Luo Bing stood at the front of the group, the paleness on her face had faded considerably, and her aura was more refined and profound than before her injury, sharp and intimidating. Not only had her injuries healed, but her cultivation seemed to have even increased.
He noticed Xiao Han's gaze, let out a cold snort, and made no attempt to conceal his hostility and fighting spirit.
He remembered the humiliation of being knocked unconscious by a single punch last time, and he was determined to get his revenge a hundredfold in this competition!
Shi Lei stood next to Luo Bing, his physique still as imposing as a small mountain. When he looked at Xiao Han, he felt a mix of emotions, a little intimidated, yet unable to suppress his desire to give it a try.
The top three in the Core Sequence were even more eye-catching. Each of them possessed a restrained yet powerful aura, and their energy subtly clashed with each other, making the air feel oppressive. Clearly, they all regarded each other as tough nuts to crack.
"Hey! You're Xiao Han, right?" A reporter with a microphone suddenly appeared out of nowhere, squeezed in front of Xiao Han, and said with a beaming face, "I'm from the Imperial Capital Martial Arts Express. Could you briefly tell me your goals for this competition?"
Xiao Han's brows twitched.
Before she could finish speaking, she swayed and slid behind a tall classmate.
A calm, even voice drifted over. "Sorry, the match is about to start, I need to prepare."
The reporter's outstretched microphone missed its target. Looking in the direction Xiao Han had disappeared, he could only sullenly mutter, "Hey, is this guy a slippery eel?"
Meanwhile, the top students from other classes also sent their fighting spirit signals to the area where Zero Class was located.
Especially when he was targeting Xiao Han, the provocation was completely undisguised.
Zero Class is strong, but they're not pushovers either.
Who is the real dragon? Let's find out in the ring!
"Alright, everyone, quiet down!"
Instructor Qin Zhen's calm voice silenced all the noise, and everyone in Zero Class looked over.
"You all know the rules of the competition. I'll just emphasize one point: heavy-handedness is allowed, but killing is strictly prohibited! This is the academy's bottom line; anyone who crosses it will die!"
His gaze swept over each student, finally settling on Xiao Han, lingering for a moment longer, his curiosity and expectation impossible to conceal.
"Safety first, act within your capabilities."
"Of course, I hope you can give it your all and bring glory to Zero Class!"
Go!
"Yes, mentor!" everyone responded in unison.
"Thump--!"
A melodious and solemn bell rang out, echoing throughout the entire Imperial Capital Academy.
The referee's loud voice rang out. "The 137th Imperial Capital Academy Grand Competition, Elimination Rounds, officially begins! All participants, please proceed to your respective arenas immediately!"
Boom!
As if a long-accumulated flood had found its outlet, the entire training ground instantly erupted in excitement! Countless participating students surged towards the hundreds of designated arena areas like a tidal wave.
Xiao Han stood still, feeling the surging crowd around him and the suddenly rising fighting spirit in the air, and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.
It's here!
Without further hesitation, he took a step and his figure merged into the surging crowd, heading towards the number seventy-three arena assigned to him.
The real battle begins now!
The preliminary rounds of the Imperial Capital Academy Grand Competition officially began after the bell rang.
Tens of thousands of students surged like a floodgate opening towards the hundreds of arenas scattered across the vast central training ground.
The clamor, shouts, and the sounds of weapons clashing converged into a surge of heat that soared into the sky, pushing the atmosphere of the entire academy to its first climax.
The preliminary rounds use a random matching elimination system, designed to quickly weed out underperforming contestants and pave the way for more intense competition later on.
As a result, most of the arenas were surrounded by crowds of spectators, especially those with seeded players or well-known talents, which were packed with people three or four layers deep.
In contrast, Xiao Han was assigned to arena number 73, which was in a relatively remote location, and the surrounding audience was much sparser.
But that doesn't mean the battle here went unnoticed. At least, when Xiao Han, wearing the Zero Class Core Sequence uniform, stepped onto the stage, many eyes immediately focused on him.
"It's him! That freshman Xiao Han!"
"Zero Class Core Sequence? I heard he got in through connections, and his actual ability is at the bottom of the core."
"Tsk tsk, what good luck! Matched with him in the first round, isn't this a freebie?"
Amidst the murmurs, Xiao Han's opponent stepped onto the stage. He was a burly, arrogant young man with the cultivation of the Eighth Level of the Warrior Realm, considered a minor expert even in an ordinary class. When he saw Xiao Han, a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes, which quickly turned into excitement.
"Kid, you're Xiao Han, the one who got lucky and got into Zero Class?" The young man cracked his knuckles as he cracked his knuckles, his voice booming, "Heard you only know theory? Today, let me, your grandpa, teach you how to fight in real combat! Just thinking about climbing over the core members of Zero Class is exciting!"
This young man was Wang Meng, who had awakened the C-level Martial Soul "Fierce Savage Ape," possessing innate divine strength.
He saw this match as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to climb to the top, already fantasizing about how he would become famous and attract countless attention and resources after defeating Xiao Han.
The thought of climbing over the core members of Zero Class to the top is exhilarating!
Below the ring, the already sparse audience became more alert.
They wanted to see what kind of person this controversial freshman, who supposedly got into Zero Class by sheer luck, really was.
Whether it's a mule or a horse, we'll find out once we take it out for a spin.
The referee was a serious-looking middle-aged mentor.
He glanced at the two men and said in a businesslike tone, "Say your names, check equipment, and prepare."
Wang Meng, with a loud voice, eagerly announced his name, and at the same time, a flash of earthy yellow light appeared on his body, instantly activating his Martial Soul "Fierce Savage Ape".
His already robust body seemed to swell even larger, exuding a menacing and oppressive aura.
Xiao Han.
Xiao Han calmly gave his name, without even lifting an eyelid.
His opponent's provocation and bravado were nothing more than a breeze to him.
"The match begins!" The referee swung his arm down sharply.
"Kid, catch me..." Wang Meng roared, and with a loud thud, he shot towards Xiao Han like a cannonball.
A fist the size of a clay pot, whipping up a vicious wind, hurtled straight at Xiao Han's face!
He's going to make one move!
Let's crush this "fake" student from Zero Class in the most brutal and direct way, and show everyone who the real champion is!
But just as Wang Meng's fist was about to smash into Xiao Han's nose...
An unexpected change occurred!
The figure of Xiao Han, who was originally standing there, became slightly blurred.
It wasn't so fast that it left an afterimage, but rather a more eerie feeling, like a reflection in water or a flower in a mirror, shattering at the slightest touch.
The next moment, he was gone!
Wang Meng's powerful punch landed squarely on empty air!
The immense force lost its target, causing him to stumble forward and nearly fall.
Where are they?!
What's going on?!
Wang Meng's heart skipped a beat, filled with utter shock.
He hadn't even had time to regain his footing, nor had he found Xiao Han's shadow.
An invisible and intangible gust of wind, yet carrying a terrifying and destructive force, had silently attacked from his side and rear!
That wasn't even a direct attack; it was a fist gust of wind condensed to its fullest extent.
But the sense of Annihilation it contained made Wang Meng's hair stand on end!
A chilling fear, originating from the deepest recesses of his soul, gripped him tightly, rendering him immobile!
"Puff!"