Chapter 277: The Duel
Xu Zhi was browsing the forum as well. Although she believed she had everything under control, she wasn’t arrogant enough to ignore basic information about her opponent.
Ever since news of the duel broke out, numerous discussion threads had appeared. Her information and her opponent’s information were laid out in detail.
There wasn’t much about her. The most eye-catching points were her astonishing entrance exam results and her still-unupdated Level Four Proficiency.
[No matter how good her entrance test scores were, she’s still just Level Four Proficiency. Chun Ming shouldn’t have much trouble beating her.]
This was the most common, fair, and rational opinion on the forum.
Chun Ming—a fairly well-known second-year main-combat Transcendent of the [Blade] attribute. He had recently entered the Student Council’s Discipline Department as an intern and was expected to become a full member in his third year.
Being able to enter the Discipline Department in his second year spoke volumes about his strength. Many people were already offering advance condolences to Xu Zhi.
[Our genius freshman won’t get so badly hit that she loses confidence, right?]
Such things weren’t unheard of. A Transcendent’s mentality was extremely important. When crossing the Long Night, those without firm resolve might fail to gain recognition.
[Should we tell Chun Ming to go easy on her?]
[Please. His ability doesn’t allow him to “go easy.”]
For someone who frequently fought in the arena, Chun Ming’s attribute and abilities were no secret. After browsing the forum discussions, Xu Zhi quickly understood his powers.
Attribute: [Blade].
Transcendent ability: Flame.
Though calling it simply “flame” wasn’t entirely accurate. According to forum posts, it was a flame that would not extinguish naturally and possessed a peculiar corrosive quality—even the surrounding air could be scorched.
However, Chun Ming was only a second-year student. The range and duration of the flames he could release weren’t very long. While described as “unquenchable,” that only applied when undisturbed. Due to his relatively low level, the temperature and corrosiveness of his flames weren’t yet overwhelming.
Still, it was easy to predict: once matured, this would be an extremely destructive ability.
Even at a low level, combined with the inherent traits of [Blade], it was enough to earn him fame in the second year.
Chun Ming followed the “body as blade” path, training no conventional melee weapons. However, he possessed a specialized firearm. Its bullets were made from moderately priced Transcendent materials capable of containing his flames—supplementing his current offensive limitations.
At close range, he could transform himself into flame. At long range, he could fire bullets infused with fire.
The arena did not prohibit carrying Transcendent items within regulated limits.
However, Chun Ming had not yet mastered adjusting the temperature of his flames—he could only control whether they burned or extinguished. Therefore, it was difficult for him to “hold back” during matches.
After reading through his profile, Xu Zhi felt intrigued. Looking up at the arena, an idea formed in her mind.
Perfect. She would use this senior to test the power of her Curse Speech.
Soon, the ten-minute preparation period ended.
The screen in front of the arena displayed the competitors’ student ID numbers and names. Xu Zhi’s wristband vibrated with a notification reminding her to report to the stage.
One downside of arena battles was that your Transcendent ability would be exposed to the audience.
But that wasn’t a big deal. In the academy, classmates would inevitably learn about each other’s abilities—unless it was an extremely special ability that lost effectiveness once widely known, most people didn’t care much about exposure.
Freshmen were the exception. With no prior data, each freshman duel always sparked speculation about their attribute and ability.
When Xu Zhi stepped onto the stage, many upperclassmen watching began making guesses.
Especially upon seeing her relatively slender figure among the crowd, and imagining her about to be engulfed in flames, some couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy.
“What a pretty junior. Why did she have to get matched with Chun Ming?”
Though the academy’s medical treatment could restore one completely afterward, few could entirely forget the pain of being burned.
Xiao Yi lay quietly coiled around Xu Zhi’s wrist. As her Transcendent ability rather than a contracted creature, it was naturally allowed onto the stage.
Once Xu Zhi stood on the platform, she saw her opponent already waiting—a crew-cut male student also dressed in Light Academy’s white-and-gold uniform. His appearance showed little overt sign of Transcendence—perhaps because his level was still low.
When both stood in place, a ten-second holographic countdown appeared in the center of the arena.
The stage was spacious. Xu Zhi and Chun Ming stood about twenty meters apart.
When the countdown hit zero, a violent gust of wind burst outward from Chun Ming. His pupils seemed ignited by flame. Heat waves surged outward as he mobilized his Transcendent energy.
The strands of hair at Xu Zhi’s temples fluttered in the hot wind.
Yet she did not move.
She showed no sign of activating her ability.
“Giving up already?”
“Did Chun Ming’s aura scare her?”
Whispers rose from below the stage, but they had no effect on Xu Zhi. She merely watched Chun Ming with faint anticipation.
Seeing that she made no opening move, Chun Ming’s eyes flashed with surprise. Nevertheless, he decisively drew the gun at his waist.
“I’m sorry, junior.”
He would not hold back.
Transcendent energy surged through his body, transferring instantly into the firearm.
He pulled the trigger.
—Bang. Bang. Bang.
Three rapid shots.
They targeted Xu Zhi’s vital points and sealed her potential escape routes.
Even facing this seemingly delicate junior, Chun Ming did not go easy.
In the blink of an eye, the bullets shot toward Xu Zhi. In less than a second, they would pierce her unmoving form, ignite her frail body, and burn her flesh and meridians.
Yet at the very instant the bullets left the barrel, Xu Zhi’s gaze locked onto the muzzle.
Amidst the scattering sparks, she calmly uttered a single word:
“Stop.”
—In that instant, something changed.
Within Xu Zhi’s body, the Transcendent circuit belonging to Curse Speech lit up. A portion of energy was consumed instantly.
Compared to the gunshots, her voice should have been insignificant. Yet that single word rang with startling clarity, as if it possessed innate penetrating force.
For a fleeting moment, it even felt as though time itself had subtly stalled.
And when her voice fell—
An astonishing scene unfolded.
The three bullets aimed at Xu Zhi abruptly froze midair.
Flames belonging to Chun Ming still burned upon them, yet the bullets themselves seemed to have had a pause button pressed—like a special effect from a science fiction film.
They hung silently in the center of the arena.
