Heroic Bearing

Su Nianhe stepped lightly into the virtual combat pod. The moment the hatch closed, the virtual battlefield materialized.

The alloy floor was cold and hard, while gray walls stretched to the edge of sight in every direction. The entire arena lay exposed at a glance.

The holographic screen outside simultaneously switched to her feed. Everyone's attention converged on her once more, and many whispered among themselves, curious to see just how far Azure City's number-one prodigy could go in the practical combat assessment.

The assessment officially began.

In the first round, a low-level virtual martial artist charged first. Before his fists and kicks could fully rise, Su Nianhe shifted slightly to the side and casually sent him flying to the ground with a straight punch. Her movements flowed like drifting clouds and running water, as though she had not spent even a shred of unnecessary strength.

In the second round, against a single opponent of the same realm, she advanced and retreated in perfect order, controlling the rhythm of attack and defense with impeccable precision. The winner was decided within only a few exchanges.

In the third and fourth rounds, she was successively surrounded by two, then three martial artists. Yet she continued to move with composure, neutralizing their attacks with her solid fundamentals. She was like willow fluff drifting in the wind—seemingly fragile, yet always able to find a path to survival in the most dangerous places. Her bearing remained elegant throughout, without the slightest hint of disarray.

She steadily made it to the seventh round, where the situation abruptly changed. Six virtual martial artists at Martial Apprentice Level 4 closed in on her in a hexagonal formation.

The six men's attacks crisscrossed, fist shadows and sweeping leg winds weaving into an impenetrable net. The pressure instantly soared to its peak.

An ordinary examinee would already have been scrambling in panic at this stage, but the ease on Su Nianhe's face finally faded, replaced by a touch of seriousness.

"Is she finally getting serious?"

On the podium, an instructor leaned forward, staring unblinkingly at the screen.

Before his words had faded, a blood-colored mist suddenly churned around Su Nianhe, and all the blood vitality in her body flooded into her legs.

The rhythm beneath her feet abruptly changed, and her speed surged. Her legs lashed out one after another, layer upon layer of kicking shadows accompanied by shrieking gusts that tore through the air. They were like pear blossoms dancing across the sky, yet concealed the force of thunder within. Every kick landed with precision, targeting her opponents' joints and the nodes where their blood vitality circulated.

Gale Leg!

The instant the technique was unleashed, the entire venue fell deathly silent.

"Martial skill!"

"She actually knows a martial skill!"

"Goddess Su actually knows a martial skill too!"

On the path of martial arts, blood vitality was merely the foundation of cultivation. Martial skills were the techniques that transformed blood vitality into combat power.

Even the lowest Yellow-rank low-grade martial skill could easily cost more than a hundred thousand Dragon Nation dollars. It not only required money, but also enormous amounts of time and talent to hone.

For ordinary high school students, mastering basic fist and kicking techniques was already impressive. Most would not attempt to cultivate their first martial skill until after entering a martial academy.

Yet Su Nianhe had only just turned eighteen this year. She had to maintain top-tier academic grades, while her cultivation remained firmly at Martial Apprentice Level 5. By all rights, she should have had no spare energy to cultivate a martial skill. But the leg technique she displayed now was exquisite in its forms, enduring in its force, and smooth in its circulation. Any expert could tell at a glance that this was no ordinary Yellow-rank low-grade skill. It was a mid-grade martial skill, perhaps even a Yellow-rank high-grade martial skill!

The principal, Colonel Chen Feng, and the proctoring military officers all sat up straight, their eyes brimming with shock.

At eighteen, she excelled in both academics and martial arts, possessing cultivation, talent, and martial skills alike. Such a genius was someone Azure City might not produce even once in several decades.

On the massive screen, Gale Leg displayed its full might.

Su Nianhe darted among the six martial artists. Wherever her leg winds swept, her opponents staggered back one after another, and their formation was torn apart in an instant.

In only a short while, all six virtual martial artists who had surrounded her fell to the ground, no longer capable of fighting.

The cheers that had been suppressed for so long erupted like thunder.

Su Nianhe did not stop, instead riding the momentum into the next rounds.

Seven opponents in the eighth round, eight in the ninth—relying on her masterfully refined high-grade leg technique, she pushed through all the way. Her moves balanced hardness and softness, and her heroic bearing drew wave after wave of cheers from the students.

Su Nianhe's valiant performance also allowed Lin Yun to truly see the brilliance within this girl, and the corners of his lips could not help but rise.

He had never considered himself special just because Su Nianhe liked him. Even back then, Su Nianhe had already been a universally recognized campus beauty, prodigy, and wealthy young lady. But now, watching her figure glide like a startled swan, he inexplicably felt a trace of superiority well up in his heart.

So this was the girl who liked him?

She truly was different from everyone else!

Not until the eleventh round did ten virtual martial artists of the same realm appear at once. Dense waves of attacks came from all directions, and the pressure brought by their numbers finally exceeded her current limit.

After continuously using martial skills at high intensity, Su Nianhe had consumed an enormous amount of blood vitality. Her breathing gradually grew disordered, and fine beads of sweat appeared at her temples.

She gritted her teeth and held on, knocking down four opponents in succession. But the remaining six martial artists coordinated with increasing tacit understanding. After wearing her down in turns, they finally found an opening, and several fists and kicks landed on her simultaneously.

[Examinee Su Nianhe, eliminated in the eleventh round. Severe exhaustion. Practical combat score: 386.]

The notification signaling the end of the assessment rang out, yet no one in the venue mocked her.

To fight fiercely until the eleventh round before losing, while also possessing a Yellow-rank high-grade martial skill—such strength would be enough for her to gain a firm foothold and shine brilliantly even at Imperial Capital First Martial Academy.

All that remained in everyone's hearts was admiration and respect.

The hatch of the combat pod slowly opened. Su Nianhe rubbed her aching arm and slowly walked out.

Lin Yun instinctively stepped forward. His gaze fell upon her slightly weary face, and his tone was gentle.

"You fought well."

Su Nianhe looked up at him, her eyes curving into crescents. Her pretty face was flushed from exertion, and she spoke in a sweetly naive tone.

"Even though it was only a simulated battle, going all out with a martial skill was really exhausting."

As she spoke, she naturally reached out and took the bottle of energy drink Lin Yun had been holding all along. She twisted open the cap and tipped her head back to drink, her manner intimate and familiar, without the slightest trace of reserve or distaste.

Seeing this, Lin Yun helplessly shook his head, though warmth rippled through his eyes. He simply treated it as tacit consent.

After taking two sips, Su Nianhe noticed his gaze. A playful smile curved across her lips, and she bumped his arm with her elbow. "It'll be your turn soon. Good luck!"

"Mm."

Lin Yun nodded heavily. A sharp edge gradually rose in his eyes, and his gaze became incomparably resolute.

The sight of the two smiling at each other fell into everyone's eyes. The boys around them were full of envy, while quite a few female students covered their mouths and teased them in low voices, as though the air itself carried a hint of sweetness.

On the other side of the crowd, Zhao Ritian clenched his fists so tightly that his jaw ached from gritting his teeth. Jealous fury nearly swallowed him whole, yet there was nothing he could do. He could only shift his gaze away with a livid face.

A moment later, the proctor loudly called out Lin Yun's examination number.

Lin Yun straightened his collar and strode toward the combat pod, his posture upright and his steps steady.

The hatch closed, and the assessment officially began.

The first two rounds remained entirely without suspense.

Facing opponents below his realm, as well as one-on-one opponents of the same level, Lin Yun casually struck and ended the battles cleanly and decisively. His fighting style was simple and brutal, without a shred of flair. But when the third round arrived and three virtual martial artists charged in to surround him at once, his entire aura abruptly changed. His usual gentleness vanished completely, replaced by the chilling presence of someone tempered through slaughter.

Authentic military killing techniques were finally revealed.