Zhang Yu could tell at a glance that the flying swords on the field were nothing like the children's flying swords he had bought in the past.

These were clearly not something you could just casually play around with.

Amidst the crowd's dissatisfaction, the host calmly finished reading the advertisement and began announcing the rules for the first round of the competition.

The flying swords floating on the field were products of the "Nine Heavens Flying Sword" company, a type of civilian-grade magical flying sword.

They claimed that no sword control techniques were required, nor was there any need for a high level of Daoist cultivation.

All you needed was to manipulate your magical energy output to control the sword.

The sword's sheath acted like a remote control and a magical energy transmitter.

By adjusting the frequency, type, and intensity of the magical energy input, you could control the flying sword.

The task for this round was for the participating students to use the flying swords to hit signal boards floating in mid-air.

The faster and more accurate the hits, the higher the score.

This round, like the next two, had a total score of 100 points.

The final ranking of the competition would be determined by the combined scores of all three rounds.

As the instruction manuals for the flying swords were handed out, the students were given half an hour to familiarize themselves with the controls.

Behind the team from White Dragon High School, a middle-aged man in a tracksuit smiled slightly and said, "So it's still testing magical energy control, huh? Not too outrageous. I thought they might make us learn sword control techniques on the spot."

This man was Han Xingye, the competition coach for White Dragon High School.

Unlike schools like Songyang High, where the magical energy teacher also served as the competition coach, White Dragon High had specialized teachers for competitions.

Hearing Han Xingye's words, Song Hailong, who was standing nearby, casually ran his fingers through his spiky hair and said, "This is our first competition this year. Coach, help us keep an eye out for any noteworthy opponents, especially from Purple Cloud and Red Pagoda High Schools."

White Dragon High, Purple Cloud High, and Red Pagoda High were the top three high schools in Songyang City.

If nothing unexpected happened, many of their future competitors over the next three years would likely be on the field today.

Han Xingye nodded in agreement.

Besides Song Hailong's excellent academic performance, his status as a wealthy heir from a prominent family in Songyang City made him a key figure in the school.

Song Hailong was the ace of his generation in the Song family.

With a flick of his finger, Han Xingye activated a "Heavenly Eye Talisman."

This talisman summoned the wisdom of the Heavenly Knowledge Deity to evaluate the people he saw.

The evaluation included everything from bank deposits and personal assets to academic performance, work achievements, and family relationships, resulting in a comprehensive but somewhat vague assessment.

If you wanted more detailed information, you'd need a higher level of faith and more money.

In short, the more detailed the evaluation, the more expensive it was.

Han Xingye didn't dare to look too deeply into anyone's details, fearing he might go bankrupt.

Such things had happened before in Kunxu's history.

As the Heavenly Eye Talisman activated, golden particles of light gathered in Han Xingye's eyes.

When he looked around the field, he could see different evaluations floating above people's heads.

"Not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning..."

"Not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning, bankrupt gambler, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning..."

"Not worth mentioning, Jade-like Skin and Bones (expand details), not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning..."

"Hmm?"

Han Xingye's gaze shifted as he noticed a girl from Purple Cloud High climbing onto the spectator stands.

"Is that Le Mulian from Purple Cloud? Why is she up there? Is she looking at the signal boards?"

He focused on her, and the evaluation above her head expanded.

"Jade-like Skin and Bones | Pill Enthusiast | High Caste | Purple Cloud Loyalist | Untouchable Flower."

As a seasoned user of the Heavenly Eye Talisman, Han Xingye quickly deciphered the vague evaluation.

"This is a high-quality, wealthy individual with a special constitution, excellent at taking pills, top academic performance, fiercely loyal to Purple Cloud High, and a complex background."

"Pills? Constitution?"

Han Xingye pondered for a moment, then sent the key points to Song Hailong before turning his attention to the other students on the field.

As he continued to observe, the competition officially began.

The field was divided into 18 sections, with 18 randomly selected students taking turns to control their flying swords and hit the signal boards in mid-air.

In Han Xingye's eyes, the students from ordinary high schools, all labeled as "not worth mentioning," took the stage.

They fumbled with their flying swords like rookies, managing to hit one or two signal boards at best, earning scores of 10 or 20 points.

"Looks like none of them have ever used a flying sword before," Han Xingye thought.

He knew that while this round was ostensibly about testing magical energy control, experience with flying swords made a huge difference.

Especially when it came to spatial awareness, distance, accuracy, and speed, even someone with strong magical energy control would struggle if they had never used a flying sword before.

But for students from the top three schools, using flying swords was no big deal.

For example, all ten participants from White Dragon High had at least four or five flying swords at home.

Song Hailong, in particular, had an entire sword vault with hundreds of flying swords and had practiced with them countless times.

Meanwhile, among the sea of "not worth mentioning" evaluations, Han Xingye began to notice students labeled as "rare" or "elite."

These were usually top students from ordinary high schools or elite students from prestigious schools.

"Getting 30 or 40 points would be impressive for them," Han Xingye thought.

"Their magical energy control isn't great, and they've never used flying swords before. If it weren't for the high quality of the Nine Heavens Flying Swords, they probably wouldn't hit a single signal board."

The thought made Han Xingye consider buying a Nine Heavens Flying Sword for himself.

Just then, his gaze shifted again, and he finally spotted a different evaluation among the sea of "not worth mentioning," "rare," and "elite."

"Pure Score Slave."

Han Xingye looked at the student's uniform and realized it was someone from Songyang High.

On the field, Qian Shen took a deep breath and slowly grasped the flying sword's sheath.

As he channeled his magical energy into it, the sword shot out like a bolt of lightning, aiming for the signal boards in mid-air.

Although he hadn't used flying swords much, Qian Shen had tried a few times at his grandfather's house.

Following the tips his family tutor had given him, he carefully adjusted the rhythm of his magical energy input, controlling the sword to hit one signal board after another.

72 points.

Seeing his score, Qian Shen breathed a sigh of relief.

"Not bad. That should be enough."

Han Xingye glanced at the 72 points and shook his head inwardly.

"Songyang High is an old prestigious school, but their students' performance keeps declining. They're too stuck in their ways, unwilling to learn from other schools' advanced methods, like Purple Cloud's caste system or our low-score slave system. Without innovation in teaching methods, how can they keep up with the times?"

As Han Xingye pondered this, another student with a special evaluation appeared.

In his eyes, Lian Tianji from Purple Cloud High, labeled as "Child of Heavenly Diligence," stepped onto the field.

With a flick of his arm, he sent his flying sword flying, scoring 90 points in quick succession.

"That's Lian Tianji, the one most suited to the Heavenly Diligence cultivation method in Purple Cloud High this year."

As more students took their turns, Han Xingye's eyes darted around, spotting more exceptional students.

From Songyang High, a "School Director's Son" appeared, scoring 78 points.

Le Mulian from Purple Cloud High, the "Jade-like Skin and Bones," scored a stunning 95 points, the highest so far, drawing gasps from the crowd.

Just as Han Xingye was scanning the field, a woman caught his attention.

"Sword Enthusiast (expand details)."

"Oh? A student from Songyang High?"

Han Xingye watched as Bai Zhenzhen stepped onto the field.

He knew that anyone with an "expandable" evaluation usually had a complex background, indicating extraordinary origins, strength, or talent.

He hadn't expected to see such a person among Songyang High's students.

His gaze sharpened as a string of words unfolded above Bai Zhenzhen's head.

Han Xingye was deeply shocked by the sheer length of the evaluation.

He had never expected to be stunned by a student from Songyang High, and the reason was simply that her background was far more complex than anyone else's.

However, his shock quickly subsided when he saw her score: 34 points.

"Even though the evaluation is so long, with a score like that, she's not worth mentioning."

Soon, his attention was drawn back to Song Hailong.

Before taking the stage, Song Hailong removed his spiky hair from his head.

Seeing this, Zhang Yu exclaimed, "What the hell? He's already bald in high school?"

Bai Zhenzhen, who had just returned to the rest area with a sour expression, overheard Zhang Yu and explained, "That's not a wig. It's an external spiritual root."

"External spiritual root?" Zhang Yu recalled hearing about such things but had never seen one in person.

Bai Zhenzhen said enviously, "This isn't like the old-school spiritual roots we have at school. These external spiritual roots are plug-and-play, easy to swap out. Remember this, Zhang Yu: this is the birthday gift I want most."

Zhang Yu patted Bai Zhenzhen's shoulder and comforted her, "I can't afford an external spiritual root, but I can get you a bald cap or a wig."

Bai Zhenzhen rolled her eyes and continued to stare longingly at the "wig" Song Hailong had placed on his chair, wondering if she could steal it.

But after glancing at the students and teachers around her, she sighed and gave up.

When Song Hailong took the stage, he felt the smooth flow of magical energy within him and smiled.

"Installing a spiritual root to boost magical energy and make it surge? That's a poor man's thinking."

For Song Hailong, the purpose of the external spiritual root was to enhance his control over magical energy during intense spiritual energy absorption and refinement.

"Only the weak fear losing control of their surging magical energy. For someone like me, this is the best training opportunity."

With a firm grip on the sword sheath, Song Hailong channeled his magical energy, and the flying sword shot out like lightning.

From the sidelines, Han Xingye watched as his star student wielded the flying sword with lightning-like precision, scoring a perfect 100 points and setting a new record for the highest score.

A proud smile spread across his face.

"100 points, only because that's the maximum score. With Song Hailong's vast magical energy reserves, precise control, and mastery of the flying sword, this round's score limit held him back."

Meanwhile, as Bai Zhenzhen returned to the rest area, Teacher Yan's eyes occasionally flicked toward her.

"Bai Zhenzhen only started practicing for the competition recently, right? Her progress is impressive. Is it talent, or just luck?"

However, in Teacher Yan's eyes, Bai Zhenzhen's talent in magical energy still couldn't compare to Zhang Yu's.

A moment later, when Zhang Yu took the stage, she eagerly anticipated his performance.

On the field, Zhang Yu gently grasped the sword sheath.

As he slowly channeled his magical energy into it, he felt the sword begin to tremble slightly.

While watching from the sidelines earlier, Zhang Yu had thought about how to maximize his score.

His current situation felt like someone with nimble fingers being told to operate an excavator to open a bottle cap.

No matter how skilled his fingers were, without experience, the task would be nearly impossible.

"This flying sword feels like a drone or an FPV drone. Even if my magical energy control is precise, without experience, I won't be able to handle it smoothly."

Thinking about how he had to maneuver the flying sword to hit the palm-sized signal boards in mid-air, Zhang Yu felt the difficulty of the task.

"So I can't use traditional sword techniques..."

(End of Chapter)