Chapter 10: The Myriad Swords and the Pufferfish Glare

In the mysterious and deep Beast Forest…

“You old bastard, it seems you won’t understand your place without some punishment. Prepare to die! Myriad Swords Return to One!” Jian Laifeng, standing not far behind Lijian, suddenly roared, his voice like a booming bell, his aura vast and imposing.

In an instant, the very heavens and earth shifted. Just a moment before, the sky had been like a brilliant blue jewel, sunlight spilling down, warm and luminous.

The next second, however, it seemed veiled by an unseen colossal hand, as dark clouds gathered swiftly like a surging tide, pressing down upon the earth in dense layers. Muffled thunder rolled across the sky, as if an enraged deity were roaring.

Streaks of sharp sword energy, initially sparse, rapidly grew dense, streaking across the sky like meteors. Before long, the entire firmament was filled with sword energy, packed tightly, resembling a terrifying tapestry woven from blades. Were anyone with trypophobia to witness it, they would likely faint on the spot.

“What the hell! Old Jian, you’re actually serious! This is bad; if I get hit by that sword energy, my life might not be safe. Thankfully, I have the Underworld King Shield!”

In Lijian’s hand, a massive, jet-black shield suddenly materialized. Etched upon its surface was the head of a black dragon, its ferocious visage seemingly imbued with boundless evil and power.

The shield was enormous, completely sheltering Lijian’s body behind it. As Jian Laifeng’s attack crashed heavily against the Underworld King Shield, the shield let out a dragon’s roar, a powerful and impassioned sound, as if emanating from an ancient battlefield.

Accompanying this draconic roar, the earth trembled violently, as if on the verge of tearing apart. In the forest, colossal trees, hundreds of meters tall, toppled like fragile matchsticks, kicking up clouds of dust that filled the air.

“Holy crap, Old Jian has gone mad! Good thing my Underworld King Shield can absorb demonic energy, otherwise…” Lijian had barely finished speaking when his previously calm expression instantly contorted, becoming as grotesque as if he had swallowed a fly. He gazed at the Underworld King Shield before him, observing a strange red light begin to flicker across its surface.

“Damn it! The demonic energy absorption is about to reach its limit! Old Jian, I was wrong, please spare my life!” Lijian shrieked hoarsely.

“It’s too late,” Jian Laifeng responded coldly.

Not long after, a tremendous boom, like a bomb detonating beside one’s ear, was followed by a wretched scream that tore through the sky.

“Ah! Old Jian, you’re ruthless!”

****

The perspective shifted, arriving at a classroom in Saint Sea Academy.

“Quick, everyone, check the academy’s forum! Something big has happened!” a student exclaimed excitedly in the classroom, their voice brimming with eagerness and curiosity.

“Holy cow! This is huge news! Ye Xuehui, the student council president, actually challenged Ouyang Xiyue, who effortlessly defeated the main club just two days ago!”

“Damn, it’s true! Everyone, check the replies!”

“Student Ouyang actually accepted the challenge! The duel between these two powerhouses is truly something to look forward to; what a feast for the eyes!”

Both the students in the classroom and those on the sports field were as excited as if they had won the lottery, their faces radiant with anticipation. Meanwhile, in the principal’s office…

“Hahahaha, Old Zhang, a chance to strike it rich has arrived!” The principal’s eyes gleamed as if he had discovered a treasure.

“What riches?”

“What riches, you ask? And you call me foolish! Think about it, their match is incredibly popular right now, and it’s bound to attract a huge audience. If we collect ticket fees, won’t we make a profit? Don’t worry, they’ll definitely be willing to pay; after all, this match is just too exciting to miss.” By now, the principal’s smile had become exceedingly exaggerated, like a comical mask.

“Damn, Old Li, I have to say, how did you become so mercenary in your old age? To think you’d even fleece the students – I really misjudged you.” Old Zhang looked at the principal with a face full of disdain.

“Zhang Zhiyi, you’re misunderstanding me. I have my reasons,” the principal sighed deeply, speaking with a hint of resignation.

“Reasons? What kind of reasons could the dignified principal of Saint Sea Academy possibly have? I think you’re just greedy,” Zhang Zhiyi retorted, unconvinced.

“You wouldn’t know, but whenever that Ouyang lass competes, the arena inevitably turns into a complete wreck. Collecting ticket fees is simply to cover the costs of repairing the venue afterward.” With that, the principal pulled two photographs from his desk drawer and tossed them to Zhang Zhiyi.

Zhang Zhiyi took the photos, his eyes widening like copper bells, his heart filled with shock and suspicion, as if thinking: ‘Are you trying to trick me?’

“I’m not tricking you; you’ll see for yourself after the match. Just ask any teacher, and they’ll confirm it. Why would I, at my age, lie to you?”

“Alright, Li Zhijie, I’ll let you off the hook for today.”

At this very moment, the two protagonists of the story – Ouyang Xiyue and Ye Xuehui – found their desks in the Class 6 classroom of the first year of high school surrounded by a throng of people.

“Excuse me, Student Ouyang, do you feel confident about this match against Ye Xuehui?”

“Also, why is this match a best-of-three, when it used to be a single decisive round?”

“Please ask your questions one at a time, and avoid crowding. First, while I can’t claim 100% certainty of victory, I will definitely give my all and never give up easily. As for the best-of-three format, that was an opportunity Student Ye Xuehui offered me.” Ouyang Xiyue’s gaze was resolute, and his voice boomed, as if he were declaring his determination to the entire world.

He looked at Ye Xuehui’s refined and handsome profile, and a surge of involuntary jealousy rose in his heart. ‘I’m clearly a boy too, so why did the heavens give me such an appearance? Isn’t this just mocking me?’

Ye Xuehui sensed a gaze fixed upon him, so he turned his head slightly, his eyes meeting Ouyang Xiyue’s.

Ouyang Xiyue, for some unknown reason, suddenly glared at him inexplicably, then puffed out his cheeks like an adorable pufferfish, before turning his head away.

Ye Xuehui scratched his head, his mind full of questions: ‘What’s wrong with this guy? Why is he suddenly angry for no reason? I didn’t provoke him at all. Girls are truly inscrutable.’

As noon approached, Ouyang Xiyue, harboring a belief in inevitable victory, arrived at the competition venue. Unlike before, where the arena would typically be bustling with crowds by this hour, today, students were lined up in neat queues at the entrance, each holding a ticket.

“What’s going on?” Ouyang Xiyue wondered, surprised. Looking out, the line of students stretched like an endless dragon, far more numerous than usual.

After entering through the special passage for contestants, Ouyang Xiyue saw Ye Xuehui already waiting there.

“You’re so late; I thought you were scared and wouldn’t show up,” Ye Xuehui said coldly, his face impassive.

“Who’s scared? By the way, why are all the students queuing?” Ouyang Xiyue asked, voicing the doubt in his mind.

“Because our match requires tickets,” Ye Xuehui replied succinctly.

“Tickets? Weren’t they always free before? Why this time…” Ouyang Xiyue remained somewhat puzzled, wondering if the academy was perhaps trying to make money.

“It’s because you make a complete mess of the arena every time you compete. The ticket fees are to cover the academy’s repair costs for the venue,” Ye Xuehui said, glaring at Ouyang Xiyue with a hint of dissatisfaction in his eyes.

“Ah, ahem, so that’s how it is…” Ouyang Xiyue said, his heart filled with guilt and embarrassment.

“I apologize. I get too engrossed in every match; it’s never intentional. Believe me, it won’t happen again next time. I feel like such a destructive maniac, it’s truly shameful.”

Being a girl, yet so violent – how would others perceive him? In truth, he didn’t care about others’ opinions, for deep down, he always considered himself a boy.

Perhaps, violence was the closest he currently came to embodying a boy’s traits. Aside from that, in what other ways did he resemble a boy? He yearned to shed the constraints of female attire, yet now he felt himself sinking deeper and deeper, as if trapped in an inescapable mire.

He thought, ‘Am I truly beyond saving? How utterly mortifying!’