97: Cai Xu is full of regret

"This... this is impossible!"

On the arena, Xu Yifan, having personally experienced all of this, was filled with disbelief!

He hadn't held anything back with that last punch!

Driven by deep-seated hatred and the momentum of his charge, that punch had been at his Peak strength!

However, Zhang Ganchao hadn't been injured at all; he had only taken two small steps back.

On the contrary, Xu Yifan himself felt his fist throbbing with pain.

Was this guy's body made of iron?

"What's going on?"

Many of the students watching were confused.

"Wait, you guys look at Zhang Ganchao's arm. Is that... scales?"

An observant student in the crowd shouted.

Everyone quickly shifted their gaze.

They discovered that they really were flesh-colored scales.

And they were slowly fading away.

"Is this some kind of Martial Skill?"

"I think I've heard about this Martial Skill on the Martial Artist forum. Hang on, let me search for it."

"Found it. It's a C-rank Martial Skill called Hidden Water Scales. It can transform skin into scales, providing extremely strong defense, and it has special resistance against fire-attribute attacks."

"What the f***?! Fire is the most common attribute, so doesn't that make this Martial Skill invincible?"

"But this Martial Skill has a huge drawback: you must have an A-rank water element sensitivity to learn it, which is why it's only rated as C-rank."

Even so, exclamations of amazement still erupted across the arena.

The principals on the podium looked as if they had eaten lemons.

"A-rank elemental sensitivity isn't common, even among Martial Artists."

"Old Guo, you've really struck gold."

Guo Kai had anticipated this and maintained a calm expression.

In fact, this Hidden Water Scales was a gift he had specifically bought for Zhang Ganchao!

But the calmer he remained, the more envious the others became.

Especially Principal Cai Xu in the corner, who felt like he was about to turn dark with envy.

An A-rank talent!

Their school might not even produce one in a year.

As far as he knew, only Ye Zikun, who was ranked first, seemed to have an A-rank talent.

Xu Yifan, on the arena, hadn't heard the discussions below.

He narrowed his eyes and flashed to Zhang Ganchao's side.

He threw another punch at his waist.

"I don't believe that your whole body is covered in these weird scales!"

Zhang Ganchao sneered, "Have you had enough fun? If you have, it's my turn."

That last strike didn't just represent him blocking Xu Yifan's attack.

It also meant that the fear he held for Xu Yifan had vanished completely!

"Clang."

Zhang Ganchao drew the standard-issue combat saber from his waist.

The sound of rolling waves thundered across the arena.

Like waves crashing against the shore, Zhang Ganchao slashed down, carrying immense water elemental power.

Boom! The combat saber collided with the gauntlets.

Xu Yifan felt a terrifying force strike him.

He immediately drew upon all his Qi and blood, trying to overpower Zhang Ganchao.

However, Zhang Ganchao's water elemental power was superior!

"Crack!" The sound of a bone breaking echoed.

Veins bulged on Xu Yifan's forehead, and his right arm went limp.

Zhang Ganchao's blade continued its momentum, slashing toward Xu Yifan's chest.

"Xu Yifan!"

Principal Cai Xu's expression changed drastically, and he immediately wanted to intervene.

However, the referee from the City Lord's Mansion wasn't incompetent.

At the critical moment, he pulled Xu Yifan away.

At the same time, he blocked Zhang Ganchao's blade.

This prevented Zhang Ganchao from overextending and injuring himself.

Seeing this, Principal Cai Xu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Canglan and Zhang Ganchao had already left.

If Xu Yifan were crippled too.

Then his Ninth Academy would truly become a joke this year!

Although, it seemed like they were already close to being a joke...

After sheathing his blade, although Zhang Ganchao felt some regret for not severely injuring Xu Yifan.

He still nodded and bowed to the referee.

This was the referee's duty.

Even if he were to lose, the referee would still step in to save him.

There was nothing to blame.

The referee also nodded slightly and signaled the medical staff to take Xu Yifan away for treatment.

As he left, Xu Yifan, enduring the intense pain, looked at Zhang Ganchao with eyes full of resentment.

It wasn't just the hatred of defeat.

It was the unwillingness to accept defeat at the hands of someone he had previously beaten!

If looks could kill, Zhang Ganchao would have died hundreds of times over.

However, no matter how much he hated him.

It couldn't change the fact that Zhang Ganchao was about to become a key trainee of the City Lord's Mansion.

Guo Kai enjoyed the envy of the crowd, secretly pleased, while still holding back a huge secret.

Zhang Ganchao's true strength was far more than what he had shown!

...

The wilderness.

Time passed like a white horse galloping past a crevice.

The days of slaughter were always incredibly dull.

When Li Canglan was bored, he would kill some Demonic Beasts.

When it was mealtime, he would find a place to light a fire and cook.

Then, while absorbing energy from crystal cores, he would practice the Giant Spirit Sky-Breaking Force.

It must be said that the difficulty of this Cultivation Technique was indeed much higher than Li Canglan had imagined.

Even with Li Canglan's talent of Dragon and Phoenix stature.

It still took him several days to raise it to a proficiency of Minor Achievement.

If Wang Guangke and the others knew that Li Canglan was still dissatisfied with this progress.

They would probably be so jealous that they would bite their teeth to pieces.

During this time, Li Canglan had also condensed his fourth divine rune.

Officially stepping into the Two-star Middle Stage Martial Artist realm.

It was another morning.

In an area far from Luofeng City, Li Canglan was engaged in close-quarters combat with a Two-star Late Stage Raging Ape.

Relying on the terrifying physical fitness brought by the Giant Spirit Sky-Breaking Force.

Li Canglan's attack, defense, and even movement speed had all significantly improved.

The improvement brought by this Body Refining Cultivation Technique was immense.

The Raging Ape couldn't suppress Li Canglan, and its already irritable mood became even more violent.

It roared, and two bowl-sized fists smashed toward Li Canglan's head.

Either one of these fists was twice the size of Li Canglan's head!

However, Li Canglan didn't dodge or evade; as he raised his hand, four bolts of lightning erupted outward.

Boom! Thunder exploded.

Two huge bloody holes exploded in the Raging Ape's palms.

The Raging Ape screamed, its body staggered backward from the impact.

It slammed hard into a nearby tree, snapping it in two!

"Roar!"

The Raging Ape quickly climbed to its feet, its arms heavily pounding its own chest.

Li Canglan could clearly feel that the Raging Ape's aura was suddenly rising!

Now, even he felt a hint of apprehension.

The Raging Ape rolled toward Li Canglan like a tank.

Li Canglan didn't change his expression, and a fangtian halberd appeared out of thin air in his hand.

The tip of the halberd pointed forward, stabbing out as sharply as lightning!

"Swish!"

The Raging Ape's tough skin was like tofu before the fangtian halberd, and it pierced straight through.

With its abdomen wounded, the Raging Ape's power dissipated significantly.

Li Canglan lifted the fangtian halberd upward, blocking the Raging Ape's punch.