Chapter Seventy-Six: The Phoenix Descends Upon Mount Xiqi

Martial Arts Hall. Training Room.

As Huang Zixing was busy stretching and preparing for his upcoming appearance, a group of young men and women dressed in martial arts uniforms pushed open the door and entered.

Upon seeing the handsome young man at the head of the group, Huang Zixing immediately greeted him respectfully, smiling and saying, “Qingping, what brings you here?”

Shen Qingping looked at Huang Zixing with a gentle smile and asked, “Are you today’s examiner?”

“Yes, I happen to be on duty today. I heard Director Shang is bringing someone for assessment, so Director Chen Bing asked me to get ready in advance.” Huang Zixing nodded as he replied.

“How about letting me take this opportunity instead?” Shen Qingping asked.

Huang Zixing looked troubled, replying, “Qingping, it’s not that I’m unwilling, but Director Chen Bing has already informed me, so it’s a bit difficult for me.”

Crack!

Shen Qingping delivered a swift kick to Huang Zixing’s shin, the sound of bone breaking echoing through the room.

Huang Zixing howled in pain, collapsing to the floor, both hands clutching his leg as he cried out in agony.

“Is it still difficult now?” Shen Qingping asked calmly, gazing down at him.

“No, not at all…” Huang Zixing, drenched in sweat, gritted his teeth against the pain but still forced himself to answer obediently. He had no choice; the Shen family was not to be trifled with.

“Thank you.” Shen Qingping’s serene smile returned, as if what he’d just done was utterly trivial.

“What an ungrateful fool. Qingping spoke to you nicely, yet you still dare put on airs. Who do you think you are?” a cute-looking girl scoffed.

“Exactly. If it were me, I’d have broken three of his legs by now—Qingping is just too good-natured.”

“Is Qingping planning to meet that guy?” asked a refined, gentle-looking young man with wavy hair and silver-rimmed glasses.

Shen Qingping nodded. “Someone doesn’t want him to come in.”

“I see.” Yu Letian grinned. “Must be your family’s star of the Blue List, Shen Xinglan, right?”

Shen Qingping’s gaze turned icy as he looked at Yu Letian. “What does it have to do with him? He’s been secluded in Egret Hall and wouldn’t bother with such things.”

“Haha, I was just making conversation.” Yu Letian disliked Shen Qingping’s attitude—the Shen family members were all insufferably arrogant, acting as if they owned the world and everyone else was a fool.

Although, truth be told, Yu Letian secretly thought the same way himself.

“After all, who doesn’t know about Shen Xinglan’s feelings for Her Highness the Princess? ‘The phoenix rests upon Xiqi Mountain’—that’s a famous saying here in Phoenix City.”

Xiqi Mountain was the ancestral home of the Shen family, and many believed that Zhong Yuxuexue’s ultimate destination would be the Shen family. After all, they were of similar age—one a royal noblewoman, the other an illustrious heir.

Moreover, one topped the Red List, the other the Blue List; they could be considered the two most outstanding young people of their generation. Their union seemed only natural, making them the favorite pairing among countless fans.

“Is your Yu family any better?” Shen Qingping retorted.

“So, it seems our intentions are surprisingly aligned?” Yu Letian adjusted his glasses and smiled. “That newcomer has been making quite a splash lately. I heard he’s pulled off some impressive feats as Princess Xiuxue’s official representative.”

“Official representative?” Shen Qingping sneered. “A mere puppet.”

“A foolish puppet who doesn't even know it,” Yu Letian agreed. “Well then, best of luck, Qingping. Do us Phoenix City youths proud.”

“It’s no trouble at all.”

——

The medical team tried to carry Fatty off to the recovery room, but he refused.

He knew Tang Fei was about to begin his assessment and declared, “I want to stay here and cheer for my big brother.”

He was certain Tang Fei would pass the evaluation—his faith in Tang Fei far surpassed his faith in himself.

Still, he wanted to stay and accompany his brother.

The medical staff didn’t insist; after all, Fatty had just proven how unreliable their medicine and equipment were.

His face still throbbed with pain.

Chen Bing resumed charge of the assessment, turning to Tang Fei and asking, “Are you ready?”

“Ready,” Tang Fei replied. “What’s the content of my assessment?”

“Just like all new student entrance exams: a virtual battle,” Chen Bing answered.

“Hm?” Tang Fei widened his eyes. What on earth was that?

He didn’t fear assessments, but he was wary of unfamiliar territory. It was like being asked to compete in firearms knowledge or advanced tech—fields he’d never touched before.

For instance, marksmanship. Firearms were rare on the Old Land, and bullets even scarcer. When would he ever get a chance to practice? If a bullet didn’t hit its mark, it was wasted.

He could shoot, but compared to sharpshooters who never missed, he was far from their level.

Phoenix, aware of Tang Fei’s predicament, spoke up, somewhat concerned. “A virtual battle means you pick a map, then you and your opponent connect to the virtual world via neural interface. Everything looks and feels real—every slash and gunshot is real. The only difference from the real world is, you won’t die.”

“You won’t die?” Tang Fei asked.

“No,” Phoenix confirmed with a nod.

“Then there’s no problem,” Tang Fei replied cheerfully.

With no risk to life, what was there to worry about? Hunting in Hate Mountain was far more dangerous.

It was only a matter of getting into the academy. If he passed, wonderful. If not, he’d find other ways to grow stronger, to broaden his horizons.

For example, joining the Royal Imperial Guard—one of the paths Phoenix had mapped out for him.

After all, his backer was none other than Her Highness, Princess of the Phoenix Empire.

What did he have to worry about?

He had a powerful leg to stand on—he could afford to be willful.

Chen Bing explained further, “Even though it’s a virtual world, you’ll still feel pain. When you’re hurt, you’ll feel it—you’ll bleed and be injured until one side is unable to fight or ‘dies.’”

“Of course, the harm is limited to your virtual self. When you exit, your real body remains unharmed. You may experience some discomfort, that’s all.”

“No problem,” Tang Fei said. “My opponent is a robot, right?”

He’d grasped the format—it was like a player-versus-AI match. You entered the map through a neural interface, fought another character, and the winner was the one left standing.

“No,” Chen Bing shook her head. “We have examiners. Your opponent’s already been arranged—a student at the Qi Manipulation level, just like you.”

“I see.”

Tang Fei actually preferred a real person. After all, the human brain’s reaction speed was no match for a machine’s—like playing chess against a computer. People needed to think, but a machine didn’t.

He was confident his battlefield instincts, honed through countless life-and-death struggles, would not be inferior.

“No problem,” Tang Fei agreed.

“The assessment is about to begin. Who’s today’s examiner?” someone in the crowd asked.

“No idea. Only the very best students can be examiners. It earns them extra credit and unlimited access to the Martial Arts Hall’s training equipment.”

“I wanted to apply but got rejected…”

“I hope this guy is as good as Fatty. I’m honestly a bit excited.”

“Don’t call him Fatty. He’s Dean Shang’s treasured disciple.”

“…”

——

Ignoring the surrounding chatter, Chen Bing spoke into her communicator, “Will today’s examiner please step forward.”

Under everyone’s expectant gaze, Shen Qingping led his group onto the stage.

“Dean Shang, Director Chen, greetings,” Shen Qingping said respectfully, bowing to Shang Xiulin and Chen Bing.

From appearances alone, it was clear why scions of noble families were more likely to win public favor—handsome, well-mannered, and wealthy.

Ordinary people were naturally drawn to strength, and star coins could indeed enhance one’s attractiveness.

“Mm.” Shang Xiulin nodded. He recognized Shen Qingping, a prominent figure at the school.

Shen Qingping turned to Phoenix, who stood beside Tang Fei, and said with a smile, “I spoke with my brother on the phone a few days ago—he asked me to send you his regards.”

At this, the room immediately buzzed with excitement.

“Is he talking about Shen Xinglan? The top of the Blue List, Shen Xinglan?”

“What cultivation level is Shen Xinglan at now? Why haven’t we heard anything about him since he entered Egret Hall?”

“He’s still at the top of the Blue List, so his strength must be improving—at the very least, not declining…”

“Hehe, have you heard that poem? ‘The phoenix rests upon Xiqi Mountain.’ Shen Xinglan has his brother send regards to Zhong Yuxuexue. The implications are worth pondering…”

——

Phoenix remained composed, neither flustered nor annoyed, and replied crisply, “Please send my regards to your brother as well.”

“I certainly will,” Shen Qingping promised with a smile.

He then walked over to Chen Bing and said, “Director Chen, I’ll be today’s examiner.”

Chen Bing raised an eyebrow. “Where’s Huang Zixing?”

She distinctly remembered Huang Zixing was scheduled for today—why the sudden change?

“Huang Zixing overexerted himself during training and accidentally injured his knee. We just carried him to the infirmary,” Shen Qingping explained. “Since our abilities are similar, he asked me to cover his shift and to apologize to Dean Shang and Director Chen on his behalf.”

Chen Bing nodded. “Then the two of you, follow me to the battle chamber.”

She was well aware of Shen Qingping’s strength, and he was certainly qualified to assess Tang Fei. Besides, since it was a virtual duel, neither would be physically harmed.

What could possibly go wrong?

Phoenix wanted to go with them, but Chen Bing stopped her.

Looking at Phoenix—the student with a special status—Chen Bing said, “You know the rules of the Martial Arts Hall. Only the two combatants are allowed in the battle chamber. No one else may enter.”

Phoenix understood and could only clench her fist in encouragement towards Tang Fei. “Go for it. You’ll definitely succeed.”

“Of course,” Tang Fei replied, full of confidence.

Shen Qingping’s smile was gentle and warm as a spring breeze. Hearing Tang Fei’s words, his smile grew even wider.

“I’ll be giving it my all, too,” he said to himself. “Give it my all to send him packing.”

(P.S. Old Liu always keeps his word—please subscribe and vote for this chapter!)

(End of chapter)