Over a hundred pairs of murderous eyes stared at Lu Chong, and he couldn't help feeling uneasy.
These soldiers were nothing like the students at school. Every one of them had blood on their hands. They had killed Exotic Beasts and even people, and their eyes were full of killing intent.
Killing intent was invisible, but it was real. Lu Chong could feel it now.
"Squad leader, since this student is so confident, let me, old Niu, test him first and see if he's all talk."
A soldier with bulging muscles, who looked even more imposing than Li Yibing, stepped forward.
"Let them fight!"
"Let them fight!"
"Clap, clap, clap!"
The soldiers around them immediately grew excited and started cheering. Someone even led the others in clapping.
Li Yibing nodded in satisfaction and shouted, "Good! Old Niu, if you bring shame on our Special Warfare Class, you can go run twenty kilometers with a weighted pack!"
"Niu Ben, step out and get ready. The rest of you, clear some space and watch. Don't scare our young friend."
The soldiers moved quickly and in an orderly fashion, spreading out to clear a large patch of ground in the middle. They surrounded Lu Chong and the soldier called Niu Ben.
Lu Chong cupped his hands in a modest salute. "Lu Chong, a student in Class 5 of senior year at First High School."
Niu Ben thumped his chest so hard it boomed, then shouted like thunder, "We've got confidentiality rules. All you need to know is that my name's Niu Ben."
"Kid, don't hold back. If you cripple me, I'll even buy you a drink. Of course, only when we're on leave."
"Haha..."
The soldiers around them burst into another round of cheers. It was clear these straightforward soldiers meant Lu Chong no harm.
But in the military camp, nothing was feared more than a spar, and nothing was more respected than a true fighter who came out on top.
Lu Chong said no more. He took up a fighting stance and focused on Niu Ben, who appeared to be standing casually.
He didn't let his guard down. He couldn't tell what Martial Skill the soldier was about to use, but he could sense that Niu Ben was relaxed on the outside and tense within.
That was the so-called principle of having no moves being better than having moves. He seemed to leave openings everywhere, but they could well be traps meant for Lu Chong.
This was what real combat was like. No one would tell you what Martial Skill they were about to use, and no one would stick to just one skill from beginning to end.
Real fights usually involved combinations, seamlessly switching between different Martial Skills and putting together the right moves when they were needed most.
Niu Ben didn't make the first move, so Lu Chong decided to strike first. Step after step, he left a trail of afterimages as he charged at his opponent.
It was the Nine-Shadow Step at the mastery realm.
Since he didn't know what his opponent would do, Lu Chong decided to use the elusive Nine-Shadow Step, leaving Niu Ben just as unable to predict his movements.
Only when he was within three feet did Lu Chong unleash his killing move. His straight punch whistled through the air, heading straight for the soldier's face.
It was the Iron Wire Fist, direct and powerful.
With the Iron Wire Fist at the mastery realm, paired with the Nine-Shadow Step at the same level, the attack was even more formidable.
"Good!"
Niu Ben's eyes widened like brass bells. As he shouted, his aura changed dramatically, and his palms came out like a pair of fans.
One palm swept sideways, but used soft force, easily coiling around Lu Chong's forearm and skillfully deflecting it.
Almost at the same time, his other palm thrust straight toward Lu Chong's exposed chest.
Lu Chong still couldn't tell what Martial Skills Niu Ben was using. He could only make a rough guess that the two palms came from different skills, one hard and one soft, working together perfectly.
Neither of Niu Ben's Martial Skills had reached the mastery realm. He still couldn't use them with perfect control or make them truly flawless.
Faced with this unfamiliar combination, Lu Chong remained undaunted. He actually thrust his chest forward and took Niu Ben's palm strike head-on.
At the same time, he bent his other arm and drove his elbow upward. The moment Niu Ben's palm touched him, he rammed a Heart-Piercing Elbow into the soldier's side.
Mountain Leaning Back!
It was a close-range fighting technique. Lu Chong called this adapting to his opponent's moves. Besides, he had the Golden Cicada Robe to protect him, so he wasn't afraid of clashing head-on.
Bang!
The collision hit them both hard.
But Lu Chong's body was so tough that he didn't budge an inch.
Niu Ben, on the other hand, not only had a stinging palm but was also knocked three meters back by Lu Chong's shoulder, staggering as he landed.
While he was down, finish him off!
Lu Chong gave Niu Ben no chance to regain his balance. He followed him like a shadow with the Nine-Shadow Step, switched back to the Iron Wire Fist, and slammed a punch toward the off-balance soldier.
But Lu Chong hadn't expected that even while hurting and off balance, the soldier could adjust in time and launch a vicious, tricky leg sweep along the ground toward Lu Chong's feet.
It was an attack that forced his opponent to respond. If Lu Chong kept punching, Niu Ben's sweep might knock him down, which wouldn't be worth the risk.
Fortunately, Lu Chong's reflexes were quick too, especially after he'd cultivated the Tiger Roar Skill. His nervous system reacted even faster.
He withdrew his fist, leaped, and kicked in one fluid motion.
The Nine-Shadow Step and Iron Wire Fist instantly gave way to a Heart-Piercing Kick in midair.
As he dodged Niu Ben's leg sweep, Lu Chong's Heart-Piercing Kick plunged toward the soldier's chest like an icicle falling from the sky.
Niu Ben reacted quickly on instinct and managed to raise both arms in defense, but how could they possibly stop Lu Chong's kick at the mastery realm?
Boom!
Niu Ben hadn't even had time to get back up before Lu Chong's kick slammed him into the bluestone ground. The sound of bones breaking even came from his back.
But the soldier wasn't ready to give up. He roared like a tiger, slapped both hands against the ground, and used the force to spring back up, grabbing at Lu Chong just as he landed.
Even gravely injured, a soldier never gave up.
Lu Chong sighed inwardly. He didn't think Niu Ben was being unreasonable. Instead, he felt admiration for him.
He swayed aside, evading Niu Ben's tackle, and moved to the soldier's flank while his reactions were slowed.
A heavy Monument-Splitting Palm struck the back of Niu Ben's neck, knocking him unconscious on the spot.
Lu Chong knew that if he didn't do this, the soldier would probably fight him to the end.
It wasn't that the soldier was refusing to concede. This was simply how they trained.
It didn't matter if you got badly hurt. You could recover quickly at the Military Infirmary.
But faced with someone like this, Lu Chong didn't want to actually cripple him.
The soldiers watching the fight fell silent at the sight.
Then, before Lu Chong could react, they broke into cheers.
"Good! This student isn't a softie!"
"Old Niu did great too. He's no coward."
Li Yibing looked at Lu Chong, who was still perfectly composed, somewhat surprised. At last, he understood what kind of little monster the platoon leader had sent him.
He was a true Martial Artist, and his eye was far sharper than that of most of the soldiers around him.
In those few exchanges, Li Yibing had seen Lu Chong use four Martial Skills: the Monument-Splitting Palm, Nine-Shadow Step, Mountain Leaning Back, and Heart-Piercing Kick.
And the most terrifying thing was that all four of the kid's Martial Skills were at the mastery realm.
"Damn it, the platoon leader set me up. This little hothead's going to be a handful!"
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