The array activated, and the Torch Dragons at the four corners opened their eyes once more.
"Match begin!" Wang Xingnuo called out to the two standing on the platform.
The next instant, He Xing's body rapidly transformed into peach wood. He cautiously observed Yu Xian inside the bubble, then drew a throwing knife from his waist pouch and tossed it experimentally toward the bubble.
Yu Xian had no intention of dodging. He was busy pondering how he could score higher.
From Nora and Zhou Qingmei's match just now, it was clear that even if one won purely relying on equipment, they would only get sixty-some points at most, and the evaluation definitely wouldn't be very high.
Meanwhile, purely overpowering a weaker opponent would probably only fetch around seventy to eighty points.
If he wanted to score ninety points or even a full score, the only way was likely to suppress his strength to the same level as his opponent, then win through technique and intellect.
*Clink!*
The throwing knife struck the spatial bubble and clattered to the ground, its tip already warped out of shape.
Seeing this, He Xing's heart sank slightly. This defense was too formidable.
He had no idea that Yu Xian had already shrunk the even more defensive Reverse Scale Dragon Shield inside the bubble. Otherwise, when the throwing knife struck dragon scales, it would have been like tofu hitting an iron plate, instantly turning into scrap metal.
Right then, Yu Xian slowly stood up straight.
His feet settled onto the platform, and the bubble originally enveloping his entire body quickly shrank until it only covered his head.
Looking at He Xing, he said, "Sorry, I spaced out for a second. The match starts now!"
As he spoke, he bent down and picked up the throwing knife from the ground, his brow arching slightly. The blade was coated in silver; He Xing evidently knew he was a vampire.
"You're strong, but you underestimate your enemy too much."
Taking advantage of Yu Xian bending over, He Xing charged forward and snapped a kick toward Yu Xian's cheek.
His speed was blinding, kicking with such velocity that it produced a sonic boom.
Yet to Yu Xian, it was far too slow.
Yu Xian drew back slightly while flicking the throwing knife lightly forward.
Just as He Xing's kick missed, his calf was pierced by the knife. Grimacing in pain, He Xing executed a flurry of backflips to put distance between them.
His right arm then morphed into a green serpent that shot out, baring venomous fangs as it lunged to bite Yu Xian's arm.
His green serpent had consumed dozens of poisons, synthesizing two varieties of extraordinary toxins. As long as it injected its venom into Yu Xian's body, victory would be beyond question.
Yet it was still too slow.
Yu Xian stood rooted in place, casually flicking his right index finger against the lunging green serpent's chin.
*Bang!*
Ripples of visible shockwaves erupted from the serpent's jaw.
Its eyes rolled back, and it was sent flying by the sheer force. At the same time, this power rippled like a wave down the serpent's body toward He Xing. He had to spin his entire body to dissipate the momentum, his right arm hastily retracting and reverting into peach wood branches.
Twenty-six tons of colossal force was genuinely terrifying.
He Xing's legs smoked from the high-speed spinning before he finally managed to bleed off the momentum.
"Great Peach Forest—Wild Thorn Peach Spear!"
The next instant, he snapped out of his spin.
Transforming into a tree, every single branch across his body grew frantically, turning into countless sharp boughs thrusting toward Yu Xian.
Facing the dense thicket of peach branches stabbing his way, Yu Xian raised both hands, striking out at blistering speed.
The peach wood, harder than steel, bent and deformed beneath his fists. The spikes meant to impale him were forced back and warped into the shape of an archway.
*So fast! So strong!*
Stinging with pain, He Xing quickly retracted all his branches.
Shifting from tree form back into human shape, he stared at Yu Xian while gasping for breath, his hands and legs trembling violently and uncontrollably.
Though he wasn't among the top ten in Superpower Academy, he was at least in the top twenty. Even against the strongest, Yu Meiren, he had confidence in landing a wound.
Yet before Yu Xian, the only thing he felt was utter helplessness.
He Xing swallowed hard, sweat beading on his forehead. After catching his breath for a moment, he glanced down at his calf, bent over, and pulled out the throwing knife.
His left hand transformed into a yellow snake that bit into his calf, and the wound knit closed in the blink of an eye.
*Wasting stamina,* Yu Xian critiqued silently.
He Xing had a body of peach wood. A wound from a throwing knife wouldn't impair his movements at all, so spending stamina to heal it was completely unnecessary.
Besides, the gap between them was simply too wide.
Yu Xian was Snake rank, while He Xing was merely Bee rank. The difference in their ranks was massive.
Even without using any abilities, Yu Xian could crush He Xing purely on physical stats alone.
Yet that was precisely what bothered him. How was he supposed to display combat awareness and tactical intelligence?
When he could easily solve it with a single brainless punch, did he really have to put on a performance?
"Alright, match over!" Wang Xingnuo called out suddenly.
He Xing, who was still trying to devise a strategy, froze upon hearing her words. Then he said, "Teacher, I haven't lost yet!"
"The moment you said those words, you had already lost," Wang Xingnuo said bluntly, looking at him with mild exasperation.
He Xing froze, his face draining of color. In that instant, he realized that on a subconscious level, he had already accepted defeat.
"Student Yu Xian, would you mind telling me your rank?" Wang Xingnuo asked, turning toward him.
Yu Xian enveloped his body in the bubble once again and sat down inside it. "I'm Lower Snake rank. It's true that I'm much higher than Student He Xing."
"Lower Snake..." He Xing murmured in disbelief.
Upon hearing that, he actually felt a bit better. After all, he had just been sparring against an opponent two sub-ranks above him. Wasn't losing only natural?
"Next, how about I be your opponent?" Wang Xingnuo asked, looking at Yu Xian.
Yu Xian nodded. "That would be wonderful. If my opponent is too weak, it's hard for me to score high points anyway."
"Student Yu Xian, you might have misunderstood something. At its core, individual combat is a contest of raw strength. All you need to do is display your might. Might is the only correct answer." Wang Xingnuo stepped onto the platform, speaking with utmost seriousness.
Yu Xian asked, "So I don't need to intentionally suppress my strength?"
"Of course not. If you can instantly take down an enemy, why beat around the bush?" Wang Xingnuo countered.
Without waiting for him to answer, she continued, "Why does the winner of an individual match automatically get twenty points? Because the sole truth of supernatural education is victory.
"If it isn't for victory, everything is meaningless. Might makes right, no matter what means you employ.
"Student Nora's score wasn't low because she used equipment; it was low because her way of using it was too crude and simplistic."
"I understand now. Thank you for your guidance, Teacher!" Yu Xian said, enlightened.
Wang Xingnuo smiled. "Good that you understand. Now, give me a proper fight!"
As she spoke, the Torch Dragons at the four corners opened their eyes again.
The match began!
A terrifying surge of vital blood erupted from Wang Xingnuo. Stamping against the platform, she shot straight before Yu Xian.
In an instant, countless fist shadows engulfed him like falling meteors.
A large crowd of students had already gathered below the platform.
When Wang Xingnuo's ferocious onslaught concluded, she drifted backward like a white crane, sending an immediate wave of gasps rippling through the onlookers.
The spatial bubble was completely unscathed.
Yu Xian sat quietly inside, seemingly savoring Wang Xingnuo's attack just now, entirely unharmed.
*That defense...*
Seeing this, He Xing couldn't help drawing a sharp breath.
When Yu Xian had stepped out of the bubble voluntarily, He Xing hadn't stood a chance. If Yu Xian had stayed inside the bubble the whole time...
Chapter 107