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After adopting the mimicry form, Yuan Hanshuang smoothly passed the gifted identity verification. A senior staff member smiled and congratulated her, “Congratulations on your promotion to Gifted Fighter. Your fighter’s qualification certificate has been upgraded; you may check it backstage anytime.”
“Thank you.”
Yuan Hanshuang happily stepped out of the examination room, the badge hanging on her chest now adorned with a new pattern.
From today onward, she was no longer an ordinary fighter but a gifted fighter.
Although the level of her badge remained unchanged—just one rank above bronze at silver—the prize money for a match was now triple her previous earnings. It felt exhilarating.
“Let’s go test out my current combat power.”
She patted the koi on her shoulder, which responded excitedly by flapping its fins.
Synchronous combat, the most favored battle mode in the interstellar mainstream today, was known for its overwhelming strength.
Yet, no matter how powerful the new power system was, it had to be integrated with her ancient martial arts from her previous life to unleash a strength greater than the sum of its parts. This was a long process requiring repeated refinement and extensive practical combat drills.
“Let me see... to be safe, the first match should be a team battle.”
Yuan Hanshuang submitted a 2v2 duel request on the holographic screen.
Shortly after, the screen displayed a successful match, directing her to the designated arena.
Upon arrival, three people were already standing on the field, all wearing similar style masks with glowing IDs hovering above their heads, resembling a holographic game.
As Yuan Hanshuang stepped onto the arena, her teammate gasped, “Damn, how did I end up with a low-level Stage One?”
Most gifted fighters who reached silver rank were typically mid-level Stage Ones. Clearly, her teammate hadn’t expected the random match to pit him with a low-level rookie like her—it was almost laughably unlucky.
“Damn unlucky,” he spat at the two opposing mid-level Stage Ones. “Hey, SpongeBob, if it drags past three minutes, just surrender, got it?”
Surrendering before the match even began—what a loser!
Yuan Hanshuang ignored him, inwardly lamenting the loss of her original ID.
Initially, her ID was her father’s name; every time the host introduced her, the audience would respectfully call out that name. Eventually, the collective complaints forced her to change it, resulting in the current “SpongeBob.”
“Ready, match start!”
At the countdown, all gifted fighters completed their synchronization at lightning speed. The koi instantly transformed into a streak of light and merged into Yuan Hanshuang’s brow.
In an instant, her deep blue pupils turned a profound red, matching the koi’s pattern color, and an aura of rising intensity enveloped her.
The others showed partial mimicry traits as well—extended, sharpened claws, cat ears sprouting from heads—typical features of synchronous combat.
The essence of synchronous combat versus mimicry combat lay in this: mimicry combat releases the mimic form to fight, while synchronous combat retracts the mimic to augment the human’s strength, engaging directly in battle. In short, it’s the difference between sending minions and the master stepping into the arena.
Waiting earlier, Yuan Hanshuang observed that the two opposing gifted fighters’ mimics were Wind Spirit Cat and Spirit Grass Rabbit—common and ordinary types, which greatly aided her preparation.
For example, she knew the Wind Spirit Cat’s user favored agility, while the Spirit Grass Rabbit’s user was undoubtedly a support.
Her teammate’s mimic was a wolf spider, likely a control type.
“Damn, a ranged fighter who only shoots cold arrows!”
The wolf spider, seeing SpongeBob’s mimic, probably guessed her role.
He had encountered koi mimics in ranked matches before—those players were ranged types.
Having a controller paired with a ranged fighter was an unlucky combination. And SpongeBob being a low-level Stage One only cemented their status as a losing pair.
“Retreat! Retreat! Stall for three minutes and then surrender!”
Thinking about losing rank points and paying a fee upon surrender infuriated the wolf spider, so he chose to delay, running backward and circling the arena, fully embracing the art of retreat.
“Let’s take one down first.”
The two opposing gifted fighters exchanged a glance and decided to ignore the harmless low-level Stage One, uniting to knock out the more dangerous mid-level Stage One first.
So Yuan Hanshuang stood there, somewhat speechless, watching them parkour around.
All three had similar strength, but the agile type clearly had a speed advantage.
The wolf spider ran for a few seconds before the Wind Spirit Cat caught up, forcing him to turn and use a skill first. A flash of light appeared in his palm as white spider silk was produced.
“!”
The quality of the silk was excellent, and the wolf spider, battle-hardened, launched it from a tricky angle.
The Wind Spirit Cat was startled, flipping backward several times to narrowly evade it. Fortunately, the Spirit Grass Rabbit’s buff skill immediately kicked in; after swallowing a green spirit herb bundle, the cat ears twitched and its speed surged to another level.
“Damn, what kind of fight is this!”
The wolf spider cursed loudly.
The Wind Spirit Cat was naturally agile and had a buffing support. Its dodging was nimble, and when it ran, the wind seemed to follow—a near flight.
No way. If they didn’t take out the support, they wouldn’t be able to stall for three minutes.
The wolf spider remembered he had a useless teammate and wanted to call for help to stall, but saw Yuan Hanshuang standing idle, which infuriated him.
“SpongeBob, what the hell are you doing just standing there watching?”
His roar was loud enough to draw the attention of other spectators on nearby courts.
They came over to watch, seeing the situation and sneering.
“Random match, no wonder—random matches always pair you with newbies.”
“That wolf spider is unlucky too, matching with a low Stage One even in silver rank. But that’s weird; low Stage Ones are usually bronze. How did she get to silver? Maybe she’s riding on a team’s coattails?”
“Why are they still running? Fight! Attack! Set up the cannon and blast them! Go head-on!”
As the match degenerated into a chase, many spectators booed.
“Silver rank and still playing this boring run-around stall tactic. No fun.”
“Yeah, running back and forth like this is so unwatchable.”
A bespectacled spectator outside the arena, behind a light blue protective barrier, carefully studied Yuan Hanshuang, focusing on her ID and small stature. Without a word, he went to the betting area and placed a bet of a thousand star coins on SpongeBob.
“Bro, are you crazy?” another spectator gasped. “That SpongeBob is a low-level Stage One facing two mid-level Stage Ones. She’s just a free win for them. Burning money like this is nuts!”
“No, you don’t understand.”
The glasses-wearing man lowered his voice mysteriously. “I often watch fights at the arena. SpongeBob may be a nameless rookie among gifted fighters, but she’s quite famous in the normal fighter group. Don’t underestimate her youth—she fights fiercely. I didn’t expect her to suddenly be promoted. I looked twice to confirm.”
“Really?” The other was skeptical.
“Really. It’s daytime now, so there aren’t many spectators. Plus, the two zones don’t connect, so few come to watch. Usually, in the normal zone, SpongeBob’s matches are pre-announced. Her fights are exciting and violent, using a rare ancient martial arts style. She even once beat gifted fighters, gaining many fans.”
The bespectacled man patted his shoulder. “If you trust me, bet a few hundred star coins. If you lose, think of it as entertainment money—it’s not much.”
Seeing his serious expression, the other hesitated.
With the odds on screen rising to 5:1, he thought it over and bet a hundred star coins. “Alright then.”
After all, a hundred star coins was a small gamble and not a big loss.
The match continued.
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The wolf spider struggled to evade the Wind Spirit Cat’s attacks, whose speed had been maximized by buffs, leaving no window for counterattack, let alone taking out the support.
Helpless, the wolf spider ran while using silk to block attacks poorly and cursed at his teammate.
“Do you have a conscience, SpongeBob? Just standing there watching your teammate get hit! You’re despicable!”
“SpongeBob, are you on the enemy’s side? Won’t you come fight? You want me to do 1v2?”
Yuan Hanshuang was unfazed. Insults didn’t cause her any harm. She ignored him.
After the wolf spider learned the attack patterns of the two enemies, Yuan Hanshuang leisurely moved her wrists.
The next moment, she pushed off with her back foot and shot forward like an arrow.
The Spirit Grass Rabbit, distracted by the arena, exclaimed, “The other person’s gone!”
Hearing this, the Wind Spirit Cat focused a fraction of his mind, “Where did she go?”
“Don’t know, I didn’t see... ah!”
Mid-sentence, the Spirit Grass Rabbit suddenly felt a strong force from behind and screamed.
Startled, she tried to turn back but felt a pair of soft, boneless hands wrap around her neck.
Simultaneously, Yuan Hanshuang exerted strength from her waist, calves, and neck, using her child’s flexible body to hurl the opponent out of the arena.
In multi-person battles, the first to kill are always the supports—this was common knowledge among gifted fighters.
“Watch out—”
Seeing this, the Wind Spirit Cat’s pupils constricted sharply. He decisively abandoned the wolf spider and lunged toward the Spirit Grass Rabbit.
He regretted underestimating the match’s first half and was now far from the support.
Fortunately, the buff on him remained active. He maxed out his speed and used a skill, barely catching the Spirit Grass Rabbit midair, pulling her back from the edge.
He steadied her, “Stand behind me. She’s fast—definitely an agile type.”
Still dazed from being thrown, the Spirit Grass Rabbit nodded.
Watching the two regroup, the wolf spider was anxious and angry. “SpongeBob, what are you doing? You can’t even finish them off?”
When Yuan Hanshuang threw the support out, she could have blocked the Wind Spirit Cat, securing an elimination. Instead, she stood still, watching the enemy rescue the support.
The wolf spider was furious.
Yuan Hanshuang ignored the scolding and looked down at her hands.
After synchronizing with the mimic, her speed and strength had surged dramatically—nearly triple her previous level!
This was based on being only a Stage One gifted fighter.
It was unimaginable how powerful those synchronized with high-level mimics must be—textbooks described moves that could destroy worlds and kill star clusters in an instant. It was no joke.
Thinking of this, Yuan Hanshuang straightened up.
Nothing adapted the rhythm better than real combat.
After warming up, she planned to try a newly developed skill.
“Next, let’s proceed with the next experiment.”
Teacher Xiao Yunmeng’s words from class had inspired her greatly.
After half a month of contemplation, she found the prototype for her future skill within the martial arts she excelled at—Bajiquan.
In her previous life, Bajiquan represented the pinnacle of Chinese martial arts, standing atop the pyramid of many styles. Known for its fierce and powerful moves, it was later enhanced through martial improvements, increasing its power manifold. Once mastered, progress was rapid, dominating martial arenas and reigning supreme.
Yet, Bajiquan’s power came with difficulty.
Practitioners required exceptional bones and talent, undergoing a rare medicinal bath for three days and nights, then sitting on an ice bed, using pure Yang internal energy to unblock their meridians and completely transform their constitution before beginning formal training.
Thus, few martial artists mastered Bajiquan.
Coincidentally, Yuan Hanshuang was one of them.
Bajiquan was her signature skill and trademark in her previous life.
Unfortunately, after rebirth, she couldn’t find the herbs for the medicinal bath and had to put it aside, much to her regret.
But now things were different!
If Bajiquan could be successfully evolved into a mimic skill, she wouldn’t need to open her meridians or forcibly alter her constitution as before—she could use it directly!
In her past life, this would have caused a major upheaval in the ancient martial arts world.
Now was the moment to test whether this idea could succeed.
Taking a deep breath, she settled into the starting pose.
Success or failure hinged on this moment.
After securing the support, the Wind Spirit Cat chose to attack first.
Relying on speed as an agile type, he approached like a gust of wind.
But halfway there, he was startled by the sudden surge in Yuan Hanshuang’s aura.
“What’s going on?!”
Her red pupils shone brighter, like a blazing flame.
Her soul deeply imprinted with memories, they erupted fiercely.
[Bajiquan First Move—Eagle Claw Catching Snake]!
“Aah!”
A punch carried formidable thunderous power.
In this starry expanse of unknown generations, Chinese ancient martial arts finally radiated brilliance.
“No! Not an agile type!”
The Wind Spirit Cat narrowly dodged, sweating from the terrifying force.
Gifted fighters were divided into six types: melee, ranged, control, agile, support, and defense.
It was well known that identifying the opponent’s type was key to finding weaknesses.
Seeing Yuan Hanshuang’s light and swift posture, he instinctively classified her as agile.
But the force of that punch made him hesitate, suspecting she was a melee type.
Only melee gifted fighters possessed such overwhelming brute strength.
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But if she was melee, that was baffling—could a koi mimic really take a melee path?
And if she was melee, how to explain such speed?
The Wind Spirit Cat exhaled prematurely.
He thought his fancy moves allowed him to slip away smoothly, unaware that Bajiquan, the ultimate martial art from his opponent’s past life, never struck empty-handed.
Especially the first move, Eagle Claw Catching Snake, which was designed to grab opponents—basically pulling someone in close to beat them up.
Sure enough, as the Wind Spirit Cat took a step forward, he suddenly felt an irresistible force yanking him back, as if he had jumped into her hands.
“What—?”
His horrified expression was as if he’d seen a ghost.
Who runs into the enemy’s grasp on their own, especially an agile type?
“What’s wrong with this Wind Spirit Cat? Is he stupid?!”
Even the onlookers outside the arena were baffled.
Just as the Wind Spirit Cat thought he couldn’t escape, Yuan Hanshuang suddenly released her grip.
“Go on,” she said, hands behind her back, expression unreadable. “I’m not killing today.”
Is this person crazy?
The Wind Spirit Cat spat inwardly and immediately used his dash skill.
Then, leisurely watching him run a few steps, Yuan Hanshuang activated her skill again.
[Eagle Claw Catching Snake]!
The Wind Spirit Cat, who barely escaped, was yanked back once more.
Wind Spirit Cat: ???
“What are you doing? Don’t touch me!”
After two or three repetitions, he was numb, his face full of humiliation.
This SpongeBob was doing it on purpose—letting him run forty-nine meters, then pulling out a fifty-meter big knife!
Worse, she taunted him while fighting, messing with his mind!
“Do you know your biggest mistake? Letting me get close.”
As a melee invincible master of ancient martial arts, Yuan Hanshuang’s domain was within seven steps.
Within that range, she was absolute ruler.
No one expected such a turnaround, prompting the audience to cheer.
“Awesome, awesome!”
“Turned around in just a minute? Damn! A low-level Stage One dominating a mid-level Stage One?”
“I wondered why Wind Spirit Cat kept running back. Now I get it—SpongeBob used a skill!”
“Was that an ancient martial arts skill? Incredible! I thought she was agile, but she had a trick up her sleeve. No wonder she can fight above her rank.”
Finally, after the other lone support was easily taken down by the wolf spider, the Wind Spirit Cat gave up.
“I surrender!”
Better to keep some dignity than endure this cat-and-mouse torment.
“Match over!”
No one expected such a result from a clearly mismatched battle. After a moment’s silence, they applauded. Those who bet on the win cheered loudly. Even the wolf spider, who had doubted his teammate, looked ashamed.
The spectator who casually bet a hundred star coins couldn’t imagine winning five hundred so easily.
“Still don’t quite understand,” he muttered, “What type exactly is SpongeBob?”
“You’re dumb,” the bespectacled man grinned, pocketing five thousand coins, rolling his eyes. “She can use skills to restrict enemies at range—she’s obviously control type!”
“Besides, control types are possessive and brave. Didn’t you see how she toyed with Wind Spirit Cat?”
“True.”
Unaware of her reputation being misunderstood, Yuan Hanshuang remained immersed in excitement.
“I did it! Bajiquan really became my mimic skill!”
Only a master of ancient martial arts truly understood its essence.
Bajiquan’s terror lay in its eight distinct moves:
Eagle Claw Catching Snake, Iron Mountain Lean, Dragon Subduing Tiger, Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers, Empty Step Probing Palm, Heavenly King Supporting Tower, Yellow Sparrow at the Rear, and King of Hell’s Midnight Strike.
These eight moves covered offense, defense, control, agility, even life-and-death skills, showcasing astonishing combat capacity.
Its only flaw was the lack of ranged attacks—only effective in close combat.
That’s why Yuan Hanshuang said she was invincible within seven steps, as Bajiquan’s power peaked in melee; beyond that, it was useless.
Currently, Yuan Hanshuang could only use the first move due to various limitations.
But as her cultivation level rose, one day she would unleash the full eight moves, bringing a touch of Chinese martial arts’ glory to the stars.
“Hehe, hehehe, hehehehe!”
Her excitement lasted until she returned backstage.
After ending synchronization, her legs weakened and vision darkened.
“Uh...”
Familiar, all too familiar.
Despite its power and flashiness, Bajiquan drained her energy fast. After just a few uses, she felt deadly hunger, barely able to stand.
She hadn’t expected using skills would consume satiety as well.
“No... from now on, I’ll stick to melee, use fewer skills.”
She rubbed her stomach. “At this hunger level... I’d need at least five nutrition packs.”
Five packs! That was a lot!
If using Bajiquan required five nutrition packs each time, Yuan Hanshuang thought... reviving Chinese ancient martial arts might have to wait a bit longer.