Cataclysm Hunter: I Have an Experience Points System - Chapter 54 - Bai Xue's Arrival!

Casually deflecting the attack from the veteran hunter, Lin Xiao glanced at the opponent’s stats: Strength 16, Agility 15, Constitution 12, Spirit 11. Lin Xiao’s eyelids lowered slightly, remaining silent.

The warriors’ constitution and spirit attributes were generally stronger than those of students. This was a phenomenon Lin Xiao had observed during the two days of arena battles. Although years of energy absorption and vitalis control could indeed enhance these two attributes, the increase wasn’t significant, certainly not as fast as the improvement in strength.

Among students, a constitution of 8 points was considered average; anything below that was typically seen in underperforming students, like Lin Xiao in the past. Those with a constitution of 9 points were the exceptional ones in their classes, such as Chen and Fang Wen.

As for a constitution of 10 points, Lin Xiao had only seen it among the top students in the grade, like Liu Yuqian, Wu Zhixing, and Gao Liangxiong. Then there were the outliers, like Zhuang Jianyu and Bai Shan, with constitutions of 14 and 12 respectively.

Were these warriors, around 30 years old and still in Sequence 4, once top students? Lin Xiao doubted it. They were probably average students in school, who joined the military after graduation, improved their skills, and then joined the Hunter Association.

Yet, these seemingly ordinary warriors had constitution and spirit attributes all above 11 points. This was puzzling, as the difficulty of improving attributes increased over time. Could daily vitalis refinement really lead to such significant gains?

Especially the spirit attribute, which was notoriously hard to enhance. Even Bai Shan had a spirit attribute of only 9 points, similar to Liu Yuqian. Lin Xiao estimated that he must spend a lot of time on vitalis absorption.

Lin Xiao’s previous spirit attribute of 10 points was already considered top-tier. During his two years at university, he hadn’t felt any noticeable improvement in his spirit strength, at least not enough to increase his points.

As for Zhuang Jianyu’s spirit of 16 points… that was an extraordinary level, beyond Lin Xiao’s comprehension. Why else would he be called a stats monster? Everyone was a student, so why was he so overpowered? And he didn’t even have a system!

Whoosh-!

A whip-like leg, infused with vitalis, came at him. Lin Xiao raised his arm, entwined with Flame Thread, to meet it head-on.

Boom-!

The shockwave reverberated, the turbulent air ruffling Lin Xiao’s bangs, temporarily putting his thoughts aside.

‘Let’s finish this quickly.’

This hunter was slightly weaker than Ghost Tiger but was skilled in Vitalis Entwinement. Even with depleted energy, he could still hold his own against Lin Xiao for a couple of minutes. But now, he had reached his limit.

Bang-!

With a direct kick from Lin Xiao, the vitalis veil on the hunter’s hand shattered. The immense force and explosive shockwave sent him flying out of the arena.

“Congratulations to Ash for the victory! Let’s cheer for him!”

“Oh-!”

“Ash-! Ash-! Ash-!”

Amidst the overwhelming cheers and whistles, Lin Xiao once again chose to Defend the Arena. He stood still, quietly calculating his prize money, patiently awaiting his next opponent.

Lin Xiao noticed something was amiss.

In the arena, the audience’s roar gradually subsided, eventually falling into silence. Their gazes were fixed on the contestant’s area, mouths agape and faces filled with surprise, their emotions visibly stirred.

Lin Xiao turned his head to look across the arena.

A girl with flowing black hair stepped onto the stage. She wore a military-style white shirt and black pants, her doll-like face devoid of expression, staring directly at Lin Xiao without uttering a word.

The girl in the military uniform, combined with the audience’s intense emotional reaction, even without the host’s introduction, Lin Xiao knew who she was.

“Let’s welcome the next challenger-Bai Xue!”

“Oh-!”

“Bai Xue-! Bai Xue-! Bai Xue-!”

The silence of the arena exploded, the fervent cheers threatening to lift the roof, revealing the terrifying popularity she held among the spectators.

Lin Xiao even heard several heart-wrenching cries.

“Bai Xue! Ice Princess! My goddess~! Still the most beautiful today~!”

“The strongest contestant of Sequence 4 is here!”

“I wish I could be Bai Xue’s pet-!”

“Ice Princess~ Come let sister kiss you~!”

“Mom-!”

“Why is Bai Xue a deity? Before discussing this, I want to talk about where other hunters fall short compared to Bai Xue…”

…

Damn, a bunch of lunatics!

Lin Xiao rubbed his ears, his mouth twitching, feeling as if he was being mentally polluted.

For a moment, he couldn’t tell whether the audience was admiring strength or simply infatuated. Perhaps it was both…

The host had stepped back, and facing the emotionless girl, Lin Xiao found himself at a loss for words.

Should he greet her?

But she didn’t seem like the chatty type.

Maybe just start the fight…?

“…Shall I begin?”

Lin Xiao asked tentatively.

Bai Xue nodded slightly, her expression unchanged.

Alright, let’s fight then.

Lin Xiao crouched, his vitalis surging, activating Hunter Mode immediately. He wasn’t sure of her exact stats, but he was certain she was much stronger than Bai Shan.

In terms of strength, Ghost Tiger couldn’t compare to her, as she was the leading member of Sequence 4.

This opponent was not to be underestimated…

With that thought, Lin Xiao closed his eyes briefly, and when they reopened, dark flames burned within his pupils.

Whoosh-

Lin Xiao transformed into a blur, shooting forward without a hint of mercy, his fist aimed squarely at her delicate face.

Bang-!

Predictably, the attack had no effect.

A small, pale hand blocked Lin Xiao’s strike, his strength sinking like a stone in the ocean, without causing a ripple.

Her slender, cool fingers clamped around his fist like a steel shackle, trapping him completely.

Strength 19, Agility 19, Constitution 14, Spirit 16, Martial Arts Lv2, Footwork Lv2, Vitalis… Lv1!

This woman… was definitely on the same level as Zhuang Jianyu!

Without hesitation, dark gray Flame Thread emerged, wrapping around Lin Xiao’s limbs.

Boom-!

Her palm met Lin Xiao’s vitalis, unleashing a powerful shockwave.

Her fingers loosened slightly, allowing Lin Xiao to break free.

Retreating several meters, Lin Xiao stared at his opponent, his expression tense and serious.

[Superpower: Ice and Snow]

Lin Xiao had known she was an Ability User, but her position as one of Sequence 4’s strongest wasn’t due to her superpower alone.

It was her inherent strength…

Bai Xue curiously observed Lin Xiao’s arm, the layer of Flame Thread attached.

Her lips parted slightly, her voice clear and ethereal.

“Are you… really a third-year student?”