’Their quality is really concerning!’

Chen Che finished off a student from Seventh Middle School with a single sword strike, unable to help but shake his head internally. After recognizing him, the other guy actually wanted to negotiate and sign a ’non-aggression pact.’

Cultivation level and actual combat ability weren’t strongly correlated.

Even though the schools had practical combat exams, they were still like rigid, formulaic essays that the students and teachers had long since figured out completely. Students who were used to that kind of testing were a bit uncomfortable experiencing a real battlefield for the first time.

’If Hu Yao were here, he could probably sweep the entire field...’

However, he didn’t think all the students were like this.

Videos from the provincial and Immortal Sect competitions showed a level of brutality that was no less than what happened in Yunzhou.

’Can’t be hasty. Caution is key...’

Composing himself, Chen Che moved out, sword in hand.

A short while later, he followed his memory to another glowing spot.

WHOOSH~

Chen Che ducked down and saw that a student had already arrived and was searching around rapidly.

"BANG!"

Just as the student was about to search for the treasure, he suddenly sensed a gust of wind. The moment he looked up, a huge fist filled his vision, landing an Eye-Sealing Hammer on the bridge of his nose. This was immediately followed by a kick to the groin.

"That move..."

Chen Che’s mouth twitched. He recognized it instantly.

The student who launched the sneak attack was no stranger—it was his old acquaintance, Xiao Yang.

’This move really is effective.’

Xiao Yang watched the figure turn into a white light, feeling increasingly pleased with himself. After getting beaten up last time, he had watched the video of Chen Che’s moves hundreds of times, even studying it frame by frame. He had finally learned this fighting style.

Just as he was thinking this, he caught a glimpse of Chen Che out of the corner of his eye. The joy in his eyes instantly turned to shocked anger and frustration. ’Why is it him again!’

He knew better than anyone just how terrifying Chen Che was!

The reason Chen Che was ranked first among the competition’s ten most dangerous individuals was built upon his own suffering.

Without the slightest hesitation, Xiao Yang turned and bolted, fleeing madly into the distance.

’He runs so fast!’

’I beat this kid up once, so how did he suddenly get so clever?’

Chen Che was a little stunned. The guy had even used his Protective True Essence while escaping, with no intention of conserving his stamina whatsoever. He had absolutely no intention of fighting him head-on!

’I won’t bother chasing him!’

Turning back, Chen Che glanced at the glowing object. It was a Pill for restoring stamina.

’He actually learned to stake out a location and ambush people?’

He picked up the Pill and tucked it away.

Chen Che was a little surprised.

These top students really were incredibly fast learners.

...

...

"Why did he run?"

「In the sky.」

Li Tingyu watched the entire battlefield. The intensity of the city-level competition was making her a little drowsy.

For the students, although they knew the purpose of the practical combat competition was for the Immortal Sects to select combat-oriented talents, most of them simply avoided fighting or hid to stall for time, just to pass the exam.

However, the scene on the grass had surprised her a little.

She had been looking forward to seeing the student who was staking out the objective have a showdown with her brother’s student.

"That student is somewhat famous..."

The other examiner spoke timidly while taking out his phone to pull up a video.

Although he was a Golden Core True Master.

He was still instinctively fearful in the presence of a Nascent Soul Cultivator.

"Number one on the list of the Six Continents Competition’s ten most dangerous individuals. How interesting. No wonder that boy didn’t dare to fight, having been beaten twice."

Li Tingyu chuckled lightly. "And this student is named Chen Che?"

The other examiner nodded and said in a small voice:

"To be honest, there isn’t much suspense in this competition. The final winner will almost certainly be one of the ten people on that list."

Li Tingyu was noncommittal, but her gaze swept over a corner of the park, and she suddenly smiled. "That’s only in one-on-one fights. What if they get ganged up on? The way I see it, this competition still has plenty of suspense."

Hearing this, the other examiner paused for a second, then followed her line of sight. His eyes immediately narrowed.

"Those students..."

...

"541!"

’An hour and a half since the start, and only a little over 170 people are out. This is a bit slow! No wonder the rules limit the survival area, or else who knows how long these students would drag this out.’

Weaving through the grounds, Chen Che simultaneously observed the number in the sky.

Aside from the first hour, when the number dropped by more than 150, it had barely moved in the last half hour.

Some people were staying hidden, while others were lying in wait for an ambush.

Chen Che had encountered several such students along the way.

After activating his Divine Sense, these seemingly perfect hiding spots were like fireflies in the night to him. He could spot them with a single glance and eliminate the hiders with almost no effort.

’Picking them off one by one like this will take forever! I might as well just go to the center of the park and claim an area!’

Suddenly, hearing a faint breathing sound, Chen Che pivoted like a hawk about to strike and slammed his palm down. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"BOOM!"

The lawn instantly shook.

A huge palm print half a meter wide appeared, and a white light shot out from the grass.

SWOOSH!

Almost at the same moment Chen Che struck, a figure shot up several meters away and, as if terrified, frantically sprinted into the distance.

"Lin Yi?"

Chen Che recognized the figure and called out.

The fleeing student stopped in his tracks. He looked back, saw it was Chen Che, and his face lit up with joy. He quickly waved.

"Holy crap, Old Chen! It’s you! I was wondering who was so damn fierce. You nearly scared the piss out of me."

"What are you doing hiding here?"

Chen Che asked.

"Qi Fengzhu and I happened to be teleported to the same area. We wandered around for a bit, realized we couldn’t beat anyone, and decided to just hide here and wait for the exam to end."

This semester, he and Qi Fengzhu had barely reached the Qi Refining Fourth Layer. While they were considered average students at school, in this competition, they were like lambs in a wolf pack.

"Where’s Qi Fengzhu?" Chen Che looked around for him.

"You just took him out..."

"..."

Chen Che paused for a moment, remembering Li Xiaoshuang’s instructions.

"Well, never mind the details. You can stick with me."

Lin Yi was overjoyed.

He felt more and more that lending Chen Che that copy of *Sword Immortal Ah Bin* had not been in vain.

...

WHOOSH!

A wind seemed to rise in the park, and the sky gradually grew overcast.

Outside the examination grounds, Li Xiaoshuang waited quietly, holding a thermos. He was surrounded by other waiting teachers and parents.

"Huh, Wu Xiaolong? He was eliminated this quickly?"

"Xu Weida is out too?"

Seeing the dejected students walking out of the examination grounds, a commotion stirred in the crowd.

’These students aren’t weak. How were they eliminated so quickly?’

Li Xiaoshuang’s eyes flickered. He was even more astonished when he saw a despondent Huang Zhongfei walk out.

"How did you get eliminated too? Didn’t I tell you not to underestimate your opponents?"

A student like Huang Zhongfei could easily pass the city-level competition as long as he played it safe, didn’t act rashly, and avoided fighting students stronger than himself.

"I didn’t underestimate them!"

Huang Zhongfei’s face was a mask of grief and indignation, his voice full of resentment and grievance.

"That group of top students from Fifth Middle School all ganged up! It was nine against one, I couldn’t possibly win..."

"What?"

As his words fell, an uproar erupted outside the examination grounds.