36: Chapter 36, Scene 1

At the Jianghai City Sports Center, all fifty thousand seats were filled.

The heat waves, mixed with the roar of the crowd, almost threatened to blow off the massive dome. Elite students from all eighteen high schools in the city were packed into the preparation area like sardines in a tin.

On the rostrum, the City Lord, the Branch President of the Martial Arts Alliance, and the recruitment directors of major martial arts schools sat upright. Their eyes scanned the crowd below like radar, searching for this year's top prospects.

"Now this is a grand spectacle."

Zhang Hao shrunk his neck, his rolls of fat trembling three times with the movement.

He gripped the corner of Lin Fan's clothes tightly, his palms drenched in sweat. "Brother Fan, there are too many people. Look over there, that's Mad Lion Tie Zhu from No. 3 High School; I heard he can kill a bull with one punch. And over there, Fast Sword Li Feng from No. 2 High School..."

Lin Fan glanced at him and pulled his clothes back with a look of disgust.

"Have some backbone."

Lin Fan straightened his cuffs, his gaze as calm as if he were strolling through his own backyard. "More people is better. More people means more traffic. More traffic means better advertising effects."

In his eyes, this was no martial arts arena.

This was clearly a massive, free, new product launch event—with fifty thousand targeted customers.

"Whoa!"

A sudden burst of ear-piercing screams erupted at the entrance.

A group of bodyguards in matching uniforms forcibly pushed through the crowd, clearing a wide path. Immediately after, a figure shimmering with a cold, silver-gray light walked in with an arrogant, swaggering gait.

Wang Teng.

He had clearly dressed up meticulously today.

He wore a custom-made C-Rank Alloy Battle Armor, with precise hydraulic assist devices at the joints. On his back was an Alloy Battle Saber about 1.2 meters long, its scabbard encrusted with several rubies that dazzled the eyes in the sunlight.

This outfit cost at least five hundred thousand.

"It's Young Master Wang! Young Master Wang is so handsome!"

"That equipment... it's a total pay-to-win crush!"

"I heard Young Master Wang even went into seclusion for three days specifically for this competition. His strength must have broken through again!"

Basking in the cheers and flattery of those around him, Wang Teng lifted his chin even higher.

He didn't head toward his own rest area but instead walked straight through the crowd and stopped in front of Lin Fan.

The two were less than two meters apart.

The air seemed to freeze in that instant.

The surrounding chatter dropped by eight octaves instantly, as countless eyes turned toward them, looking for a good show.

"Lin Fan."

Wang Teng took off his sunglasses, revealing eyes bloodshot with veins. His gaze looked as if he wanted to swallow Lin Fan alive.

"Enjoy your last moments of being in one piece."

Wang Teng extended his thumb and slowly drew it across his neck.

A throat-slitting gesture.

Extremely arrogant, extremely provocative.

*Pfft.*

Lin Fan couldn't help it; he laughed out loud.

He sized Wang Teng up from head to toe, his gaze lingering on the alloy armor and the diamond-encrusted saber for a long time, his eyes gradually becoming fervent.

"C-Rank high-carbon alloy, decent impact resistance. That saber... the rubies on the hilt are of poor quality, but the blade itself should be made of memory metal."

Lin Fan critiqued while nodding in satisfaction. "Not bad, really not bad. I'm very satisfied with Young Master Wang's 'packaging'."

His tone was like a butcher sizing up a fat pig about to be slaughtered.

The cruel grin on Wang Teng's face froze.

He felt offended—gravely offended.

"You..."

"Excuse me."

Lin Fan didn't bother listening to his threats. With a shoulder bump, he sent the fully armed Wang Teng stumbling and strode toward the rest area.

"Don't get in the way of my business."

Wang Teng steadied himself, his face instantly turning the color of pig liver.

"You're looking for death!"

Just as he was about to draw his saber, he was sharply stopped by a nearby referee: "Private fighting is prohibited in the preparation area! Violators will be disqualified!"

Wang Teng gritted his teeth, sheathed his saber, and said sinisterly to Lin Fan's back, "See you on the stage. Let's see if you can still be so sharp-tongued then!"

After the interlude, the grand competition officially began.

On the commentary stand, two specially invited gold-medal commentators were passionately warming up the crowd.

"Alright, friends in the audience! The exciting moment has arrived! This year's favorites are in a clash of titans!"

"Indeed! First, the iceberg goddess from the Su Family, Su Qingxue! An A-Rank Ice Talent, reportedly already broken through to the Seventh-Stage Martial Apprentice!"

"And the wind elf of the Chu Family, Chu Yaoyao! An A+ Rank Wind Spirit Talent, the absolute king of speed!"

"Of course, we can't forget Young Master Wang Teng of the Wang Family! Although there were some... minor incidents before, the Wang Family's foundation is there. This set of luxury equipment is enough to make him invincible!"

The commentators spoke with spit flying everywhere, praising all the top-seeded contestants.

Except for Lin Fan.

Or rather, he was intentionally or unintentionally ignored.

Although Lin Fan had recently become very popular in the night market and online, in the eyes of the orthodox martial arts world, he was still just an "unprofessional" small vendor.

Relying on luck to open blind boxes?

That was just opportunistic trickery.

When it came to the actual fist-to-flesh combat on the stage, could luck put food on the table?

"It seems like no one thinks highly of you, Brother Fan."

Zhang Hao listened to the commentary, feeling somewhat indignant.

"It doesn't matter."

Lin Fan opened his eyes, looking quite happy instead. "This kind of contrast where people underestimate me is the best marketing material."

The large screen lit up.

The grouping and drawing results scrolled out.

[Group 1: Wang Teng VS ...]

[Group 7: Lin Fan VS ...]

A collective sigh of disappointment rose from the crowd.

"Tch, I thought we'd see Young Master Wang crush some trash in the first round."

"It's fine that they're separate; it'll let Young Master Wang warm up more before the finals."

"Lin Fan is lucky to have avoided Wang Teng. But Group 7 has some tough characters too; he probably won't even make it out of the group stage."

"First-round contestants, please take the stage!"

The referee's voice echoed through the venue.

"Fatty, it's your turn."

Lin Fan patted Zhang Hao's rolls of fat. "Go on. Show them the quality of our 'product'."

"Huh? Me?"

Zhang Hao was stunned, only then realizing his name was at the top of the first match for Group 7.

Opponent: Li Tiger.

The boss of Jianghai Vocational High School, D-Rank Strength Talent, famous for his dirty fighting style.

"Bro... Brother Fan, I'm a bit panicked."

Zhang Hao looked at the muscular man in the distance who was cracking his knuckles. His legs began to shake. "That guy looks so fierce. Can I... can I forfeit?"

"Forfeit?"

The smile on Lin Fan's face vanished instantly, replaced by a coldness that made Zhang Hao's scalp tingle.

"Zhang Hao."

Lin Fan's voice was soft, yet it struck Zhang Hao's heart like a hammer. "The C-Rank Talent you have was bought with all your savings. Did you practice so hard these past few days just to be a deserter today?"

"If you don't even dare to take this first step, then for the rest of your life, you can only be a fat loser following behind me shouting '666'."

"Don't worry, the top geniuses in our city's high schools are only at the 7th or 8th Stage of Martial Apprentice. Those at the 9th Stage before graduation are the seeds for the top martial arts universities in Kyoto."

"Generally, as long as you can reach the 2nd Stage of Martial Apprentice before graduating high school, you can attend an average martial arts university."

"Fatty, your current strength already exceeds that of an average college student, and a C-Rank Talent isn't bad. We've even hunted exotic beasts in the Rift Zone together. Have some confidence and don't lose face!"

Zhang Hao's whole body jolted.

"Damn it!"

Zhang Hao gritted his teeth hard, a fierce look appearing on his round face. "I'll do it! At worst, I'll just take a beating! I've got thick skin and fat, what am I afraid of!"

He let out a roar and charged onto the stage with heavy steps, like a heavy tank.

"Group 7, First Match: Zhang Hao vs. Li Tiger."

As the referee gave the command.

Li Tiger gave a cruel laugh, not even bothering with a greeting. Like a fierce tiger descending a mountain, bolstered by his D-Rank Strength Talent, he threw a heavy punch straight at Zhang Hao's face.