Who Did I Offend?

Seeing the man storming toward him with fury, Lin Mo narrowed his eyes.

Looking for trouble? He wasn't afraid.

"Hey, we're all in the same camp here. Let's talk it out."

At that moment, Lin Dabao jumped in, placing himself between the man and Lin Mo, playing peacemaker.

"Move. This has nothing to do with you."

The man barked and shoved Lin Dabao.

But that shove didn't budge Lin Dabao an inch.

That clearly caught the man off guard, his brow furrowing.

He'd figured Lin Dabao was just a chubby, simple-looking guy—the type who'd be easy to push around.

He never expected this guy actually had some substance.

"Oh, come on, we're all on the same side. If we're gonna fight, shouldn't it be against outsiders?"

Lin Dabao, completely unfazed by the earlier shove, kept smiling as he spoke.

"Hmph! Kid, watch your mouth from now on."

The man shot a glance at Lin Dabao, then sneered at Lin Mo.

"Idiot."

Lin Mo was a bit surprised by Lin Dabao, but he had no good face for this guy.

"Bastard!"

Hearing that, the man erupted, flames flickering around his fist.

A Fire Element Awakener!

His Movement Technique was fast—he sidestepped Lin Dabao and lunged straight at Lin Mo.

"Hmph!"

Lin Mo snorted, shifted his stance, and raised his fist to meet him.

"Boom!"

The fists collided, sending out a shockwave, and both of them stepped back a pace.

A flicker of surprise crossed the man's eyes, and his face darkened completely.

He hadn't expected this kid from the countryside to be on par with him.

Even though he hadn't gone all out, that punch carried Fire Element power—at least 2,000 Combat Power.

His Blood Qi Value had reached 800 cal, and his Combat Power was a solid 2,400.

Far above the average Third-grade Martial Artist.

And the martial artists here, while all Third-grade Awakeners, mostly had Blood Qi Values between 500 and 600.

Even with Awakener power added, their Combat Power usually stayed under 2,000.

In his mind, a 2,000-power punch should crush most people.

He never imagined this country kid could match him blow for blow.

Lin Mo, meanwhile, was doing his own calculations.

He'd used Military Boxing just now, without even tapping into his Lightning Element boost.

And he hadn't put his full strength into it.

This punch was mainly a test.

After all, Lu Li had said that everyone who made it into the Elite Camp was a Third-grade Awakener or above.

He didn't know how strong these prodigies really were, so he'd tested with about seventy percent power.

He didn't know before, but now he was shocked.

Seems he'd overestimated them.

Seventy percent of Military Boxing was enough to go toe-to-toe with this guy.

"Didn't expect that kid from River City to have some skill."

"Yeah, Huo Zihao's no pushover. To take a punch from him head-on, he's not to be underestimated."

"Heh, I'm thinking Huo Zihao might lose this time. Didn't you notice that Lin Mo hasn't even used his Awakener power yet?"

"..." In an instant, the surrounding crowd all smirked knowingly.

Everyone here was a genius.

The moment they made their moves, everyone could see the truth.

This Lin Mo from River City wasn't weak at all—he might even be stronger than Huo Zihao.

"Bastards!"

Huo Zihao's face flushed red and pale as he listened to the murmurs around him. His attempt to assert dominance had backfired, making him a laughingstock instead, and shame quickly curdled into rage.

But he understood—Lin Mo was no pushover.

Just as those people said, that earlier punch looked like a draw between them.

Yet the other party hadn't even used his Awakened power.

This left Huo Zihao stuck between a rock and a hard place.

If he kept fighting, he had no sure path to victory.

If he backed down, since he'd started this whole mess, retreating now would cost him all face.

"Quit stalling—are we fighting or not? If you won't come, I will!"

Seeing Huo Zihao standing there frozen, Lin Mo made his move.

"Bastard, you think I'm scared of you?"

Huo Zihao gritted his teeth and braced himself.

With things already this far, he had to fight whether he wanted to or not—he couldn't afford to lose momentum.

In an instant, he unleashed his full combat power and charged to meet Lin Mo's attack.

But the moment they closed in, a flicker of fear flashed in his eyes.

The overwhelming pressure bearing down on him made his eyelids twitch.

The rolling force of the punch stung his skin raw.

"Not good!"

If that punch landed, he was done for!

Huo Zihao's face went pale in that instant—he didn't dare meet it head-on.

He twisted midair, trying to dodge the blow and circle around from the side.

But the moment he moved, he realized Lin Mo was faster—striking after him yet arriving first.

A massive fist swelled infinitely in his vision.

"Stop!"

Suddenly, a powerful pressure enveloped them both.

At the same time, a figure appeared between them as if by teleportation.

"Boom!"

The fierce shockwave blasted them apart.

"Commander Lu!"

Seeing who it was, the onlookers all called out respectfully.

Lin Mo and Huo Zihao stumbled back several steps before steadying themselves. Recognizing Lu Li, they both bowed with clasped hands.

"You little brats, haven't even made it to the Elite Camp yet and you've got this much energy to burn? Settle down, damn it."

With that, he shot them both a glare and strode toward the high platform.

"Hmph, just you wait."

Though fear still churned in his gut, Huo Zihao spat out a threat at Lin Mo.

"Idiot."

Lin Mo clicked his tongue. If Commander Lu hadn't stepped in, Huo Zihao would have lost just now.

And he still had the nerve to talk big—such a face-saving, hypocritical fool.

"Standing here proves you're exceptional.

But that's not your ticket to arrogance.

In Southern Province, you stand out.

But across all of Huaxia... you're nothing.

Huo Zihao, do you think hitting 800 blood energy at eighteen makes you impressive?

Do you have any idea how many resources the Huo family poured into you?

You can't even beat this Lin Mo.

Let me tell you—he doesn't have a powerful family backing him like you do. His blood energy is only 594."

"What?!"

At those words, everyone stared at Lin Mo in shock.

No background at all, and his Blood Qi Value is only 594 cal?

Yet without using his awakened ability, he could still completely defeat Huo Zihao?

Everyone present was sharp.

A few key words were enough to piece it all together.

This Lin Mo was strong!

If his Blood Qi Value reached 800 cal, Huo Zihao wouldn't even last a single exchange!

And among those here, Huo Zihao's Blood Qi Value was definitely not low—it was actually among the highest.

"As expected, anyone who makes it into the Elite Camp is a monster."

A warning bell rang in everyone's mind.

Lin Mo, meanwhile, was annoyed. Why the hell did you have to bring me up?

Great. Now he was the center of attention again.

The looks those people gave him weren't admiration or envy—they were burning with eagerness.

In that instant, it seemed he had become the target of everyone present, the one they all wanted to challenge!

Damn it, what did he do to deserve this?