Li Jiye stared at Selmore fighting a Tier 2 advanced-level martial artist. He realized that although the opponent's elemental energy was of the same level, his physical abilities and knife proficiency were still far off from Selmore's.
At this time, the two had already exchanged more than ten moves. Although it looked like a close fight, Li Jiye keenly noticed that Selmore's opponent was slowly flailing.
On the 13th exchange of moves, the serrated long knife in Selmore's hand suddenly emitted a dazzling flash. The other student hurriedly tried to erect a shield of ice, but it ultimately failed to defend against Selmore's attack.
Li Jiye's eyes flickered, and he read the information he just received from Selmore's sword move.
Mad Knife Slash (C-level martial art): Swiftly swing the blade to form a fast attack that engulfs the opponent's attack. The greater the speed and physical strength, the greater the power.
"This skill is perfect for me! With Shadow Wind Steps, my physical fitness is probably one of the best among the Tier 2 martial artists. I've set my eyes on you!"
Li Jiye's replication skill had long since cooled down, but he had yet to find any suitable skill to replicate. Now, he immediately laid eyes on Selmore's Mad Knife Slash, which was just used to defeat his opponent.
He already had a skill for weapon mastery, so what he lacked was a martial art!
"Wuhh…"
Selmore smiled politely after his victory. Then, he placed the serrated long knife diagonally in the scabbard behind him and had just stepped off the ring when he saw a Polar Star Academy student standing before him.
"You are?"
"Hello, Senior Selmore. I've admired you for a long time! I'm Li Jiye, a student who went to Falling Maple City with you a few days ago to help."
He reached out his hand, and Selmore quickly shook hands with him. He didn't notice the slight grin that flashed at the corner of Li Jiye's mouth when they made physical contact.
"I know you! You're the new student who showed extraordinary skills! To be honest, I actually wanted to get acquainted with you since then. I didn't expect you to find me today. Haha. This is such a coincidence!"
Selmore seemed to have a very good personality and led Li Jiye around, talking to him about the battle at Falling Maple City. Judging by his tone, he seemed to admire Li Jiye's performance in assisting in the battle zones, one after another.
Li Jiye was also happy to chat with him. The two of them exchanged pointers for a long time before leaving when the ring match was over.
The second day of qualifying rounds was also a knockout system. Teacher Daphne spared time today to cheer for Li Jiye.
After all, he was the only one in her class that got through to the next round.
The knockout rounds on the second day were slightly different from the first. Since a large number of students had already been eliminated, this round of knockouts used a semi-continuous battle mechanism.
Students who won a battle would fight another one after a short break to complete the challenge for the day.
Those who won both battles were automatically promoted to the next round tomorrow.
After briefly understanding the elimination rules, Li Jiye had to draw two names, unlike yesterday, when it was just one. Perhaps Lady Luck was shining on him, for he picked a junior Tier 2 student. This student had been extremely lucky to pass the first knockout round yesterday and had reached this stage only with the strength of a Tier 2 beginner-level.
But his luck ran out today. Li Jiye only used Storm Fist to force him out of the ring.
Seeing this, Daphne couldn't help but stifle a yawn.
"Li Jiye is only a Tier 2 intermediate-level student, but if he's fully prepared, he can even fight a Tier 2 advanced-level student. This battle with a Tier 2 beginner… Sigh. I'm so bored."
Li Jiye also seemed a little bored and actively asked to continue to the second round without taking a break.
However, his opponent this time wasn't simple.
"I'm William, a student of Teacher Grasse, in the Tier 2 advanced-level. I look forward…"
The moment William said his name, his information flashed in Li Jiye's mind.
Human: William
Skill: C-level Sword Specialization
Realm: Tier 2 Warrior (Advanced-level)
Martial Arts: Watermark Spear (C-level martial art), Double-Edged Sword Dance (C-level martial art)
"Li Jiye of Teacher Daphne's class, Tier 2 intermediate-level. I look forward to our exchanges!"
After reporting his realm strength, Li Jiye's eyes sharpened, and he turned to the rapier on William's waist.
The rapier seemed ordinary, but under the sunlight, it seemed to shimmer with a faint blue light.
Was it a magic weapon with elemental attributes attached to it?
Wasn't this thing worth tens of thousands of gold coins and something only the rich or noble families could afford?
Li Jiye's thoughts flew wildly, and he looked up to see William nodding at him with a smile.
"Okay, the match… begins!"
After the referee's order, Li Jiye took the lead and launched an attack. With blue hurricanes engulfing his fists, he sped forward with Shadow Wind Steps and greeted William with electric light and sparks.
However, William seemed to have anticipated his movements long ago. He stepped back quickly and then gracefully turned his body. At the same time, he unsheathed the rapier on his waist and thrust it straight at Li Jiye.
What happened next was beyond Li Jiye's expectations. His speed should be one of the best among Tier 2 martial artists, but William's reflexes and coping styles actually kept up with his movements.
Secretly surprised, Li Jiye watched as William's sword, gleaming with a faint blue light, flew towards him. He swiftly turned and no longer held back on using his Shadow Wind Steps.
Blue ripples emerged from Li Jiye's legs, and his speed rose a little bit again. At this moment, his figure in the ring made the audience slightly confused.
"This martial art… Why does it look like a B-level Shadow Wind Steps?"
Many students in the audience raised questions in astonishment at this scene.
A B-level Shadow Wind Steps wasn't something ordinary students came into contact with often. Li Jiye was a new student who had just entered school, so how could he be of this level?
Although he had already shown Shadow Wind Steps in Falling Maple City, only a minority had witnessed it personally. Now that he had used it in public, even the students who hadn't harbored any interest in him previously were now gathering at this arena.