After defeating her formidable opponent, Bai Zhenzhen glanced around, expecting her victory over the top student from Red Tower High to have stunned the crowd.
To her surprise, she realized that her corner of the arena had barely drawn any attention.
Most of the spectators were focused on Song Hailong, Le Muluan, and Zhang Yu, who had scored 300 points.
"Damn it!" Bai Zhenzhen thought to herself.
"These people are so blinded by scores that they can't even see the real contenders for the championship."
However, Bai Zhenzhen was confident that as time went on, more and more people would notice her achievements.
Meanwhile, the other two students in Bai Zhenzhen's group had been closely watching her battle with Hu Yuntao from start to finish.
Initially, their focus had been on Hu Yuntao, as Bai Zhenzhen's performance in the scoring matches had been lackluster, making Hu Yuntao their primary target.
But to their surprise, Hu Yuntao had inexplicably moved to the edge of the arena and, in a moment of carelessness, had been pushed out of bounds by Bai Zhenzhen.
From their perspective, there was no mysterious disappearance of Bai Zhenzhen.
Suddenly, they recalled how Zhang Yu, who had scored 300 points, had used a similar tactic to push the Yellow Turban Warrior out of bounds.
"Is this some new tactic developed by Songyang High?" they wondered.
"Using underhanded tricks to push opponents out of bounds and achieve victory against stronger opponents?"
"These low-scoring students from other schools really have poor quality," they thought, feeling that the widely accepted rule among the top three high schools had once again been proven true.
Despite their disdain, both students became more cautious, silently reminding themselves not to underestimate Bai Zhenzhen if they faced her later, lest they suffer an unexpected defeat.
At that moment, Bai Zhenzhen noticed Zhao Tianxing waving at her from the stands, giving her a thumbs-up.
"Hmph, that old Zhao," Bai Zhenzhen thought, waving back.
"At least these low-scoring students know how to appreciate my efforts."
In the stands, Zhao Tianxing was happily giving a thumbs-up.
"Ah Zhen saw us! I can't believe she won so easily against that Hu Yuntao from Red Tower High. I was really worried he might crush her at the start."
He Dayou, sitting beside him, said indifferently, "She just got lucky. That tiger guy is all brawn and no brains. He got tricked into stepping out of bounds. I could probably beat him too."
Although He Dayou had felt sorry for Bai Zhenzhen during her earlier battle with the Yellow Turban Warrior, seeing her so smug after defeating Hu Yuntao made him feel even more frustrated.
Qian Shen chimed in, "It doesn't seem that simple. Why did that tiger suddenly move to the edge of the arena?"
Just then, Zhao Tianxing pointed in Zhang Yu's direction.
"Zhang Yu is about to take the stage."
Zhao Tianxing sighed in relief.
"Thankfully, Zhang Yu and Ah Zhen are in different brackets. They won't have to face each other early on."
He Dayou muttered, "Maybe Zhang Piaopiao pulled some strings."
As the son of a school board member at Songyang High, He Dayou knew it was possible to manipulate the draw for the practical exams.
Zhang Piaopiao, a billionaire with over 2.5 billion in assets, could easily arrange favors for his people.
At that moment, Qian Shen exclaimed, "Dayou, look! Is Zhang Yu's opponent your old middle school classmate?"
He Dayou stiffened and quickly turned his gaze to the arena.
When he saw Zhang Yu and Chu Qiuhe stepping onto the stage together, his brow furrowed.
Zhang Yu...
He Dayou certainly didn't want this poor kid who had once defeated him to win.
But Chu Qiuhe... his middle school classmate who had always looked down on him...
He Dayou didn't care much about Chu Qiuhe's performance, but if Chu Qiuhe were to defeat a Songyang High student, it would still leave a bad taste in his mouth.
"Damn it... both of them are a pain. Can't they just eliminate each other?" He Dayou thought.
On the arena, Chu Qiuhe walked to the center, making sure he wasn't too close to the edge, where he might be pulled out by his opponent.
As he walked, he could feel the blood surging through his body, his heart pounding, and the veins on his temples bulging.
All of this indicated one thing—Chu Qiuhe had taken performance-enhancing drugs.
In his mind, Chu Qiuhe recalled what his coach had told him: "This is the latest combat supplement. It will enhance your muscle strength and stamina, temporarily boosting your physical strength to level 2.2."
Chu Qiuhe had hesitated.
"Is this really necessary?"
The coach had replied, "Zhang Yu may not have the best stats, but his martial skills are solid, and he's good at tactics. Besides... do you think students from other schools won't take drugs to win against us?"
Now, feeling the drug's effects coursing through his body, amplifying his muscles and blood flow, Chu Qiuhe felt better than ever.
"This new drug is really something! No matter what tricks or tactics you have, I'll crush you with sheer power today."
As the countdown began—3, 2, 1—Chu Qiuhe lunged at Zhang Yu like a wild beast, leaving a blur in his wake.
Boom!
With a single punch, Chu Qiuhe unleashed a ferocious aura, charging at Zhang Yu like a speeding truck.
Expert-level technique—Truck Charge Fist! Level 2 Boost!
In ancient times, martial arts masters observed birds, beasts, mountains, and rivers to create their techniques.
In modern times, masters have drawn inspiration from the hustle and bustle of city life, creating techniques that reflect the power of vehicles and skyscrapers.
The Truck Charge Fist was said to have been created by a martial arts master who spent three months observing trucks on the highway, capturing the essence of their momentum and incorporating it into his fist technique.
As a strength-based fighter, Chu Qiuhe had chosen to master this technique to fully utilize his physical advantage.
Now, with the Truck Charge Fist at level 2, he truly resembled a hundred-ton truck, his punches shaking the arena as he barreled toward Zhang Yu.
"Facing this attack, Zhang Yu has only one option..."
Chu Qiuhe was confident that Zhang Yu couldn't withstand his power head-on and would have to dodge.
But the Truck Charge Fist had a follow-up move for such situations.
"Once he dodges, I'll use the 'Truck Swerve' to chase him, adding the force of the punch to a sharp turn, increasing its power by 50%."
"I'll knock you out of the arena with one punch!"
But in the next moment, Chu Qiuhe was shocked to see Zhang Yu raising his palm, covered in white energy, to block the punch head-on.
Boom!
As Chu Qiuhe's fist collided with the Formless Cloud Energy, Zhang Yu felt the force of the punch like a stampede of wild boars, tearing through the energy and threatening to send him flying.
Heavenly Martial Heart Sutra, Level 10 effect—Full Concentration State!
Everything around Zhang Yu seemed to slow down.
Watching Chu Qiuhe's fist inch deeper into the energy, Zhang Yu carefully analyzed the direction of the force and subtly manipulated the Formless Cloud Energy to redirect it.
Bang!
Chu Qiuhe felt his punch slide off the energy like a slippery ball, veering off to the side and missing Zhang Yu entirely.
But with a roar, Chu Qiuhe used his physical strength to halt his momentum and threw another punch at Zhang Yu.
Bang!
This punch was also deflected, leaving Chu Qiuhe wide open as Zhang Yu slipped into his guard.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Zhang Yu landed three quick punches on Chu Qiuhe's chest, ribs, and abdomen.
Roar!
The combat supplement numbed Chu Qiuhe's pain, filling him with adrenaline as he tried to grab Zhang Yu.
"With my strength, I can crush him if I get my hands on him..."
But Zhang Yu seemed to anticipate his move, narrowly avoiding the grab.
Chu Qiuhe threw another punch, only to have it deflected again, followed by two more punches to his chest.
"Damn it... just one hit! With his build, if my Truck Charge Fist lands just once, I can take him down!"
Despite feeling like one solid hit would secure his victory, Chu Qiuhe found himself being overwhelmed.
Zhang Yu moved like a winged ball, dancing around Chu Qiuhe's attacks, either dodging at the last moment or deflecting punches with the Formless Cloud Energy.
"I'm the one being hit... I'm the one being suppressed?"
"Is he using pure skill to suppress me, even though I have more strength, speed, and stamina?"
Chu Qiuhe couldn't believe what was happening.
The next moment, his abdomen was struck by the Formless Cloud Energy.
Though he still felt no pain, his seemingly endless stamina faltered for a moment, leaving him momentarily stunned.
"Not good... I think my internal organs are bleeding."
Zhang Yu seized the opportunity, landing a series of heavy blows on Chu Qiuhe's upper abdomen, chest, shoulders, and waist.
Every time Chu Qiuhe tried to muster his strength, Zhang Yu's strikes interrupted him.
Chu Qiuhe felt like a giant punching bag, helplessly absorbing Zhang Yu's attacks until he finally collapsed to the ground.
"I... I lost? To a student from outside the top three high schools?"
At that moment, Chu Qiuhe felt too ashamed to face his classmates from White Dragon High.
He imagined his status plummeting, becoming the laughingstock of the school, and even being bullied by his peers.
He wished he could jump off the 30th floor of the school building...
And then, overwhelmed by these dark thoughts, he passed out.
Zhang Yu had won the match.
(End of Chapter)