When Xuan Xi got the exam paper, she found that some content from the diary and the ancient books in the library perfectly matched the test questions.
Descriptions of the Eastern Dragon’s Destiny Mark, the war between Eastern and Western Dragons three hundred years ago, the differences between Spiritual Qi and Elements—content that was only briefly mentioned in Western Dragon textbooks—she had read the complete records in those ancient texts.
She picked up her pen and began to answer the questions.
The scratching of the pen tip on the paper sounded like autumn leaves being swept up and falling again. She wrote quickly.
When she reached the question about “Bloodline differences between Eastern and Western Dragons,” her pen paused.
She had seen the standard answer for this question in the textbook. The Western Dragon textbook stated: The Eastern Dragon race is an “inferior branch of the dragon race,” with “mixed bloodlines,” and “therefore lacks Elemental Power.” But the records in the diary were completely different. Odin von Edelstein, who had traveled to the Eastern Dragon Domain back then, wrote: “The bloodline of the Eastern Dragon race is far purer than that of the Western Dragons. They do not need Elements, because what they control is the very foundation of heaven and earth—Spiritual Qi. Spiritual Qi, the origin of all things, is older and more fundamental than Elements.”
Xuan Xi wrote down her answer on the test paper: “The bloodlines of Eastern and Western Dragons share a common origin, but diverged due to different cultivation systems. The Eastern Dragons are based on Spiritual Qi, while the Western Dragons focus on Elements. There is no superiority or inferiority; they are simply different paths.”
After the written theory test ended, the students had a short break. When Xuan Xi came out of the exam hall, Elsa was standing in the corridor with a less-than-pleasant expression.
“How did you do?” Elsa asked, immediately coming over. Her short brown hair was frizzing out into a fluffy ball in the sunlight.
“Not bad,” Xuan Xi said.
“What does ‘not bad’ mean? You won’t fail, will you?”
“I shouldn’t.”
Elsa let out a sigh of relief, then lowered her voice. “You don’t know it, but that last question on the test paper was way too ridiculous—’Bloodline differences between Eastern and Western Dragons.’ What kind of question is that? There are only two sentences about it in the textbook, and I couldn’t even write three hundred words no matter how much I tried to make things up.”
Xuan Xi didn’t say how she had answered.
A commotion broke out in the distance. Xuan Xi looked up and saw a few students gathered around the bulletin board, pointing and whispering at the grouping list for the second round that had been posted.
The pairings for the individual practical combat exam had been announced.
Xuan Xi walked over. Without much effort, she found her name on the list:
“Xuan Xi Hellas VS Derrick Molten.”
She didn’t have any impression of that name, but Elsa’s expression changed.
“Derrick Molten? That A-rank Bloodline, Fire Element Derrick?” Her eyes widened. “Did you do something to offend the school’s lottery system?”
Xuan Xi thought for a moment, then shook her head. “Don’t know him. Is he strong?”
“If you don’t know him, that’s good. He’s one of those people who,” Elsa lowered her voice even more, “posted on the forum saying ‘If you don’t even have a bloodline, what right do you have to come to Dragonborn Academy.'”
Xuan Xi’s expression didn’t change at all.
“Perfect timing then,” she said. “We’ll settle both old and new scores together.”
The individual practical combat was held in the main arena. The arena floor was divided into four areas by barriers, and four matches took place simultaneously. Flames, frost, lightning, stone spikes—various elemental attacks wove together, the deafening roars rising and falling. The barrier shimmered with ripples from the attacks, but it remained as solid as a rock.
Xuan Xi stood in the waiting area, watching the matches on the field.
Soon, it was her turn. As she walked onto the field, she could hear whispers from the stands.
“Is that Xuan Xi Hellas? The one without a bloodline rating?”
“I heard she teamed up with the Edelstein family’s eldest miss.”
“Teamed up? An unrated bloodline teaming up with an S-rank? Has the Edelstein family’s eldest miss lost her mind?”
“Who knows? Maybe she pitied her?”
“Pity? This is the exam, you know.”
“Let’s see. She’s up against Derrick Molten, an A-rank Fire Element user. An unranked fighter—how is she supposed to win?”
Xuan Xi heard them. Her expression didn’t change, and her steps didn’t falter. She walked to the center of the field and stopped.
Facing her stood a tall dragon boy with reddish-brown hair and a not-so-friendly smile on his face. Derrick Molten—A-rank Bloodline, Fire Element. His physique was a full two sizes larger than Xuan Xi’s, and the muscles on his arms stretched the sleeves of his training uniform taut.
“You’re Xuan Xi Hellas, huh?” His gaze swept over her from head to toe, the curl of his lips carrying obvious contempt. “Tough luck, getting matched with me.”
Xuan Xi said nothing.
“I heard you teamed up with Edelstein?” Derrick spat to the side. “You think latching onto a big shot will help you get by? There’s no big shot to latch onto in individual combat.”
Xuan Xi looked up, her amber-golden eyes landing on Derrick’s face.
“Are you done?”
Derrick’s expression froze for a moment, then he let out a cold laugh. “All talk. Just wait and see how I deal with you.”
The examiner raised his right hand.
“Begin.”
Derrick struck first. His fighting style was very typical—the standard approach for a Fire Element dragon: long-range suppression, opening with a flame breath, not giving the opponent any chance to close in. A pillar of fire shot out from his palm, carrying a wave of scorching heat as it swept toward Xuan Xi.
But Xuan Xi didn’t retreat. Instead, she charged forward.
The pillar of fire grazed past her shoulder, the heat singeing a few strands of her hair. She didn’t try to endure a second one, because she knew Fire Element was different from Lightning Element. Lightning inflicted damage quickly, but had low damage per hit. Fire Element inflicted damage slowly, but had high sustained damage. If she tried to tank it like she did against the Lightning Element, she would just end up a roasted dragon.
She couldn’t take it head-on. She had to dodge. By using the Eastern Dragon Body Technique, yielding to overcome the hard, borrowing force to deliver force.
Derrick’s second pillar of fire came. At that moment, Xuan Xi’s body performed an unbelievable movement—she twisted sideways like a willow branch in the wind, following the airflow of the flames. The pillar of fire passed by, practically grazing her waistline. She didn’t dodge by avoiding it; she “floated” away using the momentum of the flames.
A few low gasps came from the stands. Before Derrick could react, Xuan Xi was already within two steps of him.
He instinctively threw a punch, his fist wreathed in flames, carrying enough force to shatter rock.
Xuan Xi didn’t block. She extended her left hand and gently touched Derrick’s wrist, using the momentum. Borrowing the force of Derrick’s punch, she flipped along his arm like a leaf blown by the wind, landing beside him.
Startled, Derrick unleashed a burst of flames from his front, forming a defensive wall of fire.
But Xuan Xi was no longer there. She had reached his back before he could turn around. Her right hand formed a blade and struck precisely at the spot where his Reverse Scale would be.
Derrick’s vision went dark, and his body swayed. But he didn’t fall. Instead, with the last of his strength, he spun around and threw a punch.
Xuan Xi didn’t dodge. She raised her left arm and took the punch head-on.
The sound of bone hitting bone was a dull thud. It hurt. But she didn’t retreat. She knew her physical strength could withstand this blow. What was more important was that she needed to deliver the final strike at the same time.
Her right fist landed on Derrick’s abdomen. She didn’t use Elemental Power, nor Spiritual Qi. It was pure physical strength, honed in countless fights in that border town—a simple, unadorned punch.
Derrick’s entire body curled forward. He fell to his knees, propping himself up with his hands on the ground, gasping heavily. The flames dissipated, and his reddish-brown hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat.
The entire arena fell silent.
An A-rank Bloodline Fire Element dragon had been defeated in less than three minutes by a girl with “no rank.” Not through a sneak attack, not through luck, but through real skill and physical strength.
Xuan Xi withdrew her fist and flexed her numb fingers.
“You lose,” she said.
Her voice wasn’t loud, but in the quiet arena, everyone heard it.
A burst of chaotic chatter erupted from the stands. Some were shocked, some were puzzled, and some had begun to re-evaluate that “Unrated Bloodline” label.
Xuan Xi ignored all the noise. She lifted her head and searched for a familiar silver-white figure in a corner of the stands.
SigrdrÃfa sat there, her amethyst eyes fixed on her.
Their gazes met in the air for a moment. SigrdrÃfa nodded slightly, a gesture of affirmation.
Xuan Xi curved the corner of her mouth. She turned and walked out of the arena, preparing for the team event to follow.