Chapter 242: I Don’t Want Such a First Place!
Early Morning.
In the moment just before the sun rises, it is the darkest time of the day.
A tsunami triggered by the Sea Tribe has swallowed the land and forests, turning the surrounding areas into a sea, leaving only that piece of land protected by the Aphhemia World Tree standing firm above the waves.
With Enara’s d*ath, it is unknown where she will be resurrected in the Ancient Battlefield, but all that awaits them is either d*ath again or a withdrawal from the competition.
Without the difficult resistance from the Sea Tribe, the speed of the Ancient Battlefield’s erosion is even more terrifying than on land, especially after that tsunami; the collision of seawater erosion and the erosion from the Ancient Battlefield has made the battlefield spread like a virus into the depths of the sea, eroding the Sea Tribe’s foundation.
At that moment, a huge ice floe carrying the War Fortress crashed against the shoreline, which was nothing but desolate wasteland, signifying that the erosion from the Ancient Battlefield has reached its endpoint on land.
As a result, the Witch Academy and the Inferior Demon Academy have actively severed their contractual relationships.
The power of the past phantoms reached their peak at this moment, including the sea beast forms of the past phantoms within the sea as they frantically gnawed at the island protected by the World Tree.
At this moment, the weather in the sea has been fully assimilated by the Ancient Battlefield, thunderclouds like natural disasters raging across the sea’s surface, surging waves forming a relentless onslaught against the shore.
Perhaps the elves didn’t expect that the predictions they made would deviate so much from the events unfolding now.
They watched in horror as the shield supported by the World Tree began to darken slowly; flashes of lightning illuminated the pitch-black sky momentarily.
The World Tree was withering at this moment, its branches drooping, leaves yellowing, as if hinting that this place had completely fallen into the end.
And in fact, that was indeed the case.
“Don’t struggle anymore. The exchange tournament has reached this point. There’s no meaning in dragging it out any longer; let’s end this farce of a competition in the now deserted night.”
I rode on my broom, staring at the group of elves under the protection of the World Tree, and then spoke.
“Your attitude in speaking really needs to be corrected,” the elves responded unceremoniously.
“Xiao Han, just wait a bit; there’s no need to rush this time,” Tan Han stepped forward and said to me.
At this moment, the shields protecting the elves were not like the shields of a Wizard Tower, but rather a protection formed in response to their prayers by the World Tree itself. Even though the World Tree had begun to wither, its protection remained firm without a single flaw, but this type of protection eventually has an end.
“Yang Yuelan! I think it’s necessary to take this opportunity to clarify some matters!”
At this moment, Yao Beijuan decisively stepped forward because she knew that this was her final opportunity; previously, she had been silently hiding in the back, afraid to speak up.
She thought that her earlier rise to fame would allow her to enter the Aphhemia Academy, and from then on, she would belong to two different worlds than her opponents, but the world is just so coincidental.
She could foresee that in the future, they would also be two worlds apart, and this moment might be the only intersection, but the other party had already soared high into the skies, while she ultimately had fallen back to her original self.
She did not understand why it had turned out this way; clearly, they had all been so ordinary in the past, and now they were all accepted by prestigious schools. They were all on the same starting line in the path of the extraordinary, so why could the other party accomplish such things?
She thought that the last message she sent during the holiday would elicit a reply from the other party, but it turned out to be the last message in a private chat, making her feel like a self-righteous clown in hindsight.
“I’m listening; go ahead,” I silently looked at Yao Beijuan, my eyes seeming to view a stranger. I wasn’t worried that this gaze or my actions would hurt her because that wasn’t something I should be concerned with.
Just like at that time, she wouldn’t consider my feelings when she sent me that message during the holidays.
“From now on, I won’t cause you any trouble; this is what you’re hoping for, right?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
“Don’t say thank you; I hate it when you say that. Always saying thank you for everything…”
“Okay, fine.”
I continued nodding; it was true in the past, encountering something always required a thank you, and for anything wrong done, I would always apologize. This had been a habit carried over from a previous life, perhaps I didn’t even pay much attention to it myself.
“You… forget it, you’re just a blockhead, completely lacking in emotional intelligence. No wonder your parents sold you to the Inferior Demon Academy.”
“You know…”
I was surprised by Yao Beijuan’s words, but she was obviously trying to steer the topic here, although the transition was somewhat stiff.
“Yes, I know. I’ve met your parents in secret without telling you… It was after that meeting that I started contemplating a breakup; I don’t want to say anything more about what your uncle and aunt said; you know them better than I do.”
“Saying these things is pointless. If there’s nothing else to discuss, I think we can stop here.”
“Don’t you care? They advised me to break up with you! They were matchmaking your brother and me; they’ve been in contact with the Inferior Demon Academy for a long time! Just for that so-called inherent spirit vision thing I don’t understand…”
“Inherent spirit vision?” At this moment, Tan Han’s pupils suddenly constricted upon hearing this term, and the concept associated with it immediately surged forth.
“Are you sure you know too much?” I asked in a deep voice. They definitely wouldn’t share these matters with Yao Beijuan, who met them in secret.
“I…” Yao Beijuan didn’t know how to explain it for a moment.
She really didn’t want to recall the scenes of facing them back then; all she could say was that after not being on the same level, she just wanted to escape it all quickly.
“If you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to. I have no interest in it at all.”
Each word Yao Beijuan spoke attempted to pull me back to days gone by, which was also a past I didn’t want to recall.
My patience had run out at that moment.
“Do you really not care about your past? Just ask your teacher; they’ll provide you with more detailed information than I ever would. Are you trying to say goodbye to your past? Do you not know that you might not even be your parents’ biological child…”
“Enough! I advise you to shut up.” I violently interrupted her words. I had already let her say so much, which was enough to prove that I could not ignore the past.
But at least not right now; right now, I was not ready to face those painful truths.
After fully saying goodbye to my past, I was indeed trying to maintain a beautiful image of the concept of “parents” in my memories, but every time I faced them, I would feel a surge of nausea…
“You yell at me, and I thought you would only be silent. But that’s all I want to say; go figure it out for yourself! I said this for my own sake, you know I’m the type who can’t keep secrets, I’ve said everything that needs to be said, and we will have no further relationship!”
At this moment, Yao Beijuan almost shouted these words to me, as if she was… no, she was venting; she just didn’t know if she was totally breaking this relationship in her heart or pouring out the grievances suffered in the exchange tournament.
Perhaps it was both, but I wouldn’t care about that.
At this moment, everything seemed to fall into a strange silence in the dark, just like the conversation between Yao Beijuan and me left the others who heard it astounded.
They had never heard such a melodramatic story unfold right before their eyes.
Just hearing the keywords like not biological, inherent spirit vision, sold to the academy, met the parents, breakup… they couldn’t quite wrap their heads around it.
“Xiao Han…”
“I’m fine; consider her just joking.” I raised a smile toward Tan Han, who looked somewhat concerned.
Perhaps I really didn’t have the talent for easing the atmosphere; at that moment, everything seemed to feel heavier than before.
But that was fine; time would dull everything. I just needed to achieve the extraordinary witch step by step, acquire an everlasting lifespan, and once everything settled, I would go to their graves to pay my respects, commemorating my parents who were once there.
Even if people said I was avoiding it, then let it be; many things are just a mire, and once trapped in it, no matter what action is taken, it will only make one sink deeper.
Time passed slowly, just as I had anticipated, washing away the oppressive atmosphere of the night.
And just after the sun rose, the Aphhemia World Tree emitted an ancient cracking sound of wood beneath the first rays of sunlight; this was its limit.
The shield it upheld now showed visible cracks, and under the relentless assault of the past phantoms, the World Tree revealed signs of fatigue.
“All elves better be prepared! This will be our last battle!”
“Show me your fighting spirit, elves!”
At this moment, the elves faced the rising sun, bidding farewell to the World Tree.
Though they knew all of this was false, after they were reborn in this world as elves, they held the purest faith in their Mother Goddess.
On the other side.
“Xiao Han, are you okay? You haven’t slept at all during the second half of the night…”
“I’m fine. It’s time to put an end to this exchange tournament.” I rose and spoke.
As two figures appeared in the elves’ line of sight, the inevitable slaughter began in the morning.
When the ice spikes of the ancient relic pierced through the elves’ last layer of decency, snow and ice flooded in, a terrifying chill charging with a dreadful momentum pierced through the chest of the leader of the Aphhemia Academy.
Without the support of the World Tree, at this moment they had lost the qualification to engage in equal dialogue and battle with Tan Han.
The arrows enhanced by the natural forces and their proud elven spells were successively shattered before absolute power.
Perhaps the elves had no intention of victory the moment the shield shattered.
Everything seemed to settle at this moment; however, for Tan Han and me, it hadn’t reached an end yet…
Because the battle was just beginning at this moment.
“Yang Yuelan! Let our battle begin!”
Tan Han was still in the transformation state of the ancient relic, her voice slightly deep but firm.
At this moment, the elves that had not yet been killed were also puzzled, wondering why Tan Han did not k*ll them but instead roared toward Yang Yuelan.
But soon they would understand why, for Tan Han had never regarded them as worthy opponents.
“Really without hesitation…”
I was not surprised by Tan Han’s decisiveness; I was just shocked by her speed of action.
But I was still ready with my response.
This included all of Tan Han’s full-powered strikes, which had been summarized after countless failures in the previous dreams.
“If I hesitate even for a moment, you’ll pull me into your rhythm. This time, I will… take the lead in this battle!” There was no confusion in Tan Han’s eyes, only determination.
After that time she passed out, Tan Han began to reflect; she was not someone who knew only how to fight.
That prolonged combat had truly taught her a lot and made her understand many things.
She had always been suppressed by Xiao Han, forcibly indoctrinated with the latter’s concepts and thoughts, but she had to admit this had a significant impact on her.
Yet she also discovered this wasn’t the path for her.
Upon realizing the gap in spirit vision between her and Xiao Han, she knew this was a path not meant for everyone.
If she chose to walk this road, then it would be akin to personally denying that her previous efforts were in vain.
Neither Teacher Ji nor Teacher Lina had unknowingly awakened her; there was no need to follow someone else’s path in the extraordinary journey. The most suitable path was the best one.
She understood this principle, but truly realizing it like she was now was extremely difficult.
However, at this moment, Tan Han had made up her mind.
“I… Tan Han, will respond to your previous teachings. I will show you that my previous efforts… were not in vain!”
What had Tan Han’s previous efforts amounted to?
Acquiring numerous magic sources, owning many spellbooks, continually trying in the dream world to adapt and master this extraordinary power.
Constantly learning battle techniques, comprehending the usage of spellbooks, merging her understanding to defeat even stronger enemies!
And the strongest enemy before her was Xiao Han, the one who had knocked her out within a day.
This was the strongest enemy she had encountered.
The other party had also taught her many things: learning through battle, comprehending spellbooks, and applying them!
She would merge this battle philosophy into her familiar system; she did not have such powerful spirit vision to support her altered spellbook, but there was a vast library of spells providing her with countless combinations.
The essence of battle was merely winning or losing! It was a game of tactics, and even included crushing or turning the tables, unrelated to modifications but entirely a matter of strategy.
At this moment, facing Tan Han, I felt the way and sensation were completely different from that time in the dream world.
Tan Han seemed, at that moment, to transform into a battle-hardened expert; pure firepower suppression became mere bubbles.
Now transformed into ancient relic ice, Tan Han cooperated with ice-element shaping spells to apply a reversed pressure on me.
These spells, in Tan Han’s hands, became the most threatening blades that relentlessly forced me toward d*ath.
“You…
My words had not yet played out, but the meaning was already obvious; Tan Han had reached the limit of “micro-modification” control through her understanding of the spellbook, and even the ice-element shaping spells had formed a unique battle system with the ancient relic ice spells.
“Yes, Xiao Han, don’t focus solely on yourself. You’re not the only one progressing; I’m also progressing! And this is only my first step to prove myself!”
Tan Han explained this to me, and her actions became even more fierce, the battle’s aftermath directly impacting the entire area of the World Tree.
The World Tree’s withering, the disappearance of its shield, and the past phantoms continued to gnaw at the islands in the sea.
Yet the spreading hardened ice and low temperatures froze the sea surface, turning the past phantoms into ice sculptures.
“You don’t need to prove anything to me…” I spoke with a complicated expression; the fact that Tan Han could reach this state indicated she had stepped out of her previous predicament.
She had broken free from my conceptual interference and digested it into her own path.
Was this her confidence to challenge me once again?
“And the second step… I will prove to you that the techniques of battle are equally important! It is the art of battle, the path of continuous learning in combat. If you were to tell me again what you said earlier, this time I wouldn’t be confused. In fact, I would firmly rebut, you have no qualifications to preach your path to me!”
Tan Han’s words carried absolute confidence, firmly believing she had now reached the same height as me, hence she claimed I was unqualified to preach to her.
“And now… for the final step, I will use victory to prove that my path is not incorrect!”
At this moment, both Tan Han’s battle techniques and her faith in victory reached their peak; this was all she could utilize at the end of the exchange tournament without holding back.
She didn’t know if she would faint again after exhausting her energy and all her strength from this battle, but she knew she had no regrets about it.
She would not allow herself to be broken by a fireball spell anymore as she had been the first time, for her technique could prevent such a situation; she would not be led by her nose into the opponent’s rhythm again. This time she would put forth her absolute effort, and throughout it all, she would take charge of the fight; she had fully prepared against her opponent. With Xiao Han lacking purification or dispel spells, she would not hold back with debuffs, curses, and weakening effects.
She didn’t know how Xiao Han would win; at least that was beyond her imagination.
At this moment, under absolute suppression, my thoughts were similar. According to my philosophy, extraordinary power was rarely evenly matched; clashes of power always resulted in crushing victories.
According to my philosophy, at this moment I had already lost because I was on the side being crushed, and the negative effect spells Tan Han used against me were ones I had no means to dispel properly. Even perception enhancement and five senses strengthening couldn’t counter them.
Should I just admit defeat?
After all, everything happening now couldn’t be changed. However, I still had the urge to resist, but once the thought of resistance arose, it would provoke something in me—a breaking of my notions regarding the extraordinary, power, and the combat established through crushing concepts.
To admit I was wrong?
Then I would fall into confusion like Tan Han did at that time.
Thus, not admitting my mistakes meant I had to accept my failure had already become a fact.
No… Tan Han’s strength wasn’t truly crushing against me; compared to the last battle, she hadn’t grown in power to the point of crushing me.
Yet, Tan Han still maintained a dominating position against me… something must surely be overlooked.
Battle techniques…
This was the second step Tan Han was proving to me; it was also the most critical step. Technique oppression was also oppression, as it was a part of strength. Perhaps I had defined things too narrowly from the very beginning.
Power must be manifested through specific means and the application of techniques to be expressed. Wasn’t the usage of a modified spellbook just another combat technique?
There was no distinction from battle techniques.
“I should be the one saying thank you!” I uttered a line that made Tan Han take a moment of surprise; my attitude was also different from before.
It was the same confidence as Tan Han’s, confronting my flaws and shortcomings openly. Technique oppression… just the sound of it was as interesting as the oppression of extraordinary power!
It’s just a shame it couldn’t be fully reflected in this battle.
When recognizing my failures, was that not a kind of success?
This was also in line with my quest for the meaning of combat.
Now, with confusion stripped away, as a return, I would exert my full strength in this combat, grasping no holds barred to impart another lesson to Tan Han!
And the content of this lesson was simple: there was no need for her to prove her efforts, her significance, or her path to me.
“It’s time to demonstrate my progress to you.”
With a wave of my hand, the protection of the Ice Elemental Sprite was bestowed upon me. I fully applied my spells, establishing a unity of knowledge and practice, and began attempting ice elemental resonance.
At that moment, the snowstorm resonated with me.
The snow and ice were no longer an obstruction but had become an extension of myself. Unlike Tan Han’s own ability to control snow and ice, this was a clash of the means of controlling extraordinary elements.
“Let me try this! Focusing—Fireball.” At that moment, I once again incorporated the Fireball Spell into my action; this strike would damage the spellbook, but it didn’t matter at that moment.
A series of counterattacks, along with the out-of-control ice and snow, instantly disrupted Tan Han’s rhythm; but waiting for her was a concentrated fireball spell.
The target was precisely her ancient relic ice transformation ritual.
Faced with such a twist, Tan Han hurriedly utilized her combat techniques to evade the strike.
The formidable penetrating effect of the focus technique could not be blocked even by dwarven artifacts, and at that moment, Tan Han’s solid ice body was pierced at her arms by this hit.
The clash of fire and ice erupted into terrifying steam.
But before the steam could dissipate, and before Tan Han’s body could recover, a massive shadow appeared in the sky above.
When the water vapor cleared, the fully prepared Tan Han froze for a moment upon seeing this strike.
It was a giant sword, the very one stuck in the Wizard Tower, now hovering above her.
And at that moment, I activated the protection of the Fire Elemental Sprite alongside the Fireball Spell, igniting the blade’s tip.
“Tan Han, with this lesson, I will teach you one thing: you don’t need to prove anything to me! Just like the defeat you’re about to face, it does not negate your efforts!”
As I shouted this, the giant sword fell, piercing through the body of Tan Han’s ancient relic ice form.
Everything turned into the aftermath of the battle at this moment.
The ignited sword tip, although unable to destroy the core of Tan Han’s transformation ritual, still dealt her an absolute severe blow.
“Thank you, Tan Han, for teaching me something very important.”
“Moreover… this time, let you experience the feeling of a glorious defeat; you’ve won this battle, and you understood something on a higher level than I did before.”
After this strike, I landed smoothly.
At this moment, the leaderboard opened; I ranked first by a few points ahead of Tan Han due to the previous slaughter.
However, once Tan Han cleared away those minor players, she would likely surpass me.
Tan Han taught me something more important than the reward of being first; recognizing my shortcomings was far more valuable than any reward. Rewards were merely resources, magic sources, and spellbooks—none of these mattered. What I needed was vital. Simply piling up magic sources and spellbooks served no purpose; there would always be a way to acquire those things.
I was no longer the ignorant freshman who was nothing before.
Let me take this opportunity to compensate for having put Tan Han in a severe state of injury in such a manner.
Thinking of this, I turned to look at Tan Han.
“I’ll leave the first place to you. Anyway, I’m off; this boring exchange tournament has wasted too much of my time.”
Watching my abrupt disappearance, Tan Han, already heavily injured, had released her transformation spell.
“Wait! Xiao Han, you… you! You arrogant fool! I don’t want such a first place!” Tan Han silently hammered the ground, but immediately followed by a sense of powerlessness.
But Xiao Han’s words from just now still echoed in her mind… no need to prove… did she?
