Breakthrough

To beat Liu Qingmeng, Lin Hao had to find her weakness. He planned to strike first, instantly activating Thunder Prison Instant Space Flash. In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Liu Qingmeng. Lin Hao wasn't about to go easy on a woman, especially not one as strange as Liu Qingmeng. Without mercy, he swung a fist straight at her face.

Just as Lin Hao was about to hit Liu Qingmeng, she flickered out of sight and appeared behind him, while Lin Hao remained motionless where he was.

Liu Qingmeng stood with her back to Lin Hao, while he still held the pose from his punch. Five whole seconds passed. Everyone was baffled.

Just as the crowd stood there dumbfounded, a shocking sight appeared. Lin Hao suddenly dropped to one knee, panting heavily.

"What?" Everyone from Shancheng Martial University leaped to their feet, their faces filled with disbelief. Even Duan Yue of Longcheng Martial University stood up.

Gasps rippled through the audience. What had happened? To everyone watching, Lin Hao had simply thrown a punch and missed, while Liu Qingmeng had dodged it.

Even Jiang Tianhai, seated among the judges, couldn't stay seated. He had no idea what had happened, either.

"How is that possible?" Duan Yue looked utterly incredulous. He had fought Lin Hao himself and knew exactly how tough his body was. Besides, no one had seen Liu Qingmeng make a move.

"How did she do that?" Even the principals of the various Wu Universities were completely baffled.

Lin Hao's expression was a sight to behold. That really fucking hurt. When he'd thrown that punch, he'd only been testing the waters. Not only had he missed, but his stomach felt as if a truck had hit him. Completely caught off guard, he'd dropped straight to his knees.

"Damn it, this is fucking ridiculous!" Lin Hao got to his feet and turned to face Liu Qingmeng.

Liu Qingmeng gave him a faint smile. "Not bad. For a mere Bronze rank fighter, you took that hit from me and still didn't go down."

Lin Hao's expression grew even more colorful. She was looking down on him. But he really hadn't seen Liu Qingmeng make a move. If close combat wasn't working, he'd try a ranged attack. With that thought, Lin Hao didn't hesitate. Black Thunder surged around him as Thunder Prison Instant Space Flash carried him away from Liu Qingmeng. He activated the Martial Art Endless Thunder Prison. Centered on Lin Hao, bolts of lightning as thick as bowls gathered around him, then expanded in an instant to fill the entire arena.

Faced with the sky-filling lightning, Liu Qingmeng remained calm. The moment the lightning drew near, it bizarrely vanished. Liu Qingmeng simply walked toward Lin Hao at an unhurried pace. The scene was downright eerie. The crowd could only watch as she strolled toward Lin Hao through an endless sea of Black Thunder.

Just as Lin Hao was about to act, Liu Qingmeng's calm voice rang out. "It's over." Her words were unhurried and utterly plain. Then she flickered behind Lin Hao once more. His Black Lightning vanished in an instant, and less than three seconds later, he toppled face-first onto the arena.

No one had expected the match to end like this. Lin Hao, who had fought across two major ranks, had been instantly defeated by Liu Qingmeng. The key was that no one had seen how she'd attacked.

Jiang Weiwei, Su Xiaorui, Fang Yao, Lin Yueyue—no one in the arena had expected this outcome. The entire venue fell silent.

Fang Wei, the referee, stepped onto the arena and gave Liu Qingmeng a strange look. Then he announced, "I declare the champion of this Hundred Schools League—" But before Fang Wei could finish, a pained voice rang out. "General Fang, I haven't lost yet."

Gasps erupted from the crowd outside the arena. Lin Hao looked to be in agony, but he struggled to his feet. Fang Wei glanced at him. "Can you still fight?"

Lin Hao nodded. "Of course!"

Fang Wei didn't waste any words. "The match continues!" Then he disappeared from the arena.

Liu Qingmeng was astonished. He could still stand. She couldn't help but admire Lin Hao's tenacity.

Lin Hao raised a hand, and a long, jet-black spear appeared in his grasp. His entire aura erupted in that instant.

"Intent! It's intent!" the spectators below shouted in unison. The memory of Lin Hao's match against Duan Yue the day before still lingered in their minds. The stone slabs beneath Lin Hao's feet began to crack, and the Thunder Prison Sky Splitting Spear in his hand trembled faintly. His eyes were closed, as if he'd entered a state of total immersion.

Liu Qingmeng watched Lin Hao with curiosity. "Hey, you still haven't given up?" Then she flickered out of sight.

The instant Liu Qingmeng vanished, Lin Hao moved. He didn't make any grand motion. He simply turned his back and held his spear horizontally. Liu Qingmeng appeared right in front of him, her fair little fist striking the spear squarely. Lin Hao slowly opened his eyes. Finally, I've caught you.

Liu Qingmeng's expression tightened. She hadn't expected Lin Hao to figure out her ability after taking only two hits from her. Then she flickered out of sight again. When she reappeared, Lin Hao had her smooth calf in his grasp. Liu Qingmeng didn't dare let her guard down. She lifted her other leg and swept it toward him.

To her surprise, Lin Hao didn't press his advantage. He dodged her attack with a sidestep and let her go. Then the two began trading punches and kicks, fighting for dozens of exchanges without either gaining the upper hand.

When Liu Qingmeng vanished again, Lin Hao actually punched toward an empty spot. His fist landed solidly on her, and she appeared in midair, flying backward. Her pristine white dress was instantly covered in dust.

Lin Hao still didn't press his advantage. Liu Qingmeng was shaken to the core. "How did you find me?"

The spectators below, along with the teachers and principals, were all watching in bewilderment.

Lin Hao smiled calmly. "Liu Qingmeng, you really are a rare genius. If I hadn't been a little tougher, those first two hits would've nearly won you the match. But I didn't take those hits for nothing. If I'm not mistaken, you're an Ability User with both spatial and temporal attributes!"

His words sent shockwaves through the arena.

Lin Hao continued, "Your time-based Martial Art is incredible. You can actually stop time for nearly two seconds. To us martial artists, those two seconds feel incredibly long—long enough to do plenty. Two seconds is more than enough for you to dodge my attack and counter. And during those two seconds, no one else can see what you do. That makes it seem as if you've done nothing at all, while I look as though I've suffered a devastating blow."