Chapter 82: Duel Rules

"This year's entrance exam, as you are all aware, will focus on spell duels!"

"Once the score cutoffs were announced, the rules were simultaneously distributed to all major universities. I will now explain them in detail; please take note."

"For the spell duels, only spells are permitted; pills, magical artifacts, and even formations are strictly prohibited. However, to truly test combat talent and to foster more possibilities in duels, thereby creating opportunities for the weaker to triumph over the stronger, representatives from the Daoist Academies and Scholarly Palaces have deliberated and decided to allow each student participating in the entrance exam to use talismans."

Upon hearing this, the 18 students at Qi Cultivation Level Six, who had previously appeared disheartened, instantly became invigorated. They all widened their eyes, intently watching the principal on the podium, awaiting his next words.

Even Chen Mobai's eyes lit up.

Although he was confident in himself, he felt his chances of winning were not high if he were to face opponents at Qi Cultivation Level Eight or Nine using only spells.

But if he could use talismans, he felt he could sweep through everyone.

After all, he was now considered an excellent talisman trader. During the duel, if he carried a hundred or so talismans, along with two Second-Tier Yimu Divine Thunder Talismans, he believed he could even strike down someone like Gong Xiangyu.

"Principal, wouldn't that just favor the rich?"

"Exactly, we come from ordinary families. We might not even be able to afford a single Second-Tier talisman. How is this different from allowing the use of magical artifacts and formations?"

"If those rich kids come in with a hundred or so talismans in their pockets, we wouldn't even need to fight; we might as well surrender immediately."

Listening to his classmates' complaints in the classroom, Chen Mobai felt a slight twinge of shame for his earlier thoughts.

Yes, winning with money would indeed go against the original intention of the entrance exam.

"It's too unfair."

"Rest assured, allowing the use of talismans is precisely to give ordinary students like yourselves a chance to defeat the strong."

"The use of talismans will, of course, not be unlimited. Both the Daoist Academies and Scholarly Palaces have imposed restrictions: during the spell duel, students are permitted to use one First-Tier High-Grade talisman, two First-Tier Mid-Grade talismans, and four First-Tier Low-Grade talismans."

"If you wish to achieve good results, the combination of these talismans will be crucial. Ideally, they should form a coherent system without any obvious weaknesses."

After He Jingshan finished speaking, a flurry of discussion immediately erupted below. Students began debating which talismans offered strong combat power or best complemented their cultivation methods.

Chen Mobai listened for a moment and noticed that half of the students at Qi Cultivation Level Seven had already transitioned from the Five Elements Art, cultivating other methods suited to their spiritual root constitution. These individuals already had clear goals, as the attributes of their cultivation methods naturally determined which talismans would yield the greatest power for them.

For those still cultivating the Five Elements Art, the range of choices was broader. They could build a complete Five Elements system or combine various elements, making them less susceptible to targeted attacks during duels.

However, the Five Elements Art's adaptable spiritual energy, being moderate and balanced, might not be able to unleash the full potential of First-Tier High-Grade talismans.

There were pros and cons.

"Alright, I'm done speaking. Please fill out your college applications, and I'll provide some guidance."

He Jingshan pointed his right hand, and application forms from the podium flew to each student's desk.

"Oh, and once you've filled them out, if you have any thoughts about talismans, you can also consult me and these four teachers from the school. One of us will be on duty at the school from Monday to Friday, so you are welcome to come by for advice."

He Jingshan picked up a piece of chalk and wrote the names of the four teachers on the blackboard.

Chen Mobai glanced at the names; he only recognized Ding Jinglue. However, the other three were also teachers who taught spell courses to first and second-year high school students, and their expertise in talismans was trustworthy.

Nevertheless, if he were to ask for advice, he would definitely approach Ding Jinglue or He Jingshan. After all, the former was his teacher, and the latter was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, clearly of a higher caliber.

With that thought, Chen Mobai finished filling out his three choices.

For his first choice, he wrote Jumang Daoist Academy. Although the usual score cutoff for the Four Great Daoist Academies was 350 points, there was nothing to lose by filling it out anyway; what if a special circumstance led to his admission?

Those were the Four Great Daoist Academies, after all.

Chen Mobai glanced at Song Zheng and saw that he had also filled in Butian Daoist Academy. Looking around, Mo Simin had also chosen Wuqi Daoist Academy as her first choice.

Only Yan Bingxuan had not filled out an application, as she had been directly admitted to Natural Scholarly Palace without taking the college entrance exam.

It seemed everyone had the same idea. This was also a small tip the homeroom teacher had shared: since there were three choices, the first one was always used this way.

As for why Chen Mobai chose Jumang Daoist Academy among the Four Great Daoist Academies, it was mainly because Qing Nü had already been granted direct admission there. If he was lucky enough to get in, he would have a familiar friend to study with.

His second choice was obvious: Chunyang Scholarly Palace.

His third choice was Taiyuan Scholarly Palace.

After Chen Mobai finished filling out his form, he waited for a while, and then He Jingshan collected everyone's forms.

He looked through them one by one, calling students up to the podium as their names were read.

Some students were too ambitious, insisting on choosing their preferred scholarly palace even when their scores were insufficient; He Jingshan would then ask them to revise their choices. Others were too conservative...

Before long, it was Chen Mobai's turn.

"Hmm, with your scores, you're pretty much guaranteed admission to Chunyang Scholarly Palace. Once there, study hard and strive to form a Core in the future, bringing glory to your alma mater."

He Jingshan spoke amiably to this top-ranked student, and his words caused a slight shift in expression for many below.

Chen Mobai was not like Shi Yuanqing and others, whose reputations were already well-established. Many still regarded him, this sudden top-ranked student, with skepticism.

Chen Mobai completely ignored this.

It wasn't that he looked down on them; it was simply that no one present could beat him in a fight. Even against the three Qi Cultivation Level Eight cultivators, Chen Mobai felt his chances of winning were very high if talismans could be used.

He quietly sat back down and waited until He Jingshan had finished advising everyone on their college choices.

"Let's go."

After the meeting adjourned, he stood up and beckoned to Yan Bingxuan.

Beside them, Mo Simin's mouth dropped open; she seemed a bit bewildered. Hadn't they just said in class that their relationship was merely platonic, a friendship between classmates? Why did their tone and actions seem so off now?

"Simin, you should come too."

Compared to Chen Mobai, who seemed unconcerned about appearances, Yan Bingxuan hesitated for a moment. She eventually called the class monitor to act as a shield, reasoning that if the three of them went to eat together, there would surely be less gossip.

"Then, Old Song, why don't you join us too?"

"No."

Song Zheng simply uttered two words and then left the classroom directly.

"He seems to dislike you very much?" Chen Mobai keenly sensed this and asked Yan Bingxuan.

"Back in first and second year of high school, he never won against me in practical spell classes. He was defeated by me so many times that this is just how he is now," Yan Bingxuan said carelessly. Her spiritual root talent was better than Song Zheng's, and she had always been ranked first in the class previously. Only after she began cultivating the Condensing Frost Art in her third year of high school did her cultivation advancement slow down, allowing Song Zheng to catch up.