When Lili first entered the grounds, Zhao Wuji raised an eyebrow and smirked. Then he laughed—hahahaha—but his eyes were dead serious as they locked on the tall, masked figure behind Flender.
He didn't know what martial soul this person had, but it radiated the aura of an apex predator—top of the food chain. Zhao Wuji's own martial soul was a Vigorous Vajra Bear, a predator, but the energy leaking from this person was different. Ancient. Wild. Howling.
Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing felt it too. Their top-tier martial spirits—the White Tiger (Bai Hu) and Hell Civet (You Ming Ling Mao)—resonated with the aura. Dai Mubai could feel the raw hunger and power radiating from the figure.
Zhu Zhuqing, however, felt a heat rising inside her. She blushed. She didn't sense danger; she felt a resonance. Hotness. A desire. Something primal. She wanted to pounce.
Tang San and Xiao Wu stared blankly at the masked figure. They recognized her. This time, the dangerous lingering aura hit them more clearly—especially Xiao Wu, in her transformed beast form. She sensed that Lili was similar to her, yet… something was off. Something amiss. It piqued her curiosity.
Oscar and Ning Rongrong, support-class fighters, shivered in her presence. They didn't know what was happening, but the shift in the atmosphere chilled them to the bone.
They all stared at the oni mask before them. Its demonic, angry face radiated threat. They felt threatened, insecure. Each of them carried their pride, but when confronted with someone clearly superior, envy and jealousy began to creep in.
They just stared at Lili.
Then Flender cleared his throat. "Ahem… as I told you, this is your new fellow student." He looked at Zhu Zhuqing and added, "And the person you've been looking for."
Zhu Zhuqing didn't need to see her face to confirm anything. Her eyes locked on the intense eye sockets of Lili's oni mask. Heat still simmered within her, but she composed herself. She said nothing—just stared.
Lili, behind the mask, didn't care. He had almost forgotten the people in front of him. To him, they were just random faces passing by.
Dai Mubai noticed Zhu Zhuqing's gaze. It wasn't fury or hatred—it was solemn, gentle, and it made the man feel a surge of frustration. He gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and stared at her.
Flender continued, "Like I told you yesterday… today we'll be assessing your combat capabilities. I've brought your sparring partner." He looked back at Lili. "Please, Your Highness… introduce yourself." His composure wavered slightly.
All eyes turned to the tall figure.
Then, in a deep, hoarse voice, Lili said one word:
"Lili."
It wasn't a long introduction. For someone like Lili, it was more than enough.
Flender adjusted his eyeglasses and said, "Then prepare yourselves, everyone. Tang San, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing, I hope you're ready for the assessment."
Tang San, prideful as always, said, "We're ready, Dean."
Xiao Wu remained quiet, nodding her head.
Ning Rongrong said, "With my pagoda, I highly doubt she'll win."
Zhu Zhuqing said nothing, only giving a slight nod.
Oscar and Dai Mubai stepped back.
Flender and Zhao Wuji also stepped aside, leaving the field clear. On the right side stood Tang San, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing, forming the formation they had planned yesterday. On the left, Lili stood alone, holding his cane.
Flender shouted, "Let the match begin!!"
♤
When they heard the word, Ning Rongrong was the first to move. She was about to summon her pagoda and cast buffs for her allies…
But before she could do it—
Banggggg—
A strike landed square on her stomach, sending her flying across the field. Bangggg! Her body slammed against a rock. The punch was so strong she vomited the snacks she had just eaten. Her eyes rolled back, and she went completely unconscious.
Everyone stared, unable to comprehend what had just happened. But Tang San, who had been closely watching Lili's movements, reacted instantly. He shouted, scattering everyone. This allowed Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing to regain their senses—but it was too late.
Lili had vanished from the spot where he had been. Then—
Bangggggggg—
Another sound echoed across the field. This time, the target was Xiao Wu. She couldn't track him at all. When she leapt to create distance, an oni mask suddenly appeared in front of her. She froze, staring into the mask, and behind it, dark purple eyes glared at her like they wanted to kill her. Xiao Wu was trapped midair.
Then she felt a hand grab the back of her head. In front of her face, Lili's right knee came at lightning speed.
Bangggggg—
Xiao Wu's face was hit hard. Her nose bled, and her body flew back to the ground. A strike like that would leave anyone dizzy.
Tang San saw this and fury ignited within him. "You—you there! You're hurting Xiao Wu!"
He didn't summon his Blue Silver Grass. Tang San had lost it. He drew his hidden weapons—his crossbow—and aimed at Lili's back, firing.
Swiiiishhhh…
Swiiiish…
Two whistling projectiles streaked toward Lili like bullets.
But Lili didn't care. He was still midair. He heard the whistling from behind. With his left hand gripping the soul solid cane, he flicked it—and a white sword emerged, clear as silver, deadly along its edges. Lili sheathed it briefly, then twisted his body midair. Using the sword, he precisely defended himself. The edge met the high-speed bullets, slicing through them like butter.
Then Lili charged the sword and threw it at Tang San. Tang San, realizing his weapon was useless, tried to dodge—but he didn't notice the web attached to the sword.
The sword didn't land where he expected—it was pulled back. Tang San was dumbfounded. Too late—the sword's momentum swung him off guard. Lili used the physics of the sword and his own weight midair to suspend himself, gaining balance and momentum.
Tang San reacted, summoning his Blue Silver Grass. He tried to use Blue Silver Entangle…
But before he could finish, the sword, still connected by the web, swayed at Tang San's right side. Lili twisted his body, controlling the sword with the silk and his fingers.
Tang San didn't notice. Distracted by Lili's approach, the sword suddenly struck his side.
Bangggggg—
Tang San's ribcage took the hit.
"Auckkkk—"
He dropped to his knees, clutching his side and coughing violently. He had no idea what had hit him. Even his purple eyes technique and his sharp eyes hadn't reacted fast enough. When he looked up, Lili was gone. Only Xiao Wu's body lay on the ground far from him.
After finishing the move, Lili pulled the sword back and vanished again.
Zhu Zhuqing knew the next target was her. She saw only a shadow. Everyone else was down. She didn't resist—she simply stood, waiting.
A shadow approached from behind.
She remained perfectly still.
Then, a cold, deep voice spoke from behind her:
"I see… no thrill in your eyes. Did you surrender, or is something bothering you the entire time?"