Chapter 71: There's Actually Another Buff? This Is Way Too Steady!
On the arena stage.
Lin Qingyu and Lu Li stood facing each other, barely fifty meters apart.
The wind swept across the sports field, fluttering her ponytail and the hem of his clothes.
She slowly drew the longsword at her waist, its blade shimmering with a faint cyan light.
"Lu Li."
Lin Qingyu spoke, her cool voice exceptionally clear in the silent sports field:
"They say you were able to become the provincial top scorer because of attribute advantage in the dungeon."
"But I don't think so."
She paused, her dark eyes staring straight at Lu Li, a burning battle intent in the depths of her eyes:
"So, please prove your strength!"
As she finished speaking, a powerful sword intent erupted from Lin Qingyu's entire body!
An invisible, sharp aura exploded from within her!
Like a materialized storm, it swept across the entire arena!
At this moment, her pupils turned into the purest shade of cyan.
The airflow around her spun frantically, lifting her ponytail and the hem of her clothes high into the air!
At the tip of her sword, a three-inch-long cyan sword aura flickered unpredictably.
It was so sharp that it seemed capable of slicing through the very air!
This rare class'Sword Maiden' who possessed the S-rank talent 'Favor of the Wind' had already fully unleashed her aura!
"What a terrifying sword intent!"
"Is this the Sword Maiden? Just standing there makes one's whole body go cold!"
"Lin Qingyu is also an S-rank monster!"
"..."
In the spectator stands, exclamations of surprise erupted everywhere.
Lu Li, however, remained calm, only slowly grasping the battleaxe on his back.
"3... 2... 1... Let the match begin!"
The voice of artificial intelligence no. 7 rang out at the perfect moment.
"Courage Blessing!"
"Guardian Blessing!"
"Divine Blessing!"
"Weapon Blessing!"
Facing Lin Qingyu, a rare class user with an S-rank talent, Lu Li did not dare to be careless in the slightest.
Almost at the exact instant the match began, all four buffs were applied at once!
Boom—!!!
A brilliant, golden holy light erupted from within his body!
His strength, constitution, agility, and intelligence soared frantically under the stack of the four buffs!
The single-edged battleaxe in his hand burst with a blinding golden glow!
"Holy crap! There are actually other buffs?"
"My god! Lu Li didn't even use all of his buffs during the Battle Royale?!"
"Four buffs! He was actually hiding this card up his sleeve!"
"This holy light is just too exaggerated!!"
"..."
In the spectator stands,
those who originally thought they had seen through Lu Li's strength now felt their scalps go numb.
How was this just not using all his buffs?
He had clearly hidden more than half of his true strength!
Up on the high platform, several deans were also visibly moved.
"This kid is hiding it deep!"
In the eyes of Dean Wu Hao of the War Academy, a sharp light flashed brilliantly.
In the beautiful eyes of Song Wanqiu, the Dean of the Support Academy, an extraordinary light flickered.
This is a natural-born support talent!
Meanwhile, on the arena stage, Lin Qingyu smiled faintly.
"That's more like it."
She spoke softly, then leaped forward.
Like a streak of cyan lightning, she shot toward Lu Li!
Her speed was fast to an unbelievable degree.
With just a single step, her entire being turned into a cyan afterimage.
Within just a few breaths, she crossed the nearly fifty-meter distance between them!
"So fast!"
In the spectator stands, countless people gasped in shock at the same time.
They didn't even have time to see her movements clearly.
The rapier shimmering with cyan light had already thrust right in front of Lu Li!
The tip of the sword tore through the air, carrying a sharp, ear-piercing sound of breaking wind, aiming straight for Lu Li's throat!
This strike had no fancy tricks, only speed purified to the absolute limit!
If it were any other Level 13 professional, or even some Level 15 geniuses, they probably wouldn't have been able to dodge this strike.
But Lu Li was not just anyone.
Facing this incredibly fast strike, he took half a step back, raising his single-edged battleaxe horizontally.
"Clang—!"
A crisp sound of clashing metal rang out!
The tip of the sword struck the face of the axe with pinpoint accuracy, erupting into a shower of dazzling sparks.
The terrifying recoil made Lin Qingyu's wrist go slightly numb.
She pupils contracted; she had clearly not expected Lu Li's parry to be so precise.
"As expected, he's not simple."
She praised him inwardly, but her offensive did not pause for a second.
With a flick of her wrist, her sword technique changed abruptly, and the slender sword seemed to come alive.
Transforming into a sky full of sword shadows, it poured toward Lu Li from all sorts of tricky angles!
Thrusting, flicking, slashing, upward-cutting, sweeping...
Every strike carried a cyan wind-attribute sword qi, incomparably fierce!
The sword light fell like rain, continuous and unending.
The spectators were dazzled by the sight, only feeling that the cyan light on the arena stage was blindingly bright.
The crisscrossing sword qi completely submerged Lu Li's figure within it!
"What a fast sword! I can't see it clearly at all!"
"Is this the Sword Maiden? With this sword speed, she must be able to unleash over a dozen strikes in a single second!"
"Is Lu Li about to buckle under the pressure?"
But at this moment, crisp sounds of clashing metal rang out like rapid drumbeats.
"Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang—!"
Lu Li stood in place, his feet seemingly rooted to the ground, not retreating even half a step!
The battleaxe in his hands seemed to have no weight at all.
It transformed into an airtight golden screen of light, completely blocking Lin Qingyu's torrential sword strikes!
Every block was timed perfectly, and every counterattack precisely cut off the continuation of his opponent's sword momentum.
He was like a monolith, standing firm and unmoving no matter how the waves crashed against him!
"What? He blocked all of them?"
"Lu Li's defense is way too solid!"
"Is he really a Paladin? This close-combat parrying is stronger than that of many warriors who specialize in melee!"
"..."
Everyone present was dumbfounded.
Lin Qingyu's sword speed grew faster and faster, but her heart sank lower and lower.
She could clearly feel that the recoil traveling down her sword was growing heavier with each strike.
Every block from her opponent contained a terrifying amount of power.
It rattled her hand until her web of thumb and forefinger went numb, her wrist ached, and even her entire arm began to tremble slightly.
"His strength is above mine!"
This thought made Lin Qingyu's heart tighten.
Every swing of Lu Li's axe carried a terrifying force.
Even with the speed advantage of Favor of the Wind, she could only barely redirect the force, not daring to take it head-on.
If this continued, she would be worn down and defeated!
"I can't drag this out!"
Lin Qingyu gritted her silver teeth, the cyan light in her eyes flaring up.
"Gale Spin Slash!"
Her body suddenly spun.
The cyan sword qi condensed around her into a violent whirlwind, sweeping toward Lu Li to tear him apart!
For this strike, she poured in nearly half of her remaining mana!
The whirlwind formed by her blade...
...carried sword qi sharp to the extreme, even carving white gouges into the surface of the arena stage!
"Good timing!"
The golden light in Lu Li's eyes flared.
This was the exact strike he had been waiting for!
"Pure White Blade!"
Casting with his left hand,
a massive, cross-shaped white light blade materialized in front of him and violently clashed with the cyan whirlwind!
"Boom—!"
The cyan and white lights exploded violently, sending a wild shockwave of energy sweeping in all directions!
Lin Qingyu only felt an unstoppable force crash into her face-first.
She was sent flying backward uncontrollably!
She barely managed to adjust her posture in mid-air, her toes tapping repeatedly against the arena stage.
Only then did she barely stabilize her stance.
But before she could even plant her feet firmly,
"Tiger Strike!"
a golden figure, like a tiger descending a mountain,
rushed right in front of her in an instant, enveloped in unstoppable holy light!
Lu Li showed no tender mercy; his left hand, carrying wild holy power, went straight for Lin Qingyu's waist and abdomen!
If she were to be caught by his Tiger Strike, Lin Qingyuwould be in for a world of pain!
Chapter 72: Suffocating Agility! Versus Shen Chuyou!
Lin Qingyu clearly understood this as well.
Her footwork suddenly shifted.
"Breeze Step!"
A C-rank skill exclusive to the Sword Maiden class!
The moment it was activated, she shot backward and to the side by five or six meters!
However, it wasn't over yet!
Pressing his advantage relentlessly, Lu Li followed her like a shadow.
"Sky Strike!"
Enveloped in Holy Light, the battle axe cleaved upward with ferocious power!
Clang!!
Lin Qingyu hastily parried with her longsword, but the battle axe knocked it straight out of her hand!
At the same time, Lu Li's left hand shot out like lightning.
With a heavy, powerful shoulder tackle, he sent her flying!
Pfft—!
A mouthful of blood sprayed from Lin Qingyu's lips.
Like a kite with a broken string, she flew backward and crashed heavily onto the alloy floor of the arena!
"Cough, cough..."
She struggled to stand, but her entire body racked with pain.
Even the energy within her body had been thrown into utter chaos by Lu Li's series of heavy strikes.
By now, a golden battle axe had come to a steady halt right before her.
"You lose."
Lu Li looked down at her.
His voice was calm, yet filled with an unmistakable, matter-of-fact confidence.
"Winner of this match: Lu Li!"
The voice of artificial intelligence no. 7 rang out right on cue.
"He won! Lu Li won!"
"So strong! He completely suppressed Lin Qingyu from start to finish!"
"It's not that Lin Qingyu is weak; Lu Li is just too much of a freak!"
"Those combos were crisp and clean, giving her no chance at all!"
"What a pity for Lin Qingyu. Her swordsmanship was so fast, yet Lu Li brute-forced right through it."
"Is he really a Paladin? How can he be this agile?"
"... "
In the spectator stands, countless people marveled in disbelief.
Normally, Paladins mainly invested their attribute points into Strength and Wisdom.
Agility was rarely prioritized.
Yet Lu Li was different.
He had actually managed to match the speed of Lin Qingyu, a Sword Maiden!
This was simply unbelievable!
"Lu Li! Lu Li!"
Following the shock, wave upon wave of cheers erupted from the stands.
It was nearly loud enough to tear the night sky above Playground No. 2 apart.
If many had previously thought Lu Li was merely decent,
then now, everyone understood.
How could that be considered merely decent?
It was an overwhelmingly dominant crush!
No matter how flashy your sword techniques or how graceful your footwork, I will shatter it with a single swing of my axe!
In the arena, Lin Qingyu slowly stood up, a trace of wet blood still clinging to the corner of her lips.
She raised her eyes toward the figure opposite her, whose golden light was gradually fading.
In her cool eyes, a clear sense of desolation surfaced for the first time:
"You're actually this strong?"
Hearing this, Lu Li put away his battle axe and smiled.
"You're not bad either. That was pretty much my full strength."
"Pretty much?"
Lin Qingyu froze for a moment, then gave a self-deprecating smile.
And here she had thought she had a guaranteed edge over Lu Li.
Back when they met on the train, she had even declared that she would publicly defeat him within a month of school starting.
Who would have thought he hadn't even unleashed his full strength?
"So the gap between him and me has grown even wider than it was during the college entrance exam..."
Lin Qingyu clenched her fists and said nothing more.
Just then, the medical team hurried onto the stage.
"Student Lin Qingyu, please cooperate with treatment."
Two Priests over Level 40 stepped forward.
A gentle white light enveloped Lin Qingyu.
As it healed her injuries, it gradually calmed the chaotic energy swirling inside her.
Meanwhile, Lu Li also had personnel attending to him.
"You have no injuries, but your mana and stamina depletion is considerable."
The Priest responsible for treating him cast Recovery while reminding him:
"You can only begin your next challenge in about ten minutes. Do you understand?"
"Understood."
Lu Li nodded, sat down cross-legged as advised, and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.
While Lu Li was recovering, the challenge matches continued.
Shen Chuyou also went up twice, but each time she resolved it neatly with a single Fireball.
She didn't even need any Recovery after her matches ended.
This inevitably caused the other contestants to abandon any thought of challenging her.
For a time, Shen Chuyou became something of an uncrowned queen; no one dared challenge her anymore.
It was not until ten minutes later that Lu Li slowly opened his eyes.
He stood up and stretched his limbs.
Under the Priest's healing, his condition had fully returned to its peak.
He walked back onto the stage.
His gaze fell precisely onto that moon-white silhouette, and he spoke:
"Shen Chuyou, I challenge you!"
The moment his words landed, the entire arena's attention was instantly drawn over.
"Here it comes! Lu Li is challenging Shen Chuyou!"
"Now this is the true pinnacle showdown! The battle for top freshman!"
"Paladin versus Elemental Mage! Melee versus ranged!"
"Holy crap, I'm already hyped!"
"Who do you guys think will win?"
"Cut the crap, definitely Shen Chuyou! Who can block that Fireball of hers?"
"But Lu Li just beat Lin Qingyu!"
"Can Lin Qingyu even compare to Shen Chuyou? One is melee, the other is ranged—how can that be the same?"
"... "
Discussions and debates erupted incessantly throughout the stands.
Up on the high platform, several deans also looked on with anticipation.
In the stands, Shen Moli nervously clenched her delicate fists, holding her breath.
Lin Qingyu had also finished receiving treatment and changed into clean clothes.
Sitting off to the side, she stared unblinkingly at the stage.
Under the gaze of the entire crowd,
Lu Li and Shen Chuyou walked onto the central alloy arena one after the other.
"Due to the difference in classes between the two combatants, the initial distance is adjusted to one hundred meters!"
The voice of artificial intelligence no. 7 rang out right on cue.
Lu Li was a melee class, while Shen Chuyou was a ranged Elementalist.
For the sake of fairness, their initial starting positions were separated by over a hundred meters.
A hundred-meter distance was undoubtedly an immense disadvantage for a melee fighter.
Yet Lu Li stood at one end of the arena, his expression excessively calm.
He looked up across at that moon-white silhouette.
Even with his mental fortitude from living two lifetimes, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly in admiration.
She was simply too gorgeous.
It was a beauty completely different from Lin Qingyu's.
Lin Qingyu was cold and crisp like a sword, whereas Shen Chuyou was icy and glamorous.
Her fair, stunning face bore no expression whatsoever, like unmelting permafrost.
And most lethal of all was her figure.
The loose mage robe could not conceal those breathtaking curves.
A slender waist, long and straight legs,
and that remarkably proud, voluptuous bust—under the caress of the night wind, they outlined a suffocating contour.
Extreme cold and extreme allure formed a striking contrast upon her.
"Both sides, please prepare."
The figure of artificial intelligence no. 7 appeared in the middle of the arena and began the countdown:
"3... 2... 1..."
"Match start!"
Almost the instant artificial intelligence no. 7 finished speaking, Lu Li moved.
A quadruple buff, instantly applied!
Brilliant golden holy light surged outward, enveloping Lu Li in a warm aura of sacred light.
However, Shen Chuyou's reaction was just as astonishingly swift.
Just as Lu Li cast his buffs, a Fireball had already finished condensing.
Enveloped in destructive high heat, it howled through the air toward him!
Chapter 73: The Might of Sanctuary! rookie king Lu Li!
"So fast!"
Lu Li was startled inwardly.
This casting speed was several notches faster than what he had seen in the battle royale!
Without time to think, he thrust his left hand forward.
"Pure White Blade!"
A colossal white cross of light blade erupted from thin air, colliding fiercely with the Fireball!
"Boom—!"
Flames and holy light exploded violently, unleashing a raging energy shockwave in all directions.
The blast forced the spectators outside the ring to subconsciously squint their eyes.
Fireball was shattered!
"Huh?"
Shen Chuyou's willow-leaf brows raised almost imperceptibly, seemingly surprised.
But that was all.
Raising her slender, fair fingers once more, a Fireball twice the size of the previous one swiftly condensed!
Not only that, but closely following behind the Fireballwere three more spells.
An ice spike, a wind blade, and a lightning spear!
A barrage of four spells shot out in unison!
"Heavens! This is Shen Chuyou's true strength!"
"A fourfold spell barrage! Every single one is boosted by Elemental Body and Elemental Affinity!"
"Taking that head-on means certain death!"
"—!"
Cries of shock erupted across the stands.
Wherever the four spells passed, the air distorted in their wake.
The ice spike gleamed with biting frost, the wind blade whistled sharply like a knife, and the lightning spear raged like a dragon.
Coupled with the dramatically empowered Fireball, they practically cut off all angles of evasion for Lu Li!
"Not bad! This technique has captured the true essence of an Elemental Mage."
Atop the high platform, the dean of the Elemental Academy nodded slightly.
Even more students marveled in awe.
Just one Fireball from Shen Chuyou had already been terrifying enough.
Now with four spells unleashed at once, who could possibly withstand it?
One could only say Shen Chuyou refrained until necessary, but once she struck, it was an absolute killing blow!
Yet in the ring, Lu Li was delighted rather than alarmed!
"Come at me!"
His eyes flashed brilliantly as he tapped his forehead with his left hand!
Boom—!!!
In an instant, a beam of the purest gold light burst forth from within him!
It was a spectacle beyond words.
With Lu Li at the center, golden holy light spread outward like a tidal wave.
In the blink of an eye, it engulfed the entire arena ring!
In midair, holy pillars of light faintly materialized alongside drifting golden feathers.
And solemn gates woven from holy light.
Sacred, grand, and majestic.
As if one were standing in heaven!
Sanctuary!
The S-rank divine skill he had obtained from the system after the college entrance exam!
"Is this... a God-Bestowed Skill?!"
"How is that possible?! A God-Bestowed Skill at just the first class change?"
"It definitely is!"
"—!"
Up on the high platform, the deans of the various academies rose to their feet in shock.
One had to understand.
In this world, gods truly existed.
A so-called God-Bestowed Skill was bestowed directly by the gods!
They could not be learned through skill books, could not be inherited, and were entirely unique!
Exceedingly rare, they typically only appeared on second-class change professionals.
Yet now, it had appeared on a freshman who was merely level 13!
It was simply unheard of!
In the ring, Lu Li had no time to care about the deans' shock.
He raised a finger and pointed:
"Chain Lightning!"
Sanctuary was classified as a divine spell skill, falling under the enhancement scope of Lu Li's S+ talent, Child of Light.
And Sanctuary itself could boost his own four core attributes.
Stacking together, they caused Lu Li's four core attributes to skyrocket wildly!
And in turn, the power of Chain Lightning multiplied several times over!
The primordial golden lightning roared forth as if turning into an enraged golden dragon!
"Boom—!"
The lightning collided with Shen Chuyou's four spells, erupting in an earth-shattering roar!
Fireball, ice spike, wind blade, and lightning spear all shattered, disintegrating into a sky full of elemental fragments of light!
"A-All of them were shattered?!"
"What kind of power is this?!"
"Lu Li actually had a trump card like this!"
"—!"
In the audience, countless people were dumbfounded.
Immediately after, Lu Li thrust out his left hand again.
"Light Feather Storm!"
Ten thousand golden light feathers erupted forth, tearing toward Shen Chuyou like a tempest!
Yet Shen Chuyou remained expressionless.
The instant the Light Feather Storm struck,
a faint blue, translucent shield suddenly materialized around her.
Magical runes flowed rapidly across the shield's surface, firmly protecting her body!
As a fragile mage, this Magic Shield was her final line of defense!
"Boom—!"
The Light Feather Storm slammed violently into the Magic Shield, triggering a series of terrifying booms!
The shield shuddered violently, cracks spreading like spiderwebs, but in the end, it did not break!
Light Feather Storm was neutralized!
"It's Magic Shield! She was prepared!"
"Incredible! She even blocked that!"
"Shen Chuyou's mastery of magic is unfathomable!"
"—!"
Exclamations of admiration rose and fell across the stands.
But just as Shen Chuyou prepared to counterattack, her pupils constricted abruptly.
A golden figure had already charged right in front of her!
"So fast!"
For the first time, a noticeable ripple of emotion crossed Shen Chuyou's expression.
"Now, it's my turn!"
Lu Li grinned, raising his battle axe high.
For a mage closed in on by a melee combatant, the outcome was all too obvious.
In the stands, everyone held their breath, eyes glued to the scene.
Just as Lu Li was about to strike,
"I forfeit."
A cool voice rang out.
The entire venue fell dead silent.
Holding his axe aloft, Lu Li froze for a moment before chuckling.
"Giving up already? I haven't even swung yet."
Shen Chuyou calmly lowered her right hand, the shield around her dissipating.
She looked up at Lu Li, a faint trace of admiration appearing on her fair, pretty face with the tear mole by her eye:
"You are very strong. I can't beat you."
At that moment, artificial intelligence no. 7's voice sounded right on cue:
"Lu Li, challenge successful!
Rankings updated! Lu Li, 1st place!"
As the words fell, absolute silence gripped the arena.
No one had expected that the aloof, powerful mage girl Shen Chuyou,
who had remained undefeated since the start of the tournament, would lose just like that!
What was more, she had lost even after unleashing a fourfold spell volley!
The Fireball that had once cleared the field in an instant, the ice spike, wind blade, lightning spear...
had all been torn apart by Lu Li's single Chain Lightning!
Even her final Magic Shield had almost been completely shattered!
But whether it broke or not hardly mattered anymore.
When a squishy mage was approached in melee range by a tanky, fully-buffed Paladin, the outcome was already sealed.
"Awesome! Junior Lu Li! You won!"
In the stands, Shen Moli was the first to leap to her feet, her pretty face brimming with excitement and pride.
With that jump of hers,
her proudly full, ample chest shook violently.
This caused many male students nearby to hurriedly avert their eyes, only to sneak peeks right back.
Jolted awake by her cheer,
the crowd finally snapped out of their shock, instantly erupting into deafening cheers like a crashing tsunami.
"Lu Li!"
"rookie king!"
"Too strong!"
"A Paladin can be this fierce? I'm convinced!"
"—!"
At this moment, no one questioned Lu Li's true worth anymore.
After all, whether it was Lin Qingyu whom he had defeated or Shen Chuyou who had just conceded,
both possessed S-rank talents and were the top prodigies among this year's freshmen.
And Shen Chuyou hailed from that Shen Family!
The Imperial Capital Shen Family was a true colossus of Yanlong Country, boasting powerhouse experts in abundance and unfathomable foundations.
Making her concede defeat in her own words was, in itself, the finest proof!
Chapter 74: The Four Great Academies Fight for Talent! The Support Academy Dean Who Can Resurrect!
After the match between Lu Li and Shen Chuyouconcluded, the Free Challenge Match continued.
Lin Qingyu attempted to challenge Shen Chuyou, who had dropped to second place.
Unsurprisingly, she was directly defeated by four rounds of spells!
Only when directly facing the terrifying might of those four-element spells did she realize—
Just how strong was Lu Li to crush them head-on?!
After Lin Qingyu's defeat, no one else dared to challenge Shen Chuyou.
Thus, Lu Li and Shen Chuyou firmly secured first and second place.
The remaining seven fought fiercely among themselves for the ranks from third to tenth.
It was not until nine in the evening that the Freshman Grand Competition finally came to an end.
"The Free Challenge Match is concluded!"
Vice Principal Zhou Zhenguo stood up, his booming voice echoing across the night sky:
"I announce the final rankings of this Freshman Grand Competition!"
As his voice fell, Arena Seven condensed a golden leaderboard.
First Place: Lu Li
Second Place: Shen Chuyou
Third Place: Lin Qingyu
Fourth Place: Han Shuang
Fifth Place: Bai Yuqing
Sixth Place: Zhao Tianlong
Seventh Place: Chu Nan
Eighth Place: Xu Zimo
Ninth Place: Zhou Jin
Tenth Place: Fang Yan
With every name called, a golden pillar of light rose above the field, projecting a holographic image of the respective student.
Ten golden pillars of light, ten prodigies of heaven.
And the most central, most dazzling beam belonged to Lu Li!
"Congratulations to the ten students above!"
Vice Principal Zhou Zhenguo paused and smiled:
"Next, will the top ten students...
Please come up to the stage in turn to select your academy and dedicated mentor!"
The entire venue instantly erupted.
"Here it comes! The main event!"
"Who will be the Rookie King's dedicated mentor?"
"It has to be the War Academy! Lu Li's close combat is insane!"
"I think Elemental Academy is also possible; that Light Feather Storm and Chain Lightning are too overpowered!"
"…"
"First, Lu Li!"
Vice Principal Zhou Zhenguo called out.
Lu Li felt an extraordinarily gentle power rise beneath his feet, softly lifting his entire body.
"Hm?!"
His heart jolted, and he subconsciously tried to struggle.
Yet he discovered that while the force was gentle, it was as vast as an ocean, leaving no room for resistance.
The next second, he was lifted straight onto the high platform.
"Is this the power of a Third Transition expert?
Just a single thought renders someone completely powerless to resist."
Shocked, Lu Li raised his eyes to look ahead.
Four figures stood quietly looking at him.
This was Lu Li's first time observing the four deans at such close range.
The profiles of the various academy deans he had checked upon arriving at the school instantly surfaced in his mind.
The first person on the left was the dean of the War Academy, Dean Wu Hao.
This man was terrifyingly burly, standing over four meters tall.
Standing there, he resembled a small mountain of muscle!
He possessed a trace of the Mountain Spirit bloodline, his muscles coiled like dragons.
They stretched the dark red combat attire on him to bursting.
Just by sitting there, the utterly tyrannical pressure he radiated made one's breath hitch.
Level 68, Third Transition Tiangang War God!
Wherever he stood, he was like an immovable mountain!
The person beside him had a completely contrasting aura.
The dean of the Weapon Academy, Dean Gu Changfeng.
True to his name, he resembled an unsheathed, razor-sharp blade!
He was not particularly tall, but lean and wiry, dressed in black combat robes.
His gaze cut like knives; with a casual glance,
One's cheeks stung as if invisible sharp air was rushing at them.
Level 69, Third Transition Myriad Weapons Warlord!
Rumor had it that he alone could wield ten thousand weapons, a true grandmaster of the weapon dao!
Further to the right was a slender silhouette as cold as frost.
The dean of the Elemental Academy, Luo Qingshuang.
Her ice-blue long dress outlined her slender and graceful figure.
She was exquisitely beautiful, with facial features delicate as a painting and snow-white skin.
Yet that gorgeous face held not a single trace of warmth, her black hair cascading like a waterfall.
Her eyes were like cold stars; the entire woman seemed carved from ice and snow, warning all strangers to stay away.
Level 69, Third Transition Elemental Sage!
The last one was the dean of the Support Academy, Song Wanqiu.
She was a woman as gentle as water.
She looked barely in her early thirties, with soft features and a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips.
A plain white priest robe could not conceal her plump and voluptuous figure.
Her waist was supple and her curves astonishing.
Like a fully ripe peach, every inch of her radiated a gentle and mature aura.
She was not coldly intimidating like Luo Qingshuang.
Instead, she felt more like a kind aunt next door, evoking an inexplicable sense of warmth.
Level 69, Third Transition Saint Light Archpriest!
The four deans were all Third Transition powerhouses above Level 68!
Moreover, they all appeared only in their thirties.
In the outside world, each would be a towering figure ruling an entire domain.
Yet here at Imperial Capital University, they were merely the deans of the four major academies.
"This is the foundation of a top-tier institution!"
Lu Li marveled inwardly.
Down below, over a thousand freshmen gazed up at Lu Lion the high platform, their eyes filled with envy and longing.
Choosing an academy and getting a dedicated mentor—this was a privilege reserved solely for the top three of the Freshman Grand Competition!
"Lu Li!"
Dean Wu Hao was the first to speak, his voice like a resounding bell:
"Join my War Academy! You are a natural-born warrior! I will personally teach you battlefield combat techniques!"
"The academy's S-rank training rooms will be open to you free of charge!"
"Furthermore, I will personally gift you a set of Level 25 Epic heavy armor!"
Dean Gu Changfeng scoffed coldly and took over:
"The Weapon Academy is where you truly belong."
"You wield an axe; I can teach you the Way of Myriad Weapons!"
"The Weapon Academy has a Level 30 Legendary battleaxe called 'Daybreak,' which I used in my youth. If you come, it's yours."
"Each semester, you will also receive an additional A+ rank weapon dao resource!"
As his words fell, gasps echoed across the crowd below.
A Legendary battleaxe!
And it was the dean's personal axe from his youth! What an extravagant offer!
Luo Qingshuang spoke up as well, her tone clear and cold:
"My Elemental Academy possesses inheritances for both Light and Lightning spells."
"Your Holy Light talent is extraordinary. If you join my tutelage, I will impart everything I have learned to you without reservation."
"The academy's Elemental Pool will be open for your unrestricted use."
"In addition, three S-rank elemental crystals per semester."
Hearing these lavish offers, the freshmen below turned red with envy.
"Holy crap! Any Level 25 Epic gear of his choice?"
"A+ resources? S-rank crystals?"
"Is this the treatment for the Rookie King?"
"…"
Three deans, three offers, each more generous than the last!
The freshmen in the audience looked on with eyes green with envy.
They wished they could rush up and accept on Lu Li's behalf.
The upperclassmen were even more dumbfounded.
Deans of the four academies personally descending to vie for a student, making such generous offers?
They had never witnessed such a scene before!
What shocked them even more were the expressions of those deans.
Dean Wu Hao, the iron-blooded dean known for his strictness, was actually smiling?
Dean Gu Changfeng of the Weapon Academy,
A stone-faced god of slaughter who never smiled, had his lips slightly curved upward?
Dean Luo Qingshuang of the Elemental Academy, that perpetual iceberg of ten thousand years, was proactively recruiting someone?
This was simply more sensational than the Freshman Grand Competition itself!
Just as everyone was reeling from shock, Song Wanqiuspoke.
She looked at Lu Li, her gaze gentle as water.
"Lu Li."
Her voice was melodic and gentle, like a spring breeze brushing across the face:
"What they offered is indeed very tempting."
"However, the Support Academy holds the most complete repository of buff skills in all of Yanlong Country."
"If you come to me, you can learn all buff skills completely free of charge."
"I can provide you with Epic equipment and weapons just the same."
Lu Li's expression shifted slightly.
Learn all buff skills for free?
He was a Paladin.
Buff skills were the core of his build!
"Furthermore, I myself am a Level 69 Third Transition Saint Light Archpriest."
Song Wanqiu continued, her tone still gentle:
"With me around, no matter what injury you sustain, I can heal it."
At this point, she smiled slightly and dropped her ultimate trump card:
"Moreover, I have a resurrection skill."
"As long as you have not been dead for more than one hour, I can resurrect you."
Chapter 75: Taking Song Wanqiu as Master! S-Rank luck potion!
Boom—!
As her voice fell, the entirety of Playground No. 2 instantly erupted into an uproar!
"Resurrection?!"
"Are you for real?!"
"Holy crap! That's way too overpowered!"
"Can resurrect anyone within an hour of death? That's practically having an extra life!"
"..."
Gasps of shock rose and fell in waves as all the freshmen stared with wide eyes.
Resurrection!
This was too strong!
Who wasn't afraid of dying? Professionals fighting in the wilderness could lose their lives at any moment.
Yet if there was someone like Song Wanqiu around...
As long as one wasn't reduced to ashes on the spot, they could be pulled back!
"That is indeed a trump card. We cannot do that," Dean Wu Hao said in a deep voice.
"Resurrection skills can only be mastered by light-element classes. Our academy doesn't have any."
Dean Gu Changfeng shook his head.
Luo Qingshuang did not speak, merely turning her face away slightly, clearly having nothing to say either.
Of course, they were also confident in their own offers.
Resurrection alone shouldn't possess that much attraction.
Lu Li, on the other hand, was quite shocked.
He only knew that priests could heal injuries.
He hadn't expected that high-level light-element professionals could even pull off resurrection!
"If I can also master resurrection skills in the future..."
Lu Li felt a surge of anticipation in his heart.
Able to deal damage, tank, heal, and even resurrect!
When that time came, he alone would be equivalent to an entire team!
However, before he could speak, Song Wanqiu added:
"As for major coursework, you don't need to worry either."
She looked at Lu Li with a gentle gaze:
"You can learn combat-class skills just the same.
Entering our Support Academy doesn't mean you can only be a support."
"So, what do you think? Are you sure you won't come to my side?"
As her words fell, the gazes of the four deans landed squarely on Lu Li simultaneously.
Below the high platform, over a thousand freshmen held their breath as well.
Which one would he pick?
War Academy's domineering training, Weapon Academy's top-tier battleaxe,
Elemental Academy's light-element specialization, or Support Academy's resurrection guarantee and all-type buffs?
Every choice represented a completely different path of growth.
Time seemed to freeze.
Shen Chuyou stood below the stage, her silver-gray eyes quietly gazing at the upright figure on the platform.
Lin Qingyu's pretty, oval face was likewise turned toward Lu Li.
Meanwhile, Lu Li had fallen into deep contemplation.
War Academy? The most abundant resources and the most comprehensive training path.
Weapon Academy? Had a legendary-grade battleaxe and Dean Gu Changfeng's personal guidance.
Elemental Academy? Light-element spell specialization could make his offensive repertoire even richer.
However, none of those were enough.
What did he truly need?
It was buffs.
His S+-rank talent Child of Light allowed his own buff skills to receive massive amplification.
The reason he could currently crush peers across levels was precisely due to the stacking of various buffs.
What if he could learn more and stronger buff skills?
What if he could elevate the tier, effect, and quantity of his buff skills to the absolute peak?
At that point, he would only become stronger!
What's more, Song Wanqiu possessed resurrection skills.
Such an exclusive mentor was practically impossible to come by.
And Song Wanqiu had also stated that joining Support Academy didn't mean he had to act as a support.
He could learn combat-class skills just the same!
With this in mind, Lu Li hesitated no longer and spoke:
"I choose Support Academy, Mentor Song Wanqiu."
As his voice fell, an uproar instantly swept through the audience.
"Holy shit?! What did he just say? He really picked Support Academy?!"
"The rookie king picked Support Academy? Has he lost his mind!"
"Damn! The rookie king going to support? That's a first!"
"It truly is unheard of."
"Among the past rookie kings, who has ever gone to Support Academy? Not a single one!"
"..."
That was Support Academy!
In the eyes of the freshmen, Support Academy was a place for professionals who lacked combat talent and could only scrape by on buffs.
Even if one could learn buff skills for free, even if there was the guarantee of resurrection, so what?
Support was support in the end. If word got out that the rookie king went to support, who would believe it?
The senior students also found it unbelievable.
They knew better than the freshmen that the dean of Support Academy possessed a resurrection skill.
Yet past rookie kings had still chosen other academies even knowing this.
After all, no matter how precious a resurrection skill was, it was ultimately just a survival measure.
Among true powerhouses, who wouldn't want to go to War Academy to cultivate the arts of slaughter?
Who wouldn't want to go to Weapon Academy to master the way of myriad weapons?
Nobody would ever choose Support Academy just because of this.
"Seems our rookie king this year is quite afraid of dying."
A senior joked with a grin, instantly drawing a wave of low laughter from those around him.
On the high platform, the other three deans were also slightly startled, shaking their heads one after another.
Song Wanqiu's beautiful eyes, however, lit up, pleasant surprise surfacing across her features.
She had already prepared herself to be rejected.
She hadn't anticipated that this rookie king would genuinely choose Support Academy.
"Very good. Welcome to our Support Academy."
Song Wanqiu smiled gently, beckoning him over as she said softly:
"Come over to my side."
"Yes."
Hearing this, Lu Li strode over.
Only upon approaching did he truly perceive the beauty of this Support Academy dean.
Previously, across the platform and crowd, he had only felt Song Wanqiu was as gentle as water.
Now, standing right in front of her, that beauty became all the clearer.
Her skin was as delicate as jade, and beneath her plain white priestess robes, her figure was voluptuous and well-endowed, with stunning curves.
Her lovely eyes held a gentle smile, seemingly capable of melting away all the fatigue in one's heart.
Had it been anyone else, their composure would have wavered long ago.
Yet Lu Li's attention was not on any of this right now.
Because just moments ago, the notification for completing the quest had sounded in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations on completing the Freshman Grand Competition achievement quest!]
[Based on your rookie king ranking, congratulations on obtaining the S-rank divine medicine 'luck potion'!]
[luck potion (S-Rank): Within 24 hours of drinking, your luck will surge dramatically.]
[Would you like to claim it now?]
A luck potion?
Lu Li's eyes lit up sharply.
The luck attribute was truly marvelous.
If one was lucky enough, one could stumble upon legendary-grade equipment just by walking out the door.
Even an elderly lady one casually helped across the street...
Could turn out to be a multimillionaire who would casually hand over a few million as a token of gratitude.
However, there was only one thing Lu Li could think of in the near future where the luck potion would be useful.
And that was the Divine Blessing!
Divine Blessing effects varied and were completely random.
If he used this luck potion, he could probably push the blessing effect of the Divine Blessing straight to its absolute maximum!
"What a great item!"
Lu Li felt a rush of heat in his chest.
As great as the item was, he dared not claim it right now.
The deans of all four academies were present, under the watchful eyes of the entire crowd.
If he suddenly pulled out a potion bottle, it would attract far too much attention.
"Better wait until I get back."
Lu Li suppressed the excitement in his heart and stood beside Song Wanqiu with a composed expression.
Seeing his calm demeanor, Song Wanqiu became even more satisfied, the smile at the corners of her eyes deepening.
After Lu Li, others proceeded to select their mentors and academies one after another.
The second to step forward was Shen Chuyou.
Without the slightest hesitation, she chose Elemental Academy, Luo Qingshuang.
On Luo Qingshuang's ice-cold face, a rare, extremely faint smile appeared.
The third was Lin Qingyu, who chose Weapon Academy, Dean Gu Changfeng.
Her talent in swordsmanship was evident to all, so this choice came as no surprise.
As for the rest, they each selected their respective academies.
Yet not a single person picked Support Academy again.
When all ten individuals finished choosing, Song Wanqiu's side had only Lu Li alone.
Yet she was not annoyed in the slightest.
Instead, she sat there beaming with a smile, looking as though she had picked up the greatest treasure in the world.