Chapter 228, Strong Opposition

Translator: Tamon

 

June the 15th, the seventh day of this year’s admission trial.

 

For this large-scale admission trial taking twelve whole days, the seventh day was just your average test day. But this trial was different. The freshmen saw the seventh day as the peak of this examination.

 

Why? Because the day started off with a match between the best geniuses!

 

Argent Apex Immortal Institute’s Wang Qi, with thirteen wins out of thirteen fights, each ending through absolute power, going for crushing victories through beating his adversaries in their field of choice. What was even more hair-raising was his twisted sense of humor, using unheard-of and baffling insults to bring his adversary to their knees!

 

Langde Immortal Institute’s Ai Changyuan, fourteen wins out of fourteen, each ended and started with a single decisive punch. But unlike Wang Qi, he never made ‘small talk’ with his opponent, though he also didn’t give the chance for the other to speak either.

 

The previous six days were a clear display of unquestionable power. And today, these freaks of nature would collide in this very arena.

 

Hence the presence of most freshmen at the arena since before the examination began, all bypassing their own group to gather around the first stage or around the floating screens broadcasting it. One thing was certain: none wanted to miss this fight!

 

Ai Changyuan had been standing on the side of the arena for a while now, having arrived early as well. Unlike his usually flashy entrance of floating about, he stood there while tossing around his apple. Some disciples with sharp perception gasped, sensing the ebbing breath of the world in rhythm!

 

He was so in tune with the breath of the world that he even affected its motion! Ai Changyuan was clearly using the apple’s motion to study mechanics. His thinking affected the flow of spiritual power within him, which in turn affected the breath of the world.

 

The interference was second only to writing a thesis.

 

“Are you for real? He’s an abomination!”

 

“I have less focus when I’m writing theses!”

 

“While he’s in deep thought in the eve of battle, at such a noisy place…”

 

Among the spreading clamor, one person looked around. “Speaking of, where’s the other one?”

 

“Yeah, I don’t see him.”

 

“Shouldn’t he be here early to get his focus?”

 

The clamor grew louder as everyone was looking for Wang Qi. Ai Changyuan, however, was still entranced by the movement of the apple.

 

The morning bell rang, announcing the start of a new day of examinations.

 

The melodious ringing blended with a sudden clamor spreading from outside and reached the first stage.

 

The sea of people parted to reveal a yawning youth making his way over. “You sure came early.”

 

Ai Changyuan was still tossing his apple.

 

“Hey, Ai Changyuan!”

 

Lu Qianqian slapped Ai Changyuan hard and then fled with a red face. Ai Changyuan woke up. “Oh, Wang Qi.”

 

Wang Qi sighed as he went onto the arena.

 

The first match of the day began when the morning bell struck eight.

 

The two’s first action was to get a fifteen-meter distance between them. Wang Qi touched his storage bag and took out a saber while also tying the bag’s string to his wrist.

 

Ai Changyuan frowned at the weapon. “Not a sword?”

 

Wang Qi did a casual slash. “Having grasped group theory and integrating it into martial arts, many attacks can be expounded from every move. Blade and sword arts have symmetry that leads to the same effect. Though I find blades handier.”

 

Wang Qi’s confidence wasn’t in sword arts or blade arts, but math. That was the very root of his cultivation.

 

[Blades, swords? Nothing but handy tools.]

 

Ai Changyuan shook his head. “No, that sword was at least an instrument, while the blade is shoddy handwork that I can snap like a toothpick.”

 

Wang Qi said helplessly, “Here’s the thing. I developed my sword art, while the blade art is Unfettered White Marsh and Bernoulli’s creation. My blade art is still better than my sword art.”

 

“Oh, I see.” Ai Changyuan nodded. “Sorry then. I might not have the same important reason you have to win, but I still want to win.”

 

“Eh?” Ai Changyuan’s blurting left Wang Qi baffled.

 

Ai Changyuan grasped the apple in his hand and took a bite out of it.

 

[Oh crap!]

 

Wang Qi figured out Ai Changyuan’s tactic with one look, then threw himself forward.

 

Newton’s apple contained Transcendent’s Unfettered phenomenon. By eating it, one could choose to gain insight, but with Ai Changyuan cultivating Universal Pull, the fruit’s energy amplified his much more than simple addition.

 

Ai Changyuan never used magic items; he was the type to only trust his own strength. It also made it easy to neglect the priceless treasure carried with him at all times. The fruit harboring Transcendent’s insight in his hands was even more valuable than Sword Mountain, which drove one Golden Core into losing himself and a Nascent Soul to freak out.

 

A bright and thin blade wave shot from Wang Qi. It was so flawless and extensive, it looked like the Milky Way.

 

The crunchy sound that followed showed Wang Qi was a step too late. Ai Changyuan already took a big bite of the apple and swallowed.

 

He gave Wang Qi a smile as his right hand flipped, flicking the wave off.

 

Out of nowhere, Wang Qi felt the ground tilting.

 

The gravity field changed by means of… Universal Pull!