Challenge Match

"Morning, you two."

At the entrance to the Martial Arts Arena, Lu Ren, who had been waiting there for some time, came forward with a deliberately familiar smile on his face.

His twin brother, Lu Feng, silently followed at his side, his blazing gaze fixed tightly on Chen Mochuan.

"Cut the fake friendliness. Are we even that close?" Li Biao shot back without the slightest courtesy. Though they were both students in the advanced class, he thoroughly disliked Lu Ren.

This guy didn't resemble a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old student at all. He was more like a smiling tiger who had spent years clawing his way through society—greeting you with a smile to your face while stabbing you viciously in the back.

Two students had previously been provoked by him into a vicious fight at school, and both had ultimately received disciplinary punishment.

Yet after Teacher Han questioned Lu Ren afterward, he had somehow come through completely unscathed, having long since washed his hands of the matter.

Lu Ren seemed not to notice Li Biao's hostility. His smile remained unchanged as he turned to Chen Mochuan, his tone perfectly measured and carrying a trace of false regret.

"Mochuan, I saw the monthly exam rankings. This time... sigh, what a pity. Your homeroom teacher must be so disappointed."

He deliberately sighed. His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for several passing students nearby to hear.

"Your homeroom teacher is famous for recognizing and cherishing talent," Lu Ren continued, as though he were genuinely thinking of the teacher. "I heard he even spoke with you personally yesterday. He's treated you incredibly well and placed great hopes on you."

At that point, his words subtly shifted. He lowered his voice, yet it was still just enough for Chen Mochuan and Li Biao to hear clearly.

"But with grades like these... tsk, tsk. I'm truly afraid all his painstaking effort will come to nothing, and people will criticize him for having misjudged you."

"If word gets out, how will those who don't know the full story talk about him playing favorites? They might even question the fairness of the advanced class."

Those words were like a needle, piercing precisely through Chen Mochuan's bottom line.

Over the past year, as his grades kept slipping, he had constantly been surrounded by rumors and gossip. He could endure mockery and doubts aimed at himself, but he would never allow anyone to use Teacher Han, who had sincerely cared for him, as ammunition.

Chen Mochuan, who had originally been unconcerned, turned cold-eyed and looked calmly at Lu Ren. "Get to the point."

Seeing that his initial goal had been achieved, Lu Ren's eyes shifted, and he finally showed the dagger hidden behind the map. He gently nudged his brother beside him, signaling for him to speak.

Having received the cue, Lu Feng stepped forward, his words direct and brimming with aggression.

"Chen Mochuan, I may be in an ordinary class and not enjoy as many resources as you do, but in this monthly exam, I ranked seventieth overall. I ranked sixty-first in Simulated Combat, and my Physical Fitness even reached fifty-third in the grade. Every one of those rankings is higher than yours!"

"I refuse to accept you occupying a place in the advanced class and wasting the school's resources. If you're a man, get on Battle Net and fight me. Let everyone see who deserves those resources more!"

Li Biao was so furious that smoke practically rose from his head. "You two really have no shame. Brother Chuan ranks first in the grade in martial arts technique mastery and sixth in Academic Subjects. Why don't you compare those?"

Lu Ren immediately tried to "smooth things over," though he was really pouring oil on the fire.

"Hey, Xiaofeng, how can you talk like that? Mochuan's Academic Subjects and technique mastery are both top-tier. That's real skill. You should learn from him."

He turned to Chen Mochuan, speaking earnestly. "But then again, combat ability truly is the foundation of a martial artist... Just treat it as giving my little brother some pointers. At the same time, let everyone witness firsthand just how accurate Teacher Han's judgment is. That'll completely silence all that idle gossip and keep any nasty words from damaging his reputation."

Lu Ren's calculations clattered loudly in his heart. The school's rule was "pressure the last, reward the first." Unless a student broke down or voluntarily applied to leave, advanced-class spots were basically fixed during the semester.

If his brother Lu Feng wanted to enter the advanced class, he could only wait for the expansion of the advanced class at the end of each semester. That was still a full three months away, and he had to help his brother seize the advanced class's exclusive resources during those three months!

Therefore, he had to strike first and make Chen Mochuan, this "bottom-ranked student," cause some "major problem" himself. The best opening was his weaker actual combat ability!

Chen Mochuan watched the brothers perform their double act with cold eyes, having long since seen through their scheme.

But he knew even more clearly that if he didn't accept this challenge, given Lu Ren's villainous cunning, he might truly spread rumors. It would be difficult to catch evidence of something like that, and if Teacher Han got dragged into it, things would become troublesome.

He raised a hand to stop Li Biao, who still wanted to argue. His gaze first swept over the battle-hungry Lu Feng before finally settling on Lu Ren's hypocritical smile.

"Whether I'm wasting resources is for the school's rules and my results in the next major exam to decide. There's no need for you brothers to worry about it." His voice was calm, yet carried unquestionable force. "Teacher Han's reputation is even less something you can use as an excuse to challenge me."

He stepped forward, and his bearing abruptly turned sharp. "But if you want to humiliate yourselves, I'll grant your wish! Fighting without stakes is boring. Let's add something to it. The Blood Qi Supplements the school issued this month—the winner takes all. Dare to accept?"

This proposal that seized the initiative, along with his icy aura, made Lu Ren pause. Then a gleam of triumph flashed through his eyes.

He had absolute confidence in his brother. He didn't feel the wager was unfair just because the Blood Qi Supplement he had received for ranking higher was greater than Chen Mochuan's, and he hurriedly agreed. "Fine! It's a deal!"

His brother's Blood-Qi Value had already surpassed 4.2. Even if his Foundation Building Fist mastery wasn't high, dealing with Chen Mochuan, whose Blood-Qi Value had yet to break 3, was absolutely foolproof.

As long as they humiliated Chen Mochuan viciously in the coming fight, how could his mentality not collapse?

"Time. Place." Chen Mochuan no longer looked at Lu Ren and spoke directly to Lu Feng.

"After evening classes today. The school's No. 1 Simulation Combat Room!"

Watching the Lu Brothers' departing backs, Li Biao looked deeply worried. "Brother Chuan, they're obviously provoking you..."

Chen Mochuan took a deep breath, his eyes sharp. "I know. But this fight isn't just for me. Some people have to be answered in a language they understand... Besides, I might not lose this fight!"

The worry on Li Biao's face didn't lessen. "I know that Lu Feng. His Blood-Qi Value is the best among the ordinary classes, at 4.2. You..."

Seeing that his best friend was still worrying for him, Chen Mochuan pulled him to an empty spot. "A-Biao, I actually awakened my Spirit Talent last night too. Even if his Blood-Qi Value is higher, I have a way to deal with him."

At those words, Li Biao's eyes lit up brilliantly. He had just been about to shout to vent his emotions when he remembered they were in the teaching building and hurriedly lowered his voice. He looked even happier than when he had awakened his own Spirit Talent.

"Brother Chuan, you finally made it!"

During Stance Training class, the advanced-class students were practicing the fourteenth form of the Root-Solidifying Stance.

There were fewer students making mistakes today than yesterday, which pleased Lin Hong greatly.

Just as he scanned the whole field and saw that most of the students were nearing their limits, preparing to order them back into the previous form, his gaze suddenly halted on one figure. He sensed something unusual.

"Huh... This kid's Stance Training has broken through to Great Completion?"