Chen Bing looked at Tang Fei and Shen Qingping and spoke, "Please choose a map, both contestants."
Shen Qingping then looked at Tang Fei with a cheerful smile and said, "Since it’s Tang Fei who is taking the exam, let him pick the terrain he is good at. I don’t mind, anywhere is fine."
Tang Fei glanced meaningfully at Shen Qingping and spoke with a smile, "I’m not very familiar with this mechanism either, let the exam proctor choose."
Shen Qingping nodded, not rejecting, and said, "Then let’s go with the Blood Glacier map. I like watching snow on glaciers, and everyone can experience what a beautiful scene that is."
Their Shen Family’s swordsmanship is extremely close to the cold qi, having an enhancing component.
Moreover, he had trained at Blood Glacier before and was very familiar with the glacier terrain, knowing how to use such harsh environments for attack and defense.
Choosing the Blood Glacier map meant entering his own home ground...
Let his foolish fantasy of stepping into the Imperial First Military Academy come to an end on the cold glacier.
By then, he would realize that not just his body is cold, but his heart too.
"Let’s listen to the exam proctor..." Tang Fei nodded and said with a smile, "I’ll just randomly pick a map."
"..." Shen Qingping’s expression slightly changed.
What do you mean, kid?
"I choose the Primordial Forest," Tang Fei said with a smiling face looking at Shen Qingping, asking, "You wouldn’t mind, would you?"
Playing tea? Who wouldn’t know how?
I’m drinking tea every day now, more than you.
"I just asked for your opinion, if you wanted to choose the Primordial Forest, you could have chosen it from the beginning..." Shen Qingping spoke, questioning, "Why did you let me choose first and then deny my choice?"
"I was afraid you were good at it too," Tang Fei said with a sheepish expression, embarrassedly, "If you had chosen the Primordial Forest first, then I would have to choose another map..."
In the Martial Arts Hall, those watching this scene through the big screen were all speechless and astonished.
"Can you even operate ? Isn’t this kid too cunning?"
"Let someone else choose first and then reject their choice... Doesn’t Shen Qingping care about his face?"
"Look at Shen Qingping’s expression, he looks genuinely angry..."
"Of course, he’s angry, when has the Shen Family ever been humiliated ? I think this kid is not going to end well today..."
"His brother is so honest and simple, and this older brother... how could he be so cunning and sly? They can’t possibly be real brothers, right?"
"Hehehe, anyway, I’m quite looking forward to it... this kid really suits my taste... A man shameless is invincible."
Shang Xiulin remained calm, showing no emotions, but the other teachers couldn’t help but furrow their brows.
They wanted students with high talent and good understanding, but the character of a student was also quite important...
Like that Little Fatty earlier, he does nothing but stand in front of you, and you would feel that this kid is "upright and can be my disciple."
His performance in the Gravity Room also proved everyone’s good judgment, such an honest, and resolute kid, where else could you find one?
He hadn’t even entered the virtual battlefield, nor had he connected to the neural network yet, and you’d already have the feeling "this guy is not easy to get along with."
With such a student, don’t be surprised if he ends up committing something like betraying his master.
Phoenix, however, was all smiles; she knew Tang Fei too well, not surprised at all by such occurrences.
His principle was to live, to strive to survive, and to do whatever it takes to stay alive.
This exam was extremely tough for Tang Fei.
He never tried neural networking before, and operating might be awkward, whereas other students regularly use this training mode to polish their survival and adaptability in different maps and environments.
So, he had to be even more careful, every step taken with extreme caution.
Moreover, when both opponents entered the combat room, the examination had already begun.
The choice of the map was also part of the exam; naturally, he had to try to figure out the opponent’s cards and then treat accordingly...
He wouldn’t care what others thought of him, he just wanted to win.
He knew what his purpose was for this trip.
"Nicely done, Tang Fei!" Phoenix cheered for Tang Fei in her heart.
Shen Qingping turned to Chen Bing and asked, "What does the Director think?"
"The examiner has the priority to choose the map," Chen Bing spoke, "If you do not object, then there is no problem."
At this time, Shen Qingping naturally couldn’t object anymore; that would seem like he couldn’t afford to lose.
After all, Tang Fei had said in public that he couldn’t afford to lose...
Could he do the same as him? Of course not.
He might not care about his face, but the Shen Family still cared about their face.
Shen Qingping nodded and shrugged his shoulders, "I’ve said, any map will do."
"Map confirmed, Primordial Forest map," Chen Bing spoke, "Both parties choose their weapons."
Shen Qingping selected a gorgeously shaped longsword in the weapon column; Tang Fei also chose a longsword and added a dagger. Unfortunately, the weapon arsenal did not have his preferred Dog Leg Knife...
Wondering if mentioning this to Phoenix would prompt the school to make some improvements.
"Weapons determined. Both parties, enter the virtual pods for neural connection."
Shen Qingping was the first to lie down in the virtual pod, where two small paws from the top of the pod attached to his temples.
Tang Fei had also laid back in the cabin, clamped by two small claws at his temples.
It was cold, hard, and somewhat uncomfortable for him.
But there was nothing special about it.
"The final battle officially begins."
As soon as Chen Bing’s voice fell, Tang Fei felt a buzz in his head, and then he was thrown into a primordial forest.
To his delight, the map was based on the primordial forest after Blue Star’s catastrophe, giving Tang Fei an immediate, eerily familiar feeling.
Tang Fei thought to himself.
At that moment, a fierce Sword Qi fell from the sky, aiming squarely at Tang Fei’s forehead.
Shen Qingping was far too familiar with this mode of combat and needed no time to adapt.
After entering the map, he immediately found a good hiding spot, and while Tang Fei was still surveying the surroundings, he had already initiated the attack.
Shen Qingping knew there were people watching outside and wanted to defeat Tang Fei in the shortest time possible.
He also knew that the shorter time he used, the more inept Tang Fei would appear in front of everyone.
Caught off guard, Tang Fei raised his sword to block and was then sent flying by the strike.
His body retreated more than a dozen steps before it stopped.
After the strike, Shen Qingping didn’t pause; his long sword transformed into thousands of Sword Qi, enveloping Tang Fei like a vast net.
Within the forest, stars twinkled.
Meteor Sword Technique!
It was said that the creator of this technique had observed countless meteors crossing the sky and had been inspired to create this Meteor Sword Technique, defeating countless enemies.
Tang Fei knew that those weren’t mere Sword Qi but condensed Sword Qi.
Any Sword Qi that hit him could potentially cut a gash or even prove fatal.
Tang Fei dared not underestimate it, retreating quickly while his right fist clenched, a dragon and an elephant faintly visible.
Not until the Dragon Elephant seemed almost solid did Tang Fei hurl his punch.
The dragon soared to the skies, the elephant trod through the wilderness.
A dragon and an elephant charged into the myriad Sword Qi, their brute bodies turning the Sword Qi to nothing.
Shen Qingping naturally knew it was unrealistic to think a single sword stroke could defeat a high-level Cultivator like Tang Fei.
As Tang Fei’s punch shot out, Shen Qingping’s body had already leapt up, splitting into two, then four, and finally thousands.
In an instant, there were countless Shen Qingpings surrounding Tang Fei, all striking with swords.
Chilling winds howled, and ghostly figures abounded.
Tang Fei felt as though he was trapped in an endless hell.
"What movement technique is this?" someone exclaimed in front of the large screen.
"Countless duplicates, it doesn’t seem like a movement technique, more like magic..."
"The Shen Family’s secret techniques are indeed formidable, and so is Shen Qingping..."
"Ghostly Despair," Shang Xiulin said in praise, "The Shen Family’s knowledge is profound, with countless secrets... This round, Tang Fei is in a tight spot."
It’s said that even ghosts are troubled when they see such technique, demonstrating its power.
Phoenix, however, seemed slightly displeased, saying, "Ghostly Despair is indeed mysterious, but the effectiveness depends greatly on the cultivator’s strength. If Family Head Shen Boyu were using it, it would be fitting, but Shen Qingping has not mastered the subtleties of the technique..."
Shang Xiulin naturally had no intention of arguing with the young lady, explaining, "If the Cultivation Realm were far superior to Shen Qingping’s, all his flaws would be apparent. However, Tang Fei’s strength is comparable to his, even slightly inferior... it might be very difficult to find a way out."
"I believe in Tang Fei... he always has a way..." Phoenix said.
Shang Xiulin glanced at Phoenix from the corner of his eye and gently shook his head.
In the face of absolute strength, blind faith is meaningless.
Yes, right there on the big screen, Tang Fei lay flat on the ground.
This puzzled everyone.
The sword hadn’t even reached you yet, how could you just fall over?
Was this a case of giving up by lying down on the ground since he couldn’t win anyway?
Oh, what soft soil, Tang Fei could even smell its unique fragrance...
He grabbed a handful of soil and flung it towards the sky vigorously.
The soil flew, passing through many Shen Qingpings’ duplicates.
What was empty remained empty.
However, one spot caught the real form...
In Tang Fei’s eyes, that fine, sand-like soil had struck a solid form.
That was the real Shen Qingping...
The dagger that had been hovering in mid-air, ready to be thrown as he flung the soil, had already been primed.
The opportunity was fleeting.
But Tang Fei precisely captured that lightning-fast moment.
The dagger struck swiftly, targeting the vital spot of Shen Qingping’s body.