Author: 易修罗 / Yi Xiu Luo

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

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Chapter 59

The vision of the two went dark simultaneously. Ling Xiao, in confusion, took off his goggles. Opening the door, he was met with the face of Ying Feng. Instinctively, he touched his neck.

Ying Feng slowed down as he saw Ling Xiao’s action, and then both of them turned around without a word and headed towards the exit.

The instructors in the examination seats shook their heads in disappointment. “If it was five or six stars, it would have been acceptable, but three stars… How did they end up together?”

“To encounter candidates who both have top-level skills and yet have such emotional compatibility is no joke.”

“I’m actually surprised they even reached three stars.”

The instructors turned to see that Fu Yao was speaking. “Commander, what do you mean? They didn’t even have three stars before? If they didn’t have the connection, why form a pact?”

Fu Yao left them with a mysterious smile and got up from the examination seat.

Halfway out, Ying Feng noticed the long-absent Fu Yao signaling him from a distance.

Ling Xiao came to the spectator seats alone. Those seated had already completed the second round of the examination and witnessed the recent match. As he approached, there were looks of admiration, sympathy, and even some gloating.

“Why join the Joint Combat Department exam if you can’t get along?” Someone deliberately raised his voice to provoke him. “Don’t think you can enter the Joint Combat Department just because you can fight. The pairs here have strong bonds; you can’t just pull someone in to be your partner for the exam.”

There was soft laughter around. Ling Xiao, as if he heard nothing, found an inconspicuous spot and sat down.

On the field, the match between Red Head and Bing Can was underway. Ling Xiao watched as they appeared in the center of the field. Bing Can took the initiative to attack, but Red Head didn’t retaliate, dodging his moves instead. After three moves, Bing Can stopped. Nine stars remained, and a green light shone brightly. The entire match took less than 30 seconds.

The two soon appeared in the spectator seats. Seeing Ling Xiao, Red Head headed straight for him.

“That second exam was too easy! Was it just for handing out points?” he exclaimed as he sat next to Ling Xiao. “You guys must’ve passed too, right?”

Seeing Ling Xiao remain silent, the smile on Red Head’s face slowly turned awkward. “…You didn’t fail, did you?”

“Why didn’t you fight back?” Ling Xiao suddenly asked.

“What?”

“What did you see when you entered?”

“Oh.” Red Head understood. “As soon as I put on the goggles, I saw a radiant angel, so handsome. In this world, the only person that handsome is my Qizhu. Of course, I didn’t want to hit him.”

“Did you see the same?” he asked Bing Can.

“At first, I saw an orangutan, looking silly. Then, I realized it was him.”

Red Head cried out, “Why did I see an angel when I looked at you, but you saw a silly orangutan when you looked at me? That’s not fair!”

Their conversation went underground, while Ling Xiao remained silent. A new match started. Ying Feng and Fu Yao watched from a distance.

“Now do you understand the point of the exam? The image you see during the match is an unconscious reflection of how you view your partner. The stronger the bond, the gentler and less threatening the opponent appears. Even possibly appearing as their actual self. But if the bond isn’t strong enough, you’ll see a hostile enemy. There are ten stars in total, and seven is the passing mark. Considering your performance, I should be grateful you didn’t strangle your Qizi to death, shouldn’t I?”

Ying Feng had a sullen face while remaining silent.

“There are three rounds in the exam. Failing two means disqualification. Although you have one more chance, let me remind you: the first round tests individual ability; the second, the bond between the pair; and the third is a combination of the first two. Given your three stars, it’s doubtful you’ll make it to the end. You refused my recommendation and insisted on taking the test. Don’t disappoint me.”

Fu Yao patted Ying Feng’s shoulder. “You’ve grown taller. I really want to beat you up again.”

Ying Feng: “…”

The audience let out a sigh of regret. The game ended, and another red light lit up on the field.

When Fu Yao saw the result, he couldn’t help but chuckle. “It seems you aren’t the lowest scorers in this round of examination. Surprisingly, someone even broke your record. I’m truly curious about the candidates this year.”

Two stars were shining brightly, and one instructor angrily threw down the scoreboard. It was a pair full of potential, but their bond value was so low that it outraged everyone.

“What’s with this year’s candidates? Did they just randomly pull someone from the side of the road to form a bond? The youth of today are too irresponsible towards their lifelong decisions!”

“Go on.” Fu Yao pushed him a bit and turned back to the invigilation seat, while Ying Feng found Ling Xiao in the audience.

When Bing Can saw Ying Feng approaching with an unpleasant expression, he tactfully moved aside. He also pulled Red Head, who was sitting next to Ling Xiao, to give them some space to talk.

Ling Xiao had noticed Ying Feng coming, but he didn’t know what to say. Both were at fault for the failure of the second exam; no one needed to apologize. This made it harder to find the words.

The two sat in silence for a while until Ying Feng finally spoke.

“In your heart, what am I to you?”

Ling Xiao’s heart skipped a beat. In his heart, what was Ying Feng?

A classmate? A comrade? A partnership of mutual benefits?

But which classmates or comrades sleep in the same bed and have a relationship?

Lovers? Spouses? Intimate partners?

Yet, which lovers have a bond value of just three stars?

Then, is it the Qizhu? Why did he feel reluctant when he thought of this term?

Hesitating, Ling Xiao started, “In my heart, you are…”

“A monkey.”

Ling Xiao: “Huh?”

“Major Fu Yao said that during the exam, what one sees of the other is a reflection of their inner self. You’re a monkey in my heart. What am I in yours?”

Ling Xiao: “…”

Ying Feng turned his head. “Why won’t you answer?”

Ling Xiao stiffly turned his head away. “I’m feeling complicated right now. Can you let me be alone for a while?”

The second examination concluded. Only six pairs had a red light, two of which failed both rounds and unfortunately left the exam grounds. Bing Can and Red Head were currently ranked first, while Ying Feng and Ling Xiao dropped to the middle ranks.

The main event of the entrance examination would be on the third day. It was a holiday, and many senior students came to watch. Having passed the two exams, the Bing Can and Red Head couple appeared very relaxed. In contrast, Ling Xiao and Ying Feng were tense. If they failed this round, they’d either have to retake exams for other departments or wait another six months.

This time, Ling Xiao and Ying Feng were taken to different locations. Ling Xiao was placed in a confined circular arena, while Ying Feng faced two doors.

“The content of the third examination is to find your Qizi within a stipulated time. Only one of these two doors can be opened. Opening one might bring you closer to your Qizi, or it might take you farther away.”

“This is your tool—a pair of walkie-talkie earpieces and three hint stars. When you’re unsure which door to choose, you can use a star to make the right decision. By the way, the number of stars each candidate receives is determined by the results of the second examination.”

Ying Feng frowned.

“A friendly reminder. Mind communication won’t help. Even if you locate your Qizi, you can’t find the correct path, so there’s no need to waste mental energy.”

“I know you can teleport, but unfortunately, you can’t teleport into his space, which might save you some trouble.”

The examiner glanced at the time. “You have ten minutes. Good luck.”

As the timer began counting down, Ling Xiao’s figure gradually appeared on a circular screen above. Alone in a closed space, he looked around cautiously.

Ying Feng put on the earpiece. “Can you hear me?”

Ling Xiao immediately pressed his right ear. “I can hear you.”

“Good.” Without the need for mental communication, they could conserve energy. Ying Feng swiftly chose and randomly pushed one of the two doors open.

“How likely do you think they are to pass?” On the proctor’s seat, Fu Yao asked his Qizi.

“Although I hope they will succeed… those so-called two doors are merely a diversion. The odds of choosing the correct path are linked to the emotional bond of the two. No matter which door he opens, the chance is only 30%. It’s far too low. With such odds, the possibility of them successfully reaching the end is almost negligible.”

“I think the same,” Fu Yao said, glancing at the scoreboard, which only the proctors could see. Each illuminated red light indicated that Ying Feng was getting farther and farther from Ling Xiao’s true position. “It would take a miracle for them to pass this test.”

Each time Ying Feng opened a door, a monster would leap out. The first time he encountered an opponent, he struck without thinking, and the enemy was far weaker than he’d imagined, defeated in a single move. But as he wondered about the unexpected weakness of this third test’s opponents, the monster he’d just slain appeared in the space where Ling Xiao was.

Ling Xiao had also heard the rules of the test, but he couldn’t see Ying Feng and was unaware of what was happening outside his room. His uncertainty made him even more anxious than Ying Feng. When an enemy appeared in front of him, he didn’t hesitate to strike.

Ying Feng watched as Ling Xiao took down his opponent, only for the same monster to respawn beside him. He finally understood: the enemies wouldn’t just vanish; they’d switch between the two of them. And as time went on, the enemies might become stronger. His suspicion was confirmed when, upon opening the fifth door, he was surrounded by five foes. Progress was blocked, and as he defeated them one by one, the newly spawned creatures were significantly stronger than before.

“Stall them.”

“What?” Ling Xiao didn’t understand.

“Try to dodge the enemies. Don’t defeat them just yet.”

Though Ling Xiao was unsure of the reason, he did as Ying Feng instructed. But the confined space and increasing number of enemies meant he couldn’t simply lead them in circles like in the jungle.

“There are too many of them. Are you sure I shouldn’t take them down?”

Ying Feng, also dealing with several enemies, looked up, realizing they had no choice but to act. He threw out a star, and a door in front of him disappeared.

“Now, you can take them down.”

With each enemy Ling Xiao defeated, another would appear beside Ying Feng. Ying Feng tried to move as quickly as possible, hoping to leave the enemies behind. But their numbers grew rapidly, and he was almost completely hindered. From the headphones, Ling Xiao tried to gather more information, and the sounds from Ying Feng’s side seemed off. Combining that with Ying Feng’s previous comments, he reached a terrifying conclusion.

“The monsters I’m defeating… they’re appearing by you, aren’t they?”

Ying Feng never lied. When Ling Xiao received no answer, he knew he was right.

“I get it now. You take them down.”

Even though Ying Feng gave no response, Ling Xiao emphasized, “If they hold you back, we’ll surely lose. You focus on advancing; I’ll buy us time.”

Ying Feng had no choice; Ling Xiao was right. To pass the test, they had only this one strategy.

He turned and wiped out all obstacles, charging forward without any attachments, glancing occasionally. More and more monsters surrounded Ling Xiao. No matter how skilled he was, he couldn’t fully defend himself without retaliating, and he got hit from time to time.

After a long corridor, Ying Feng hesitated for the first time in front of another door. It was rare for him to face such a difficult choice. He looked up just in time to see two monsters hitting Ling Xiao from both front and back. Hearing Ling Xiao’s suppressed grunt of pain from the headphones, Ying Feng’s fury rose to its peak. Seeing his Qizi getting hurt was bad enough, but feeling powerless to help was even worse.

With gritted teeth, he pulled open the door, running full speed with monsters in pursuit. Each passing second meant more enemies behind him and more panting sounds from Ling Xiao. Now, Ling Xiao hardly had any strength left, almost getting beaten without resistance.

“Take them down!” Ying Feng shouted.

Ling Xiao weakly shook his head, a motion Ying Feng caught on the screen.

“Hurry up!” he ordered again.

Ling Xiao retreated to a corner, with enemies gradually closing in from three directions. He looked up at the countdown timer; there was no time left.

The joint combat system… Indeed, they failed on the very concept of “joint”.

Ying Feng opened another door, and many proctors stood up in shock. This individual, with only a 30% chance of selecting the correct door, had made it to the very last challenge. Yet, the final stage was the most difficult. Ying Feng found himself in the middle of a circular plaza, surrounded by twelve doors. Ling Xiao was behind one of them. But if he chose incorrectly, he’d be sent back to the beginning.

The countdown ticked to 30 seconds, 29, 28…

All the spectators held their breath for them. Fu Yao stood up, his gaze fixed on the man looking around at the center of the screen: Ying Feng, this is your last chance. You cannot make a mistake!

“Go with your gut. Don’t hesitate!” Even the instructor couldn’t help shouting.

“Ying Feng, what are you thinking? There’s no time left!” Red Head exclaimed in urgency.

Bing Can clenched his fist secretly. “You can definitely do this!”

“Come on!” Cries of tension erupted from the crowd.

The encirclement around the two men tightened. Ling Xiao, drained of energy, leaned against the wall. Ying Feng was also gradually being surrounded, with enemies approaching from all sides.

“Ying Feng.”

Ling Xiao’s voice suddenly echoed in the headphones.

“I know we’re about to be stopped here, unable to pass the exam. I’m sorry, but I don’t regret it.”

“Because yesterday’s exam showed me an even stronger you.”

20, 19, 18…

Ying Feng slowly spun in place, monsters glaring at him from all sides, ready to pounce. Time was running out. Even if he knew which door was the right one, he couldn’t break through the encirclement and reach it in time.

Ling Xiao’s voice continued in the headphones.

“But it’s also your strength that makes others think you don’t need any cheers. In fact, no matter how much honor I gain, I yearn for applause. If no one cheers for me, even the joy of victory feels diminished.”

“Perhaps I’m reading too much into this, and maybe you don’t need it, but even if it’s a day late, I still want to say it.”

10, 9, 8, 7, 6…

Ling Xiao looked up to the sky.

“You’re truly amazing,” he said.

“I’m very proud.”

From the encirclement, Ying Feng let out a roar. In front of Ling Xiao, a hand emerged.

Ling Xiao’s eyes widened in disbelief. What?!

That hand pierced through the mist, gripping his hand firmly and pulled him forcefully into the white fog. The same hand that once dragged him from the pinnacle to the abyss, from light to darkness, today pulled him from the brink of despair to its side.

As the day and night switched places and the heavens shifted, when Ling Xiao came to his senses, everything around him had disappeared.

The owner of that hand was right beside him.

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