Chapter 242 : Chapter 242

Chapter 242: Such a First Place… I Don't Want It!

In the wee hours of the morning.

In the moment before the sun was about to rise, yet had not risen, was the darkest time of the day.

The tsunami stirred up by the Sea Race had swallowed the land and forests, turning all the surrounding regions into a sea.

Only the piece of land within the sea, sheltered by the Aphrodite World Tree, still stood firm above the sea's surface.

With Enala's death, it was unknown to what part of the Ancient Battlefield she would revive, but what awaited them was only death again or voluntary withdrawal.

Without the Sea Race's difficult resistance, the speed of the Ancient Battlefield's erosion was even more terrifying than on land, especially with that tsunami.

The collision of seawater erosion and Ancient Battlefield erosion, as the tsunami receded, the Ancient Battlefield penetrated deep into the seabed like a virus, eroding the Sea Race's foundation.

At this moment, a huge floating block of ice carrying the War Fortress crashed into the shore of the sea.

The shore was a barren wasteland, signaling that the Ancient Battlefield's erosion on land had reached its end.

At this point, the Witch Academy and the Dwarf Academy actively terminated their contractual relationship.

The strength of the Phantoms of the Past reached its peak at this moment, including the sea beast-shaped Phantoms of the Past in the sea, who were frantically gnawing at the island sheltered by the World Tree.

At this moment, the weather in the sea had been completely assimilated by the Ancient Battlefield.

Cataclysmic thunderclouds raged over the sea surface, and surging waves formed perpetual giant waves crashing against the shore.

Perhaps even the elves did not expect that their predictions would deviate so much from what was happening now.

They watched in horror as the shield held up by the World Tree gradually dimmed.

Lightning flashed, illuminating a momentary brilliance in the pitch-black night sky.

The World Tree began to decay at this moment, its branches wilting, its leaves turning yellow and withered, as if hinting that this place had completely fallen into its end.

And in fact, that was indeed the case.

“Don't struggle. The exchange competition has reached this point. Delaying is meaningless. Let this farce of a competition end in the unmanned night.”

I rode my broom, watching the crowd of elves under the protection of the World Tree, and then spoke.

“Your tone of voice really makes one want to treat you,” the elf side retorted unceremoniously.

“Xiao Han, let's wait. There's no rush for a little while,” Tan Han stepped forward and said to me.

The shield protecting the elves at this moment was not a shield like the Wizard Tower's, but a protection formed by the World Tree in response to their prayers.

Even though the World Tree was now heading towards withering, its protection was still firm and had no loopholes, but this kind of protection would eventually end.

“Yang Yuehan! I feel it's necessary to take this opportunity for us to clarify some things!”

At this moment, Yao Beijuan stood up resolutely, because she knew that this was the last chance.

Before, she had been silently hiding in the back, not daring to step forward.

She thought that she had soared to the heavens in that situation back then, able to enter the Aphrodite Academy, and from then on would become people of two different worlds, but the world was just that coincidental.

She could also foresee that in the future, they would also be people of two different worlds.

This might be their only intersection, but the other party had already flown high, while she, in the end, had fallen back to her original state.

She didn't understand why it had become like this.

Clearly, everyone was so mediocre before.

Now, they were both accepted by famous academies.

Clearly, everyone was on the same starting line on the path of the transcendent.

Why could the other party do such things?

She thought that the last message she sent during the vacation would get a reply from the other party, but it became the last message in their private chat.

Thinking back now, she felt like a self-important clown.

“I'm listening. You're free to speak.”

I quietly looked at Yao Beijuan, my eyes as if looking at a stranger.

I wasn't worried that such a look or my behavior would hurt the other party, because that wasn't something I should worry about.

Just like back then, she wouldn't consider my feelings when she sent me that message during the vacation.

“From now on, I won't cause you any more trouble. This is what you're hoping for now, right?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Don't say thank you. I hate it when you say thank you the most. You say thank you for everything…”

“Okay, fine.”

I continued to nod.

It was true in the past.

I would say thank you for everything I encountered, and I would always say sorry or my apologies for doing something wrong.

This was a habit carried over from my previous life, perhaps even I myself wouldn't pay too much attention to it.

“You… forget it. A block of wood, a person with no emotional intelligence at all. No wonder your parents sold you to the Imp Academy.”

“You know…”

I was very surprised by this statement from Yao Beijuan, but it was obvious that she wanted to lead the topic here, but the transition was a bit stiff.

“Yes, I know. I met your parents behind your back… It was after that that I had the idea of breaking up. I don't want to say anything about your uncle and aunt. You know better than I do what they are like.”

“There's no point in saying these things. If there's nothing else to talk about, I think we can stop here.”

“Don't you care! They advised me to break up with you! They even tried to set up your brother with me! They had made connections with the Imp Academy long ago! Just for that so-called Innate Spirit Vision thing I don't understand…”

“Innate Spirit Vision?”

At this moment, upon hearing this term, Tan Han's pupils suddenly shrank, and concepts related to this term instantly flooded her mind.

“Don't you know a bit too much?”

I asked in a deep voice.

These things, they would definitely not have told Yao Beijuan, whom they met in secret.

“I…”

Yao Beijuan didn't know how to explain for a moment.

She really didn't want to recall the scene of facing them at that time.

All she could say was that after they were no longer on the same level, she just wanted to get away from it all as quickly as possible.

“You don't have to say it if you don't want to. I don't have the slightest bit of interest in it.”

Every word Yao Beijuan said was an attempt to pull me back to the old days, a past that I also did not want to recall.

And my patience was also exhausted at this moment.

“Do you really not care about your past at all? All you have to do is ask your teachers, and they will give you more detailed information than I can tell you. Aren't you trying to say goodbye to your past! Do you know, you might not even be your parents' biological…”

“Enough! I advise you to shut up.”

I violently interrupted her words.

Letting her say so much was enough to prove that it was impossible for me to ignore the past.

But at least now, I was not ready.

At least now, I did not have to face those truths that would make me sad.

After I had completely bid farewell to the past, I really did try to maintain the concept of “parents,” the beautiful image in my memory.

It was just that every time I faced them before, I couldn't help but feel nauseous…

“You yelled at me. I thought you would only be silent. But that's all I have to say. You can worry about it yourself! I said this for my own sake. You know I'm the type who can't keep secrets. Now that I've said everything that needed to be said, we will have no relationship from now on!”

At this moment, Yao Beijuan almost roared these words at me, as if she was… no, she was venting.

It was just unclear whether she was completely severing this relationship in her heart, or if she was venting the grievances she had suffered in the exchange competition.

Perhaps both, but I wouldn't care about that.

At this moment, everything seemed to fall into a strange silence in the darkness, as if the conversation between me and Yao Beijuan had also greatly shocked everyone who heard it.

They had never heard of such a dramatic story happening right before their eyes.

Just from the keywords they heard—not biological, Innate Spirit Vision, sold to an academy, meeting parents, breaking up… their minds were having trouble processing it all.

“Xiao Han…”

“It's fine. Just pretend she was joking.”

I raised a smile and looked at Tan Han, who was looking at me with some concern.

Perhaps I really didn't have a talent for easing the atmosphere.

At this moment, I seemed to feel that everything had become much heavier.

But it didn't matter.

Time would wash everything away.

I just needed to follow the steps to become a Transcendent Witch and obtain a long life.

When all the dust settled, I would go to their graves to offer my condolences, to commemorate my former parents.

Even if people said I was escaping, then let it be.

Many things are a quagmire.

Once you're deeply mired in it, no matter what you do, you'll only sink deeper.

Time passed bit by bit, just as I had expected, washing away the oppressive atmosphere of the night.

And just after the sun rose, under the first ray of sunlight, the Aphrodite World Tree emitted the sound of ancient wood cracking.

This was its limit.

The shield it supported showed visible cracks at this moment.

Under the sustained assault of the Phantoms of the Past, the World Tree finally showed signs of fatigue.

“All elves, be prepared! This will be our last battle!”

“Show me the fighting spirit of the elves!”

At this moment, the elves faced the morning sun and bid their final farewell to the World Tree.

Although they knew all of this was fake, after being reborn in this world in the form of elves, they possessed the purest faith in the Mother God.

On the other side.

“Xiao Han, are you okay? You didn't sleep for the latter half of the night…”

“I'm fine. It's time to put a period on this exchange competition,” I said as I stood up.

When two figures appeared in the elves' line of sight, the morning's massacre with no suspense began.

When the ice cone of the Ancient Glacial Ice pierced the last fig leaf of the elves, a sky full of ice and snow descended here.

A terrifying ice-cold chill with a horrifying aura pierced through the chest of the Aphrodite Academy's team leader.

Without the blessing of the World Tree, they had at this moment lost the qualification to have an equal dialogue and battle with Tan Han.

The arrows blessed by the Power of Nature and their proud Elf Magic were broken one by one in the face of absolute power.

Perhaps the elves never held the determination to win from the moment the shield shattered.

It seemed as if everything had settled at this moment, but for Tan Han and me, it was not yet over…

Because the battle had only just begun at this moment.

“Yang Yuehan! Let's start our battle!”

Tan Han was still in the state of her Ancient Glacial Ice transformation.

The voice she emitted was slightly deep, but her tone was firm.

And the elves who had not yet been killed were also very puzzled.

Why did Tan Han not kill them, but instead roared and charged at Yang Yuehan.

But they would soon know why, because Tan Han had never taken them seriously.

“Truly without hesitation…”

I was not surprised by Tan Han's decisiveness; I was only surprised by the speed of Tan Han's attack.

But I had still prepared a countermeasure.

This attack, containing all of Tan Han's power, was the culmination of countless failures in the Dream State before.

“Once I hesitate, I will be drawn into your rhythm. This time, it will be me… who will dominate the situation of this battle!”

There was no confusion in Tan Han's eyes, only determination.

Since fainting that one time, Tan Han had also been reflecting.

She was not a person who only knew how to fight.

That prolonged battle had truly taught her a lot and made her understand many things.

She had been constantly suppressed by Xiao Han, forced to be indoctrinated with the other's philosophy and ideas, but she had to admit that this had a great impact on her.

But she also discovered that this was not the path for her.

After understanding the gap in Spirit Vision between her and Xiao Han, she knew that this was not a path that everyone could walk.

If she walked on this path, it would be equivalent to personally denying that all her previous efforts were in vain.

The unintentional words of both Ji Niang and Lina were waking her up.

On the path of the transcendent, there is no need to walk someone else's path.

The one that suits you best is the best.

She understood this principle, but to actually do it as she was now was extremely difficult.

But at this moment, Tan Han had already made up her mind.

“I… Tan Han, will respond to your previous lecture. I will prove to you that my previous efforts… were not meaningless!”

What were Tan Han's previous efforts?

It was obtaining numerous Magic Power Sources, possessing numerous Spellbooks, constantly trying, adapting, and mastering this transcendent power in the Dream State.

Constantly learning combat techniques, understanding the use of Spellbooks, combining her own understanding to defeat even stronger enemies!

And the strongest enemy before her was precisely Xiao Han, the person who had knocked her unconscious in one day.

This was the strongest enemy she had ever encountered.

The other party had also taught her many things: learning in battle, understanding Spellbooks, and using Spellbooks flexibly!

She would integrate this combat philosophy into her own familiar system.

She did not have such powerful Spirit Vision to support her in modding Spellbooks, but she had a vast spell library to provide her with countless combinations.

Battle is nothing more than winning or losing!

It's a game of strategy, even a crushing defeat or a comeback, unrelated to modding but about the game itself.

And at this moment, facing Tan Han, I felt a completely different method and feeling from what I had in the Dream State.

Tan Han seemed to have transformed at this moment into an expert incredibly seasoned in combat.

Pure firepower suppression became a bubble at this moment.

At this moment, Tan Han, transformed into the Ancient Glacial Ice, in coordination with ice-type Evocation Spells, had in turn suppressed me.

These spells, in Tan Han's hands, transformed into the most threatening sharp blades, constantly forcing me toward death.

“You, with all these Spellbooks…”

I didn't finish my sentence, but the meaning was already very clear.

Tan Han, through her own understanding of Spellbooks, had already reached the limit of “micro-modding” them, and the ice-type Evocation Spells had even formed a unique combat system with the Ancient Glacial Ice spell.

“Yes, Xiao Han. Don't just focus on yourself. You're not the only one improving, I am too! And this is just the first step in proving it to you!”

After explaining this to me, Tan Han's attacking moves became even more ferocious.

The aftershocks of the battle had already directly affected the entire range of the World Tree.

The withering of the World Tree, the disappearance of the shield, the Phantoms of the Past were constantly gnawing at this island in the sea.

But the spreading solid ice and low temperatures froze the sea surface, turning the Phantoms of the Past into ice sculptures.

“You don't need to prove anything to me…”

I said with a complicated expression.

The fact that Tan Han could reach this step showed that she had jumped out of her previous predicament.

She had walked out of the interference of my philosophy and digested it into her own path.

Is this the confidence with which she challenges me again?

“And the second step… I will prove to you that combat skills are equally important! It is the art of battle, a way to continuously learn in combat. If you say those words to me again, this time I will not be confused. I will even firmly refute you. Your path has no qualification to lecture me!”

These words from Tan Han carried her absolute confidence, a belief that she had already reached the same height as me at this moment, which is why she said I had no qualification to lecture her.

“And now… the final step. I will use victory to prove that my path is not wrong!”

At this moment, Tan Han's combat skills and her belief in victory had reached her peak.

This was all she could use without any reservations at the end of the exchange competition.

She didn't know if she would faint again after exhausting all her energy and strength after this battle, but she knew that she had not a single regret about this fight.

She would not be like the first time, where her core ritual was broken by a Fireball Spellbook, because her skills could prevent this situation from happening; she would not be led by the nose like the second time, falling into the opponent's rhythm.

This time, she fought with all her might, leading the battle from start to finish; and this time, she had made full preparations against her opponent.

Xiao Han did not have spells like Purify or Dispel, so she would not be stingy with methods such as weakening, cursing, and debuffing.

She didn't know what Xiao Han would use to win, at least she couldn't think of it.

And I, who was completely suppressed at this moment, also thought the same.

According to my philosophy, transcendent power rarely encounters an even match; the collision of powers always ends with a crushing victory.

According to my philosophy, I had already lost at this moment, because I was the one being crushed by power.

Moreover, for the negative effect spells Tan Han used on me, I had no good way to dispel them.

Even Perception Enhancement and Five Senses Enhancement could not offset them.

Just admit defeat?

After all, what was happening now could not be changed, but I still had the thought of resisting.

But once the thought of resistance arose, it would trigger something, which was to break the concept of crushing victory I had established for the transcendent, for power, and for combat.

Admit that I am wrong?

Then I would fall into confusion just like Tan Han did back then.

If I don't admit my mistake, then I can only admit that my defeat is a foregone conclusion.

No… Tan Han's power was not crushing me.

Compared to the last battle, Tan Han's power had not grown to the extent of crushing me.

But Tan Han was still creating a crushing situation against me… then there must be something I had overlooked.

Combat skills… This was the second step Tan Han was proving to me, and also the most crucial step.

A skill crush is also a crush.

It is also a part of strength.

Perhaps my definition from the beginning was too narrow.

Power must always be realized through specific means of expression and techniques of application.

Isn't the use of modded Spellbooks a technique for using Spellbooks?

This is no different from combat skills.

“I should be the one saying thank you!”

I said words that stunned even Tan Han, and my attitude was also different from before.

It was the same confidence as Tan Han's, frankly facing my own flaws and shortcomings.

A skill crush… just hearing it sounded as interesting as a crush of transcendent power!

It's just a pity that it cannot be demonstrated in this battle.

When you recognize where you failed, isn't that a kind of success?

This also aligns with my exploration of the meaning of combat.

And now, with the confusion cleared away, as a reward, I will use all my strength in this battle, by any means necessary, to teach Tan Han another lesson!

And the content of this lesson is very simple: you have no need to prove your efforts, your meaning, or your path to me.

“It's time to show you my progress.”

With a wave of my hand, the Protection of the Elemental Spirit of Ice was cast upon me, the Flexible Learning and Application Spell was activated, Unity of Knowledge and Action was initiated, and I began to attempt Ice Element Resonance.

At this moment, the flying snow in the sky resonated with me.

At this time, the ice and snow were no longer an obstacle to me, but an extension of myself.

Different from Tan Han's own ability to control ice and snow, this was a collision between two different methods of controlling transcendent elements.

“Try this again! Focus Point : Fireball.”

At this moment, I once again put the Fireball Spellbook into play.

After this attack, the Spellbook would be damaged, but it didn't matter now.

A series of counterattacks, and the loss of control over the ice and snow, instantly broke Tan Han's rhythm.

But what greeted her next was a Fireball concentrated on a single point.

And the target was precisely her Ancient Glacial Ice Transformation Spell ritual.

Faced with such a development, Tan Han hurriedly used her combat skills to evade this attack.

The powerful armor-piercing effect of the Focus Point technique could not even be blocked by the dwarves' Holy Relic.

At this moment, Tan Han's solid ice body was shattered in both arms by this attack.

The collision of fire and ice erupted in a terrifying burst of steam.

But before the steam could dissipate, and before Tan Han's body could recover, a huge black shadow appeared in the sky above.

After the water vapor cleared, Tan Han, who was fully prepared for anything, was stunned for a moment upon seeing this attack.

It was a greatsword, the very one that had been stuck in the Wizard Tower.

At this moment, it was suspended high above her.

And I was currently activating the Protection of the Elemental Spirit of Fire and the Fireball spell, igniting the tip of the sword at this moment.

“Tan Han, with this lesson, I will teach you one thing: you have no need to prove anything to me! Just like the defeat you are facing now, it cannot negate your efforts!”

With my roar, the greatsword fell and pierced through Tan Han's Ancient Glacial Ice body.

Everything at this moment turned into the aftershock of the battle.

The ignited sword tip, although unable to destroy the core of Tan Han's transformation spell ritual, brought her an absolutely heavy blow.

“Thank you, Tan Han. You taught me something very important.”

“Also… this time, it's your turn to experience the feeling of a glorious defeat. You won this battle. You comprehended something of a higher level than me before I did.”

After this attack, I landed smoothly.

At this moment, I opened the current rankings.

Because of the previous massacre, I was a few points ahead of Tan Han, occupying first place.

But once Tan Han cleared up those small fries, she would probably be higher than me.

Tan Han taught me something more important than the first-place prize.

Recognizing my own shortcomings is more important than any reward.

Rewards are just resources, Magic Power Sources, and Spellbooks.

These are not important.

What I need is what's important.

Simply piling up Magic Power Sources and Spellbooks is meaningless.

If I want these things… there will always be a way to get them.

I am no longer the ignorant newcomer I was before.

I'll just take this as compensation for heavily injuring Tan Han.

Thinking of this, I turned to look at Tan Han.

“First place is yours. Anyway, I'm leaving. This boring exchange competition has wasted too much of my time.”

Watching my abrupt disappearance, Tan Han, heavily injured, had already canceled her transformation spell.

“Wait! Xiao Han, you… you! You self-righteous person! Such a first place… I don't want it…”

Tan Han lightly hammered the ground, but what followed was a sense of powerlessness.

But, Xiao Han's words just now were still echoing in her mind… no need to prove to her… huh?