Chapter 336: The Rules of the Combined Exam, Sch Jing's Cheating Spree (4K)

Chapter 336: The Rules of the Combined Exam, Sch Jing's Cheating Spree (4K)



Sch Jing was slightly startled as he witnessed Ye Jingqiu's blissful expression, as if she had just ascended to heaven.

He wasn't particularly guarded against these students, not because he trusted them or had strong feelings for them, but because humans rarely paid attention to the intentions of the ants around them.

So, when he saw Ye Jingqiu stumble, he instinctively reached out to support her, not expecting her sudden change in tactics to get closer to him.

This could be a bit of a problem.

Sch Jing steadied Ye Jingqiu, who seemed to have inhaled a bit too much, preventing her from collapsing to the ground, his expression slightly exasperated.

Ever since his Charm Technique reached Lv10, his physique had become somewhat unique, and his scent carried a hint of 'poison'.

Combined with his advanced martial arts cultivation, his life level had been elevated, and with the cultivation of the Nirvana Technique, a special skill, the effects of his scent had reached a divine level.

This bodily fragrance could induce a sense of pleasure and happiness in those who smelled it. Those accustomed to it were fine, but for those experiencing it for the first time, it could be overwhelming.

Usually, Sch Jing would use his breath to block his scent, preventing it from spreading beyond his body.

But Ye Jingqiu's sudden close-range inhalation of a large amount of his scent... the effect was probably similar to actually taking a hit.

"Jingqiu? What's wrong? Are you having a metal allergy?"

Due to her exceptional appearance and figure, Ye Jingqiu had always been the center of attention. Noticing her unusual state, her classmates were filled with concern.

Sch Jing helped her to sit under a pale brown metallic tree that reflected a bright light and turned to a female student beside him, saying, "Jiali, please take care of her."

Fu Jiali nodded in response, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

She was one of the few students who witnessed the entire incident... and saw that Ye Jingqiu had transformed after inhaling a breath from Sch Jing's embrace.

Observing Ye Jingqiu's current state, drooling like someone who had taken a hit in an anti-drug movie, Fu Jiali felt a mix of excitement, fear, and eagerness.

What exactly did she smell on Sch Jing's body?

Cao Sinian approached Sch Jing and whispered, "Teacher, it's about to begin."

She showed him the information on her wristband.

【Examinee Name: Cao Sinian】

【Squad Members: Undetermined】

【Current Mission: Undetermined】

【Current Score: 0】

【Ranking Information: None】

【Countdown: 0:28:19】

Sch Jing nodded, "Proceed according to the plan."

He shouted to the students, "Everyone, start registering squad information!"

The students immediately responded, "Yes, Teacher!"

They promptly opened their wristbands and began inputting information.

Sch Jing nodded in approval.

This combined martial arts exam, despite the large number of participants, had relatively simple rules.

Students would accumulate scores in two aspects throughout the entire exam, which would be added together to determine their final martial arts exam score.

These two scores were 'Individual Score' and 'Team Score'.

All examinees must form squads within half an hour of entering the Iron Tree Sea. If they fail to join any squad by the deadline, they will be considered as forming an individual squad with themselves as the sole member.

There is no limit to the number of members in a squad. If desired, an entire class could join the same squad, but this situation has both advantages and disadvantages, which will be mentioned later.

When a student defeats any non-squad member (including classmates), they will receive an individual score of 100 and a team score of 100, which will be evenly distributed among all squad members.

For example, in a squad of five, if one member defeats a non-squad member, they will earn 100 individual points and 20 team points, while the remaining 80 points will be evenly distributed among the other four members.

The criteria for determining a defeated opponent are as follows: the defeated opponent loses all ability to act, dies, is protected by the assigned examiner, or is deemed defeated by the examiner.

In addition to scoring for defeating opponents, there are a few other ways to earn points.

Firstly, there are forced movement tasks.

The Iron Tree Sea is divided into thirty-six regions, labeled A1 to A9, B1 to B9, C1 to C9, and D1 to D9.

Every eight hours, all squads will receive a random forced movement task. For example, if a squad is currently in Area A1 and receives a task, all squad members must successfully move to Area B9 within eight hours; otherwise, they will incur a significant deduction in individual and team scores.

If they succeed, they will earn individual and team scores.

Each task's score deduction and addition varied depending on the distance and difficulty.

As a result, all students had to keep moving throughout the exam, unable to hide in a fixed area.

Secondly, Random Optional Hunt Missions

The officials would release hunting missions for monsters within the Iron Tree Sea at irregular intervals. Student squads could accept these missions, and upon successful completion, they would receive a certain amount of individual and team scores based on the difficulty.

Thirdly, the Ranking List.

There was only one ranking list, which was for team average scores.

It only listed the top ten squads, and at the end of the exam, these top ten squads would receive a substantial amount of points based on their final ranking.

Fourthly, the Knockdown King.

Among all the students, the one with the highest number of knockdowns would become the 'Knockdown King', and at the end of the exam, they would receive a significant score.

Through these rules, at the end of the exam, all students would have their final scores calculated as the sum of their individual and team scores.

If either of these scores was negative, it would be deducted from the final score.

After all students received their final scores, they would be ranked, and based on this ranking, their overall Martial Exam scores would be determined.

"Teacher Xue, it's done!"

After a short while, the students spoke up one after another.

Upon hearing this, Xue Jing pressed twice on the white wristband on her hand, and information appeared on it.

【Current Class Squad Count: 1 (Click to View)】

After opening it, the names of all the members of this squad were displayed.

【Cao Sinian, Chen Xingyan, Yuan Bai Jing, Zhao Longtu...】

The entire class of thirty-one students had their names listed!

"All students are in one squad, we rise and fall together... This is a bold gamble, Teacher Xue! I'm fired up!"

He Han's expression was inexplicably excited and passionate.

"Either we fall together or rise together... I didn't expect everyone to agree to this. This is an exam that concerns our future, and no one thought about it for a moment?"

"There's nothing to consider. I trust Teacher Xue!"

"Yes, I trust Teacher Xue. He can definitely lead us to great results!"

"Either we die together or enjoy together!"

Most of the students cheered loudly.

For them, their original abilities were not exceptional, and it was uncertain if they could achieve good results in the Martial Exam... Being able to form a squad with powerful individuals like Cao Sinian, Zhao Longtu, and Yuan Bai Jing was a profitable move... Although the large squad size added unnecessary risks, overall, it was still worth it.

Considering the interests at stake, everyone had been interacting for three days, and their emotions leaned towards supporting this plan... Especially since this was Teacher Xue's strategy.

The students, who almost revered Xue Jing as a deity, had already made up their minds to follow his instructions even before considering their interests.

Xue Jing looked at the cheering students with a smile in his eyes and spoke gently:

"You have chosen to trust me, and now, it's my turn to respond to your trust."

He stood up, walked to the middle of the students, spread his arms, and placed them on Cao Sinian and Zhao Longtu's shoulders, scanning the surroundings, and said softly:

"The final exam results have too many uncertainties, and I can't promise you anything... But there's one thing I can guarantee."

"Trust me."

"I won't let any of you die. I will protect you all."

"Everyone... will leave here safely, and there won't be any accidents."

The students were deeply moved: "Teacher Xue..."

Cao Sinian's eyes softened as she looked at Xue Jing, and her expression became gentler.

Zhao Longtu seemed to be touched, and his criminal-like expression became more complex.

Xue Jing looked at the students, who seemed to have taken a calming pill, their expressions gradually settling down, and he nodded with a smile.

The strategy of having everyone in one squad, rising or falling together, was not a wise choice for such a complex exam involving several hundred people.

Firstly, there would inevitably be students with insufficient abilities holding the team back. In a situation where all team scores needed to be evenly distributed among everyone, it would only lower the total score of the stronger students. Moreover, there were mandatory team tasks, and failure to complete them would result in more significant score deductions for larger squads.

The most critical factor, however, was something beyond the rules...

The most brutal aspect of this exam was not written in the rules but was a more fundamental issue—food and water.

Each person could only bring in a limited amount of supplies, and to obtain more food and energy to knock down more opponents and gain more points, a fierce battle for resources was inevitable.

In a squad of thirty-one, the consumption of supplies was terrifying, not to mention that a large number of people meant less flexibility in movement, which would put them at a significant disadvantage in resource competitions.

However, this was precisely the problem that Sch Jing could perfectly solve, and it was also the fundamental reason he ultimately decided to implement his strategy of uplifting everyone.

He was done pretending, and he began.

The Non-Existent Beast had a capacity limit of over 900 cubic meters, and at this moment, it was stuffed with all sorts of survival supplies... Forget about seven days; he could ensure that all the students would be well-fed for seventy days, and they could even hold banquets every day if they wanted.

Moreover... his ability to cheat might not be limited to just supplies.

"I'll go check out the situation around us first. All of you stay here and don't move."

Sch Jing spoke up.

The students immediately burst into laughter, "Ah, don't think we don't understand, Teacher Xue. You're taking advantage of us!"

"But this is not bad at all... I really want to call you 'Dad,' Teacher Xue," a female student said with a hint of longing in her eyes.

Sch Jing chuckled and ignored the students' teasing. With a flash of his body, he disappeared from the spot.

...

The lead-colored sky was slightly dim, and there was no trace of the sun above, making it impossible to understand where the light source of the Iron Tree Sea came from.

Sch Jing stopped at the base of a silver-gray metal tree, over ten meters tall, and knocked on its trunk, producing a deep, metallic clanging sound.

"This strength... looks good," Sch Jing nodded.

He then placed his palm on the trunk, feeling the cold metal, and his mind stirred.

Plant Contract, activate! Ever since he had signed a contract with the young True Dragon in the Roaring Waterfall and the Dragon Cherry on its head, Sch Jing had not signed any new contracts with plants.

Because the Dragon Cherry itself was already powerful enough, not only was its strength far superior to ordinary plants, but it also had the ability to absorb and release life force. Ordinary plants were no longer necessary for him, and signing a contract with them would be redundant.

But now, the plant in front of him was no ordinary one...

The specialty of the Iron Tree Sea—the Iron-Based Plant! A unique existence made entirely of metal... even without mentioning its specific strength, the fact that it was a metal plant was enough for Sch Jing to want to collect it.

The only question was whether it would succeed or not.

[Plant Contract] was a skill activated by the recipient of the True Crimson Master. This Otherworldly Deity was said to have been born from the roots of 'Water' and 'Earth', the origin of all flora.

However, it was uncertain whether this Iron-Based Plant... could even be considered a 'plant'.

Fortunately, when Sch Jing activated the Plant Contract, he did not sense any obstacles.

On the silver-gray metal tree, a coin-sized complex pattern instantly appeared, resembling a tiny magic array.

The contract was successful.

"Hmm? It really worked?"

Sch Jing was slightly surprised.

This was too smooth... so the Iron-Based Plant was indeed a plant.

He slightly moved his fingers, and the silver-gray metal tree in front of him immediately responded, emitting a 'kada kada' sound of metal twisting as it gradually curled inward, its metal roots pulling out of the Steel Ground with a 'kacha kacha' sound. The dense, sharp metal leaves fell like thousands of needles, creating a Steel Rain.

In just a few seconds, the entire metal tree transformed into a silver-gray seed the size of a fist, resembling a special fitness equipment for training.

"Interesting," Sch Jing held the seed in his hand, tossed it, and felt its considerable weight, at least seventy or eighty pounds.

An invisible crack opened in the void beside him, and Sch Jing stuffed the metal seed inside before the crack closed.

"There's a lot more I can do now..."

Sch Jing stroked his chin and smiled lightly.

The examiners of this Combined Exam had significant restrictions.

They were responsible for leading, guiding, and even protecting the students.

The examiners could only intervene in two situations regarding the students.

One was when the students encountered high-level Boundary Zone Creatures that they clearly couldn't handle, and the examiners could step in to protect them.

The other was when the examiners determined that the students were unable to continue the exam, and they could intervene to protect the students.

The first situation was considered an accident and was allowed, while in the second, once an examiner intervened, regardless of the students' opinions, the student would have to withdraw from the exam prematurely and be considered 'defeated'.

But now...

It was the tree that went crazy on its own; it's not my fault, woof.

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end