Interference Beneath the Arena

Jiang Yuan casually tossed the magnetic card into a nearby trash can, his tone utterly calm. "A scurrying rat. It's been dealt with."

Shen Liuli did not press further. She understood Jiang Yuan's personality. Pointing her wooden sword at the armor-piercing test post in the center of the field, covered in scratches, she said, "The selection tournament begins in three days. Celestial Pivot Industries' prosthetic armor has extremely strong defenses. You need to get used to dealing with tough targets like that."

Jiang Yuan removed the wooden case from his back, drew the dark-red broken sword, walked up to the test post, and began practicing slash after slash.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Jiang Hai City No. 1 High School's field was packed with people as the semifinals of the special recruitment selection tournament officially began.

On Arena One, Jiang Yuan faced Ling Feng, a dark horse who had emerged from among this year's ordinary students.

The moment the match began, Ling Feng displayed astonishing footwork. He moved like a ghost, leaving several afterimages across the arena before instantly circling to Jiang Yuan's side.

Ling Feng's blood and qi erupted as he fired off three consecutive palm strikes. The howling palm force struck two vital points on Jiang Yuan's chest and ribs. Each palm contained the inch force he had honed for years, enough to shatter the organs of a fully grown Ironbone Boar.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three dull impacts echoed through the venue, amplified by the speakers until the front-row spectators' eardrums went numb.

"Has this kid lost his mind? He's actually taking Ling Feng's Stone-Breaking Hand head-on with his body!" a senior-year martial arts teacher beneath the stage cried out.

Guo Hongtao anxiously slapped his thigh and shouted, "Why isn't Brother Yuan dodging? This is the semifinals!"

On the arena, Jiang Yuan stood where he was without moving so much as half a step. Facing Ling Feng's fierce assault, he neither blocked nor made any move to counterattack.

Ling Feng's three palms had struck their target squarely, but the expression on his face became quite a sight. It felt as though he had not struck flesh and blood at all, but an indestructible alloy steel plate.

The minor mastery realm of the Baxia · Stone-Metal Body activated on its own, a dark golden gleam flashing beneath Jiang Yuan's skin.

A powerful rebounding force surged back through Ling Feng's palms, crashing into both his arms like a tsunami.

Ling Feng let out a muffled groan and staggered back five or six steps before barely steadying himself. Raising his hands, he saw that both palms were red and swollen, his fingers trembling slightly. Even the simple act of making a fist had become extremely difficult.

"I concede." Ling Feng gave a bitter smile and decisively raised his right hand.

The referee immediately blew the whistle and declared Jiang Yuan the winner.

Ling Feng stepped forward, pretending to offer Jiang Yuan the customary post-match handshake.

The moment their hands clasped, Ling Feng lowered his voice, leaned close to Jiang Yuan's ear, and said quickly, "Watch out for Chu He. He buried a high-powered magnetic interference device beneath the main arena. Also, they plan to use a honey trap to disrupt your mind. Be careful."

Jiang Yuan nodded calmly, released his hand, and turned to leave the arena.

A honey trap? Jiang Yuan found it rather amusing. They thought such cheap tactics could shake his state of mind?

After returning home, Jiang Yuan directly opened his personal terminal to ensure he remained absolutely calm in the finals. He found dozens of high-definition adult films online, turned the volume to maximum, and played them all at once.

Images rolled across the screens as all kinds of heated sounds rose and fell, filling the entire room.

Jiang Yuan sat cross-legged on the bed with his eyes half-closed and began circulating the Nine Yang Divine Skill. The intensely yang and forceful inner force surged through his body. This technique was already highly prone to stirring one's blood and qi, and coupled with the intense stimulation of the sounds and images around him, it posed a tremendous test of his will.

He forcibly suppressed the surging blood and qi within him, treating the images as an illusion meant to temper his mind. Sweat ran down his forehead, and his body temperature steadily rose. Second by second, Jiang Yuan's breathing gradually stabilized, faint heat radiating from his body. Only when his heart became still as water, when he could look at the images on the screen as if they were lifeless stones without the slightest ripple in his heart, did he shut down the terminal.

That afternoon, at Arena Two.

Song Xi faced Wei Shan, a heavily armored martial artist ranked among the top three seniors.

Song Xi wore an exceptionally form-fitting black combat suit that day, covered by the latest mechanical outer armor developed by Celestial Pivot Industries. The streamlined metal plating clung tightly to her curves, displaying her figure to the fullest. A deep blue glow emanated from the armor's joints, making her look like a beautiful mechanical ship girl stepped straight out of an anime, filled with a strange mechanical elegance.

Quite a few boys beneath the stage stared without blinking, their whispers unceasing.

Wei Shan stood nearly two meters tall, his entire body knotted with muscles. Holding a hundred-pound alloy warhammer, he roared and charged at Song Xi like a crazed rhinoceros. The arena trembled with every step he took.

Song Xi sneered as the "Armor-Piercer Type III" prosthetic on her right arm activated instantly. Its high-frequency oscillation core emitted a piercing hum, sending visible ripples through even the surrounding air.

Without dodging or retreating, she threw a punch straight at Wei Shan's warhammer as it came smashing down with full force.

Clang!

The deafening crash of metal on metal rang out as blinding sparks erupted in the center of the arena.

An incredibly violent shockwave traveled up the warhammer's handle, ignoring the thick protective gear on Wei Shan's arms and penetrating directly within, destroying his muscle fibers and bone structure.

Crack! Crack!

Wei Shan let out a shrill scream as the bones in both wrists snapped under the intense high-frequency vibrations. The alloy warhammer flew from his grasp and slammed heavily into the edge of the arena, smashing a large crater into the ground.

Wei Shan clutched his twisted arms and fell to his knees on the arena, completely losing his ability to fight.

"Song Xi wins!" the referee loudly announced.

Song Xi arrogantly raised her chin, her gaze passing over the crowd to land provocatively on Jiang Yuan in the resting area.

In the front row of the stands, Chu He sat comfortably against his chair in a crisp custom-made suit. His right hand remained in his suit pocket, his thumb lightly rubbing the activation button on a miniature remote control.

Watching Song Xi effortlessly cripple Wei Shan, he nodded in satisfaction. The power of the high-frequency oscillation module was beyond doubt. Once the interference device was activated in the finals, Jiang Yuan would certainly lose.

The academic director's impassioned voice came over the broadcast.

"The finals of the special recruitment selection tournament are about to begin! Students Jiang Yuan and Song Xi, please proceed to the main arena!"

Jiang Yuan rose to his feet and patted Guo Hongtao on the shoulder, signaling that there was no need to worry, before striding toward the arena.

As he walked down the passageway and passed a specific spot at the edge of the main arena, his pace did not slow in the slightest, nor did his expression change at all.

But the Nine Yang Inner Force in his dantian had already silently rushed through his meridians, rapidly gathering in the palm of his right hand. That was precisely where Ling Feng had told him the magnetic interference device was buried. If he wished, he could shatter the floor tiles with a single palm strike and destroy the device completely.

But Jiang Yuan did not do so. He wanted to wait until Chu He was at his proudest, then crush the technology and schemes they were so proud of to pieces before everyone's eyes.

Jiang Yuan stepped onto the arena and stood facing Song Xi.

The surrounding stands were packed to capacity. Everyone held their breath, waiting for this ultimate showdown.