60: Chapter 60 Really broke? This punch shattered 30 million.

The smoke and dust had not yet completely dissipated, and the air was filled with the smell of scorched metal.

The memory alloy target, which was claimed to be able to withstand a direct hit from a tank's main cannon, had turned into a floor full of tiny fragments.

It wasn't the kind of deformation caused by being blown away by massive force, but rather like mud that had its skeleton removed, slumped on the ground.

The arena was eerily quiet.

The breathing of thousands of people seemed to have stopped, leaving only the hum of the exhaust fan blades on the dome.

Examiner Wang Su stood before the pile of scrap metal, looking like a stiff statue.

He crouched down, his hand trembling as he picked up a core sensor.

This thing was supposed to be incredibly solid, but now it was like a crispy biscuit; with a little force, it crumbled into powder at his fingertips.

This isn't scientific.

Only these few words were frantically flashing through Examiner Wang Su's mind.

If it were simply massive strength, the target should be dented, deformed, or knocked away.

But this kind of collapse from the internal structure meant that at the moment of contact, the force generated high-frequency oscillations tens of thousands of times per second.

These oscillations directly destroyed the bonding of the metal molecules.

Is this something a human body can achieve?

No magical fluctuations, no battle qi light effects—just a pure physical strike.

"Um..."

A slightly innocent voice broke the silence in the arena.

Lin Qi stood not far away, looking down and brushing off non-existent dust from his cuffs.

He looked up at the dazed Examiner Wang Su and said sincerely, "Examiner Wang, I don't have to pay for this, do I?"

Examiner Wang Su snapped his head up, his eyes bloodshot.

"I'm very poor."

Lin Qi spread his hands and pointed at the scrap metal on the ground. "As you saw, I didn't use a weapon, and I didn't break any rules. It's just that its quality was too poor; it couldn't handle a hit."

Quality was too poor?

That was military-grade memory alloy!

Examiner Wang Su opened his mouth, but his throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton; he couldn't utter a single word.

He wanted to curse, he wanted to roar, he wanted to rule that Lin Qi had violated the rules.

But he couldn't find a reason.

The rules only said to use the strongest means of attack; they didn't say you couldn't break the target.

Just as Examiner Wang Su felt like he was about to have a brain hemorrhage...

The glass window of the high-level observation deck above the arena, which had been closed, suddenly became transparent.

Several elderly men in Zhongshan suits stood there, looking down at the entire scene.

The elderly man standing in the center had white hair but was full of energy, with a purple-gold Longya badge pinned to his chest.

Vice Principal of Longya Academy, Vice Principal Chen Daoling.

The way he looked at Lin Qi was frighteningly bright, like a gourmet seeing a peerless delicacy.

"Zzz—"

The sound of static crackled over the broadcast, followed by Vice Principal Chen Daoling's steady and powerful voice.

"The examination is over."

Four simple words, carrying an unquestionable authority.

"Candidate Lin Qi, Third Stage score: S+, Overall rating: S+."

"Effective immediately, he is designated as a 'Special Grade Target of Interest' of Longya Academy, promoted directly, and will enjoy the highest specification of resource allocation."

Whoosh—!

These words were like a depth charge, instantly shattering the silence in the arena.

Special Grade Target of Interest!

That was a treatment reserved only for the top Prodigy of each session. The person who obtained this qualification in the last session is already a regional lord of the Federation.

Everyone's gaze focused on the youth wearing clothes worth only a few dozen yuan from a street stall.

Their looks changed.

The previous contempt, mockery, and spectator mentality all vanished.

It was replaced by a complex emotion mixed with awe and jealousy.

In this world, the law of the jungle where the strong are respected is an iron rule etched into everyone's bones.

Whether you are a Blank Slate or have a Hidden Class, if you can blow up memory alloy with one punch, you are the boss.

Li Shaobai stood in the front row of the crowd, his fingernails sinking deep into his palms.

He looked at the figure in the spotlight, feeling a blockage in his heart.

The halo of an S-Rank Sword Master seemed somewhat dim and lusterless in front of that pile of scrap metal.

He was not convinced, but he didn't dare to speak.

Because he knew very well that even if he ground his Flying Sword until sparks flew, he could not achieve this level of destruction.

Zhao Lei, on the other hand, was quite straightforward.

The big man thudded his greatsword onto the ground, scratched the back of his head, and muttered, "What a freaking monster. Better not mess with him in the future; my body isn't as hard as that alloy."

Lin Qi was deaf to the discussions around him.

He gave a slight nod to the Vice Principal on the high platform as a gesture of thanks, then turned and left.

As he passed by Examiner Wang Su, he paused for a moment.

Examiner Wang Su instinctively took half a step back, nearly tripping over a cable on the floor.

"Examiner Wang."

Lin Qi smiled, revealing a row of white teeth. "Remember to change my F-Rank. I don't like that letter."

After saying that, he slung his faded white backpack over his shoulder, put his hands in his pockets, and strolled out the door.

Leaving Examiner Wang Su standing alone in the ruins, his face turning blue and white as if he had swallowed a fly.

Outside the arena.

The sunlight was a bit dazzling.

Instructor Su Qing leaned against a black military SUV, an unlit slim cigarette between her fingers.

Seeing Lin Qi come out, she put the cigarette back in the box, a rare smile appearing on her face.

"Get in."

Instructor Su Qing tossed over a bottle of water.

Lin Qi caught it, twisted it open, took a large gulp, and then pulled open the door to sit in the passenger seat.

"Good performance."

Instructor Su Qing started the car, the engine letting out a low roar. "That punch just now left those old guys from the military stunned. Now, in their eyes, you're more precious than a giant panda."

"Expected."

Lin Qi adjusted the seatback and slumped in a comfortable position. "What about that Examiner Wang Su? He didn't seem very convinced."

"Him?"

Instructor Su Qing sneered, turning the steering wheel onto the main road.

"He broke testing equipment worth thirty million. Although you were the one who did it, as the chief examiner, he severely misjudged a candidate's strength, leading to the destruction of the equipment."

"The Vice Principal just issued the order: suspended for three months for reflection, plus a fifty-thousand-word self-criticism report."

"Also, the repair costs for that equipment will be deducted from his allowance."

Lin Qi whistled. "That sounds delightful."

"Don't get happy too soon."

Instructor Su Qing glanced at him, her tone becoming more serious. "Being a Special Grade Target of Interest is a double-edged sword. More resources mean more people watching you. The tree that stands out in the forest will be the first to be buffeted by the wind."

"Especially a 'variable' like you with no background; you can easily become a thorn in the side of certain factions."

Lin Qi looked at the scenery receding rapidly outside the window, his gaze calm.

"Then let them come."

He said softly, "It just so happens I'm lacking quite a few Materials for my practice."

The car drove into the 'Heaven Grade' dormitory area deep within Longya Academy.

Meanwhile, in a dark corner of the arena.

A figure completely shrouded in a large black robe was reporting something through a special communicator.

He held a photograph in his hand.

The photo was of the moment Lin Qi punched and shattered the target.

"Target confirmed, danger level upgraded."

The Black-Robed Figure's voice was hoarse and unpleasant, like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together.

"A variable that cannot be defined by data... must be eliminated."

He took out a red marker and drew a large 'X' over Lin Qi's face.

"Initiate the 'Scavenger' plan."

The Black-Robed Figure put away the photo, and his figure gradually faded, as if melting into the shadows of the air.