Just as Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen stood there in silence, thinking of going to borrow from Lei Jun in a bit, a familiar voice rang out.
"Zhenzhen, Zhang Yu, you're already here."
The two whipped their heads around, and the sight of Zhao Tianxing stepping out of the subway station was like a lifeline. They charged over like a pair of zombies and grabbed hold of him.
Zhao Tianxing had come today specially to watch their match.
Zhang Yu: "Old Zhao, lend us some money. We need to buy dinner."
Yet after all that, Zhao Tianxing transferred only ten yuan, looking helpless: "My mom's afraid I'll spend recklessly, so she left me with just this much."
A useless mama's boy. Laozi is ashamed to keep company with you.
But ten yuan was better than nothing. Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen could only drag their starving bodies into the convenience store next door and buy a few buns.
However, at their current level of cultivation and physical condition, a mere few buns could never fill the hunger gnawing in their bellies.
Bai Zhenzhen stared at the convenience store with green light in her eyes, then suddenly said: "Yu'er, let's rob the convenience store."
Zhang Yu nodded: "Sure. You do the robbing, I'll take care of digesting the loot."
Bai Zhenzhen asked again: "Do you think White Dragon High will provide free food?"
Zhang Yu: "Free? Count ourselves lucky if they don't charge us double."
Just then, both their eyes suddenly lit up.
A familiar figure was standing in front of the gates of White Dragon High School, gazing piously at the school's signboard while lifting his phone to take pictures.
"Old Qian!"
Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen charged over, grabbed hold of Qian Shen's hand, and said: "Buy us dinner, we're too hungry to fight."
Qian Shen looked at the two in confusion, opened his phone and said: "Is 300 enough?"
Whoa! Zhang Yu was stunned.
Then he began to reflect on what he'd been doing for the past two months.
Making friends with a card slave like Bai Zhenzhen? Making friends with a mama's boy like Zhao Tianxing?
Old Qian! You're the one who's Zhang Yu's real good friend!
With Qian Shen's financial backing, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen together downed twelve ten-yuan meal deals in the convenience store.
Patting his slightly swollen little belly, Bai Zhenzhen said contentedly: "That's enough. After all, we still have to compete later — a half-full stomach is fine."
Zhang Yu nodded in agreement, then said to Qian Shen beside him: "Don't worry, Old Qian. Once we've fought and taken the prize money, we'll pay you back."
But Qian Shen didn't care about that. He suddenly scratched his head and asked: "So... will that 699-point Zhang Pianpian come watch your match today?"
Zhang Yu gave Qian Shen a pitying look. Sigh, poor Tom, swept completely off his feet by a high scorer.
Zhang Yu badly wanted to tell him: you've got 620 points, she's got 699. The gap between you two is too big; you can never become friends.
But patting the boxed meal he'd just eaten, Zhang Yu said: "She probably won't come. She's busy, and she has no time to watch a freshman competition."
Qian Shen nodded thoughtfully: "Yeah, she's a senior now. She must be busy preparing for the college entrance exam and university interviews, right?"
Zhao Tianxing, standing on the side, kept glancing at the time on his phone, and reminded them: "You two agreed on midnight with Teacher Lei, right? Time's almost up. Shouldn't we hurry over?"
So the group of four made their way back to the gates of White Dragon High School. Seeing that Teacher Lei Jun didn't seem to have arrived, Zhang Yu suggested going inside to wait.
But the moment the four approached within a meter of White Dragon High, it was as though some kind of detection device had picked them up.
Then an electronic screen beside them gave a warning: "Non-personnel of White Dragon High, please do not enter."
The four turned to look, and saw written on the screen:
If you wish to visit the school, please scan the code to purchase a tourist ticket. Single person, 12-hour tour pass, allows sightseeing below the 3rd floor. Price: 500. Those with monthly-exam or college-entrance-exam scores of 660 or above may visit the school for free. Those with scores below 550, or without a high school diploma, are prohibited from visiting.
Damn it... "No dunces or dogs allowed," is it? Fine, not letting people below 550 in I can understand, but since when does it take 660 or above to get a free ticket?
Zhang Yu looked at the information on the electronic screen, then at his own group.
He felt that in this moment, the four of them present had all been despised by White Dragon High from top to bottom.
And to buy a ticket... did he even have 500 in his bank card right now?
Was this match supposed to be over before it even began, eliminated outside the gates of White Dragon High by this 500 yuan?
Zhang Yu could only turn his head awkwardly, his gaze landing on Qian Shen again — and found that Bai Zhenzhen was looking at Qian Shen the same way he was.
But Qian Shen, with a look of deep reverence on his face as he gazed at the gates of White Dragon High, sighed: "Just as I'd heard — not just anyone can get through White Dragon's gate."
With that he prepared to scan the code and buy a ticket.
Just as Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen were about to open their mouths to borrow money for tickets, Teacher Lei Jun finally arrived, late as always.
"You two don't need to buy tickets." Lei Jun waved his hand at them: "We're all here for the competition — White Dragon High issued tickets on our behalf."
After receiving the electronic tickets Lei Jun sent, the group finally got into White Dragon High smoothly. Only Zhao Tianxing stood awkwardly outside the gates.
Under the gaze of the four, Zhao Tianxing scratched his scalp awkwardly, saying over and over: "You all go ahead. I'll call my mom to ask for money, buy a ticket, then come find you inside."
Lei Jun also knew Qian Shen and Zhao Tianxing had come to watch Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen compete, so he nodded: "The competition venue is on the underground first floor. Come on over yourself in a bit."
As soon as Zhang Yu and the group stepped into the building of White Dragon High, Zhang Yu sensed a special smell in the air.
Qian Shen, beside him, took a deep breath and praised: "You smell it? That sweet scent in the air?"
"It's because White Dragon High has added concentration-boosting agents into the air circulation — they improve brain focus, raise nerve excitement, and they've mixed in a bit of fruit and flower fragrance..."
Zhang Yu was speechless. Damn, even the air here at White Dragon High really is fragrant.
The group went on, and saw that the corridor floor was divided into white and red colors.
White ran down the middle, with words written on it: "Dedicated lane for those scoring 660 or above."
Red ran along both sides, reading: "Dedicated lane for those scoring below 660."
Zhang Yu was stunned for a moment, then laughed in irritation... oh wonderful, so those below 660 have to walk along the walls now?
Qian Shen introduced from the side: "Every zone and venue within White Dragon High has score standards for its own students to enter, and students must move within designated areas according to their scores."
Zhang Yu was speechless again... hold on, what are you explaining it for? Old Qian, you're a Songyang local. Why are you this familiar with White Dragon? Looking to jump ship, are you?
Next, they followed the corridor to the elevator, intending to take it down to the underground first floor — only to find a sign reading "Those scoring below 660 are forbidden from taking the elevator."
Zhang Yu had figured it out: those below 660 aren't even treated as people at White Dragon High. Every step is an ordeal.
Luckily, Zhang Yu's group were tourists, so they didn't have to follow these rules aimed at the school's own students.
So the group took the elevator to the underground first floor, and in a flash, an enormous sports arena about ten meters high and spanning over ten thousand square meters appeared before them.
The venue was full of high schoolers walking back and forth — clearly, contestants from many schools had already arrived.
But looking around as he pleased, Zhang Yu found that almost all the contestants were from the three great elite schools. Students from other schools were barely visible.
"Compared to the Mana Competition, this martial-arts competition has practically become an internal league of the three great elite schools."
And in the spectator stands all around, besides some scattered students from various schools, there were three neat contingents of students, sitting straight-backed and chest-out, like military formations.
Zhang Yu looked at those row after row of students and their school uniforms, surprised: "Those are the three great elite schools' students?"
He found it very unexpected: "The three great elite schools' students aren't seizing every minute to study, but coming to watch a match?"
Especially when he saw the White Dragon students, each with eyes wide open, chests puffed, brimming with energy and radiance — looking like they had hyperthyroidism.
Just then, a male voice came from the side: "They're all freshmen from the three great elite schools. After all, watching the combat of strong contemporaries is also good for raising your own actual martial level, for recognizing the gap between yourself and the strong, and for strengthening your dao-heart."
Zhang Yu and the others turned their heads toward the source of the voice.
It was Purple Cloud High's Lian Tianji, walking over slowly, looking at Zhang Yu with a smile: "I figured you'd come to the martial-arts competition. And sure enough, here you are."
Then he swept a glance over Zhang Yu's group, surprised: "Songyang only sent this few?"
The next moment he nodded thoughtfully: "Though that's understandable, after all. It is Songyang."
Zhang Yu felt his Songyang school uniform get looked down on once again, unintentionally.
But Zhang Yu had never been a Songyang loyalist. What did it matter to him if Songyang was looked down on? His real identity was an outsourced employee of the Songyang City patrol squad.
So Zhang Yu asked curiously: "How many did the three great elite schools send?"
Lian Tianji pointed toward a place at the side of the venue: "Look, they're all over there. Purple Cloud, White Dragon, and Red Tower — each school sent its full ten people. We've already fought a whole round within our own schools; only those who won their way into the top ten get to come compete."
After parting with Lian Tianji, Lei Jun said: "Come on, let's go to the contestants' rest area to check in first. Qian Shen, find yourself a spot in the stands."
Zhang Yu's group arrived at the rest areas assigned to the various schools.
Zhang Yu looked at the rest areas of the three great elite schools, the key high schools like Songyang High, and the other ordinary high schools.
How could he put it?
Zhang Yu felt the three kinds of rest areas were similar to the difference between a 'VIP lounge,' 'a sunshade awning,' and 'a straw mat.'
The three great elite schools' 'VIP lounge' had sofas and recliners, drinks, fruit, and snacks.
The key high schools' 'sunshade awning area' had a row of chairs and a crate of water.
And the ordinary high schools' 'straw mat area' had only a row of benches.
As if Old Man White Dragon was terrified that grubby ordinary-high-school students would come mooch off White Dragon's food.
"This is way too discriminatory."
On the other side, Qian Shen watched the three of them leave, then walked up into the stands himself.
Just as he was looking for a place to sit, he suddenly realized the back of someone ahead looked familiar.
He hurried over, and found the person was wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a mask — and the moment he saw Qian Shen, immediately turned his head away.
Qian Shen looked at the top of the other's head, then at his face, and said in surprise: "You... you're He Dayou of Class 611, aren't you?"
He Dayou of Class 611 was qualified to sit and watch a match alongside him.
And He Dayou truly did not want to be recognized, and above all did not want anyone from school to find out he'd come to see a martial-arts competition — especially not to let anyone think he'd come to watch Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen. That was why he'd disguised himself and snuck over.
Who knew he'd be recognized on the spot by Qian Shen, and could only turn his head helplessly and say: "Mm, you came too, Qian Shen."
Qian Shen asked curiously: "You also came to watch Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen's martial-arts competition?"
He Dayou smiled carelessly: "With a skill like theirs... they can't even reach the average in a competition. What's there to see in that level?"
"Actually, it's a middle-school classmate of mine who's competing. He specially invited me to come watch."
Qian Shen simply sat down beside He Dayou, asking curiously: "Which school is your middle-school classmate from? What's his score level?"
He Dayou turned his head away, looking like he didn't want to talk.
...
On the other side of the arena.
The contestants first gathered together, then listened to the organizers announce the rules.
"To prevent strong contestants from being eliminated early on the stage, this competition will first hold a scoring round."
"Based on the contestants' scores, everyone will be divided into 8 groups, then draw lots within the group for duels. Then the 8 group winners — 8 contestants total — will advance to the knockout rounds..."
Just as everyone wondered how the scoring round would grade them—
With a boom-boom-boom of heavy footsteps, a towering golden figure over two meters tall slowly walked into the arena.
Then the referee at the front said: "The content of the scoring round is for each contestant in turn to exchange blows with the Yellow-Turban Strongman."
"The average physical strength grade of this round's contestants is 1.98, so the Yellow-Turban Strongman will maintain output at physical strength grade 1.98, fighting each contestant in turn for one minute."
"Then the judges will score everyone according to their performance during that one minute."
"The specific scoring rules are as follows..."