NOVEL NEXT Chapter 103 - The Competition 11
Although Mai Dongzi dislikes Yu Lan’s attitude towards Zhuang Huiya, she is now the captain of the Phantom Team and needs to take good care of these team members until the end of the team competition.
Despite being somewhat prejudiced and snobbish, this young girl still follows Mai Dongzi’s instructions well.
She had shown support for Wang Yiyi and Zhuang Huiya the day before and the day before yesterday, so it would be inappropriate for her not to attend Yu Lan’s match today.
Yu Lan’s popularity in the class is much higher than Zhuang Huiya’s, and the number of students who came to support her is at least double that for Zhuang Huiya.
Yu Lan had a bit better luck; her opponent was also at the early stage of level four, and was a female competitor.
With Mai Dongzi’s rigorous training over the past month, Yu Lan’s opponent was somewhat delicate. As a result, Yu Lan not only won but also sustained only minor injuries that could be treated with a medical device, without needing to lie down in the treatment chamber.
After Yu Lan’s match, which took place in the Combat Department, Mai Dongzi had time to meet with Ren Guang for a meal, as she did not need to accompany Yu Lan for treatment.
Mai Dongzi only had a meal with Ren Guang on the first day of school in the Combat Department. After that, Ren Guang would come to the Art Department to see her. However, the most recent time, Ren Guang came to the Command Department to find her.
As expected, Ren Guang brought along a few persistent companions.
Shi Zimo had also accompanied Ren Guang to the Art Department to find Mai Dongzi a couple of times. He had always been very enthusiastic towards her, but this time he looked pained and asked, “Junior, did you sign up for the individual competition?”
Before Mai Dongzi could respond, Shi Zimo’s teammate gave him a dismissive look and said, “Does it need to be said? You’re worried about facing Xi’s junior sister in the all-school individual competition. You should think about that when you can actually participate; it’s too early to worry about it now.”
“What’s there to be distressed about? You definitely can’t beat my cousin. It would be more honorable to just admit defeat if you encounter her,” Ren Guang said.
“Don’t just talk about me; Captain, you probably can’t beat the junior sister either!” Shi Zimo shot back at his captain without being discouraged.
Shi Zimo’s counterattack hit a nerve with Ren Guang. Ren Guang gave a wry smile and looked at his cousin, saying, “My cousin advanced to level six before me, and besides…”
Ren Guang didn’t elaborate, but Shi Zimo and the others knew that Xi’s junior sister was skilled in both martial arts and spiritual training.
“Junior, do you have confidence in defeating the two prodigies from the senior year?” Shi Zimo asked quietly, glancing in a certain direction.
Mai Dongzi followed Shi Zimo’s gaze and saw Ye Zhengyan and Buck Qiao entering the cafeteria. Just as Mai Dongzi looked over, her gaze met Ye Zhengyan’s directly.
Since the start of the semester, Mai Dongzi hadn’t seen these two people. They had only exchanged occasional messages, so she wasn’t very familiar with them.
However, they seemed to have a mutual sense of respect for each other. When Ye Zhengyan saw Mai Dongzi, his previously stern expression softened immediately.
Ye Zhengyan not only signaled Buck to look at Mai Dongzi, but they also approached her to speak, nodding in greeting to Ren Guang. As for Shi Zimo and his group, Ye Zhengyan and Buck simply ignored them.
Buck said to Mai Dongzi, “I’m looking forward to a match with you.”
“Let’s see how it goes,” Mai Dongzi responded, feeling eager.
Both Ye Zhengyan and Buck Qiao were at mid-level six in their martial arts training, making them perfect for sharpening her own skills.
“Whether it’s with me or with you, junior, it’s been five months, and your presence has become much stronger,” Ye Zhengyan said, also eager for a challenge.
“Please take good care of me when the time comes,” Mai Dongzi said without being modest.
Although she didn’t have much interaction with these two, it was enough for Mai Dongzi to understand their arrogant personalities. Being modest with them would simply be seen as a sign of weakness.
Among the students at the Imperial Capital University, it is well-known that there are four level-six practitioners. Each of them is already very prominent on their own, and when gathered together, they draw the attention of everyone in the cafeteria.
However, they were accustomed to the spotlight. Even if thousands of people stared at them, the three remained composed, as if oblivious to the attention.
After the two of them left, Shi Zimo made a gesture of wiping sweat from his brow. “The aura of those two is so strong. Junior, you’re too gentle and always restrain your own aura.”
Mai Dongzi smiled without replying. She wasn’t really eighteen, and didn’t crave to flaunt her prowess.
Ren Guang waited until the two were seated and eating before quietly asking, “Do you have confidence in defeating them, cousin?”
Although Mai Dongzi’s aura wasn’t as strong as theirs, Ren Guang had more faith in his cousin.
“Don’t worry,” Mai Dongzi replied with just two words.
If she could hold her own against a seasoned level-seven instructor who had transitioned from the military to teaching, then surely she could handle a level-six practitioner from the university.
“This year’s personal competition champion will be rewarded with a level-four standard mech,” Ren Guang added.
He didn’t know that Mai Dongzi already had a custom mech and had also received a level-six standard mech for free from the Special Talent Training Center.
Ren Guang felt that while the mechs awarded by the school were relatively outdated, they were still worth several hundred thousand credit coins and would be suitable for someone like Mai Dongzi, who was new to mech training.
“The senior students in their fifth year don’t participate in the university competition, so the semifinals for both individual and team events will be dominated by you four level-six practitioners,” Shi Zimo said quietly.
“I’ll be the one at the bottom,” Ren Guang admitted with self-awareness.
Mai Dongzi didn’t offer any comforting words because it was the truth.
However, with the new type of energy potion Mai Dongzi had privately provided, Ren Guang’s advancement speed over the past few months was comparable to that of a practitioner with a 2S-level cultivation potential.
In just five months, his cultivation had advanced from the early stage of level six to the later stage of level six, though it would still take another one or two months to reach the mid-stage of level six.
“Mira also advanced to level four last month,” Ren Guang said.
Mai Dongzi was of course aware of this, due to her “precognitive dreams” and the new type of energy potion she had specifically provided for Mira. Mira had been caught in a nightmarish situation of being forced to train.
The head of the Xi family had arranged for Mira to attend a university she was accepted into, allowing her to study at home and then periodically return to the school for assessments.
Since Mai Dongzi was the one who had initially requested Mira to advance alongside her, Mira would often cry to Mai Dongzi when she was pushed to the brink of collapse.
“Mira may seem delicate, but she actually has good resilience. I think her training could be more rigorous,” Mai Dongzi felt that Mira’s progress was still too slow; the head of the Xi family and his wife spoiled their daughter too much.
Ren Guang gave a wry smile. His mother was indeed too indulgent with his younger sister. Fortunately, his father could manage; otherwise, they might have ended up raising a spoiled child.