Chapter 37 The First Contest, The First Male Guest Leaves Lying Down…

Chapter 37 The First Match: The First Male Contestant Carried Off Unconscious...

Before the words could finish, someone whispered in surprise, "Teacher Jiang Lingwen is here!"

All those chatting, joking, or daydreaming instantly straightened up, their attitudes shifting so quickly that the temporary instructors overseeing the training couldn't help but twitch their mouths.

Jiang Lingwen, still in her white robe, carried a white case as she walked unhurriedly toward them.

Under everyone's discreet gaze, she stopped before Yu Xing and handed her the white case.

Yu Xing, who had been sitting and live-streaming, looked up in confusion. Jiang Lingwen said, "Take it."

Yu Xing quickly accepted it, then watched Jiang Lingwen's retreating figure, catching the words that almost vanished on the wind: "Inside are the nutrient serums you need. One dose every three days—inject it yourself."

Opening the lid, she saw eight neatly arranged vials of nutrient serums inside the refrigerated case.

Wow!

Yu Xing was stunned. She remembered Miao Yuanjin saying how expensive these serums were. The Church was truly generous, giving her eight vials at once.

This world was full of love. Though Yu Xing no longer needed the serums thanks to her elixirs, she was still touched to the point of tears.

Jiang Lingwen walked to the center of the field and asked in a voice that wasn’t loud but carried across, "How’s the training going?"

"Great!" someone shouted. "I feel like I’ve improved a lot!"

"Is that so?" Jiang Lingwen swept her gaze over the crowd, then, to everyone’s surprise, smiled.

"Words alone won’t prove improvement." Her beautiful lips uttered ruthless words. "Why don’t you all spar one-on-one?"

The students exchanged nervous looks—what if someone got hurt?

As if sensing their concern, Jiang Lingwen waved her hand. Several people in white coats drove over, directing robots carrying medical equipment toward them.

"If you get injured, you’ll be treated on-site." Jiang Lingwen assured them. "No one’s dying today."

All the students: "..."

Unlike the bewildered students, the Divine Chosen Team members temporarily assigned to teach at the Church remained calm, even hiding smirks. They had gone through the same thing back in their day.

This kind of training was only feasible at the Church because the students here were all newly anointed Divine Chosen. Their Divine Skills were still unrefined and weak, making fatal accidents nearly impossible—perfect for sparring practice.

Jiang Lingwen continued explaining the rules: "I’ll pick one person to stand here. Everyone can challenge them until they lose. The winner will then take their place and face the next challenger."

"So, who’s first?" Jiang Lingwen’s piercing gaze swept over the young faces. "Be proactive! Be brave!"

The instructors all retreated to the sidelines with faces full of anticipation, leaving the field in silence.

After a long silence with no volunteers, Jiang Lingwen sighed in disappointment. "Since none of you are willing, I’ll have to pick someone myself."

Everyone lowered their heads to avoid her gaze.

After scanning them repeatedly, Jiang Lingwen finally called out, "Yu Xing!"

"...Huh?" Yu Xing, who had been crouching at the edge of the field, rolling up her sleeve to inject herself, looked up dazedly.

"Come here!" Jiang Lingwen beckoned, then addressed the others. "She doesn’t have an instructor. Rather than letting her sit around doing nothing, she’ll be your first practice opponent."

Yu Xing: "?"

The others, however, relaxed. They’d all heard the instructors say that as long as Yu Xing couldn’t touch them, her Divine Skill wouldn’t work.

Yu Xing thought Jiang Lingwen was being rather harsh—she’d just returned from surgery...

"Teacher," Yu Xing raised her hand. "I have a question."

"Ask." Jiang Lingwen stood stiffly to the side.

"Can I use tools?" Yu Xing asked.

Jiang Lingwen paused. "What kind of tools? Just so you know, deadly weapons like guns aren’t allowed."

"Where would I even get a gun..." Yu Xing bent down and picked up a few small stones. Holding them up, she asked, "Are these okay?"

Jiang Lingwen studied the stones in her palm for a long moment before nodding. "Fine."

"Who’s first to challenge Yu Xing?!" Jiang Lingwen announced.

Most students were itching for a chance. Beating others might be hard, but defeating Yu Xing was easy. To avoid the embarrassment of losing to everyone, challenging her first was the best choice.

Immediately, someone raised their hand. "Me! I’ll go!"

Yu Xing looked at the volunteer—a boy she’d hardly talked to. What was his name again? Which god’s Chosen was he?

"Beck!" Jiang Lingwen called out, then introduced him. "Chosen of the Beast God."

The hulking boy Beck stepped forward. Yu Xing remembered now—he was indeed the Beast God’s Chosen. His Divine Skill was something like... beast-shifting?

The center of the field cleared. Beck, standing over two meters tall with rippling muscles, made the 1.7-meter Yu Xing seem tiny in comparison.

Beck was a soft-spoken boy. Looking at Yu Xing, he said sincerely, "I’m not very good at controlling my Divine Skill yet. I might hurt you accidentally. Maybe you should just surrender."

His tone and expression were genuine—no mockery in his tone, just genuinely concerned.

Yu Xing’s lips parted, but before she could speak, Miao Yuanjin shouted from the crowd, "Yu Xing! He’s underestimating you! Teach him a lesson! Show him what you’ve got!"

Yu Xing: "..."

With a wry smile, Yu Xing said to Beck, "I can’t let my teammate down."

The already tongue-tied Beck didn’t know how to respond. He bit his lip and muttered, "I’ll try to go easy."

Jiang Lingwen cut in before more could be said. "Everyone, step back... Alright, begin!"

The moment the match started, Beck dropped into a crouch, hands on the ground, back arched like a beast. His voice turned gravelly: "You are the beast’s sovereign, the bloodthirsty monster—grant me your mighty form!"

A puff of white mist escaped from his nostrils as he let out a bestial growl. Everyone watched as Beck’s hair lengthened, fur bristled across his body, and his nails sharpened into claws. His face distorted—his jaw protruded, extended fangs emerged, and his eyes turned crimson.

So this was beast-shifting? Fascinating, Yu Xing mused.

Finally, before everyone’s eyes, Beck became a half-human, half-beast creature—part wolf, yet retaining some human traits.

Perhaps his Divine Skill wasn’t fully mastered yet, or maybe at higher levels, he could transform completely?

"Grr..." The beast-man’s claws dug into the ground as it growled menacingly at Yu Xing.

Yu Xing knew it was time to act. She raised her hand and flicked a small stone. It arced through the air before landing lightly on Beck’s head.

Now standing nearly three meters tall, Beck was an imposing figure. The tiny stone bouncing off his skull didn’t even register—it was not even a tickle.

The watching students suddenly felt this was cruel. The Beast God Chosen was overwhelmingly powerful at level one, completely outmatching a Divine Chosen like Yu Xing.

"What is she doing?" someone wondered, puzzled by Yu Xing throwing a small stone.

"Futile resistance, probably. She's powerless anyway."

After the stone hit Beck, Yu Xing relaxed. Ever since her Broomstick Star Skill reached level two, she could attack indirectly, and the power had increased. Even Sister Xiu, a pollutant, couldn't withstand her level two Broomstick Star, much less Beck?

Yu Xing didn’t dare throw more stones at Beck—she feared he might die from bad luck alone.

"Why aren't they doing anything?"

Someone shouted, "Go, Beck!"

The semi-beast Beck's eyes grew even redder. With a low growl, he lunged at Yu Xing using all four limbs.

The moment he started running, Yu Xing's pupils contracted—so fast!

Incredibly fast!

Almost instantly, the semi-beast was right in front of her. At that speed, Yu Xing couldn’t dodge—in fact, nearly everyone present would've failed to. As those beastly claws were about to grab her, Yu Xing barely managed to take a step back.

But there seemed to be a round stone underfoot. Yu Xing stepped on it, lost her balance and toppled straight back.

As she fell, only one thought flashed through her mind: wasn’t Broomstick Star supposed to only affect others? Why was she the one unlucky enough to trip this time?

"Whump!" Yu Xing hit the ground.

The semi-beast, about to pounce on her, missed entirely. He sailed right over her and, with inhuman speed, crashed headfirst into a metal apparatus at the edge of the playground behind her.

"CLANG!!!"

It had to be said—Beck’s beastified body was incredibly tough. He snapped the metal pole clean off, warping the whole structure. Beck himself was only slightly dazed, staggering slightly.

The semi-beast Beck stumbled back two steps, shaking his head. He seemed to recover quickly and locked his gaze back on Yu Xing, adjusting his stance for another charge.

But the moment he took a step forward, he let out a deafening roar.

"OWOOOO!!!"

Everyone watched as he clutched one of his front paws—his foot, actually. A small section of the broken metal pipe had fallen to the ground, and he had stepped right on it. The pipe pierced straight through his foot.

"Ouch…"

A collective gasp swept through the crowd. This was just too unlucky.

"OWOO OWOO…"

Beck held his right foot, howling in pain while hopping about.

Then, his remaining left foot accidentally stepped on a spherical component lying on the ground. His massive body lurched forward and slammed directly onto the wrecked, sparking, live-wire apparatus.

With a sizzling "ZZZT—ZZZT," Beck twitched violently against the equipment for a full minute before going limp, unable to move. At the same time, everyone smelled something burning—like burning hair with a hint of charred flesh.

"Save him!" Jiang Lingwen shouted. The shocked medics sprang into action.

By the time they pulled Beck off the apparatus, he was unconscious. His hair stood in singed little curls, and his entire face was blackened.

A medic yelled at the robot assistant, "Quick! Get him into the Treatment Pod! What? He won't fit? Then carry him to the church hospital—they have a larger Treatment Pod there!"

And so, as everyone looked on, Beck was carried away to the church hospital.

Once his figure disappeared, all eyes turned to Yu Xing standing there, in the center of the field.

After a long silence, Jiang Lingwen asked, "Did… you do this to him?"

Yu Xing considered this. "Probably."

"'Probably?'" Jiang Lingwen pointed at her. "You didn’t even touch him! How did you use your Divine Skill?"

"Oh, originally, I did need to touch the target to use my skill," Yu Xing explained. "But just today, I realized I no longer need direct contact—indirect contact works too."

Everyone: "…"

Even the usually composed Jiang Lingwen lost her composure. Her eyelid twitched as she pointed at the stone in Yu Xing’s hand. "So… this stone?"

"Yep," Yu Xing smiled. "If someone touches a stone I’ve handled within ten seconds, the attack succeeds."

A chorus of shocked gasps spread across the playground. Both teachers and students instinctively took a step back.

They couldn’t help but wonder—did breathing the same air count as indirect contact? Beck’s miserable state was still fresh in their minds.

Jiang Lingwen’s mouth twitched. She stared at Yu Xing as if she were something unnatural. "Do you realize what this means?"

Yu Xing blinked. "What does it mean?"

"Even though you’re the only Chosen of the God of Misfortune, and no one knows the God of Misfortune's Divine Skill… based on other Divine Skills, when a skill undergoes a sudden, dramatic change, it usually means one thing." Jiang Lingwen looked almost afraid. "Your skill leveled up."

The teachers had the same thought, so they weren’t shocked by Jiang Lingwen’s words—only stunned by Yu Xing’s display.

But the students, who had shared quarters with Yu Xing for two days, were completely floored. Impossible! Yu Xing had only become a Divine Chosen less than half a month ago! How could she have leveled up already?

No way… absolutely no way!

Jiang Lingwen couldn’t believe it either, but the proof was undeniable.

For instance, the Thunder God's Chosen’s skill. At level one, they needed physical contact to attack. Only at level two could they strike from a distance.

The God of Fire Chosen’s skill worked much the same.

Based on other Divine Chosen’s experiences, Yu Xing had almost certainly leveled up.

"Did you really…" Though the answer was obvious, Jiang Lingwen still asked in disbelief, "level up?"

Yu Xing’s Broomstick Star Skill wasn’t a Divine Skill, but it had indeed leveled up—now at level two.

So Yu Xing nodded shyly. "Probably."

"…"

The playground fell deathly silent.

After a heavy silence, Jiang Lingwen asked, "You only realized it today? When precisely? How could you tell?"

Yu Xing’s Broomstick Star Skill had still been at level one when she first arrived at the church. She had leveled up in Sister Xiu’s barbershop, but she couldn’t admit that. Yet she also couldn’t claim it happened in the church—there were no witnesses. So she could only say it happened today, since today was the only time she had left.

"It was when I left the hospital to go home," Yu Xing fibbed easily. "After the surgery, I felt much stronger physically, and… generally improved. On the way, I saw someone drop something, so I retrieved it for them. That’s when I… noticed."

"This situation is not unprecedented," the church doctor exclaimed excitedly as he rushed over. "There have been Divine Chosen who advanced as fast as Yu Xing—no, even faster than her."

Jiang Lingwen looked puzzled, but the doctor didn’t wait for her to ask before eagerly continuing, "It’s Honored Ku Lan!"

"Honored Ku Lan reached Level 3 within a month of becoming a Divine Chosen and achieved Level 4 within three months," the doctor said excitedly, looking at Yu Xing. "Compared to Honored Ku Lan, Yu Xing’s advancing speed isn’t that exaggerated."

Everyone was speechless. Who could possibly compare to Honored Ku Lan?

The doctor wasn’t finished. "And haven’t you noticed a pattern? The first Divine Chosen of a deity usually has better talent and advances faster. Also, those with higher spirit value tend to advance quicker. Yu Xing is not only the first Divine Chosen of the God of Misfortune but also likely has SS-rank spirit value."

In conclusion, the doctor summarized, "So while her advancing speed is shocking, I believe it’s reasonable."

Indeed, it was reasonable.

Jiang Lingwen thought deeper—why had Yu Xing advanced specifically this afternoon? Because she had undergone surgery in the morning, resolving some innate physical limitations, improving her physical constitution.

It was well-known that spirit value was related to physical fitness. So the situation was likely this: Yu Xing’s surgery improved her physique, which in turn strengthened her spirit value, gradually restoring it to her inherent SS-rank. Due to this increase in spirit value, she advanced, unconsciously progressing to a Level 2 Divine Chosen.

While Jiang Lingwen and the others were working this out, the students who were about to challenge Yu Xing were stunned.

So they, who had just recently become Divine Chosen, were now supposed to challenge a Level 2 Divine Chosen?

Was this fair?

Some were happy, others distressed. Those who had to challenge Yu Xing were unhappy, but Miao Yuanjin and the rest of Yu Xing’s team were overjoyed.

With a Level 2 Divine Chosen on their team, didn’t that mean they had assured victory?

Amid the crowd of gloomy faces, Miao Yuanjin’s grin stood out. "Doesn’t that mean we’re definitely winning this match?"

She was immediately met with furious glares.

Jiang Lingwen was also conflicted. She had intended to create a fair competition, but now it seemed anything but.

Still, she didn’t plan to cancel it. After all, Da Ya and Miao Yuanjin in Yu Xing’s team were known to be lacking combat ability. Balancing things out, Yu Xing’s team didn’t seem significantly stronger than the others, especially since Yu Xing’s Divine Skill had its limitations.

"Since Yu Xing has advanced, one-on-one challenges would be unfair," Jiang Lingwen declared.

Hearing this, the students breathed easier—it seemed they wouldn’t have to challenge her after all. Only Beck remained the unlucky one.

"Here’s what we’ll do: starting today, Yu Xing will be everyone’s full-time training partner," Jiang Lingwen announced, thinking on her feet. "You can challenge her in groups of up to three, and Yu Xing cannot refuse. Use this opportunity to practice using Divine Skills and practice teamwork."

But she wasn’t done. "And those who succeed in their challenge will gain permission to come to the church anytime in the future, where I will grant one unconditional Purification for them or their family and friends."

The moment she said this, the crowd erupted in excitement.

Not only were the students eager, but even members of the nearby Divine Chosen Team perked up.

These youngsters might not know Jiang Lingwen’s standing as a Moon God Chosen, but they certainly did. They all stared at her hopefully, hoping for a chance.

Jiang Lingwen ignored their gazes and turned to Yu Xing.

Yu Xing asked, "Can I refuse?"

"No," Jiang Lingwen firmly refused. "This is training for you too. Your potential goes beyond this."

With that, Jiang Lingwen walked away, leaving Yu Xing surrounded by a group of eager, eager challengers.

"Yu Xing!" Fei Mingming was the first to jump out. "The three of us challenge you!"

The two who stepped forward with Fei Mingming were familiar to Yu Xing—one was Ruan Xue, the Chosen of the God of Fire, and the other was Ao Zheng, the Chosen of the God of Void.

Yu Xing was familiar with the Chosen of the God of Fire—she had once fought alongside one, though Ruan Xue was far weaker than Wang Kunyu. Fei Mingming, the Chosen of the Plant God, was also someone she knew—she had once played a training match with a Plant God Chosen in a park.

Only Ao Zheng, the Chosen of the God of Void, was unfamiliar. Yu Xing had never encountered one before and didn’t understand their Divine Skill.

With the three stepping forward, Yu Xing had no choice but to accept.

Before starting, Fei Mingming loudly asked Jiang Lingwen, "Teacher, since Yu Xing can use tools, can we too?"

Jiang Lingwen didn’t understand his intention but nodded anyway.

Fei Mingming grinned and produced a compact umbrella from somewhere. Opening the gaudy purple umbrella, he smirked at Yu Xing. "I know your Divine Skill is powerful, and I know you can attack indirectly. But if the stones you throw can’t hit us, your Divine Skill is useless."

Miao Yuanjin was furious. "Three against one and you’re using tools? Cowardly!"

"Exactly!" Da Ya was equally angry. "This isn’t fair!"

"It’s perfectly fair," Fei Mingming said nonchalantly. "Yu Xing is a Level 2 Divine Chosen, after all."

Without further ado, Jiang Lingwen declared, "Begin!"

Yu Xing couldn't afford to hold back. The moment the match started, she scattered the stones in her hand in a wide arc toward the three.

They immediately took cover behind Fei Mingming’s umbrella. It was large, and Fei Mingming swung it deftly, blocking every single stone.

In the next second, one of them vanished—Ao Zheng, the Chosen of the God of Void, disappeared where he stood.

Yu Xing’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t believe Ao Zheng had truly vanished—he was still there, just invisible to her.

He could turn invisible?!

A chill ran down Yu Xing’s spine. Before she could react, Fei Mingming threw something onto the ground in front of him and chanted quietly.

Instantly, a green vine sprang from the earth, lashing toward Yu Xing like a sinuous serpent.

Yu Xing turned and ran, circling the perimeter of the grounds.

Fei Mingming’s vine was no match for her speed, lagging behind her. Meanwhile, Ruan Xue, the Chosen of the God of Fire, held the umbrella and flanked her from the side, loosing small fireballs at Yu Xing as she ran.

Yu Xing found herself hard-pressed, but what worried her most was the missing Ao Zheng.

"Go, Yu Xing!" Da Ya balled her fists, cheering. "Defeat them! Send them to the hospital to keep Beck company!"

Miao Yuanjin joined in. "Don’t let them win so easily! Don’t make me think less of you!"

Yu Xing lunged forward, rolling on the ground and grabbing a handful of dirt before hurling it at Ruan Xue.

Ruan Xue was prepared, snapping the umbrella up to shield herself. But this time, Yu Xing hadn’t just thrown stones—there was dust too.

Light and carried by the wind, the dust scattered everywhere.

Unfazed, Ruan Xue pressed a button on the umbrella’s handle. High-tech umbrellas could keep users completely dry in the rain—what was a little dust?

The umbrella activated a full-coverage shield, leaving her completely untouched.

She was safe, but someone was outside the umbrella's protection.

"Achoo!"

Suddenly, an unstifled sneeze came from the seemingly empty space beside Yu Xing, and with that sound, Ao Zheng's figure popped into view to her left.

Yu Xing stared at him—how had he gotten so close?

Ao Zheng also realized he had been exposed and muttered and vanished again.

Yu Xing laughed, continuing to run as she said, "Vanishing won't save you now. You've already been hit by my Divine Skill."

While weaving across the field, Yu Xing weighed her options.

Fei Mingming controlled plants, attacking from a distance, keeping Yu Xing at bay. Throwing stones accurately from afar wasn't easy either. Ruan Xue was protected by the umbrella, so throwing things at her was pointless.

What could she do?

Just as Yu Xing was thinking, a sharp cry of pain cut through the air behind her.

"Ah!!"

Turning her head, she saw a person on fire behind her.

Ao Zheng's form reappeared, and his entire body was engulfed in flames. He shouted at Ruan Xue, "What the hell?! You burned me!"

Ruan Xue said sorry verbally, but there wasn't a hint of remorse in her tone. "Sorry, I didn't mean to burn you. But you were right behind Yu Xing—how could I see you? You could see me, couldn't you?"

Ao Zheng was furious. "I was chasing her, of course I was behind her!"

Now he was out of the fight. He shot Ruan Xue a final glare, then bolted for the medics.

"Help me!"

"Put out the fire!"

"It burns!!!"