Chapter 697: The Opening Ambush of the League’s Hunting
After enjoying one last day of leisure with Li Feiya, along with some outdoor camping and barbecuing, we left early the next morning.
Now that we had both decided to act independently, there was no need for us to entangle with each other anymore.
I set off on a purposeless journey, waiting for the start of the league’s hunting.
As the time hit eight in the morning, I felt my power being restrained and sealed within me in an instant.
Even I needed several seconds to adapt to this state.
Currently, I was barely holding on; my perception had not been masked, and my power still belonged to me. I could sense that the power of the Great Knowledge Tree was still within me, but I could not use it.
The only thing I could utilize was the power network function of the Knowledge Seed, which I had fully “integrated” back then.
Moreover, each Knowledge Seed acted as a live broadcasting window, similar to the live streaming platform I had set up using the Great Knowledge Tree. It could synchronize sensory live broadcasts or visual broadcasts, even third-person perspective broadcasts.
Currently, within the vision of the Knowledge Seed, it was indicating a live broadcast, but it seemed to not want to add more pressure on the examinees or the participating groups, as there was no barrage design.
If it weren’t for the display indicating a live broadcast, I wouldn’t even know it was happening.
Apart from this broadcasting element, there was another very important design: the health bar.
At present, my health bar was full, but the health bar design was not specifically quantified as data.
As for whether there was a blue bar design… there was indeed one; however, the energy governed by the Power Network was sourced from the environment, and the blue bar represented the environmental energy abundance, which didn’t have much display value.
Due to the leak of extraordinary resources in the current expanding realm, the energy level of extraordinary crystals was dropping, and it goes without saying that the extraordinary energy in the environment was now abundant.
“The league’s hunting has begun…”
I walked through the undeveloped ruins forest, where remnants of the original buildings of the small world still lingered, overgrown with vegetation to the point that only outlines remained.
Such places are quite common in the Ninglan Realm, basically falling into undeveloped or planned areas, but the population cannot keep up, so some places remain barren and undevelopable.
Such areas might have small groups of herbivorous mutated beasts, or perhaps a few carnivorous mutated beasts at most.
I remembered that such small mutated beasts could barely be counted as scoring a point when a whole colony was combined, and the material value on them could barely exceed three digits.
Just as I was pondering which unlucky examinee I might encounter, I sensed someone was tracking me.
Having lost the Earth Vein Identification Technique, the only thing I could rely on now was my bodily perception.
Similarly, I hadn’t used Spirit Vision for a long time to find a voyeur hiding in the darkness.
Yet even without using Spirit Vision, my Heart Sense could perceive the other’s heartbeat and the resonance of their Heart Sense at that moment.
“Tut, come out, you’ve been following me for so long; the exam is starting, right? Does that mean you’re not examinees then~” I said.
I didn’t rush to use Spirit Vision on these people; as for my Heart Sense… well, that’s instinct, but I was also holding back.
I just wanted to train my counter-surveillance awareness in the most basic way, and the current test results were… somewhat lacking.
However, combined with the abilities I had previously enumerated, my counter-tracking awareness had significantly improved.
“Hmm? Not coming out?”
I turned to look at the empty forest. For an average person, the dim forest with the tree canopy blocking sunlight would make it feel like every tree was hiding someone.
Not being polite with them, I conjured a fireball the size of a watermelon after a brief countdown, instantly forming it without charging it, and fired it at a large tree.
The targeted activation of the Power Network Spell also required manual aiming; if the aim was off, there wouldn’t be a chance for a second correction.
Although the initial Fireball Spell also followed this pattern, students skilled in using the Fireball Spell had their own methods.
While at this stage, they might not be able to magically modify the spellbook, the spellbook, as a spell platform, would still adjust to the user. It was akin to a passive modification of the spellbook, allowing mental power to guide the fireball to lock onto a target to some extent.
However, the Power Network could not accomplish this form.
Boom—!
With the explosion of flames and the ear-piercing crack of the tree trunk, a figure was forced out from behind a tree.
“Hey, I said we don’t need to do this, right? I just don’t want to cause trouble—why force me out? Can’t you just go your own way?”
At that moment, the slightly disheveled person emerged, speaking with a tone of grievance, as if feeling bullied.
“Oh, now that you’ve shown yourself, you’re dead.” I raised the Box of Books in my hand, and the structure of the Fireball Spell began to gradually condense at the corner of the box.
The one I aimed at, after revealing shock and fear, took a beat to pull out her magic wand and began casting a spell.
But just as she thought I would hold my charge on the fireball advantageously, I triggered and released the spell.
Then, my figure disappeared from the original spot, and only a watermelon-sized fireball quickly flew towards her!
And she only had two choices.
Either wait for the casting time to release her spell to counter mine, but doing so would be too late; even if she managed to counter it, it would be right in front of her!
She would take the full force of both fireball explosions!
In that case, she would only end up at a disadvantage.
So, instinctively, she chose to interrupt her casting, which would prevent any backlash to her mental power. In the end, she would have to endure the uncontrolled explosion of an unformed spell; with her undying ability, she could barely withstand it, then evade the damage from that fireball, choosing the lesser of two evils.
When she did this, accompanied by a series of explosive sounds and a scream, the air was filled with—
Boom—Bang—!
The loudest explosion was not from my released fireball, nor from the explosion caused by her interrupted spell, but from a fireball about half her size exploding where I used to be!
The teaching assistant, who had planned to use her slight injury to gain mobility, after losing her sight from the spell explosion in front of her, instinctively dodged, but ended up taking the brunt of the Box of Books I had predicted, the terrifying impact causing her to crash into a tree before finally stopping.
“Sure enough, there was an ambush; your cooperation is lacking.” I caught the Box of Books that had been knocked away, looking at the one who had just launched the fireball behind me.
“You knew I was there?” After her fireball missed, she frowned slightly; with the failed sneak attack, she lost her advantage.
“Didn’t Teacher Lina say that giving you a fireball spell wouldn’t guarantee you could beat a lower-grade student? That must refer to you, right?”
I couldn’t be bothered to answer her question and directly mocked back; since you all coordinated to trap me, what was there to explain?
Killing them would be the greatest respect I could show them!
“You… are seeking d*ath!”
“The level of your threats is just this much; is it that living a life of privilege has made you forget how to throw trash talk?”
While I mocked her, I charged a fireball spell with my other hand. The spell skills of the Power Network could be cast while moving, as the casting medium was the weapon in my hand. Yet movement also needed to consider the objective posture of the spell; otherwise, casting errors could easily occur.
But… knowing the operational principles and framework of the Power Network, I had deduced many things that required testing through theoretical data combined with practical knowledge from the very beginning.
Thus, each of my moving casts was a challenge between the limits of “casting time” and “spell interruption.”
In the early phase, when everyone only had one fireball spell, there really wasn’t much room for operation; the only move was to use weakness to counter strength in spell attacks, but that tested one’s accuracy.
After all, the speed of the fireball wasn’t slow; it was only slightly slower than pure kinetic-driven bullets and much larger in size.
However, the charged fireball in my other hand wasn’t meant for offense or defensive countering against this trash talker but was waiting for a third person hidden in the dark.
This ambush was not simply between two people but three!
So when the fireball aimed at me went off course, I sensed the third person’s movement.
Without hesitation, I threw the charged fireball.
Immediately, two fireballs that were nearing their limit of charge erupted in a terrifying explosion and wave of heat in the space.
Thus… both sneak attacks ended in complete failure.
“Has anyone told you that you really can’t act? Your brains don’t seem to function well either. If a dozen people surrounded me from the start, I might have feared, but a sneak attack… with such intense fire elements gathering, did you think I wouldn’t sense it?”
As my words echoed in these people’s ears, seemingly a massive mockery, it instantly provoked the three of them to join forces in a furious attack.
Since their sneak attack was ridiculed, they relied on their numerical advantage to launch a strong assault!
After all, the only one in front of them had lost the advantages of the Great Spellbook and the power of that unknown realm; did they still fear a single person?
They were teaching assistants, having gone through many battles over the years, even if they weren’t known for their combat skills; their battle experience was certainly not to be underestimated!
However, when they truly faced me, they discovered their error.
Their past combat experiences seemed to have little effect at this moment; even basic teamwork appeared to be lacking.
Moreover, when facing close combat, the terrifying body technique skills had little countering experience.
The few times they had dealt with body cultivation were all from causing trouble at the Beast Academy, then overwhelming with spells and fleeing… completely neglecting to gain any experience.
But their numerical advantage was indeed an advantage.
As for me.
From the beginning of the battle, I had directly focused on the teaching assistant who had taken a faceful hit from my Box of Books; at that moment, she had already recovered, but the declining health bar proved she was indeed injured, yet still within a bearable range.
I chose her naturally because I judged her to be easier to deal with, after all, in a three-person team, the first bait was bound to be the weakest, and she indeed looked the most vulnerable.
When I smashed the Box of Books toward her face, her instinctive reaction was to block with her arm, showing she had little close-combat experience.
Moreover, engaging her in close combat could restrain the other two from acting rashly; otherwise, a fireball spell would accidentally blow up her teammates.
Originally, I had this in mind for prevention, but their thought processes had forcibly led me to actually implement it.
Until I caused this person’s back to absorb a fully charged fireball—only then did I realize they truly had no awareness of teammates at all!
I didn’t even care to differentiate whether they forgot the reality of “friendly fire” or if they had already abandoned this not-so-capable teammate.
However, this individual indeed took a fireball; it’s just… she wasn’t dead yet; at least from her health bar, she wouldn’t d*e.
“You’re really ruthless.”
After getting rid of this “meat shield,” she collapsed helplessly to the ground; after all, undying ability doesn’t come without cost.
At this time, I was also contemplating how to close in on the other two, but just on the basis of physical aptitude alone could not help me swiftly close the distance.
I had the basic physical quality enhancement brought by body cultivation; they, too, had benefited from many years of witch transformation.
As for techniques of suppressing long-range spellcasting in combat, they were equally skilled.
“Let’s withdraw…”
“Tsk… The noise is too loud.” The other also nodded and said nothing else.
Too much noise could attract attention; although it wouldn’t necessarily pull in those examinees, there might be other teaching assistants picking up the scraps.
What’s more, it had just begun; the initial ambush was a significant part of their plan—there was no point in exhausting themselves against me; it was better to go cultivate properly, seeking out solitary examinees to ambush.
Although this time they were designated special hunting targets, in the actual exam, who hunted whom was still uncertain!
Seeing those two with almost intact health bars escape like that, I felt a bit regretful, only to sigh that indeed, seasoned old hands cherishing their lives.
“But you, the low health one… do you think you can get away?” I chased after the teaching assistant who had just taken a full hit from a teammate’s fireball; at this moment, aside from the heavy injuries visible in her clothes, her body showed no apparent wounds.
“Can’t you let me go? I haven’t hit you even once…”
“I won’t spare those two either, but they, like you, haven’t hit me with a single fireball.”
After a brief chase, she was struck in the leg by both my fireball spell and the Box of Books based on her predicted movement; at their level, scratches wouldn’t significantly impact their actions—so lethal, crippling damage was what each strike aimed for.
“Fine… tsk, k*ll me; I’m just waiting to respawn.” At this moment, the teaching assistant fell down, realizing she had no room for resistance.
Furthermore, she was disarmed.
Losing her weapon meant losing her casting medium, and without the extraordinary powers granted by the Power Network, she was a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.
“k*ll you? What a waste, but before that, I really need to thank you.”
“Thank me? Why?”
“Thank you for making me understand what the bl**d bar marks represent, which should also indicate the level of life and undying; if you sustain another significant injury, your undying ability should no longer be able to help you recover, right?”
“If I say the truth, will you give me a quick end?”
“To be honest, no.”
After I said this, I shot out another fireball without charging, further weakening her health bar.
“Ah—wait… I can tell you… a secret…”
“I don’t need it; you’re not really dead; you’ll respawn, so your near-d*ath statements lack any basic credibility. I don’t want to waste too much energy distinguishing whether your words are true or false, and your statements might even subconsciously influence my judgment, so you’re not allowed to speak.”
I looked at the last sliver of her health bar, a satisfied smile appearing on my face, then I delivered a punch directly to her neck.
Just as I delivered that blow, a figure appeared beside me—it was the instructor from the Witch Academy.
“Sorry, Instructor, I didn’t expect you to be so efficient, but this might have been a wasted trip for you; she’s not dead yet,” I turned to the instructor with some apologies.
“Oh? Indeed, I thought your punch would take her out.” The arriving instructor seemed a bit surprised, sensing the health bar and seeing she indeed hadn’t died, “Are you planning to continue?”
“No, killing her yields no benefit; she should still have some value.” I lifted her by the back of her collar; as previously stated, that punch didn’t take her life.
I was a body cultivator; when Sister Bai first taught me to familiarize myself with body cultivation concepts, I learned about human anatomy, so she was simply suffering directional damage to the cervical spine, evolving from possible quadriplegia to certain paralysis.
My control over my strength was pretty good, and… while this kind of paralysis could be self-repaired through undying ability, it also depended on how much of that self-repair capacity remained.
Don’t blame me for being ruthless; since you’ve come to me with such boldness, don’t be afraid of me striking hard.
“Oh, what are you planning to do?” The instructor didn’t find anything wrong with my actions; after all, ambushing others and getting backstabbed, what face do you have left to feign pity?
“I’m going to see if there are any examinees willing to spare some k*ll counts to help me open my skill tree.”
