CHAPTER 169: CHAPTER 141 COMBAT (4K)_2

Combat had previously been mere physical armor fighting.

But now that the new students were gradually reaching the Body Concealing Realm, they had more means at their disposal, and the Combat class was also shifting towards serious battles between cultivators.

"Phew, I must stay calm." Yang Yu stood still with his eyes closed, hands gesturing back and forth as he muttered spell incantations, "Chasing Filth and Extinguishing Demons, Great Exorcism and Poison Control, Inspecting Evil, All Evil Spirits Will Be Destroyed..."

He was generally quite average in the Talisman, Mind, and Sword courses, but he was somewhat capable in the path of Magic.

"It’s not easy," Li Wei clenched his fists, his emotions stirring. "We Body Refining Students have finally waited for this day!"

At that moment, Li Wei was clad in armor, holding a black-as-ink Hardwood Spear, truly resembling a fierce warrior on the battlefield.

No wonder he was so excited. The status of Body Refining Students at the Academic Palace was rather peculiar. For one, most of them came from military families and had a weak academic foundation.

They couldn’t keep up with the other new scholars in subjects like national history, Yu Law, and mathematics.

On the other hand, the path of Body Refinement was not as "convenient" as the power systems of Talismans, Magic, or Mind.

A Talisman Master could create various talismans: for heating in winter and cooling in summer.

A Magic Master could cast spells: release a Soundproofing Technique if the surroundings were noisy, or use a Feather Fall Technique to glide down instead of taking the stairs.

Not to mention a Telekinesis Master, who could multitask and manage all household chores from bed using their mind.

By comparison, Martial Artists below the Innate Realm often found themselves in an awkward position.

Only in combat classes like this could the Body Refining Students find some psychological comfort.

Li Ang looked around and noticed that it wasn’t just Li Wei; other Body Refining Students were also unable to contain their excitement, quietly discussing something.

"We’ve trained our muscle, bone, qi, and blood for so long. Today, we finally get to stand tall!"

"Yeah, they always look down on us. Today, I’m going to fight ten of them!"

"Brother Ye, calm down. Let me go first. This fist of mine carries seventeen years of power!"

"Heh heh heh, there’s too much disdain for us Martial Artists..."

Why does it feel like this group of Body Refining classmates really needs psychological counseling?

Li Ang silently shook his head. Currently, the new students were mostly still in the Body Concealing Realm, and the power of their talismans, magic, mind abilities, and sword techniques was limited.

With both sides clad in armor, combat was indeed more advantageous for those on the Body Refining Path.

"Alright, registered disciples, enter the arena."

A Mind Doctor took out a prepared list and called out the names Dou Chi and Ashide Tumen.

Another Doctor of talismanic study pulled out a stack of Protective Talismans, selected two, and stuck them inside their armor. These Protective Talismans would form an invisible shield when the wearer was attacked, effectively blocking flying arrows, sword slashes, and damage from talismanic magic.

They would only fail once a time limit was reached or their protective capacity was exceeded.

Due to their varying levels and the expensive materials required, only elite troops in various countries could be equipped with them, and such talismans were exceedingly rare among common folk.

Only the Academic Palace had the resources to use them as consumables in regular classes.

Dou Chi and Ashide Tumen each headed toward opposite ends of the Martial Arts Arena.

To suit today’s combat class, the terrain of the Martial Arts Arena had been temporarily altered with slopes, pits, earthen and stone fortresses, and ruined buildings, mimicking a realistic combat environment as much as possible.

"Risheng, who do you think will win?" Ji Linglang turned her head to ask.

Dou Chi was a disciple of the Dou Family. His father was the Honglu Temple Deputy Minister, making Dou Chi a true noble descendant who had been educated from childhood to enter the Academic Palace and had grown up with people like Pei Jing.

As for Ashide Tumen, one could tell just from his surname that he was a Turkic noble. He was normally a prominent figure among the Hu Ren disciples—and he was a Body Refining Student.

"Ashide Tumen, I’d say."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"It feels like he has a better knack for learning. He’s been speaking Turkic since childhood; that’s an extra language right there," Li Ang said casually.

As the Doctor announced the start of the match, Ashide Tumen immediately charged, spear in hand, from 200 meters away.

Along the way, he used earthen slopes and ruined walls for cover, blocking Dou Chi’s line of sight as he rapidly closed the distance.

Seeing this, Dou Chi didn’t just stand there. Instead, he moved into a dilapidated house and began to laboriously cast the Expelling Technique.

He used the room’s furniture to block the doors and windows, constructed a barricade in front of himself, and began preparing a more powerful spell.

Ashide Tumen charged like a warhorse, smashing open the wooden door with his shield. Seeing that Dou Chi’s spell incantation inside was nearing completion, he immediately threw his spear, which broke through the makeshift barricade and struck Dou Chi’s chest.

Under the effect of the Protective Talisman, Dou Chi wasn’t seriously harmed, but his spell was interrupted. He was then struck by the shield Ashide Tumen threw next.

BANG!

The Protective Talisman on Dou Chi shattered with a loud noise, signaling his defeat.

The Doctor announced the match result, awarding Ashide Tumen academic credits.

The Turkic noble, beaming with pride, picked up his shield and spear from the ground and smilingly shook hands with Dou Chi.

Although Dou Chi returned the handshake and also smiled, a hint of resentment flashed in his eyes. His lips tightened slightly as he walked towards his companions, including Pei Jing.

"Next pair, get ready!"

The Doctor continued to call out names from a list that seemed to have been carefully considered, pairing competitors of relatively similar strength, such as Li Leqing against Ji Linglang.

Yang Yu had mentally prepared himself, but to his surprise, he was paired with Zhang Yuyan, for whom he had a soft spot. After entering the arena, he fumbled with his spell-casting and was struck in the chest armor by her Flying Sword, losing the match.

And Li Wei... he was initially full of confidence, eager to display the pride of a student recommended by the Ministry of War in front of his classmates. With a Strong Bow on his back, a horse lance in hand, and a Broadsword at his waist, he stepped forward briskly with a bold and dignified air.

Just as he was about to strike a pose, he heard the Doctor call out his opponent’s name: "He Fanshuang."

He Fanshuang calmly walked up, collected her talisman, and headed onto the battlefield.

Li Wei’s expression instantly crumpled, and he walked to the other side of the battlefield with a dejected look.

As soon as the match started, Li Wei attempted to replicate Ashide Tumen’s strategy, using trenches and earthen slopes for cover to quickly approach his opponent.

However, He Fanshuang advanced instead of retreating, her Flying Sword slashing at Li Wei and pinning him in the trench.

Simultaneously, He Fanshuang cast spells, trapping Li Wei’s feet with mud and obscuring his vision with Flying Sand and Stone, allowing her Flying Sword to attack from various angles.

Even though Li Wei possessed extraordinary strength and considerable resilience, he was eventually worn down and lost. Covered in dust, he crawled out of the earthen trench, his spirits deflated as he returned to his group.

Yang Yu, who had also lost his match, saw him and consoled him, "Don’t be discouraged. He Fanshuang has twice as many Spirit Veins as you and a more abundant Qi Sea. It’s normal to lose to her; we can’t compare ourselves to geniuses."

"I’m so frustrated! I even wrote my victory speech already."

Li Wei painfully pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. On it was written something like, "To restore the glory of students recommended by the Ministry of War is our undeniable duty!"

Yang Yu and Li Wei, these two brothers in misfortune, huddled together for comfort. Li Ang, meanwhile, stood by, waiting somewhat boredly for his name to be called.

"Li Ang."

"Pei Jing."

After the Doctor called out the names, the chatter from the other side of the crowd ceased abruptly, and many curious glances were cast in their direction.

Li Ang calmly blinked. Even without using Mo Si’s emotion-detection function, he could roughly guess the thoughts of his surrounding classmates.

Although Pei Jing had only ranked third in the Academic Palace entrance exam, he possessed more Innate Spiritual Veins. He had reached the Body Concealing Realm before the winter break and would soon advance to the Mid-Stage of the Body Concealing Realm, where he could choose his own Dao Path.

Perhaps due to his "leading" progress in cultivation, his aloof personality had improved considerably. He even greeted Li Ang when they met after class now.

He was like those top-scoring students from Li Ang’s otherworldly memories, whose personalities only seemed to improve after they achieved first place.

"Mr. Li." Pei Jing, not wearing his Canghai Sword as the combat class only permitted standardized weapons, gracefully cupped his hands in salute. He still carried the air of a refined and cultured young nobleman.

Li Ang returned the salute, his expression composed as usual.