Challenge

Guan Ning arrived at the Challenge Room in the Nine-Story Tower. Outside, the place was already packed with people. This was a massive wager involving a hundred billion Huaxia Currency, and nobody wanted to miss it. Nearly all 180 or so people from the Training Camp had turned up, along with quite a few War God Level instructors. Guan Ning also spotted Jiang Fang and Yang Hui. As for his instructor, Feng Mu, he was nowhere to be seen around the Training Camp except at their scheduled meetings. Who knew what he was busy with?

Guan Ning's eyes lit up when he spotted Jiang Fang, but she seemed to give him a faintly warning look. He could only greet her properly. When her gaze returned to its usual placid calm, Guan Ning secretly rejoiced. Looks like Instructor Jiang hasn't forgotten everything after all.

"Xiao Ning, give it your all! Sister Ruo believes in you." Zhao Ruo put on a big-sisterly air. Guan Ning, Luo Feng, and Shi Jiang couldn't help rolling their eyes.

Zhao Ruo had been about to blow up, but when she saw Chu Qiang approaching, she stopped.

"Junior Brother Guan Ning, the commotion you make gets bigger every time. You're really... really..." Chu Qiang (who was actually the author) couldn't think of a word to describe it, so he cupped his hands in congratulations. "Your senior brother wishes you a successful challenge."

Hearing Chu Qiang say that, Guan Ning thought it over. He had to admit, it was true.

On his first hunt in the Wilderness Area, he'd run into a young Tuoshan Deer and even triggered a stampede, albeit a very small one.

Less than a week after joining the Training Camp, he'd beaten John, who was ranked in the top hundred.

In his first month, he'd made the top hundred of the Black Dragon Ranking, taking 86th place.

Then he'd claimed the Hundred Billion Bounty.

He'd ranked 67th in May, 52nd in June, and 47th in July. He couldn't match Luo Feng, but he'd still caused quite a stir.

And now there was this wager worth nearly a hundred billion.

If he didn't count it up, he wouldn't have realized just how much had happened. In only four months since joining the Training Camp, Guan Ning had stirred up more trouble than Luo Feng had in the original story.

All Guan Ning could do was give a slight smile. He had no idea how to respond.

The challenge began soon after. Guan Ning didn't even look at his opponent before walking straight into the Challenge Room.

Less than ten seconds later, Finn Hudson, who was ranked last, came out looking utterly dazed. The gap between them was too great. Guan Ning had killed him with a single sword strike.

The crowd outside erupted. They'd expected Finn Hudson to lose to Guan Ning, but they hadn't thought it would be over so quickly.

Candice's face had gone deathly pale. He couldn't have taken Finn down that fast. Guan Ning had even put him last in the lineup. He immediately understood Guan Ning's intentions, and his expression turned frighteningly grim.

Soon, the second, then the third...

The first seven challengers all lost, each one killed with a single sword strike. Not one of them lasted ten seconds.

The students who'd been waiting for a good show stared in astonishment.

Seven wins in seven fights!

The whole thing had taken less than five minutes. Excluding the time spent choosing weapons and putting on gear, none of the fights had even lasted ten seconds.

And these were students ranked between 30th and 50th in the Elite Training Camp!

This could no longer be called a challenge. It was a merciless rout!

So the question was: what was Guan Ning's Combat Power Amplitude?

Guan Ning walked out and looked around. Everyone he glanced at felt a sudden surge of fear and instinctively took a step back.

A sturdy, fair-skinned man with slightly curly blond hair in the crowd changed expression, then entered the Challenge Room without a word.

"Do you think Adolf can beat Guan Ning?"

"Of course. Adolf is ranked 23rd, and his Combat Power Amplitude is Excellent."

"That Chinese guy is so arrogant, picking a fight with even Adolf."

"Seven wins in a row—that's 3.5 million. Even if the Chinese guy loses to Adolf, he's still made a profit."

"Tsk, Candice is in for it now..."

The students outside the Challenge Room were buzzing with discussion. Inside, the next match was already underway.

Adolf entered the Challenge Room and immediately saw Guan Ning lying on the sofa with a helmet on. He said nothing, simply putting on his own helmet.

An endless expanse of silver-alloy ground stretched in every direction. The only structure was an arena!

Flash!

A blond, fair-skinned young man appeared out of thin air.

A short-haired young man was already waiting there.

"Please choose your weapons and combat uniform."

A grand electronic voice echoed through the space like a celestial being's. Guan Ning chose the combat uniform he was familiar with and the Qingming Sword. He was fully geared in no time, while Adolf quickly put on his own combat uniform. His weapons were a pair of curved blades.

Once they had geared up, Guan Ning's gaze naturally fell on the pillar beside the arena. Text appeared on it—

"Name: Adolf

Gender: Male

Status: Official student of the Elite Training Camp

Combat Power Amplitude: Excellent"

Adolf smiled and turned to look at the pillar beside Wang Yi as well. The moment he read the words on it, his smile froze.

His face filled with shock and anger.

"Impossible!"

"Name: Guan Ning

Gender: Male

Status: Official student of the Elite Training Camp

Combat Power Amplitude: Excellent"

"Damn it! I should've realized sooner."

Only then did Adolf understand the key to Guan Ning's unstoppable winning streak through the first seven matches.

"No wonder you dared to accept my challenge. Your Combat Power Amplitude has reached Excellent. But you've miscalculated. Mine is 12.8, far beyond anything you can challenge. Prepare to die!"

Adolf had been in the Training Camp for five years, and his Combat Power Amplitude had only just passed 12. He assumed Guan Ning had barely reached Excellent, so he spoke at length with easy confidence.

If he'd known Guan Ning's Combat Power Amplitude was 13.2, his expression would've been quite something.

"Enough talk. Let's fight," Guan Ning said impatiently.

Whoosh!

When they were just over ten meters apart, both moved at once. Adolf's curved blades struck from above and below, their attacks as treacherous as a pair of venomous snakes.

Facing the strange twin blades, the Qingming Sword didn't dodge. It cleaved straight into one of them.

At the sight of Guan Ning's response, Adolf grinned savagely. He could already see Guan Ning being torn apart by his blades in the next instant.

But Guan Ning had already unleashed his full physical strength in that strike. His base strength was 10,000 kilograms, and his body exerted four times that force, giving the blow a power of 40,000 kilograms.

Adolf's exertion level was only 3.5. On top of that, he'd let down his guard, so he hadn't brought his full strength to bear. The overwhelming force traveled through the blade.

The curved blade in Adolf's hand was knocked violently aside. Even the blade in his left hand was thrown off balance, leaving his guard wide open.

Guan Ning's eyes lit up. He tapped forward with quick steps and pressed the advantage, his Qingming Sword angling upward. Adolf's face changed drastically. If he failed to handle this strike, he would lose his right arm.

But he was an experienced fighter. In that split second, he twisted sharply, pivoting on his right foot and turning a full circle to evade the Qingming Sword.

Guan Ning's first strike missed, but the Qingming Sword flowed seamlessly from an upward slash into a straight thrust, simple and direct as it aimed for Adolf's throat.

Adolf was terrified and hurriedly brought both blades up to block.

But before they could make contact, the Qingming Sword suddenly turned into a supple, wavering serpent. Its movements grew unpredictable, yet it continued to stab toward his throat.

No!

Adolf tried desperately to retreat. In that instant, all his techniques seemed as useless as showy, empty moves. No matter how many blades he wielded or how exquisite his techniques were, he couldn't evade that thrust.

His blades flashed repeatedly, trying to deflect the incoming sword.

But the instant they touched the flat of the blade—

Clang!

The Qingming Sword's blade suddenly bent like a bow. Then it sprang back with a sharp snap, knocking the curved blade aside.

Adolf wanted to dodge, to flee.

But he suddenly realized that whenever he stepped back, Guan Ning moved forward, while the sword advanced even farther.

From all directions—from the east, west, north, and south, from every corner—the sword sealed off every escape route. Even though the thrust was utterly ordinary, there was nowhere for him to go.

"Roar—"

A desperate, despairing cry rang through the night sky.

Splurt! Blood sprayed through the air.

The Qingming Sword's tip slipped through the gap in Adolf's neck like a needle piercing tofu.

Then the entire sword plunged in.

Guan Ning took another step forward.

He stood face-to-face with Adolf, the Qingming Sword buried in his neck. It had entered below the Adam's apple and emerged from the back of his neck, its tip protruding nearly a meter.

A single sword strike had pierced him through!

Blood dripped from the section of the blade protruding from the back of his neck.

A simple, unadorned move. Even a child knew how to do it—thrust.

Their vision went dark, and the two men left the virtual space.

The electronic voice rang through the Nine-Story Tower once again, coldly announcing the undeniable fact that Guan Ning could not be stopped.

Outside the Challenge Room, Candice looked utterly distraught. He could barely keep hold of the long sword in his hand.

"Even Adolf lost? He's a genius who's been ranked in the top 30 of the Training Camp for ages!"

"His Combat Power Amplitude is over 12, and he still lost. What can I do?"

Candice asked himself silently.

He'd never had a conflict with Guan Ning in the first place. It was only because of the Hundred Billion Bounty that he'd tried to help his aunt, "Poison Scorpion" Venina Polenas, vent her anger. That was how things had ended up like this.

"Since I can't turn this around, I'd better admit defeat."

Once he'd made up his mind, Candice went over to Guan Ning, who had just come out of the Challenge Room. "Guan Ning, I concede. The 50 billion is yours."

"Hm?" Guan Ning was a little surprised by how readily Candice gave in. He hadn't expected the heir to the seemingly overbearing Polenas Family to be so decisive. No wonder a great family had chosen him as its successor.

"Fine. I accept," Guan Ning said, already bored.

"Candice conceded?"

"He's the heir to the Polenas Family! I can't believe it!"

"He doesn't even have the courage to fight a single match. What a disgrace."

"I disagree. Knowing when something can't be done and still doing it is foolish. Candice knows his limits."

"That's true. Fifty billion is nothing to Candice anyway."

The students had mixed reactions when they heard Candice had conceded. Still, that meant Guan Ning had won all nine matches and taken home 45 billion.

"Ding!"

Guan Ning received a transfer notification. His account now had 45 billion. He'd gotten rich overnight!