First!

The two of them stepped out of line and entered the center of the field.

Without any unnecessary words, they both took their stances at the same time.

Zeng Bonan still opened with the starting posture of the Basic Body Tempering Method, while Xu Wuyi seemed far more casual, merely standing there calmly.

The previous scan had shown that their life energy levels were both 11.4!

"Begin!" Teacher Wang announced, standing not far from the two of them.

A real-life fight was different from one on the Battle Net. One careless moment and someone could get hurt—especially in a evenly matched fight like this. He had to be ready to step in and defuse things at any time.

Zeng Bonan moved. He knew full well how formidable Xu Wuyi's defensive counterattacks were, so this time he did not rush into an all-out assault. Instead, he stepped in a continuous pattern, his figure circling Xu Wuyi like the wind, both palms flashing.

At times he was like a butterfly weaving through flowers; at times he came down like Mount Tai itself. He had actually brought out a palm technique that mixed feints and real attacks, trying to disrupt Xu Wuyi's rhythm and find a true opening.

His improvement was indeed obvious. This palm technique flowed smoothly and naturally in his hands; clearly, he had put in hard work.

However, Xu Wuyi's performance made every spectator's heart tighten.

Facing Zeng Bonan's storm-like probes and feints, the way he responded was completely different from before.

He no longer stood his ground stubbornly. Instead, his feet moved in simple, efficient steps, shifting within a small range.

Every movement avoided the attacks at just the right moment while also cutting into Zeng Bonan's weak points.

Xu Wuyi's movements were not fast, yet he always managed to dissolve each attack by the smallest possible margin at the very last instant.

"He's gotten stronger again," Hu Haobo murmured involuntarily as he watched.

It was still defense, but the former Xu Wuyi had merely been holding his ground. Now, he was clearly handling it with far greater ease. This was the composure that came from complete control of the battle.

After defending for a short minute, Xu Wuyi began to counterattack.

What he used was still the techniques of the Basic Body Tempering Method, but the occasional fist, palm, or finger he sent out carried an extremely condensed, sharp aura.

It did not feel like fists and feet. It felt more like an invisible long spear thrusting and sweeping.

The more Zeng Bonan fought, the more alarmed he became.

He felt as if he were facing a fortress covered in spikes. Not only was there nowhere to strike, but he would be pricked from time to time as well.

I can't let this go on! Zeng Bonan steeled his heart and decided to break skill with force.

He suddenly took a deep breath, and his qi and blood erupted with a boom. His right fist, which had been gathering power all along, shot out like a cannonball fired from its barrel.

The most powerful move in the Basic Body Tempering Method, Rock-Crushing, drove straight into Xu Wuyi's centerline!

This punch was heavy and forceful, making the air let out a muffled howl.

With this punch alone, even if Zeng Bonan's Basic Body Tempering Method had not reached minor success, it was definitely at perfect entry level!

Facing this earth-shattering punch, Xu Wuyi's gaze remained calm.

He did not choose to take it head-on, nor did he dodge completely.

As if he had been prepared long ago, at the instant the fist was about to reach him, his body leaned slightly backward like a willow branch stirred by the wind.

At the same time, his left hand shot out like lightning. It was not a block; instead, his five fingers drew slightly together like a bird's beak and struck with flawless precision toward the Neiguan Acupoint on Zeng Bonan's wrist!

This strike came later but arrived first, its speed astonishing. His fingertips carried a penetrating force—it was none other than an adapted use of Cloud-Parting Force from the Wind-Settling Spear!

Zeng Bonan only felt his wrist go numb. The fist force he had gathered instantly scattered by more than half, and horror surged through his heart!

And Xu Wuyi's counterattack had already arrived!

The left hand he had pointed out did not withdraw. Instead, it pressed downward with the momentum, hooking Zeng Bonan's wrist and pulling it down to destroy his balance.

At the same time, his right fist, which had been gathering power all along, stabbed out along a perfectly straight line, soundless yet incomparably swift!

It was still an adapted Cloud-Piercing Thrust!

On the edge of his fist, qi and blood were highly condensed. Though there was no spear tip, it carried an intent that seemed capable of piercing through anything!

Zeng Bonan's old strength had been spent and his new strength had yet to arise. His center of gravity had been pulled off course, so he could only watch helplessly as that fist rapidly enlarged before his eyes, finally stopping steadily right in front of his throat.

The wind from the punch stung his skin.

The entire hall fell deathly silent.

Everyone stared in a daze.

From the moment Zeng Bonan unleashed his ultimate move, to Xu Wuyi breaking it, counterattacking, and claiming victory, the entire process had taken only a flash!

It was fast, the moves were strange, and the result was even more beyond everyone's expectations!

Zeng Bonan had lost!

And he had lost so cleanly and decisively, as if the two of them were not even on the same level.

Even Wang Wenhai was astonished, because Xu Wuyi had even been able to stop at the final moment. That meant he had been far from using his full strength.

Xu Wuyi slowly withdrew his fist, took a step back, and said with a smile, "Thank you for the match."

Zeng Bonan stood where he was, stunned for a moment before shaking his head with a bitter smile. "I lost. The gap is too big."

Xu Wuyi did not say anything more.

He knew he had won so easily not only because his Wind-Settling Spear was nearing minor mastery, but also because he had sparred with large numbers of experts in Ranked Battle.

Precisely because his spear technique had improved so quickly, the number of experts he could come into contact with was far greater than what Zeng Bonan and the others had access to. That was where the real gap lay.

Martial arts had to be improved through actual combat!

"In this challenge, Xu Wuyi wins, and his ranking changes to first place." Zhou Yun patted Zeng Bonan on the shoulder, then announced the result.

The challenge ended, but the fervent atmosphere in the venue had yet to fully die down.

Teacher Zhou Yun stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over every student present, lingering for an extra instant on Xu Wuyi and Zeng Bonan in particular.

"The winner and loser have been decided. Everyone saw the result," she said, her voice clear and calm. "But this is only the beginning. It was an internal test before the joint exam."

"Your opponents won't just be the classmates beside you. They'll be the elites of United High School and Yingang No. 1 High School, and beyond that, every high school student in all of Dongjiang Province."

Wang Wenhai took over, his tone steady and powerful. "There are less than ten days left before the three-school joint exam."

"After tomorrow morning's regular Body Tempering Method training, we'll add a 'Guided Battle' course. Five days later, there'll be another round."

He looked around at the students' puzzled eyes and explained, "Teacher Zhou and I will take turns being your opponents, simulating the 'Guided Battle' in the first stage of the college entrance exam's practical combat test."

The news lifted the students' spirits.

Being able to cross hands with true martial-artist-level teachers, even if it was only for guidance, was an extremely valuable experience.

Normally, this stage would not begin until the final two months before the college entrance exam.

Because in the final semester of high school, with large amounts of resources being invested, students' life energy levels often rose very quickly.

If Guided Battles started too early, the results would not be very significant, and it would instead waste a fair amount of training time.

However, with the joint exam imminent, investing some time into it was absolutely worthwhile.

"Did you all hear that?" Wang Wenhai raised his voice and clapped his hands. "Tomorrow morning, don't be late! Now, dismissed. Go do what you're supposed to do!"

The students scattered one after another and began their own training, while some went to the meditation rooms to start practicing visualization methods.

Everyone had their own habits, while Xu Wuyi, without fail, practiced the Body Tempering Method in the morning.