Public Humiliation

The next day, during the practical combat training class for Grade 12, Class 7.

Two days had passed since Lin Feng repelled Zhang Kuang with a single punch, but the atmosphere in the training hall remained tense. As the students warmed up, their gazes kept drifting towards Lin Feng, who was warming up alone in the corner with a calm expression, whispering amongst themselves.

"Heard Lin Feng didn't come to class yesterday afternoon?"

"Could it be he's hiding, afraid of Zhang Kuang's revenge?"

"It's possible. Zhang Kuang's family isn't to be trifled with. He probably just got lucky that day..."

Zhang Kuang's face was grim. The injury to his right ribs seemed to have healed, but the ferocity in his eyes was more intense than ever. He stared at Lin Feng like a hungry wolf ready to pounce. Being repelled by a "cripple" in front of the entire class that day was the greatest humiliation of his life, and it had to be washed away with blood!

Liu Feifei stood amidst the girls, looking at Lin Feng with a complicated expression. She noticed that in just two days, Lin Feng's demeanor seemed to have changed again. His previously outward sharpness had become more restrained, and his posture seemed more upright. Standing there, he gave off a feeling of being as stable as a mountain, unshakeable. This unfamiliar feeling made her heart flutter with unease.

"Assemble!" Instructor Li Zhenhai's voice rang out.

The students quickly formed ranks.

Li Zhenhai's gaze swept over them, pausing for a moment on Lin Feng. He nodded slightly, then said sternly, "Today, we will have a practical combat assessment! Two people per group, free challenges. I will score based on your performance! This is the last classroom assessment before the Martial Arts Examination, so give it your all!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a tense atmosphere filled the hall. The practical combat assessment score directly affected the comprehensive evaluation for the Martial Arts Examination, and no one dared to be careless.

Almost the instant Li Zhenhai finished speaking, Zhang Kuang stepped forward, pointing directly at Lin Feng. His voice carried undisguised ruthlessness: "Lin Feng! I challenge you!"

Here it comes!

Everyone's spirits lifted, and their gazes focused squarely on the two of them. As expected, Zhang Kuang would not let this go!

Li Zhenhai frowned slightly, but according to the rules, he couldn't stop a free challenge. He could only say in a deep voice, "Stop when you've made your point, no intentional injury! Lin Feng, do you accept the challenge?"

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Lin Feng slowly raised his head, looked at Zhang Kuang's sinister grin, and calmly uttered two words: "I do."

There was no anger, no fear, not even a ripple of emotion, as if he were agreeing to a trivial matter. This dismissive attitude instantly sent Zhang Kuang's rage to its peak.

"Good! Very good!" Zhang Kuang gritted his teeth and strode towards the circular arena marked in the center of the field.

Lin Feng followed at a leisurely pace.

The two stood in the center, the atmosphere charged with tension.

"Lin Feng, I was careless that day and you managed to sneak an attack! Today, I'll show you that a waste will always be a waste!" Zhang Kuang roared, his aura suddenly erupting. A faint red halo of Spiritual Energy emanated from his body, more solid than two days ago! He clenched his fists, and a faint heatwave rose above his knuckles!

"It's the Blazing Fist! Zhang Kuang is getting serious!"

"What a powerful aura! He's probably not far from becoming a formal Martial Artist!"

"Lin Feng is finished. No matter how good his foundation is, he's no match for a real martial skill!"

Exclamations erupted all around as everyone felt Zhang Kuang's oppressive aura.

Liu Feifei couldn't help but clench her palms, her fingernails digging into her flesh.

"Begin!" Instructor Li Zhenhai commanded.

"Get down!" Zhang Kuang roared. His body moved like a fierce tiger breaking free from its cage, carrying a gust of hot wind as he instantly lunged at Lin Feng! His right fist was crimson, like a red-hot iron brand, wrapped in scorching airflow, and it slammed fiercely towards Lin Feng's chest! This punch was far superior in speed, power, and momentum to the last one, clearly showing no restraint!

The punch swept past, carrying a burning sensation. If it were the Lin Feng of two days ago, he probably wouldn't have even had time to react to such a punch.

But now--

Lin Feng's eyes narrowed. Under his extraordinarily keen Spiritual Power perception, the trajectory of Zhang Kuang's swift punch was clearly visible, even the weak points in the flow of the Blazing Spiritual Energy were faintly discernible!

He didn't meet the punch head-on. The moment the fist was about to hit his body, the muscles in his legs tensed violently, his Blood Essence vibrated at a unique frequency, and a faint electric flash seemed to flicker beneath his feet!

"Lightning Flash!"

Swish!

His figure slid sideways and backward like a phantom, moving so fast that only a faint afterimage remained! Zhang Kuang's confident punch, once again, grazed the edge of his clothes by a hair's breadth!

"What?!" Zhang Kuang's pupils constricted. He hadn't seen how Lin Feng moved at all!

However, before he could change his attack, Lin Feng, while evading the punch, spun his body with the momentum. The aura that had been suppressed until now erupted like a dormant volcano! His right fist was no longer a simple straight punch, but with his fingers slightly curled, as if grasping an invisible bolt of lightning. His internal Blood Essence instantly stacked according to the vận khí method of the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade!

A heart-stopping explosive aura emanated from his fist!

"Thunderclap Break!"

A low shout, accompanied by a faint sound of thunder, exploded! Lin Feng's fist, launched later, arrived first. It was like lightning tearing through the night sky, hitting precisely, swiftly, and explosively towards the opening under Zhang Kuang's armpit exposed by his punch—the same spot he had hit last time, and a node in the circulation route of the Blazing Fist!

"Not good!" Zhang Kuang's face changed drastically. In his haste, he could only manage to block with his left arm, while frantically channeling Blazing Spiritual Energy to protect himself.

"Bang!!"

The collision of fist and arm produced not a dull thud, but a short, sharp explosive sound!

"Crack!"

The clear sound of bone breaking reached everyone's ears!

"Ah--!" Zhang Kuang let out a piercing scream. His entire body flew backward like a kite with a broken string. His left arm, held across his body, bent at an unnatural angle. He even spat out a small mouthful of blood and crashed heavily five meters away. After struggling a few times, he couldn't get up!

Silence!

A deathly silence!

The entire training hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone's mouths hung open, their eyes bulging as if they would fall out. They stared in disbelief at Lin Feng in the center, who remained in his punching stance, radiating a sharp aura, and at Zhang Kuang, groaning in pain on the ground in the distance.

One move!

Still just one move!

But this time, Lin Feng didn't just win by a trick; he crushed Zhang Kuang head-on, completely dominating him! He even broke Zhang Kuang's arm!

The speed he unleashed, the terrifying fist energy that sounded like thunder cracking the sky... that was definitely not a basic fist technique!

Liu Feifei covered her mouth, her delicate body trembling slightly. Her gaze towards Lin Feng was filled with unprecedented shock and... a hint of fear. She finally understood what Lin Feng meant when he said, "My path is my own to walk." He was no longer the young man she thought she knew.

Instructor Li Zhenhai's eyes blazed with brilliance, and his heart churned like a stormy sea. "Thunder Intent?! Although incredibly faint, there's no mistaking it! He actually managed to cultivate that Nine Heavens Thunder Blade that no one could practice?! And to this extent! A genius! No, a monster!"

Lin Feng slowly retracted his fist. The Blood Essence within him churned slightly but quickly calmed. He glanced at Zhang Kuang, who lay on the ground, his face contorted in pain and malice. Lin Feng's expression was cold, devoid of any sympathy.

He walked up to Zhang Kuang and looked down at him, his voice calm yet striking everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer:

"Now, who's the trash?"

Zhang Kuang's head shot up, meeting Lin Feng's deep, icy gaze. An bone-chilling coldness instantly swept through his entire body. The harsh words that were about to escape his lips were swallowed back down, leaving only fear and trembling unwillingness.

Lin Feng no longer looked at him and turned to walk towards the edge of the arena. As he passed, the students instinctively parted, making way for him. Their gazes towards him were filled with awe, admiration, and a complex emotion that was hard to describe.

At this moment, no one dared to look down on the "waste" they had once mocked.

Li Zhenhai took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart, and announced in a deep voice, "This match, Lin Feng wins! Zhang Kuang, go to the infirmary!" He gave Lin Feng a profound look. "Lin Feng, come to my office after class."

Lin Feng nodded. He knew that the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade he had displayed would inevitably attract the Instructor's attention. But this was exactly what he wanted; he needed more resources and a bigger platform.

He looked up, his gaze seeming to pierce through the roof of the training hall and towards the vast sky.

The Hidden Dragon had emerged from its lair.