Not a Match?

"Such precise control of distance—how could a disciple who had only started a month ago possibly manage that? Old Qin, did you give him special coaching?" On the raised platform in the corner, a Martial Academy instructor asked in surprise.

"Haha, no. Gu Yang comprehended it all himself. Well? Didn't I tell you so?" Qin Hu laughed heartily, his face full of pride.

"If he comprehended it on his own, then his combat talent is indeed exceptionally high. Even if his innate physique is a little lacking, it does not matter. He is a fine seedling. Old Qin was right!" Yuan Qingshan, the purple-robed instructor who had spoken first, nodded.

At this point, even the other Martial Academy instructors who had remained silent earlier chimed in. "Old Qin, you have truly stumbled upon a treasure. You will have to treat us later."

"Haha, no, no." Qin Hu waved his hand, then suddenly pointed at an arena near the center of the small square. "Hey, there is a good seedling in your formation too. I think that disciple is quite impressive. Among this batch of disciples, he should be able to rank in the top ten."

On the arena, a youth stood straight as a green pine, carrying himself with extraordinary bearing. He was one of the two disciples Gu Yang had noticed earlier.

At the same time, beneath the arena, another Martial Academy disciple lay sprawled on the ground in a miserable state. Clearly, he had just been defeated.

That disciple was none other than Gu Yang's old acquaintance, Li Zhiwu.

"Haha, that child Fang Qi is indeed quite good. Not only is he talented, but more importantly, he is willing to endure hardship and possesses a devout heart for the Martial Path. Whether in Stance Training or Martial Techniques, he improves very quickly. Once he breaks through to Blood Condensation, I plan to recommend him for the Seed Selection."

When Yuan Qingshan saw the person Qin Hu was watching, a smile could not help appearing on his face.

Fang Qi was the disciple he thought most highly of. Hearing Qin Hu praise him had truly scratched him right where he itched most.

After the second round ended, Gu Yang returned to the formation and saw Li Zhiwu sitting dejectedly in a corner, silent.

After thinking for a moment, he walked over to Li Zhiwu, patted him on the shoulder, and asked gently, "What is it? Was your opponent very strong?"

"Not very strong. Extremely strong." Li Zhiwu seemed to have been beaten senseless, his eyes filled with confusion. "I did not have the slightest chance to fight back against him. He could crush me in every aspect."

"Take it easy. Being strong for a while does not mean being strong forever. As long as you keep working hard, there may yet come a day when you surpass him. Keep it up!" Gu Yang patted Li Zhiwu's shoulder, offered a few words of encouragement, then turned and left.

The Minor Competition proceeded round after round. Gu Yang had barely exchanged a few words with Li Zhiwu before the third round began.

He quickly stepped onto the arena, and the moment Gu Yang saw his opponent, his pupils contracted.

This disciple's build was the complete opposite of the little fatty from the first round. Broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, tall with long legs, he already exuded a heroic air despite being only ten years old.

Very strong!

The mere sight of him made vigilance rise in Gu Yang's heart.

More importantly, Gu Yang recognized him. He was one of the two people Gu Yang had committed to memory during the first round.

But Gu Yang did not feel afraid. Who was stronger and who was weaker would only be known after they fought.

"Clang..."

The gong sounded, and the match began.

Before Gu Yang could move, his opponent charged toward him.

"Whoosh!"

With a flicker of his body, the youth did not attack directly. Instead, he first made several consecutive feints with his fists.

Only after seeing that Gu Yang remained calm, steadily retreating without throwing himself into disarray, did he launch his true attack—a silent Side Kick.

"A kicking technique?" Gu Yang narrowed his eyes, his focus sharpening to its utmost. He sidestepped, then took another step back, evading the Swing Punch that followed closely behind.

Then he surged forward fiercely and threw a straight punch.

Bang!

"Old Qin, Old Yuan, your prized disciples have run into each other!" In the corner of the small square, a Martial Academy instructor asked quietly, "Who do you think will win?"

"Hey, Old Yuan's disciple is strong enough to rank among the top ten of this batch. How could Gu Yang possibly be his opponent?" Qin Hu kept his eyes on the exchange between Gu Yang and Fang Qi as he answered without turning his head.

"What kind of words are those? Your disciple has only been at the Martial Academy for a month. Even if Fang Qi wins, it would be a victory lacking in honor. If they had trained for the same amount of time, Fang Qi might not necessarily be his match." Yuan Qingshan replied politely, his face full of smiles.

The moment his words fell, however, the smile on his face suddenly vanished, and his brows furrowed tightly.

On the arena, Gu Yang threw a punch, which Fang Qi easily blocked.

But Gu Yang did not mind. Keeping a certain distance, he rapidly threw punch after punch.

Yet what surprised Gu Yang was that Fang Qi quickly reacted, retreating at high speed as though he had encountered this style of attack before.

Naturally, Gu Yang did not know that Fang Qi's previous opponent had been Li Zhiwu, who had already witnessed the "pull-and-tug" style of attack Li Zhiwu had learned from Gu Yang.

Dealing with it now, he could not be said to be completely at ease, but he could still face it calmly.

After taking several steps back to widen the distance and break Gu Yang's attacking rhythm, Fang Qi suddenly stepped forward and struck.

This strike was swift as thunder. Even though Gu Yang retreated repeatedly, he still could not fully evade it and could only raise his arm to block.

Bang!

Fist and arm collided. Gu Yang retreated a step, his brows knitting together.

Fang Qi's strength somewhat exceeded his expectations. After just one exchange, Gu Yang understood that if he remained in his normal state, he definitely would not be Fang Qi's opponent.

Facing Fang Qi's next incoming fist, Gu Yang made a snap decision and erupted with force.

Boom!

A punch carrying the strength of his entire body crashed out, its fierce gust of wind sweeping in all directions.

Fang Qi's pupils shrank. He retreated to avoid the punch, then immediately stepped in close to Gu Yang, intending to seize the chance to counterattack.

In his judgment, Gu Yang had surely been forced to unleash his full strength. A gap would inevitably appear in his defense now.

Yet when Fang Qi followed the momentum and launched his counterattack, what awaited him was still Gu Yang's heavy fist, poised and ready to strike.

Bang!

"How is that possible?" Fang Qi staggered back, shock appearing on his previously calm face. "Could it be that he had been hiding his strength all along?"

"Old Qin! Has your disciple truly only been in the Martial Academy for one month?" At the same time, in the corner of the square, a Martial Academy instructor looked at Qin Hu with a face full of shock. "Are you sure he had never studied Martial Path techniques before?"

At this moment, Qin Hu appeared calm and unruffled on the surface, but his violently contracting pupils and trembling little finger revealed that his heart was nowhere near as calm as he looked.

Even he had not expected Gu Yang to display such formidable strength. This disciple was truly refreshing Qin Hu's understanding of him again and again!

Though he did not know how Gu Yang had managed it, Qin Hu could still be certain whether Gu Yang had encountered the Martial Path before joining.

Shaking his head, Qin Hu replied in a deep voice, "Gu Yang has indeed only been training for one month. More accurately, twenty-four days. And he definitely had not studied martial arts before this. I personally taught him both Stance Training and Martial Techniques."

"A genius! This kid is absolutely a genius! What were the people selecting disciples doing? Such a genius was nearly buried and overlooked. Later, I will definitely report them to the Academy Dean..."

"Yes. Although he started late, if he can maintain this rate of improvement, it may not be impossible for him to condense Blood Qi before the age of sixteen!"

Watching Gu Yang suddenly erupt and completely suppress Fang Qi, the Martial Academy instructors immediately began discussing among themselves.

Only Yuan Qingshan remained silent, an awkward smile hanging on his face...