CHAPTER 161: CHAPTER 161 REORGANIZATION

Ever since the time at the trial ground when Wang Lan had barely used the Flame Sword before Xu Xiangwen and the others recognized him, he knew he couldn’t keep his identity as the Wolf player a secret.

That’s why Wang Lan was so calm about revealing his Star Martial Skill today. After all, one couldn’t just avoid using their Star Martial Skill solely to hide their identity, could they?

Moreover, after half a year of cooling off, the outside world’s attention towards Wang Lan no longer affected him.

After all, Wang Lan’s initial burst of popularity was due to a combination of chance and the effect of a show. If he had chosen to debut at that time and had been managed by an agency, he might still be famous now.

After the competition ended, Wang Lan immediately vanished from the public eye for half a year. Without someone continually stirring up public interest behind him, the Wolf naturally faded from fame before it could even be firmly established.

Half a year later, even if Wang Lan’s true identity were exposed online, the most netizens would say upon seeing it would be, "Oh, so he’s the Wolf King?" As for being pursued by fans and surrounded by crowds... that was out of the question.

But if the Wolf King turned out to be someone close, someone they had spent day and night with, it still caused quite a shock for the students of Class One.

"You’re the Wolf King?" Liu Jie’s eyes widened as he asked again.

"Last year I entered the Suzhou City Star Martial competition anonymously," Wang Lan replied. "Originally, I just wanted to hone my combat skills, but unexpectedly, it turned into a hot topic. Fortunately, I didn’t disgrace you, Teacher—I won the championship."

Yes, you didn’t disgrace me, but why is my face burning? Liu Jie thought about the times he had used videos of the Wolf in action for class analysis, the questions based on those videos that Wang Lan answered incorrectly, and the severe scoldings that followed... The corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

But regardless, having a student who won the Star Martial competition was something he felt he could boast about for a lifetime. If his student was stronger than him, didn’t that mean his teaching was excellent?

At this moment, Liu Jie shamelessly credited Wang Lan’s strength to his own meticulous teaching.

"Well then, Wang Lan, you’ll be in the first group," he said. "Even though you were very impressive in the Star Martial competition, the strongest opponents there were at the Star Shine Stage. Group One has six at the Star Cloud Stage."

"I understand. I’ll be careful," Wang Lan responded.

Liu Jie watched Wang Lan join Group One. For a moment, he didn’t see seven students but seven future heroes who would ride the crest of the waves and support the heavens for humankind.

This year’s class held the most potential Liu Jie had ever taught. Having six students at the Star Cloud Stage in a single class, especially on the eve of their senior year, was inconceivable—typically, even one such student per class was considered impressive.

"Alright, you can now start teaming up for practice fights. Group Three, listen up! Though you may not be strong enough to get into a top-tier school, remember this: as long as you can get into a Star Martial Academy ranked in the top twenty nationwide, your futures are still brilliant.

"What you lack is not talent, but effort. As long as you work hard enough, even without Star Martial Skills, you can still achieve good results. The progress Xie Sisi has made is there for all to see. It only took her half a term to make such significant improvement. What excuse do you have not to work hard?"

His words left the students of Group Three rolling their eyes.

Effort? Is the kind of progress Xie Sisi has made really due to effort? Half a term to go from the bottom of practical combat to unrivaled? If you’re so capable, you try it!

However, Liu Jie was highly respected, so the students of Group Three dared not retort and began to select their opponents. The strategy for students without Star Martial Skills was simple and clear: So what if I don’t have a Star Martial Skill? If I can’t block it, can’t I just dodge?

As long as I move fast enough, your Star Martial Skills can’t hit me. When your Star Power is drained, we’ll be back to fighting on the same level with hand-to-hand combat.

This was also another important reason why Liu Jie had been relentlessly training the physical abilities of Class One students over the past year.

Meanwhile, Group Two’s students were also getting started. With Wang Lan gone, Xie Sisi had joined them.

Those who had been beaten by Xie Sisi last semester were getting restless.

Back then, Star Martial Skills weren’t allowed in the fights, and that’s why you beat me. This time, we can use them, so I’m definitely going to settle the score!

"Monitor, shall we spar?" a round-faced, chubby kid who was clearly terrible at Basic Combat spoke up eagerly.

"Monitor Xie, let me! Scram, fatty," another student said.

"Monitor... I’ll fight you. Those jerks just want to take advantage of you," said a different student.

"Monitor Xie, I, Song Bo, challenge you!"

Song Bo’s panting could even be heard from the crowd. This put Xie Sisi in a bit of a bind, as she wasn’t the type to reject an invitation; typically, if someone asked, she would agree.

But now, with so many extending invitations, Xie Sisi was troubled. Her gaze swept over each eager pair of eyes as she bit her finger, feigning indecision.

"How about... I accept all of you? You guys... want to take me on together?"

"Shoot—"

"No way—"

"Are you serious?"

Since when had Xie Sisi become so domineering? Wasn’t she always the sweet and soft-spoken girl?

If Wang Lan knew what his classmates were thinking, he would have scoffed. They clearly haven’t seen Xie Sisi when she’s truly excited—that’s when she’s genuinely wild.

"Let’s go—"

"I’m going in! Witness my Earth Armor—" the chubby kid bellowed, soil swirling around him as he encased himself in a layer of armor and charged towards Xie Sisi.

Xie Sisi’s figure flashed. She nimbly appeared above the chubby kid’s head, which was not yet fully covered by his earth armor, and swept her leg across.

SMACK!

The fatty fell backward like an overturned Brazilian turtle.

Xie Sisi instantly transformed into a Ghost and charged into the group of twelve. With the force of someone ready to "punch the South Mountain Nursing Home and kick the North Sea Kindergarten," she swept through her fellow Star Shine Stage students, all of whom possessed Star Martial Skills.

"What’s going on?" Wang Lan, who was on his side and about to spar with Xu Xiangwen again, was distracted by the commotion behind him. Even Liu Jie dashed from the sidelines towards Group Two’s area. As he approached, Liu Jie came to a sudden halt.

He stared with terrified eyes at the scene before him. It was a horrific sight: Xie Sisi, alone, her movement technique flowing like water and her fists and kicks bursting like fireworks, weaved through a group of classmates of the same level, all of whom had mastered Star Martial Skills. One person was chasing and beating twelve others!

If Wang Lan were doing this, I could accept it, Liu Jie thought, because, in my mind, Wang Lan’s strength is already among the top five in the class. But Xie Sisi? A mid-Star Shine Stage student who doesn’t even know Star Martial Skills, and she can beat twelve of them?

And those twelve all wield Star Martial Skills! Is there any justice in this world? What about your Star Martial Skills? Did you all train for nothing?

But the scene unfolding before him undoubtedly revealed a fact: their Star Martial Skills might really have been practiced in vain.

Apart from the chubby kid’s initial success in releasing his Star Martial Skill, the rest didn’t even get a chance to unleash theirs. Xie Sisi was too fast; the moment they sensed a Star Energy Fluctuation, she would instantly close in and interrupt.

And there were a few who, in their panic, unleashed their Star Martial Skills without even seeing their target, casting their abilities into thin air.

After a moment of astonishment, Liu Jie gradually began to see the pattern. Xie Sisi’s speed and movement technique were too fast, so fast they surpassed what he understood to be possible for the Star Shine Stage.

Moreover, when Xie Sisi attacks and dodges, there’s a faint Star Energy Fluctuation emanating from her. Isn’t this a Star Martial Skill? Could it be a physical-type Star Martial Skill?

"Stop! What are you all doing?" Liu Jie approached, his face dark. "Twelve of you against one! And even then, you let yourselves get beaten so miserably?"

"Teacher, I..."

"No excuses! During the college entrance exams, the proctors won’t listen to your explanations. Rest for a while, then spar individually. Xie Sisi, you come with me."

Liu Jie led Xie Sisi away. Mingyue Wucheng, arms crossed, curiously watched Xie Sisi’s retreating figure and said, "Wang Lan, if I’m not mistaken, Xie Sisi must have mastered a Star Martial Skill, right?"

"Yes, she probably has."

"Then why does she say she doesn’t know any Star Martial Skills? Monitor Xie doesn’t seem like that kind of person."

"She might not even know it herself."

"What do you mean?"

"Xie Sisi has been training very diligently for many years. Every day, she would do weight training with several tens of pounds and would hit cement piles. This self-injurious training method would damage her body; at first, she would be covered in bruises after each session.

"And Xie Sisi also has an extraordinary talent for controlling Star Energy. So, she came up with a method: every time she was about to hit something in a way that might harm her, she would channel Star Energy to the point of impact, forming a protective layer.

"Over the years, Xie Sisi gradually mastered a skill that combines Star Energy and Basic Combat. She just thought this was her training method and didn’t realize that this technique had actually become a Star Martial Skill."

During his time with Xie Sisi, Wang Lan had learned about her training methods. He realized her unique ability had been honed over many years of adaptation and exploration.

But these words sounded alarming to Mingyue Wucheng, who suddenly changed her expression to one of shock and fear.

"She created her own Star Martial Skill?"

"Uh..." Wang Lan looked confused. "Not really? This Star Martial Skill seems very rudimentary; it shouldn’t count as creating a new one, should it?"

"Rudimentary... Of course, it’s rudimentary because she created it unconsciously. But once she learns advanced theories of Star Energy application and undergoes professional guidance and systematic training, this Star Martial Skill will quickly be refined.

"But that’s not the main point! The point is... Monitor Xie, a Star Shine Stage Star Martial Warrior, successfully created a Star Martial Skill while still a student? What kind of monstrous talent is this?"

"Now that you put it that way, I also think it’s quite amazing," Wang Lan said. "Alright, let’s not waste any more time. Xiangwen, come on! This time, I’ll let you use three clones."

"Damn it!" Xu Xiangwen’s explosive temper flared. "I can’t take this anymore!" He exclaimed, instantly surging with Star Energy and splitting into three identical replicas. Four Xu Xiangwens surrounded Wang Lan, forming a square.

"Lanzi, a four-person combo massage, deluxe package!"

"Wait, mark your original body," Wang Lan said. "I’m afraid I might accidentally kill the real you."

Xu Xiangwen pulled out a red ribbon and tied it tightly around his head.

"Here I come!"

Instantly, all four Xu Xiangwens surged with clear Star Energy Fluctuations, their figures moving like lightning as they bombarded Wang Lan from all sides.

*Dynamic Vision, activate!*

Wang Lan’s eyes snapped open, and in an instant, his right pupil turned a pale gold.