First Place! Lei Zhan's Invitation

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

Zhou Ye's face, contorted from exerting extreme force, was now filled with disbelief. His fist, the ferocious strike infused with 124 calories of Qi and Blood energy, was being firmly grasped by a slender, fair hand.

It remained completely still.

His two teammates behind him stared wide-eyed, their mouths agape and their eyes bulging like saucers, completely incapacitated.

Inside the massive Command Center outside the Quarantine Zone, an eerie silence reigned.

Hundreds of Martial Dao elites from various high schools in Tiannan City stood frozen in place, staring intently at the impactful image on the main screen.

The cold smile on Director Wang's face at Tiannan Middle School froze completely.

"How... how is this possible?"

A dry sound came from his throat.

Quarantine Zone.

After the initial shock, a sense of humiliation lingered in Zhou Ye's mind.

"Open it for me...!"

He roared madly, and his other hand also formed a fist and punched out. The scarlet Qi and Blood around his body boiled violently, trying to pull his arm out of that slender palm.

However, that hand seemed to be welded to his arm, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't budge it an inch.

At the top of the boulder, Chen Fan finally moved.

He scratched his cheek listlessly with his other hand, blinked his clear eyes with a hint of pure curiosity, and sighed.

"Senior, your 124 calories of Qi and Blood... is it watered down?"

"Why don't you eat something first before you come and fight?"

These seemingly casual words struck a nerve with Zhou Ye's already fragile pride.

"Aaaaah! I'm going to kill you!"

Zhou Ye went completely mad, abandoning all techniques and instinctively activating all the Qi and Blood in his body.

"It's so noisy."

The playful look on Chen Fan's face vanished instantly, replaced by indifference.

He no longer hid.

Boom!!

A power far more refined, domineering, and dazzling than Zhou Ye's mixed and scarlet Qi and Blood erupted from that slender body!

Golden Qi and Blood!

Like the rising sun, it is dazzling and brilliant, interspersed with cold and deep starlight, as if it has incorporated an entire galaxy!

The light shot into the sky, instantly suppressing and dispersing the scarlet aura surrounding Zhou Ye!

An indescribable, terrifying pressure descended upon the entire arena!

"This... this is..."

Zhou Ye's pupils suddenly contracted to their maximum size.

Inside the Command Center, Commander-in-Chief Lei Zhan abruptly stood up from his seat, exclaiming in shock, "111 units of Qi and Blood! This little guy..."

In an instant, Lei Zhan's gaze fell on Gu Ci, who was not far away.

He could clearly see a rare smile appear on Gu Ci's calm face.

Before he could finish speaking...

Inside the Quarantine Zone, Chen Fan released Zhou Ye's hand and delivered a simple, unremarkable Basic Straight Punch.

This punch had no fancy moves, no violent shockwave.

There was only one golden fist aura, condensed to its fullest extent.

Before Zhou Ye's horrified eyes, the golden fist light pierced through his proud protective Qi and Blood in an instant with overwhelming force.

"Snap!!"

A series of sharp, teeth-grinding cracking sounds rang out.

Zhou Ye coughed up a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs, and his entire body flew backward as if he had been hit head-on by a high-speed Maglev Train.

"Boom!"

His massive body crashed heavily into a solid rock wall dozens of meters away, creating a huge human-shaped crater. He then slid down like a lump of mud and immediately lost consciousness.

One punch.

Just one punch.

The battle is over.

Chen Fan shook his hand, as if he had only brushed off a bit of dust.

He nimbly leaped down from the boulder, walked to the unconscious Zhou Ye's side, and skillfully raised the Terminal on his wrist.

[Points transfer successful.]

[Current total points: 2028]

[Current Ranking: 1st]

On the leaderboard, Chen Fan's name soared like a rocket, instantly leaping from sixth place to firmly occupying the top spot with an absolute advantage!

After a deathly silence lasting ten seconds, the entire Command Center erupted into chaos!

"Holy crap!!"

"One punch! That's fucking one-hit kill!"

"Quasi-Martial Artist defying the Qi-Blood Realm! At nine years old! This is a monster! A prodigy!"

The gasps and gasps that rose and fell almost lifted the roof off the Command Center.

Director Wang of Tiannan Middle School felt a sudden darkness engulf him, his legs went weak, and he slumped into his chair, muttering unconsciously, "No... impossible..."

In the corner, Gu Ci slowly picked up his teacup, blew on the steam, and in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, delivered a subtle but effective blow to the teachers around him who were already Petrification.

"I already said, even within the Qi-Blood Realm, there are trash and top-grade levels."

"Puff!!"

Several teachers couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing.

On the high platform, Commander-in-Chief Lei Zhan looked at the nine-year-old figure standing calmly on the Light Screen, his eyes shining with an unprecedented brilliance.

Without the slightest hesitation, he picked up the communicator and gave the order in an authoritative voice that left no room for doubt.

"The outcome of this Exchange Tournament is decided, and it is now over! All participants, please teleport back immediately!"

With flashes of light, all the surviving participants were teleported back to the starting platform.

When Lu Qing and Xiao Ran saw Chen Fan, their eyes no longer held any resentment or jealousy, but only awe and fervor as if they were looking at a god.

The closing ceremony was greatly simplified.

Commander-in-Chief Lei Zhan personally stepped down from the high platform and solemnly handed a box made of special warm jade to Chen Fan.

"Here lies the champion's reward: the Crimson Flame Earthheart Lotus. Chen Fan, the Federation's future needs geniuses like you."

Lei Zhan's tone was filled with undisguised admiration.

"Thank you, Commander-in-Chief."

Chen Fan politely accepted the jade box.

"Here lies the champion's reward: the Crimson Flame Earthheart Lotus. Chen Fan, the Federation's future needs geniuses like you."

Lei Zhan's tone was filled with undisguised admiration.

"Thank you, Commander-in-Chief."

Chen Fan politely accepted the jade box and was about to turn and leave.

However, Lei Zhan did not withdraw his hand. Instead, he leaned forward slightly, and a fervent light shone in his sharp, hawk-like eyes.

"Chen Fan, don't rush off."

Lei Zhan coughed lightly, trying to make his tone sound casual, but the slight upturn of his lips betrayed his true thoughts.

"Are you aware that our Education General Administration has a special Training Camp?"

Chen Fan paused slightly as he held the jade box, looked up at Lei Zhan, and a hint of doubt appeared in his eyes.

"Training Camp?"

Lei Zhan Chen Fan did not directly refuse, Lei Zhan's spirits lifted, and he quickly pressed his advantage.

"That's right! The Azure Edge Training Camp, directly under the Education General Administration, selects the top Martial Dao talents from across the region for intensive training. Its resources and teachers are a level above any secondary school!"

As he spoke, his gaze was fixed intently on Chen Fan, and his speech unconsciously quickened.

"With the strength and talent you've displayed today, you're fully qualified to enter the core ranks! Then, whether it's cultivation techniques, potions, or combat resources, you'll have access to them all..."

"Commander Lei."

A voice devoid of any emotion interrupted the conversation.

Lei Zhan's words came to an abrupt end.

Gu Ci had walked over from the corner at some point, his lifeless eyes glancing indifferently at Lei Zhan before he put his hand on Chen Fan's shoulder.

"It's getting late, we should go."

His tone was calm, but the hand on Chen Fan's shoulder pulled Chen Fan half a step behind him without hesitation.

Chen Fan blinked, looking curiously at Lei Zhan, then at his teacher, feeling a sense of déjà vu about the scene.

It feels like... someone is trying to steal something from our teacher?

Lei Zhan's lips twitched slightly.

He glanced at Gu Ci's uncompromising face, then at Chen Fan, who was silently shielded behind Gu Ci, and the words of recruitment he was about to utter stuck in his throat.

As the commander-in-chief, in the Martial Dao circle of Tiannan City, to put it bluntly, if he were to recruit anyone, it would be a huge favor to that person.

But unfortunately, the man in front of him was someone he couldn't afford to offend.

"Teacher Gu..." Lei Zhan tried one last time, forcing a smile, "I'm doing this for Chen Fan's own good, regarding the Training Camp's resources..."

"Unnecessary."

Gu Ci didn't even glance at him, but with a slight push, she propelled Chen Fan toward the exit.

Pushed forward by his teacher, Chen Fan couldn't help but glance back at Lei Zhan, and politely waved to the commander-in-chief, whose face was full of regret.

"Commander Lei, thank you for your kindness!"

That thank you was sincere, after all, the other person meant well.

Lei Zhan stood there, watching the two figures, one tall and one short, walk further and further away, the smile on his lips slowly turning into a bitter one.

He shook his head and let out a long sigh.

"Madman Gu... He hasn't taken on any apprentices for ten years, and now that he's finally taken one, he's protecting him more than anything."

The deputy cautiously leaned closer and whispered, "Commander, perhaps... we should think of another way?"

"What kind of plan are you thinking of?" Lei Zhan glared at him irritably. "You're going to try and steal students from Gu Ci? Do you believe he can tear down the gates of your Training Camp?"

The deputy shrank back, not daring to utter another word.

Lei Zhan took one last look at the two figures disappearing at the exit, his eyes filled with deep regret, but even more so with a heartfelt emotion.

"Never mind... Anyone who catches the eye of that madman has a limitless future."

He muttered to himself, turned and walked back to the platform, secretly memorizing the name Chen Fan.

If you miss it today, you may have another chance in the future.

The atmosphere on the recharged Hovercar on the way back was somewhat eerie.

Lu Qing and Xiao Ran sat upright, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Gu Ci ignored them completely, focusing his gaze on Chen Fan, and issued a new task.

"Once you return, immediately go into seclusion. Use the Extreme Flame Power of this Crimson Flame Earthheart Lotus, combined with the Star Power within your body, to Ice-Fire Body Tempering. I want you to break through to 112 kcal within three days!"

One hundred and twelve calories?

Upon hearing this, Lu Qing and Xiao Ran felt another pang in their hearts.

Breaking the 100-calorie limit wasn't enough; they actually want to keep pushing higher?

Is this even human?

Gu Ci looked at Chen Fan, and a rare hint of fervor and solemnity appeared in his lifeless eyes.

"Kid, now that you've broken the 110-calorie barrier, it means you're qualified to try walking... the path once trodden by the Federation's number one prodigy, White Emperor."

"Let's go and find out where the true limit of the Quasi-Martial Artist realm really is!"

White Emperor!

The moment the name was uttered, even the driver's hand trembled slightly.

Anyone from the Human Federation knows very well what the name "White Emperor" represents!

A fierce fighting spirit also ignited in Chen Fan's eyes.

Upon returning to Jiangnan No. 1 High School, he didn't waste a moment. Holding the Crimson Flame Earthheart Lotus, he went straight into the A-Level Gravity Training Room, which had the highest security level.

The heavy Alloy Gate closed slowly.

Outside the door, Gu Ci concealed all his emotions, his eyes becoming incredibly deep.

He pulled out a specially made, unmarked, jet-black encrypted communicator from his pocket and dialed a long-forgotten number.

"Beep... beep..."

A few seconds later, a hoarse, aged voice came from the other end of the communicator, tinged with surprise.

"Madman Gu? You actually dared to contact me first?"