Chapter 44: Flying Sword
Zhang Yu could tell at a glance that the flying swords on the field were a completely different beast from the children’s flying sword his predecessor had once bought; they were obviously not something one could master casually.
Confronted with the murmurs of discontent from the entire audience, the host’s expression remained unchanged as he finished reciting the advertisement, then proceeded to announce the rules for the first round of the competition.
The flying swords currently floating on the field were products of the Nine Heavens Flying Sword company, a type of civilian-grade magic flying sword.
It was claimed that one needed no training in any sword-wielding arts, required no minimum Dao heart level, and could control the flying sword simply through variations in magic power output, testing one’s ability to control a flying sword with magic power.
The scabbard of this flying sword acted as a remote control and magic transmitter. By varying the frequency, type, and magnitude of the inputted magic power, one could control the flying sword.
The specific content of this round was for the competing students to use the flying swords to strike signal plates dancing in mid-air; the faster the speed and the more precise the force, the higher the score.
The total score for this round, just like the upcoming second and third rounds, was 100 points.
Ultimately, the final rankings of this Magic Power Competition would be determined by the sum of the scores from all three rounds.
As the operating manuals for the flying swords were distributed, the students were given half an hour to study.
Behind the White Dragon High School team, a middle-aged man in a tracksuit smiled faintly and said, “So it’s still a test of magic power control, then? At least it’s not too outrageous. I thought we were going to have to learn sword-wielding arts on the spot.”
This was White Dragon High School’s competition coach, a man named Han Xingye.
Unlike Songyang High School, where magic power class teachers served as competition advisors, White Dragon High School had teachers who specialized in competitions.
Hearing Han Xingye’s words, Song Hailong, who stood beside him, touched his own sky-high hair and said casually, “This is the first competition for our year.”
“Coach, help me take a look and see if there are any noteworthy opponents here, especially the quality of this year’s students from Purple Cloud and Red Pagoda.”
As the three most powerful high schools in Songyang City, if nothing unexpected happened, many of the opponents White Dragon High School, Purple Cloud High School, and Red Pagoda High School would be competing against for the next three years were likely present on this field.
Han Xingye readily agreed to Song Hailong’s request.
Aside from Song Hailong’s outstanding academic performance, it was, of course, due to his status as someone from an unquestionably wealthy family.
This chosen scion from one of Songyang City’s great families was a descendant who ranked at the top of his family’s KPIs, and could be called the ace of his generation in the Song family.
Han Xingye nodded, his fingertips swiping repeatedly across his Talisman Tome, and in the next moment, accompanied by a burst of magic power output, he had already activated the Heaven’s Eye Talisman.
This Heaven’s Eye Talisman was a spell to respectfully request the God of Celestial Knowledge and Myriad Questions from the Department of the People to evaluate the individuals he saw.
This evaluation gathered a person’s comprehensive and vague profile based on all-encompassing data, from bank deposits and personal assets to school grades, work performance, and family relationships.
Disliked the vagueness and wanted more detail, more specifics? Then one would need a higher faith level and would have to spend more money.
In short, the efficacy of the Heaven’s Eye Talisman was simple: the more detailed, the more expensive; the more vague, the cheaper.
As Han Xingye looked out over the entire venue, he naturally didn’t dare to check any detailed evaluations. He was afraid a single glance would bankrupt him, knowing full well that such things were not without precedent in the history of Kunxu.
The moment the Heaven’s Eye Talisman activated, a cloud of golden light particles converged into Han Xingye’s eyes.
As he looked across the entire scene, he could see different evaluations appearing above each person’s head.
Not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning.
Not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning, bankrupt gambling addict, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning.
Not worth mentioning, Ice-Skinned and Jade-Boned (Expand Details), not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning.
“Hm?”
Han Xingye’s gaze shifted as he noticed that a female student from Purple Cloud High School had actually leaped up into the spectator stands.
“Is that Le Mulan from Purple Cloud? Why did she climb up there? Is she looking at the competition’s signal plates?”
He looked closer, and the evaluation above her head immediately expanded.
Ice-Skinned and Jade-Boned / Booster Fiend / High Caste / Purple Cloud Loyalist / Untouchable Beauty
He was an old hand with the Heaven’s Eye Talisman, after all, and though the terms were a bit complex at first glance, Han Xingye pondered the vague evaluations for a moment and quickly pieced together their probable meaning.
“She’s a high-quality, wealthy individual with a special constitution, a high tolerance for boosters, excellent grades, unwavering loyalty to Purple Cloud High School, and a complex background.”
“Boosters? Constitution?”
Han Xingye grew thoughtful, sending the keywords to Song Hailong before turning his attention to the others present.
Just as he was sizing up the students on the field, the competition officially began.
The venue was divided into eighteen sub-arenas, and in each round, eighteen contestants were randomly drawn to take the stage, controlling flying swords in their respective arenas to shoot at the signal plates in mid-air.
In Han Xingye’s eyes, a stream of ‘not worth mentioning’ students from ordinary high schools took the stage. They were like fumbling rookies, clumsily operating the flying swords, and doing well to hit even one or two of the mid-air signal plates, earning them a mere 10 or 20 points from the judges.
“Looks like none of them have ever used a flying sword before, have they?”
Han Xingye knew that although this round was nominally a test of magic power control, prior experience with flying swords made all the difference.
Especially when it came to the control of space, distance, accuracy, and speed. A first-timer, no matter how strong their magic power control, would likely struggle to achieve a high score.
But for the students of the three great academies, playing with flying swords was hardly a rare experience.
For instance, among the ten students from his White Dragon High School competing this time, each of their families owned at least four or five flying swords.
He even knew that Song Hailong’s family possessed an entire sword vault containing hundreds of flying swords, and he had surely lost count of how many times he had handled them.
At the same time, besides the endless stream of ‘not worth mentioning’ individuals, students with ‘Rare’ and ‘Elite’ evaluations began to appear on stage in Han Xingye’s Heaven’s Eye Talisman vision.
Han Xingye knew these were typically the top students from ordinary high schools or the elite students from key high schools.
“Getting 30 or 40 points would be impressive enough for them.”
“Their magic power control is weak to begin with, and they’ve never used a flying sword. If it weren’t for the genuinely good quality of the Nine Heavens flying swords, they probably couldn’t even hit a single signal plate._
At this thought, Han Xingye felt a flicker of temptation, wondering if he should buy a Nine Heavens magic flying sword for himself.
Just then, his gaze shifted slightly, and amidst the crowd of ‘not worth mentioning,’ ‘rare,’ and ‘elite,’ he finally spotted a different evaluation.
Pure-hearted Score-Grubber
Han Xingye looked at the student’s uniform; it appeared to be someone from Songyang High School.
In the arena, Qian Shen took a deep breath and slowly gripped the scabbard of the flying sword before him.
The next moment, as he channeled a stream of magic power into it, the flying sword shot out of the sheath with a swoosh.
The flying sword was all blade, with no hilt, and it soared skyward like a streak of cold light, heading for the signal plates in mid-air.
Although he hadn’t used one much, Qian Shen had tried his grandfather’s magic flying sword a few times.
Following the techniques his family tutor had taught him, he now slowly infused magic power into the scabbard, controlling the flying sword by altering the rhythm of the magic power flow, striking one signal plate after another with a series of swooshes.
72 points.
Seeing his score for this round, Qian Shen breathed a small sigh of relief.
“Not bad, that should be an acceptable result.”
On the other side, Han Xingye glanced at the score of 72 and secretly shook his head.
“Sigh, Songyang High School is an old, key high school, yet the quality of its students declines with each passing year.”
“In the end, they’re just complacent, unwilling to learn from the advanced methods of other schools, like Purple Cloud High School’s score-caste system or our school’s low-score slavery system. Their teaching methods never innovate, so how can they possibly keep up with the times…”
Just as Han Xingye was thinking this, he saw another contestant with a special evaluation appear.
In his eyes, Lian Tianji from Purple Cloud High School walked onto the stage with the words ‘Son of Heavenly Diligence’ above his head, and with a flick of his arm, he sent the flying sword out, swiftly racking up 90 points.
“That seems to be Lian Tianji, the one in Purple Cloud High School’s current year who is the best match for the Heavenly Diligence Art.”
As more and more contestants took their turns, Han Xingye’s eyes roamed the venue, and he began to see an increasing number of exceptional students.
A ‘Son of the School Director’ from Songyang High School had just appeared, scoring 78 points.
Le Mulan, the ‘Ice-Skinned and Jade-Boned’ from Purple Cloud High School, created a sensation the moment she appeared, scoring a staggering 95 points, the highest so far, drawing gasps of amazement from the entire audience.
As Han Xingye’s gaze swept the area, a particular woman suddenly caught his attention.
Sword Freak (Expand Details)
“Oh? A student from Songyang High School?”
Han Xingye watched Bai Zhenzhen walk onto the stage. He knew that individuals with an ‘expandable’ tag usually had complex backgrounds, indicating extraordinary origins, strength, or talent, but he had never expected to find one among the students of Songyang High School.
His gaze narrowed slightly, and he saw a line of text expand above Bai Zhenzhen’s head.
Sword Freak / Fist Freak / Palm Freak / Blade Freak / Spear Freak / Booster Freak / Score Tyrant / Loan Slave / Card Slave / Proponent of Daoist arts’ Uselessness / Songyang Hater / She is very poor…
Looking at the evaluation that was too long to be read in a single breath, Han Xingye was profoundly shocked.
He never thought he would find himself shocked while looking at a student from Songyang High School, and for the sole reason that her profile was just too complex, far beyond that of an ordinary person.
The next moment, however, his shock subsided slightly, simply because her score was 34 points.
“I don’t know why the evaluation is so long, but judging from that score, this woman is not worth mentioning.”
Soon, his attention was drawn to Song Hailong.
Before this top student from White Dragon High School took the stage, he removed the towering mass of long hair from his head.
Zhang Yu, who was watching this scene, was astonished.
“What the hell! He’s already bald in high school?”
Bai Zhenzhen returned to the rest area with a sullen expression on her face, and hearing Zhang Yu’s surprised exclamation, she pointed and explained, “That’s not a wig, it’s an external spiritual root.”
“An external spiritual root?” Zhang Yu recalled that such a thing existed, but this was the first time he had ever seen one in person.
Bai Zhenzhen said with envy, “This isn’t like those outdated spiritual roots at school. This kind of external spiritual root is plug-and-play, you can swap it out whenever you want. Yu-boy, you better remember this, it’s the birthday present I want most.”
Zhang Yu patted Zhen’s shoulder comfortingly.
“I can’t afford an external spiritual root, but I can definitely help you with the baldness and the wig.”
Bai Zhenzhen rolled her eyes, then continued to stare intently at the hairpiece Song Hailong had placed on a chair, contemplating the possibility of snatching it.
But after a look at the surrounding students and teachers, she could only let out a long sigh.
After Song Hailong took the stage, he felt the magic power circulating within him as if it were an extension of his own limbs, and a faint smile touched his lips.
Equipping a spiritual root to enhance magic power, to make it surge dramatically?
Such a peasant’s way of thinking.
Song Hailong had only one purpose for equipping an external spiritual root: to train his magic power control during the more turbulent processes of breathing exercises for spiritual energy and magic power refinement.
Only the weak worry about losing control over a magic power surge brought on by spiritual energy. For a powerhouse like me, it’s the perfect training opportunity.
He gripped the scabbard in one hand, and with a release of magic power from his palm, the flying sword shot out like a bolt of lightning.
From the sidelines, Han Xingye watched his student on the field wield the flying sword as if it were a bolt of lightning, instantly racking up 100 points to become the new highest scorer in the venue, a proud expression spreading across his face.
100 points is only because the maximum score is 100.
With the sheer volume of Song Hailong’s magic power, the intensity of his magic power control, and his mastery of the flying sword, he was held back by the score limit in this round.
Meanwhile, after Bai Zhenzhen returned to the rest area, Teacher Yan’s gaze frequently swept over her.
Bai Zhenzhen only started practicing for the Magic Power Competition recently, didn’t she? Her rate of improvement is remarkably fast. Is it talent? Or just a fluke?
In Teacher Yan’s eyes, however, Bai Zhenzhen’s talent in magic power was ultimately no match for Zhang Yu’s.
A few moments later, when Zhang Yu took the stage, she found herself looking forward to his performance as well.
On the field, Zhang Yu gently gripped the scabbard. As he fed magic power into it bit by bit, he could feel the flying sword within begin to tremble slightly.
Just moments ago, while offstage, Zhang Yu had been contemplating how he could possibly score as high as possible.
His current situation felt as if he had perfectly nimble, unimpaired hands, and someone walked up to him and said: “Oh? You have strong finger control? Let me test you. Use this excavator to open a bottle cap, and we’ll see just how good your finger control really is.”
What the hell, another unjust and unfair competition where the rich have an absolute advantage.
Zhang Yu complained silently in his heart.
This flying sword feels like a drone, or maybe a racing drone. Even if my magic power control is exquisite, since I’ve never used one of these before, there’s no way I can control it with any real skill.
The thought of having to maneuver this flying sword back and forth to hit those palm-sized signal plates in mid-air felt incredibly difficult to Zhang Yu.
So, I can’t treat it like a traditional flying sword…
A Chat About the New Book, Seeking Your Continued Support
Let’s have a chat about the new book, and I’d like to ask for your continued support in reading along.
The new book has been out for nearly a month now, and so many readers are enjoying it. As the author, I am incredibly happy—so happy that I wish I could keep my phone in my pocket to check it all day long.
The initial inspiration for this book likely stems from Cyberpunk. However, I have always felt a certain disconnect with Western Cyberpunk content. What I wanted to write was Immortal Dao Cyberpunk, similar to the difference between standard Cthulhu and Chinese-style Cthulhu.
Some veteran readers might know that I started attempting something similar as far back as three books ago, in Tribulation of Tomorrow. However, at that time, my understanding of Cyberpunk was quite superficial—consisting merely of cool equipment, prosthetics usable by everyone, and mass-produced combat power.
I can only say that the Cyber elements back then were merely fashion accessories in my book, serving only as embellishments.
By the time of the book before the last one, Talisman of the Old Days, I tried incorporating content regarding loans and debt repayment within the cultivation system. I attempted to construct a loop of interests with a stronger Cyber style, which finally established a bit of a genuine Immortal Dao Cyber atmosphere. However, my skill was still lacking, and my understanding was insufficient, so I failed to capture the specific Immortal Dao Cyber flavor I wanted.
Then came my previous book, I Said I Could Turn Back Time, where I directly depicted the Immortal World as a Cyber Immortal World. Unfortunately, due to inconsistent styles between the beginning and end, combined with my poor health and the protagonist becoming too overpowered, I couldn’t properly flesh out that Immortal World, and the story ended hastily.
Now, after several years of accumulation, I have a much deeper understanding of the Immortal Dao Cyber flavor I desire. I feel that I can finally write a unique and interesting novel.
As more and more readers flood in, this book has shifted from being purely for my own interest to something that carries a growing sense of responsibility. Reading the words you leave behind every day makes me feel that I must not let down the profound love shown by so many readers.
However, this book is truly difficult to write. Because the worldview and the characters’ mindsets are quite unique, I constantly need to shift my mindset to keep writing. Sometimes, as I write… I unknowingly slip into “normal” thinking and make the plot too conventional. I then have to delete and rewrite; for instance, I just deleted two chapters.
Coupled with the fact that the worldview needs constant deduction and development, I can never write fast enough… laughing-crying face.
Finally, I want to say, dear readers, that you all display magical prowess in the chapter comments. Your stunning brilliance is truly at the peak of perfection, putting people like me to shame.
I have felt the talent and passion rushing toward me. To repay this enthusiasm, I have decided to postpone the premium launch date (originally scheduled for December 1st) and provide more free chapters as a bonus. I simply want to do better! ~(＾◇^)/
I hope you will continue to support and follow the story. Your readership and chapter comments are the driving force behind this book’s progress! Please also recommend it to your friends and bring them along to take a look at Kunxu.
Ladies and gentlemen of talent, let me see your limits!
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