This bit of skill, you dare bare your teeth at me?

"Although I am not Tingyu's boyfriend right now, I will be sooner or later!

From our looks and family backgrounds to our strength, we are a match made in heaven!"

Meng Bo lifted his chin high, his tone filled with boastfulness.

"So that's what this is all about..."

Lin Xia sneered, "You're nothing but a pathetic simp!"

"What the hell did you say?!"

Meng Bo bared his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead as he raised his hand to slap Lin Xia across the face!

He was the young master of the Meng Family, oil tycoons!

How could he be called a dog by someone like him!

This scene immediately caused a commotion!

The upperclassmen outside the arena gaped, watching in disbelief as Meng Bo's hand moved toward that cold, handsome face.

They had heard that a genius had joined this year's intake, someone who arrived at the Imperial University with an SSR-level summon card!

He had even single-handedly crushed all the other students during the placement competition!!

That was why they had come to watch Lin Xia's first trip into the Secret Realm, curious to see if he could emerge with another high-grade card.

Or perhaps Lin Xia's luck had run out, and the next card he obtained would be low-grade?

This was also one of the reasons why the teachers and the men in suits were present.

Of course, there was another reason: rumors had leaked that someone among this year's students had achieved a Bronze Achievement!

The most mysterious reward in the history of the Imperial University for the past few hundred years was about to be revealed!

As for who that person might be, opinions were divided, with Zhu Tingyu and Lin Xia being the most popular candidates.

Perhaps due to social status, those in the upper echelons all leaned toward Zhu Tingyu.

Consequently, Zhu Tingyu's father was surrounded by sycophants.

The teachers, however, gathered around Xiao Ya, feeling that Lin Xia had already provided too many surprises; they believed he was more likely to be the one who achieved the feat first.

Regardless, Lin Xia was the center of attention.

That was why Meng Bo's reaction caused such an instant uproar in the crowd!

In terms of family influence, only the Zhu Family could suppress the Meng Family!

"Is this brat insane?!"

Meng Dahai, Meng Bo's father, widened his eyes; he could feel that Meng Bo had used his awakened power in that strike!

As a strength-type awakener, Meng Bo's palm strike was powerful enough to shatter a wall into pieces!

Meng Dahai felt a surge of regret; if Lin Xia were hit, he would be crippled if not killed!

With so many dignitaries present, his son was acting so recklessly... and against someone the government was prioritizing—a top talent of the Imperial University!

If anything happened to Lin Xia, what was he supposed to do?!

How would he handle the aftermath?

How would he face the accountability from the government and the Imperial University?!

Sigh, since things had come to this, he could only hope it could be solved with money!

Seeing that it was too late, Meng Dahai let out a helpless sigh.

The scene shifted.

A dull "thud!" echoed through the air.

Everyone's expression changed drastically, their mouths hanging open in sheer disbelief!

Lin Xia had actually reached out and grabbed Meng Bo's wrist!

One had to realize that in the eyes of the onlookers, Meng Bo's strike had been incredibly fast—calling it instantaneous would not be an exaggeration!

At such close range, theoretically, Lin Xia shouldn't have been able to react in time!

Yet, Lin Xia's speed was even faster than Meng Bo's!

At the very least, people could see Meng Bo's motion of throwing the strike, but no one had even caught the movement of Lin Xia raising his arm to seize Meng Bo's wrist!

Lin Xia's speed was so fast that it was as if the film frames had been skipped and stitched together; it was completely invisible to the naked eye!

Meng Dahai, who had just been fretting over how to handle the aftermath, now stood there with a blank expression, as if his soul had been ripped away.

The friends beside him began to mock him, kicking him while he was down.

They made snide remarks about how Meng Bo's strength had been completely crushed by Lin Xia.

Meng Dahai, who usually cared deeply about his reputation, was now so humiliated and enraged that his face turned beet red; he clenched his fists tightly, staring daggers at his good-for-nothing son on the field.

On the other side, Zhu Tingyu's father looked on with eyes full of appreciation and shock. He was a smart man and naturally saw that Lin Xia's strength was far from as simple as what he had heard.

This guy would definitely become a figure who would shake the entire Great Xia Empire in the future!

Therefore, he must be recruited before Lin Xia makes a name for himself, providing the Zhu Family with a powerful background!

After all, the Zhu Family lacks neither money nor power; they only lack a strong expert to hold down the fort!

For years, their competitors, the Sun and Qiao families, have been devouring the Zhu Family's businesses by relying on the experts within their own ranks...

"Th-this..."

Meng Bo's pupils contracted violently, his mouth twitching as he stared at his wrist, which was gripped so tightly he couldn't move. He felt utterly shocked by the sheer strength Lin Xia possessed.

He was a Strength-type Awakened, yet he couldn't even pull his own hand free!

However, Meng Bo felt no fear toward Lin Xia; instead, he complained to himself that he hadn't used lethal force, giving the other guy a chance to show off.

"Heh, with just this much ability, you dare to bare your fangs at me?!"

Lin Xia let out a cold snort, killing intent rising in his eyes.

"Hey, hey, hey! What are you two doing!"

Xie Feng ran over, looking displeased. Unlike previous years where things were cold and procedural, this year had attracted many school leaders and various big shots!

And yet... this had to happen!

Seeing Xie Feng's expression, Lin Xia released his grip.

It was indeed inconvenient for him to make a move now; after all, with so many people watching, it would be better to wait until they entered the Secret Realm to deal with him!

Immediately, Lin Xia glanced at the staff member who had given him the slip.

Clearly, this guy had taken bribes from Meng Bo to ensure he and Lin Xia would enter the Secret Realm together.

"It's nothing, Teacher Xie Feng. I was just testing my partner's strength."

Meng Bo was quick-witted and immediately blurted out an excuse, though the contempt in his eyes remained undisguised.

"It's fine, Teacher Xie. We were just messing around."

Lin Xia echoed the sentiment.

But with such clumsy acting, combined with the gunpowder-like tension in their eyes, Xie Feng could obviously tell what was going on!

He huffed, hands on his hips, "Both of you, redraw your lots. You are not allowed to enter the Secret Realm together!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Lin Xia and Meng Bo were both stunned, looking at Xie Feng and protesting with their eyes.

At this moment, Meng Dahai walked over, his belly protruding like a pregnant woman's. "Since they drew the same lot, it's fate. It's only right and reasonable that they enter the Secret Realm together."

He was very concerned with his reputation. His son's attack had just been easily caught by Lin Xia, causing him to be mocked by his drinking buddies.

Therefore, Meng Dahai wanted Meng Bo to deal with Lin Xia inside the Secret Realm... at the very least, he wanted the kid to come out with a few bruises on his face so he could regain some face and explain to his friends that Meng Bo had just been showing mercy, rather than being crushed in terms of strength.

"That won't do, Mr. Meng. Can't you see..."

Xie Feng continued to refuse, attempting to explain the situation to Meng Dahai.

On the other side, Zhu Tingyu's father walked over, quietly approaching Lin Xia from behind, and asked in a low voice:

"Young man, do you want to enter the Secret Realm with Meng Bo, or do you want to stay away from him?"