Chapter 5: The Ferocious Little Cutie

In the central plaza of Tianlan Academy, all new students had gathered.

Su Nan stood among them, but just standing there was a struggle.

There were almost no boys around him.

Even when he tried to find a few male students to shield him, it was pointless—

The girls’ combat power was terrifying.

They had completely surrounded him, leaving hardly any space to even move his feet.

Trapped in the crowd, Su Nan wore the look of someone who had lost the will to live.

‘You’re all just after my body, aren’t you!’

At that moment, he couldn’t help but question his life choices.

Maybe choosing to attend this entrance trial… was a bit too impulsive?

“The Dean is coming! Stand up straight!”

A voice suddenly rang out.

Su Nan turned his head and saw Xi Qinyu walking in from the far end of the plaza—

Cold and majestic, emanating authority without even speaking.

At her arrival, the girls who had all but pounced on Su Nan finally backed off a little.

Xi Qinyu’s gaze swept through the crowd, her brow twitching slightly when it landed on Su Nan.

“What’s going on?” she said coldly, looking at the gathered students.

“Why are you all huddled together like this?”

“Ganging up on such a delicate male classmate—what kind of behavior is that?”

The moment they saw her frosty expression, the girls instantly backed off.

Though their bodies still inched forward ever so slightly.

Still, Su Nan finally let out a long sigh of relief and looked at Xi Qinyu with gratitude.

That one smile…

The frost on Xi Qinyu’s face melted instantly, a faint blush rising to her cheeks.

“Ahem…”

She cleared her throat and quickly looked away from Su Nan, turning her attention to the rest of the new students.

“There are 120 students in this trial.”

“The trial map will be randomized, but all maps are of ‘normal’ difficulty—basic, low-tier evil spirits.”

“Students will be grouped into teams of ten according to trial ID numbers.”

“Trial objective: Eliminate all evil entities in your assigned map to complete the test.”

“You’ll receive additional points for any personal kills; teammates will also gain a portion of those points.”

“Is that clear?”

Her voice was cold and crisp, wasting no time.

In just a few sentences, she had clearly explained all the rules.

“Clear!”

The new students shouted back loudly.

After all, anyone who could enter Tianlan Academy was already a genius in their region—

They were full of confidence in their own abilities.

If someone couldn’t even pass a basic entrance trial, that’d be a real joke.

Suddenly—

A faint voice emerged from the group:

“Uhm… I don’t really get it?”

“Hmm?”

Xi Qinyu’s brow lifted.

Her already cold face instantly became ice-cold.

Many students watching were terrified.

It was never a good thing to see the Jade-Faced Yama angry.

But the moment she saw who had spoken—

Xi Qinyu’s expression turned as soft as spring sunshine.

“Su Nan, what are you confused about?”

The entire plaza fell silent.

But once they saw who it was, well—

No one could even feel mad.

That kind of beauty… it was just unfair!

Su Nan coughed lightly.

“About the map difficulty, and… what are these ‘evil entities’ exactly?”

“You weren’t a martial artist before, so it’s normal to be unfamiliar.”

“Map difficulty is divided into: Normal, Regular, Dangerous, Terrifying, Nightmare, and Inferno…”

“‘Evil entities’ is a general term for monsters, demons, and ghosts. You may encounter any of those in the trial.”

“They range in level from E to S. The higher the level, the more dangerous.”

“Most of the enemies in this trial are D-level, which are just basic threats.”

“Got it. Thanks, Director.”

“You’re very welcome~!”

“Alright, if everyone understands, let’s begin grouping.”

Xi Qinyu turned back to the rest of the crowd, her icy demeanor restored.

All the students were quickly grouped according to their numbers.

Su Nan ended up in a group with three boys and six girls.

Standing before the crowd again, Xi Qinyu spoke in a low voice:

“The Tianlan Academy freshman trial is designed to test your foundational skills. I hope you all give it your best—earn your place as full-fledged students.”

“Begin the trial!”

With a single wave of her hand, a brilliant light screen appeared over the plaza.

It expanded rapidly, enveloping all the students.

Xi Qinyu glanced briefly at Su Nan, and the coldness on her face faded again.

Su Nan felt his vision blur, followed by a heavy pressure.

Suddenly, everything went black.

When he opened his eyes again, Su Nan found himself in a low thicket.

Dark clouds loomed above, and a crescent moon hung in the black sky, casting faint light.

A cold wind blew past, sending chills through him.

It seemed he was alone.

Suddenly, the bushes nearby rustled.

Su Nan turned his head—

A black shadow lunged at him, baring fangs, accompanied by a foul stench.

Su Nan’s eyes sharpened. Just as he prepared to strike—

BANG!

The shadow exploded in front of him—

Completely erased before it could reach him.

“Su Nan!”

A soft, girlish voice called out.

Su Nan turned and saw a graceful young girl standing nearby, gazing at him with shyness in her eyes.

“I’m Chang Xinxin. I’m so honored to be grouped with you!”

Hearing her soft voice and seeing her delicate figure, Su Nan was dazed for a moment.

That shadow just now had been a minor ghost, but this dainty girl had obliterated it in a single punch.

Her strength… had to be over 2,000 jin (about 1,100 kg) at least.

‘Ah. I’ve entered the world of martial artists.’

Suddenly, both Su Nan and Chang Xinxin had a glowing number appear on their chests—1.

Xi Qinyu had mentioned D-rank ghosts were worth ten points.

This one must’ve been weaker—an E-rank trash mob?

Su Nan was still processing when—

Another black shadow appeared behind Chang Xinxin.

It was noticeably larger, with crimson jaws and gleaming white teeth, ready to bite down.

“Watch out!”

Su Nan shouted and stepped forward, fist clenched to come to her rescue.

But before he could act—

A figure shot out from the side and kicked the creature away.

Then, multiple girls emerged from the bushes, launching a frenzied assault.

Slender arms and dainty feet in pastel outfits—

But the sheer brutality of their attack…

They literally beat the ghost to death in seconds!

‘Too… too savage!’