Chapter 64: Cage Battle, Aiming for First Place
"Did you just try to run away when you saw me?" the ponytailed girl stared at Gu Qianghan.
"No, I just needed to go to the bathroom," Gu Qianghan quickly shook his head.
"Really?" The girl's eyes were filled with suspicion.
"Really." Gu Qianghan said firmly.
"Then why didn't you go?" The girl continued to stare at him.
"Seeing you made me forget about going to the bathroom," Gu Qianghan blurted out.
"Bullshit, just admit you wanted to run. Anyway, when I want to beat you up, you can't escape," the girl snorted.
The pretty girl beside them laughed.
Gu Qianghan's face turned green. Just moments ago, he was boasting to the pretty girl about how impressive he was.
"I'm not talking to you anymore." The ponytailed girl turned her head and looked at Lin Lanyue not far away, her eyes lighting up. She jumped over, calling out, "Sister Yueyue!"
"Dongdong, long time no see," Lin Lanyue smiled, opening her arms to hug the ponytailed girl.
Lin Lanyue was half a head taller than the girl, like an elder sister hugging a younger sister.
Li Yuan watched them from the side.
After releasing Lin Lanyue, the ponytailed girl looked at Li Yuan curiously and hesitantly asked, "Are you Li Yuan?"
"Yes," Li Yuan nodded.
"You're more handsome than Sister Yueyue described," the ponytailed girl grinned, showing her small tiger teeth, and extended her hand, "Hi, I'm Wu Dongdong."
"Wu Dongdong?" Li Yuan looked at the girl.
"She is Wu Dongdong," Lin Lanyue smiled at Li Yuan. "She was the top scorer in the mock exam in Jiang City. Don't be fooled by her appearance."
"Yes," Li Yuan nodded slightly, still finding it somewhat unreal.
She had perfect scores in both martial arts skills and physical fitness in the exam.
A martial arts prodigy so rare that Jiangbei Province might not see another in a year, and likely one of the top in her age group globally. It was hard to reconcile that with the ponytailed girl before him.
"Sister Yueyue said your martial arts skills are exceptional, and not many can impress her," Wu Dongdong looked at Li Yuan and extended her smart wristband, "Add me on V, and let's spar on the combat network later."
"Sure," Li Yuan smiled, adding her as a friend.
Li Yuan noticed that Wu Dongdong had a straightforward personality, exceptional talent, and was very familiar with Lin Lanyue, suggesting she came from a significant background.
"Dongdong, sparring on the combat network is fine," Lin Lanyue said softly, "but during the skills assessment later, in the cage battle, if you encounter Li Yuan..."
"Got it," Wu Dongdong nodded like a pecking chick, "If I meet Sister Yueyue or Li Yuan, I'll take out the others first, and then we'll have a duel."
"What about me?" Gu Qianghan leaned in with anticipation.
"You'll be the first to go down."
...
Time passed, and more aircraft arrived.
By four in the afternoon, everyone had arrived.
Senior Ming then gave a rousing speech, finally announcing the start of the invitation tour.
After that, everyone received a campus ID card.
First item: Campus Tour.
...
Li Yuan had to admit, Jiangbei Martial Arts University was indeed enormous, far surpassing ordinary universities in size.
They took a tour bus for an hour just to see the main campus, not even including the interiors of various teaching buildings.
"So, Li Yuan, you see, martial arts university students usually get around by running," Gu Qianghan pointed to the sides of the road, where students were jogging or sprinting, "Bikes aren't allowed on campus."
Li Yuan looked around. Indeed, there were very few leisurely strolling students, most were jogging or sprinting.
Li Yuan had heard about this online, but it was his first time seeing it in person.
Scenes common in ordinary universities, like couples strolling, chatting on the grass, or exploring the mysteries of the human body in the woods, were rare here.
After a brief tour of Jiangbei Martial Arts University, Li Yuan's impression was summed up in four words: "Very large! Very fast!"
...
After the tour, it was time for dinner.
"Ten Blue Star coins?" Li Yuan looked at the sumptuous meal on the table, surprised.
Outside, this would cost at least two hundred Blue Star coins.
"These ten coins are to prevent waste; the food is essentially free," Gu Qianghan explained. "Martial arts university students receive monthly allowances on their campus cards. It's generally more than enough for food and lodging, which are actually free, with additional allowances. However, the supply of auxiliary training resources is limited."
"Every month, there's a ranking, and the higher the rank, the more training resources you get."
As Li Yuan ate, he listened to Gu Qianghan's explanation.
It was clear that Gu Qianghan knew a lot about martial arts universities.
"If the benefits at Jiangbei Martial Arts University are this good, what about the top five universities?" The more Li Yuan learned, the more determined he became, "I must get into one."
"And strive to get into the core."
Once admitted to one of the top five universities, he could completely alleviate his uncle and aunt's financial burden.
"Uncle?" Li Yuan thought of the war in the Astral Realm of the Lou Bu Sea, his eyes dimming as he continued eating.
Wu Dongdong suddenly slapped the table and muttered, "I'm going to get another serving."
She then got up and dashed out.
"She eats so fast?" Li Yuan was shocked.
He was only halfway through his meal.
"You're comparing yourself to her in eating speed?" Gu Qianghan looked at Li Yuan with a strange expression, "Li Yuan, this is her domain."
Li Yuan laughed.
So, Wu Dongdong was a foodie.
In ten minutes, Wu Dongdong had gotten four large servings and finished them all.
Li Yuan prided himself on being a big eater but had to concede.
"Li Yuan, Dongdong's physical talent is very unique," Lin Lanyue explained, "Her digestion speed is unmatched."
"Besides normal high-level training, she has to consume two Source Force Pills every month," Lin Lanyue smiled.
"Incredible," Li Yuan sincerely admired.
In martial training, normal growth has limits.
For a martial artist, being able to eat and quickly digest is an exceptional talent, ensuring rapid physical growth.
"Indeed."
"At school, it felt like a small pond. Apart from Lin Lanyue, no one could match me," Li Yuan put down his chopsticks, his gaze sweeping over the still-eating Wu Dongdong.
In the distance were many students. Li Yuan tried using his Divine Palace to detect them.
Any random student had a physical fitness level above 8.
"Coming to this event and seeing the province's top high school elites made me realize my shortcomings," Li Yuan understood one of the purposes of the national invitation event.
It was to show these students.
Top of your grade? Top of your county? High martial arts talent?
Even if you're one in a thousand, Jiangbei Province alone produces thousands of such talents each year.
What about the entire China? The world?
How many martial arts prodigies emerge annually in all of human civilization?
"One step at a time."
"From middle school until now, I've worked hard to have the opportunity to participate in this invitation event," Li Yuan's eyes were filled with longing, "I must seize this opportunity."
...
At eight in the evening, all the visiting students, holding their student cards, entered their assigned accommodations at Jiangbei Martial Arts University.
"A flat?"
Many 'poor students' like Li Yuan were shocked.
"Normally, two students share a martial arts room, with an area exceeding 800 square meters, including a martial arts room, bedroom, therapy room, and dining room. There are regular housekeeping services," the senior student leader explained with a smile. "Top 20% of students each semester get individual martial arts rooms."
"Top 5% get villas, excluding gardens, with a total usable area of 1,200 square meters."
"You're here for the competition, so two people share a room. Don't complain," the senior student leader joked.
Li Yuan and the others finally understood why the martial arts university campus was so large.
Just the dormitory area was enormous.
"No wonder martial arts student quotas are not high," Li Yuan sighed, "Even without training resources, just the accommodation costs are staggering."
Jiangbei Martial Arts University accommodates around 50,000 students year-round, not including teachers and support staff.
Martial arts universities have a five-year system.
The more resources you enjoy, the greater your responsibility.
...
Men and women had separate accommodations.
Li Yuan and Gu Qianghan were assigned to a room together.
After unpacking, they sat in the rest area's virtual network pods.
Consciousness connected.
"Just as the senior said, after registering the campus card information, we can temporarily enter Jiangbei Martial Arts University's campus space," Li Yuan smiled.
With a thought, he entered.
...Swish! Swish! Swish! One by one, figures appeared out of thin air, directly seated in their places.
This was a massive combat space.
Quickly, nearly a thousand people filled the large circular tiered viewing platform, creating a bustling scene.
In the center was a circular arena over 200 meters in diameter.
"Li Yuan," a clear voice sounded. Sitting next to Li Yuan was Lin Lanyue, with her red-dyed hair.
The students from Guanshan District appeared before and after him.
Evidently, the system tried to arrange students from the same school and district together.
"You're early," Li Yuan smiled, then glanced around, "Do you know the combat rules? By sequence or random?"
"It should be pseudo-random selection," Lin Lanyue replied.
"Pseudo-random?" Li Yuan was puzzled.
"It means trying to separate students from the same school and county to avoid multiple people teaming up, ensuring fairness," Lin Lanyue explained. "For example, if it were completely random and all ten of our school's students were selected for the same battle, wouldn't we team up to eliminate the others first?"
Li Yuan understood.
Two minutes later, the consciousness of over a thousand students participating in the invitation event arrived in the arena space.
All the students knew that the first real test of the invitation event was about to begin.
"Students from all over the province, good evening," a deep voice echoed.
Swish!
A nearly two-meter-tall man in a black martial arts uniform appeared above the arena, standing in the air with an imposing presence.
"I'll repeat the rules," his voice, naturally amplified, resounded throughout the venue.
"Cage battle."
"Each round selects 200 people, randomly entering the arena to fight. There will be six rounds in total," the black-clad man said deeply. "During the battle, you keep attacking each other. The more enemies you kill and the longer you survive, the higher your score."
"Until only one remains."
"Your virtual body fitness levels are all the same, at 10.0."
"This is a skills assessment."
"Second to ninth place in each round gets a reward of 100,000 Blue Star coins."
"The first place in each round gets a reward of 500,000 Blue Star coins!" the black-clad man's powerful voice echoed through the combat space.
Li Yuan's eyes lit up instantly.
"500,000 Blue Star coins?" Li Yuan's eyes focused.
With his uncle's life uncertain, Li Yuan had long resolved that if the worst came, he must be able to support his family.
What is responsibility?
First, it's earning money.
Not only for his own training but also to cover his siblings' schooling needs.
"My goal is first place," Li Yuan decided, a deep desire in his eyes, "No one can stop me!"