Author: 易修罗 / Yi Xiu Luo

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 57

Ever since Ying Feng discovered Ling Xiao’s embarrassing “secret”, teasing Ling Xiao became one of his few pleasures. Every time Ying Feng wanted to indulge this hobby, he was met with fierce resistance from Ling Xiao.

Unfortunately for Ling Xiao, he was no match for Ying Feng in any aspect. Once his defenses were breached, Ling Xiao’s resistance dwindled to almost nothing. His attempts to push Ying Feng away soon turned into desperately holding onto him.

Being caressed by his Qizhu was an incredibly comforting sensation. It felt like gentle jolts of electricity running through his body. In no time at all, Ling Xiao would roll into Ying Feng’s embrace, making soft groans.

After enjoying the smooth sensation of Ling Xiao’s skin and the gratifying feeling of having a typically strong-willed person cuddling against him, Ying Feng pulled back and said, “Stop wasting time. Today is the entrance exam day for Royal Sky Academy.”

Jolted from his blissful state, Ling Xiao sat up with indignation. Who was wasting time? His lower half was still excited!

It turned out they could have dallied a bit longer. When they arrived at Royal Sky on their high-speed Flying Shark, several academy planes hadn’t arrived yet. It took about ten more minutes for all the candidates to gather.

As expected, the pair from Lion Hope Academy was in the same examination room. The redhead, upon seeing Ling Xiao, exclaimed excitedly, “Wow, you can really stand up? Did you see the Flying Shark parked outside the school gate when you came? It’s so cool!”

Ling Xiao: “…”

The first day of exams were all written tests: social sciences, followed by a combination of biology and chemistry, then astronomy and geography in the afternoon, and history was the last. Having crammed intensively, Ling Xiao found most subjects fairly manageable. As the social sciences test was distributed, his first instinct was to look at the final essay question:

—As times progress and technology advances, is there still a need for the Seventh Law? Please express your views and elaborate in detail.

Ling Xiao was taken aback. The Seventh Law of Tianxiu prohibited the development of any intelligent AI. Established since the start of the new era, it was unique as it carried the founder’s personal endorsement: “Never to be abolished”.

Over recent years, there had been debate over this law. Some scientists believed that after thousands of years of civilization advancement, many planets had progressed significantly thanks to AI, yet their own civilization was held back by this ancient law.

Previously, Ling Xiao would have sided with those advocating for its repeal. But after certain events turned his worldview upside down, he finally grasped the true meaning of the Seventh Law. It wasn’t about being behind; it was about being far ahead. They forbade the creation of intelligent AI because they themselves were robots.

As he pondered the question, Ying Feng’s voice suddenly resounded in his mind, startling him.

Don’t write nonsense.

Ying Feng sat diagonally behind him. Knowing Ying Feng probably saw the last question too, he suspected that Ying Feng specifically warned him out of concern that he might write something careless. However, Ling Xiao couldn’t turn around, nor did he have the ability to communicate back mentally. So, he quickly grabbed a scrap of paper and wrote in big letters, “I know”, followed by several dramatic exclamation marks, hoping Ying Feng would notice.

Only then did Ying Feng retract his mental gaze and start to focus on his own test.

The exam schedule was packed, and soon they were taking the final subject: history. For Ying Feng, the history questions were a breeze. He finished his paper early, pretending to be deep in thought. Then, with a mental shift, he directed his attention over Ling Xiao.

He first observed the two proctors at the scene, who showed no particular reactions. However, he noticed a monitor located diagonally above in the corner of the room subtly rotating to focus on Ling Xiao’s seat, which made Ying Feng tense up momentarily.

But a moment later, the monitor resumed its usual motion, as if the brief redirection was just a coincidence.

Ying Feng relaxed and quickly scanned through Ling Xiao’s exam paper. He was surprised to find that after just over half a month of intense studying, Ling Xiao managed to get answers worth more than sixty points correct. Even without Ying Feng’s help, he could pass.

As Ling Xiao was deeply pondering over a question he had studied but couldn’t recall, he suddenly heard Ying Feng whisper in his ear:

Idiot, how could you get such an easy question as 14 wrong?

Not again! Frustrated, Ling Xiao quickly grabbed a scrap of paper and wrote below the big words “I know”.

Why don’t you use your psychic powers to say something useful for once!

Ying Feng stopped the banter and helped Ling Xiao correct a few mistakes, then filled in the questions that Ling Xiao couldn’t answer. Only after making sure there were no errors did he discreetly withdraw his consciousness.

Through the recent practice, he had gained a more tangible understanding of his mental power and gradually detected the lower limit of his energy, avoiding the previous situation where he ran out of energy halfway through a sentence. After guiding Ling Xiao through the exam, he still had some energy left. As time went by, the consumed mental power would automatically recover.

“Will I get a perfect score? I’ve never scored full marks in history!”

As soon as the papers were handed in, Ling Xiao rushed over to ask.

Ying Feng didn’t want to inflate his ego and simply said, “We’ll see.”

Ling Xiao’s bright smile instantly faded. “You don’t mean you don’t even know the correct answers, do you?”

“Who knows.” Ying Feng turned and walked away.

“Hey! Aren’t you being too irresponsible?” Ling Xiao jogged to catch up.

The two proctors left in the classroom exchanged knowing glances.

“It seems like we have another duo using mental communication to cheat this year.”

“Yeah, it’s been two years since we last had such a pair. Kind of nostalgic.”

“If this were any other department, they’d be disqualified.”

“But who said we are in the Joint Combat Department?” He emphasized the word ‘joint’ especially.

……

The next day, the practical test finally arrived. After announcing that there were three questions in total, the first, unsurprisingly, was about individual combat ability.

The so-called examination ground was a sealed virtual space. Initially empty, it would simulate environments based on the terrains chosen by the examinees. The opponents would also be lifelike creatures of their respective environments.

With many examinees, there were five such virtual spaces. While Ying Feng was analyzing the pros and cons of each terrain, Ling Xiao hastily selected the jungle. Ying Feng didn’t even get a chance to stop him.

“You…”

“What’s wrong? Isn’t this a good choice?” Ling Xiao didn’t overthink; he simply liked the terrain.

The jungle was probably a terrain many would avoid. Numerous obstacles, limited visibility, and opponents within jungles tend to be agile and adept at maneuver warfare, making it challenging to gain the upper hand.

Once chosen, the terrain couldn’t be changed. Ying Feng had no choice but to accept this fact. Soon, everyone’s choices were revealed. Most students opted for the desert, which had a broad field of view and almost no obstacles. Bing Can and his partner chose the tundra. The number of students who chose the jungle wasn’t the lowest; there was a pair that chose the swamp, suggesting that it might be the least favored terrain.

Most examinees were at an awkward stage where they had just reached adulthood but weren’t fully matured. Opponents one level below posed no challenge, while those a level above were overly challenging.

Considering this, the opponents for the Qizhu and the Qizi were set at SS and S levels respectively. There was no need to defeat the opponent completely. Surviving for 15 minutes was considered passing.

Ling Xiao’s turn came up quickly. A few sharp-eyed students recognized him.

“Isn’t he the student who came in a wheelchair on the open day?”

“The one who was targeted as the weakest link and was nearly toppled by a monster?”

“Right! He’s allowed to take the exam?”

Ling Xiao, already in the examination space, couldn’t hear these comments, but Ying Feng outside did. Bing Can, suppressing his laughter, comforted Ying Feng. “Don’t mind them. But I’m also looking forward to seeing how Ling Xiao will surprise us.”

Ying Feng, being the only one who truly knew Ling Xiao’s strength, didn’t need the comfort. After watching the performances of the previous examinees, none of whom could decisively beat their opponents, he had full confidence in Ling Xiao.

Plus, the jungle terrain was where Ling Xiao excelled—it was like letting a monkey return to the mountains.

As expected, when the test began, Ling Xiao reset everyone’s expectations. The audience watched in awe as this seemingly feeble young man nimbly leaped from branch to branch, leaving the pursuing primate beast unable to even touch the hem of his clothing. It almost seemed as if Ling Xiao was the true master of this domain.

The primate beast, in terms of strength, defense, and health, was average among creatures of its level. However, its agility was unparalleled, and it had two incredibly powerful skills.

Sure enough, the primate beast, unable to catch up with Ling Xiao, used its signature ability—teleportation. The beast, which had been right behind Ling Xiao, suddenly disappeared, only to appear in front of him a second later, extending its claw to scratch. Given Ling Xiao’s fast-forward speed, this attack seemed inevitable.

A gasp arose from the audience. At that moment, Ling Xiao suddenly dove diagonally downward. The onlookers couldn’t even spot his anchor point before he dropped more than a meter, effortlessly dodging the attack. But it didn’t end there. As Ling Xiao was falling, he suddenly soared upward, releasing something from his hand—a vine that he used to control his flight altitude.

Mid-air, Ling Xiao ruthlessly kicked the primate beast into a tree, followed by a series of attacks. His strategy was clear and correct: to find a weak point against agile creatures and relentlessly attack it.

Before the beast could recover, it desperately teleported again. Everyone clearly saw Ling Xiao punching the air, missing the beast, which had teleported behind him. Just as everyone thought he couldn’t dodge this time, Ling Xiao once again amazed the audience.

Mid-air, without any external aid, he performed a backflip, both feet landing successively on the beast’s head. His extraordinary ability to stay in the air and his mid-air reactions made people wonder if he had wings.

The beast, which was kicked to the ground, saw its health drop below 10%, activating its berserk mode—its second formidable skill—which dramatically increased its agility, causing massive damage upon contact. At this stage, no opponent dared face it head-on unless they had a ranged attack; the only strategy was to flee. Ling Xiao and the beast embarked on a one-on-one chase in the dense jungle, the berserk primate beast now even faster than the Mushroom Guardian they encountered by the lake days before. But Ying Feng wasn’t worried; after all, that day Ling Xiao had used only one hand to flee. Now with both hands free, it seemed nothing in nature could catch him.

What followed was a spectacular chase. Unlike usual chases where the protagonist was the pursuer, the highlight now was seeing the protagonist escape. Countless times, Ling Xiao narrowly avoided being hurt by the beast. His mid-air turns, stops, and sprints were so swift and confusing that while the Qizhus could keep up, their Qizis simply enjoyed it as if watching a fantasy movie.

After a full two minutes of berserk mode, the beast hadn’t even touched Ling Xiao. Just as the berserk mode ended, while they were both still mid-air, Ling Xiao suddenly disappeared, and before anyone could react, a shadow appeared behind the primate beast.

“Teleportation!” someone exclaimed. “How could he have teleportation like the primate beast?!”

“He didn’t use teleportation.” Ling Xiao’s move was so fast that even many Qizhus couldn’t see it clearly. But with so many experts present, some were able to catch it. “He used the force from two trees in succession to spring behind the primate beast. Because of his incredible speed, it looked as if it happened in an instant.”

Everyone nodded in realization. Ling Xiao, who had reappeared behind the primate beast, delivered a fatal blow. The poor creature was sent rolling countless times until it crashed into the simulation arena’s glass barrier.

“Buzz—” The green light came on, and the time stopped at 12’36”54. The first person to defeat his opponent within the set time today was someone who, just two weeks ago, was immobilized. After a momentary silence, the venue erupted in applause.

Even the instructors in the examiners’ area couldn’t help but clap. “It seems we underestimated them that day. With their capabilities, they’ll definitely get into our department.”

“Yes,” another instructor agreed. “So agile yet reluctant to walk, it’s not weakness but laziness. We need to motivate them more.”

“So impressive!” Red Head, upon seeing Ling Xiao, was so excited he wanted to hug him but was pushed aside. The one who pushed him, without looking back, walked into the competition field.

“Is your Qizhu always so cool?” Red Head concluded.

Ling Xiao wiped his sweat and joined Red Head, awaiting Ying Feng’s match. After his astonishing performance, everyone was curious: who was this person who defeated Ling Xiao in the coming-of-age ceremony?

As Ying Feng walked into the arena, he had already discreetly concentrated his mental energy into the palm of his right hand. He was different from Ling Xiao; the jungle wasn’t his advantage. Therefore, this battle had to be quick.

During his mental training, Ying Feng vaguely grasped a method to transform his mental energy into attack power. He had never tried it before, so this match was a gamble.

He focused intently, gathering his energy. Directly in front of him, his opponent appeared: a massive bear. This kind of bear, in terms of both attack and defense, was terrifying, even ranking within the top ten of SS-level creatures.

The bear roared and charged towards Ying Feng at a speed that seemed incongruous with its heavy body. Yet, Ying Feng stood still, showing no intent to dodge.

“What is he doing? He’s going to be blown away!” someone exclaimed in anxiety. Even the instructors felt something was amiss. The charging force of this kind of bear was exceptionally strong. Taking it head-on would undoubtedly result in severe injuries.

“Why are you just standing there? Run!” This time, it was Red Head who couldn’t contain himself and shouted. But by the time he finished speaking, the bear was already right in front of Ying Feng.

In that split second, Ying Feng suddenly leaped straight up, nimbly flipping over the black bear. As he descended, his right hand was placed on top of the bear’s head, followed by a forceful thrust.

No one could clearly see what exactly happened on the field. All they saw was the bear shuddering before collapsing limply to the ground. A green light illuminated the arena, indicating the end of the match.

0’08”13.

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