Chapter 42: The Magic Power Competition Roster
On the bus.
Because the Magic Power Competitions for the first, second, and third years were held at different times, the only ones on the bus rented by Songyang High School were the contestants from Zhang Yu’s grade level.
He Dayou looked in Zhang Yu’s direction, a thoughtful expression in his eyes as he recalled the other boy’s recent efforts.
With his magic power recently surging to a level of 15.4, Zhang Yu had already claimed the number one rank in their grade.
However, the thought that Zhang Yu had probably spent all his time just to raise his magic power left He Dayou rather unimpressed.
Is it all for the Magic Power Competition?
The Magic Power Competition isn’t just a contest of who has more magic power.
He Dayou was well aware that if it were not for his focus on building a solid foundation to master his magic power control, his family could have easily poured more money into it and made him number one in the grade long ago.
This was also why at Songyang High School, the gap in magic power between wealthy students and the poor ones only truly widened in the second year.
Their families’ experience had taught them that the first year was primarily for building a foundation.
Excessively pursuing a higher magic power value, on the contrary, would likely result in insufficient control, a flaw that could take a very long time to correct.
He Dayou continued his train of thought, In the Magic Power Competition, a high magic power level is just the basic threshold; what truly determines one’s rank is their control over that magic power…
At this, he sighed inwardly. At the end of the day, unless it’s a sports competition, which is Songyang’s strength, we’re just going through the motions in the Magic Power Competition. We’re just here to be background props for those freaks from the three great schools.
In a seat on the other side of the bus.
Zhang Yu looked at Bai Zhenzhen, who was resting with her eyes closed, and asked, “So? Are you going to tell me who we’re meeting now?”
Bai Zhenzhen rolled her eyes at him and took out her phone, aiming it at him.
Zhang Yu saw a line of text appear on the screen: Prying ears are nearby. Let’s talk on our phones.
Zhang Yu quickly typed his question, “So who are you taking me to see at this Magic Power Competition?”
Bai Zhenzhen: “The poor kids from other schools.”
A flicker of understanding crossed Zhang Yu’s eyes.
“You mean… there are poor students from other schools who think like us?”
Bai Zhenzhen: “Yes.”
Zhang Yu asked curiously, “Which schools?”
Bai Zhenzhen sent a female gender symbol, followed by a tilde.
Zhang Yu’s eyes widened as he replied in surprise, “A black woman?”
He was genuinely taken aback.
Could it be that Kunxu also has… uh, never mind, also has black people?
Bai Zhenzhen rolled her eyes again, having no idea what he was talking about. She replied directly on her phone, “I’m talking about students from the girls’ school, and soul cultivators.”
Hearing these two answers, it instantly clicked for Zhang Yu.
That’s right. How many wealthy people would undergo gender reassignment surgery, or even abandon their physical bodies, just to get into high school?
Mount Mang High School and the Saintess Academy—these two schools were natural havens for the poor.
The top-ranked students there were inevitably poor as well.
After pouring their heart and soul into graduating with excellent grades, how could they not want to break through their shackles and get into a top-tier university?
Wait.
A new question popped into Zhang Yu’s head.
“Soul cultivators can compete too?”
Bai Zhenzhen shook her head.
“They probably aren’t here to compete. It seems they’re here to assist the referees, help with event coverage, and act as spectators.”
…
The bus slowly pulled into the campus of a high school.
This was the venue for the Magic Power Competition: Red Pagoda High School, one of the three great schools of Songyang City.
The group of students from Songyang High School followed their supervising teacher, Ms. Yan, into an indoor stadium, where they saw many other students already waiting.
The variety of colorful and uniquely styled school uniforms indicated that they all came from different high schools across Songyang City.
The moment the group from Songyang High School stepped into the stadium, countless gazes immediately swept over them.
Someone remarked internally, Songyang is here too? Another powerhouse.
Another person observed them carefully, thinking, Their presence is so strong. Is this what the top students from a key high school are like?
Yet another person gloated, So what if they’re from a key high school? They’re still here to be our foils, just like the rest of us.
Upon reaching the preparation area assigned to Songyang High School, Ms. Yan began reminding the students of what to look out for.
“There are three events in today’s competition. Pay attention to your magic power distribution, and whatever you do, don’t get nervous. Just treat it like a regular practice session…”
After Ms. Yan dismissed them to rest and use the restroom, Qian Shen hurried off to check the list of competitors.
He took out his phone and began looking up scores while cross-referencing the names on the list.
“White Dragon High School, Song Hailong, 682 on the last monthly exam.”
“Purple Cloud High School, Le Mulan, 678 on the last monthly exam.”
“Hiss…”
The more scores he checked, the more Qian Shen sucked in a sharp breath.
“They’re all monsters.”
Meanwhile, Zhang Yu was heading to the restroom with Bai Zhenzhen when he suddenly felt a heavy pressure suffuse the air.
The spiritual energy… was in turmoil!
It felt like jumping from the shallow end of a pool directly into the deep end.
The two of them instantly whipped their heads around, looking in the direction the pressure was coming from.
They saw a group of people in white uniforms walking slowly into the stadium.
Each of their white uniforms bore a different number, from 1 to 10.
Zhang Yu was baffled.
“What’s this? Have the Ten Blades arrived?”
What he didn’t know was that these were the special uniforms of White Dragon High School, each capable of displaying a number.
After every monthly exam, the numbers on their chests and backs would update to show their new rank.
The numbers 1 through 10 on these ten students represented their status as the top ten in their grade.
What Zhang Yu did know, however, was that the source of the disturbance in the spiritual energy was the one leading the group.
He was a giant of a man, two and a half meters tall, built like a titan, with long hair that shot straight up into the sky.
Seeing everyone’s eyes on him, the giant grinned, rubbing his sky-piercing hair with an embarrassed look.
“Sorry, everyone,” he said. “I just got this Heavenly Spiritual Root and I’m not quite used to it. I’ll try my best to control it…”
With a low grunt from him, the pressure in the air slowly subsided, returning to normal.
Bai Zhenzhen watched the scene unfold, speechless.
“Showing off his wealth the second he walks in. These disgusting rich people are the worst.”
But the thought that she would likely lose to people like him in the upcoming competition filled her with another wave of helplessness.
After the past few days of cramming and practice, Bai Zhenzhen had confirmed one thing: when it came to pure magic power control, her talent was far inferior to Zhang Yu’s. She was destined to just be playing a minor part in this competition.
On the other side of the room, Qian Shen stared at the uniforms of the White Dragon High School students, the scores he had just looked up flashing in his mind.
After matching each student to the number on their uniform, he looked at the giant and thought, He must be Song Hailong. The leader of White Dragon High School’s year, an absolute monster with a score of 682. He might as well be a super-species that has developed reproductive isolation from the rest of us.
He Dayou looked toward Song Hailong and raised an eyebrow.
“What a show-off. But he’s competing with a Heavenly Spiritual Root? His magic power must surge uncontrollably. It should be hard for him to manage, right?”
Not long after White Dragon High School’s arrival, the sound of rushing air whistled from outside the stadium, and a massive flying ship came to a halt in the sky above the venue.
At the sight, the countless students from ordinary high schools held their breath, feeling an aura of immense wealth instantly sweep over them.
A group of students in purple uniforms descended from the flying ship. Zhang Yu recognized one of them as Lian Tianji, who had also been at the art exhibition.
Zhang Yu had even exchanged contact information with him afterward and often saw his name in the top three of the daily step-count leaderboard.
Lian Tianji seemed to have spotted Zhang Yu as well. He smiled and waved, then appeared to say something to the girl beside him before pointing in Zhang Yu’s direction.
The girl, whose face was like ice, looked where Lian Tianji was pointing and gave Zhang Yu a distant nod.
Zhang Yu thought to himself, She looks like a real ice queen beauty, not a phony one like Zhen.
Qian Shen was also looking at the Purple Cloud High School team, searching for photos of Le Mulan online to compare. His gaze finally locked onto the aloof girl next to Lian Tianji.
“That must be Purple Cloud High School’s Le Mulan, a high-caste being with a score of 678. In her eyes, anyone with a score below 650 is probably no different from dirt!”
Shortly after the teams from White Dragon High and Purple Cloud High had made their appearances, the team from the host, Red Pagoda High School, finally made their belated entrance.
But when Zhang Yu saw the most conspicuous person among them, he blurted out in surprise, “A demon?”
Bai Zhenzhen immediately leaped to the side and pointed at Zhang Yu.
“Hey, hey, hey! Watch your terminology. It’s a demon-kin citizen of Songyang City.”
Although the student wore a school uniform, his glossy red fur, thick tail, and round face made him look exactly like a red panda.
As Zhang Yu looked at this red panda-like student, an overwhelming sense of weakness washed over him.
He asked curiously, “No, but how did this red panda get into Red Pagoda High School? It couldn’t have been his innocent smile, could it?”
Although he had to admit the red panda’s smile was indeed very pure, Zhang Yu was certain he had to possess some special talent to get into a key high school and participate in the competition.
Bai Zhenzhen shrugged. “Demon-kin citizens of Songyang City are generally quite gifted in physical strength, but looking at him… I feel like I could take down three of him with one punch.”
“Then he must have a special talent for magic power?”
Chatting, the two of them entered separate restrooms.
After they were finished, Bai Zhenzhen pulled Zhang Yu along, following directions from a message on her phone to a viewing stand on the second floor of the venue.
Two girls were already waiting there. Zhang Yu recognized one of them as Wu Qingqing from the Saintess Academy, the girl who had also been at the art exhibition.
Zhang Yu’s gaze shifted slightly as he looked at the other girl.
Then she must be a heavy hitter from the Saintess Academy too?
“Hehe, long time no see.” Wu Qingqing walked over to greet Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen. The girl following her seemed oblivious to the world, one hand holding a book she was reading with her head down, the other pinching the corner of Wu Qingqing’s shirt as she trailed behind.
It felt as though even if Wu Qingqing led her straight into the road to be hit by a truck, she would just keep her head down and follow silently.
“These two are Bai Zhenzhen and Zhang Yu, the impoverished geniuses from Songyang High School.”
After the introduction, Wu Qingqing pushed the bookish girl forward.
“This is Ye Xianyun, the top-ranked first-year at our Saintess Academy.”
She added proudly, “She’s also the only girl in our honors class who hasn’t had the surgery.”
Zhang Yu: Seriously, what is there to be proud of?
Ye Xianyun looked up and gave the two of them a silent nod before lowering her head to her book again.