The Unchangeable Plot Point

"How can this be..."

Ye Qingxian muttered to himself, his face full of shock, a cold bead of sweat slowly trickling down the corner of his eye.

Zhu Ping'an didn't waste words with him. He swung his palm back and slapped out, swatting Ye Qingxian away like a fly, sending him rolling across the ground.

The entire Qingcheng High School fell dead silent, as if a giant Garen had dropped a Q with his big sword, silencing everyone.

No one had expected Zhu Ping'an to so effortlessly block Ye Qingxian's full-force strike, then casually swat him flying.

"Zhu! Ping! An!"

Ye Qingxian's roar shattered the silence. He climbed to his feet, his once handsome face twisted into a hideous snarl, his eyes locked onto Zhu Ping'an.

He had always been the favored son of heaven at Qingcheng High School, the center of attention, surrounded by admirers. When had he ever suffered such humiliation?

Ye Qingxian's pitch-black eyes blazed with terrifying killing intent.

"Already triggered?" Zhu Ping'an wasn't intimidated by Ye Qingxian; instead, a smile crept onto his face.

"Lion King Finger!"

Ye Qingxian said nothing more. He clawed the air with five fingers, and with a flash of pale yellow light, a massive lion's head materialized at his fingertips.

"A martial skill! Ye Qingxian has already mastered a martial skill!"

A gasp rose from the students below. One of the chasm-like gaps between martial artists and non-martial artists was that once you became a martial artist, you could use devastatingly powerful martial skills. Compared to non-martial artists limited to combat techniques, it was like a Fire Qilin mowing down primitives.

"I told you, Brother Ye Qingxian is a favored son of heaven. How could he lose? He was just careless earlier."

"Exactly! Zhu Ping'an probably just broke through and hasn't had time to learn any martial skills yet. He's doomed!"

"Brother Ye Qingxian, go for it! Beat him!"

Ye Qingxian's fan club lit up again when they saw him use a martial skill, cheering him on with renewed excitement.

Seeing this, Zhu Ping'an narrowed his eyes, a hint of seriousness creeping in. He hadn't had time to learn a martial skill yet, but he wasn't afraid of Ye Qingxian either. After all, his Qi and Blood Value was a full 80 points higher.

As the saying goes, one force overcomes ten techniques. An eight-year-old elementary school student, no matter how many fighting techniques he learned, could never beat a two-hundred-pound strongman.

Facing Ye Qingxian's Lion King Finger, Zhu Ping'an clenched his fist, pushed off from his calves, coiled back to gather power, then unleashed a ferocious punch forward, slamming directly into the phantom lion's head.

A loud collision rang out, and countless people couldn't help covering their ears. In Ye Qingxian's incredulous gaze, spiderweb-like cracks spread across the illusory lion's head.

Crack, crack, crack!

The phantom lion's head exploded into pieces. Zhu Ping'an's fist didn't stop; it carried forward and smashed into Ye Qingxian's handsome face, twisting it grotesquely. His whole body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily to the ground.

The girls who had been cheering for Ye Qingxian fell silent in an instant.

Zhu Ping'an had sent Ye Qingxian flying with a single punch without even using a martial skill. Was the gap between them really that vast?

Yan Shubing's expression flickered uncertainly. She had always stayed closer to Ye Qingxian, stringing Zhu Ping'an along, because in her eyes, Ye Qingxian had a brighter future.

But now, she couldn't help feeling like Zhu Ping'an might have the better prospects. Maybe she should change her strategy?

"No! Look, Ye Qingxian is getting up!"

Someone in the crowd shouted. Everyone turned to look, and there stood Ye Qingxian, expression calm, eyes tightly shut, walking toward Zhu Ping'an.

"Why is Ye Qingxian closing his eyes? Is he asking for death?" someone asked in confusion.

Even Zhu Ping'an was baffled. This scene wasn't in the plot either.

Though puzzled, Zhu Ping'an had no intention of going easy on Ye Qingxian. As Ye Qingxian approached, he threw a punch without hesitation.

But at that moment, Ye Qingxian's body twisted at an odd angle, narrowly dodging the blow.

Zhu Ping'an struck again, his fists raining down like a storm.

Yet Ye Qingxian, with his eyes still closed, seemed to have suddenly mastered Ultra Instinct. No matter how Zhu Ping'an attacked, he evaded perfectly, and his Qi and Blood Value kept rising.

"An Epiphany! Ye Qingxian has entered an Epiphany state!"

The principal of Qingcheng High School shot to his feet, his gaze burning with fervor.

Hearing the principal's words, the other students cast envious looks at Ye Qingxian.

An Epiphany state—this was a rare, coveted opportunity for any martial artist. Once you entered it, your comprehension of the martial way would skyrocket. A single Epiphany could equal ten years of bitter cultivation.

Zhu Ping'an's scalp tingled at the news. How was he supposed to fight someone who was cheating? Did the Second Male Lead have no rights?

He vaguely grasped a thread of logic. The plot had him give Yan Shubing a Qi and Blood Pill, so no matter what he did, he'd always have one on hand.

Similarly, according to the plot, Ye Qingxian would defeat him in this Mock Exam. But since his Qi and Blood Value had skyrocketed, making Ye Qingxian no match for him, the guy entered an Epiphany state instead?

Realizing this, Zhu Ping'an sucked in a sharp breath. Was this the so-called unbreakable will of fate? He even suspected that if Ye Qingxian still couldn't beat him after the Epiphany, a meteor might just fall from the sky and crush him.

"I surrender!"

Zhu Ping'an jumped off the stage without hesitation. The plot had already decreed that Ye Qingxian would win this fight. What was the point of continuing? He didn't want to die here, nor did he want to be Ye Qingxian's free Epiphany training dummy.

The moment Zhu Ping'an surrendered, Ye Qingxian spat out a mouthful of blood, his aura instantly wilting.

He had entered the Epiphany state because of the immense pressure Zhu Ping'an put on him. Now, with Zhu Ping'an suddenly giving up, it was like forcibly cutting off his Epiphany, and he suffered the backlash.

Weak and drained, Ye Qingxian glared venomously at Zhu Ping'an, then rolled his eyes back and fainted.

"Ping'an Ge, you've disappointed me so much. Even if you were afraid of Qingxian Ge beating you after his Epiphany, you shouldn't have used such a dirty trick! I hate you!"

Yan Shubing stepped forward to support the unconscious Ye Qingxian, looking at Zhu Ping'an with disappointment. She had confirmed it now—Ye Qingxian was the better investment. A martial artist who could enter an Epiphany state had undeniable talent.

"I'm sorry, Bingbing. I didn't know this would happen. I really didn't mean to..." Zhu Ping'an looked flustered and panicked. "Since you hate me... then... I'll disappear from your sight from now on."

As he spoke, Zhu Ping'an closed his eyes, and two streams of hot tears rolled down from the corners of his eyes, as if he had suffered some immense injustice.