"Ah! I'll kill you!"
Sun Liqiang, lying on the ground, let out an enraged roar.
Having been knocked back by a "good-for-nothing" in front of everyone, Sun Liqiang was instantly swallowed by overwhelming humiliation. His eyes turned bloodshot as he activated his talent.
"Beast Transformation!"
Crack, crack, crack!
Amid the ear-piercing explosions of breaking bones, Sun Liqiang's body began to change violently!
The nails on both his hands grew sharp and pointed, dense brown fur sprouted across his body, and his head thrust forward, transforming into a savage leopard's head! His entire body bulged with muscle, turning him into a leopard-man!
"How terrifying! Is this Sun Liqiang's talent?"
"Chu Han is really finished this time. He completely enraged Sun Liqiang."
"Won't Sun Liqiang tear Chu Han's guts out?"
The spectators below were all startled by Sun Liqiang's beast form. Some were even so frightened that their legs went weak.
"Roar!"
After transforming, Sun Liqiang's speed, strength, and reaction speed all surged dramatically!
He dropped onto all fours, kicked off fiercely, and turned into a brown afterimage, his claws tearing straight toward Chu Han's throat!
Chu Han also felt a violent, dangerous aura rushing toward him, so he did not dare let down his guard.
Sun Liqiang's talent really was something.
"Not good, Chu Han is in danger!"
Wang Hao was shocked below the stage.
Although Sun Liqiang's talent was B-rank, its explosive power was even greater than that of some A-rank talents!
Chu Han was absolutely no match for him!
But by then, it was already too late for Wang Hao to intervene.
"Whoosh!"
Sun Liqiang's claws tore through the air, flashing past with a string of afterimages.
Yet the scene of Chu Han being seriously wounded did not appear. Chu Han was actually completely unharmed!
"He dodged again?!"
Wang Hao felt as if his heart had leaped out of his chest. He was utterly astonished.
Chu Han still stood there calmly, as though he had not felt any pressure at all.
After transforming, Sun Liqiang's strength and speed had indeed comprehensively surpassed his own. However, under the insight granted by his Ten Thousand Times Talent, his attacks had become more direct because of his bestial instincts, making them easier to predict!
Sun Liqiang charged again, but Chu Han sidestepped ahead of time and avoided him once more.
"Impossible!"
Sun Liqiang's attacks grew even more frantic. Claw shadows filled the sky as he sought only to tear Chu Han apart.
But Chu Han could always evade the attacks at the very last moment.
Under the immense pressure, his footwork became increasingly efficient. It was as though he were dancing on the edge of a blade—perilous beyond words, yet calm and unhurried!
That was right. At that moment, Chu Han had already begun treating Sun Liqiang as his sparring partner.
Actual combat and danger could help him improve more quickly!
He could feel his basic footwork continuously growing stronger. It had already reached perfection, entering the realm of mastery beyond imagination!
"How is this possible?! How could he dodge the attacks of someone who has undergone Beast Transformation?"
"Monster! He's the real monster, isn't he?"
"Could the awakening stone have made a mistake? But judging from his appearance, he really doesn't look like someone who awakened a talent."
The students below the stage were already dumbfounded. Their entire worldview had been violently shaken.
"His footwork... It's beyond mastery! That's absolutely basic footwork at the beyond-mastery realm!"
Several teachers were even more excited, their bodies trembling. This was a realm that even they had failed to reach!
Moreover, Chu Han had not used any footwork martial technique at all. That meant he had reached this realm merely by practicing basic footwork!
"What a monster!"
"If he had awakened a talent, I really can't imagine what kind of extraordinary genius he would have become!"
"What a pity!"
Chu Han's footwork continued to improve, while Sun Liqiang grew more and more frantic as the battle continued.
Sun Liqiang's attacks became increasingly fierce, but also increasingly disordered and easier to predict.
Beast Transformation had granted him strength, but it had also magnified his bestiality and impatience.
While dodging, Chu Han calmly observed him.
The powerful insight granted by the Ten Thousand Times Talent allowed him to rapidly analyze the weaknesses of Sun Liqiang's transformed state.
"His attack pattern is too simple and lacks adaptability. His stamina consumption is enormous, so the transformation should have a time limit. And... his waist has a huge opening!"
A sharp glint flashed through Chu Han's eyes as he quickly discovered Sun Liqiang's weakness.
After Sun Liqiang launched another full-power pounce, his weakness was completely exposed.
Taking advantage of the opening, Chu Han immediately attacked!
His entire body twisted at a bizarre angle and appeared behind Sun Liqiang. With a single step, he lunged forward and slammed his elbow viciously into Sun Liqiang's lower back.
"Bang!"
Sun Liqiang's body instantly flew away with a muffled thud and crashed heavily beneath the arena.
That elbow had unleashed every ounce of Chu Han's strength. Even with the protection of Beast Transformation, Sun Liqiang still suffered a grievous injury.
His transformed state rapidly faded as well, returning him to human form. He curled up on the ground and groaned in agony.
The entire gymnasium fell silent in an instant.
Everyone's eyes widened. They were frozen as if struck by a binding spell, unable to react.
Chu Han stood proudly. "So what if you awakened a talent? You're still a good-for-nothing."
His gaze swept across the students below the stage, and almost all of them were afraid to meet his eyes.
These were the same people who had mocked him and reveled in his misfortune earlier. But now, Chu Han had slapped them in the face with his actions.
Even Sun Liqiang, who had awakened a B-rank talent, had been defeated. They had even less right to mock Chu Han!
Li Mengran looked at Chu Han with a complicated expression. Their gazes met, and all she saw in his eyes was deep disdain and coldness.
Chu Han's gaze did not linger on her, as though he did not care in the slightest what she thought.
"Chu Han, don't think that defeating a single Sun Liqiang means you can catch up to me."
A trace of embarrassment and anger flashed across Li Mengran's face. She clenched her fists and muttered to herself.
"Teacher Wang, can I register now?" Chu Han looked at his homeroom teacher and smiled.
Wang Hao let out a long breath. "Your performance today truly shocked me. With your strength, you can participate in the Wilderness Training Camp."
"That's good."
Chu Han nodded and left the school.
Wang Hao watched Chu Han's departing figure, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
The basic talent Chu Han had displayed was absolutely worthy of a potential value exceeding 3,000 points. As long as he awakened any martial talent, his future development would be limitless!
But fate was simply this unfair!
"Haah, I hope you can carve out a different path for yourself."
Wang Hao sighed softly and added Chu Han's name to the Wilderness Training Camp list.
On the way home, Chu Han opened the system space.
Of the ten items he had drawn earlier, the other nine, apart from the Ten Thousand Times Talent, were all stored in the system space and had not been used.
"An E-rank talent?"
Chu Han's gaze rested on that talent.
[Stone Skin: E-rank talent. After activation, grants stone-like skin and increases one's strength and defense.]
Although it was only the lowest E-rank, a talent was still a talent. Its effects were far beyond what ordinary training could achieve.
Previously, he would not have thought much of this talent, but a talent was still a talent. Its effects were far beyond what ordinary training could achieve.
"Use!"
Chu Han did not hesitate in the slightest.
"Buzz!"
A strange sensation instantly spread throughout his entire body!
New strength merged into his body, causing every cell to cheer with joy!
"So this is what it feels like to fuse with a talent? It really is a wonderful experience."
The entire process lasted for more than ten seconds before finally ending.
After the fusion was complete, Chu Han looked at the skin on his arm. Its color had not changed much.
But when he touched it, he immediately felt extraordinary toughness and hardness. Ordinary friction and minor impacts would probably have difficulty injuring it.
He picked up a sharp stone from the ground and dragged it across his arm, leaving behind only a white mark.
"This hardness is comparable to cowhide, isn't it? My strength has increased quite a bit too!"
"If I activate the talent, the increase should be even greater!"
At that thought, he activated the Stone Skin effect.
His skin immediately took on a grayish-white sheen, and its texture became rough, as if it were covered by a layer of hard petrified stone.
He pressed a stone hard against his skin and dragged it across. With a sharp snap, the stone's edge shattered, while his Stone Skin remained completely undamaged.
"What powerful defense! My strength has also increased tremendously!"
Chu Han was overjoyed, and his gaze swept toward the cobblestone road beneath his feet.
He slammed down with one punch.
"Bang!"
With a thunderous boom, the cobblestone ground cracked in several places beneath his fist, sending chips of stone flying.
Aside from being stained with some stone powder and dust, his fist was completely unharmed. He did not even feel the slightest pain!
"Not bad."
Chu Han was instantly delighted.
"Now, even without using footwork, I can easily beat Sun Liqiang to a pulp!"
Although it was only an E-rank talent, the improvement it brought was still terrifying!
No wonder those who failed to awaken talents were abandoned. The difference was simply too great!
After confirming everything, Chu Han quickly left the area and deactivated the Stone Skin state.
That punch had caused quite a commotion. He did not want to be caught and forced to pay for the damaged ground.
Moreover, keeping Stone Skin activated would continuously consume the energy in his body.
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