The Crowd Is Shocked, Asking for Red Tickets

The instructor's face froze instantly; these were his own words, now returned to him in full by Zhang He.

This was clearly intentional!

Zhao Feng stood up and walked directly onto the field, his voice cold. "Kneel, beg for mercy, and break your own arm, and I will spare you."

The martial students all remained silent, watching Zhang He's reaction.

"Dream on." Zhang He's lips moved, spitting out those two words.

Zhao Feng's body moved abruptly. The martial art he unleashed was not the Wild Ox Fist. His posture resembled an ape, his fist wind rugged and wild; the moment he struck, it gave off a feeling of immense, solid power.

"Through-Back Fist!"

His fist smashed down fiercely. The moment he struck, Zhang He knew this technique was at least one grade higher than the Wild Ox Fist.

Martial arts in the world were divided into nine grades. The Wild Ox Fist was at most a first-grade technique, while this Through-Back Fist was at least second-grade.

The fist wind whistled, its momentum startling.

Zhang He immediately retreated to dodge, refusing to meet the sharp edge of the attack head-on.

No matter how impressive, he is still only at the Marrow Refining stage. Without cultivating true energy, it amounts to nothing! Zhang He watched the whistling fist wind; in terms of combat power, it was merely an empty display, though he knew his own situation was no better.

If his physical constitution were on par with Zhao Feng's, he would have beaten him into the ground long ago. His only reliance now was his true energy, which allowed him to erupt with formidable combat power.

My current true energy can last for at most two more strikes!

Therefore, Zhang He had to ensure that he would not strike unless necessary, and once he did, he had to render Zhao Feng incapable of fighting. The situation had developed to a point that exceeded the instructor's expectations.

The instructor stood to the side, watching the arena with a gloomy gaze.

Zhang He kept dodging. Zhao Feng, unable to land a hit, grew somewhat irritated. "If you have the guts, stop dodging!"

"If you say so." Zhang He suddenly stopped.

Zhao Feng was overjoyed. He lunged forward, his right arm erupting with power as he attacked Zhang He's shoulder fiercely.

Zhang He actually did not dodge, allowing that fist to slam into his shoulder. However, he naturally did not take the hit fully; as the blow landed, he jerked his shoulder backward, dissipating the force.

Crack.

Just as he had done with Han Zhao, Zhang He seized Zhao Feng's arm.

Zhao Feng suddenly realized that Zhang He had intentionally let him strike so that he would extend his arm, allowing Zhang He to grab it!

Zhang He is truly treacherous!

Suddenly recalling Han Zhao's broken arm, Zhao Feng's face turned deathly pale. He could already feel a sharp, piercing pain radiating from his arm.

"Stop!"

A cold shout came from behind, followed by a gust of wind striking from the rear.

The instructor had been prepared on the sidelines; seeing Zhang He about to strike at Zhao Feng again, he acted without hesitation. Zhao Feng was the Dean's own nephew; if he allowed his arm to be crippled right in front of him, he would certainly face the Dean's punishment.

Thus, seeing Zhang He about to deliver a heavy blow, the instructor disregarded his status and attacked directly. He held nothing back, his palm forming a claw as he swiped fiercely at Zhang He's shoulder.

This was his signature technique, the Eagle Claw Skill. If Zhang He were caught by the shoulder, even if it didn't immediately shatter his arm, it would leave him permanently disabled.

Zhang He's expression shifted slightly, and he pulled his body away abruptly. However, he did not let Zhao Feng go; with a tug, his fingers swept across Zhao Feng's ear.

"Nerve Flicking Technique!" This was a highly formidable martial art, though unfortunately, Zhang He's current cultivation was insufficient; at most, it would cause Zhao Feng some minor suffering. Had he possessed more power, he could have rendered Zhao Feng a cripple on the spot.

Zhao Feng felt a searing pain in his ear, as if ten thousand horses were galloping through it, a thunderous roar flooding his senses. His vision went black, and he spun dizzily, crashing to the ground in a heap.

Hahaha!

The other martial students couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

Zhang He had already retreated to the side, standing with his hands behind his back, watching the instructor help Zhao Feng up.

"Instructor, when you attacked just now, were you trying to cripple me?" Zhang He looked at the instructor with a calm expression.

The instructor's face changed slightly. "Hmph, your strikes are so ruthless, showing no regard for the camaraderie of your peers. I will certainly report this to the Dean exactly as it happened!"

The instructor supported Zhao Feng, who was now in a semi-conscious state.

"That is all for today. Everyone, go back and review your lessons well." The instructor dismissed the class immediately and called over a few others to help carry Zhao Feng away.

The martial students looked at Zhang He, who remained on the training ground, as if they were looking at a monster. Only a few days ago, he was a rookie who couldn't even defend himself, yet today he had consecutively taken down three people, one of whom had even had his arm crippled!

"Wow, Zhang He, you're truly amazing! You even took down Han Zhao and Zhao Feng, and they both have the cultivation of the sixth level of the Force Martial Realm!" Fatty Tang was revived on the spot, bouncing around Zhang He's side with an amazed expression.

Wang Dachui stood nearby, looking at Zhang He with a fervent gaze. "Zhang He, how did your cultivation grow so quickly? Did you consume some kind of spiritual elixir?"

"What spiritual elixir? I think Ah He just had a sudden epiphany!" Fatty Tang chuckled. Seeing Zhang He so powerful, he was genuinely happy. He suddenly remembered something. "Ah He, since you can take down Han Zhao and Zhao Feng, you'll definitely achieve a high ranking in the martial student assessment. It's said the rewards for this assessment are generous! Legend has it that if you take first place, you can be granted the status of a Cold Gate family!"

"What? Granted the status of a Cold Gate?" Zhang He's eyes widened. Although the Cold Gate status was the lowest tier of the gentry, its standing was still higher than that of a commoner. Most importantly, once one became a Cold Gate, one could do many things!

The clans of this world were divided into ranks: from top to bottom, they were the Royal Family, the Nobility, the Gentry, the Commoners, and the Slaves. The Gentry were further divided into three levels: the highest were the Great Clans, the second were the Aristocratic Families, and the third were the Cold Gate!

The Western Chu Kingdom offered very generous rewards to martial students with cultivation potential!

"To obtain the Cold Gate status, one must take first place in the martial student assessment. With our cultivation, how is that possible? The top few on the martial student ranking list have already cultivated true energy seeds, and even the first-ranked Wen Liang has reached the Savage Strength realm," Wang Dachui couldn't help but say.

"Sigh, I was just saying," Fatty Tang said with a bitter smile. He knew full well that the first-place spot in the Martial Student assessment was far beyond the reach of his group.

Zhang He remained silent, though a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes. Others might lack confidence, but Zhang He did not. Before the Martial Student assessment, he was certain he could reach the Savage Strength realm!

It seems I really need to go seek out lethal poisons for my cultivation!

With this thought in mind, the three of them left the martial arts arena.

On the other side, several pairs of eyes were tracking Zhang He's departure.

"Tian'er, what are you looking at?" a girl suddenly asked, sounding curious.

Gan Tian'er snapped back to reality, looking somewhat flustered as she said, "I thought I saw an acquaintance just now."

"An acquaintance? Hehe, were you peeking at Zhang He?" her companion teased with a mischievous grin. "By the way, didn't you and Zhang He used to be quite close? You should seize the opportunity now. Judging by his performance today, he's definitely going to be a dark horse in the Martial Student assessment!"

"No way! Stop teasing me! I have nothing to do with him!" Gan Tian'er forced a smile. Close to Zhang He? That was back when they had first entered the Martial Student Academy. She had only looked at him differently because he had done her a favor, but later, due to his commoner status, she had gradually drifted away from him.

"Oh." Her companion didn't think much of it; in truth, her words had just been a jest. She pulled Gan Tian'er along as they walked out, chatting away, "I never expected Zhang He to be so good at hiding his true strength. He looked so cool when he made his move earlier. Even Zhao Feng and Han Zhao were no match for him. He's truly a dark horse; he'll definitely achieve great results in the Martial Student assessment."

"You should take the chance to get to know him while you still can. Hehe, I heard that every time the Martial Student assessment ends, those who achieve great results are immediately swarmed by girls throwing themselves at them!"

Hearing this, Gan Tian'er felt a strange sensation in her heart. Her gaze drifted past the crowd to watch that figure disappear into the distance, and she suddenly felt a sense of unease.

Had her relationship with him really drifted to the point where they were now like strangers?

I never imagined Zhang He was this formidable. I must inform my family. With him, the family competition after the Martial Student assessment will have much better prospects.

Wang Fengjie watched Zhang He leave, his thoughts racing like lightning.

"Hey, isn't that Goddess Lian?" Fatty Tang suddenly pointed toward a bewitching figure ahead.

The martial students nearby immediately had their eyes light up, craning their necks to look forward. That exquisite face and the devilish, curvaceous figure instantly made the blood of these young men boil.

Information regarding Goddess Lian immediately surfaced in Zhang He's mind.

Goddess Lian, whose real name was Lian Yunbi, was the jewel of the Lian family, one of the three top-tier noble clans in Mengyin City. With a prestigious background and beauty that could put the moon to shame and make flowers blush, she was the perfect dream lover for every talented young man.

However, since she was called a "Goddess," how could she be easy to approach?

When she first entered the Martial Student Academy, many had set their sights on pursuing her. Goddess Lian hadn't refused them; she simply told them to go to the martial arts arena, stating that anyone who could defeat her would have the right to pursue her. The suitors would go off happily, only for Goddess Lian to strike once and leave them completely incapacitated. Goddess Lian would then declare on the spot that if they wanted to pursue her, they had to surpass her in cultivation, otherwise, it was out of the question! With that, she would sweep away.

Once this became known, those who had harbored thoughts about her immediately lost their nerve. Surpass her? How could that be possible! Rumor had it that she had already reached the True Qi Seed realm at thirteen, and now she had reached the peak of the Savage Strength stage of the Force Martial realm, only one step away from entering the True Martial realm!

Among all the martial students in the academy, her cultivation was number one! Who dared to cross blades with her? Ever since then, the title "Goddess Lian" had spread like wildfire.

"She seems very anxious, doesn't she?" Fatty Tang remarked. "Could something have happened? No wonder we didn't see her beautiful figure at the martial arts arena today."

Fatty Tang sounded somewhat regretful.

Zhang He clearly saw the look of anxiety on Goddess Lian's face, with fine beads of sweat appearing on the bridge of her nose. She walked straight toward them, ignoring their gaze, and rushed quickly toward the main gate.

The other "pigs" nearby twitched their noses, greedily inhaling the faint, lingering fragrance in the air.

"Just one sniff, and I feel refreshed!" Fatty Tang said, looking intoxicated.

Zhang He was left speechless. Remembering what he needed to do, he said, "Please cover for me and ask for leave on my behalf these next few days."

"The Martial Student assessment is almost here; why aren't you focusing on your cultivation? Where are you going?" Fatty Tang asked, puzzled. Wang Dachui, standing nearby, also looked at Zhang He.

"Something came up at home, I need to go back and take care of it," Zhang He said casually.

Fatty Tang nodded. "I've heard things aren't very peaceful outside lately, so be careful. If you need any help, just let your brothers know."

Wang Dachui nodded as well.

Zhang He felt a slight warmth in his heart and nodded. "I'm off, then. You guys be careful in the academy, too. Zhao Feng and his lot certainly won't let this go. If there's any trouble, just wait for my return."

With that, Zhang He parted ways with them and headed straight out of the Martial Student Academy.

Once outside, Zhang He returned home to retrieve the Five Poison Beads he had prepared, then told his mother that he would be staying at the academy to cultivate and wouldn't be back for a while. His mother didn't suspect a thing; she simply told him to work hard before letting him go.

After stepping out the door, Zhang He headed straight for the Wang Family Pharmacy.