Cloud-Parting Palm!

But no matter how angry the students were, the opponents in the third and fourth matches were only Martial Apprentice Fifth Heaven students. Xia Ping defeated them both with a single punch, and neither could hold out for even a second.

Just like that, Xia Ping advanced straight to the top sixteen.

Beep beep.

At that moment, the system's notification sounded. "Congratulations, host. You have attracted a great deal of hate. You have gained 453 Hate Points this time. Keep up the good work."

Xia Ping's eyes flashed. "453 Hate Points? Adding that to what I had before, doesn't that mean I can exchange them for the first level of the Northern Underworld Body Protection Art?"

"Yes, host. Would you like to exchange them now?" the system asked.

Xia Ping nodded. "Exchange them." He wanted to find out just how miraculous this art was.

Rumble~

In an instant, a warm current flowed through his body, and a grand voice seemed to echo in his mind. "In the Northern Underworld, there is a fish named Kun. The Kun is so huge that no one knows how many thousands of miles it spans. It transforms into a bird named Peng. The Peng's back is so vast that no one knows how many thousands of miles it spans. It rises in flight, its wings like clouds hanging from the sky..."

One verse after another flowed through his mind. Countless profound mysteries merged into his body, and in that instant, he seemed to have instinctively mastered the cultivation method of the Northern Underworld Body Protection Art.

"So this is the Northern Underworld Body Protection Art?" Xia Ping's eyes flashed. He could feel his true energy surging whenever he circulated this mysterious art. A thin shield of true energy seemed to form over his skin, covering every part of his body like flowing water and radiating a strange, wondrous energy.

Just this shield of true energy made him feel that his defenses were incredibly strong. It seemed that even if a laser firearm fired at him, it would lose some of its force.

If he reached an extremely advanced level, then even a missile strike probably wouldn't leave him with a scratch.

"But I won't know how powerful this art is unless I try it." Xia Ping rubbed his chin. "Right, the next match is the top-sixteen round. I might as well test it out."

Half an hour later, the venue had been rearranged. Only sixteen enormous arenas remained; all the others had been removed. After a morning of duels, the school's top sixteen had now been decided.

Xia Ping stood on the arena, and his opponent was nothing like the nobodies he'd faced before. Anyone who made it into the top sixteen had the strength to rank among the school's top ten.

His opponent this time was named Tao Liang, a powerful Martial Apprentice Sixth Heaven practitioner. He practiced the intermediate martial skill Cloud-Parting Palm and was said to be no weaker than Zhou Tai'an.

"Tao Yun, I heard you're no weaker than Zhou Tai'an?" Xia Ping asked Tao Yun.

Tao Yun was instantly flattered. That guy never spoke to his opponents when he stepped into the arena. He always settled things with one punch, brutally and without mercy. Now he was actually talking to him—and had even called him by name!

For some reason, Tao Yun felt his heart flutter. He blurted out in a panic, "What? What?! I-I am no weaker than Zhou Tai'an. Do you have a problem with that? It's not like I said it myself. That's what everyone says."

By the end, his voice had grown weak, and he sounded far from confident.

There was nothing he could do about it. Xia Ping was simply too brutal. Even a powerhouse like Zhou Tai'an had been beaten to a pulp. He hadn't stood a chance against the guy's punch.

They said Zhou Tai'an had already been rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment. Thirteen of his ribs were broken, and his internal organs were badly injured. He wouldn't be able to get out of bed for at least a month.

Although Tao Yun was fairly confident in his own abilities and believed he was no weaker than Zhou Tai'an, he still wasn't very confident facing unreasonable Xia Ping.

Seeing Tao Yun's timid, submissive expression, Xia Ping was speechless. It made him look like a big bad wolf bullying a little white rabbit. He waved a hand. "Don't be afraid. I won't bully you. Here's the thing: defeating my opponents with one punch is so boring that I can't get excited about it."

"How about this? I'll stand here without moving, and you can hit me. If you can knock me off the arena, you win."

He announced his decision.

What?!

Tao Yun stared at him, dumbfounded. He could barely understand what Xia Ping was saying. What the hell did he mean, asking Tao Yun to beat him while he stood there without moving? Was this guy crazy?

He didn't understand, but the spectators around them did. They all burst into an uproar.

"Holy crap, Xia Ping's trying to defy the heavens!"

"Stand there without moving and let his opponent hit him? Just how arrogant can he get?"

"He's only Martial Apprentice Fifth Heaven, but he's facing a Martial Apprentice Sixth Heaven opponent and still dares to act this arrogantly?!"

"If he wants to die, then grant his wish."

"What an idiot. His brain must be full of mush. Does he really think he's a Martial Artist Realm powerhouse?"

"If he stands still, one punch will probably cripple Xia Ping."

"Tao Yun, kill him! This is a golden opportunity while he's getting carried away!"

All the students erupted, furious beyond words. This guy had found a whole new way to look down on people. Before, he'd defeated his opponents with one punch and humiliated them.

And now? He couldn't even be bothered to throw a punch. He was just letting his opponents hit him.

Even his classmates from Class 16 of Grade 12, including Gao Wan and Yang Wei, were dumbfounded. They thought he must be crazy. Even if he was arrogant, there had to be a limit. Just how much did he look down on people?

"D-Do you really mean that?"

Tao Yun looked at Xia Ping suspiciously. Could this be a trap? He said he'd stand still, but perhaps the moment Tao Yun attacked, he'd strike back instead.

Xia Ping said impatiently, "Are you going to hit me or not? If you won't, I'll hit you instead and break five of your ribs." He stared at Tao Yun menacingly.

He was threatening him!

Tao Yun nearly died of fright, his face deathly pale. He nodded repeatedly. "I will! I'll do it right now."

At that moment, the referee announced the start.

With a boom, Tao Yun charged forward at once and slapped out with the first form of Cloud-Parting Palm: Flowing Water Moving Clouds. The air surged like flowing water, unleashing a terrifying force.

Xia Ping stood where he was, his hands behind his back, still without moving.

"He's really going to stand there and let me hit him?"

Seeing this, Tao Yun was overjoyed.

If that was really the case, then he definitely had a chance to win this time. After all, he was a Martial Apprentice Sixth Heaven powerhouse. How could he possibly lose to a Martial Apprentice Fifth Heaven who didn't even move?!

Since his opponent was asking for a beating, Tao Yun couldn't be blamed.

His palm slammed into Xia Ping's body. The power of Cloud-Parting Palm erupted at once, ringing out like a temple bell at dawn or a drum at dusk. The entire arena seemed to shake under the force of the blow, rumbling loudly.