Combat Power Beyond Peers

"Begin."

Before the words had even faded, the fist of Situ Xuan tore through the air, heading straight for the face of Long Xiuyuan!

This punch was devoid of any flair, relying purely on brute force, yet its speed was astonishing, the wind from the strike even producing a sharp whistle.

A flicker of surprise crossed the eyes of Long Xiuyuan; he instinctively leaned back while simultaneously raising his right arm to block.

Bang!

Fist and arm collided, a dull thud echoing across the training ground.

The arm of Long Xiuyuan shuddered, actually feeling slightly numb from the impact! He raised an eyebrow, his previously nonchalant demeanor instantly vanishing.

"What a heavy punch."

Long Xiuyuan was secretly startled. As an intermediate teacher at Eastsea Academy, the students he usually taught relied mostly on Soul Power, and very few could make him feel threatened by pure physical strength alone.

Yet this punch from Situ Xuan was a terrifying explosion of power, reminding him of the veterans who had fought in the military.

Situ Xuan did not pause; following his right fist, his left leg swept out like a battle axe!

Long Xiuyuan no longer met the attack head-on, sidestepping to avoid it while his right hand formed a claw, aiming straight for the wrist of Situ Xuan. He wanted to test the reaction speed of this youth.

However, before the leg strike of Situ Xuan had even fully extended, he forcibly changed his move mid-air!

His knee snapped upward, aiming directly for the chin of Long Xiuyuan!

Slap!

The palm of Long Xiuyuan blocked the knee at the very last second, but this time he could not fully dissipate the force, and the impact sent him stumbling back two steps.

"Oh?" The interest in the eyes of Long Xiuyuan deepened.

The offensive from Situ Xuan was relentless, every strike precise and ruthless, without a single wasted movement. His fists, palms, elbows, and knees—every joint had become a lethal weapon, as if he were nothing more than a pure instrument of slaughter.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The figures of the two men crisscrossed rapidly in the center of the training ground, the dull thuds of fists and feet colliding echoing like war drums.

The students on the sidelines were completely stunned.

The mouth of Lin Yao hung open involuntarily; he had originally thought Situ Xuan was just a guy with big muscles, and his Innate Soul Power of level three had only made him look down on him further.

But now, he was watching with his own eyes as that youth went head-to-head with Long Xiuyuan, even forcing the teacher back!

Although everyone knew this was because the teacher had not used his Martial Soul or Soul Power...

Although everyone knew the teacher was holding back to a certain extent in this fight...

But the visceral impact of flesh hitting flesh left the students of Class Three with an extraordinary sensory experience!

"Is this guy... really just a Body Martial Soul?" Zhou Tianyang whispered.

Mo Xiaoyu gripped the hem of her shirt tightly, her nails almost digging into her palms. She couldn't even keep track of their movements, only hearing those terrifying sounds of impact.

"Their speed... it's too fast..."

In the center of the field, the eyes of Situ Xuan were locked onto every subtle movement of Long Xiuyuan.

The fighting style of Long Xiuyuan was completely different from his own—his attacks were violent and direct, while Long Xiuyuan was like a prowling hunter, every strike precise and tricky, avoiding direct confrontation to specifically target weak points.

But in the eyes of Situ Xuan, this only made him more excited.

"Again!"

He let out a low shout and suddenly changed his move; his straight punch transformed into a palm strike, slashing horizontally toward the throat of Long Xiuyuan!

The gaze of Long Xiuyuan sharpened. "Your change of pace is fast enough." He raised his right hand to parry while his left leg swept silently toward the supporting leg of Situ Xuan.

However—

The left foot of Situ Xuan suddenly exerted force, and he used the momentum to vault into the air, his right leg whipping toward the temple of Long Xiuyuan!

Boom!

Long Xiuyuan did not take it head-on and retreated rapidly, but the edge of the leg of Situ Xuan still grazed his shoulder.

A faint, stinging pain followed.

Long Xiuyuan looked down and saw that his uniform had been torn at the shoulder, revealing the slightly reddened skin beneath.

"Interesting." The corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

Situ Xuan landed and panted lightly, but his eyes remained as sharp as blades.

"Your combat techniques aren't from the academy."

Long Xiuyuan spoke slowly. "Family tradition? Or underground fighting?"

Situ Xuan did not answer, but his eyes narrowed slightly.

Long Xiuyuan saw through his silence and chuckled. "Looks like I guessed right."

Before the words had finished, his figure suddenly vanished!

The pupils of Situ Xuan contracted, and his entire body tensed instantly.

--Too fast!

Long Xiuyuan's speed was actually several times faster than it had been before!

"Three minutes are almost up."

Long Xiuyuan's voice rang out in Situ Xuan's ear, "For the final move, let me see your limit."

Situ Xuan's reaction was almost instinctive; he whipped around, his right fist blasting out like a cannonball!

BANG!!!

Their fists collided!

A terrifying shockwave exploded outward, forcing Situ Xuan to stagger back several steps, his arms numb. Meanwhile, Long Xiuyuan remained standing exactly where he was, completely unmoved.

The entire arena fell silent.

"Time's up."

Long Xiuyuan glanced at his mechanical watch and returned to his usual lazy expression, "Not bad, you lasted the full three minutes."

Situ Xuan's chest heaved violently, sweat dripping down from his chin. His hands trembled slightly, his knuckles already flushed red, yet a satisfied smile played on his face.

"Twenty laps with weights."

Long Xiuyuan said indifferently, turning to walk toward the training ground exit, "Everyone else, continue your combat training."

Situ Xuan stepped forward to follow Long Xiuyuan's retreating figure, the sound of their footsteps echoing through the empty corridor. The clamor of the training ground gradually faded away, leaving only the faint hum of the soul guidance lamps on the walls.

The iron door of the equipment room looked somewhat aged; Long Xiuyuan took a ring of keys from his waist and fiddled with them until he found the right one.

The lock clicked, and a scent mixed with metal and leather rushed out to meet them.

"Pick one yourself."

Long Xiuyuan pointed to the weight belts lined up neatly against the wall, "I suggest starting with 20 kilograms."

Situ Xuan's gaze swept over the dark, heavy belts.

Each one was forged from a special alloy, the surface covered in fine, anti-slip textures. He reached out and grabbed the one in the middle; the cold sensation against his fingertips reminded him of the raw iron waiting to be forged at the blacksmith shop in Aolai City.

"This one." He weighed it in his hand; the 30-kilogram load caused the belt to sag slightly.

Long Xiuyuan raised an eyebrow but said nothing, simply taking two wrist guards from the shelf and tossing them over, "Add these, and the total weight will be 35 kilograms."

Situ Xuan efficiently strapped on the gear.

As the final buckle clicked into place, a heavy pressure immediately settled onto his waist and thighs.

This familiar sense of restriction reminded him of the days he spent running in shackles on the prison yard in his past life.

The all-encompassing physical enhancement provided by his Body Martial Soul allowed him to surpass the physique typical of his age group to a certain extent.

But at the same time, to a certain extent, this was a temporary lead gained by sacrificing development in other areas.

Situ Xuan did not like falling behind, so naturally, he had poured his heart and soul into diligent and arduous training!

"Go run your laps now."

Long Xiuyuan leaned against the doorframe, the afternoon sun gilding his profile, "Come find me once you've finished twenty laps."

Situ Xuan nodded, turned, and headed toward the track on the outer edge of the training ground.