Chapter 220, Brine and Cat Tongue

Translator: Tamon

 

Ever since he left the arena, Wang Qi returned to his usual casual demeanor, losing all interest in the martial examination.

 

With this display, no one could utter him being anything else again—this is a one-punch-banished immortal we’re talking about here!

 

Having gotten his peace and quiet, Wang Qi leaned on his tree with eyes closed.

 

Mao Zimiao finished her match and looked over. Wang Qi was now drinking some water from his bamboo tube.

 

The strange part was the other few tubes scattered around him.

 

“Little Qi, are you that thirsty, nya?” Mao Zimiao asked curiously.

 

“Mm.” Wang Qi nodded and passed her a bamboo tube.

 

His odder attitude drew Wang Zhenqi’s vigilant eye. She snatched the tube at full speed and sniffed it. “The way you act feels off; it’s like… am I overthinking it, wan?”

 

Wang Qi answered weakly, “Don’t talk to me… I’m woozy…”

 

His voice was hoarse.

 

“Little Qin, are you hurt, nya?”

 

“Tch, like Fa Xiong could ever hurt me.”

 

Mao Zimiao glanced at the tube. “A mental stimulant, nya?”

 

“The right medicine for the illness…”

 

Wang Zhenqi looked on oddly. “I never heard of you getting sick, wan.”

 

Mao Zimiao uncorked the tube and sniffed. “No smell?”

 

“Ah’Miao, all I’m smelling is fresh water, wan. What do you smell?”

 

“It seems fine.” At her friend’s judgment, Mao Zimiao took a big gulp. The next thing she knew, the silly cat wailed, “Nya~!”

 

The wailing was so bitter that people turned to look. The cat-eared girl didn’t notice, too busy holding her mouth while bouncing around. Wang Qi opened his eyes and showed a teasing smile. “The thing about cat tongues is real! No wonder you never eat spicy food.”

 

Wang Zhenqi gasped in fright and used a finger to taste the water. “Salty, wan… it’s brine. You’re evil, Wang Qi!”

 

Wang Qi drank half of the bamboo tube before handing this one over as well. Wang Zhenqi tried it too. “Heavens, wan! This is also salty! Doesn’t your tongue hurt?”

 

Wang Qi held his throat. “So does my voice.”

 

Wang Zhenqi cursed him while rushing to give Mao Zimiao fresh water. Mao Zimiao drank plenty before she came to Wang Qi in tears, “Little Qi, why would you drink that, nya?”

 

Wang Qi raised his left hand. This hand, which was never used in the fight, was now seen shaking all over. Wang Qi sighed, “Severe sodium deficiency robs me of strength. The only counter is drinking brine.”

 

Wang Zhenqi gasped, “Sodium deficiency? What the heck is that, wan?”

 

Mao Zimiao heard something from Wu Shiqin when the match was on and was struck by inspiration: “Is it that lightning strike you couldn’t block?”

 

Wang Qi nodded. “I broke the particle bonds on my skin to guide the electricity away and turn it into a Thunder Cage.”

 

Mao Zimiao gasped, “Breaking particle bonds in your body? Are you suicidal?”

 

“The original plan was to break up the metal pieces, but handling the base iron (Divine Province’s name for iron hydroxide) wasn’t easy afterward. And since my efficiency is low, breaking the bonds leads to deficiency. More importantly, iron absorption is way slower than sodium. I could go all day drinking spinach juice and still can make up for the anemia.”

 

What he left out was the part about how dangerous all of it was. It was easy to slip up and overdo it, leaving him ironless or sodium-less. If not for Ai Dinglan seeing through it on time and a cultivator’s tough body, he wouldn’t have tried it.

 

Mao Zimiao was baffled. “This magical art doesn’t sound all that useful, nya.”

 

“There’s been a deviation in my calculation with this move. Today was a mere experiment.” Wang Qi drank more brine. “Being at an impasse with an electromagnetic expert, this move could keep me alive at least. That ‘frozen’ state as well, when the energy shield breaks, I still get to keep my life. It could even take an iron sword to the neck with ease.”

 

Mao Zimiao shivered. “You never used these before, nya…”

 

Wang Qi had a natural comeback. “Hence the testing.”

 

“This is the martial examination, nya…”

 

“Isn’t that a free chance at experimenting?” Wang Qi felt he recovered somewhat and threw the bamboo tubes in his storage bag. “With my style, I probably won’t have much chance to engage in a life-or-death fight with a master.”

 

The two demonborn looked in dismay, unable to mask the fear in their eyes.

 

Others dread it, while you relish it. Just what kind of mindset is this?]

 

Before that…

 

“I think that line is all you need to get tough experts coming at you to kill you, wan…”

 

“Since you think you have no chance of fighting to the death, why would you use such deadly moves in the first place?”

 

“Only fools sweat the details.” Wang Qi spoke with all the righteousness in him. Then he asked, “Ah’Zimiao, did you win?”

 

Mao Zimiao’s ears drooped. “Lost, nya.”

 

Wang Qi frowned. “How? Statistically speaking, your strength should be quite high.”

 

Immortal Institute judged students through a comprehensive system of theory and practice, though the theory part held higher importance. And demonborn were mostly practically oriented, like Wu Shiqin, quicker with the fist than with the head. They should have an easier time in the martial examination than in the theoretical one.

 

Mao Zimiao sighed. “The opponent used Flamestride Agility. It was too hot, nya.”

 

“Holy hells down under, you sure have a lot of weaknesses. Is this how a cat’s tongue feels about getting burned? Just what type of cat are you? To think you’d taste it.”

 

“I’m a melee fighter, nya! It’s hot!”

 

Wang Qi facepalmed. “Evolution Chart is two stages better than Flamestride Agility, alright? Yet you still lost. Are you sure you’re a demonborn?”

 

Mao Zimiao felt wronged. “Not everyone’s as amazing as you, Little Qi…”

 

“You should copy Senior Sister Ai, not me…” Wang Qi looked over at the stages, then his eyes lit up. “Look.”