Chapter 126: Rankings (Dedicated to Alliance Leader lztmty)
Chapter 126: Rankings (Dedicated to Alliance Leader lztmty)
Clap! Clap!
High above the ruins of the city, two figures danced and weaved through the air.
Fang Xing's hands fluttered like butterflies, suddenly reaching out and plucking a piercing round from mid-air.
Bang! Bang!
The remaining bullets rained down on his body, creating a pitter-patter like raindrops on banana leaves before falling to the ground.
"It seems your marksmanship isn't up to par... You can't even make Blood-Breaking Bullets."
Fang Xing shook his head.
As a Mecha Master, Urie's strength was somewhat limited within the virtual space.
For instance, these weapons had to be 'crafted' by him one by one within the virtual space before they could be equipped.
If they were outside, a mecha of this rank would definitely be equipped with various enchanted bullets, such as 'Blood-Breaking Rounds', which were particularly effective at penetrating a martial artist's defensive qi.
In that case, he definitely wouldn't dare to perform this feat of physical prowess, as he'd be riddled with holes.
Stomp!
Fang Xing's foot stomped down, causing the air to solidify like solid ground. He used this momentum to surge forward, rushing towards Urie.
The gun barrel on Urie's mechanical arm automatically detached, and a layer of gauntlets appeared: "Bullet Fist!"
This was a martial art specifically designed to complement mecha, and when unleashed by a Mecha Master, it was incredibly powerful.
Countless fist shadows filled the sky like bullets, raining down on Fang Xing.
Fang Xing's eyes flickered, and the surrounding void rippled, giving birth to a black dragon and a white tiger.
The dragon roared and the tiger let out a thunderous roar!
– Dragon and Tiger Domain!
When the countless fist shadows entered the domain, they became incredibly slow, as if they had been frozen in time.
"Break Enchantment Field, neutralize!"
A faint glow flashed on Urie's armor, unleashing a bizarre force field.
This was a component he had painstakingly researched for many years, finally replicating it within the virtual space. It was also a Mecha Master's trump card against a martial artist's domain!
With the activation of the Break Enchantment Field, Fang Xing felt his Dragon and Tiger Domain gradually weaken.
However, he didn't hesitate for a moment, instead, a smile curved on his lips as he slashed out with his palm.
Ghost God Blade – Slaying Ghost God!
The terrifying martial will was like a tidal wave, relentlessly pounding against Urie's heart through the mecha.
【Warning! Warning! Psychic defense construct damaged, damage level 23%! 25%!...】
A string of red warnings appeared, causing Urie's face to darken.
In the curriculum of Saint Armor University, the subject he disliked the most was the construction of psychic defense components.
This was far more difficult than designing weapons, especially for someone who didn't have a natural talent for martial arts.
'If we were outside, the latest 'Dream Machine AG32' model would be installed on my mecha. The spiritual will of an external martial artist would absolutely be unable to break through my defenses...'
'But... here I can only use the old model that I made myself, it's really troublesome...'
Urie could hear the distant dragon roars and tiger roars in his ears, and the countless fist shadows suddenly dissipated.
Then, a blade of light fell on his mecha, causing the protective shield to activate and rapidly deteriorate.
Bang!
Golden light flashed in Fang Xing's eyes, and with the enhancement of the Great Golden Cintamani, his punch shattered the energy shield, continuing unabated through Urie's visor and into his head...
Boom!
The remains of the headless mecha fell, exploding in mid-air...
Outside the battle platform.
Gujian Tong sighed as he watched this scene: "Oh, the Face-Slapping Maniac does it again... Looks like I shouldn't bother challenging him next time."
Yin Huanzhen glanced at Gujian Tong, unable to hold back a smirk: 'Is he admitting that he's going to lose? Well, losing a match is one thing, but to lose so spectacularly is a bit...'
...
Fang Xing was unaware of the outside world's reactions.
He was currently checking new messages.
【Ding, congratulations Fang Xing on making it to the Battle Rankings, position: 9! Keep up the good work!】
"Hmm, as the ninth on the Battle Rankings, I must accept ten challenges... If there are fewer than ten challengers, will the system automatically match me with opponents?"
Fang Xing saw that he had already received quite a few challenges just from that short appearance.
After all, it was just a virtual space, and losing didn't mean death, so who was afraid of whom?
"Hmm?"
As he browsed through the list of challengers, he stopped at a particular name and nodded: "You're up..."
...
Tick tock! Tick tock!
In the bamboo grove, the fine rain created a hazy atmosphere.
A small bridge, flowing water, and in the distance, a thatched cottage.
Fang Xing stood on the bridge, waiting for his first challenger.
"Gu Zhen!"
He looked at the newcomer, a youth in black with delicate features and a cold demeanor, holding a strangely shaped ancient sword.
The sword was pitch-black, and its hilt seemed to be inlaid with a crimson eye that kept rolling around, emitting a subtle spiritual taint.
"An evil god's familiar-made longsword?"
Fang Xing nodded. "Let me see the edge of your blade!"
The Federation had been at war with extradimensional evil gods for many years and naturally had disciplines dedicated to studying them.
There had even been attempts to utilize the blood, corpses, and bones of these evil gods and their familiars.
The Nine Swords College had achieved the most success in this regard and had even developed a unique evolutionary path—the Sword Saint!
To become a Sword Saint, the basic requirement was to be a martial artist and then change occupations to a Ghost Swordsman.
A Ghost Swordsman could seal a portion of an evil god's power within themselves and attempt to wield weapons crafted from the bodies of evil god familiars.
Through constant battle and honing their skills, they would digest the evil god's power within them and evolve their demonic martial arts!
At the pinnacle of this path, by undergoing the trials of the Nine Swords, one could perfectly digest the evil god's power and become a Sword Saint!
While many Ghost Swordsmen appeared neither human nor ghost, seeming like the epitome of mutation disciplines, the true Sword Saints were the purest of humans, and even their initially mutated bodies would revert.
"Sword name—Dragon Evil, forged primarily from the remains of the higher-ranking familiar, the Evil-Eyed Dragon clan!"
Gu Zhen's hands were as white as jade, his fingernails trimmed short—the hands of a true swordsman.
But as he slowly drew out the Dragon Evil sword, Fang Xing could see black veins popping out on his palms, writhing like earthworms.
Chi!
The Dragon Evil sword left its sheath!
Fang Xing's eyes glazed over as his vision seemed to superimpose an image of a draconic, worm-like demon over Gu Zhen.
Its body was covered in black claws, and its eye was a vertical crimson pupil, from which surged forth streaks of dark red light.
"Hmm? Quite a strong spiritual pollution... Is this within the limit of the outer realm?"
Fang Xing frowned, then vibrated his qi, causing his bones to crackle. A layer of golden-threaded clothing appeared on his body, accompanied by the roars of dragons and tigers.
—Dragon and Tiger Domain!
Chi!
The sword hummed, and a black radiance, like a moon blade, pierced into the Dragon and Tiger Domain.
Fang Xing's brow ached as if his domain had been sliced open!
Then, an astonishing torrent of sword qi poured through this opening like a breached dam!
Whoosh!
The countless strands of sword qi landed on his golden-threaded garment, like raging waves crashing against ancient rocks, exploding instantly and vanishing without a trace.
And amidst this torrent of sword qi, a black sword light suddenly appeared.
It was like a venomous dragon seizing upon a gap in Fang Xing's qi flow, a cold glint transforming into a shooting star, stabbing forward!
Fang Xing's expression remained unchanged as he extended his right hand.
His palm radiated a soft golden light, appearing slow but actually fast, and he caught the sword light, his palm landing on the blade of the Dragon Evil sword!
The sword light dispersed, but Gu Zhen's expression remained unchanged as he slashed again.
A bolt of lightning flashed across the clear sky, and thunder rumbled in the heavens.
This sword strike was like a black lightning bolt falling from the sky.
On the Dragon Evil sword, the crimson eye shone wildly.
Swoosh!
The sword shadow fell, but it only cleaved empty air.
"Dancing Sky Step? Impossible... How did you dodge the Dragon Evil sword's spiritual shockwave?"
Gu Zhen's face was filled with disbelief. He had just now unleashed the full hum of the Dragon Evil sword, and the pollution and stagnation it brought would have affected even him if not for his training on the 'Fire Sword Road.'
But Fang Xing had already appeared behind him, his fists striking out together.
The Great Golden Bodhi Divine Power, quadrupled!
Boom!
Gu Zhen's domain was directly torn apart, and the upper half of his body disappeared.
"This sword is indeed sinister, but unfortunately, it met my supreme martial will."
Fang Xing coldly huffed. In fact, when facing that lightning-fast sword strike, his spirit had indeed been dazed for a moment.
But with the 'Great Sun Tathagata Incantation' suppressing his sea of consciousness, he had quickly thought of a countermeasure.
After all, any attack that specifically targeted his sea of consciousness was asking to be defeated!
When a swordsman's blade missed its mark, death was usually not far behind.
This was the nature of battles between martial arts masters—the difference between victory and defeat was often a matter of inches.
Fang Xing silently sighed, and his body 'refreshed,' returning to its peak state. He smiled faintly and looked toward his next opponent...
...
"Hahahaha..."
Pan Xiong watched the live battle feed, unable to hide the smile on his face, as he turned to Yin Hong Ding beside him. "See? I told you I had better judgment than you. You didn't believe me, but now look—Fang Xing is ranked ninth on the Battle Rankings. Although this ranking doesn't include Golden Core experts, it's still proof of his ability. What about your favorite, Gu Jian Tong? Where is he now?"
Yin Hong Ding was a little embarrassed, but his expression didn't show it. "I've never denied Fang Xing's talent. I just thought it would be difficult for him to break through to the Golden Core stage within the remaining nine years of university..."
"So, do you want to make a bet?
Pan Xiong narrowed his eyes. "How about a little bet, then? Will this student of yours be able to hold on to the top ten today... If we're talking big bets, will he still be able to cultivate a Golden Core in the next nine years?"
"No bet," Yin Hong Ding shook his head.
"Why not?" Pan Xiong asked, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "I've had my eye on that 'Nine Heavens Golden Essence' of yours for a long time. Come on, give me a chance... I'll bet three chances to meditate in the Universal Secret Realm against you!"
"I won't bet because that way, I definitely won't lose!" Yin Hong Ding replied with a smile. "Even if Fang Xing succeeds, as his teacher at Blue Star University, I'd still be proud of him!"
"You... sigh!" Pan Xiong shook his head, at a loss for words.
...
"Too weak, too weak!"
After headshotting the last challenger, Fang Xing logged off, feeling a little underwhelmed.
Aside from Gu Zhen, the other challengers, though they were also outer students, didn't pose as much of a challenge as Gu Zhen.
"It looks like geniuses like Gu Zhen have already surpassed many of the older students..."
Fang Xing nodded and went to bed.
The next morning, he logged into the virtual network and saw a new message:
[Fang Xing, your performance in last month's Battle Arena was outstanding and brought glory to the school. Blue Star University specially awards you 2 credits!]
"Only 2? I think the first place gets 10 credits..."
Fang Xing sighed. "Well, 2 is still good. If I can keep this up, in just 50 months, a little over 4 years, I should be able to save up for a bottle of 'Revival Water', right?"
He got up to wash and prepare for the series of exams at the end of the school year.
Fortunately, after advancing in the Martial Way, his cognitive abilities had improved again, and he was able to pass each subject without failing, earning 6 credits.
In the training room...
"The teaching for this year has come to an end, and you've all performed quite well, especially Fang Xing."
Pan Xiong still looked like a young boy with red lips and white teeth, his hands behind his back as he commented nonchalantly, "Here, I want to give special commendation to Fang Xing. Not only have you passed the Martial Arts course that you major in, but I'm also giving you an extra 3 credits as a reward."
"Thank you, Teacher," Fang Xing said gratefully, his mind racing as he calculated that he now had 12 credits.
Compared to many older students who struggled to accumulate even 10 credits in a year, this was an excellent achievement.
And this was without even taking on any student council tasks.
"As for Su Longyan and Ouyang Qiang... You two have also passed the assessment for your major courses, so I'm giving each of you an extra 1 credit as a reward."
Pan Xiong glanced at the other two students and spoke.
"Thank you, Teacher!"
Su Longyan and Ouyang Qiang quickly expressed their gratitude, knowing how hard-earned these credits were.
If they wanted to obtain rare resources from the Treasury after graduating from university, they would have to risk their lives in battle or sign strict contracts, selling themselves to powerful factions.
That's why every university student worked hard, striving to achieve higher accomplishments while still in school.
"Alright, it's important to balance work and rest. You can make your own plans for the summer vacation."
Pan Xiong waved his hand and left the training room.
"Summer vacation?"
Su Longyan still couldn't quite believe it.
"Yeah, what are your plans for the break?"
Fang Xing suddenly appeared beside Su Longyan with a mischievous smile. "Do you want me to give you some pointers?"
He remembered that the first time he had struck out, he had slapped this junior disciple so hard that her face had swollen beyond recognition.
Perhaps it was from this incident that the nickname "Slap-Happy Maniac" had spread.
"N-no, that's alright!"
Su Longyan was so startled that she turned to Ouyang Qiang for help.
"How about you, Ouyang?"
Fang Xing turned to Ouyang Qiang.
"I'll keep training hard, and maybe I'll take a look at the Myriad Spirit Records..."
Ouyang Qiang replied calmly.
Like Fang Xing, they were both from ordinary families and couldn't afford to travel back and forth between planets during the holidays, so they spent most of their vacations at Blue Star University.
"Okay, then see you next semester."
Fang Xing didn't have any particular place he wanted to go, so he planned to stay in his dorm and make use of the university's resources.
And at the same time...
He could focus more of his attention on the cultivation world.
(End of Chapter)
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