22: Chapter 22: The Grand Competition Ends

The entire arena was deathly silent!

Zhou Hao lay on the ground, his right arm twisted at a bizarre angle, blood still bubbling from his mouth. He struggled to get up, but he couldn't muster any strength.

One punch.

Just one punch.

Zhou Hao's pride and joy, the Three-fold Strength, was like paper in front of Lin Fan.

"Is... is this even human?"

"Five thousand jin of force, shattered head-on by a single punch?"

"What kind of monster is Lin Fan, anyway?"

Exclamations rang out one after another, nearly flipping the entire playground upside down.

Xie Yunpeng stood up abruptly from his chair, his expression graver than ever before.

To shatter the Three-fold Strength, a Profound Rank Low Grade Martial Skill, with one punch—this level of strength already far exceeded the scope of an ordinary Five-Star Martial Apprentice.

This Lin Fan was definitely a formidable rival on his path to the college entrance exam!

Liu Qingqing covered her mouth, her beautiful eyes filled with shock. She had originally thought Lin Fan was just an ordinary person with high blood vitality, but now it seemed she was terribly wrong.

The referee came to his senses and announced: "Lin Fan wins!"

Lin Fan withdrew his fist, not even glancing at Zhou Hao, and turned to walk off the stage.

Zhou Hao was carried away, still screaming as he left. But no one was paying attention to him anymore.

Everyone's attention was on Lin Fan.

This youth in a washed-out school uniform was destined to shake the entire Third Martial Arts High School today.

The winner's bracket ranking matches continued.

"Match five, Zhao Feng versus Liu Yun!"

This match was equally eye-catching.

Liu Yun had just lost to Han Ming and was holding back a surge of frustration. Zhao Feng was a veteran powerhouse of No. 3 High School; neither of them was someone to be trifled with.

"Begin!"

Liu Yun made the first move, waving her hands repeatedly as over a dozen vines grew wildly, winding toward Zhao Feng!

Zhao Feng stood in place, unmoving.

The vines wrapped around his legs, tightening more and more. But Zhao Feng's expression didn't change at all, as if he weren't the one being entangled.

"Is that it?" Zhao Feng looked down at the vines and said indifferently.

He exerted force with his legs!

"Bang!"

The vines wrapped around his legs shattered instantly, turning into a sky full of debris.

Liu Yun's expression changed, and she hurriedly tried to grow more vines. But Zhao Feng didn't give her the chance.

"Earth Shattering Fist!"

He punched the stage, and the entire stage trembled!

Liu Yun lost her footing and staggered back. Zhao Feng seized the opportunity to rush forward and threw another punch!

"Bang!" Liu Yun was knocked off the stage.

"Zhao Feng wins!" the referee announced.

Liu Yun sat on the ground, stomping her feet in anger. Having lost two matches in a row today, she had lost all her Face and dignity.

"Match six, Lin Fan versus Han Ming!"

This match caused the entire arena to erupt!

Lin Fan, the biggest dark horse of this Grand Competition, had crushed all opposition, unstoppable.

Han Ming, once a playboy wastrel, now displayed impressive strength; even Liu Yun had been defeated by him.

One was a recognized monster, the other a hidden powerhouse.

Both of them were from Class 3.

"Who do you think will win?"

"It has to be Lin Fan! Didn't you see the power of the punch that sent Zhou Hao flying just now?"

"That's not necessarily true. Han Ming is also very strong; even Liu Yun couldn't beat him."

Discussions rose and fell.

On the stage, Lin Fan and Han Ming stood facing each other.

Lin Fan looked at Han Ming, his eyes narrowing slightly. He always felt that this playboy who used to bully him often was hiding many secrets.

That Wind Shadow Step and Mountain Crushing Palm—how on earth did he learn them?

And his proficiency was no lower than his own.

"Han Ming, you've changed a lot recently."

Lin Fan spoke, his tone very calm, as if an old friend of many years was reminiscing.

Han Ming looked him up and down, smiling mockingly as he said: "People always change! Aren't you the same?"

"Where did you learn that Wind Shadow Step and Mountain Crushing Palm?"

Lin Fan felt a chill from Han Ming's gaze, as if he knew his secrets, so he quickly changed the subject.

"The Han Family's Martial Skill library," Han Ming said without blinking. "What, you want to learn too? I can teach you."

Lin Fan's mouth twitched.

The Han Family's library? If the Han Family had Martial Skills of this level, they wouldn't be a third-rate Family.

This guy was lying through his teeth.

"Begin!"

The moment the referee finished speaking, Lin Fan moved.

He took a step forward, his figure like lightning, instantly closing in on Han Ming. The Mountain Crushing Palm, carrying a fierce wind, struck straight at Han Ming's chest!

This palm strike was faster and more ferocious than the punch he had used against Zhou Hao earlier!

The people offstage turned pale.

"Lin Fan intends to decide the outcome in one move!"

"Han Ming is finished!"

Han Ming's pupils constricted. He unleashed his full Wind Shadow Step, his figure scattering like smoke.

Lin Fan's palm wind grazed his shoulder, the fierce wind scraping his cheek until it stung.

"That was close," Han Ming thought to himself.

A Three-Star Martial Apprentice's strength was truly no match for Lin Fan; after all, their Martial Skills were identical, and Lin Fan had over two hundred more blood vitality points than him.

Being able to barely dodge was already not bad.

Lin Fan didn't give him a chance to breathe. After one palm strike missed, the second followed immediately!

He was also using Major Achievement Wind Shadow Step and Mountain Crushing Palm.

"I concede!"

Han Ming tapped his feet repeatedly, maneuvering and dodging in a tight space. After barely dodging Lin Fan's two attacks, he began to shout.

He wasn't here to fight Lin Fan for first place.

Besides, Lin Fan was his "worker." Letting the worker get the resources while he sat back and profited—wasn't that sweet?

Han Ming's voice wasn't loud, but in the quiet playground, everyone heard it clearly.

The entire arena exploded instantly.

"Concede? Han Ming actually conceded?"

"He even beat Liu Yun; I thought he would go head-to-head with Lin Fan!"

"Are you stupid? Didn't you see the power of that palm strike? If Han Ming didn't concede, Zhou Hao's fate would have been his!"

"Exactly, Zhou Hao is still lying in the Infirmary. A wise man submits to circumstances."

Discussions buzzed offstage; some thought Han Ming was cowardly, others thought he was wise.

On the stage, Lin Fan withdrew his palm, his gaze toward Han Ming somewhat complex.

With two lifetimes of experience, he always felt that Han Ming was hiding his true strength and wasn't just a simple Three-Star Martial Apprentice.

After a few more rounds of competition, combined with the previous blood vitality tests, the top ten rankings were finally out.

First Place: Lin Fan

Second Place: Zhao Feng

Third Place: Zhou Hao

Fourth Place: Han Ming

Fifth Place: Liu Yun

Sixth Place: Su Wanning

Seventh Place: Sun Hai

Eighth Place: Zhang Han

Ninth Place: Chen Fei

Tenth Place: Qian Duoduo

At the awards ceremony, Principal Wang Yang personally presented the awards to the top ten.

Lin Fan accepted the ten rank 2 blood vitality pills, his expression calm.

Zhao Feng accepted nine, his Face neither sad nor happy. His original goal had been first place, but he hadn't expected this dark horse, Lin Fan, to emerge.

Zhou Hao's Face was even more livid, his right arm in a bandage, looking particularly pathetic.

Han Ming nonchalantly put the seven blood qi pills into his pocket, though in reality, he had secretly placed them into his space.

To him, these few blood qi pills were dispensable. Although the Han Family had been extorted for ten million by the Zhang Family, there were still blood qi pills provided for his own cultivation.

Principal Wang Yang stood on the podium, his voice carrying through the loudspeaker across the entire arena:

"The Grand Competition has concluded successfully! I hope all students will take the top ten as an example, make a full sprint in this last month, and strive to achieve good results in the martial arts college entrance exam!"

Thunderous applause broke out.

The crowd was still discussing the match that had just ended, gradually dispersing.

Aside from the dark horse Lin Fan, the most discussed person was Han Ming, the playboy.

That he could take fourth place was unexpected by everyone.

Just as Lin Fan was preparing to leave, a voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Lin Fan, wait a moment."