A Card In Hand

Chapter 17: Truly a Big Shot

In the afternoon.

The morning’s magic string control test went smoothly, and in the afternoon, it was time for the fourth item: combat power measurement.

Combat power measurement involves new students entering a special space and launching targeted attacks at objects within, thereby assessing the combat power value of the new students.

Normally.

A maximum measurement value of over 60 is considered qualified.

Among the six tests for new recruits, this one is the least challenging. Li Ao failed in his previous life because he was injured by a Stone Giant in the Trial Grounds, and his body was in a weakened state. Additionally, without the assistance of a war beast, his personal combat power did not meet the standard. Having missed the opportunity to qualify in this item, Li Ao had to compete in the fifth item, martial arts combat, while injured, and unfortunately, he faced Prince Jinxi.

And the rookie was kicked off the arena by Prince Jinxi with a single blow.

Instant kill.

“Aren’t you participating?” Fuxi was shocked to hear that Li Ao was forfeiting and not participating, his mouth wide enough to fit a fist.

“Yes,” Li Ao replied lazily, lying on the bed.

“Why?” Fuxi suddenly realized that since returning from the trials, he had been unable to grasp his younger cousin’s magical and unpredictable thinking.

A Black Iron-ranked Stone Bear was kept, rejecting others’ Bronze-ranked war beasts.

Usually, he was a very hardworking person.

After coming to the trials.

He suddenly became indifferent, satisfied with just passing.

If it weren’t for the fact that his appearance hadn’t changed at all, Fuxi would really suspect that his brother had been switched with someone else.

Li Ao turned over on the bed, shaking his head indifferently: “No money!”

Fuxi was stunned for a long time before reacting: “I have some!”

Li Ao waved his hand: “Anyway, I’ve passed. It doesn’t matter if I don’t take this fee-based test; I’ll save the money to buy some food for the dumb bear when I go back.”

Fuxi was almost driven mad: “You have the nerve to say that, from yesterday to today, I haven’t seen you feed it…”

The Stone Bear looked tearful.

Indeed.

To be precise, since the contract.

The master had never fed it himself; the food was entirely up to it to find, yet he dared to use this excuse blatantly.

Li Ao spread his hands: “That’s because I have no money!”

The Stone Bear was almost unable to resist complaining to Fuxi; in the Trial Grounds, the master had killed hundreds of demonic beasts, and there were countless energy cores.

However, it knew Fuxi was not the master’s real boss, so it was better not to indulge in such suicidal behavior as complaining.

“Li Ao, be honest with me, are you afraid of that big-eyed creature?”

Fuxi suddenly thought of a possibility.

“Right.” Li Ao nodded seriously.

“I… I’ll go and gather some information for you first.”

Fuxi intended to assure Li Ao that he had his back, but realizing he was no match for Cang Yue, he quickly decided it was better for Li Ao to rest in the dorm while he checked the situation.

The more Fuxi thought about it.

The more he felt it unnecessary to provoke a conflict.

Cang Yue was a genius from the Frost Wolf clan, on the same level as the big shot Tie Zheng. It was better not to provoke such powerful figures.

After all, passing three items was enough to graduate; it was better to avoid making more trouble.

In the evening, Fuxi returned.

He slapped Li Ao heavily: “You were right!”

“What happened?” Li Ao casually brushed off the rock dust from his body: “Was there a problem with the combat power measurement?”

“So many people didn’t participate, there were too many forfeitures. You didn’t see it, Supervisor Dou Guang’s face went dark, and another Long Fang Supervisor conveyed a message that the Chief Supervisor Lei Bao was very angry. If anyone dares to be absent from tomorrow’s martial arts combat, they will automatically fail,” Fuxi reminded Li Ao that he couldn’t miss it again tomorrow.

Li Ao waved his hand.

He didn’t participate in the combat power measurement because he feared his combat power would be too high if measured.

The combat power value would be ranked on a leaderboard. If Li Ao’s combat power far exceeded others, how could he continue to pretend to be a rookie and shock everyone by defeating Prince Jinxi in the public eye?

He aimed for a silent, surprising effect.

As for the fifth category of martial arts combat.

According to the arrangement in the previous life, the group match would meet Prince Jinxi.

Li Ao was exactly waiting for this opportunity to boldly thrash Prince Jinxi; how could he possibly be absent?

“Boss, who has the highest combat power in the combat power measurement?” Li Ao was somewhat concerned that Prince Jinxi, cursed as he was, might not be able to participate in the next event.

“First place is definitely Prince Jinxi, with a combat power of 1276. He owns a Silver-grade War Beast, the Light-Feathered Golden Eagle, who can compare to him!” Fuxi mentioned a combat power that was quite a bit lower than what Li Ao had estimated.

Li Ao remembered.

Prince Jinxi had a combat power of fifteen hundred before contracting the Dragonfly Split Wind Spear, and with it, his combat power was close to two thousand.

It seemed that after being cursed, even with a multitude of war beasts waiting for contract, his combat power couldn’t recover all at once.

Of course, that wasn’t important.

As long as he didn’t give up on the competition, that was fine.

“Who’s second?” Li Ao casually asked.

“The Haoyue family’s Raging Wind, that guy also has a Silver-grade War Beast, with a combat power just a little lower than Prince Jinxi, at 1235; third place is the Highland family’s Savage Wilderness, with a combat power of 1050; next up is our Iron Clan Family’s Tie Zheng, whose combat power is very close to Savage Wilderness, at 1025.”

“And the fifth?”

“The Mountain and Lake family’s Swamp Void, 960 combat power, a fusion with his war beast, looking disgusting like green snot all over,” Fuxi said proudly, as if begging for Li Ao to ask.

“And you, boss? What did you say? How much? 250? That high? Am I hearing it wrong?” Li Ao feigned shock to go along with him.

“My condition isn’t great today, otherwise the number could be even higher,” Fuxi boasted happily.

“Truly worthy of being a boss!” Li Ao nodded in agreement.

“Li Ao, I’ll cover you from now on, don’t worry, if I have a plate of food, you won’t lack a bowl!” Fuxi lifted his large palm and smashed it heavily on Li Ao’s shoulder, sending rock fragments flying…

“Thank you, boss.” What else could Li Ao say?

All he could say was that it’s good to have a boss covering him.

Clinging to the thick legs of Fuxi, the boss with a combat power of 250, he wouldn’t have to worry about food or drink in the future.

And it wasn’t just talk.

In his previous life, Li Ao had indeed been a subordinate to boss Fuxi for a long time.

Even once, when a powerful enemy attacked, all the masters in Silver Light City were trembling in fear, only the true boss, Fuxi, stood out alone, using his life to block the enemy, even if only for less than three seconds, but it was thanks to Fuxi that Li Ao could escape alive.

“Li Ao is my little brother; if you want to kill him, you’ll have to step over my corpse first!”

There are many bosses in the world.

Those who can say it and do it.

Especially those who can say it and do it even in the face of death.

Li Ao, who had lived for almost two thousand years, knew only Fuxi who could do that…

So if he isn’t a boss, who is?

Definitely a boss!

“Right, didn’t the big-eyed weirdo get measured?” Li Ao suddenly remembered another jokester.

“You mean Cang Yue? Big Eyes actually wanted to get measured, but Huomei knocked him down with a punch and dragged him away, I didn’t expect him to be so weak, he couldn’t even withstand a woman’s punch!” Fuxi expressed a bit of surprise.

“Huomei is Cang Yue’s cousin, didn’t you see that half of Cang Yue’s hair is fire-red?”

Li Ao couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

“No wonder Huomei hit him, and he didn’t resist at all.”

Fuxi suddenly realized.

Li Ao didn’t speak.

Only looked at Fuxi’s raised hand.

Fuxi quickly lowered his hand, offering a bright smile, forcibly embracing Li Ao’s shoulder: “Li Ao, I’m not like Huomei, she’s violent, I’m amiable, the meaning represented here is completely different, understand?”

“Not really!”

“I can explain!”

“There’s absolutely no need…”