Superb Skill

"Teacher, let the duel begin."

Xiong Batian turned to the teacher standing nearby in a white tracksuit. This teacher was the referee for the duel, present to ensure that neither side broke the rules or resorted to lethal force.

The teacher nodded. "Very well, the duel begins. But remember, do not use lethal force, or I will intervene immediately." He cast a warning glance at Xiong Batian.

"Don't worry, Teacher, I'll be sure to treat him well." Xiong Batian bared his teeth in a savage grin.

With a whoosh, the teacher leaped off the Flying Dragon Platform and announced the start of the duel.

"Xia Ping, being able to duel me should be your honor. I will teach you a proper lesson on what a true martial arts expert is. Remember, if you don't have the ability, don't go around provoking others—it comes with a heavy price."

Xiong Batian let out a roar and stomped his foot. Bang! The entire Flying Dragon Platform shuddered, and he actually left a footprint on the solid surface. His massive frame generated immense momentum, surging forward like a thunderbolt. He threw a colossal punch, the air around his fist whistling as it was displaced, sounding like a roaring black bear.

Intermediate Martial Skill: Thunder-Crushing Bear Fist!

The power of this punch was such that if it struck an ordinary human, they would surely be torn to pieces.

"So strong! As expected of Xiong Batian. This punch has over a thousand pounds of force; even a slab of steel would be snapped in two. That power is terrifying—even an ordinary Martial Apprentice Sixth Heaven couldn't compare."

"It really is the intermediate martial skill, Thunder-Crushing Bear Fist. It possesses not only the violent power of a black bear but also the speed of a thunderbolt. The two are perfectly fused; every movement carries a violent aesthetic."

"I didn't expect Xiong Batian to go all out from the start. He doesn't intend to give that kid any chance to fight back at all. It's too cruel; he's snuffing out any hope of victory in an instant."

"Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Xiong Batian isn't the type to underestimate his opponent. That kid is probably going to be blown away by a single punch."

The students beneath the platform whispered among themselves, shocked and awestruck by the power of Xiong Batian's strike. In their eyes, Xia Ping had no chance of winning.

"Too slow."

While the other students felt the punch was immensely powerful and blindingly fast, to the current Xia Ping, it was far too slow—and riddled with openings.

Having received the infusion of the Five Forms Fist, his eye for combat was already at a master's level. Dealing with such elementary martial arts was, to him, like looking down from a high vantage point; he didn't take it seriously at all.

Boom!

Five Forms Fist, Tiger Fist: Fierce Tiger Exits the Gate!

In an instant, the aura surrounding Xia Ping shifted. He transformed from a harmless little rabbit into a fierce tiger, the king of beasts, dominating the jungle.

Even from beneath the platform, the surrounding students felt this violent, kingly aura. They felt as if they were the rabbits being hunted, and they couldn't help but tremble.

"Impossible! This aura... could he have cultivated the Five Forms Fist to the realm of perfection?" The referee teacher felt this aura and couldn't help but be shocked, his pupils contracting.

He was experienced and knowledgeable; he knew that the common Five Forms Fist didn't usually possess such power. To bring it to this level, one must have cultivated the technique to an incredibly profound state.

What?!

Xiong Batian was taken aback. He felt a terrifying aura radiating from his opponent, as if a real, living tiger were about to swallow him whole, baring its savage fangs.

Although he had also "transformed" into a black bear, he was merely a human wearing a bear's skin—he had the form but lacked the spirit. His opponent, however, had completely transformed into a wild beast.

Bang!

Fist collided with fist. Energy surged, and a thunderous sound erupted, as if a bomb had detonated in mid-air. Xiong Batian's expression changed; a terrifying force transmitted from his opponent's fist, spiraling inward like a drill, attempting to shatter his arm and ribs.

"Impossible! You think you can beat me in strength? You're delusional!" Xiong Batian roared, veins bulging on his forehead. Enduring the pain, he swung his other fist.

"Too late."

Xia Ping moved like lightning. His other fist had already been launched: Five Forms Fist, Tiger Fist: Hungry Tiger Bites the Wolf!

Boom!

This punch was even more fierce and ruthless, moving with incredible speed. It was the lethal strike of a tiger that had locked onto its prey—an unstoppable blow.

The fist slammed solidly into Xiong Batian's chest. Crack, crack! Like a tiger tearing through flesh, seven or eight ribs shattered. A massive, overwhelming force exploded within his chest, pulverizing everything in its path.

"Impossible!" Xiong Batian's martial heart collapsed. He let out a miserable shriek, spat out a mouthful of blood, and was sent flying through the air.

Thud. He slid for over ten meters in the air before crashing heavily into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"It's impossible... You're just a piece of trash at the Martial Apprentice Third Heaven. How could you defeat me? How could you beat me, Xiong Batian?" Xiong Batian felt pain in every part of his body, as if being bitten by thousands of ants. His face was twisted in agony and intense unwillingness as he tried to struggle to his feet.

"Get lost. You've already lost."

Bang! Xia Ping walked up to him. Without even looking, he kicked Xiong Batian in the stomach as if tossing aside a piece of trash, sending his body flying off the platform.

"Ahhh!!!"

Xiong Batian let out a wild, unwilling cry as he slammed into the ground beneath the platform. Seeing the disbelieving gazes of the surrounding students, he wished he could dig a hole and bury himself.

Being knocked off the Flying Dragon Platform meant he had lost, and being treated like trash on top of that was the ultimate humiliation. Never in his life had Xiong Batian suffered such a shameful defeat.

"Xiong Batian."

Xia Ping stood on the platform, looking down at him. "You wanted to teach me what a true martial arts expert is? You wanted to give me a lesson? You wanted to send me to the hospital? Look at yourself now—who's the real piece of trash? You aren't as amazing as you thought. Keep a low profile in the future and stop looking for trouble. Do you understand?"

"You... you!"

Hearing this, Xiong Batian was so humiliated and enraged he felt like dying. This bastard was actually using his own words against him! It was too much; he was too hateful. His eyes rolled back, and he fainted from pure, unadulterated rage.

"Take him to the medical room immediately." The teacher beneath the platform had been prepared; he ordered several students to help carry the unconscious Xiong Batian away.

The teacher looked at Xia Ping with a sharp, discerning gaze. "You won this duel. But to be able to cultivate the Five Forms Fist to the realm of perfection is truly remarkable. No wonder you could defeat Xiong Batian. And your cultivation must have already reached the Martial Apprentice Fourth Heaven, right? When did such a talent appear in our school?"

Martial skills were graded by their level of mastery: Ordinary, Proficient, Perfect, and Perfection. Most students were lucky to reach the Proficient level.

Reaching the Perfect level, let alone Perfection, required more than just hard work; it required talent and a profound, deep-seated understanding of the technique.

Once a martial skill reached the level of Perfection, the power it unleashed was unimaginable. Even an ordinary technique could achieve miraculous, transformative results.

"Just a stroke of luck," Xia Ping said modestly.

The teacher looked at Xia Ping and smiled faintly. "Luck? There is no such thing as luck on the path of martial arts. I am quite looking forward to your future development. Keep working hard."

With that, he turned and left, taking the unconscious Xiong Batian to the school's medical room.