Nine Star Burden

Chapter 188: I’ll Hide from You?

Of course, Han Jiangxue hoped that her best friend would be able to break through the Nebula Stage and reach the Galaxy Stage, or even the Starfall Stage. She would then have enough Star Power and be able to use Body of Star Power even without Jiang Xiao.

However, even if Xia Yan had four more years in college...

Han Jiangxue was sparing a thought for Xia Yan’s future.

However, Xia Yan was considering the upcoming competitions that she would be taking part in for the next half of the year. She could obtain stellar results in exchange for one star slot. It was worth it!

Besides, the Star Bead was not completely useless. After all, it was a highly destructive Gold Quality Star Bead. Xia Yan didn’t think that she had suffered a great loss.

However, she was rather pessimistic about whether or not she could acquire the Body of Star Power.

“Give it to me, Xuexue. It will be wonderful if I can really smack an Ape Ghoul King to death,” Xia Yan said with a smile as she waved her hands at Han Jiangxue.

Han Jiangxue looked at Jiang Xiao, but Jiang Xiao spread his palms open and said, “If I had two more star slots, she wouldn’t get to absorb it. I only have a few star slots, so I have to plan every Star Technique that I acquire.”

Xia Yan waved her hands at Han Jiangxue again and turned to look at Jiang Xiao. She teased. “Oh? You actually have plans?”

Jiang Xiao humphed and retorted. “It’s a must to have dreams. What if it comes true?”

Xia Yan grabbed the Star Bead from Han Jiangxue, thinking to herself that it would be good to replenish some of the Star Power that she had lost earlier on. She smiled in disdain and gibed. “Dreams are meant for... what the heck!?!”

Jiang Xiao muttered softly, “I can understand that you’ve given up on your dreams, but why do you have to...”

Xia Yan’s throat moved a little and she stood rooted to the ground for more than 40 seconds before turning to look at Jiang Xiao, feeling dumbfounded.

Everyone seemed to have realized what might be happening, and horror was written all over their faces.

Extremely excited, Jiang Xiao asked, “Did you succeed? Have you acquired it in one go?”

Xia Yan took a deep breath, got a grip on herself, and looked at Jiang Xiao seriously. “No.”

Jiang Xiao was dumbfounded.

Smiling mischievously, two devil horns could almost be seen on Xia Yan’s head. She said, “I didn’t acquire any Star Technique, so I’m really unhappy. Since I’m upset, of course I’d want to have some fun. However, I feel a lot better after seeing your expression.”

How mischievous! Xia Yan!

Jiang Xiao waved his hand abruptly and cast a Blessing on Xia Yan’s head.

Xia Yan’s smirk immediately stiffened and she got distracted. She then moaned alluringly. “Mm~”

Jiang Xiao’s team was clearly the one that most people focused on because they were extremely bold and fearless.

Similarly, there was also a team that the guardians and examiners paid close attention to. It was Gao Junwei’s team.

At this moment, Jiang Xiao and his teammates were laughing merrily and relishing in the joy of victory. At the same time, Gao Junwei, who was faraway at Task Point No. 2, was also smiling.

Due to the fact that their team was very successful, the team members simply had to wait and they not only obtained many bright yellow weapons and medals, but they also attacked their competitors.

Team No. 24, which Gao Junwei was in, was extremely formidable. When being robbed, most teams would choose to swallow their pride and hand over their battle spoils so as to leave the task point as soon as possible and go to the forest to seize more mission items, thinking to themselves that they still had hope.

It was undeniable that Gao Junwei’s team had chosen the right spot to ambush at. Most teams chose to succumb because Gao Junwei’s team had given them a way out.

Of course, all of them were seventeen or eighteen years old and were young and full of vigor. Plenty refused to succumb.

The students suffered terrible fates too.

At this moment, the group of students whose heads were bleeding, because they were beaten up into a pulp, were the best examples.

The team seemed to have failed to do their research and were unclear about the strength of the teams participating in the competition.

When the team from the northernmost city of Beijiang Province happily received the purple medals at Task Point No. 2 and were preparing to leave with a large number of bright yellow weapons, they ran into Gao Junwei’s team not far from the forest.

Next, a conflict escalated into an intense battle.

Unfortunately, they were not competent enough to rival them, even though they had the courage to resist.

There were four students, three Melee Awakened and one Rules Awakened. Apart from the female Rules Awakened, the other three Melee Awakened had all passed out and their clothes were also tattered and torn. Their heads were bleeding and they seemed to be in a terrible state.

There were plenty of headbands on Gao Junwei’s arm. Although they were not very useful for him, each one was worth 100 points for the original owners.

Before the competition began, it was stated clearly in the official rules that the headbands were video-recording devices and that points would be deducted once they were damaged. The official also reserved the rights to recall any participant.

The headband was something that directly concerned the survival of the team.

Gao Junwei removed the headbands of a few Melee Awakened and tied them around his arm.

In fact, it was Yu Zhen who suggested that Gao Junwei tie the headbands on his arm.

According to Yu Zhen, that could allow the team to exhibit their strengths and the spoils they had gained, as well as deter other teams. They would be able to achieve great results with half the effort.

Gao Junwei pondered about it and felt that it made sense. Hence, he decided to go with Yu Zhen’s suggestion.

In essence, he also felt that putting the blood-stained headband on his arm would make him look cool. Hence, he did it.

The commander Zhang Mingming and Yu Zhen looked at each other before remaining silent.

Gao Junwei turned to look at the crying female Rules Awakened seated on the ground.

Gao Junwei looked at the crying girl in disgust and sneered. “If you handed your weapon over earlier, wouldn’t everything have been alright?”

Trying her best to bear with the pain, the girl was filled with regret and resentment. She wished that the group of robbers would all die. However, the current situation made her feel overwhelmed with regret. Had she just surrendered the weapons when Gao Junwei asked for it, her teammates and she wouldn’t have been completely eliminated.

Deep in regret, the girl felt like she had been kicked over and she lied flat on the ground, after which the horrendous Gao Junwei stepped on her neck with one foot.

“Ah!” The girl hurriedly hugged her head with both hands, because she could feel Gao Junwei trying to grab her headband.

“Oh? You still have the audacity to retaliate?” Gao Junwei sneered.

“Let me go, I’ve already given you all these weapons. Please let me go,” the girl said while pleading and sobbing.

Seeing this, Zhang Weiliang opened his mouth and hesitated for a moment before sighing and proceeding to pick up the weapons without uttering a single word.

Gao Junwei pouted and said in disdain, “You and your team members have all been disqualified. In a while, the soldiers will take you away. What are you staying there for? Are you planning to kill and obtain the bright yellow weapons? Do you plan to bring your entire team into the semi-finals?”

Gao Junwei hoped that he would have another headband on his arm. After robbing the battle spoils, he had already begun to enjoy seeing the expressions of the members of the other teams who saw his arm.

The girl lying on the ground held her head with both hands. To be more exact, she was holding onto the headband and shivering a little, though it was unclear if it was because she was crying and sobbing out of dejection or because her body was quivering in anger. She didn’t answer Gao Junwei.

“Someone is here,” Yu Zhen said all of a sudden.

The commander Zhang Mingming turned around to look at her.

Gao Junwei saw that the girl was keeping mum and hence squatted down and pulled her headband while yelling, “Let go!”

However, the girl held onto her headband and vehemently refused to let go while trying her best to resist.

Like most children who got bullied in school, the girl simply tried to “resist” and seemed to be showing the last tinge of stubbornness within her. However, she did not retaliate at all.

Despite seeing that the headband was about to be ripped apart, the girl still didn’t let go.

Gao Junwei got infuriated and was extremely annoyed. Hence, he tugged the headband impatiently and stood up before kicking her hard on the back of her head. He yelled, “I told you to let go!”

Zhang Mingming suddenly yelled, “2-1-1.”

“Huh? It’s an acquaintance.” Gao Junwei had no choice but to pause in his actions and scurry towards the team. However, he saw a familiar figure. “Don’t bother hiding. Where do you think you can hide, little cannon?”

A figure walked out of the woods.

The figure looked extremely domineering.

It was a young man who was not tall but extremely strong. He was Gao Junwei’s former classmate, Xing Lang.

Xing Lang scrutinized the arena and was filled with exasperation when he saw the scene.

Xing Lang was angst and hot-tempered, to begin with. Upon hearing Gao Junwei’s sarcastic remark, he couldn’t help but retort, “Cut the crap. Why would I hide from you!?”

Since their leader had already rushed out, the team members had no choice but to follow him frantically.

The Shield Warrior Zheng Jiang walked towards Xing Lang in a bid to give him some support.

However, he and Gao Junwei used to be classmates and he was extremely clear about Gao Junwei’s abilities.

Zheng Jiang really didn’t want him to get into a conflict with Gao Junwei!