Brat! Tell Me!

Su Li's brow furrowed, but seeing the burning fighting spirit in their eyes, she knew further persuasion was useless. With a sigh, she stepped back several paces.

Li Zhanting felt the signs of his medicinal effects waning becoming obvious, the strength within his body about to gradually recede. He knew he had to finish this quickly.

"Come!"

He roared, lunging forward like a mad tiger, his target still Lu Jue's injured head!

He firmly believed that one more hit, even a glancing blow, would be enough to completely incapacitate his opponent!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The dull thuds of fists and feet striking each other were dense like rain. In just over ten exchanges, their figures blurred, and the wind from their blows filled the air.

Lu Jue could clearly feel the power behind the opponent's punches slowly diminishing.

"If I can just drag this out, I'll definitely win!"

This thought appeared clearly in his mind.

Under normal circumstances, this would absolutely be the most rational and safest choice. Once the backlash from the opponent's power arrived, he would be nothing more than an exhausted husk.

But the next moment, this thought was reduced to ashes by an even more fanatical flame.

"Drag it out? Wait until he reveals his true form and collapses like a dead dog?"

"No!"

A terrifying glint erupted in Lu Jue's eyes.

What he had always wanted was never a victory devoid of passion!

What he wanted was to crush! To conquer!

He wanted to, while Li Zhanting still believed he held the advantage in strength, immersed in the false power gained through trickery, uproot and shatter this false "strength" in the most direct and overbearing way possible!

He wasn't just fighting Li Zhanting's body; he was fighting his arrogant pride!

"What have you been calling me since the beginning?"

"'Commoner'?"

Lu Jue's voice was like a drill, piercing Li Zhanting's eardrums.

"Then please open your eyes wide and see clearly! How the 'commoner' you speak of will completely crush you, the so-called 'Privileged One', punch by punch!"

As his voice fell, Lu Jue's assault suddenly changed!

There was no more hesitation, only near-mad aggression!

Facing Li Zhanting's fist, which he threw in a mixture of shock and anger, Lu Jue didn't dodge. He puffed out his chest and met the blow head-on!

CRACK!

The heavy fist landed on his chest with a loud thud. Lu Jue felt a sweetness in his throat, but he used the impact to forcefully close the distance, instantly facing Li Zhanting eye-to-eye!

A flicker of panic flashed in Li Zhanting's eyes. In this situation, it would be difficult for him to gather strength to attack Lu Jue's head!

He hadn't expected the opponent to get so close in such a decisive manner. He wanted to retreat, but the pain released by the waning drug made him a moment too slow.

In that instant!

Lu Jue's right fist, imbued with all his strength, moved from bottom to top, carrying a resolve to overturn everything, and smashed fiercely into Li Zhanting's jaw!

Bang!

The fist connected with an explosion!

Li Zhanting's head snapped back violently, his neck emitting a sickening sound of dislocation. His imposing aura, which had been propped up by the medicinal effects, suddenly dissipated like a balloon pricked by a needle.

Lu Jue pressed his advantage, relentlessly pursuing!

Before his right fist had even fully discharged its force, his left fist, like a hammer, struck out, smashing into Li Zhanting's arm, which he had barely managed to raise.

CRACK!

A clear bone-cracking sound rang out.

Li Zhanting's arm hung limply. The new injury, coupled with the old ones, sent a searing pain through him, causing him to let out a shrill howl. His face lost all color, replaced by extreme fear.

"Weren't you going to crush me under your heel? Where is your pride? Your confidence?"

Lu Jue's fist came again, without any flourish, striking directly towards Li Zhanting's face, contorted by pain and fear.

"Your strength is built on privilege and illusion."

"But my strength..."

"Stems from every struggle after being trampled, from every bit of rage that refused to extinguish even in the mud. It may be humble, but it is rooted in truth, and therefore indestructible."

The fist rapidly approached Li Zhanting's widening, terrified pupils, carrying the power to crush everything—

"Brat! Tell me! Now, who is the one that should be trampled underfoot?"

BOOM!

The fist met flesh, a dull thud like thunder.

Victory or defeat, already decided!

Li Zhanting was sent flying backward, crashing to the ground. He convulsed all over, his eyes rolled back, and he completely lost consciousness.

Lu Jue stood in the center of the arena, breathing heavily. Sweat mixed with blood dripped from his temples.

But he still stood there, his spine as straight as an unyielding battle spear.

The entire crowd was silent. Everyone was stunned by the reversed outcome and the incredible willpower Lu Jue had displayed.

They stared blankly at the blood-soaked figure standing tall in the center of the arena, then at Li Zhanting, who lay on the ground like a puddle of mud, unconscious. For a moment, no one spoke.

This match, which was expected to be a one-sided crushing victory with no suspense, had been reversed in such a thrilling manner. The impact on them was immense.

Lu Guowei stood in the crowd, his face burning. The shock in his heart was beyond words.

"How is this possible? During the year-end assessment, he was clearly at the same level as me."

He couldn't understand how this cousin he had always looked down upon had reached this point. This battle completely surpassed his understanding.

But soon, a surge of jealousy rose, forcefully suppressing the shock.

"Hmph, so what if he's a good fighter? He's just a nobody with no background. He doesn't know how to read the room. To show off for a moment, he actually offended Li Zhanting to this extent. Who knows how he'll die in the future!"

"Wait, Instructor Li is like this now. Will the upcoming assessment change?"

Tang Ning wanted to hug Su Li beside her and cheer, to finally release all the pent-up frustration!

But when she turned, she found Su Li had disappeared at some point. She immediately suppressed her emotions, maintaining her dignified demeanor as a young lady.

Then, she took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady, and waved to the medical personnel who were already waiting behind her: "Quick, go and treat Lu Jue's injuries!"

Several medical personnel, dressed efficiently and fully equipped, immediately stepped forward. They skillfully opened their medical kits, preparing to treat Lu Jue's wounds.

Lu Jue felt intense pain all over his body, and his head was dizzy from blood loss. He looked at these medical personnel, who were clearly not employees of the Martial School, with some confusion.

At this moment, a faint, pleasant fragrance approached. He looked up and saw a girl walking towards him.

She was wearing a well-fitted moon-white training outfit. Her features were delicate, and her eyes held a noble air cultivated by a life of privilege. Her almond-shaped eyes, as she looked at him, were filled with admiration and concern.

She extended a slender hand and said in a clear, pleasant voice:

"Classmate Lu Jue, I really enjoyed your fight just now. Can we get acquainted? My name is Tang Ning!"

Lu Jue was stunned for a moment. Although he had heard of her reputation, they had never interacted before. However, seeing the busy medical personnel, he understood that she had extended timely help.

He hesitated for a moment, then wiped his blood-stained hand on his clothes and lightly shook her hand before letting go. "Thank you, classmate!"

Just then, Lu Jue's eyes caught sight of a medical staff member taking out a vial, about as thick as a finger, emitting a faint blue glow.

His expression changed instantly. He knew this was a legendary Emergency Healing Agent, with astonishing healing effects and an outrageously high price – over a hundred thousand for just one vial!

"Wait! Let's skip this one!"

Tang Ning, however, signaled the medical staff to continue. Then, she smiled brightly at Lu Jue: "Classmate Lu Jue, don't worry. I'll cover all the medical expenses this time."

"That won't do. How can I let you spend money..." Lu Jue instinctively refused. He didn't know her intentions and naturally didn't dare to owe a favor so casually.

Tang Ning seemed to have expected him to refuse. She took a step closer and lowered her voice slightly: "Classmate Lu Jue, the Emergency Healing Agent is most effective within one hour of injury. Your injuries are not minor. You don't want to participate in the Quota Competition in two days with a severely injured body, do you?"