I'm in a real religion, why are all the people who confess to me girls?

'I kind of miss Senior Tianyin...'

……

In order to catch up with time, Jiang Yan rushed over mountains and valleys to reach the foot of the mountain where Outpost B was located.

That little house was right on the way up the mountain. Just as Tianyin said, as long as Yan Neng took this stronghold, he could control the entire second year. He could drive the entire second year into a corner with just one person. Just thinking about his glorious victory after success made Yan Neng feel like a raging fire was burning in his heart.

Jiang Yan didn't hide; he swaggered towards the only road leading up the mountain, which was also the location of the Viewpoint Hut.

This area is entirely under the surveillance of the second-grade students, so hiding is pointless, and he has never needed to hide in his actions.

Second Grade Vision Hut

"I knew Miyako Girl wouldn't arrange such a good job for me. I had just sat down when the guests arrived."

Koenji, who was humming a song with his legs propped up on the table, looked at the four monitor screens in front of him and immediately understood.

He originally planned to hang out with the second-year students, but just as everyone was about to start building the granary, Tianyin found him with a big smile on her face.

"Hey! Isn't this Koenji? Are you on your way to help move the timber?"

Tenon's deliberate fake smile made Koenji's lips twitch uncontrollably. If he remembered correctly, every time Tenon showed such an expression, it was never a good thing for him.

"Oh, it's the Miyako girl. I'm about to move this piece of wood to the Hirata boy's side. Would you like to come and lend a hand?"

Anyone could tell that Tenon had come to see Koenji about something, and Koenji was well aware of it as well. However, he absolutely could not be the first to ask Tenon what she wanted to see him about. Otherwise, if he was just one of Tenon's targets, and he answered the question, Tenon would definitely take the opportunity to dump all the trouble on him, and his special exam journey would be completely ruined.

However, Koenji probably didn't expect that Amane was specifically targeting him this time.

"Oh, moving timber can be done by someone else. I've come to you with a very easy task! A really, really easy one~"

The more Tenon emphasized the relaxed atmosphere, the more suspicious Koenji looked at her.

"An easy task? No, no, no, I'd rather move my timber. If I remember correctly, Miyako girl, you always say it's easy when you give me troublesome tasks. This time you even emphasized that it's easy, so I know without a doubt that the task you're going to give me next will be very difficult. I think it's fine as it is now. Don't worry, although I won't work too hard, I won't hold you back in this kind of exam."

Koenji, his eyes filled with wariness, distanced himself from Tenon, seemingly afraid that Tenon was afraid he would shirk his responsibilities and thus wanted to leave the troublesome matters to him. Koenji quickly assured Tenon and the others that he would definitely not hold them back this time.

Seeing the distrust in Koenji's eyes, Tenon inwardly scoffed. Koenji wasn't so easily fooled anymore; it seemed she'd have to come up with a different story next time…

"Don't worry, this mission is really easy. I plan to assign you to guard the Vision Hut. When we went up the mountain, you saw that the Vision Hut not only has electricity, but also a simple toilet for each person. It even has a bed and a computer. Compared to us who have to live in tents and sleep in sleeping bags, it's like heaven. Don't you find this suggestion appealing, Koenji?"

What Tianyin said was true. There were four huts near the B base, and the living conditions were much better than living in tents. It was a perfect job to guard the huts. Normally, such a good thing would never fall to Gaoyuanji. Could it be that Tianyin really arranged an easy task for him this time?

"What do I need to do to get to the Vision Hut?"

"There's not much to do, just check the security cameras every day, and let us know when someone comes. In short, it's super easy!!!"

Chapter 190: Jiang Yan's First Defeat

In short, Gaoyuanji was coaxed and tricked by Tianyin into going to a small cabin guarding the only road in the mountains.

There are four vision cabins around the stronghold where each grade is located. Tianyin didn't promise him which one he would be assigned to. The other three vision cabins are located at the foot of the mountain behind Stronghold B, next to the river. It is impossible for anyone to sneak up on it, and even if you want to get there, you have to find a way to cross the river first. Therefore, it is also known as an absolutely safe place. The only drawback is that there is no generator, which means that this vision cabin has no electricity.

The other two huts are located beside a dry riverbed and behind a grove of trees at the foot of the mountain, both adjacent to the river. They are basically places where no one passes by. Tenon placed Hui and the Fukuyama sisters in these three huts respectively. Hui was placed in the safest place in case she got hurt, while the Fukuyama sisters are both capable and would not be able to take down these two huts in a short time even if someone wanted to attack them.

As for the most dangerous and troublesome mountain trails with their viewpoints, those were reserved for Koenji Temple.

Koenji had just come down from the mountain and hadn't even had a chance to sit down when he saw a furtive figure sneaking up near point B on the surveillance camera. Then, seemingly realizing there were surveillance cameras nearby, the figure stopped hiding and swaggered towards the small house in Koenji's line of sight.

"What a troublesome guy. If I remember correctly, this should be Miyako Girl's younger brother. Hmph, I hope he can have half the strength of his sister."

Koenji did not immediately go out to fight. Instead, he picked up a cylindrical firework that was on the ground and then walked to the open space to light it.

With a 'bang', fireworks exploded in mid-air, and a wisp of smoke suddenly rose from the mountaintop. Jiang Yan, who was not far away, was a little confused by all these dazzling operations, but he quickly realized that this was a unique way of transmitting information among the second-year students.

Thinking that someone would soon come to support the Vision Hut from the mountaintop, Masahiko couldn't help but feel anxious and quickened his pace to reach the Vision Hut, where he bumped into Koenji.

The moment Yan saw Koenji's muscular physique, his pupils constricted slightly. He wasn't blind; he could tell at a glance that Koenji's muscles weren't the kind you get from a gym, but rather incredibly solid muscles formed through long-term, systematic training.

Looking at Koenji's muscular physique and tall stature, Masahiko knew that he had probably met a formidable opponent today.

He quickly recalled the information of all the second-year students in his mind, and finally found the information related to Koenji in the depths of his memory.

Rokusuke Koenji, the only son of the Koenji Zaibatsu, is top-notch in both academics and physical abilities. He consistently ranks first in grades alongside Amane. While his physical attributes appear impressive on paper, he doesn't seem to demonstrate any particular skill, though he appears to be particularly adept at swimming.

Masahiko was quite troubled by the lack of valuable information about Koenji, an enemy whose strength was clearly formidable. Koenji performed well in both academics and physical abilities, which greatly increased the defensive strategies Masahiko could employ. However, this undoubtedly increased the difficulty for Masahiko, who was on the offensive.

"You must be Koenji, right? I'm here to challenge you. Just tell me what you want to compete in, so we don't waste time."

Masahiko deliberately adopted an extremely arrogant attitude in an attempt to provoke Koenji, a scion of a wealthy family.

Little did he know that Koenji was looking at him with amusement, as if he were watching a monkey waving its arms and legs in a zoo. That mocking gaze made Masahiko feel a little angry.

However, Masahiko knew that Koenji had the means to stall for time. Before he launched the challenge, Koenji had already sent a signal to the mountaintop. If the person coming to help was someone as fast as Amane, they could probably get here from the mountaintop in less than three minutes. The challenge rules of the Vision Hut only prohibit attacking the defenders, but do not prohibit attacking the challenger.

In other words, even if Ten'in arrives in time, and he has already started a challenge against Koenji, Ten'in can still give him a good beating.

He'll really lose a lot of money then.

"What? Are you scared?"

Unwilling to continue delaying with Koenji, Masahiko had no choice but to provoke Koenji once again.

He had encountered enemies with an absolute advantage in physique before, but without exception, they all ended up lying in front of him. As long as he had enough information or found a weakness in Koenji, then this challenge could be decided in one fell swoop!

There are only two possibilities for why Koenji wasn't provoked: either he has absolute confidence in his own strength and doesn't take the provocation seriously at all, or he wants to bluff, using his physical advantage to scare away Masahiko or buy time.

Which one will it be?

Jiang Yan faces a difficult choice.

Take a gamble!

Even if Koenji excels in swimming, it doesn't mean that he's good at both swimming and fighting.

"Since you've extended such a warm invitation, how about we have an arm-wrestling match?"

You made the right bet!!!

When Jiang Yan heard about Gao Yuanji's challenge, he couldn't hide his joy. Whether it was a contest of academic ability or a battle of strength, Jiang Yan believed that he was no less than Gao Yuanji. The only thing Jiang Yan was wary of was Gao Yuanji's physical advantage in terms of fighting skills. Jiang Yan's own fighting skills were very rough. Because he did not have the talent of Tianyin, no matter how much fighting experience he poured into it, in the end, apart from becoming physically stronger, his fighting skills were only average.

If Koenji were a master of a particular fighting style, this would be a difficult situation. However, Koenji chose arm wrestling, a challenge that is purely a test of strength, which shows that Koenji is not confident in his own fighting skills...

In that case...

"As you wish!"

Hiko and Koenji stood on either side of a slightly flat stone, then simultaneously placed their elbows on the flat surface of the stone, clasped their hands tightly, and looked at each other.

"How about I send the signal?"

The party that issues the signal has the advantage of being in the lead. Knowing when to announce the start allows them to begin preparing their attack in advance, a tactic that can be surprisingly effective against opponents of similar strength.

Normally, Jiang Yan wouldn't stoop to such petty tricks, but this time was different. In order to buy time, Jiang Yan didn't care about using any means necessary.

"It doesn't matter, anyway..."

"Start!! Aaaaaah!!!!"

Before Koenji could finish speaking, Masahiko launched the first attack. In an instant, the veins on Masahiko's right hand bulged, and a powerful force, carrying an overwhelming momentum, pressed down on Koenji.

Anyone with poor mental fortitude or less strength than Jiang Yan would be immediately defeated by his unexpected surprise attack. Even if word got out, no one would believe that Jiang Yan, the strongest student in his grade, would resort to such low-level tactics.

To Jiang Yan's utter surprise, his full-force attack on Gao Yuanji's hand was like a giant wave crashing against a cliff. The cliff remained unmoved, but the giant wave was instead shattered into a shower of water.

"How could such a thing happen?"

Jiang Yan stared at Gao Yuanji's large, motionless hand, his face filled with disbelief.

"Hmph, what? Didn't you eat? You were so arrogant, I thought you had some skills, but it turns out... you're nothing special. Are you really Miyako Girl's brother?"

Koenji spoke casually, mocking Masahiko, whose face was flushed red. The absolute difference in strength was obvious; in other words, the outcome was already decided.

"I didn't expect you to be even stronger than Sister Tianyin... The second year is truly full of hidden talents."

Jiang Yan was unwilling to accept this.

He was extremely unwilling to accept it. He was only one step away from success when a formidable enemy suddenly appeared. Moreover, he could easily encounter monsters stronger than Tianyin. He really didn't know whether to say he was lucky or unlucky.

"Judging from your tone, it seems you've fought against the Miyako girls before. Although I don't know the specifics, I can tell from your tone that the Miyako girls definitely held back."

Koenji's words were like igniting a haystack, instantly setting Masahiko's already resentful heart ablaze.

"What nonsense! Tianyin and I fought with all our might! Although I lost in the end, it was absolutely not what you're saying—that I held back! I was only one step away from Tianyin! Ahhhhh!!! Move!"

Jiang Yan roared with his eyes wide open and his voice hoarse with rage. Suddenly, the power in his body began to surge and flow continuously into his already bruised hands. Under the impact of the enormous power, even the hands that had been motionless before began to fall towards Gao Yuanji.

Jiang Yan finally saw a glimmer of hope for victory!

"I can see that you really want to surpass Miyako Girl. I can understand the feeling of having someone more outstanding than yourself always ahead of you, and no matter how hard you try, you can never catch up with her. But... your strength is not even worthy of Miyako Girl's hair!"

Just one step away? Ha! What a load of nonsense! You think you can bridge the gap between heaven and earth? Go look in the mirror and see for yourself! Do you even deserve it?! Well, today I'll show you what true strength is on behalf of the Miyako girls.

The veins on Koenji's arms began to bulge out from under his skin like giant blue pythons, and the intense throbbing was as if his heart was beating incessantly.

An immense force, completely irresistible to Jiang Yan, erupted from Gao Yuanji's hand, extinguishing Jiang Yan's last glimmer of hope in the blink of an eye.

Immediately following was a crisp 'smack!' sound as a hand, almost deformed, was slammed heavily onto the stone.

In less than three seconds, Koenji easily completed the counterattack.

The process of this competition was like an adult and a child competing in strength. The child tried his best and finally managed to push the adult a little, but then the serious adult easily knocked the child to the ground and made him unable to move.

The difference in the middle goes without saying.

"You lost."

Koenji stood up, and after cleaning the dust off his knees, he looked down at Masahiko, whose face was ashen.

Jiang Yan silently looked at his hand, whose tiger's mouth had been cracked by Gao Yuanji's casual pinch, and gave a bitter smile.

He lost.

The defeat was so complete.

This was the first time Jiang Yan had encountered an opponent who could bring him despair. He knew very well that Gao Yuanji was no match for him now, yet this powerful person held Amane in high esteem.

He had only narrowly won by one move in their previous tentative exchange with Tianyin. Even if Tianyin had held back, he hadn't used his full strength at the time, so that contest should be considered a minor defeat.

But... is that really the case?

What made Masahiko even more desperate and unable to accept than the physical pain was Koenji's words, "Your strength is not even worthy of a single finger of a Miyako girl." Masahiko didn't know whether Koenji's words were meant to demoralize him or simply stating a fact.

But for him, those words almost destroyed all his confidence.

He knew from the beginning that there was a fundamental gap between him and Tianyin, but no matter how much he imagined, he could not fathom what Tianyin's true strength would be like.

Ever since Tianyin completely broke free from that man's control, he has become Tianyin's replacement and the 'hope to revitalize the family'.

He, also known as a genius, cherished this opportunity to become stronger, and finally, after undergoing brutal training, successfully left the room that only had one color.

The man was very satisfied with his masterpiece, because Jiang Yan was practically invincible in that facility. No one could compete with Jiang Yan in academics or physical fitness, not even the teachers and instructors.

He, Miyako Masahiko, has finally grown to the point where he can protect Amane-nee.

However, the person named Ayanokouji was not satisfied with his strength.

"I never imagined the gap between geniuses could be so large? Or is it because they aren't physically gifted...? Sure enough, the limits of an ordinary genius aren't that different from the limits of an ordinary person. Another flawed product."

Defective products?

……

The distant memories caused Jiang Yan immense pain.

He used to not understand why, even though he had become so powerful, Amane still treated him like a child, but now Miyako Masahiko understands.

If Sister Tianyin is a powerhouse of the same level as Gaoyuanji in front of her, then I am indeed no different from a child in front of her.

Just as Jiang Yan got up dejectedly, not even bothering to brush the dust off his knees, and turned to leave...

The sound of Koenji's voice from behind made him stop abruptly.

"Miyako girl, you came really fast. Don't worry, I didn't destroy your little toys."

"It's alright. This is a special exam. What I want is victory. As for Jiang Yan? The price of insufficient strength is learning to bow your head. Even if you don't show him this principle today, I will teach him in the future."

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Jiang Yan turned around abruptly.

Tenon stood on a giant rock, much larger than the Viewpoint House, and spoke with Koenji, who stood below the rock, her head slightly bowed.

Seemingly noticing Jiang Yan's gaze, Tian Yin also looked at Jiang Yan.

"Sister Tianyin..."

Jiang Yan's mouth was full of bitterness. Countless words welled up in his chest, then in his throat, and then in his mouth, but he could only move his lips three or four times before he couldn't utter a single complete sentence.

"I told you, you're far from being able to protect me. This failure is just an appetizer before the real special exam begins."