Everyone ascended, but I didn't get on board

Chapter 181 System Capture

The national league is divided into team competitions and individual competitions. Team competitions consist of five people per group, and each provincial team has two groups, meaning that each province can only send ten people to participate. Substitutes like Juanshan do not need to participate in the team competitions unless someone is injured and unable to participate.

However, the individual competition process is basically the same as the provincial competition, testing individual abilities, so substitutes are required to participate.

Qiu Ci glanced at the battle schedule and, as expected, Little Green Hair and his group initially faced opponents at the Golden Core stage, most of whom were sword cultivators. Only after entering the top thirty would they encounter opponents at the Nascent Soul stage. Feng Shanming, on the other hand, faced opponents at the Nascent Soul stage from the very beginning.

Although the league is divided by school and not by cultivation level, it's clear that the opponents are arranged with cultivation level in mind, striving for fairness—this is probably a common practice. That's why when Feng Shanming deliberately concealed his cultivation level to participate, the people from the five major universities discovered it and felt that he was of poor character and was exploiting loopholes in the competition.

After a month of training, although Little Green Hair and his friends hadn't improved their cultivation levels, their swordsmanship had become much stronger, and they won several matches with ease. On the other hand, Feng Shanming was having a harder time. Since they were both at the Nascent Soul stage, he could no longer overwhelm them with his cultivation level and could only rely on sheer strength.

However, his cultivation level was clearly boosted by the system, making it inherently weak. After exhausting all his methods in the battle, he only managed a narrow victory. This was only the first match, and his opponent was a Nascent Soul cultivator at the early stage, a minor realm below him. In the second match, against an opponent at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, he was clearly unable to put up a fight.

"System, quick, exchange a spell for me that can counter the opponent." Seeing that he was being suppressed and about to be knocked out of the arena, Feng Shanming finally couldn't help but call out to the system.

[Ding! Detection indicates the opponent is using the fire-type martial art, Flaming Sun Technique. The host can exchange for the high-level ice-type martial art, Profound Ice Technique, which perfectly counters the Flaming Sun Technique. Would you like to exchange and learn it?]
"Exchange! Exchange!" Feng Shanming said anxiously as he barely managed to block a flame from the other party.

[Ding! Successfully exchanged for the Profound Ice Technique. Face-slapping value reduced by 2000. Current face-slapping value: 23000. Host has entered the beginner level of the Profound Ice Technique.]
The next moment, Feng Shanming, who was originally trapped in the middle of the sky full of flames, suddenly had his spiritual energy surge, and an extremely cold aura suddenly burst out. Instantly, the towering flames were extinguished, and a thick layer of ice quickly spread across the entire arena, heading straight for the opposing contestant.

Caught completely off guard, the opponent felt a chill all over his body. His previously flowing fire elemental energy suddenly stagnated, as if affected by something, slowing down—this was due to the elemental advantage of his technique. He was startled, but it was too late to withdraw his energy. He saw countless ice shards falling towards him, and he could only retreat as fast as he could, but his feet were too cold to move.

He could only watch helplessly as countless icicles fell, triggering the automatic rescue array in the arena. A layer of pale golden light appeared, teleporting him out of the arena, and at the same time, the referee's voice rang out.

"Winner: Feng Shanming from Yizhongcheng No.1 Middle School".

Qiu Ci naturally noticed this scene as well as the sudden appearance of the ice-type technique.

"Dog system?"

[Target energy fluctuation, consumption is 10%, less than 60%, forced uninstallation not possible. Master, master, the pirated system's energy consumption is still insufficient.]

So it's still not working? But it doesn't matter, this is just the beginning. Feng Shanming's opponents will only get stronger, and he will continue to use the system.

As Qiu Ci had guessed, Feng Shanming encountered increasingly stronger opponents. He simply couldn't win with his current strength and could only rely on the system to exchange for stronger techniques time and time again, narrowly winning each time.

These several unannounced outbreaks have attracted considerable attention, and even the five major universities that had a previous impression of him have changed their views.

"Huh, another one of those impromptu outbursts? Is this the third time? Is this student using the competition to hone his mental fortitude?"

"It's not easy for such talented people to emerge from Yizhong No. 1 Middle School in such a remote city."

"Feng Shanming? I think the teachers who went to watch the provincial competition didn't have a very good opinion of him."

"He's just hiding his cultivation level. Young people always have some unconventional ideas, it's not a big problem. Perhaps the examiners were too strict back then." "I'm also a little curious about his true limit, whether he can maintain this level indefinitely."

"Let's see if he can make it into the top ten. His mid-Nascent Soul cultivation is quite promising."

Suddenly, more and more eyes were being looked at Feng Shanming, and many of them were from top universities.

Qiu Ci ignored all of that and just kept an eye on the system's energy value. After a day of competition, the opponent's energy consumption had reached 40%, but unfortunately it was still not enough.

On the second day of the competition, Feng Shanming faced off against a Nascent Soul sword cultivator from Beijing No. 1 High School. Both were at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, but his opponent was a sword cultivator, and clearly one who had comprehended sword intent.

She clearly saw Feng Shanming's face darken instantly.

"Dog system, check the energy level of that system. Has it recovered?" After all, a day has passed.

"Yes, Master." The little ball of light flashed and immediately said excitedly, "Master, Master, that pirated system has consumed thirty percent of its energy."

"That means it only recovered 10% last night."

Yes, Master!

That's great! It seems we can find the system in this match. She immediately sent a telepathic message to Juanshan and headed towards Feng Shanming's match venue.

Just as Juanshan was being forced to the edge of the stage by his opponent and was about to be eliminated, he suddenly paused for a moment, then raised his foot and kicked the person in front of him off the stage, leaving everyone dumbfounded. He quickly ran to the side of the arena to support his teammate.

This match was clearly Feng Shanming's toughest yet. He was almost completely dominated, and within minutes he was in a sorry state. If he could rely on his techniques to fight back in previous matches, then in the hands of the swordsman before him, all his techniques were just paper tigers. Faced with absolute power, all his fancy techniques were completely useless, and were all shattered by a single sword strike.

Sword cultivators are already known as the strongest cultivators in terms of combat power. In a head-on confrontation, only body cultivators among all cultivators can put up a fight. At the same cultivation level, Feng Shanming, a half-baked Nascent Soul cultivator, naturally has no advantage whatsoever.

Sure enough, he was soon forced into a desperate situation. Seeing that he was about to be eliminated by his opponent, Feng Shanming became more and more anxious. After being hit by the opponent's sword energy once again, he had no choice but to frantically call for the system in his mind.

"System, quickly increase my cultivation level! I can't lose!"

[Ding! Host currently has 11000 face-slapping points remaining. Would you like to use them all to improve your cultivation?]
"Use it! Use it! Quickly!"

[Ding! 11000 Face-Slapping Points consumed. Cultivation level increased to early Nascent Soul stage. Heavenly secrets have been shielded for the host!]
The next moment, a powerful aura erupted from Feng Shanming once again.

At the same time, Qiu Ci heard a similar electronic sound.

[Beep, target system energy fluctuation, consumption at 70%. Master, Master, I'm off!]

The little ball of light couldn't wait and shot off in a flash.