When system cheat becomes rampant!

If this green caterpillar were trampled to death by Long Guocheng, it would mean that the caterpillar encountered Xiang Beifei and the others!

Even if the green caterpillar couldn't understand human language, images would still linger in its brain!

So what exactly did they say when they met the green caterpillar? Could the caterpillar have remembered?

Eating the brains of other desolate beasts to compensate for one's own deficiencies and to expand one's knowledge would mean that the more they consumed, the higher the intelligence these desolate beasts would inevitably possess!

A desolate beast that is powerful but simple-minded isn't terrifying. The most terrifying are those with high intelligence!

Currently, it is unknown what kind of impression this green caterpillar that Long Guocheng trampled to death has left of them.

Li Zimu's stone house had many rooms built up; everyone had their own separate room. There were no beds, no quilts; although it was simple, in the wilderness outside of civilization, there wasn't much to fuss about.

When Xiang Beifei returned from his shift, Long Guocheng was standing with his arms crossed in front of him, leaning against the door, and said, "Can I ask you a question?"

"What is it?" Xiang Beifei asked.

"You're not an N-level Awakener, are you? You're at least SR, right?"

"Is that important to you?"

"It would make me feel better," Long Guocheng reluctantly said.

If he lost to an SR like Li Zimu, he wouldn't feel too embarrassed; after all, the other's talent was not inferior to his, and being both SRs, if he lost, he could win back another time.

But losing to an N-level Awakener would always leave a lump in his heart.

"That's your own problem, and it has nothing to do with me." Xiang Beifei didn't like explaining his power system to others.

Because he didn't have a system at all.

"We are a team! I've told you all about my abilities! But we don't know anything about your abilities. Since we are a team, there should be some mutual understanding," Long Guocheng emphasized.

"You're acknowledging we're a team now? I thought you always liked to show off," Xiang Beifei said.

Long Guocheng huffed and didn't refute this point.

Indeed, he liked to be the center of attention; if he didn't stand out, there was no way for him to collect system points.

"If you tell me you're SR or SSR, only then will I truly accept my defeat," Long Guocheng stated.

"Do you look down on those whose system ranks are lower than yours? What's wrong with being N-level? Or R-level? Or S-level? Besides their increase in cultivation, in what ways are they worse than you in terms of character, morality, or conduct... Do they deserve your disdain? Do you enjoy finding a sense of superiority over those with lower system levels?" Xiang Beifei said sternly.

"I..." Long Guocheng was left speechless by the retort.

He looked down on those whose talents were lower than his because in his view, these people would never amount to anything, especially the bottom-ranked N-level Awakeners.

He would only revere the strong.

But his pride was always shattered to pieces in front of Xiang Beifei.

In his heart, he strongly hoped that Xiang Beifei's system rank was SR, or even SSR; he could accept that. If he were defeated by Xiang Beifei with such a ranking, he wouldn't feel too frustrated, and it would allow his long-held principle of pride to persist.

But the one fact he couldn't accept was that Xiang Beifei was N-level!

"I just can't believe that an N-level Awakener has such great potential. Their systems are so lousy, they'll only achieve so much in their lifetime, they can't possibly have such strength," Long Guocheng ground out between his teeth.

"Why can't an N-level Awakener defeat an SR? Shang Tianxiong is also an N-level Awakener, how many can surpass him? Those with strength can even slay SSRs at SR level! We all live in this world, we are all human; you are no nobler than anyone else. You just have a higher starting point than others, it doesn't mean you will be above others in the future, it's better to stay humble as a person."

Having said this, Xiang Beifei went straight back to his own compartment.

"Humble, huh?"

Long Guocheng's expression fluctuated as he pondered Xiang Beifei's words.—

——

At a little past nine o'clock in the evening, Ye Changfeng gathered everyone together; he had obtained a schedule of the next day's competitions and rules.

Elder Luo said, "We need to discuss tomorrow's situation first; everyone must be on high alert."

The rules were actually already clear to everyone: the freshman competition was divided into individual contests and team pioneering.

In the individual contests, nine schools would compete in a round-robin, clashing with each other only once, meaning each school would fight eight matches, totaling thirty-six matches, spread over two days.

At that time, the decision on whether to use Meridian Opening stage or Qi-Controlling stage participants would be made by rolling dice.

"Tomorrow's schedule, the first match, Jizhou University against Yanzhou University. Our school's contest is not the first up, which is good; everyone can observe the strength of other schools first. However, the second match is Qingzhou University against Liangzhou University."

Ye Changfeng handed a flyer to everyone, and they all looked at the schedule, their expressions solemn.

"Yuchi Shen, you tell them about the strength of each school at present," Elder Luo instructed.

Yuchi Shen glanced at Xiang Beifei expressionlessly, before he began to explain.

"But there are rules; one person can compete in a maximum of two matches, so later we will need to analyze the situation together with other teachers, before deciding the order and opponents for your group of five to face," he said.

This was like Tian Ji's horse racing, but not quite the same. In Tian Ji's horse racing, there were three matches with room to maneuver, but between two schools, there was only one match, which was basically random. Generally, they would prefer other schools to first handle the strong students from other schools, using up their two chances, and then when it's their turn to face us, they can only use weaker students.

For instance, Qingzhou University and Liangzhou University both have two SSRs this year; since each person has to participate in two matches, those two SSRs can, at most, only fight in four matches.

Then Ye Changfeng would hope that Qingzhou University uses those two SSRs' four chances to face the other seven schools, and by the time they reach us, if their quota is used up, they will have to send SRs to compete, which would increase our chance of winning.

However, all these schools were elites, and the teachers leading them certainly understood this principle. So, the allocation of competitors would be a kind of psychological game. Before entering the field, no one could know whether the opponent would send out the strong or the weak.

"You should also be clear that this year our school doesn't have an SSR, which means our strength falls short compared to other schools. In individual contests, you will find it difficult to gain an advantage," Yuchi Shen said, his gaze fixed on Xiang Beifei.

"Apart from Qingzhou University, Yanzhou University, and Jizhou University, the other schools only have one SSR too, which means only one at the Meridian Opening stage. We don't need to worry too much, at least we have classmate Xiang Beifei," Xi Keyao timidly interjected.

"The situation is not that simple," Elder Luo said. "The rule in the individual contests is to fight eight matches, with one point per match; thus, the total score is very important. But have you considered that other schools, in order to achieve a higher total score, will definitely try to secure an assured one point, and from whom that one point is almost guaranteed to be taken?"

Long Guocheng and the others understood: "From Liangzhou University?"

The other eight schools all had a common understanding: Liangzhou University didn't have an SSR this year, meaning no students at the Meridian Opening stage.

So, in order to secure that sure point, they would definitely send out an SSR at the Meridian Opening stage to face Liangzhou University!

Because if an SSR was sent to face other schools, sometimes they would meet opponents also at the SSR level, both at the Meridian Opening stage, and a loss was inevitable.

Should they lose, it would be an unfortunate waste.

But now, since other schools considered all students from Liangzhou University to be only at the later stage of Qi-Controlling, sending a Meridian Opening stage SSR to face Liangzhou University, who only has Qi-Controlling students, was almost a guaranteed victory.

Everyone wanted to pick the easiest target to squeeze first for an early point!

"Exactly, which means that our opponents in each match could potentially all be SSRs at the Meridian Opening stage!" Elder Luo said with a meaningful tone.

"This..."

Everyone's expressions grew serious.

Elder Luo added, "Alright, how to allocate participants for the upcoming matches and how to break through this situation, you five need to discuss this on your own."

"Really, why do they have to make a simple freshman competition so complicated?" Ma Ziqian muttered from the side.

To them, martial artists, the simplest method was to rush up for a head-on clash, which would save the most trouble.

"Because this is also a strategy," Elder Luo explained. "Facing opponents of uneven strength, how to arrange one's participants to break through this deadlock, seizing more victories, is a type of command strategy. The competition among elite universities is a comparison not only of martial prowess but also of various skills in adapting to changing situations,"