"Now there is the final test! You must be able to defeat every guy in this room. Anyone with at maximum two years of difference can challenge you and, if victorious he'll be able to take the test to enter the academy!" "The test begins!"
"Hey...Jin Liang at what stage of Qi Gathering you were?"
"Mid stage."
'Sheep. I hope there is no one better' 'I mean he's the son of the head...He must've been grown having access to unlimited resources...'
"I Su Li, Peak Qi Gathering realm, challenge you!"
'Ugh...'
**********
'Where is my plot armour????'
"Jin Liang, I've belittled you in the past, and now you're the strongest youth in this hall. But I still want to challenge you...b-because I can't afford to lose this opportunity"
'By his words, I can feel that he's nervous...I can only bet everything on that.'
"Sure."
We were in the centre of the hall surrounded by a big crowd. Raden saw his nervousness and understood that it wasn't actually originated by the crowd but by something else.
'The problem is that I only know the 'True Punch' martial technique...Wait why don't I give this job to Jin Liang?'
"Hey don't you want to become stronger? Why don't you..."
"Why should I?
"Hey! I'm doing this so that when I can give you a new body you'll be able to move it" 'Then... idiot, I was inside that pearl for all that time, and you think I didn't see your martial arts?'
"?"
"Actually, when a soul is separated from a body it gradually forgets how to use it. This if protracted for a long time may make you unable to use a body forever!"
"?!?!" "I...Ahhh...Still..."
"Didn't you want to show your strength, especially to-?"
"Xue Liang! I promised..."
Raden smiled.
'Well...the protagonist will always try to show off to the heroine, ahahah!'
"Eeeh...Jin Liang the duel is starting! For how much time do you intend to pray the Heavens??" Su Li said, impatient.
"Sorry, I'm ready" "With or without the sword?"
"With. We shall show our clan technique."
"Understood"
From the crowd, the prime elder gave a sword to Su Li, as did Jia Liang to his son.
'I hope you trained your 'Ant Slash' enough'
'Forceful Transmigration!'
"Jin Liang...are you confident in taking him down?"
"I think I can defeat him with the aid of my soul cultivation!"
'Eeeh...I guess that by asking him directly what does it mean I would lose my status as an elder'
Jin Liang suddenly executed 'Ant Slash', while Su Li wasn't in a defensive position. It took him in surprise.
"Y-You..."
He continued slashing while Su Li had to move backwards and defend. There were almost no flaws in Jin Liang movements, and if there were they couldn't be exploited by that inexperienced boy. And so the attacks continued while Su Li waited for a mistake by Jin Liang.
"Damn!"
And so Jin Liang momentum abruptly came to a halt.
'Damn you forceful transmigration!'
This was Su Li's moment.
"AAAHH"
He slashed at Raden.
'No time for transmigration!' 'And no energy too...'
Raden was exhausted. It seemed that after Jin Liang cultivated his soul it became more difficult to perform that technique.
At that point, Raden decided to throw caution to the wind. He ran forward meeting Su Li's sword with his, using only the left hand.
CLANG
Raden loosed voluntarily his grip over the sword and became unstable, but because of his great sense of equilibrium, recovered swiftly and with the other hand executed 'True Punch'.
POW
Su Li couldn't expect a move like that: it was just a stupidly risky one! But nonetheless, it worked, being him completely unprepared he was sent flying for 3 meters.
TUNG
"I surr-I surrender" He muttered, covered by dirt
And the crowd exploded into cheers.
"Ehm...sorry for that abrupt move at the start." Raden landed him a hand.
"Ah...d-don't worry there were no rules in this c-competition" Su Li answered, muttering.
He couldn't help but cry...He cried so desperately. It was truly sad.
'Why such desperation?'
Some minutes passed in amazed silence before the delegate could return to conscious.
"Jin Liang wins, are there any others volunteers? Nope?"
Many people in the crowd were scared by Raden display of powers: his sense of equilibrium, his speed, his decisiveness...They'd be idiots if they tried to fight someone who defeated a 2 small realms higher cultivator with the same or lower cultivation state.
"Jin Liang wins!"
<<Mission Accomplished>>
<<You obtained Peak Sky Grade Book 'Soul Arts Vol. II>>
<<System update: Time requirement 2 hours. The system functions like reading books, classifying objects, etc. can't be used in this period. Accept or Postpone?>>
'Accept.'
"Hey, tell me what you want to say."
"Hmm?"
"Jin Liang! You did great in the test! Ahah, I said you could do it!" It was Xue Liang.
"Ah, really? Eheh..." Raden repeated. 'I don't even have to fake embarrassment...'
"Hm! This is good, I'm sure you'll shine in the viscounty too!"
'Why, did Jin Liang shine here?' 'Ah, I should be cooperating with him...'
"Wait a moment!"
"Ehh?" She replied, scared by his abrupt change.
"What is Su Li doing?" He pointed at him.
"Hmm?" She turned.."
"Hey, Jin Liang focus yourself onto my body and try using your soul to enter it"
"O-ok..."
'Forceful Transmigration!'
<<You've created a secondary technique! Consensient Transmigration>>
'Eheh! A genius!'
"So...you're going to the viscounty..." She said, sadly.
"Yeah, do you want to come?" He replied excitedly.
'Hey, don't you think that there's a reason for why she is sad?' Raden thought to himself.
**********
In Jin Liang room.
"How did he accept your unfair start move while still crying at the loss of this match?" Raden asked.
"Actually the reason he tries to move to the higher status countries is for his father, he fell ill to a rare disease and it is said that only alchemists of those countries can help him." Jin Liang said.
"But still..."
"Ah...it is because he still doesn't want to sacrifice everything for him: he values intellectual honesty very highly"
"I understand...Ahhh"
<<System update comleted>>
<<Added the Stats Screen!>>
'Ohhh finally some serious stuff' "Hehe"
<< Stats >>
<<Name: Raden -
Qi cultivation realm: Mid Qi Gathering
Soul cultivation realm: Late Soul Tempering (55% compatibility)
Body cultivation realm: Late First Stage
Cultivation Art(s): Temper the Body, Devour the Qi (lv.1)
Skills: True Punch (Comprehension); Forceful Transmigration (Initiation); Ant Slash (No
available data); Soul Perception (Initiation)>>
'Ugh...who gave the name to the body cultivation realms must overflow with creativity...it seems'
"Why are you dozing off?" Jin Liang questioned. "You're acting strangely..."
"Why, can't I?"
"..."