The "Quantum Battleship" team, a war machine driven by four freshmen, stirred up a wave of rebellion exclusive to the freshmen in the chaotic plaza.
Every time they made a move, it meant a Red-named Senior was cleanly and decisively "signed for" and eliminated.
This arrogant style of deliberately picking tough nuts to crack—and cracking them so crisply at that—finally alarmed the predators at the top of the food chain.
On the roof of the teaching building, the wind blew gently.
Yuan Feng, the president of the "Wind-Riding Club" who had been holding a takeout box the entire time, no longer paid attention to the Meal Tickets scattering in the air.
His eyes, which usually carried a teasing look, were now frighteningly focused, his gaze locked dead onto the four-person team stirring up a storm below.
On the west side of the plaza, under the shade of the trees.
Liu Hui, the vice president of the "Culinary Arts Club," slowly lowered the giant kitchen knife, which was thicker than a thigh, from her shoulder.
She bent her thumb and flicked it gently against the broad, thick blade.
"Hum—"
It wasn't the crisp ringing of a blade, but the muffled, low roar of a giant beast before its awakening.
She grinned, her pale white teeth gleaming coldly in the shadows. Her gaze was pinned precisely on the Junior Priest who had just executed such exquisite spearplay with a pink staff.
At the other end of the plaza.
The muscular brute Guo Tao, who had forcibly dragged Senior Brother Li Mo away, finally loosened his grip.
"Clatter."
The cola can, crushed flat as a disc, fell to the ground.
He slowly rolled his thick neck, his joints letting out a series of loud cracks that made the surrounding freshmen instinctively take half a step back.
In his large, bell-like eyes, the amused spectator's look had completely vanished.
It was replaced by a scorching battle intent that was almost tangible.
"Li Mo, let's go. Time to work," Guo Tao's voice boomed like a beating drum.
"These junior sisters have some kick! The warm-up is over, it's time for the main course!"
The released Li Mo rubbed his sore neck and pushed up his glasses with a bitter smile. "Old Guo, are you sure? Those little junior sisters aren't your average tough nuts to crack."
"I just love them feisty!"
Guo Tao clenched his clay-pot-sized fists, his knuckles cracking.
"Yuan Feng and Liu Hui have their eyes on them too. Perfect, let's go over together and meet this year's 'surprise'."
Seeing Guo Tao's eager look and catching sight of the two figures rapidly approaching from the distance, Li Mo knew the climax of this "freshman welcome party" had finally arrived.
This lineup was a trump card prepared for the inter-school league, yet it was now being used against a few newly enrolled junior girls.
He sighed and followed behind Guo Tao, silently lighting a stick of incense in his heart for them.
Juniors, may fortune be with you.
Three distinctly different, powerful auras converged from three directions. Naturally, Lin Qingyue sensed them.
"The higher-tier 'Diamond Couriers' are at our door with the 'oversized packages'."
"Then bring it on!"
Lin Xiyue slammed her shield, [Immovable Mountain], heavily onto the ground. With a muffled thud, her imposing aura surged.
Su Wan and Xia Lian also closed in from the left and right, their expressions grave.
These opponents were on a completely different level compared to the previous "couriers."
With a few bounds, three figures formed a triangular formation, surrounding the four of them.
The muscular brute Guo Tao stood directly in front.
His burly physique was a wall.
A breathing, moving wall of despair.
Just by him standing there, the heavy sense of oppression made the air feel viscous and suffocating.
On the left was Liu Hui, carrying a giant cleaver on her shoulder. Her stance seemed casual, but she had already sealed off all routes of retreat.
On the right was their acquaintance, Li Mo.
"Junior Qingyue, we meet again."
Li Mo greeted with a bitter smile, "We don't want to go a month without a supply of Spirit Food either. So, pardon the offense."
"You are too polite, Senior Brother," Lin Qingyue responded with a smile, though her gaze rapidly swept over the three of them.
A pure strength-type warrior, a skill-type agility fighter, and a... Bard responsible for tactical analysis and support?
"And the other one?"
Lin Qingyue suddenly raised her head, looking at the empty space above them.
"Good perception. However, knowing and dodging are two entirely different things, little junior."
An airy voice drifted down from above.
A light breeze swept past as Yuan Feng, president of the Wind-Riding Club, landed silently behind them, completely finishing the encirclement.
Four against four.
The top four sophomores of Tianshu University were facing off against the four most dazzling dark horses among this year's freshmen.
The surrounding clamor was cut off at this moment by an invisible hand.
Everyone's eyes—freshmen, upperclassmen, and even the teachers in charge of recording—were all focused here.
"Guo Tao, Yuan Feng, Liu Hui, Li Mo... That's last year's intramural selection tournament championship team, the 'Four Pests of Tianshu'!"
"My god, they're actually making a move together? Are they treating these freshmen as opponents on the same level?"
"Those junior girls are in for it now. Any single one of those four is a monster ranked in the top ten of their grade!"
The upperclassmen among the onlookers discussed animatedly, their eyes carrying a touch of pity as they looked at Lin Qingyue's group of four.
Guo Tao spoke no nonsense. He took a step forward, and the ground trembled slightly in response.
"Junior sisters, you're not bad."
"However, the game ends here. Hand over the Meal Tickets, and I can let you exit the stage with dignity."
Lin Qingyue smiled.
"Senior Brother, don't speak too soon."
She held [Beloved] horizontally in front of her, the tip of the staff pointing from afar at Guo Tao.
"What if we're the ones who make you leave lying down?"
"Arrogant!"
Guo Tao's gaze sharpened, "Then let your Senior Brother teach you what respect means!"
Before his voice even faded, the ground beneath his feet suddenly collapsed into a shallow pit. Carrying a visible ripple in the air, he shot forward like a cannonball straight toward Lin Xiyue at the very front!
"Xiyue!" Lin Qingyue's voice was calm.
"Watch me!"
Lin Xiyue gritted her silver teeth and didn't try to take it head-on. Instead, she stepped half a pace forward with her left foot, sank her body slightly, and raised the [Immovable Mountain] in her hands at an extremely tricky angle to meet the attack!
This wasn't a hard block; it was deflecting the force! It was guiding it!
"Clang—!"
The ear-piercing metallic crash made everyone's eardrums ache!
Guo Tao threw a punch with enough momentum to shatter an armored vehicle!
The berserk power smashed against the shield's surface, only to be instantly guided and dispersed by its precise slant!
The majority of the force slid off the shield's edge to the side, blasting a deafening sonic boom in the empty air!
The remaining fraction was completely channeled into the ground beneath her feet by Lin Xiyue through her special footwork and the coordinated exertion of her waist and hips!
Crack!
The stone slabs beneath her feet shattered inch by inch into a spiderweb pattern, while she slid backward for less than half a meter before firmly rooting herself in place!
"Huh?"
Surprise flashed through Guo Tao's eyes, his smile taking on a hint of approval. "You didn't take it head-on, not bad! This Force-Deflecting Shield Technique isn't something a freshman can master!"
Lin Xiyue cursed inwardly. 'This guy looks like a bear, but he fights craftier than a fox!'
Fine sweat beaded on her forehead, and a wave of numb soreness spread through her arms, but her gaze grew even more focused.
"Just knowing how to deflect force isn't enough!"
Guo Tao shifted his assault, his sweeping, explosive charges transforming into a relentless, rain-like flurry of combination punches.
Each punch struck a different spot on the shield, the force alternating between light and heavy, striking from tricky angles. It was no longer sheer suppression by strength, but a fusion of power and technique!
Clang, clang, clang—!
Amidst a rapid succession of torrential impacts, the webbing of Lin Xiyue's hands went numb, and the muscles in her arms trembled uncontrollably.
The Holy Light attached to the shield flickered erratically, nearly blown away completely by the fierce wind of the punches.
Every time she blocked, it felt like she was taking the full brunt of a battering ram.
Meanwhile, the other two attacks arrived.
Liu Hui's figure moved erratically. Taking a single step, she closed in on Su Wan's side. Just as the giant meat cleaver was about to strike Su Wan, Liu Hui twisted her wrist, nimbly turning the back of the blade to aim straight at the wrist holding the staff.
She was actually trying to disarm her directly using finesse!
However, a stunning streak of pink light darted out from a diagonal angle, striking the side of the broad blade with pinpoint precision!
"Clang!"
Amidst the crisp sound of the clash, the tip of [Beloved] touched the body of the giant cleaver and instantly parted.
Liu Hui felt an incredibly ingenious spiraling force travel down the blade, deflecting her fully powered strike by an inch so that it merely brushed past Su Wan's robes!
She looked at the newcomer with a pleasant surprise; it was indeed that Priest with rather impressive marksmanship.
Su Wan's mind sharpened. Seizing the opening, a Frost Ring erupted beneath her feet. As she floated backward, a [Frost Ray] shot out toward Yuan Feng, who was flanking from the other side, forcing him to halt his charge and dodge.
Meanwhile, the team's other sharp blade, Xia Lian, set her sights on Li Mo, who seemed the most at ease.
Whoosh!
An arrow carrying the "Star-Concealment" effect shot silently toward the center of Li Mo's back.
But it was as if Li Mo had eyes in the back of his head. Without even turning around, he shifted half a step to the side, letting the arrow brush right past his clothes.
Missing her strike, Xia Lian advanced instead of retreating. She instantly switched to dual blades and closed in like a phantom. [Fangs of Shadow Strike] brought forth two deadly cold flashes, directly sealing off Li Mo's vitals.
However, against Xia Lian's torrential assault, Li Mo merely weaved and shifted within a hair's breadth. Using profound footwork, he narrowly evaded every single attack with the most minimal of movements and at the most extreme margins.
"Junior Qingyue, just concede."
Li Mo smiled wryly as he effortlessly dodged Xia Lian's attacks,
"Old Guo and the others haven't even gone all out yet... If you keep fighting, it's going to get very ugly for you."
He was right.
Clang! The Holy Light on the shield dimmed once more under a heavy punch. The webbing between Lin Xiyue's thumb and index finger tore open, blood instantly soaking her gauntlet, and Guo Tao's next punch was already following like a shadow!
On the other side, an invisible wind blade slashed an inch-long tear in Su Wan's robes. If not for Xia Lian's impossibly close warning arrow forcing Yuan Feng back, that wind blade would have done far more than just ruin her clothes!
Meanwhile, Lin Qingyue herself was entangled by Liu Hui's kitchen cleaver, which struck with wide, sweeping arcs yet hid subtle finesse. She held the advantage, but couldn't secure a quick victory.
Li Mo hadn't even truly made his move yet.
Their frontline was on the verge of collapse.
Conventional methods were no longer working.
She had to use an even more unreasonable approach to shatter the opponent's strongest point head-on!
Alright then, the warm-up ends here. It's time to let these Senior Brothers see what "times have changed" really means.
A highly dangerous smirk suddenly curled at the corner of her lips.
The next second, she forced Liu Hui back with a thrust of her spear and stored [Beloved] back into her spatial inventory.
That pink greatsword, [Epic of Love and Flowers], which was so gorgeous it hardly looked like a weapon, appeared out of thin air in her hands.
"Hmm? Changed weapons? Want to be a Berserker?"
Even while suppressing Lin Xiyue, Guo Tao still had the spare energy to mock her.
"Junior, this sword of yours looks quite pretty, but I wonder if it's actually useful!"
"Whether it's useful or not..."
Lin Qingyue leaned on the greatsword, a smile surfacing on her face that made even her teammates' hearts skip a beat.
There was not a trace of gentleness in that smile; there was only the pure thrill of being about to flip the entire chessboard.
"...You'll know once you try."
With a mere thought.
"System, use the Noelle Character Card!"