Unlike the usual peace and quiet, the main ring in the center of the Martial Arts Hall was now packed several layers deep with people. The air was thick with tension.
All eyes were fixed on the ring.
At the very front of the crowd, a refined-looking, middle-aged man in casual clothes was staring intently at the figure in the ring, anxiety and tension written all over his face.
He was Li Weiguo, Qin Feng’s homeroom teacher from junior high.
And standing in the ring was Li Weiguo’s student, Zhou Heyuan.
Facing off against him was a tall, thin youth with an arrogant expression.
"Old Li, do you think Heyuan... can do it?"
A fellow hall member beside Li Weiguo asked quietly.
Li Weiguo clenched his fists nervously. "It should... be fine," he said in a low, heavy voice. "Ever since that kid, Heyuan, absorbed the Thunder Pool Thunder Crystal, his physical potential has soared. He’s trained diligently for over a year, and his life force index is already approaching 15.0. That should be more than enough to handle someone his own age."
"Sigh, but that kid he’s up against is from Hongchang Martial Arts Hall!"
Another person chimed in worriedly. "That Martial Arts Hall is sinister! I heard their coach is a retiree from some black market fighting ring!"
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Ever since the Sun Chan Hall Master left and never returned, a new commercial martial arts hall named "Hongchang Martial Arts Hall" had opened in the surrounding blocks.
This type of purely commercial martial arts hall was all about the money.
To recruit students, they stopped at nothing.
The Extreme Martial Arts Hall, on the other hand, operated under Master Sun’s generous philosophy. It boasted top-of-the-line equipment, yet its prices were extremely affordable. With a comfortable environment and a great atmosphere, it had built up an excellent reputation in the local community.
Furthermore, Master Sun had built up a great deal of goodwill in the area. So even in his absence, the hall didn’t need any advertising. It continued to attract a large number of members through word-of-mouth alone.
This naturally drew the jealousy and greedy eyes of the Hongchang Martial Arts Hall.
This was especially true now, as summer vacation had just begun—the Golden Era for all martial arts halls to compete for student members.
And so, the Hongchang Martial Arts Hall came up with the most direct and malicious method imaginable: a dojo challenge.
Today, the coach from Hongchang Martial Arts Hall had personally brought one of his students to the Extreme Martial Arts Hall. He had issued a specific challenge to a student of the same age, intending to defeat them in front of everyone. His goal was to prove the superiority of his own hall’s teaching methods and steal away their members.
In the ring, the fight had already begun.
"HAH!"
With a low shout, Zhou Heyuan launched the first attack.
He pushed off his feet, moving like a bolt of lightning as he threw a punch straight at his opponent’s face.
Having absorbed the Thunder Pool Thunder Crystal, his speed and strength far surpassed other Martial Artists of his level.
However, faced with this swift and powerful punch, a disdainful sneer appeared on the lips of the youth from Hongchang Martial Arts Hall.
He neither dodged nor evaded, simply meeting the attack with a punch of his own.
The two fists met.
"BAM!"
A dull thud.
To the horrified gasps of the crowd, Zhou Heyuan was sent flying backward as if struck by lightning. He let out a pained grunt and crashed heavily onto the edge of the ring. He struggled for a moment but was unable to get back up.
A one-hit takedown!
A complete and utter takedown!
"Heyuan!"
Li Weiguo’s face fell, and he cried out in alarm.
An uproar broke out among the crowd below.
"How is that possible! Zhou Heyuan’s life force index is 14.6!"
"That kid... what kind of monster is he?!"
The youth from Hongchang Martial Arts Hall pulled back his fist and shook it out disdainfully.
Below the ring, a shrewd-looking, middle-aged man with a mustache—the coach of the Hongchang Martial Arts Hall—clapped his hands and roared with laughter. The sound was grating.
"Heh, so this is the standard of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall? How pathetic!"
His words were filled with provocation and ridicule, causing the faces of all the long-time members of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall to flush red with anger. But there was nothing they could do.
After all, the proof was right before their eyes.
Li Weiguo quickly rushed into the ring and helped Zhou Heyuan up.
After a quick check, he breathed a sigh of relief, finding only a broken arm.
Just as the master of Hongchang Martial Arts Hall was gloating, about to say something more to tarnish the Extreme Martial Arts Hall’s reputation, a crisp and determined voice rang out from the crowd.
"Wait!"
All eyes turned toward the voice to see a tall young woman with fine features stepping out of the crowd.
She wore a practical training uniform, and her gaze was as sharp as a blade.
"My name is Hou Yuwei!"
The young woman took a step forward. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly across the hall. "I was once fortunate enough to receive personal instruction from Master Sun, so I consider myself part of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall. I will fight you!"
"It’s Hou Yuwei!"
"That famous young prodigy from the nearby Starlight District!"
Someone in the crowd immediately recognized her.
"I heard that even though she didn’t get into Qiming Seventh High School, she was admitted to a top Martial Arts High School, second only to the Seventh High! She’s only been studying there for a little over a year, but they say her life force index is 20.03. That makes her a Third-level Martial Artist!"
"This is great! If Hou Yuwei is stepping up, she’ll definitely teach that arrogant punk a lesson!"
Hope was rekindled on the faces of the crowd.
The youth from Hongchang Martial Arts Hall looked Hou Yuwei up and down. A flicker of surprise showed in his eyes, but his arrogant expression quickly returned.
He didn’t say anything more, simply settling back into a fighting stance and gesturing for her to bring it on.
"Let’s begin!"
With a sharp cry, Hou Yuwei lunged forward in an instant.
Her boxing style was both cunning and fierce, with every strike aimed at her opponent’s vital points.