Chapter 019: Ten Wins in a Row

Du Fan couldn’t help but burst into tears!
If another person tried to play tricks on him, even if he could win, he would be utterly frustrated.
After all, Du Fan now possessed Radiant Combat Qi and myriad spells. He was confident that few in this place could match him. To put it bluntly, aside from testing his own skills, Du Fan also wanted to make a big impression here.
But now, though he had indeed made a big impression, his skills hadn’t been tested at all.
On the other hand, with the fighting styles of those previous two matches, it would have been strange if anything could really be tested!
Staring at the person across from him, Du Fan raised his Knight’s Sword. A milky white light emanated from the sword as Radiant Combat Qi flared brightly.
The man across from him narrowed his eyes, staring at Du Fan’s sword before muttering, “Radiant Combat Qi?”
Du Fan nodded and said, “You have good eyes!”
The man snorted disdainfully, giving Du Fan a look of contempt. “Kid, don’t think Radiant Combat Qi is something special. I’ve killed countless people in my life—even the Temple Knights don’t know how many. I’m different from those two earlier; I won’t hold back. Even if you once did me a small favor, that won’t change my mind.”
Du Fan smiled faintly before nodding. “Enough talk. Let’s start.”
The man said nothing more. He raised his Knight’s Sword, with fiery red combat qi flashing on it. Seeing Du Fan’s vigilant stance, he didn’t attack right away but instead slowly circled around him.
As he moved, footprints gradually appeared on the fighting platform. With each movement, he got closer to Du Fan.
This was truly the demeanor of a master!
Du Fan marveled inwardly, eager to strike first.
But suddenly, the man’s body trembled, and a strange expression appeared on his face. Then, with a “thud,” the once confident man collapsed to the ground, his breathing sounding like thunder.
The spectators were stunned, while Du Fan and the judges exchanged glances.

It was unclear how much time had passed before the examiner hesitantly walked over to that person, kicked him a few times, and finally declared helplessly, “This candidate can no longer take the exam due to being drunk. So, in the third round, Du Fan still wins.” It was only later that Du Fan learned that although that aggressive guy didn’t show much respect for him, he truly wanted to repay his kindness. Since he couldn’t bring himself to deliberately lose, he had to get thoroughly drunk before the match. Once his fighting spirit surged and the effects of alcohol took over, even the God of Wine would be knocked out on the spot, let alone others. At this point, Du Fan resigned himself to fate. Clearly, no matter their motives, the people of the capital wouldn’t lay a hand on him. Even if some outsiders tried to challenge him, they would likely face all sorts of obstacles—Du Fan was well aware of the tactics used by the thugs in the capital. In other words, under these circumstances, Du Fan could simply fight through anyone who stood in his way, and winning was a hundred percent certain. Yet, though he understood this, he still had to continue acting out the role ahead. The fourth match was about to begin, and this time it was a fairly famous thief from the capital. Before Du Fan could say anything, the thief knelt down and said, “If it weren’t for Lord Du Fan’s help back then, I would have been beaten to death by those nobles and thrown into the river to feed the fish. So, no matter what, I won’t fight.” Without waiting for Du Fan’s reaction, the thief admitted defeat and left the stage. The fifth match featured a supposedly famous mercenary, but Du Fan never got to see him, as he reportedly ran away after hearing his opponent was Du Fan, deciding to apply again when Roland Academy recruited next time. The sixth match saw a girl with an ordinary appearance. She didn’t do anything overly dramatic—she just shyly handed Du Fan a letter before running away in a flash. Looking at the pink envelope in his hand, Du Fan was speechless… Receiving love letters during a fight… This… it’s absolutely ridiculous!!! … The subsequent matches held no suspense—Du Fan’s opponents either forfeited or pretended to fight. By the end of the exams, Du Fan had become the most prominent figure in Roland Academy’s Qi Fighting Division recruitment exams.

There’s no other reason. Although Roland Academy has had many students who won all ten exams over the years, those who won in his manner—though it’s hard to say there are no others like him—surely have no predecessors. Finally, when all the students who passed the assessment stood in the center of the square to listen to Bruce’s teachings, the nobles around Du Fan all showed strange expressions. After all, although noble young masters had certain privileges to enter Roland Academy, combat was still necessary. Although there were far more nobles than commoners in Roland Academy, these people were probably less than half of those who came to take the exam. These ones who passed the exam looked down on Du Fan’s way of passing, but given Du Fan’s status, they didn’t dare say much. On the stands, Bruce didn’t know how long he had rambled until the sun set before he called out each candidate’s name and said, “These are the students qualified to enter Roland Academy this year. Together with those who passed the magic test at noon, a total of 240 students will be admitted to the Gavin Empire this time. If the candidates who failed have no objections, then this is the final number. But by tradition, those who failed still have one last chance: a challenge. If you can defeat any of the students who have already been admitted, you can take their place in Roland Academy!” After saying this, Bruce casually glanced at Du Fan. Du Fan inwardly smiled bitterly. He knew Bruce would never let him pass so easily. At this moment, he could already feel the intense gazes of those who failed. The commoners didn’t matter—they certainly wouldn’t cause trouble for him. But several powerful failed nobles kept staring at him. After all, he hadn’t passed the assessment with ease; unlike those who fought to the death, those failed nobles must think he wasn’t very strong. Moreover, if they could defeat him, they would have a chance to enter Roland Academy. Few would refuse such an opportunity, right? “Young Master Du Fan!” Finally, someone stepped forward.

Among the rejected nobles, a pale-faced man slowly stepped forward. He raised the long sword in his hand and sneered, “I am Mas of the Belinger family. Let’s see what brilliant tactics you have, Young Master Du Fan.” With that, Mas tossed aside his noble robes, jumped onto a nearby combat platform, drew a dark green long sword from his waist, and filled with fighting energy, his aura growing intense. Clearly, Mas was already a third-level warrior, and judging by his demeanor, he was likely a swordsman as well. Du Fan sighed and did not jump onto the platform. Instead, he glanced at Bruce, who was smiling, and asked, “Sir Bruce, what’s the difference between this extra opportunity and the original exam?” “There is, of course,” Bruce chuckled lightly. “There are no restrictions in this kind of fight—you can use any weapon, anywhere. As long as you win, just treat it as real combat!” Du Fan sneered inwardly, having understood Bruce’s meaning. Ignoring the worried and curious looks around him, he lightly tapped his toes on the ground and leaped onto the combat platform. Mas glared at Du Fan, swinging his dark black sword a few times before coldly saying, “Young Master Du Fan, take out your weapon. Don’t cry and beg for mercy after losing to me—it would be embarrassing.” Du Fan smiled faintly. “It’s Young Master Mas who should be worried. Since you’ve already lost your chance to enter, hoping to turn things around with this opportunity is probably just wishful thinking.” Mas sneered inwardly. If it weren’t for the chance to kill Du Fan on the spot and avenge his cousin Emily properly, why would he admit defeat so humbly? After all, although Mas was only at third level, the secret fighting energy techniques of the Belinger family were no trivial matter. As they spoke, their gazes met in the air. Unlike Du Fan’s calmness, Mas’s hatred was evident in his eyes. Most of those present knew about the feud between Du Fan and Emily, and they understood quite well why this man, who had always tried to win over his cousin, harbored such hatred.

With a low laugh, a cruel smirk still on his lips, perhaps angered by Du Fan, Ma Si didn’t wait for Du Fan to draw his weapon. He spun his long sword and thrust it in a strange trajectory toward Du Fan’s direction. At the same time, a series of “buzzing” sounds filled the air—as combat energy, the sword tip, and those strange noises all rushed toward Du Fan.