Easily Crushed

Possessing an Advanced Martial Skill like Thunderstorm Fist and having cultivated it to the third level, Mu Qing was more than enough to crush the average top student.

Lv Yichen had only recently begun practicing a low-level martial skill; how could he possibly contend with Mu Qing's Thunderstorm Fist? Under the force of a single punch, terrifying, searing white lightning invaded his body, causing him to collapse instantly.

"Oh no!"

Fang Quan, who had been standing to the side, had already unleashed his own martial skill, but seeing Mu Qing's prowess—defeating Lv Yichen with just one punch—he was immediately struck by the urge to retreat.

He forcibly retracted his martial skill, a wave of discomfort surging in his chest, but he couldn't care about that now; he scrambled toward Wang Haixuan.

Fang Quan reacted quickly, assessing the situation immediately: Pei Wen, the strongest of their trio, was being held back by Ling Fei, and Lv Yichen, who was on par with him, had been defeated by a single punch from Mu Qing and was now lying on the ground wailing.

Clearly, the three of them had completely miscalculated the strength of both Mu Qing and Ling Fei.

Blood Qi Fifth Rank was not, as they had imagined, a level where everyone's strength was roughly the same!

"Did I say you could leave?" Mu Qing shouted coldly.

Immediately, Mu Qing's footsteps moved like lightning. Within a few breaths, he intercepted Fang Quan and unleashed a Thunderstorm Fist.

Under the circulation of surging Origin Force, the searing white power of lightning exploded, three bolts striking Fang Quan in the abdomen.

With a loud bang, Fang Quan spat out a mouthful of blood. His school uniform was shredded, and his abdomen was scorched black, seeping blood.

"I truly feel sorry for your intelligence. Song Qing's strength was on par with yours, and he was still defeated by me. I wonder which fool gave you all this confidence," Mu Qing said mockingly.

At the same time, the electric light coiling around his arm slowly receded. He turned to look at Wang Haixuan, suddenly smiling as he said, "Could that fool be you?"

"Ah!"

On the other side, Pei Wen was slapped away by Ling Fei, losing several teeth as he crashed to the ground.

Ling Fei retracted his Blood Spirit and chuckled, coming to Mu Qing's side. "Who else could it be but that fool Wang? A self-righteous guy, surrounded by a bunch of good-for-nothings."

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd around Wang Haixuan glared at Ling Fei in fury.

There were over twenty top students, all elites of this Mock Exam, and to be insulted as good-for-nothings was something none of them could tolerate.

One after another, their Blood Spirits manifested, their auras converging into a surging, overwhelming pressure.

It had to be said that Wang Haixuan's methods were impressive; being able to rally so many top students made them a formidable force in the Mock Exam.

Despite his earlier trash-talking, Ling Fei's expression grew heavy.

As one of the first to awaken a Blood Spirit, his strength was unquestionable, arguably not even inferior to Mu Qing, who had mastered the third level of Thunderstorm Fist.

In Ling Fei's eyes, the group of top students Wang Haixuan had gathered were indeed good-for-nothings; in a one-on-one fight, none of them could beat him.

But now, with over twenty top students united, this force was something even a Blood Qi Sixth Rank practitioner might not be able to withstand.

"Look what your big mouth got us into," Mu Qing said with a wry smile, looking at the twenty-plus furious top students nearby.

Ling Fei scratched his head. "Uh... I didn't think these brats were so easily provoked."

Regarding the crisis Mu Qing and the others were about to face, Song Yalan, currently in Wang Haixuan's arms, remained indifferent, her heart unmoved.

Even though she knew Mu Qing had broken through and was stronger than the average top student, she had already made her choice and could never go back to the way things were.

Moreover, in her eyes, she didn't favor Mu Qing. As the young master of the Wang Family, Wang Haixuan had easily gathered over twenty top students; who in the Mock Exam could compete with such a force?

Wang Haixuan wouldn't even need to lift a finger himself; he would accumulate a massive amount of Mock Exam points, and even she would receive enough to enter the top ten!

"Ling Fei, weren't you being arrogant just now? Why don't we see who the real good-for-nothings are?" one top student sneered, his cold gaze fixed on Mu Qing and Ling Fei.

"Tch, relying on numbers, are we? You have ten times our numbers. If you dare to fight one-on-one, would you?" Mu Qing retorted, electric sparks flickering in his dark eyes, showing no fear.

Although they were no match for these twenty people, both Mu Qing and Ling Fei were confident they could escape unscathed.

Mu Qing stood like a long spear, his black hair crackling with faint electric arcs. His handsome face showed no trace of fear; instead, his eyes were filled with battle intent.

Mu Qing took off his school jacket, revealing a white shirt underneath. Electric light flickered faintly between his palms, as if he were ready to strike at any moment.

Ling Fei also shed his jacket, revealing a black tank top, his muscular frame brimming with power.

Seeing the two of them so serious, Wang Haixuan's eyes narrowed. He scrutinized Mu Qing and Ling Fei, as if searching for the source of their confidence.

Even he, the young master of the Wang Family, who prided himself on his strength, would not dare to stand against twenty-plus top students.

"Enough!" Wang Haixuan suddenly spoke, addressing the crowd. "Our real opponents are the students from the other three campuses. Let's not waste our energy on internal strife here."

He actually had no intention of dealing with Mu Qing and Ling Fei at this prime opportunity!

At these words, the top students following Wang Haixuan looked confused, not understanding his reasoning.

"We are heading to the depths of Lake Heart Island. The time we just wasted has already put us behind," Wang Haixuan said, then turned and began walking toward the depths of the island.

The others exchanged glances, shot Mu Qing and Ling Fei one last hateful glare, then retracted their Blood Spirits and followed Wang Haixuan.

"Haixuan, why did you suddenly call us to retreat?" Song Yalan frowned, puzzled.

Wang Haixuan grinned, pulled Song Yalan into an embrace, and after burying his face in her fair neck to inhale her scent, his expression darkened. "My original intention was just to test Mu Qing. I already had a rough idea of Ling Fei's strength, but Mu Qing had just broken through to the Blood Qi Fifth Rank, and I didn't know his true capabilities."

Suddenly, his eyes grew grave. "As it turns out, Mu Qing's strength far exceeds my expectations. He only just broke through to the Blood Qi Fifth Rank, yet his power is almost on par with Ling Fei's, and it completely surpasses that of an average top student."

The fate of Lv Yichen, Pei Wen, and Fang Quan had greatly exceeded Wang Haixuan's expectations. Sending those three to deal with Mu Qing only proved that he had underestimated Mu Qing's strength from the very beginning.

"Let Mu Qing hop around on this Lake Heart Island for a while longer. Once he has killed enough beasts and earned enough points, I will appear and take everything he has!"

Cold light flickered in Wang Haixuan's eyes as he and the others disappeared into the depths of the forest.

As for Pei Wen and the other two, they had been abandoned by him.

Although Mu Qing and Ling Fei had not struck with lethal force, the strength of those three had still been affected. In the coming days, they might become a burden, so Wang Haixuan had decisively chosen to abandon them.

"I didn't expect Wang Haixuan to give up on this opportunity," Mu Qing murmured.

He had even prepared himself for a fierce battle, never expecting that Wang Haixuan would simply walk away like that.

"Let's go too. We need to kill more beasts and earn points if we want to make it into the top ten!" Mu Qing said as he put on his school uniform.

Ling Fei nodded, picked up his own uniform to put on as well, and then headed toward Lake Heart Island alongside Mu Qing.

The place where they had just fought was still on the edge of Lake Heart Island, surrounded by dense forest; Mu Qing had no way of knowing the terrain deep within the island yet.

As Mu Qing and his companion disappeared into the forest, Lei Kai and the other teachers from the East Campus at the very edge of Lake Heart Island looked on with surprised expressions.

These teachers were all at least Bloodline Sixth Rank, making them top-tier Martial Masters. They could easily perceive the conflict that had occurred between Mu Qing's group and Wang Haixuan, as if it had happened right under their noses.

"Is that Mu Qing really someone who only just broke through to Blood Qi Fifth Rank?" one of the Sixth Rank teachers asked.

"Vice Principal Lin tested him personally. A few days ago, he hadn't even awakened his Blood Spirit, so he clearly just broke through. However, his strength is truly astonishing," the teacher of Class 3-A, an old man, said in a raspy voice.

"Ling Fei, like Wang Haixuan, was among the first batch to break through to Blood Qi Fifth Rank. After this period of cultivation, he has already reached the peak of the fifth rank and is on the verge of the sixth. Yet, Mu Qing, who just broke through, has strength comparable to his—it is truly surprising," Lei Kai said, stroking his thick beard.

"Something must have happened to Mu Qing. As for Ling Fei, it's a pity; his background isn't as strong as students like Wang Haixuan or Ji Jia. Without vast cultivation resources, he can't break through to Blood Qi Sixth Rank like Wang Haixuan," the old man said, then paused before adding, "However, this Mock Exam is an opportunity. Perhaps he will break through during the heat of battle."

This elderly teacher had just revealed a shocking piece of information.

Wang Haixuan actually possessed the cultivation strength of Blood Qi Sixth Rank!

And Ling Fei was also on the verge of breaking through to Blood Qi Sixth Rank!

The other teachers and Lei Kai showed no surprise at all; as experts at their level, they could naturally perceive the specific strength of every student with ease.

Just as they were talking, streaks of light suddenly rushed over from the distant sky, while on the ground, figures flashed by rapidly, leaving behind afterimages with a speed like whistling gale winds.

Seeing this spectacle, Lei Kai burst into laughter and shouted, "You all have arrived a bit late."

The streaks of light in the sky came to a halt, revealing figures with powerful auras. Among them were thin old men, voluptuous young women, and youths with resolute expressions.