In a flash!
The training session ended.
After Instructor Song Jun announced they were dismissed, he didn't leave as usual. Instead, he folded his arms and leisurely retreated to the edge of the Training Room.
Song Jun watched the center of the room with keen interest.
Not one student from Class 3-2 left.
They instinctively moved back around the room, clearing a broad space in the center.
Every gaze burned as it focused on the two people facing off.
Lu Ming and Lin Qiu.
Lu Ming stepped forward, gripping an Alloy Staff as long as he was tall. Its surface gleamed coldly under the lights.
On the other side,
Lin Qiu casually held a standard-issue Alloy Battle Blade. Its sharp edge flashed with a cold glint.
His expression remained haughty and disdainful.
"Lu Ming."
Lin Qiu pointed the tip of his blade at his opponent from a distance, his tone scornful.
"Get down on your knees and kowtow now. Take back the bullshit you posted in the group yesterday, and I'll pretend none of this ever happened."
"Otherwise, I'm afraid one swing from me will leave you lying in the Medical Bay until the Martial Arts Exam is over."
"Bullshit!"
Lin Qiu's arrogance infuriated Lu Ming. He let out a cold laugh.
"Lin Qiu, quit acting like you're all that!"
"Today, I'll show you there's always someone better!"
"Heh. Losers always talk big."
Lin Qiu's gaze turned utterly cold.
Seeing that they were about to start fighting, Song Jun, watching nearby, said calmly, just to be safe,
"Show restraint. No killing blows."
The instant Song Jun finished speaking—
"Ha!"
Lu Ming struck first!
He drove off the ground with both legs, his Blood Qi surging through his body.
His whole body was like a taut bowstring, suddenly loosed!
The Alloy Staff in his hands shot toward Lin Qiu's chest, tearing through the air!
The strike was swift, precise, and vicious!
It was none other than the basic staff technique, "Mid-Level Stab"!
"Bring it on!"
Lin Qiu's eyes narrowed. Instead of retreating, he advanced.
With a flick of his wrist, he swept the Alloy Battle Blade upward in a precise arc.
"Clang!"
The blade struck the tip of the staff with pinpoint accuracy!
The clear ring of metal on metal echoed through the Training Room!
A powerful force traveled down the staff. Lu Ming's arm went numb, and his forward momentum ground to a halt.
What strength!
Lu Ming's heart lurched.
Lin Qiu's Blood Qi was indeed far more powerful than his!
Before Lu Ming could change his move,
Lin Qiu had already stepped forward and brought his Battle Blade down in a silver flash, aiming straight for Lu Ming's head!
A Cleaving Slash from the basic blade techniques!
The strike carried such tremendous force that the wind from the blade made the loose hair on Lu Ming's forehead flutter.
Lu Ming's pupils contracted. He didn't dare meet the blow head-on, so he hastily pulled his staff back to defend, sweeping it across above his head.
"Clang!"
Another deafening clash!
Lu Ming felt a mighty force slam down. His arms shuddered, and he stumbled back three steps before he could barely dispel the force.
"So strong!"
"Is this what a Blood Qi Intensity of 8.8 looks like? Lu Ming's completely suppressed!"
"Lin Qiu's blade work is so fierce, too. Has he mastered the basic blade techniques?"
The students watching let out a low chorus of gasps.
Jiang Hao stood among the crowd, watching the fight with a grave expression.
He could tell that Lu Ming's staff technique was quite advanced, just one step away from mastery.
Unfortunately, the gap in Blood Qi meant he was at a disadvantage in every clash.
"Is that all you've got?"
Having landed a successful strike, Lin Qiu's momentum only grew.
He pressed his advantage, sweeping his Battle Blade through the air and forming a Blade Net, launching one relentless attack after another at Lu Ming.
One moment he struck with a swift, powerful chop; the next he made a tricky upward slash, then a horizontal cut at the waist.
He wielded the basic blade techniques with consummate skill, each broad, powerful stroke packed with force.
Driven back by the relentless onslaught, Lu Ming spun his Alloy Staff into a round shield, desperately blocking blow after blow.
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"
A steady barrage of clashes rang out!
Sparks flew everywhere!
Lu Ming could only defend, with no chance to strike back.
Although Lu Ming was also close to mastering his staff technique, Lin Qiu's pressure left him no room to use it.
"Lu Ming's going to lose!"
"He can't keep this up. The gap's too big!"
"Lin Qiu's a beast!"
Everyone shook their heads.
Song Jun, standing beside the raised platform, gave a slight nod as well.
Lin Qiu's fundamentals were solid. His Stance Training hadn't reached mastery, but his blade skills were easily among the top five in the class.
"You bastard! I'll take you down with me!"
Lu Ming roared!
He knew he couldn't go on like this.
He seized a gap after one of Lin Qiu's slashes, and his Blood Qi suddenly erupted.
The Alloy Staff shot up at a strange angle, stabbing viciously toward Lin Qiu's ribs!
A basic staff technique—
Viper Emerges from Cave!
It was a fast and vicious move!
"Pathetic trick!"
Lin Qiu saw the move and gave a disdainful sneer.
As if he'd grown bored of toying with Lu Ming, he didn't dodge the tricky strike. Instead, he left his center wide open.
Just as the tip of the staff was about to touch his ribs—
Lin Qiu moved!
"Game over!"
Vmmm—
A fierce aura far beyond that of basic blade techniques burst from Lin Qiu!
The Alloy Battle Blade in his hands seemed to come alive!
Its blade shuddered!
Its speed instantly multiplied!
The blade, clearly visible a moment ago, became a silver afterimage in the blink of an eye!
The air split apart!
A piercing shriek rang out!
The blade's shadow seemed to cross the distance in an instant!
It struck before Lu Ming could react!
"What?"
The moment Lu Ming saw the silver flash, the anger on his face gave way to shock!
His vision blurred. A deadly glint was already right before his eyes. Lu Ming tried to pull his staff back to defend, but it had only made it halfway!
Too fast!
He couldn't react in time!
"Bam!"
The blade struck the Alloy Staff in front of Lu Ming's chest with pinpoint accuracy.
A thunderous crash!
Under the blow, the sturdy Alloy Staff bent with a groan...
Then,
an unstoppable force slammed into Lu Ming's chest.
"Bam!"
Lu Ming took the full force of the blow. He flew backward like a kite with its strings cut, then crashed heavily onto the floor seven or eight meters away with a muffled thud.
The Alloy Staff in his hands clattered to the ground.
The whole room fell deathly silent.
Everyone stared wide-eyed, unable to believe what they'd just seen.
One second.
Two seconds.
"Whoa—!"
The crowd erupted!
"Holy crap, he took him out in one hit!"
"What was that just now? A Martial Skill?!"
"It had to be! That speed, that blade shadow—it was terrifying!"
"Damn! Lin Qiu's already mastered a Martial Skill!"
"That was Shadowless Blade. I've heard of it. It's expensive—at least a few hundred thousand Alliance Coins for the manual!"
"Blood Qi at 8.8, master-level blade skills, and a mastered Martial Skill... The gap's way too big!"
"Lu Ming's loss was no disgrace. This wasn't even a fight between equals!"
The chatter filled the entire Training Room.
Martial Skills!
That was the hardest chasm to cross between geniuses and ordinary students!
It represented not only strength, but also the resources and foundation behind it!
Lin Qiu slowly lowered his blade and stood tall, soaking in the waves of gasps and praise around him. His haughty expression grew even more pronounced.
He loved the feeling of being admired.
Lin Qiu looked scornfully at Lu Ming, sprawled on the floor. Lu Ming struggled to get up, but couldn't catch his breath. Clutching his chest, he coughed violently.
"Heh. Know who's better now?"
"I gave you a chance, but you were still useless."
"Watch your mouth from now on!"
Before you continue