Chapter 35: He Xiao's Provocation

Jiang Yan soared through the air, quickly deciphering the intricate and complex city routes from high above.

“Now, just nine more markers and I can leave.”

Jiang Yan’s flying ability was nothing short of monstrous. It took him only a few minutes to resolve the evacuation route issue, making the originally three-day exam seem utterly laughable.

Soon, he found another marker—a backpack with the character “Martial” prominently engraved on it.

However, the backpack wasn’t easy to retrieve. It hung from a withered tree, beneath which lay a serpent measuring four to five meters in length.

The serpent was pitch black, with a diameter as thick as a bucket. Its pair of vertical, emerald-green pupils gleamed with a crimson hue.

A second-order Late Stage Fierce Beast—the Blackblood Python.

Without hesitation, Jiang Yan gripped his alloy saber tightly, faint arcs of lightning flickering along its blade.

Having achieved proficiency in the Yan Thunder Destruction Slash, he could now channel lightning into his saber, significantly enhancing its power.

Seizing the moment while the Blackblood Python was still dozing, Jiang Yan swung his saber toward the serpent’s vital point.

The blade sliced through flesh without the slightest resistance. Jiang Yan’s strike was clean, swift, and flawless—the polished blade didn’t even catch a drop of blood.

He retrieved the backpack from the branch and slung it over his shoulder.

“Perfect. This will come in handy for carrying the remaining markers.”

Jiang Yan leaped back into the air.

Outside the exam grounds, speculation arose about Jiang Yan’s next moves.

Some believed he should play it safe, gathering just two or three more markers before evacuating. After all, the city was like a labyrinth, requiring considerable time to find the exit.

Others, however, argued that Jiang Yan would likely collect all ten markers, evacuate the city at the fastest possible speed, and seize first place.

Jiang Yan’s mindset clearly leaned toward the latter.

Sure enough, he soon encountered another examinee who had obtained a marker.

Without a word, Jiang Yan went straight for the marker.

Every second counted now—any unnecessary chatter would only slow him down.

“What you’re doing is wrong!”

“Do I care if it’s right or wrong?”

Another marker secured. Jiang Yan had already completed 30% of the task, and less than thirty minutes had passed.

Meanwhile, another examinee sharing the same map was engaged in similar activities.

He Xiao, a Prodigy from Demon Capital, possessed an S-grade Talent called “Wildfire Scorching Plains.” At the second-order Perfection Realm, he was quite renowned online, famed for his ability to defeat opponents above his level. He had even held his own against a third-order Martial Artist.

Despite his formidable Talent, He Xiao could have long since drawn in Qi to achieve an Innate Breakthrough. However, the world of Geniuses differed from that of ordinary people.

Like many of his kind, He Xiao pursued perfection at every step, striving to forge his Physical Body to its absolute limit during the Acquired Martial Artist stage before seeking the most powerful “Qi” to absorb into his body.

Thus, many Geniuses possessed the ability to defeat higher-level opponents, and no one dared to underestimate their Realm.

He Xiao snatched a marker from an examinee who had just obtained it, ruthlessly pinning the person beneath his foot.

“Your belongings now belong to me.”

“That’s mine! Give it back!”

He Xiao’s eyes narrowed as he kicked the man in the abdomen.

The man’s eyes bulged, and he vomited a mouthful of acidic fluid.

“You should be grateful this is an exam ground.”

He Xiao turned and left, unwilling to waste any more time on such a waste.

The bullet comments in He Xiao’s live stream room applauded this domineering move, and negative remarks were quickly buried, just like in Jiang Yan’s stream.

: So cool! That’s exactly how it should be done.

: Hurry and find that Jiang Yan. He’s in the same map as He Xiao now and already has three markers. If He Xiao robs Jiang Yan, it’s almost certain he’ll claim first place.

: What? That first-place guy already has three markers? I thought he was just lucky, but it seems he really has some skill.

: Of course, our He Xiao is the strongest. He’s even unafraid of third-tier Innate Martial Artists.

: Jiang Yan is at the center of the map. He Xiao is heading toward him!

The bullet comments in Jiang Yan’s stream were also heating up.

: That S-rank Genius from Demon Capital is coming. Jiang Yan, run!

: What’s there to fear? Jiang Yan has an SS-rank Talent. Shouldn’t the one from Demon Capital be the one running?

: The person above really knows nothing. Those from Demon Capital enjoy the best cultivation resources from birth. Jiang Yan’s Talent only Awakened recently. How could he possibly be a match for someone like that?

: Everyone, I checked the other stream. The bullet comments there say He Xiao can fight Martial Artists three tiers above him!

: Hiss~ Then it’s really hard to say if Jiang Yan can win.

The citizens of Linjiang City began to worry for Jiang Yan.

This was quite normal. Although Linjiang City wasn’t large, it occasionally produced one or two S-rank Geniuses. However, these Geniuses often couldn’t match the performance of Prodigies from big cities during the College Entrance Exam. This led to a common belief among the citizens of Linjiang City and similar cities:

Martial Artists from small cities simply couldn’t defeat those from big cities. And this was Demon Capital, the Holy Land of the Martial Way that countless examinees yearned for!

Could someone from Demon Capital be ordinary?

They hoped Jiang Yan could avoid He Xiao, or at least not clash head-on with the Prodigies from the two capitals until he had earned enough points.

But reality often doesn’t go as planned.

The two finally met!

He Xiao saw Jiang Yan soaring through the sky.

Unlike others who were shocked, he smirked disdainfully: “A flight-type Talent? Watch me shoot you down.”

He Xiao picked up a stone the size of a head from the ground, weighed it in his hand, and hurled it with force.

The stone roared through the air as if tearing through it, flying in a straight line to intercept Jiang Yan’s flight path.

The speed, force, and accuracy were all perfectly controlled.

However, something unexpected happened.

Jiang Yan’s body twisted in a bizarre arc mid-air, deftly dodging the strike aimed at his vitals.

Jiang Yan turned around, and the two locked eyes. He Xiao contemptuously raised a middle finger, the provocation unmistakable.

He wasn’t acting recklessly; instead, he wanted to provoke Jiang Yan into coming down.

And Jiang Yan wasn’t provoked by him but thought this person likely had many markers.

So, he flew down.

“No!” The bullet comments in Jiang Yan’s stream wailed in despair.

He Xiao sneered: “Heh, fool. So easily tricked.”

He Xiao’s Talent was related to pyrokinesis, but with Jiang Yan flying in the sky, He Xiao had no way to deal with him.

Now, the prey had taken the bait, and it was time for the hunter to make his move.

The two exchanged no words, their eyes filled only with a thirst for points.

The battle began without a single word exchanged.

Whoosh!

He Xiao tossed his clothes aside, his entire body instantly igniting. The live stream’s bullet comments thoughtfully pixelated his key areas.

“Ahhh hubby is so big… I mean handsome!”

The bullet comments erupted once more.

He Xiao, the pioneer of borderline exam hall live streaming.