Volume One: First Signs of Brilliance Chapter Twenty-Eight: One After Another

At this moment, there were quite a few students gathered in the Qingfeng Martial Arts Academy. Students from the Tenth, Eleventh, and Twentieth Middle Schools were present, along with a handful from other institutions. Besides them, many adults—clearly tasked with maintaining order—stood around, exuding an oppressive aura that marked their professionalism. From the atmosphere they emanated, it was clear that each of them had surpassed the Spiritual Nourishing Realm and reached the Pulse Shaping Realm. Not just at the first or second tier, either; the lowest among them were at the fourth tier, and a few had even achieved the seventh. Such cultivation would make them notable figures in the entirety of Peaceful Town.

“So many people came here…” Following Luoshui, Wang Jue blended into the crowd as they entered Qingfeng Martial Arts Academy. Truth be told, he had no interest whatsoever in fights or brawls. Yet, the prize of one hundred thousand credit points was something he truly desired—his family was in dire need of money. He understood, though, that for now it was just a dream. At Body Tempering Tier Three, he would be considered strong among first and second-year students, but in the third year, where most were at least at Tier Four, he was at the bottom of the hierarchy. Among those present, aside from ordinary students, every martial artist had higher cultivation than he did. With his current ability, it was questionable whether he could even defeat someone at Body Tempering Tier Five, let alone challenge a Tier Seven master at the peak of the third-year students—it would be suicide.

“Wow, quite a crowd tonight.” Huang Jian, whose presence on the arena seemed to have materialized out of nowhere, held a loudspeaker in his hand. His voice, which could be described as unruly at best and outrageously arrogant at worst, echoed through the hall: “Tsk, tsk, tsk. The trash from the Tenth School—everyone says you’re amazing, but I don’t buy it. Isn’t it said you have three guys at Body Tempering Tier Seven? Are they here? Let’s have them all come up. I’ll take on all three at once, so you can see what real strength looks like!”

At first, Huang Jian’s tone was relatively normal, but soon he unleashed a barrage of sarcasm aimed directly at the Tenth School students.

“This bastard…” Luoshui, watching him from below, was visibly incensed, her cheeks flushed with anger. If Wang Jue hadn’t been quick to catch her, her fiery temper would have sent her storming onto the arena for a proper fight. Fortunately, Wang Jue had already made her promise before coming: just watch, nothing more—no fighting. Wang Jue himself couldn’t deny feeling provoked, but his reason kept him calm. He saw through the situation: no matter who won or lost in such a challenge, neither side would benefit. If you won, you’d surely face retaliation. This was not an official arena, and you might even be summoned by certain figures in Peaceful Town for a “chat.” If you lost, physical pain aside, there was the issue of medical fees—and worse, the humiliation, which would be hard to recover.

“Heh, big talk for someone your age. You want a fight? Fine, I’ll oblige you.” From the crowd, someone who obviously couldn’t stand Huang Jian’s attitude leaped onto the arena, a hint of disdain on his face. “One thing you’re right about: our Tenth School is much better than your Eleventh. You think we only have three at Body Tempering Tier Seven? Whether they’re here or not, I alone can defeat you.”

At fifteen or sixteen, youthful arrogance ran high. If Huang Jian had called out a particular name, he might have watched quietly. But now, since the challenge was broadcasted to all Tenth School students, enduring it would be no different from being a coward.

“Sun Qingshan!”

“Wait, isn’t Sun Qingshan at Tier Six? Can he beat Huang Jian at Tier Seven?”

“Hehe, Sun Qingshan’s true strength has never been confirmed. He’s known for being low-key. Whether he can defeat Huang Jian, we’ll see soon enough.”

“Is he really that strong?”

“We’ll know soon enough when the fight begins.”

“True. Sun Qingshan, go for it!”

“Yeah, put this guy down. Let’s see if he dares to be so arrogant again.”

“That’s right! Give him a lesson he won’t forget!”

Sun Qingshan, for all his quiet demeanor, was quite renowned among his peers. His tall, imposing physique and muscular build—standing at about one meter eighty-five before even reaching adulthood—made him tower above most who barely broke one seventy, a presence not easily forgotten.

“Ha, Sun Qingshan, at the peak of Tier Six. Looks like you’re about to break through to Tier Seven. Do you really think you’re my match?” Seeing Sun Qingshan step up, Huang Jian’s sarcasm only grew. “So, it seems Tenth School has no one else. The so-called three Tier Seven fighters are too cowardly to show themselves. If you’re that timid, you might as well give up martial arts and become ordinary farmers.”

“If the Tier Seven from Tenth School won’t show, I’ll start with you Tier Sixes instead.” Suddenly, Huang Jian seemed to remember something and switched topics: “I heard you have several at Tier Six, including a woman named Luoshui? Forget the women; the men can all come up. I’ll take you all on!”

Huang Jian’s words carried weight, backed by his own strength—Body Tempering Tier Seven dominating the arena. Yet he overlooked one thing: his taunts might seem harmless to the men, but to the women, they were explosive, especially if the woman had a fierce temper. It was like igniting a powder keg: either she’d self-destruct, or take him down with her. There was no other way.

Sure enough, hearing Huang Jian’s disparagement, Luoshui was instantly enraged. Had Wang Jue not held her back with all his might, whispering soothing words in her ear, she would have long since rushed up to punch the wretched man.

As Wang Jue restrained Luoshui, his gaze was fixed on Sun Qingshan atop the arena. He could clearly sense a tremendous threat emanating from Sun Qingshan, far greater than what he’d felt from Luoshui. How could that be? They were both at Tier Six, yet the sense of danger felt like they belonged to entirely different classes. Frowning, Wang Jue fell into thought, and suddenly his pupils contracted. Good heavens! Such deep concealment—Tier Six? It was clearly Tier Seven!

In that moment, Wang Jue realized that those who hid their strength in the shadows were far more terrifying than those who flaunted it openly. After the inspection, everyone in Tenth School believed there were only three Tier Seven martial artists, but Wang Jue now saw how naive he’d been. Those who appeared on the surface were likely fame-seekers, not the strongest.

He suspected that those who concealed their cultivation were the truly formidable ones.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the arena, another figure swiftly leaped onto the platform, unable to hold back any longer. Only the students from Tenth School recognized him.

“Zhou Wenbin!”

“Haha, Zhou Wenbin’s here!”

“Let’s see if Huang Jian dares to be so cocky now.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourselves. Remember, both are at Tier Seven; we’ll only know who’s stronger after the fight.”

“Exactly! And have you noticed, Zhou Wenbin is slighter and shorter than Sun Qingshan and Huang Jian. If the battle drags on, it won’t favor him.”

“Don’t worry. Anyone who breaks through to Tier Seven isn’t simple.”

With Zhou Wenbin’s arrival, the students of Tenth School suddenly felt a backbone, spirits soaring. Another Tier Seven? Wang Jue’s lips twitched as he stared at the three on stage, their dangerous aura overwhelming. When did Tier Seven become so common? A small challenge at the martial academy and three appear at once? For a Tier Three rookie like him, it was almost laughable.

He glanced discreetly at Luoshui by his side, knowing his childhood friend was on the verge of breaking through to Tier Seven, which only made him feel more frustrated.

In fact, Zhou Wenbin hadn’t planned on stepping onto the arena—he just wanted to see if the other two would go up. After waiting so long and seeing they had no intention, plus Huang Jian’s provocations, he found himself in an awkward spot. If he didn’t show, and someone recognized him and spread the word, he’d lose face.

“I heard you were waiting for me. Now that I’m here, tell me how you want to fight.”

Zhou Wenbin was less than one meter seventy, shorter and slighter than Sun Qingshan and Huang Jian, who stood at one eighty-five and one seventy-eight respectively. In front of these muscle-bound giants, Zhou Wenbin looked like an underdeveloped peer. Yet, Zhou Wenbin was famous not for his physique, but for his burst speed and explosive power. From the way he had just jumped onto the arena, it was clear he excelled in these areas, far above most of his contemporaries—truly formidable.

“Tsk, tsk, finally one of the main targets shows up.” Huang Jian, seeing one of his intended opponents appear, was excited and about to speak when he was interrupted.

At that moment, a thunderous voice rang out from outside Qingfeng Martial Arts Academy: “Why are you all here after school, instead of going home?”