Chapter 55 Miss Miao Shows Her Power, Miao Yuanjin, Your Chance to Shine Has Come…

Chapter 55: Miss Miao Unleashes Her Power

Miao Yuanjin, this is your moment to shine...

Overwhelmed by the thunderous applause, Ke Yuan was ecstatic, waving vigorously at the stands. Amidst his excitement, he managed to shout to Yu Xing and the others, "My parents are here! They're watching me!"

In stark contrast, Miao Yuanjin wore a disgruntled expression. "My family is here too, and I didn't get to do anything just now," she grumbled.

She stomped her foot in frustration, turning to her teammates. "I don’t care! In the next match, you absolutely have to give me plenty of opportunities to show off, or I’ll be utterly humiliated in my circle!"

With that, she stormed off, leaving Yu Xing and the other three exchanging bewildered glances.

After their match, the second round quickly commenced. Ke Yuan went to the stands to find his parents, while Miao Yuanjin had disappeared. Zhao Lan asked Yu Xing and Da Ya if they wanted to watch the match, as the winning team would be their next opponent.

"I think it’s essential," Yu Xing said, rubbing her temples. "We need to strategize based on our opponents’ characteristics. Besides winning, we have another crucial objective now."

"What is it?" Da Ya asked curiously.

Yu Xing’s eyes gleamed with resolve. "We must ensure Miao Yuanjin gets ample opportunities to showcase her abilities."

"..."

Now, Zhao Lan and Da Ya also felt a headache brewing.

The three made their way to the stands, searching for seats, when someone nearby suddenly called Yu Xing’s name.

The voice sounded familiar. Yu Xing looked ahead and was surprised to see the principal of Seventh Middle School.

Even school leaders were here to watch the match?

Given it was the principal—and someone who had previously helped her—Yu Xing couldn’t feign ignorance. She turned to Zhao Lan. "I see our school’s principal. I’ll go over for a moment."

Zhao Lan waved her off, pulling Da Ya along to find seats.

As the top middle school in all Seven Cities, Seventh Middle School frequently had students awaken Divine Skills and become Divine Chosen, thus maintaining strong ties with the church. The church-organized competition had invited representatives from Seventh Middle School, and among them were two familiar faces to Yu Xing: the principal and the dean of students.

Yu Xing carefully navigated through the crowd to the principal’s side, silently grateful she was wearing the Celestial Serpent Feathered Robe. Otherwise, who knew how many people would have suffered bloody misfortunes along the way.

"Hello, Principal," Yu Xing greeted politely.

The principal looked at her with immense satisfaction. "Your performance earlier was outstanding. You truly are an excellent student of Seventh Middle School."

In truth, Yu Xing hadn't done much—she had merely tossed a handful of pebbles at Beck and then hid behind his two teammates to mislead the blindfolded Beck. Moreover, she wasn't exactly an "excellent student" at Seventh Middle School. The principal's praise was clearly exaggerated.

"Heh-heh," Yu Xing could only force a smile.

The principal was about to heap on more effusive praise when, fortunately, the second match began, diverting his attention and saving Yu Xing from further awkward conversation.

Yu Xing breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that if the compliments continued, she’d start to suspect the principal had a crush on her too.

Not wanting to miss the rare chance to speak with the dean of students, Yu Xing sidled up to him and whispered, "Dean, Dean."

The dean, engrossed in the match, replied distractedly, "What is it?"

"Dean, long time no see," Yu Xing began with polite small talk. "I’ve missed you so much!"

The dean: "..."

The dean reluctantly tore his gaze from the match and turned to Yu Xing, his lips twitching. "Yu Xing, a simple greeting is enough. No need to go that far."

"Heh-heh." Yu Xing grinned. "Dean, I mean every word."

The dean could only chuckle dryly. "I’ve missed you too, I’ve missed you too."

After the pleasantries, Yu Xing got straight to the point. "Dean, last time you said you’d help me find my brother and get him a decent job. How’s that coming along?"

The dean’s expression immediately turned troubled. He studied Yu Xing for a moment before sighing with a hint of resignation. "Actually, I started working on it three days after I promised you. I even sent people to look for your brother. But..."

He hesitated before continuing, "We couldn’t find him."

"Huh?" Yu Xing was surprised. "How could that be?"

The dean of Seventh Middle School wasn’t a major figure, but he shouldn't have trouble locating a single person.

"We truly couldn’t find him, but we did gather some information." The dean’s gaze was sympathetic. "The place you mentioned... your brother left it a year ago."

Yu Xing’s first reaction was disbelief. Since the original host’s brother left, he had consistently sent money to her account without interruption.

When her brother first left home, the family was very poor, not even owning a terminal. After working for a month, her brother bought a terminal for the original host and opened an account, sending money to it every month thereafter.

But her brother didn’t have a terminal himself; he always asked a friend to transfer the money to the original host.

Because the money transfers had never stopped for two years, Yu Xing had always assumed her brother was still working at that place. But now the dean was saying her brother had left that place a year ago.

How was that possible? If he left, why didn’t he tell the family? And why were the fixed monthly remittances still arriving on time?

"Yu Xing," the dean asked gently, "Did your brother not tell you where he was going?"

Indeed, he hadn't. In the original host’s memories, her brother never returned after leaving home.

Yu Xing returned to Zhao Lan and Da Ya with lingering doubts. She decided that once the competition ended, she would go look for her brother. And that account that had been sending her money for over two years without fail—the person behind it must know where her brother was.

"Tsk-tsk," Da Ya murmured while watching the match. "This is brutal. They’re fighting so hard they’ll all end up in the hospital. Does that mean we’ll win the next round by default?"

Yu Xing glanced at the match. Unlike their last bout, this one was evenly matched, with both sides using normal Divine Skills. The fight was intense, with nearly everyone injured—no wonder Da Ya felt that way.

"You’re overthinking it. There’s still Fei Mingming’s team," Zhao Lan said, eyes fixed on the arena. "Fei Mingming’s team has a bye this round. They’ll face us in top form next."

"Fei Mingming’s luck is ridiculous," Da Ya grumbled, a hint of envy in her voice. "He gets to take second place without lifting a finger."

Zhao Lan laughed at her. "You’re that confident we’ll win?"

"Of course!" Da Ya puffed out her chest, radiating the same pride as Miao Yuanjin. "Our leader is a Level 2 Divine Chosen, and we’re battle-hardened warriors who’ve survived two life-or-death fights. With our teamwork, how could we possibly lose? How?"

Zhao Lan admired her confidence. Leaning in, she whispered, "Then let’s start planning how to give Yuanjin plenty of chances to show off in front of her family and friends."

Just as they predicted, after the second match ended, both teams were taken to the hospital.

Treatment would take time, so the next match would be between Yu Xing’s team and Fei Mingming’s.

This match was clearly more anticipated. When Fei Mingming’s team appeared on the field, all dressed in identical red trench coats, wearing Bull Warrior Masks, and holding broomstick-shaped umbrellas, the stands erupted in cheers.

Apparently, many recognized the Bull Warrior who rides a broomstick through the sky.

The five stood together, identically dressed and masked, making it impossible to tell who was who.

Miao Yuanjin was the first to protest. She turned to the referee. "I protest! Looking like this, we can’t tell them apart. It’s unfair to us!"

The opposing team played dumb. "The rules don’t say we can’t wear the same clothes or masks ~"

Miao Yuanjin gritted her teeth and turned to the referee again, "Then we request a pause in the match. We need to go back and change into matching uniforms too."

Finally, the referee had enough and ordered Fei Mingming's squad to remove their masks, allowing the match to proceed normally.

Cheers erupted from the stands, the crowd eating up the drama.

"Go, Bull Warrior team!"

"Bull Warrior team will win!!"

"Bull Warriors are the best!!!"

The cheers gave Yu Xing mixed feelings. She couldn't help feeling that they were all cheering for her.

Before the match began, both teams lined up. Yu Xing's group kept their same lineup as their previous match—Miao Yuanjin and Ke Yuan stood in the front row, while the others stayed behind.

Fei Mingming's team had a somewhat specialized lineup. Among them, Fei Mingming was the Plant God's Chosen, Ruan Xue was the God of Fire's Chosen, Ao Zheng was the God of Void's Chosen, Mai Kaofu was the God of Disease's Chosen, and Huizi was the Thunder God's Chosen. All were offensive types, with no defensive players.

Their strength lay in their high combat power—most teams couldn't withstand them. The downside was their fragility; they could get wiped out fast.

Once the match started, Fei Mingming's team moved swiftly. Ao Zheng, the God of Void's Chosen, vanished instantly.

Once invisible, he could reappear anywhere.

Fortunately, Yu Xing's group had already devised a countermeasure. Da Ya immediately activated her Divine Skill, stretching the dark clouds' coverage to their maximum range. This time, she didn't summon a downpour but instead let fall a steady, light rain.

The drizzle only dampened the ground, unlikely to form puddles. But that was precisely their goal—wet soil would cling to their feet and make footprints more visible.

Ao Zheng's current Divine Skill level only allowed invisibility, not true void-walking, so his footprints would inevitably be left behind.

Sure enough, as the rain pattered down, a trail of footprints was soon spotted, curving toward their position.

Ke Yuan pointed in a direction, "Look! Footprints over there!"

Without hesitation, Yu Xing hurled a spray of grit toward the spot.

Ao Zheng suddenly reappeared in the previously empty space. He backpedaled frantically, barely dodging Yu Xing's attack, yelling to his teammates while retreating, "They're cheating! My Divine Skill is useless now!"

Fei Mingming calmed him, "Stay calm. We're all long-range fighters. As long as we counter Yu Xing's moves, we have nothing to fear."

Ruan Xue bit her lip, "But with all this rain, how am I supposed to use fire?"

"Relax," Fei Mingming sneered. "Does only Yu Xing know how to wear down an opponent? Let's wait and see how long Da Ya can keep this rain going."

Thus, another strange standoff developed on the field.

Both teams stood frozen on opposite sides, rain falling between them, neither moving an inch.

After a while, Yu Xing's group finally sensed something amiss. Ke Yuan asked, "Why aren't Fei Mingming's team attacking?"

"Maybe they're waiting for us to make the first move?" Miao Yuanjin guessed.

Yu Xing disagreed. "I think they're... trying to exhaust Da Ya's stamina."

"What?" Da Ya was shocked. "That's so underhanded! I'm running on empty."

Zhao Lan's brows furrowed deeply. The enemy's strategy had them cornered.

"What do we do?" Miao Yuanjin couldn't stand being stuck. "Should we all charge at them?"

Yu Xing also was stumped. Their formation wasn't suited for a direct assault. With no immediate solution, she told Da Ya, "Stop the rain for now."

Da Ya obediently cut off the rain, leaving the field dry once more. The two sides remained in a silent standoff.

The crowd's murmuring grew louder. Even the spectating cultivators shared looks.

"This year's competitors are... odd," one cultivator remarked beside Jiang Lingwen.

Jiang Lingwen had sensed it too, but she couldn't put her finger on why or where the anomaly lay.

"They're not moving either," Ruan Xue asked Fei Mingming. "What's your plan?"

Fei Mingming set his jaw. He knew this waiting game had to end—one side had to act.

After a moment's thought, he turned to Mai Kaofu. "Your Divine Skill is the most intangible and has the widest damage range among us. You go."

"Me?" Mai Kaofu looked horrified. "Alone? I'll get wrecked!"

"Don't worry," Fei Mingming had a plan ready. "Use an umbrella to block Yu Xing's Divine Skill. I'll also tie vines around you—if there's danger, I'll pull you back immediately."

That seemed feasible, so Mai Kaofu agreed.

On Yu Xing's side, they watched as Mai Kaofu approached, umbrella in hand, vines coiled around his waist. Zhao Lan warned, "Mai Kaofu is the God of Disease's Chosen. His Divine Skill spreads illness—anyone near him will fall sick. At best, it's a cold; at worst, it could be life-threatening. And his skill is hard to resist—even covering our mouths and noses won't stop it."

"I'll try freezing him," Zhao Lan said.

Mai Kaofu cautiously maneuvered closer, maintaining a careful distance. His Divine Skill had a four-meter radius—not far, but the problem was, aside from Zhao Lan, none of Yu Xing's team could counter him.

Once within range, Mai Kaofu stopped advancing, swaying side to side to maintain the distance.

The moment he got close, Ke Yuan immediately felt his throat itch uncontrollably. He coughed violently.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Ke Yuan had the lowest mental resilience and weakest resistance. His coughing grew louder. Even Zhao Lan and Da Ya at the back were affected, their throats itching, fighting the urge to cough.

Seeing their plight, Mai Kaofu smirked inwardly. So what if the misfortune Divine Skill is powerful? Mine isn't half bad either.

Just as Zhao Lan prepared to freeze Mai Kaofu, Yu Xing suddenly remembered something. She nudged Miao Yuanjin in front of her. "Didn't you want to show off? Why aren't you going out to fight him?"

Miao Yuanjin froze for a second before realizing—Mai Kaofu's Divine Skill didn't affect her. Why shouldn't she go out and fight? Besides, she really wanted to punch someone.

Miao Yuanjin charged out instantly. The sudden movement startled Mai Kaofu and his teammates, but when they saw it was just Miao Yuanjin, they relaxed. What threat was she?

The spectators were equally baffled. The Good Luck Group had five members—why send out the Moon God's Chosen, whose Divine Skill had no offensive power?

Wasn't this just handing them an advantage?

The know-it-all from earlier chimed in again. "This must be the Good Luck Group's strategy. Since the Moon God's Chosen is useless anyway, might as well send her out to disrupt the enemy's rhythm. Maybe they'll find an opening. Losing the Moon God's Chosen is like a bird losing its wings—no real loss."

Determined to redeem his earlier blunder, he added, "As I said before, the Good Luck Group's overall strength is far inferior to the others. They only win through teamwork and synergy. This Bull Warrior team's coordination isn't bad either—the Good Luck Group's luck has run out."

He'd barely finished speaking when a young woman's voice cut in from behind, "You talk too much! Do your parents know you love spouting nonsense in public?"

The expert's children were already in middle school. Being insulted like this stung his pride. He spun around, glaring at the red-haired girl. "What does a kid like you know? Did your parents never teach you manners?"

Yun Dai rolled her eyes so hard, standing with hands on hips. "I didn't call you out for farting in public, yet you dare lecture others on manners?"

"Argh!" The expert couldn't take it. "I'll teach you a lesson!"

Yun Dai's greatest talent was insulting people. She pointed at the Know-It-All and declared loudly enough for everyone around to hear, "Since you claim the Good Luck Group will definitely lose, why don't we make a bet? If the Good Luck Group loses, I'll apologize to you publicly and compensate you for emotional distress. But if the Good Luck Group wins, you'll kneel before me, slap yourself in the face in front of everyone, and admit you’ve been running your mouth."

"You—you—you…" The Know-It-All gasped. "You’re out of your damn mind—"

"Scared?" Yun Dai sneered. "If you're too scared, it means you don’t even believe your own words. You’ve been acting like some expert when you’re just spouting nonsense."

The Know-It-All's breath hitched, feeling the weight of skeptical gazes from the crowd.

Then, a man’s voice called out from the front, "You won’t take the bet because you’re guilty, aren’t you?"

"I’ll record you right now and post it online. Today, I actually ran into a blowhard…"

The Know-It-All couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t stand being doubted like this. Besides, he was convinced his judgment was right—the Good Luck Group didn’t stand a chance.

Before speaking, he glanced at the arena, where the situation had changed.

Miao Yuanjin seemed to have gone mad, charging straight at Mai Kao Fu. Mai Kao Fu initially wanted to flee, but seeing it was just Miao Yuanjin, he relaxed. What’s a Moon God Chosen gonna do?

Then he realized his mistake. The Moon God Chosen’s Divine Skill wasn’t offensive, but Miao Yuanjin herself was plenty aggressive.

She rushed in, first delivering a flying kick to his face that sent him sprawling, then pounced on him, wailing on him.

"Wow…" Ke Yuan gaped as Miao Yuanjin had Mai Kao Fu pinned to the ground and beat him. "She’s that strong?"

The other three remained unfazed. Zhao Lan explained, "Yuan Jin has exceptional genes—her mental rating is S-tier, and her physique is A+ minimum. Her family is that kind of family; they wouldn’t neglect any aspect of their child’s development. Hand-to-hand is child’s play for them."

Ke Yuan felt his stomach twist. "So… I’m the only useless one who can’t do anything?"

"Don’t feel bad," Yu Xing said. "I can’t do anything either."

Zhao Lan’s lips twitched. "You don’t *need* to. Nobody’s dumb enough to mess with you."

Miao Yuanjin’s overall abilities surpassed every other contestant present, which was why she had been so arrogant when she first arrived at the church. Her pride wasn’t just due to her privileged background—she was genuinely outstanding. Of course, she had plenty of flaws too, but Miao Yuanjin didn’t consider them flaws.

As Miao Yuanjin pummeled Mai Kao Fu into howling in pain, his Divine Skill proved utterly ineffective against her.

Yu Xing whispered to the others, "Get ready. Our chance might be coming."

Fei Mingming and his team couldn’t bear to watch any longer. Seeing their teammate beaten so publicly made their faces burn with humiliation, as if they were being disgraced before the entire city.

Fei Mingming decided to rescue Mai Kao Fu.

The vines around Mai Kao Fu’s waist tightened, dragging him back toward his teammates.

Since Miao Yuanjin was still clinging to him, she was pulled along as well.

The Know-It-All in the stands was thrilled. With one of the Good Luck Group’s Divine Chosen captured, how could they possibly win?

Jumping at the chance, he shouted at Yun Dai, "Fine! I’ll take your bet! With so many witnesses, if the Bull Warrior Group loses, I’ll kneel before you and slap myself!"

No sooner had he spoken than Miao Yuanjin was dragged into Fei Mingming’s team. Just as they were about to subdue her, they heard Yu Xing’s loud cry:

"Miao Yuanjin! Your moment to shine is here! Keep them busy!"

Fei Mingming froze—only for Miao Yuanjin to suddenly spring up from the ground, tackling him and pinning him beneath her.

Fei Mingming immediately activated his Divine Skill, summoning vines to bind her. But a glow enveloped Miao Yuanjin, and the vines withered on contact.

"Let me!" Huizi lashed out with her whip, sending a crackling current lashing at Miao Yuanjin.

Miao Yuanjin jolted but held firm, but clenching her jaw, she seized the whip with her other hand. The electricity vanished the instant it reached her.

"She’s immune to our Divine Skills!" Huizi yelled.

Fei Mingming thrashed wildly. "Get her off—ah!"

He shrieked as Miao Yuanjin, unable to use her hands, sank her teeth into his neck instead.

With Divine Skills useless against her, they had to fight her bare-handed. But Miao Yuanjin was only one person—she couldn’t possibly take on all five of them.

But she wasn’t fighting solo. She had teammates.

As they piled on her, a sudden chill washed over them—all five were soaked to the bone in an instant.

Looking up, they saw storm clouds had rolled in above their heads.

The moment Miao Yuanjin had been dragged over, Yu Xing had recognized their opportunity and barked at the others to prepare.

"AAAAAGH! I’LL FIGHT YOU ALL!!!" Ke Yuan’s body hardened into metal as he charged forward like an armored tank, plowing through them.