Chapter 42: Player of the Match: Artificial Intelligence

Chapter 42: MVP: The AI

"Ten, nine, eight..." Jiang Tongtong held the body outside the window, counting down in her heart.

In the Starlight Realm, Fang Xiaoling, who was meditating, suddenly shouted, "Number Four!"

Almost simultaneously, the Fang Xiaoling in the real world snapped her eyes open. She reached out and grabbed Jiang Tongtong’s arm. Jiang Tongtong reacted quickly and tried to break free, but Fang Xiaoling hooked her legs around Jiang’s waist.

"You're asking for death!" Jiang Tongtong tried to throw her off, but as she raised her arm, Fang Xiaoling moved with the suppleness of a snake. She coiled around Jiang’s body, slithered to the floor, and retreated to a safe distance, the entire movement as smooth as silk.

Jiang Tongtong’s jaw nearly hit the floor. Staring in disbelief, she stammered, "The... the Golden Snake Entanglement Technique??"

"Since you recognize the martial arts of our Shenlong Sect, why haven't you surrendered yet?" Fang Xiaoling’s legs remained on the ground, but her lower back was bent at a ninety-degree angle, emitting a crunching sound of grinding bones. She didn't seem to feel the slightest pain, continuing in a soft, melodic voice, "Do you honestly think you are a match for Long Er?"

In the Starlight Realm, the spirits watching the meditating Fang Xiaoling wore expressions of utter agony...

"Playing tricks!" As soon as Jiang Tongtong took a step forward, the opponent coiled around her again like a ribbon, seizing the opportunity to strike at her throat with four fingers held together.

Crack!

Fang Xiaoling immediately pulled back, staring at her left hand in surprise. Even a layman could tell that those fingers were definitely fractured.

"Heh, minor tricks. You’ve only learned the superficialities." Jiang Tongtong walked toward her step by step. "You have no internal energy at all. You can't defeat me with just these mimicry techniques."

On the high platform in the Starlight Realm, Long Er emerged from the light and flew down. At the same time, the meditating Fang Xiaoling let out a miserable scream, shouting, "Number One!"

Jiang Tongtong walked triumphantly toward Fang Xiaoling, ready to say something, when the latter suddenly tensed her arm. Her fist traveled less than half the distance, but her speed was almost a blur. "A-da!"

*Thud—*

This point-blank punch hit like a shotgun blast to the stomach, causing Jiang Tongtong to grunt and spray blood from her mouth.

"A punch without internal energy, yet it has such power?" Jiang Tongtong was a veteran soul who had traveled through parallel worlds; she had never heard of anyone training their physical body to such a state.

Fang Xiaoling shook out her punching wrist, began to bounce on the balls of her feet, and wiped her nose with her thumb.

Watching her movements, Jiang Tongtong recalled that there was indeed someone who could train the body to such a level. But this was the body of a young girl—where on earth did she get the confidence for that strike?

"This is absolutely cursed!" Jiang Tongtong clutched her stomach, retreating toward the door while eyeing Fang Xiaoling with growing alarm. "What kind of evil arts are you using?"

The opponent didn't bother to respond. She merely stood in a lunging stance, slowly extended her arm, and held up a single index finger.

As the finger swayed left and right, Jiang Tongtong realized it was a gesture for "you’re not good enough," clearly mocking her.

She didn't want to act rashly again. Although she hadn't used her full strength, the blow to her stomach from underestimating her opponent was excruciating. She decided to return to the tower to investigate what had happened to Fang Xiaoling before making her next move.

"Fang Xiaoling, just you wait," Jiang Tongtong said through gritted teeth as she cautiously retreated to the door. "Next time, no matter what evil tricks you use, it won't matter!"

With that, she fled toward the elevators.

Fang Xiaoling didn't pursue her. Even if a spirit couldn't feel pain, she knew this body had reached its limit. Once she confirmed Jiang Tongtong had left, the spirit returned to the Starlight Realm. Fang Xiaoling let out a sigh of relief, and all consciousness uncontrollably flooded back into reality.

She no longer had the energy to reopen the portal. Li Mengling’s fragile body inflicted an unprecedented level of pain upon her; her fractured lumbar vertebrae pressed against her nerves, making it impossible even to roll over. She could only collapse on the ground, wailing in agony...

The elevator opened on the first floor. Jiang Tongtong stepped out, clutching her abdomen, and immediately collided with a woman who was even more eager to enter. Without looking, she cursed, "Are you blind?"

She raised her arm and slapped the woman.

The woman clutched her face, never expecting to run into someone so ill-tempered at a time like this.

Especially since she was already seething with rage.

"Stop right there. Did I say you could leave?" the woman said coldly.

Jiang Tongtong endured the sharp pain in her stomach and turned back impatiently. "What, you want to fight?"

But when she saw the woman’s face, her heart turned cold. She prayed fervently, *She is Li Mengli, she must be Li Mengli...*

The woman’s boot heel struck her abdomen squarely, and she lunged forward to grab Jiang’s hair.

"Today is truly cursed..." Jiang Tongtong’s face fell. She realized that with these reflexes, the person in control had to be the soul of Roland.

"You want to dismantle my door?" Roland pulled her hair hard. "I’m in a very bad mood today, and you decide to provoke me right now, don't you?"

Tian Hu, standing nearby, tried to intervene. "Forget it, forget it. Just give her a couple of slaps and call it a day."

Jiang Tongtong calculated that fighting Roland in her current state would be a disaster; she might even die here. Fortunately, the woman didn't recognize her yet, so it would be better to play the part of an ordinary woman and beg for mercy.

"Sister, I was wrong... please, have mercy and let me go."

"Let you go!" Roland slapped her, sending Jiang Tongtong spinning in a full circle. "Fine!"

She followed up with a backhand slap, and Jiang Tongtong spun back around. Her face instantly swelled up like a bun, reflected in the polished elevator door like a cartoon poster.

Tears welled up in Jiang Tongtong’s eyes—not from the pain, but because she had to meet Shen Yi in this body tomorrow. Now that she looked like this, her plan to use Shen Yi to take revenge on Fang Xiaoling was likely ruined... She had tried to be clever, only to end up suffering the consequences!

Seeing the woman’s pathetic state, Roland felt a twinge of pity. "Forget it, get out of here. And watch your temper in the future."

"Yes, sister, I'm leaving now." Jiang Tongtong thought to herself, *Thank goodness I bluffed my way out. If I go back now and meditate to recover, maybe I’ll be better by tomorrow.*

But just as she took a step away, the building's AI spoke respectfully, "Have a good day, Ms. Jiang Tongtong."

When Roland heard the name, it sounded familiar. She pondered for a moment, then suddenly shouted, "Stop!"

Jiang Tongtong didn't dare run; she knew that running now would be the end of her. "Um... is there something else, sister?"

"You are Jiang Tongtong?"

"I... I am Jiang Chongchong."

"AI, who is she?"

"Respected Ms. Roland, the person beside you is Ms. Jiang Tongtong."

Jiang Tongtong turned to bolt, but Roland caught her by the wrist. "Running? Why stop the act? You didn't sound like this when you were threatening me over the headset, did you?"

"W-what headset, sister? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Your voice is too distinct. At first, I really thought the person on the other end was a child." Roland walked up to her and patted her head. "But the AI reminded me. Someone who doesn't come for me directly but uses Li Mengling as a threat... or rather, uses Fang Xiaoling as a threat—if it were her rival Jiang Tongtong, that would be a reasonable explanation... It seems your identity is not so simple, Ms. Jiang Tongtong."