinary figure.
The S-Class students could see it too; it was all too obvious.
Qing Quanyu of Class S, the same student who had been wiping a basketball that day, quietly sized up Fu Chuan without a word. He wasn't a noble and had risen from common roots. In a world where resources often determined strength, he needed to carefully assess every situation, even now as a member of Class S.
His silence didn't mean others would follow suit.
"Is that so? I'm flattered you think so highly of us. Student Xie, why don't you tell us what you have in mind?"
A young man in the front row, sitting with his legs crossed, casually twisted the cap off a drink bottle. He didn't even bother to stand or turn around, much less look at Xie Keli.
He looked down on him, yet he still engaged. Had he been provoked?
Of course not. This was hardly a provocation.
He just wanted to get involved, suspecting there was more to this than met the eye, and that it would surely involve a wager of points.
So, he wanted to hear what she had to say.
This was East Guan, after all. The students here loved strategy; none would back down without knowing all the details.
Xie Keli wasn't worthy of their caution.
But his 700,000 points were.
Pinned by everyone's gazes, Fu Chuan remained calm as she faced the various attitudes of these powerful students. "My thinking is this: if I were to accept the suggestion from students like Zhang Linjian and compete with them, wouldn't I just be a rabbit jumping into their trap?"
"And it seems the hunters have no intention of giving me the luxury of choice."
"My dignity won't allow me to be so debased."
"So, my thinking is that if we're really going to do this today, then I'll be the one digging the trap."
"You want to bet points, right? Let's make it bigger. Let me see if your courage and guts are enough for you to calmly enter my game."
Fu Ye noticed a shift in his aura. It was the kind of presence that, even when cornered in a dead-end alley, would methodically plant a bomb before the pursuers arrived, then roll up his sleeves and drag them into a fight right on top of it.
What kind of bomb was he planting? How big would it be? Fu Ye suddenly felt a flicker of anticipation.
Despite the large number of students, the atmosphere was quiet. Fu Chuan was not one for empty bluffs. Even using Xie Keli's persona, she could dig a trap with words that were seemingly calm yet carried explosive force.
"The bet is whether I can surpass Student Zhang Linjian's point ranking within seven days. The minimum buy-in is 30,000 points, capped at twenty participants. If I lose, I'll pay back double the total amount wagered. If I win, you get nothing."
"Is the game big enough for you? Big enough to make you suspect I came prepared, that this is a deliberate trap for your points? Considering my past efforts, you know I'm not some fool you can easily manipulate, so that possibility exists, doesn't it? You can either weigh the pros and cons and stay out, or you can grit your teeth, put your points on the line, and take the gamble. If you lose, you won't just lose points, you'll lose face—and you'll make a name for this upstart."
"Now, it's your turn to choose, hunters."
"But allow me to remind you: if the ones who started this fight retreat without a battle, all because of a mediocre rookie who's only been enrolled for half a month—a rookie who is already in a 120,000-point hole—if you still don't dare to take me on, then it's not just a matter of face. I will start to suspect…"
She paused, then naturally reached out and removed Fu Ye's glasses. As Fu Ye watched her thoughtfully, neither moving away nor resisting, Fu Chuan took out a cleaning cloth and unhurriedly wiped away a tiny smudge that had splattered onto the lenses when the banana peel hit the chair.
The gesture was natural, yet faintly intimate.
As she wiped, she continued smoothly.
"I'll suspect that in your four, five, six, or seven years here, you've learned absolutely nothing."
"Are you angry? Good. I'm deliberately provoking you."
Explosive!
Aside from the freshmen and students in their second or third year, nearly every other senior student was on their feet.
Seriously, did Xie Keli have a genetic talent called 'Excavator'?
He could dig, shovel, push, and bury. It was incredible. A sentient excavator.
Now, even students who held no ill will toward Xie Keli felt he was being too arrogant, practically begging to be struck by lightning.
But he wasn't wrong. He hadn't started the fight; he had just been ruthless enough to escalate it, seizing the initiative and forcing everyone else's hand.
But the terms he had set… there was no way he could win, was there?
"He's 120,000 points in debt. How could he possibly surpass Zhang Linjian in seven days?"
"Exactly, it's impossible. Even the top-ranked Zhao Ranxue couldn't do it. His record is 130,000 points in twelve days."
It was precisely because of this that if Zhang Linjian and the other instigators didn't dare accept a wager so heavily stacked against Xie Keli, they would look like utter cowards.
This way, the crisis she faced would be resolved. She would save face, and anyone who wanted to cause trouble for her in the future would lose their nerve.
It was a move that struck at the very root of the problem.
It was also forcing them into a corner.
But who was the hero and who was being cornered? No one knew for sure.
In any case, the choice was laid before them. It was up to them to decide.
Having said her piece, Fu Chuan calmly leaned back in her chair, coldly surveying the crowd in the open-air plaza, their expressions varied under the bright sun.
Some were indifferent, some were curious, and some were genuinely hesitating.
Was Xie Keli really so easy to handle?
There was something unpredictable about him. If he really did pull some clever trick to win, they would lose both face and points.
Ah, what a difficult choice.
He was so malicious, deliberately tormenting the proud hearts of these chosen few.
So, who would participate?
It had only been half a month since the semester started, and few students had 30,000 points, aside from some freshmen who had enrolled early. The only ones who seemed to have that many were the likes of Wei Mingtang and Que Baimo…
They couldn't even meet the condition of twenty participants.
Que Baimo watched with cold eyes, uncertain whether Xie Keli was bluffing to scare off the jackals or was genuinely confident and setting a trap.
This uncertainty made him uneasy.
Strategic minds were prone to suspicion and overthinking, and one failure was never enough to convince them of their inferiority. In fact, he was waiting for an opportunity to take Xie Keli down and avenge his previous defeat. In the current situation, if this attack succeeded and his rapid early development was suppressed, other competitors—including himself—would benefit.
So, how would they choose?
Yue Mingze subconsciously glanced at Wei Mingtang, who was seated diagonally in front of him. She was resting her cheek on her hand, her head bowed as she operated her badge.
She was managing her points.
She was going to participate.
The thought suddenly struck him.
If she was participating, she must be certain that others would as well, and that the twenty-person quota would be met.
Sure enough, in the next second, Zhang Linjian smiled. "Student Xie, you have great spirit. I'll play along. I'll put up 30,000 points. What can I say? As your senior, I'm not that impressive myself. I only have a measly 30,000 points."
He seemed to have no psychological burden.
Of course he didn't. Fu Ye guessed someone was backing him. What benefit could he possibly gain from offending Xie Keli, who had a complex background and ties to Xie Siyi? Naturally, someone had to be covering his losses, win or lose. Only then could he act without a care.
Sure enough, besides Zhang Linjian, the others who had been the most vocal quickly joined in. After all, someone was covering their losses.
In the blink of an eye, seven people had joined. What about the rest?
They still needed to reach twenty participants.
After a moment of thought, Zhan Xuandong smiled faintly. "Then I'll join the fun as well. 100,000 points. I hope Student Xie won't mind."
His participation seemed to represent the stance of Class S, and several more Class A students quickly jumped in. Que Baimo, ever malicious, considered egging his roommates on to bet as well. If they won, he could take credit for the advice. If they lost, they would resent Xie Keli.
But as it turned out, these tough guys seemed uninterested. They were busy discussing what flavor of 'Super Power 2' to buy after the assembly and even asked him for his preference.
Que Baimo: "…"
As the twenty-person limit was about to be reached, Qing Quanyu remained silent, but Bai Yumo from Class S spoke up and also wagered 100,000 points. Now, two members of Class S were in.
And for the final spot, Yelu, the student who had been opening the drink, set it down. As he stood to throw the empty bottle away, he turned to Fu Chuan and said with casual composure, "So, here's the problem. I'd love to see how you plan to pull off this heaven-defying comeback. But according to the rules, if you lose, you have to pay back double the wager. The pot is already at 900,000 points. What are you going to pay with? Getting something for nothing isn't that easy."
Fu Chuan was about to suggest installment payments with high interest. She was certain they would agree, as such a payment plan would indefinitely suppress her development.
But.
"I have a million points here. Is that enough for him to play this game?"
Hearing the cool, clear voice, everyone turned to see Fu Ye. She was putting on the glasses Fu Chuan had just cleaned for her. Once they were on, she looked up at the crowd but said nothing more.
Logically, Fu Ye shouldn't have had so many points, but many now remembered that she had been a powerful third-year S-Class student at West Jin Academy. Most importantly, she had transferred all her points when she changed schools.
A million points could only mean she hadn't used them much before.
Fu Chuan was a little surprised and frowned slightly, but she figured Fu Ye was just playing along with her act.
It was a grand gesture.
Was she willing to sacrifice such a huge sum for the sake of their act, or did she genuinely believe she would win?
Her declaration shocked many and sowed a seed of doubt. Could it be? Did Xie Keli actually have a way to win?
Or were the two of them so deeply in love that Fu Ye was willing to sacrifice such a massive sum to support her fiancé?
If it was the latter, then she was truly… a goddess of a wife.
Zhan Xuandong's face darkened, his fingers digging into the armrest of his chair until they gouged a hole in it.
Yelu narrowed his eyes, then chuckled softly. "Alright then. I'll put up 100,000 as well."
Yue Mingze and his group stayed out of it, but he glanced at Wei Mingtang again, puzzled. She hadn't placed a bet either. Did she think Xie Keli would win, and that's why she wasn't betting against him?
But why?
He couldn't think of any way for Xie Keli to win, unless his strength had somehow skyrocketed tenfold in the past half-month.
In any case, the bet was set.
As the crowd buzzed with discussion, the teachers began to file in. The assembly was about to start.
But just then, Fu Chuan stood up.
Where was she going?
To the restroom.
"The restroom? Don't you mean he's gone to ask Xie Siyi for help?"
"I saw his expression just now. He probably didn't expect the bet to actually be finalized."
"I don't think so. Anyway, I can't figure it out. We'll know in seven days."
The venue was abuzz with noise. Fu Ye, left alone to face everyone's stares, looked rather pitiful.
Meanwhile, Fu Chuan did indeed go to the restroom. But after she was finished, she turned a corner and headed for another destination.
The Trial Tower.
Inside the Trial Tower.
As soon as she entered, she saw a familiar face.
It was the elegant woman from before. She was on duty.
"Aren't you from the World Studies department…"
"My shift rotation brought me here. But, student, shouldn't you be at the assembly? Why have you come for a trial?"
The woman seemed surprised, but her expression remained calm as she asked.
Fu Chuan paid the trial fee, grabbed a cup of coffee, and took a sip. "A lot of people are bullying me, and it's upsetting. I came here to make them even more upset."
After she went in, the woman glanced down at the campus news feed. Sure enough, she saw the details of the bet. After a moment of astonishment, she confirmed that the tower she was supervising today was, in fact, the Alchemy Tower.
So, this person intended to win the bet through alchemy? And not in seven days, but today?
Inside the Alchemy Trial Tower, Fu Chuan stood at a control console, looking at the twenty-five complex projects available. She selected one immediately—the very reason she had been repeatedly practicing all the other alchemy projects: the Primary Species Conversion Equation.
It was an Orange-tier treasure, and an exceptionally rare one at that. Even Orange-tier dungeons seldom dropped it, and when they did, it was only the alchemy formula, never the finished product.
If successfully crafted, its effect was comparable to a Purple-tier treasure, as it was a probabilistic, single-use equation.
But that was a question of successful application; the key now was crafting it in the first place.
She didn't have the formula on hand, but she had obtained it in her past life and knew the material ratios and general steps. However, a game was just a game, and the actual process wouldn't be nearly as smooth. That was why she had practiced repeatedly and subtly gleaned information from her alchemy instructor, Teacher Leon, to fill in the gaps. Only now did she feel confident.
Incidentally, she had spent most of the past half-month preparing the materials.
Forget points; her one million blue coins were long gone. Theoretically, even three million wouldn't have been enough. But hadn't Tu Tu brought her a batch of mental power gems? That had saved her a huge amount on energy-related resources, allowing her to just barely scrape together the necessary materials by selling everything she owned.
"I know the recipe. If I had the actual formula item, the crafting success rate would increase by 20%. Without it, relying purely on my own skill, the rate is lower. However, the Trial Tower's environment provides a 10% boost. The rest will depend on my skill and my luck."
Lately, Fu Chuan had been testing not only her alchemy techniques but also the luck she had absorbed from Qin Minfeng.
Her earlier failures had nothing to do with luck; the methods she used were simply wrong. After all, she was a rookie alchemist who had only been at this for a few months. Once she corrected her methods, it all came down to the base success rate.
The properties of the ingredients, the control of heat, reaction times, elemental changes—all these factors were a kind of metaphysics that existed beyond pure technique.
It was luck.
Later, she discovered her success rate in alchemy was steadily increasing, even surpassing some of the most outstanding junior alchemists.
It was like using a bug to overtake on a curve.
However, there was a catch. After a string of successes, she would experience a series of failures. Or, if she crafted a perfect 100-point item, she would subsequently fail several simple 10-point projects. She concluded that this luck functioned like a quota; if you used it all up, it needed time to recharge and wasn't endlessly available.
"Perhaps that's why he needed to constantly conquer others to accumulate merit. Merit must be another word for luck."
Fu Chuan was now certain that Qin Minfeng's future protagonist-style rise wasn't because of some old grandpa cheat. She remembered that in the early stages of the game, he relied on a bug that made beautiful women lose their minds and fall for him. In the later stages, he won them over by gifting them and his allies all sorts of alchemical treasures. This was an arcane world, after all, and the advantage granted by resources was immense—comparable to having a car, a house, and a private mine in the real world. Minor issues were irrelevant. At the very least, the families of these goddesses highly valued his freakish talent for alchemy.
So, the game's world did have its own internal logic.
And this time, she wanted to create a logic that belonged to her, Fu Chuan.
Fu Chuan began the process. The steps were tedious and would take some time.
First, she performed several low-level alchemy experiments, deliberately causing them to fail in order to build up her luck quota.
When she felt it was about right, she began.
Step by step, she proceeded with caution, trying to keep her mind at ease. Emotions were a form of power; the calmer she was, the more stable her control. She needed to calmly observe the conditions inside the reactor and make constant adjustments…
Time ticked by. An hour later, she saw that 30% of the materials in the reactor had melted, while another 30% were still reacting.
The massive pile of mental power ore had already been depleted to one-fifth of its original size, though she had yet to use her own mental power or any potions.
She wasn't sure if it would be enough, but it should be. She had prepared so much.
Despite burning through a fortune, Fu Chuan remained clear-headed. She took out the four most expensive core materials.
The Life Conversion Foundation Stone, the Locke Mutation Reactor, the Bloodline Transference Scroll, and the Elf Heart.
"Here we go."
Fu Chuan placed them into the reactor in sequence, then began to pour all her mental power into sustaining its combustion.
Orange-tier alchemy consumed an immense amount of resources and Mental Power. Fu Chuan felt her mental power and the surrounding elements being drained away at a frantic pace, as if by a powerful pump.
All the materials in the reactor had now melted, beginning to envelop the four core items.
The Elf Heart, in particular, was the core of the process, constantly absorbing the golden liquid produced by the fusion reaction.
Fusion, transformation, fusion, reversion, re-fusion…
Fu Chuan watched as her potions were consumed one by one, and as the veins within the Elf Heart filled with streams of golden liquid, like blood flowing through a circulatory system.
Simultaneously, Fu Chuan began to inscribe runes upon it.
Fifteen minutes later.
She saw the model of the equation beginning to take shape.
The prototype had appeared, glowing with an orange light.
Fu Chuan took a deep breath. She had a mysterious feeling—was luck on her side?
She quickly inscribed the final rune, then added a freezing stone to the reactor.
The temperature inside the incredibly hot, high-purity reactor plummeted with the sudden addition of the stone.
In that instant of thermal shock.
Boom!
A halo of light, like that from an explosion, enveloped Fu Chuan.
Outside, the woman who had been reading looked up and checked the usage time and various data points for a particular alchemy room.
She determined that there had been no explosion.
Nearly two hours had passed, and still no explosion.
She pondered for a moment, then lowered her head with a slight smile and sent a message on her communicator.
The message read: Teacher Leon, that student you asked me to watch is about to succeed. You can make your judgment now. As far as I know, Teacher Lian is extremely displeased that you still hold 10% authority over the alchemy vault and are teaching a certain student. If you're interested in this information, then pay me according to our usual arrangement.
She put down her communicator and went back to her book.
Back at the assembly, the teachers and senior staff of East Guan Academy had all arrived, and the speeches had begun. Information was being disseminated, but many in the audience were distracted, their eyes occasionally darting to the empty seat beside Fu Ye.
Had Xie Keli fallen into a ditch somewhere?
The atmosphere wasn't just strange among the students; it was the same on the teachers' side.
Did anyone really think this group of teachers, all over thirty-five on average, wouldn't know about the commotion stirred up by a bunch of kids?
They had known about it from the moment the conflict began. They could have intervened, but they chose not to, silently watching the drama unfold from the sidelines.
Since the Vice Dean and other senior staff hadn't said a word, what could anyone else do?
Let them cause a scene. The bigger, the better. How could students improve without a little conflict?
Besides, it wasn't their own students who would suffer. The teachers couldn't help but glance at Ye Suran, whose face was grim.
Her expression had been dark from the very beginning.
A man named Zhao Er, one of East Guan Academy's top-ranked special-grade teachers whose students consistently dominated the leaderboards, glanced at Ye Suran. His own student, Zhan Xuandong, was also extremely formidable. His eyes were cool as he said blandly, "Teacher Ye, you have a good eye. Choosing such a gutsy student… it's truly enviable."
Ye Suran despised the man's hypocrisy. It was precisely because of his high standing in Class S that she had avoided picking a student from there, not wanting one who might secretly compare her unfavorably to him.
But Xie Keli had indeed disappointed her.
What was wrong with this kid, being so impulsive? Although he had been backed into a corner before retaliating, he should have considered how utterly insane the terms of the bet were.
What if they actually managed to gather twenty people? How could he possibly win?
Couldn't he have set the cap at 100 people?
If they couldn't meet that number, everyone could have saved face and dropped the matter. But now look at the situation.
"Still not back. Teacher Ye, is your student constipated?" a cold voice remarked. It was an old man from the alchemy department. As others turned to look, Ye Suran recognized him as Teacher Lian, the alchemist from the Lian Family.
The Lian Family had suffered heavy losses in the second selection round. While they hated Qin Minfeng the most, they certainly held no goodwill toward Xie Keli. As a result, many teachers in the alchemy department had been given a "warning" recently. No one had wanted to take on Xie Keli's alchemy course, solely because of this man's authority. In the end, with no other options, the professional slacker, Leon, had been ordered to take on the hot potato.
It seemed the campaign against Xie Keli had already begun at the faculty level.
Ye Suran sighed inwardly but put on a brave face. "Projecting your own issues onto others is not a good habit, Teacher Lian."
She felt this promising student was in for a difficult time. If he failed, it wasn't just points he would lose. Teacher Lian would surely block his access to resources and privileges in the alchemy department, which would be the biggest blow. Then there was Zhao Er, who had a say in the admission evaluations for Class S.
If he failed this time, it was uncertain whether he could even remain in Class A next semester. After all, many people were already isolating and antagonizing him, whether openly or secretly, on their own initiative or at the behest of hidden forces.
The situation was precarious.
Many were enjoying the spectacle. Under the sympathetic gazes of the crowd, Fu Ye had been cast in the role of "the pitiful, beautiful fiancée, abandoned after her arrogant fiancé made a huge bet and then fled under the pretext of using the restroom."
This news spread like wildfire to the other academies, which were also holding their own assemblies. Many students secretly scrolling through their feeds were astonished when they came across the story.
The surprise wasn't that Xie Keli is in trouble, but how he had chosen to respond.
The bet was simply outrageous.
Had Xie Keli stumbled, or had he dug a massive trap?
Shen Qixi felt a flicker of doubt, but then she recalled Fu Chuan's expression after receiving the mental power ore a few days ago. She had a faint feeling that her "sister" was preparing for something big.
It might very well be related to today's events.
Perhaps the only calm ones were the Vice Dean and his cohort. The Vice Dean was on stage, delivering a speech with such fervor that spit flew from his mouth, reminiscent of a pre-exam pep rally. In addition to conveying important information, he didn't forget to offer all sorts of spiritual encouragement.
His most common refrain was to crush the other three academies and make East Guan number one!
He said it every year, and every year, they ranked last in practical application.
It couldn't be helped. East Guan's greatest strength was wilderness survival, but in the overall trial rankings, they came in last every year.
When Leon saw the message, his heart skipped several beats. A single thought raced through his mind: My god, that kid is actually going to pull it off! He really was preparing a killer move!
He closed his communicator, his mind reeling in turmoil.
Just as the Vice Dean was getting to the most fervent, brainwashing part of his speech, Leon suddenly couldn't take it anymore. He lowered his voice and hissed at Teacher Lian, "Teacher Lian, don't you think you're going too far?!"
What was this sudden, out-of-the-blue accusation?
Was he insane?
"Are you drunk?" Teacher Lian's eyes, set above his hooked nose, were icy.
"Hah! Don't think I don't know you've been weeding out dissenters, favoring only students from your own faction while suppressing the privileges of anyone you have a grudge against. Isn't that exactly what you're doing to Xie Keli?"
Teacher Lian frowned, surprised by the old fool's sudden change in attitude.
How long had he even been teaching Xie Keli? Was their bond really that deep?
"You two seem to get along well. If you like him so much, why don't you form an official teacher-student bond and transfer your resources to him? Though, I hear he's already sided with Xie Siyi."
Teacher Lian sneered. Leon, seemingly enraged, flushed red. "How dare you look down on my student? That's right, I have faith in him! He will definitely win today!"
Teacher Lian scoffed.
Leon shot back, "Fine! Since you look down on me, I'll challenge you to a duel—I'll bet my 10% authority."
What!
The nearby teachers stirred. Ye Suran was stunned. Seriously? Does Xie Keli have so much charisma that he can make an old man lose his mind for him?
Ten percent of the allocation authority for the alchemy vault was a privilege even she coveted. Teacher Lian's high status was precisely because he controlled 30%.
Teacher Lian was also taken aback, his eyes flickering. On the one hand, he thought Leon had lost his mind. On the other, he feared it was a trap.
He shot a look at a nearby teacher, who immediately checked the rankings and found no change in the points.
So, Leon wasn't trying to trick him after seeing Xie Keli succeed; he had genuinely lost his mind.
A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, but in the end, the temptation was too great. Teacher Lian smiled, glancing at the Vice Dean at the front. His eyes narrowed slightly as he said, "Fine. I will indulge your profound love for your student. The bond between teacher and student is a weighty thing indeed."
"Just the 10%."
Once he obtained that 10%, East Guan's alchemy vault would be his to command.
The Vice Dean at the front heard the commotion behind him, but his expression barely flickered as he continued his speech without missing a beat.
"Students, we must have ambition, we must…"
After a long spiel, the Vice Dean took a sip of goji berry tea, cleared his hoarse throat, and announced, "Now, let's have this year's student representatives, Zhao Ranxue and Carol Diel, come up to give a speech and set an example for you all."
Zhao Ranxue was a pale young man with refined features who looked to be in his early twenties. Carol Diel was a girl with short, stylish hair that gave her a heroic air. After they took the stage, Zhao Ranxue began to speak. His voice was like a low-temperature flame that seared the heart, and his emerald eyes were like a verdant summer in a deep mountain forest.
He had a unique constitution and exuded an air of indifference. His slightly messy hair clung to the side of his forehead. After he had spoken a few sentences, Carol Diel, standing beside him, suddenly looked toward a particular spot.
Someone was coming.
The person who had gone to the restroom was finally back. Her face was pale, her steps unsteady, as if she had been completely drained.
Fu Ye turned to look at Fu Chuan, a strange light in her eyes.
Fu Chuan silently returned to her seat in front of everyone. Just as she was about to sit, the Vice Dean's voice boomed, "Excuse me, student. Is our school's restroom broken? You were gone for quite a while."
The students stifled their laughter.
Fu Chuan looked up. Feeling it would be rude to sit, she remained standing and replied, "It's working fine. And I wasn't delayed."
Zhao Er snorted. "As a freshman, you skip the general assembly. Do you have any regard for the school rules?"
Fu Chuan looked at him and replied in an even more sheepish tone, "I don't believe the school rules forbid me from running a trial during the assembly."
What?
Zhao Er was stunned, as was everyone else. Even Zhao Ranxue's pupils flickered. His fingers, resting on the lectern, tapped lightly against the mahogany as he eyed Fu Chuan, his thoughts unreadable. As if by unspoken agreement, everyone else started checking the leaderboards…
Thank heavens, the top ranks were still occupied by Zhao Ranxue and the usual names.
But further down…
Fu Chuan kindly reminded the anxious Zhang Linjian, "Don't panic. I'm not just a few spots ahead of you."
"I'm more than ten spots ahead of you."
And there it was.
+36,098 points.
It was positive, not negative. And just before, she had been 120,000 points in the red.
Now, she had not only cleared her 120,000-point debt but had a surplus of over thirty-six thousand.
"Impossible!!" Zhang Linjian's voice trembled with disbelief.
He wasn't the only one who was shocked; 100% of the students present were in disbelief. Even Fu Ye had only sensed that she was confident, but she hadn't been certain she could actually succeed. In fact, Fu Ye had been mentally prepared to burn through her one million points to resolve the situation.
She never expected…
Wei Mingtang didn't even bother with the main leaderboard; she had already opened the individual rankings for the Alchemy Tower.
Temporarily in first place.
Xie Keli.
She had crafted a high-value alchemical item worth over 150,000 points.
The teachers, however, were more seasoned. Teacher Lian narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice, "What did you craft in the alchemy room? Did you follow the rules? If not…"
He was implying that Leon had helped him cheat.
Just then, Fu Chuan rubbed her tired eyes—staring intently for two hours was exhausting. As she did, she sat down without waiting for the Vice Dean's permission. A polite smile touched her lips as she said, "According to the rules, the specifics are confidential. I have the right not to disclose them. When the time is right, everyone will naturally find out what I was lucky enough to create."
With that, she turned to Fu Ye. "Is the speech over?"
Fu Ye replied, "It's about to end."
A look of relief crossed Fu Chuan's face. "Then it seems I came back at just the right time."
The long-winded Vice Dean: Is this any way for a married couple to behave? Is this polite?
Zhao Ranxue, who had just started his speech: ?
Carol Diel, who was next to speak: …
A demon. This was definitely a demon. No one had expected her to take this route, to pull ahead on a curve and win the bet so directly.
But alchemy, even more so than arcane arts or control studies, was a discipline that required time and accumulated experience. Success couldn't be achieved overnight.
Moreover, they all knew that most of the points she had lost so spectacularly before had been in alchemy. It was obvious her skill level was poor, or she wouldn't have failed so much. Therefore, it should have been impossible for her to craft such a powerful item on her own.
"Unless… unless all those previous failures in alchemy were intentional! He was deliberately failing!"
"Is he insane? Deliberately losing 120,000 points just to earn them back again?"
"Could it be… he did it all just to bait us? Holy hell! What kind of master schemer is he?! He did it on purpose!"
The entire student body was in an uproar.
The students who had wagered large amounts of points were on the verge of a breakdown. Tens of thousands of points, just gone like that? Holy hell!
Everyone was terrified of Xie Keli's ruthlessness on the surface, but inwardly they were cursing: This old dog Xie!
Que Baimo remained silent for a long time. Just as he was about to touch his point card, he heard his roommate mutter, "If we drag him back to the dorm now, is it too late?"
"Can the four of us combined compare to Fu Ye?"
"Forget it. Let's just go back, wash up, and sleep."
The mental health index of the student body was plummeting infinitely.
Fu Ye didn't know how she felt right now. She rested her chin on her palm, her gaze drifting as she studied Fu Chuan for a long while.
She suddenly had to admit… her brother's eye for people was sharp.
Even if you tied Li Cang and his lot together, they wouldn't measure up to a single finger of this person.
He was too capable.
But why did she feel like this person was still preparing for something?
Because his normal relaxed posture was to lean back in the chair, but right now, he wasn't.
Fu Chuan didn't press her advantage, nor did she bother looking at the faces of Zhan Xuandong and the others, or even the gazes of big shots like Zhao Er. She lowered her eyes and quietly listened to the speeches of the two student representatives. Afterwards, the Vice Dean stared at her for a good while, suppressing the excitement of having found a treasure, and calmly continued his speech.
Or rather, it was time to wrap up.
"Now, everyone needs to sign an agreement issued by the Education Ministry. Resource allocation for this quarter will require this agreement…"
Optical computers popped up in front of the tables, displaying the agreement. Everyone prepared to press their thumbs on it to sign.
Right at that moment.
"You have confirmed the challenge sent by Xie Keli. Please confirm participation in the challenge in five seconds."
Zhang Linjian, who had reached out to press the button, suddenly froze.
It wasn't just Zhang Linjian. Two other Class A members and two Class B members included in his group also clicked the challenge application at the same time.
Just now, in a split second, someone had timed the exact moment the school agreement popped up to send them an application.
They confirmed the application without even seeing it clearly.
And once confirmed, they were immediately enveloped in the badge light generated by the challenge.
Including Xie Keli.
The six of them instantly entered a combat state.
No, it wasn't just them. Three people on the other side had fallen for the exact same trap.
They and the initiator had also entered a challenge state.
"Xie Keli!"
"Wei Mingtang?"
Both sides shouted in shock, but the two initiators glanced at each other, seemingly surprised that the other had chosen the same tactic, but…
Five seconds were up!
Zhang Linjian spread his metal wings and flew into the sky. "Xie Keli, you're too rampant! Challenging me is one thing, but daring to challenge the four of us together? One against five? You're truly…"
His words reflected everyone's thoughts. Even Zhao Er and the others were shocked by this turn of events, but none of them stopped it, knowing that Xie Keli was courting death.
It would be best to cripple this person right here.
Only Ye Suran and Leon jumped up in shock and nervousness, but just as they did…
Boom!!
A massive gravity field with a ten-meter diameter appeared.
The five elites from Classes A and B who had flown up were violently pulled down by fifty times the gravity.
Bad news. The five of them instantly cleansed their status effects and unleashed powerful attacks against the gravity field.
The strongest, Zhang Linjian, had average stats of 700,000. After all, he was Level 38 and had good aptitude. The others were slightly worse, but not by much. The main thing was their numbers!
They cast long-range debuffs on Fu Chuan while activating their pets and various other buffs.
However—MISS and Reflect.
They hit themselves.
The five of them: "?"
They saw a giant double-sided mirror.
A double-sided mirror? Holy hell!
Zhang Linjian reacted the fastest. He directly burned his Green Blood, forcibly broke through the status effects, merged with two pets, and controlled sprites to assist in battle. After all his stats soared to over a million, he unleashed a massive weapon manifested from his Arcane Truth.
The weapon had a spirit.
The longsword had a spirit. With a flash of spiritual light, the massive surrounding elements were swept up wildly.
"Attack!!"
Although weakened by the reflected status effects, the attacks of the five still came blasting in as a group.
The elites of East Guan had to have the quality of elites; they weren't trash who could be wiped out in a single round!
Therefore.
The mirror rotated, and a wind vortex spun madly, directly nullifying half the attack. The energy beneath her entered a three-meter diameter light-drive force field.
Boom!!
The attacks smashed into her.
The turtle shell shattered instantly, but in the next second, the light force field flowed with a milky white and gold liquid, instantly repairing the shell.
And in the next second… after their high-output attack, they fell into that awkward two-second delay period of starting moves.
Their energy couldn't keep up for a moment.
But Fu Chuan's energy was terrifying—tentacles, pets, innate talents, plus the natural recovery force field. Four layers of spirit absorption, digestion, and recovery.
Immense power gathered in her hand. Bang!
The abdomen of a Class B student was blown open by a shot, just as the second wave of attacks from the others arrived.
Coming?
The gravity field changed abruptly.
Crash!
Their bodies skewed, and their attacks were directly diverted.
They tried to control the attacks to turn back from a distance, but they were still blocked by the double-sided mirror, the wind vortex, and the natural recovery energy field. Fu Chuan, on the other hand, controlled them with the gravity field and kited them from the outside.
Bang!
The second person was shot through the mouth—his mouth hadn't been clean earlier.
Now, three remained.
There was no one-second-five-kills. Instead, relying on her invincible position with triple protection, she wore them down one by one.
The last one, Zhang Linjian, was mentally collapsing. No matter what he did, he couldn't break the triple protection of the double-sided mirror. It was like facing a BOSS that constantly healed and drained life. His face grew hideous, and in the end, he directly used a highly corrupting forbidden art. A teacher saw this and intended to stop it, but!
Bang!
Interrupted.
After the forbidden art was interrupted, hundreds of rays of light flashed directly…
"No!"
His limbs and internal organs were madly pierced and entangled by the light rays. Finally, they were all hardened into high-strength steel. His body merged with the calluses formed by the light rays, and then, with a pull of gravity…
Boom!
A force weighing three thousand jin smashed into the ground, literally smashing a pit into the floor.
Fu Chuan dropped down from above, stepping directly onto his name on the agreement on his desk.
It was like trampling on the person himself.
Looking down from high above, Fu Chuan ignored the group of students trembling and stepping aside. She just looked down at Zhang Linjian on the ground.
She said.
"You were right. Challenging you… forget it."
"But I think you'll be graduating soon, because for the next few years, I'll be at East Guan."
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