https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-43-The-Alliance-and-the-First-Stage-of-the-Mana-Competition/13686448/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-45-Let-s-Chat-About-the-New-Novel-and-Please-Keep-Reading-/13686450/
Chapter 44: Flying Sword
Zhang Yu could tell at a glance that the flying swords on stage were nothing like the Children’s Flying Sword he’d once bought—this wasn’t something you could just pick up and master casually.
Amid the murmurs of discontent from the crowd, the host remained expressionless, finishing the advertisement spiel before announcing the rules for the first event.
The floating swords were products of Jiutian Flying Sword, a civilian-grade Martial Energy flying sword manufacturer. Marketed as requiring no knowledge of sword-control techniques or Dao Heart Level thresholds, they claimed you could control the blade simply by modulating the frequency, type, and intensity of your Martial Energy output. The test, in essence, was about how precisely you could wield your Martial Energy to guide the sword.
The sword’s scabbard functioned like a remote controller and Martial Energy transmitter. As the input varied, so did the sword’s movement.
The objective of this round? Use the flying sword to strike signal flags dancing through the air. The faster and more accurately you hit them, the higher your score.
This round, like the next two, was scored out of 100. The final ranking in the Mana Competition would be determined by the total of all three rounds.
As operation manuals were handed out, students were given thirty minutes to study.
Behind Bailong High School’s team, a middle-aged man in sportswear smiled faintly. “So it’s still just about Martial Energy control? At least that’s not completely absurd. I was afraid we’d have to learn sword-riding techniques on the spot.”
This was Han Xingye, Bailong High School’s competition coach. Unlike Songyang High School, where Mana Class teachers doubled as mentors, Bailong had dedicated instructors specifically for competitive events.
Hearing Han Xingye’s comment, Song Hailong—his long, spiky hair brushing against his shoulders—shrugged casually. “It’s our first competition this year.”
“Coach, give me a quick rundown on any standout opponents out there. Especially check out the quality of the Ziyun and Hongta batches.”
Bailong, Ziyun, and Hongta—Songyang’s three strongest high schools. If nothing changed, these were the rivals they’d be facing for the next three years.
Han Xingye nodded without hesitation. It wasn’t just because Song Hailong was academically brilliant. More importantly, Song Hailong came from a major family—his name was on the family’s top-tier KPI list, making him the crown prince of the Song lineage.
With a flick of his fingers across his Lushu, Han Xingye began swiping. A surge of Martial Energy followed, and instantly, the Heavenly Eye Charm activated.
This spell summoned a divine evaluation from the Tianzhi Wanwen Deity of the Ministry of the People’s Mandate, analyzing every aspect of a person—bank balances, personal assets, academic records, work performance, family ties—then synthesizing it into a single, fuzzy overall assessment.
The more detailed the report, the higher the price. The vaguer it was, the cheaper.
Han Xingye scanned the crowd, cautious not to look too deeply—after all, he’d heard stories of people accidentally discovering they were bankrupt after a single glance. Such things had happened before in Kunxu’s history.
As the charm took hold, golden particles shimmered into his vision. Over each student’s head appeared a judgment.
Unremarkable. Unremarkable. Unremarkable. Unremarkable. Unremarkable.
Unremarkable. Unremarkable. Bankrupt gambler. Unremarkable. Unremarkable.
Unremarkable. Ice & Jade Beauty (details expanded). Unremarkable. Unremarkable. Unremarkable.
“Hmm?” Han Xingye’s gaze sharpened. A girl from Ziyun High School had suddenly climbed onto the spectator stand.
“That’s Le Mulan from Ziyun, right? What’s she doing up there? Watching the signal flags?”
He focused in. The evaluation above her head instantly expanded.
Ice & Jade Beauty | Pill-Devouring Grade | High Caste | Ziyun Filial Son | High Mountain Flower
A veteran user of the Heavenly Eye Charm, Han Xingye took a moment to parse the jumble. After a few seconds, he understood.
“She’s got a rare constitution, devours pills like snacks, top-tier grades, fiercely loyal to Ziyun High, and from a complex background—basically, a high-quality rich kid.”
“Pills? Constitution?” Han Xingye mused, sending the keywords to Song Hailong’s device. Then he scanned the rest of the field.
Just as he was mentally cataloging the competition, the event officially began.
The venue was split into eighteen sub-arenas. Each batch randomly selected 18 contestants, who took turns on their respective fields, controlling flying swords to strike the floating signal flags.
To Han Xingye’s eyes, ordinary high schoolers took the stage—nervous, fumbling, their movements clumsy. They managed to hit one or two flags at best, earning 10 or 20 points.
“Looks like none of them have ever handled a flying sword before,” Han Xingye muttered.
He knew this round was supposed to test Martial Energy control—but experience mattered. Spatial awareness, distance judgment, precision, speed—first-timers, no matter how strong their Martial Energy, would struggle to score well.
But for students from the top three schools? Flying swords were everyday tools.
Bailong’s ten competitors, for instance, each had at least four or five flying swords at home. And Song Hailong? His family’s collection totaled hundreds—more than enough to have mastered every trick in the book.
Meanwhile, among the sea of Unremarkable labels, Han Xingye began spotting a few with rarer tags: Rare, Elite.
“These are the top students from regular or key high schools,” he noted. “They’ll probably score 30 or 40 at best.”
“With poor control and no experience, if Jiutian’s swords weren’t so well-made, they wouldn’t hit a single flag.”
As he watched, a thought struck him. Maybe he should get a Jiutian flying sword himself.
Then—his eyes flickered. Amid the sea of Unremarkable, Rare, and Elite, one name stood out.
Pure-hearted Score Slave
Han Xingye looked at the uniform. Songyang High School.
On the field, Qian Shen took a deep breath, slowly gripping the sword’s scabbard.
With a steady pulse of Martial Energy, the blade shot out like a bolt of lightning, streaking upward to pierce the signal flags.
Though he hadn’t used one often, Qian Shen had practiced with his grandfather’s flying swords before. Now, following his tutor’s advice, he adjusted the rhythm of his energy flow—slow, precise pulses—guiding the blade in swift, accurate strikes.
72 points
Qian Shen exhaled. “Not bad. At least I can explain this to the family.”
Han Xingye glanced at the score and sighed inwardly. “Songyang’s still a legacy school… but the students keep getting worse.”
“Ultimately, they’re stuck in their ways—refusing to adopt better systems like Ziyun’s Score Caste System or our own Low Score Slave Model. No innovation in teaching methods… how can they keep up with the times?”
Just then, another standout appeared.
A student from Ziyun High School—Lian Tianji—stepped onto the arena. Above his head, the label read: Heavenly Diligence Heir.
With a flick of his arm, he launched his sword.
Swish. Swish. Swish.
Nine hits.
90 points.
The crowd erupted.
“Lian Tianji,” Han Xingye murmured. “The best fit for the Heavenly Diligence Cultivation Method this year.”
As more competitors took the stage, Han Xingye’s gaze darted across the field.
A Songyang student—Board of Directors’ Heir—scored 78.
Then Le Mulan of Ziyun took the field. Instantly, she shattered records with a flawless 95, the highest score so far.
The arena buzzed with awe.
Then—something caught Han Xingye’s eye.
Sword Grade (details expanded)
“Huh? A Songyang student?”
He looked at the girl stepping onto the field—Bai Zhenzhen.
He knew that if a label could be expanded, it meant deep complexity—either powerful lineage, exceptional talent, or rare status. But he hadn’t expected to see it on a Songyang student.
His eyes narrowed.
A string of titles unfurled above her head.
Sword Grade | Fist Grade | Palm Grade | Sword Grade | Spear Grade | Medicine Grade | Score Tyrant | Loan Slave | Card Slave | Dao Arts Are Useless Theory | Songyang Black Sheep | She Is Poor…
Han Xingye froze.
He’d never felt such shock watching a Songyang High School student.
And yet—her score?
34 points.
“Even with such a bizarre, complex profile… she’s still Unremarkable.”
His astonishment faded.
Soon, his attention shifted back to Song Hailong.
Before stepping onto the field, the star student of Bailong High School removed his long, spiky hair from his head.
Zhang Yu, watching from the sidelines, gaped. “Whoa! Already balding in high school?”
Bai Zhenzhen, returning to the rest area with a sour expression, turned to him. “That’s not a wig. It’s an External Spiritual Root.”
“External Spiritual Root?” Zhang Yu recalled the term—but this was the first time he’d seen it in person.
Bai Zhenzhen sighed wistfully. “Not like the old, outdated roots from school. This one’s plug-and-play. Instantly attach, instantly remove. Zhang Yu, remember this—it’s my dream birthday gift.”
Zhang Yu patted her shoulder. “I can’t afford an External Spiritual Root, but I can get you a bald cap or a fake hairpiece.”
Bai Zhenzhen rolled her eyes, then stared longingly at the wig now resting on the chair. She mentally plotted how to steal it.
But after glancing around at the students and teachers, she let out a resigned sigh.
Meanwhile, Song Hailong stepped onto the field.
Feeling his Martial Energy flow like an extension of his will, he smirked.
Installing a spiritual root to boost Martial Energy?
Pathetic. That’s what poor people do.
Song Hailong’s real reason for the External Spiritual Root? To train his control.
In the torrent of refined spiritual energy, in the surge of Martial Energy production—this was the ultimate test.
Weaklings feared losing control.
But for someone like him? This was the perfect forge.
With one hand on the scabbard, he exhaled—Martial Energy surged.
The blade shot out like lightning.
Below, Han Xingye watched in silent pride as his student danced through the air, slicing through targets with impossible speed and precision.
In a blink, the score flashed:
100 points.
New record.
Han Xingye’s lips curled. “100? Only because the cap is 100.”
“With Song Hailong’s Martial Energy reserves, control mastery, and sword familiarity—this round was limited by the score cap, not his ability.”
Meanwhile, back at the rest area, Teacher Yan’s eyes kept drifting toward Bai Zhenzhen.
“Bai Zhenzhen only started training for Mana Competition recently… but her progress is astonishing. Talent? Or just luck?”
Yet even in her eyes, Teacher Yan saw that Bai Zhenzhen’s Martial Energy potential still fell short of Zhang Yu’s.
A moment later, Zhang Yu stepped onto the field.
He gripped the scabbard.
As he slowly fed Martial Energy into it, he felt the sword tremble—subtle, alive.
Back in the stands, Zhang Yu had already been thinking: How do I maximize my score?
Right now, it was like being handed a bulldozer and told: “You’ve got great finger control—now open this bottle cap with the excavator.”
What kind of rigged, unfair competition is this?
He cursed inwardly.
“This flying sword feels like a drone… or a racing drone. Even if I have perfect control, without actual experience… I’ll be clumsy.”
The idea of guiding the blade through the air, hitting palm-sized targets mid-flight—wasn’t just hard. It was nearly impossible.
So… traditional flying sword techniques wouldn’t work.
(End of Chapter)
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