The Elite Class classroom was far more spacious and brightly lit than the Body Tempering Class's. Every student inside had a steady aura and sharp eyes, clearly no ordinary people. The moment Fang Yan entered the classroom, he immediately attracted everyone's attention.
"Is that Fang Yan, the one who transferred up from the Body Tempering Class? I heard he got full marks on the assessment?"
"Hmph, he just got lucky. The Body Tempering Class's assessment isn't worth mentioning in our Elite Class."
"Look at his blood and qi—only 0.56. In our class, that's merely a level slightly below average. I really don't know why the teacher recruited him."
The murmurs were not loud, but they were particularly clear in the quiet classroom. Fang Yan ignored them. He knew that strength was the best proof. He walked straight to an empty seat in the last row and sat down.
Before long, a tall, coolly beautiful woman walked in. She wore a white martial arts uniform, possessed an extraordinary bearing, and had an aloofness in her eyes that kept people at a thousand miles' distance.
"Silence." The woman's voice was crisp and cold, instantly rendering the classroom deathly quiet. "I am your homeroom teacher, Su Qing. From today onward, I will be in charge of your training."
Su Qing's gaze swept across the room before finally landing on Fang Yan. It paused briefly, then moved away. "Today's first lesson is practical combat. The rules are simple: pair up freely. The victor stays, and the loser is eliminated. The last five remaining will earn the qualifications to participate in the School Martial Arts Competition."
As soon as she finished speaking, the classroom erupted. Everyone rubbed their fists and rubbed their palms, eager to try. The School Martial Arts Competition was the highest-level event in the entire martial arts school. Not only did it offer generous rewards, it could also attract the attention of the major martial arts sects.
The students quickly paired up on their own. The moment Fang Yan stood up, someone took the initiative to approach him.
"I'll fight you."
The speaker was a burly young man named Zhou Qiang. His blood and qi reached 0.69, making him one of the top-ranked experts in the Elite Class. He looked at Fang Yan with disdain in his eyes, clearly intending to use this "newcomer" as a stepping stone to establish his might.
Fang Yan did not refuse. He nodded. "All right."
The two walked onto the martial arts platform in the center of the classroom. Su Qing stood to the side and said expressionlessly, "Begin."
"Kid, if you know what's good for you, surrender now. That way, you won't end up battered and bruised, making a fool of yourself." Zhou Qiang rolled his wrist, producing a series of crackling sounds.
Fang Yan said nothing. He merely assumed his opening stance.
"Since you don't know how to appreciate kindness, don't blame me for being impolite!" Zhou Qiang snorted coldly. His body suddenly lunged forward, and his right fist came toward Fang Yan's chest with a howl of wind. His punch was fast and heavy; clearly, he had gone all out.
Fang Yan's gaze sharpened. He circulated his blood and qi and pushed Wind-Treading Steps to its limit. His body slid backward like a ghost, easily evading Zhou Qiang's punch.
"Huh?" Zhou Qiang froze for a moment, clearly not expecting Fang Yan to be so fast. He immediately turned and swung another punch at Fang Yan.
This time, Fang Yan did not dodge. He took a deep breath, concentrated the blood and qi within his body into his right fist, and, following the essentials of Straight Punch, suddenly struck out.
"Bang!"
The two fists collided with a dull boom. Zhou Qiang felt an enormous force surge from his fist, numbing his arm and forcing him to retreat three steps.
Fang Yan, meanwhile, stood rooted to the spot, utterly unmoving.
"How is this possible?" Zhou Qiang wore an expression of disbelief. His blood and qi were higher than Fang Yan's, and his strength was greater too. How could he have come off worse in a head-on clash?
Fang Yan gave Zhou Qiang no time to react. Seizing the opening, he shifted his feet and instantly arrived before Zhou Qiang. His left fist was as fast as lightning as it shot toward Zhou Qiang's abdomen.
Zhou Qiang had no time to dodge and took the punch head-on. A burst of agony tore through his abdomen, as if a massive boulder had crashed into him. His body curled into a ball before he fell to the ground and began groaning in pain.
"Zhou Qiang, defeated." Su Qing announced it expressionlessly.
The classroom fell utterly silent. Everyone was dumbstruck by what they had witnessed. Zhou Qiang was an expert in the Elite Class, yet he had actually been defeated with a single punch by a newcomer who had only just transferred up from the Body Tempering Class?
Fang Yan clapped his hands, stepped down from the platform, and returned to his seat. His face remained calm, as if he had merely done something trivial.
But from that moment on, no one dared look down on him again. The students who had discussed him earlier all lowered their heads, their eyes filled with awe.
A strange gleam flashed through Su Qing's eyes as she looked at Fang Yan. She had seen it clearly just now: Fang Yan's punch had not only been steady and powerful, he had also seized the timing perfectly. Clearly, his understanding of fist techniques had already reached a very high level.
"Next group." Su Qing withdrew her gaze and continued.
The practical combat that followed grew even more intense. Fang Yan defeated two more students in succession, smoothly advancing into the final five.
Just then, a figure blocked Fang Yan's path.
"Fang Yan, let's have a match."
Fang Yan looked up and saw that the speaker was a handsome young man with an extraordinary bearing. His name was Zhao Yu, and his blood and qi reached 0.89. He was the number one student in the Elite Class and a publicly acknowledged genius of the martial arts school.
Zhao Yu looked at Fang Yan, his eyes filled with fighting spirit. "I heard you're quite formidable. As it happens, I want to test your strength too."
Fang Yan looked at Zhao Yu and sensed the powerful aura emanating from him. He knew this would be the strongest opponent he had encountered since entering the Elite Class.
"All right." Fang Yan agreed without hesitation.
The two stepped onto the martial arts platform, and the atmosphere instantly grew tense. Everyone's eyes focused on them, anticipating this peak confrontation.
Su Qing looked at the two of them and nodded. "Begin."
As soon as her words fell, Zhao Yu moved. His speed was astonishing, like a gust of wind, and he arrived before Fang Yan in an instant. His right hand formed a palm, carrying a fierce palm wind as it struck toward Fang Yan's head.
Fang Yan did not dare be careless. He immediately used Wind-Treading Steps to dodge to the side. At the same time, he gathered strength in his right fist, preparing to counterattack.
But Zhao Yu's attack did not end there. Seeing that his palm had missed, he instantly changed it into a fist and struck toward Fang Yan's waist. His attacks flowed without pause, surging toward Fang Yan like a tide and leaving him no chance to counterattack.
Fang Yan could only keep dodging, relying on the flexibility of Wind-Treading Steps to barely evade Zhao Yu's attacks. But he also felt enormous pressure. Zhao Yu's strength was simply too great. His speed and power both far surpassed those of every opponent Fang Yan had faced before.
This can't continue. Fang Yan thought to himself, I have to find a chance to counterattack.
As he dodged, he carefully observed the rhythm of Zhao Yu's attacks. At last, he discovered a flaw. When Zhao Yu swung another punch at him, his arm slowed slightly.
Now!
Fang Yan seized the opening and abruptly retreated. At the same time, he concentrated all the blood and qi within his body into his right fist and unleashed Straight Punch. He poured every ounce of strength into this punch. The airflow around his fist was denser than before, and it tore through the air as the punch shot toward Zhao Yu's chest.
Zhao Yu sensed the danger as well and immediately withdrew his fist to defend.
"Bang!"
Fist and palm collided with a deafening boom. A powerful shock wave spread outward, forcing the surrounding students back several steps.
Fang Yan felt a tremendous force surge from his fist, splitting the web between his thumb and forefinger as blood flowed freely. His body flew backward like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily onto the ground.
Zhao Yu was not unscathed either. Fang Yan's punch forced him back five steps, and his arm was slightly numb. He looked at Fang Yan lying on the ground, a trace of surprise flashing through his eyes. "I didn't expect you to be this strong."
Fang Yan struggled to his feet and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His eyes remained resolute. "I haven't lost yet."
He took a deep breath and once again assumed his opening stance. Although he was already injured, his fighting spirit had only grown fiercer.
Zhao Yu looked at Fang Yan and nodded. "Good. I admire that tenacity of yours. Then I'll fight this through with you."
The two charged at each other again and launched into an even more intense battle. This time, Fang Yan no longer defended passively. Instead, he took the initiative to attack. He used the agility of Wind-Treading Steps to constantly search for Zhao Yu's weaknesses before delivering lethal strikes.
Zhao Yu was also provoked by Fang Yan's tenacity. He unleashed his ultimate trump card, wielding a fierce palm technique with consummate skill. Palm winds howled, and every move was deadly.
The students in the classroom stared in stunned amazement. None of them had expected the match to be so spectacular.
Su Qing stood to the side, excitement flickering in her eyes. She could feel that Fang Yan was growing incredibly quickly during the battle. Every attack and every dodge was more precise and more practiced than the last.
Finally, after dozens of intense exchanges, both of them were utterly exhausted. Fang Yan's body was covered in wounds, while Zhao Yu was also breathing heavily, his face somewhat pale.
"That is enough." Su Qing suddenly spoke. "Both of you are excellent. You both qualify to participate in the School Martial Arts Competition."
Hearing Su Qing's words, the two stopped. Fang Yan let out a long breath of relief. His body went limp, and he nearly fell again.
Zhao Yu looked at Fang Yan and revealed a sincere smile. "You're strong. I accept my defeat wholeheartedly in today's match."
Fang Yan smiled as well. "You're strong too. If the teacher hadn't stopped us, I might not have lasted much longer."
This peak confrontation ultimately ended in a draw. But everyone knew that although Fang Yan had lost, he had lost gloriously. With the cultivation of the Eighth Layer of Body Tempering and blood and qi of 0.86, he had actually fought Zhao Yu, whose blood and qi stood at 0.89, to a draw. That was already a miracle.
From that day onward, Fang Yan completely established himself in the Elite Class. No one dared look down on him anymore. Everyone regarded him as one of their strongest competitors.
Fang Yan, however, did not become conceited. He knew this was only a small milestone on his path of growth. The School Martial Arts Competition was about to begin. That was the true stage, waiting for him to bloom in glory.
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