"Don't panic, everyone!"
At that moment, a student from Qingshan First High School finally steeled himself and realized a crucial issue. "He's been using his true qi so recklessly, striking again and again. Even a Second-Tier Martial Artist can't keep that up for long!"
"Y-Yeah!" someone suddenly realized, shouting with delight written all over his face.
"His true qi must be nearly depleted by now. He's probably trying to bluff us with an empty show, buying himself time to recover!"
"What? So that's how it is?!"
"Th-That... makes sense!"
"We absolutely can't let him recover!"
The student who had first spotted the problem roared, his eyes fixed firmly on Ye Li ahead.
He did not know whether it was merely his imagination.
But he actually saw a trace of pallor on Ye Li's face—a clear sign of massive expenditure!
My guess was right!
The student was overjoyed and shouted excitedly.
"Everyone, hit him with me! Let's see how much true qi he still has to squander!"
With that, everyone was swayed by his words. The fear that had begun to sprout in their hearts swiftly dispersed, and they began closing in on the Boy in Black in perfect unison.
Seeing this, Jiang Qingzhu's delicate brows drew together slightly.
What they said was not false. Ye Li's previous attacks had each been tremendously imposing. Not only had he shown no intention of conserving true qi, there had even been a hint of wastefulness to them.
Squandering true qi like that would inevitably bring enormous consumption.
Based on her own reserves of true qi, she had already used roughly seventy percent.
And Ye Li's Martial Arts Level was lower than hers, so the proportion he had consumed was likely even greater than seventy percent.
Thinking this, Jiang Qingzhu lifted her spear and prepared to rush over.
Unexpectedly, Ye Li cast her a cold glance.
The warning in it was obvious.
"...You still don't need my help?"
Jiang Qingzhu halted, staring blankly at Ye Li's calm expression amid the crowd, unable to understand him.
But she respected Ye Li's choice.
Her steps paused as she watched him with concern.
Meanwhile, the First-Tier Martial Artists from Qingshan First High School had already reached Ye Li.
The nearest student stood less than three feet away from him.
At that moment, the student suddenly noticed that Ye Li had closed his eyes.
Then, the white vapor around him instantly drew back, and his translucent body abruptly became solid.
No matter how one looked at it, this was the posture of someone whose true qi had been exhausted and who had been forced to stop circulating it!
The student had wanted to smile.
Yet for some reason, a thread of fear suddenly rose from the bottom of his heart.
An aura of extreme danger practically rushed straight at him.
It was not just him. Everyone beside him felt a chill rise that made their hairs stand on end, and they instinctively looked up.
Within the Boy in Black's raised dark eyes, a glimmer of sky-blue light quietly emerged.
Under the bright lights, it resembled the center of a lake amid drifting snow in the depths of winter!
The next second, a violent storm visible to the naked eye erupted from the Boy in Black's body!
The storm carried an intense chill. The temperature in the air plummeted by dozens of degrees, while spiraling shockwaves spread rapidly in every direction!
Frost Snow Covers the Sky?!!
Jiang Qingzhu's pupils contracted sharply as she recognized the move. An utterly absurd feeling surged through her heart like a tidal wave, leaving her mind buzzing.
He had received the Breathing Technique less than an hour ago, and he had already learned Frost Snow Covers the Sky?!
How was that possible?!
"Heh—"
Below the stage, the boy gave a soft laugh.
In an instant, the frigid storm swept across dozens of meters!
The expressions of dozens of First-Tier Martial Artists changed drastically. As they tried to retreat, they immediately descended into chaos, only to be swallowed whole by the storm in the blink of an eye!
What a terrifying martial skill!
In the final few seconds before losing consciousness, the same thought surfaced in all their minds.
Buzzz—
Amid a howl like a blizzard sweeping across the far north, ear-grating sounds of freezing rang out one after another, joining countless screams to form this symphony named [Frost Snow Covers the Sky].
When the storm dissipated, dozens of lifelike human-shaped ice sculptures were revealed. No matter how the figures within struggled, they could not break free from the ice.
Clang! Clang!
The ice sculptures crashed to the ground one after another, producing a string of crisp, pleasant sounds.
Under the stunned gazes of Jiang Qingzhu and the others, the Boy in Black openly exhaled a breath of white mist and slowly emerged from among the dozens of ice sculptures, looking entirely at ease.
There were truly only a few drops of true qi left in his body now.
Fortunately, the harvest had been plentiful.
As he walked, he listened to the notification sounds ringing by his ear.
[Seriously injured one First-Tier Peak Martial Artist. Malice Points +1000!] [Seriously injured seventeen First-Tier Level Five Martial Artists. Malice Points +8500!] [Seriously injured forty-six First-Tier Level Three Martial Artists. Malice Points +!] [Seriously injured...] [Current Malice Points: points. Artifact can be drawn.]
Ye Li slowly headed toward the exit, in an exceptionally good mood.
With this, he had earned back the Malice Points spent on the Breathing Technique.
He could return to tally his gains and wait for the afternoon's Exchange Competition.
"Clean this up properly."
Under Jiang Qingzhu and the others' stunned gazes, Ye Li waved a hand, casually tossed out those words, and walked out through the Training Ground's doors.
The moment he left the Training Ground, he ran into Wang Yongfeng and a group of Qingshan First High School teachers walking over while chatting and laughing.
"Ye Li? Are you done with your business?"
Upon seeing Ye Li, Wang Yongfeng said with slight surprise, "I was planning to go back and ask whether you needed any help!"
"No need. Thank you, Teacher." Ye Li nodded politely and walked straight past him.
"Oh, oh!"
"Teacher Wang, is that Ye Li from your team? He looks very polite!" one teacher said with a smile.
Another teacher, broad and brawny, was somewhat dissatisfied. "A martial artist looking so refined and gentle, like some literature student—it's ridiculous. How can he do without any edge?"
"Teacher Wang, if I remember correctly, this Ye Li is at First-Tier Peak, right?"
As everyone discussed Ye Li, one of the Qingshan First High School teachers casually asked.
"In that case, his talent is quite good. I wonder whether he's awakened a Martial Arts Talent?"
"Th-That... won't you find out this afternoon?"
Wang Yongfeng's eyes shifted as he smoothly changed the subject with a smile.
"Let's not talk about him for now. It's nearly lunchtime, and there's still a competition this afternoon. We need to call the students visiting the Training Ground to eat first!"
"That's true."
The group quickly stepped into the Training Ground.
But when they clearly saw the scene before them, the people who had been talking and laughing a moment ago froze where they stood.
Students from Qingshan First High School lay everywhere throughout the Training Ground. Some had fallen beneath shattered walls, some were sprawled on the ground nearby, and some had their entire heads plunged into the earth...
Beyond that, dozens of crystalline human-shaped ice sculptures stood beneath the Combat Stage, cracks continuously spreading across the surfaces of the ice.
On the ground at the center of those ice sculptures remained rings of frost marks spreading outward. The marks were irregular in shape, as though they had been left behind by the impact of some powerful force, and they were incomparably conspicuous.
There was no doubt that a harrowing battle or a violent release of energy had just taken place here!
"My god..."
Seeing this, Wang Yongfeng and the Qingshan First High School teachers felt the world spin around them. Even their minds went fuzzy, and they nearly collapsed to the ground.
Judging by their uniforms, these were all senior-year Martial Science Students from Qingshan First High School!
So many of them were lying here now. What exactly had happened...
Within the vast venue, only a few people from Linhai First High School remained standing, shock still lingering on their faces.
Wang Yongfeng barely steadied himself. Looking toward Jiang Qingzhu on the Combat Stage, he asked the question everyone cared about most, his voice trembling.
"Who... did this?"
PS: Writing is not easy. Please give your support, everyone—gifts, follows, and good reviews are all appreciated!
My deepest thanks to all the big shots! orz
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