18: Chapter 18 Advancing to the Top 20

Platform 3.

Lin Fan's opponent was a thin, tall boy from Class 5 with a Qi-blood value of 258, ranking fourth in Class 5.

Seeing Lin Fan, the boy swallowed hard, but still braced himself and stepped onto the stage.

He had just witnessed the battle between Lin Fan and Chen Feng, so he knew Lin Fan was no simple opponent.

"Lin Fan, I know you are strong, but I will not concede!"

Lin Fan nodded calmly and said, "Then come on!"

"Begin!"

As soon as the referee's voice fell, the boy stomped on the ground, rushed towards Lin Fan at high speed, and threw a punch!

Just as the boy's fist was about to strike his chest, Lin Fan's feet didn't move, but he tilted his body slightly, dodging the unstoppable punch.

The boy threw a series of punches, all of which were easily dodged by Lin Fan.

"Are you only capable of dodging?"

The boy retreated two steps, stopped his attack, panted heavily, and said with an ugly expression.

"As you wish!"

Lin Fan looked at him indifferently and said.

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Fan's body flashed, and he appeared in front of the boy. Before the boy could react, a palm struck his chest solidly.

"Bang!"

With a dull thud, the boy screamed as his entire body flew off the battle platform.

Lin Fan withdrew his hand and turned to leave the stage.

"Lin Fan wins! Advances to the Top 20!"

As the referee's voice fell, a gasp of surprise swept through the audience again.

"Such fast speed, did you see that clearly?"

"Yeah, it must be at least an entry-level Yellow Rank Martial Skill."

"I thought you only had high Qi-blood, but I didn't expect a commoner like you to have cultivated such an advanced movement Martial Skill? Interesting!"

Above the viewing platform of First Martial Arts High School, Xie Yunpeng narrowed his eyes as he looked at Lin Fan's back. The contempt on his face had vanished, replaced by curiosity and gravity.

Soon, the first round of matches on the ten platforms concluded, eliminating ten people.

The second round began. Han Ming, number 23, walked onto Platform 8. His opponent was number 18, a sturdy boy from Class 7 named Ma Long, with a Qi-blood value of 312, ranking second in Class 7.

Ma Long had already been waiting on the stage.

He had a lean, tough build, with arms a circle thicker than an average person's and calloused knuckles—clearly an expert in fist techniques.

Seeing Han Ming walk up, Ma Long narrowed his eyes and sized him up.

"Han Ming?"

The corners of Ma Long's mouth curled into a sneer, "I've heard of you, the playboy young master of the Han Family. I didn't expect you to be hiding so much; you're actually a Three-Star Martial Artist."

He paused, clenched his fists, and his joints cracked.

"But since you've met me today, this is where you end."

Han Ming stood lazily opposite him, smiling at his words: "Are you done talking?"

Ma Long's expression darkened: "You're courting death!"

The referee glanced at the two, and seeing that both were ready, waved his hand sharply: "Begin!"

Ma Long stomped on the battle platform, shooting toward Han Ming like a cannonball!

A layer of pale golden light condensed on his fist—the hallmark of a Metal-element talent!

"Mountain Collapsing Fist!"

He threw a punch, the wind whistling as it carried a piercing sound of breaking air!

A Yellow Rank Medium Grade Martial Skill at the Minor Achievement Realm, combined with his 312 Qi-blood value—this punch had a force of at least 1,800 jin!

The power was already equivalent to a Nine-Star Martial Apprentice who hadn't cultivated any Martial Skills.

The spectating students' expressions changed drastically.

"This power is too terrifying! It looks like Ma Long's Martial Skill is at least Yellow Rank Medium Grade, and he has already cultivated it to the Minor Achievement Realm."

"Yeah, Han Ming is finished! After taking this punch, he'll have to lie at home for at least half a month!"

"Serves him right! Who told him to be so arrogant usually!"

Many people wore expressions of schadenfreude.

Han Ming stood in place, watching the whistling fist, his eyes terrifyingly calm.

1,800 jin?

If it were the original owner from a few days ago, this punch could indeed have killed him.

But now, the corners of Han Ming's mouth curled up slightly.

He was someone who had bound with Lin Fan.

During these past few days, Lin Fan had been cultivating desperately, and the feedback the System gave him wasn't just Qi-blood value.

Two Yellow Rank High Grade Martial Skills—[Wind Shadow Step] and [Mountain Crushing Palm]—had already been synchronized to him.

And both had been cultivated to the Major Achievement Realm. These were the Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills Lin Fan had cultivated before his Rebirth.

Yellow Rank High Grade Martial Skills at the Major Achievement Realm...

Han Ming calculated silently. With his current Eight-Star Martial Apprentice Qi-blood value, combined with the amplification of Major Achievement Martial Skills, a full-force palm could unleash at least 7,000 jin of force.

In Han Ming's eyes, Ma Long's fist was as slow as a snail.

However, he didn't intend to expose his full strength; the strength of a Three-Star Martial Apprentice was enough.

Although Han Ming had thought so much, it was actually just in an instant. He lightly shifted his feet.

Wind Shadow Step!

His figure suddenly became blurry, as if it were smoke scattered by the wind.

Ma Long's Mountain Collapsing Fist brushed past the corner of Han Ming's clothes, the fist wind tearing through the air, yet it didn't even hurt a hair on Han Ming.

"What?"

Ma Long's pupils contracted sharply.

He had been certain of this punch; it was extremely fast, and he believed even Zhang Han, the top student in his class, couldn't block it.

Yet Han Ming had dodged it so nonchalantly?

Ma Long gritted his teeth, and a second punch followed immediately!

Han Ming sidestepped again, once again narrowly dodging.

"Let's see how long you can keep dodging!"

Ma Long roared, his fists raining down on Han Ming like a storm!

One punch! Two punches! Three punches! Five punches! Ten punches!

Every punch carried 1,800 jin of force, and every punch was aimed straight at Han Ming's vitals!

But Han Ming was like a fallen leaf drifting in the wind, drifting away the moment each fist was about to land. It looked dangerous, but in reality, he was handling it with ease.

The spectating students watched in stunned silence.

"This... Han Ming's movement technique is too bizarre, isn't it?"

"Yeah, why does this look so much like the Yellow Rank High Grade Martial Skill, Wind Shadow Step? Since when did the Han Family have Wind Shadow Step? And it looks like Han Ming has cultivated it to at least Minor Achievement."

Su Wanning stood under the stage, her beautiful eyes wide open.

She saw it very clearly; the range of Han Ming's dodges was extremely small, just barely avoiding Ma Long's fists, but his rhythm was grasped perfectly.

"When did he learn this kind of movement technique?" Su Wanning was shocked.

Lin Fan stood behind the crowd, watching Han Ming's movement technique, his pupils contracting imperceptibly.

Wind Shadow Step? How is that possible? This was a Martial Skill he had cultivated in the Jiang Family in his past life. How could Han Ming know it?

And he had cultivated it to Major Achievement, just like him.

Lin Fan frowned slightly, feeling puzzled. The way he looked at Han Ming now held a bit more scrutiny and vigilance.

On the battle platform, Ma Long had thrown over thirty punches, none of which had landed.

He was panting, veins bulging on his forehead, his eyes bloodshot.

"Han Ming! Are you only capable of dodging? If you have the guts, take a punch from me head-on!"

Han Ming stopped his movements and tilted his head to look at him. "Are you sure?"

Ma Long gritted his teeth: "Stop talking nonsense! Come on!"

Han Ming smiled: "Fine, as you wish."

Ma Long's eyes lit up, his Qi-blood surging crazily throughout his body, and the pale golden light on his right fist became even more intense than before!

"Mountain Collapsing Fist!"

He roared, his entire body like a cannonball, throwing a punch toward Han Ming's chest!

This punch had over 2,000 jin of force! It was a strike with all his might!

The whole audience held their breath!

Han Ming stood in place and raised his right hand.

He didn't use his full strength. He used only 30% of the power of the Mountain Crushing Palm.

"Boom!"

While Han Ming used Wind Shadow Step to dodge Ma Long's fist, he struck his chest with a palm.

"Pfft..."

The ferocious Ma Long was like a person hit by a speeding car; he spat out a mouthful of blood, flew backward, and his head lolled to the side as he passed out instantly.

"Wow..."

"Ma Long's Qi-blood value was higher than Han Ming's, yet he actually lost."

"Qi-blood value is just the foundation; Martial Skills are the key. I just didn't expect Han Ming to have cultivated a Yellow Rank High Grade Martial Skill, and at least to the Minor Achievement Realm."

"Yeah! Is this still that playboy loser? I didn't expect him to be hiding so much."

Looking at the unconscious Ma Long who had been sent flying, the scene was in an uproar.

The referee also glanced at Han Ming in surprise and announced: "Han Ming wins, advances to the Top 20!"