Chapter twenty: The First Duel

With Fang Xing's current strength, he advanced effortlessly through the arena battles.

As the competition progressed from eight to four, and then to two, the number of arenas dwindled, but the number of spectators grew exponentially.

Finally…

"The last match, Fang Xing versus Liu Wei! You two will decide the top two spots in this practical examination!"

On the arena, Xia Long looked at both fighters with a smile.

Regardless of the outcome, the top spots were already secured by his first-year class.

At least this year, the benefits from the school would surely be more substantial!

If one of them could get into university, it would also earn him a hefty bonus!

"Ah Xing…"

Liu Wei looked at Fang Xing, excitement dancing in his eyes. "Come on... I've been wanting to see your true strength for a while now."

As he spoke, his muscles rippled like water, creating a strange sight.

Fang Xing sighed.

Liu Wei was strong!

Awakening his abilities was akin to a life-changing event, and his power-based abilities were immediately effective!

Once the fight began, if he didn't unleash his full strength, it would be hard to handle Liu Wei.

This could easily reveal too much.

After all, the jade skin could be said to be the third realm's Dragon Posture, and his rapid progress in martial arts stemmed from his remarkable comprehension.

But the considerable advancement in his physical training was harder to explain; no matter how talented one was, without significant resources, it was impossible.

'Second place in practical skills is good enough, and… there's still the written exam!'

'The narrative of a passionate youth fighting a former friend to victory isn't really my style…'

With his thoughts settled, Fang Xing finally spoke, "I concede…"

"Concede?"

Xia Long frowned, and the crowd of students and teachers erupted in confusion.

"Concede? Why would you concede?"

"I heard Liu Wei and Fang Xing are good friends, raised together… Maybe he doesn't want to fight?"

"Nonsense! My childhood friend beat me up pretty badly during high school entrance exams… Isn't it normal for friends to spar?"

"Hmph, foolish! As a bio-enhanced individual, nothing matters but results… The final exam scores are crucial; if two students have the same score for university applications, their records will be scrutinized. This historical score could be the deciding factor… What a foolish move by Fang Xing!"

Some admired him, while others scoffed.

Liu Wei's expression darkened. "Why?"

"I just don't want to fight you, that's my reason."

Fang Xing exhaled. "Besides… second place in practical skills is quite enough."

Liu Wei's heart raced; he knew that the final scores combined the practical and written results.

But what about his academic performance?

It couldn't be said to be disastrous, but he always fell a bit short of Fang Xing's scores.

"Alright, since the participant concedes, Liu Wei is the winner!" 

Xia Long coughed lightly, a smile spreading across his face. "The final exam has successfully concluded; scores will be released shortly!"

Thanks to the AI grading system, the written test scores were already out.

They had merely waited for the practical results.

Soon, Fang Xing saw his scores.

**[Written Exam Score: 874 (out of 1000)]**

**[Practical Exam Score: 98 (out of 100)]**

**[Combined Score: 175.6 (Overall Rank: 1)]**

"Huh? I'm first in my grade?"

Fang Xing was stunned, then realized, "Looks like the top scorers in written exams didn't do well in practicals…"

"How is this possible? I'm only third?" 

Liu Wei couldn't accept his score.

"This is normal; the combined score gives 90% weight to practicals and 10% to the written. You got first in practicals, perfect score of 100… Your written score was 840, totaling 174, just one point behind Bai Lianyi in second place," Xia Long explained.

He turned to Fang Xing. "You recognized your limits and chose to concede. While that takes courage, some teachers may view this as cowardice, so your score was slightly lower. Otherwise, you could have easily gotten a 99 for practicals… Fang Xing, you need to keep pushing; it's easy to be surpassed."

"Yes, Teacher."

Fang Xing nodded. "This summer, I plan to focus on studying and training…"

"Good! I hope you three continue to progress like this. I'll apply for scholarships for you next semester."

Xia Long spoke to both Fang Xing and Liu Wei, then turned to Bai Lianyi, unable to hide his smile. "Bai, your academic scores are excellent, but you need to improve in practicals!"

The classmates had truly made him proud, claiming the top three spots in the grade. Even the principal would toast to him at the banquet!

"Thank you, Teacher."

Fang Xing glanced at Liu Wei and Bai Lianyi, sensing something strange.

Recalling the dog-walking woman he encountered earlier, he figured he should focus on exploring the other world during the summer.

As for living expenses? 

He'd soon have a scholarship and wouldn't need a part-time job.

…

"Finally over…"

In the Happy Home community, Fang Xing closed the door and lay back on his bed.

After the final exams, school was officially out.

Two months of vacation would be enough for him to explore that other world!

"I need stronger power!" 

Thinking of Liu Wei's progress, Fang Xing felt an itch at the back of his mind.

It wasn't merely fear of his friend struggling or suddenly driving a luxury car.

Instead… Liu Wei's transformation felt peculiar!

Though to others, it might seem normal, Fang Xing had grown up alongside Liu Wei!

Plus, Liu Wei's occasional revealing comments made Fang Xing sense an impending danger.

'Maybe I'm overthinking it. Perhaps Liu Wei simply got lucky with a genetic mutation and gained abilities…'

'But still… I need to cut ties quickly.'

Fang Xing stared at his own heart, realizing there was also a factor of distancing himself from Liu Wei to prevent the original's good friend from discovering his abnormalities!

'Even if I possess the memories of the original, I'm not truly Fang Xing; the habits of a traveler will always leave traces. While others might not notice, Liu Wei might pick up on them… So I've subconsciously distanced myself from him? Even if it's unintentional?'

Fang Xing sighed.

The original's friends were not his friends.

In past life novels, protagonists who immediately embraced their families and friends upon crossing over were never his style.

If he lacked the original's memories, it would seem even more disingenuous.

'I am who I am; I just need to be myself…'

Fang Xing sighed, preparing to play a game to commemorate his lost youth.

"Hmm, a new adult game has been released; I shall critique it thoroughly…"

He donned his holographic glasses, immersing himself in a new blockbuster, completely unaware of the passing time.

Eventually, when Fang Xing pulled off his glasses with a satisfied sigh, he found the outside world shrouded in darkness.

"Huh? Did the takeout arrive?"

He glanced at the notification and headed to the door, finding two delivery packages.

Upon opening them, he discovered a wig and the vintage robe he had ordered.

If he wanted to impersonate a person from another world, having long hair was essential. With limited time, he could use the wig for now.

The retro style was also quite trendy on Huya Star, so buying a set of ancient attire wouldn't be too odd.

This robe, made of rough linen and dyed a bluish hue, resembled the flowing sleeves of the other world.

"After a hearty meal, tomorrow I'll make my journey… This time, I'll head to the 'Qinglin Market'…"

With his recent language studies, Fang Xing had mostly grasped the language of the other world, at least for basic conversations.

He had even stealthily approached some of the farmers, engaging them in conversation without drawing suspicion.

"With two months to explore, I hope to achieve significant progress… At least find a channel for the 'Innate Pill'…"

Advancing in martial arts is much easier with sufficient resources.

Transitioning from the 'Flesh Realm' to the 'Bone Realm' could be handled with enough 'Vitality Pills.'

But moving from 'Bone Realm' to 'Jade Realm' was much more challenging.

Strengthening the internal organs and enhancing inner vitality was not a task accomplished in a day; many high school students failed to do it, ultimately losing out on university opportunities.

"As long as I have the 'Innate Pill,' advancing to the Jade Realm will be a smooth journey… If I can elevate the 'Dragon Posture' to the fourth stage and comprehend the 'Dragon's Intent,' I can successfully ascend to the fourth realm of martial arts—'Courage Realm'!"

"If I reach the 'Courage Realm' by senior year, not only will university be secure, but I might even aim for a top-tier institution… While schools like 'Blue Star University' and 'Nine Sword Academy' may be tough…"

Fang Xing silently mapped out his future, his eyes brightening.

"In this splendid starry age, not to venture to the forefront of the tide would be a regret!"