Wang Zhong, at Awakening Stage Four, had only just managed to reach the threshold for university. He could hardly be considered an expert.
But to defeat him in one move, someone would need to be at least Awakening Stage Seven.
Even then, they might not be able to do it as effortlessly as Ning Chuan.
"Wasn't that Heavenly Martial spy supposed to have less than Awakening Stage Seven strength left? Then why was Ning Chuan's fight with him so vicious? Don't tell me those two were putting on an act!"
A questioning voice broke the silence around the arena.
The crowd's chatter rose like a tide.
It was indeed a little strange.
"The Heavenly Martial spy was a martial artist, after all. If he was willing to throw his life away, he could still unleash Awakening Stage Seven strength!
"He just couldn't keep it up for long.
"That's why, at the very end, he couldn't even dodge and let Ning Chuan chop off his head!"
One of the plants had come up with the explanation in a flash of inspiration.
"Awakening Stage Seven? That's enough to get into a prestigious university!"
"But don't forget, when Zhao Weiping fled to Qingshan City, he was at least at Peak Awakening Stage Nine.
"Even if Ning Chuan is at Peak Awakening Stage Seven, he still benefited from Lu Mengyue's work.
"All he really did was land the finishing blow!"
An uproar swept through the crowd as people discussed it everywhere.
But unlike before, when the mockery of Ning Chuan had been one-sided, some people had begun to speak up in his defense.
"Winner, Ning Chuan!"
The referee announced the result.
Ning Chuan calmly stepped down from the arena to wait for his next match.
"How did your strength improve so quickly?"
Su Yun hurriedly squeezed through the crowd and found Ning Chuan.
As she asked, she couldn't stop her fair cheeks from growing hot, a faint blush appearing on them.
She knew that Ning Chuan still had the B-rank martial art Flash Thunder Slash, at the Minute Subtlety Realm, as a trump card.
Bare-handed, he could match someone at Awakening Stage Seven.
With a saber, he could hold his own against someone at Awakening Stage Nine.
With a bit of luck, he might even take first place in the martial examination.
Thinking of the lofty, righteous way she had tried to persuade him earlier, Su Yun felt both awkward and embarrassed. The blush on her cheeks began to spread to her ears.
If she hadn't been so curious, she wouldn't have come to ask him even if someone had beaten her to death.
Ning Chuan thought for a moment, then grinned and teased, "Aren't I an orphan? Well, a few days ago, my birth parents found me.
"My dad's a Divine General, and he's given me a lot of help!"
"A Divine General!"
Su Yun couldn't help crying out. She quickly covered her red lips and glanced around. Only when she saw that she hadn't drawn anyone's attention did she breathe a sigh of relief. "With a Divine General's abilities, that's not so strange."
She actually believed me?!
Ning Chuan blinked, nearly bursting out laughing.
"May I ask which Divine General of the Federation your father is?"
Su Yun asked carefully, even addressing Ning Chuan with respect.
Ning Chuan hesitated, then ventured, "Wind Blood Divine General?"
That Divine General was the creator of Three Thousand Wind Shadows and the only Divine General he knew.
After all, before making the joke, he hadn't expected Su Yun to actually believe him.
"Huh?!"
Su Yun froze, then blurted out, "Isn't Wind Blood Divine General a woman?"
"Oh, then I remembered wrong. It's actually my mother who's a Divine General!"
Ning Chuan said seriously.
At that point, how could Su Yun not realize she had been fooled? She was so angry that she breathed heavily, her chest heaving so violently that it nearly sent her buttons flying.
"Ning Chuan, do you think matching Awakening Stage Nine in combat makes you so impressive? Do you think I can't handle you anymore?"
A dangerous smile appeared on Su Yun's beautiful face. A teacher's pointer appeared from somewhere in her right hand, and she whipped it sharply through the air with an explosive crack.
"Uh, Teacher Su, my second match is about to start. Let's talk later!"
Ning Chuan gave an awkward laugh and hurried away.
A furious woman was not to be trifled with.
Especially when that woman was a martial artist.
Ning Chuan stepped onto the arena, his stride steady and his mind calm again.
His assigned opponent was another Awakening Stage Four.
Clang!
The sound of metal rang out.
Ning Chuan flicked out a finger again, sending the weapon flying and jolting his opponent backward to fall off the arena.
Second match, victory!
More than ten minutes later.
The third match.
This time, his opponent was at Awakening Stage Five and held a black war spear.
The spectators below perked up.
Surely Ning Chuan couldn't win with one finger again!
In the Awakening Realm, each stage brought a massive leap in strength.
Clang!
The match had barely begun when a few sparks flew with the sound of impact.
Under the crowd's astonished gazes, a black war spear went flying.
Like the previous two, the Awakening Stage Five opponent staggered off the arena.
Ning Chuan had used just one finger again.
Third match, victory!
Fourth match, victory!
Fifth match, victory!
Crushing his opponents along the way, Ning Chuan reached the sixth match.
When he saw the student opposite him, Ning Chuan raised an eyebrow. It was someone he knew: Ma Hai, at Peak Awakening Stage Six.
"I refuse to believe Ning Chuan can win with one finger again!"
A plant who had spent five matches stewing in frustration spoke through gritted teeth.
No one nearby responded.
The spectators' attention was fixed on the arena.
They knew Ning Chuan would win this match.
But he might reveal his true strength in the process.
For an ordinary Awakening Stage Seven to defeat someone at Peak Awakening Stage Six within a few moves, they would need to go all out.
On the arena.
"What rotten luck!"
Ma Hai looked dejected at the sight of Ning Chuan. The two had fought many times, and Ma Hai knew full well that he was no match for him. This was a match he was bound to lose.
The next moment.
Ma Hai caught sight of the densely packed spectators below the arena out of the corner of his eye, and an idea came to him.
Ning Chuan was so famous now.
It would be natural for Ma Hai to lose, and no one would look down on him for it.
But if he could exchange a few dozen moves with Ning Chuan, he would surely draw a lot of attention.
A great chance to make a name for himself!
At that thought, Ma Hai's eyes lit up.
Ning Chuan had squeezed so much money out of him. It was time to get something back!
"Begin!"
The moment the referee finished speaking, Ma Hai strode forward and pounced at Ning Chuan like a fierce tiger.
Whoosh!
In less than a second, Ma Hai closed in. His raised right leg traced a semicircle and smashed down hard from above, carrying tremendous force.
Perhaps he was thinking of the wonderful days ahead once he became famous.
Ma Hai felt that the martial art he was using was on the verge of breaking through the barrier of the Proficiency Realm and reaching the Mastery Realm.
Whoosh!
As the axe kick descended, a fierce wind howled. Ning Chuan didn't flick a finger in response this time, nor did he use Gale Step to dodge.
He raised his right hand, spread his fingers, and silently waited for Ma Hai's kick.
He wanted to test his current physical condition.
Ma Hai, who was at the same stage as him, was an excellent subject.
Thud!
With a muffled impact, Ning Chuan's right hand met Ma Hai's axe kick. A powerful force struck him, pressing his knees downward.
But in the next instant.
Ning Chuan steadied himself.
His raised right hand, fair and slender yet full of power, gripped Ma Hai's leg firmly in midair.
"Ma Hai cultivates a C-rank breathing technique and is using the D-rank martial art Earth-Shattering Chop.
"Using my hand against his leg already puts me at a disadvantage in strength. Not using a martial art makes that disadvantage even greater.
"But we still ended up evenly matched!"
Ning Chuan's thoughts raced as he analyzed the exchange in a flash.
"Going by that, my physical condition is a good deal better than that of an ordinary person at Peak Awakening Stage Six."
"But I should still be a little short of the High Awakening Stage."
"That's a qualitative transformation, after all!"
Ning Chuan reached his conclusion without the slightest regret.
If anything, he was a little shaken.
He had only cultivated the Ancient Dragon Elephant Scripture for about three days, yet his physical condition had gone from Early Awakening Stage Six, tempered by the D-rank breathing technique Savage Bull Force, to stronger than someone at Peak Awakening Stage Six who cultivated a C-rank breathing technique.
He estimated that catching up to a normal Awakening Stage Seven would only take a dozen or so vials of Hundred Beasts Nutrient Solution.