Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Reward Game

At night, the military training did not come to an end, but the trainees could finally breathe a little easier. The intense drills of the day had left them utterly exhausted, so the academy designated the evening hours as a buffer, with only a sampling of combat exercises. Two students would be randomly selected for a duel, while the rest merely watched from the sidelines. Even if one of the chosen trainees was outmatched and admitted defeat, no one would call them useless or a failure; thus, they felt no pressure.

Under the moon’s gentle illumination, the sample combat matches were underway, and cheers, applause, and shouts of encouragement echoed from every corner of the field. This lively, jubilant atmosphere helped dispel the stress accumulated during the day. Each instructor approached the training with a balanced method, alternating rigor and rest.

On the field assigned to Class One, Year Three, two students were engaged in a fierce battle. By chance, both were among the top ten in their class, each possessing Level Five spiritual power, evenly matched in strength. Their contest was intense, energy radiating in every direction.

“Come on, knock him down! Fight for Dorm 203!”

“You’d better not lose, Yutong Yan! If you do, we’ll cut off your... and count the rings!”

Within Class Three, smaller cliques existed—friends or dorm mates—so each combatant had their own supporters. The spectators shouted loudly, their blood boiling as they cheered for their friends. The competition was harsh, but always brimming with passion.

Lai Ang was a cold, ruthless student, calm as an assassin. His fighting style mirrored his demeanor—conservative and cautious, always relying on agility to evade, waiting for the right moment to strike decisively.

His opponent, Yutong Yan, was the opposite: flamboyant, open, and spirited. He belonged to the hot-blooded faction, often shouting, “Hadouken!” as he unleashed his combat skills, eager for everyone to witness his prowess.

He thrust out his palms, sending spheres of spiritual energy flying—this was the Level Two combat skill, Wave Fist.

[Hadouken: Those who have played Street Fighter should recognize this shout.]

Although Wave Fist was a Level Two skill, Luo Chen had not yet mastered it. Only warriors with Level Five spiritual power or above could learn such skills that required energy to be released entirely from the body. This marked a significant distinction between Level Four and Level Five spiritual warriors.

Lai Ang remained impassive. He extended his index and middle fingers, swirling his fighting energy until it hissed sharply, skillfully bursting the energy waves like popping balloons. This was another Level Two skill—Whirlwind Finger!

Constantly unleashing Wave Fists consumed much spiritual energy, but Yutong Yan loved to show off, so he couldn’t help himself. Suddenly, he grew frenzied, shouting “Hadouken!” as he sent wave after wave, hoping to quickly defeat his opponent.

Under the relentless barrage, Lai Ang began to struggle. Suddenly, two energy waves collided and exploded before him, their force causing him to lose his footing and stumble backward, nearly crossing the boundary and losing the match.

“A golden opportunity! Bet you didn’t expect my wave explosion technique!” Yutong Yan charged forward, his palm rapidly enlarging—Level Two combat skill: Giant Palm Strike.

To prevent injury, only Level Two or lower combat skills were allowed during these matches. Still, Giant Palm Strike was formidable, its wide attack range leaving Lai Ang no room to dodge. Forced to take the blow, he would inevitably step out of bounds.

At that moment, a glint of cold light flashed in Lai Ang’s eyes. This was the moment he had been waiting for; he had anticipated Yutong Yan’s attempt to lure him with wave explosions, so he had concentrated all his fighting energy in his legs, merely feigning imbalance.

Rather than retreat, Lai Ang lunged forward, propelling himself toward Yutong Yan with remarkable speed. His agility technique was his greatest advantage in combat. Before Yutong Yan’s Giant Palm Strike could fully form, Lai Ang’s elbow struck his chest, sending the flamboyant warrior flying and crashing to the ground.

Though he was in some pain, Yutong Yan was not seriously injured. Lai Ang’s fighting energy had been focused on his legs for agility, not his hands, so the damage was limited. Yutong Yan sprang up, eager to continue, but the Butcher jumped in, pointing at him: “Kid, you lost!”

Yutong Yan stared in astonishment, then hung his head in disappointment. In these friendly matches, victory was not determined by incapacitation, but by stepping out of bounds or suffering a decisive blow that left one defenseless.

Lai Ang stood with his hands at his sides. “Thank you for letting me win.”

Yutong Yan retorted, “You’re strong and clever, but next time it won’t be so easy to trick me!”

Lai Ang smiled. “Likewise. I simply played along with your plan.”

Both left the field, and the other students applauded, for the match had been thrilling. Both sides displayed not only courage but intelligence, providing valuable lessons for all. The evening’s sample duels offered another benefit: one could gain experience by watching, not only by participating.

Several more pairs were drawn from the number box, pitting strong against weak or weak against weak, but none matched the ferocity of Lai Ang and Yutong Yan’s duel. Thus the night’s training went on, and some other classes had already disbanded. But the Butcher had not announced dismissal. Suddenly, he strode onto the field.

“Students, my hands are itching. Let’s play a game! This time, I’ll personally fight someone!”

The students were shocked. Was he joking? Who would dare duel an instructor? That was asking for trouble.

The Butcher grinned. “Relax. You can use your full strength and highest-level combat skills, as long as you’re strong enough. As for me, I’ll only use Level Four spiritual power against you. And there’s a reward!”

He opened his hand to reveal a bag full of dazzling gold coins. “Whoever lasts one minute against me gets a coin. Every additional minute earns another coin. What do you say? Hahaha! Come on, you little rascals, who’s got the guts? These lovely coins are waiting for you!”

Now the students were truly tempted. These were gold coins—just two minutes and you’d pocket them! No matter how strong the instructor was, with only Level Four spiritual power, he couldn’t possibly defeat them in two minutes, right?

Immediately, a student with Level Five strength, Xia Zuo, leapt onto the field. “Instructor Butcher, I’m ready!”

“Excellent, you’re a gutsy one—I admire you!” The Butcher laughed boisterously. “You may choose a weapon, since I’ll be using a whip!”

Across the way, the instructor from the segregated class shook his head at the Butcher’s laughter. That fellow was at it again, luring his students into a trap. Whoever was swayed by his offer would suffer miserably. Still, he was curious to see who would be the victim this time. He told his own students, “There’s a good show in Class Three. If anyone wants, let’s go watch the fun!”

People are naturally drawn to excitement, so the students flocked over. Soon, many who had already been dismissed heard that Class Three still had entertainment and hurried over.

“What’s going on?”

“I heard the instructor is dueling a student!”

“No way! Who can beat an instructor? Only a fool would try!”

“He says he’ll only use Level Four spiritual power, and for every minute you endure, you get a gold coin!”

“Really? Is there such a good deal?”

More and more people gathered at Class Three’s field. Xia Zuo had already chosen a longsword, and both he and the Butcher took their places. The Butcher pressed a stopwatch, snapping his whip in the air. “Time starts now. Come at me—don’t hold back!”

Xia Zuo’s mind raced. His aim was to survive as long as possible to earn the reward, but if he didn’t attack, the Butcher would. Better to take the initiative and use offense as defense to buy time. Besides, the Butcher was wielding a whip; if he got in close, the instructor would be hampered.

Xia Zuo also wanted to show off—after all, many spectators were watching, including quite a few female students. If he only defended, it wouldn’t look nearly as impressive.

With these thoughts, Xia Zuo flicked his longsword and lunged forward, spiritual energy surging to envelop his wrist and the blade. This move, Luo Chen had seen before from Carlo of the Wild Wolf Mercenary Corps: Level Three combat skill—Heavy Strike!

[This chapter features two minor characters, Lai Ang and Yutong Yan. In the future, such appearances won’t be specifically noted in the chapters; the author will post in the review section to announce selected minor characters and comment on their inclusion. If you wish to be featured as a minor character, reply in the review section’s minor character thread. Perhaps you too can shine in the realm of the Divine Emperor!]