"Chen Nan, 75 points! Next, Lu Guowei!"
After recording the results, Li Zhanting swiftly flipped the sheet with his fingertips, his gaze sweeping over another handwritten roster below. He immediately confirmed that the next person was a "special trainee."
But the moment he looked up, he suddenly discovered that someone had already been standing silently before him.
The person stood only three steps from the platform, tall and straight as a pine. He wore a standard training uniform faded white from washing, yet it could not conceal the sharp aura around him.
"Lu Jue?"
Li Zhanting frowned, obvious displeasure seeping into his voice. "Hasn't your Basic Fist Arts already reached perfection? What are you coming up here to join the fun for?"
Lu Jue remained calm. He clasped his hands slightly and said without a trace of humility, "Instructor Li, learning has no end. Though this student was fortunate enough to cultivate his fist arts to perfection, when it comes to actual combat experience and the finer details of exerting force, I am surely far inferior to you. I have come today specifically to seek your guidance!"
"Specifically to seek my guidance?"
Instructor Li narrowed his eyes, his tone suddenly sinking as an invisible pressure slowly spread outward. "What do you mean? Speak clearly!"
"I wish to ask Instructor Li to personally make a move and exchange a few blows with this student. Only through actual combat can one truly delve into the essence of fist arts!"
The moment those words left his mouth, the entire hall erupted!
"Has he gone mad? He dares challenge an instructor?" one trainee cried out in shock, scarcely believing his ears.
"He's Lu Jue from our class! Yesterday, he defeated Zhang Tie, who was ranked one hundred and thirty-fifth! He crushed him like rotten wood!"
"I know! I know! Yesterday afternoon, Instructor Li beat him severely with one punch and even paid fifty thousand in medical fees on the spot, right? He actually still dares to come? Has he gotten addicted to staging accidents for money?"
"How does he dare? Instructor Li is the most petty-minded person!"
The murmurs within the crowd spread like a rising tide. Every trainee's face was filled with shock, confusion, and a faint undercurrent of excitement.
Challenging an instructor was not explicitly forbidden at the martial school, but it was a rare sight that had not been seen in years—especially when the challenger already had considerable conflict with the instructor.
Lu Guowei, whose turn had been inexplicably stolen, froze where he stood, unable to advance or retreat.
He had already adjusted his breathing and prepared to step forward for the assessment, only for Lu Jue to cut in ahead of him.
At this moment, his expression first turned stunned. Once he heard Lu Jue's "rebellious" words clearly, a trace of mockery and gloating could not help appearing at the corners of his mouth.
"Lu Jue, have you muddled your brain from training? Is Instructor Li someone you can challenge? You truly don't know the height of heaven or the depth of earth!"
Li Zhanting on the platform was indeed stunned as well.
He had never expected Lu Jue to dare openly challenge him.
Could he really be here to stage an accident and extort another sum of money from him?
No! That wasn't right!
If he had truly beaten Lu Jue into a serious injury yesterday, then even with the best medical pod for treatment, there was absolutely no way Lu Jue could be so lively and vigorous in less than a day!
The only reasonable explanation was that his punch had not seriously injured Lu Jue at all!
A chill silently crawled down his spine, but he immediately forced himself to steady his mind. As an instructor, he absolutely could not lose composure before the trainees.
Li Zhanting knew very well that among this year's Sixth Grade students, there were indeed a handful of elite trainees whose strength had already surpassed his own, such as those freakishly talented students in the top ten.
But Lu Jue was absolutely not among them!
A commoner student who had still been hovering beyond rank seven hundred just days ago—even if he had gained sudden enlightenment, even if he had luckily brought his fist arts to perfection—what right did he have to contend with him?
That Hardening Kung Fu is probably just a little strange and makes him more resistant to beatings!
He sneered inwardly and swiftly found what seemed like a reasonable explanation for himself, suppressing that trace of unease.
Yet even so, his gaze could not help but drift uncertainly.
He did not want to accept this match.
If he won, it would be only natural. But if the other side managed to gain even the slightest advantage, even if it only scraped his skin, where would his dignity as an instructor be?
In the blink of an eye, several thoughts had flashed through Li Zhanting's mind.
Refuse?
On what grounds? Directly berate him for not following the rules?
With so many trainees watching, people would inevitably think he was afraid to fight.
Either make Lu Jue retreat in the face of difficulty, or accept the challenge. If he chose the latter, it could not be some petty scuffle—he had to make this brat pay a price while frightening off the other trainees dissatisfied with him.
In an instant, he had made his decision.
He abruptly raised his voice, deliberately ensuring every trainee in the hall could hear him clearly.
"Lu Jue, are you certain you wish to spar with me? Let me state this beforehand: once I, as an instructor, truly make a move, I show no mercy for teacher-student relations! If you insist on fighting, you must sign a Duel Agreement!"
The hall immediately erupted again, cries of alarm rising everywhere.
Who didn't know that the Duel Agreement was the highest-level form of match explicitly permitted by the school, second only to the strictly forbidden life-and-death contract?
Once it was signed, as long as no one died or was crippled, all consequences were borne by oneself!
This was an attempt to shake off all responsibility in advance and push the danger of the match directly to its limit!
The trainees looked at Lu Jue with eyes full of sympathy, confusion, and even a trace of awe.
Anyone who dared sign such a thing was either a madman or someone who truly had something to rely on!
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Lu Jue showed no hesitation at all and immediately answered, "This student is willing to sign the Duel Agreement!"
"Good! Those were your words!"
Li Zhanting's eye twitched slightly, and he was both shocked and furious inside.
With so many trainees watching, he naturally could not admit defeat.
He had originally intended to use the agreement to frighten the other party away. Who would have thought that Lu Jue would refuse to yield to either soft or hard tactics, dead set on fighting him?
The words had already been spoken. There was no room left to turn back.
Yet he still kept a trick up his sleeve. He suddenly rose to his feet, deliberately slowing his tone. "In that case, wait here for a moment. I'll go to the office and fetch some first-aid supplies. This is for your own good!"
After saying that, without waiting for a reply, he turned and strode away.
The moment he entered the office, he locked the door behind him with a click. He went straight to a cabinet, took out an encrypted metal case, unlocked it expertly, and removed an inconspicuous little black bottle.
He then poured out a dark red pill and placed it in his palm.
This was a Crimson Blood Pill he had secretly prepared, originally intending to use it for the upcoming "instructor assessment."
The Crimson Blood Pill could stimulate one's qi and blood in a short time, greatly boosting explosive power. Though it would inevitably damage the body afterward, it was enough to turn the tide of battle.
This medicine was contraband to commoners, but with his connections, obtaining a few pills was no difficult matter.
Li Zhanting stared at the pill in his palm, his expression shifting between light and dark.
This kind of forbidden drug was explicitly banned. Only those who spent long periods roaming the Wasteland would cautiously use it in moments of crisis.
If it was used against another person and the matter was confirmed, then even with some backing, he would not escape severe punishment...
He struggled inwardly, but Lu Jue's repeated provocations ultimately overwhelmed his reason.
"Since you are seeking your own death, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
He muttered under his breath, the last trace of hesitation in his eyes turning into viciousness.
He was certain that his strength surpassed Lu Jue's, but that brat's strange Hardening Kung Fu and sudden confidence made him faintly uneasy. He had no choice but to bring this trump card with him in case something unexpected happened.
"A mere commoner actually thinks defeating Zhang Tie means he can step on my head? What a fool's dream!"
"If I don't thoroughly cripple you today, won't anyone dare step on my head in the future?"
Thinking of this, he hesitated no longer. He carefully tucked the pill into the inner pocket of his jacket, arranged his expression, restored his dignified bearing, and pushed open the door.
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