2: Chapter 2: This shot, I'm no match for him.

The crowd walked toward the dazzling array of weapon racks on one side to select their weapons.

There was a wide variety of weapons on the racks.

But at a glance, the mainstream weapons—sabers, spears, and swords—were the most prominent.

Very few students chose other, less popular weapons.

Qin Yan took a deep breath and gripped the long spear that belonged to him.

The spear was nearly two meters long and weighed about five kilograms; the cold touch of the metal shaft felt familiar and grounding.

With a flick of his arm and a snap of his wrist, the long spear drew a sharp arc in the air.

"Whoosh—"

The spear tip vibrated, emitting a faint hum.

Given his current Blood Qi and strength,

the weight and length of this long spear were just right, allowing him to exert his strength to the fullest.

Martial Arts Skill is one of the three stages of the College Entrance Examination, carrying equal weight with Blood Qi value.

Qin Yan's choice to specialize in Spear Technique was made after careful consideration.

The long spear is the king of a hundred weapons, possessing the advantages of both length and flexibility.

In combat, it can suppress opponents from a distance and deliver a fatal blow when an opportunity arises.

As the saying goes, "An inch longer, an inch stronger"; it is especially dominant in open areas.

Soon, Gu Feng gripped an unsharpened combat training saber.

He walked with a powerful, confident stride toward the skill testing area in the center of the venue.

He was burly, standing nearly 1.9 meters tall, and naturally exuded a dignified Aura.

The originally noisy venue immediately fell silent.

All the students quickly lined up, their gazes uniformly fixed on the coach.

"Next, we will conduct the Martial Arts Skill test."

Gu Feng's gaze swept across the room like a hawk, his voice steady and powerful.

"I will conduct the assessments in order from lowest to highest based on the rankings from the last test.

Buckle up and get your spirit right; this isn't just going through the motions, it's a real combat test to see if you've slacked off during this period!"

He opened the electronic tablet in his hand and glanced at the list: "97th place, Xiao Huohuo."

In the line, a slightly thin student wearing a black training uniform stepped forward in response.

His weapon was quite peculiar: a pitch-black, ancient-looking giant ruler.

Xiao Huohuo walked to the center of the field, gripping the handle of the ruler with both hands, looking nervously at Gu Feng ten meters away.

"For this assessment, I will suppress my own Blood Qi to 8 Cal.

The assessment standards refer to the College Entrance Examination; I hope you can at least demonstrate a skill level of 'Tier 1 Middle-Stage'."

Xiao Huohuo's palms instantly broke into a sweat, and his heart rate accelerated involuntarily.

8 Cal Blood Qi?

That was a full 2 Cal more than him; how could he fight?

In a martial arts confrontation, a 2 Cal difference in Blood Qi was an almost overwhelming advantage.

"What are you still standing there for? Waiting for me to invite you to attack?"

Gu Feng frowned and shouted sternly.

"O... Okay."

Xiao Huohuo was startled awake by the shout and gritted his teeth hard.

Exerting force with his feet, his whole body rushed toward Gu Feng like an arrow leaving a bow.

The ten-meter distance was covered in an instant.

His arm muscles tightened.

He swung the heavy, pitch-black ancient ruler, using the momentum and accompanied by the sound of breaking wind, to smash it fiercely toward Gu Feng!

The blow was heavy and powerful, possessing quite a bit of prestige as the wind from the ruler whistled toward its target.

However, the burly Gu Feng appeared exceptionally agile.

He simply stepped aside with seemingly casual movements.

The heavy edge of the ruler brushed past the corner of his clothes by a mere millimeter, the resulting gust of wind blowing the tips of his hair.

"Continue!"

Gu Feng's voice was low, showing no hint of emotion.

Xiao Huohuo gritted his teeth, using the rotational force from the missed strike to twist his body and swing the flat of the ruler horizontally.

Following that was a continuous stream of upward thrusts and downward chops!

He performed almost all the Ruler Technique Moves he had learned.

But Gu Feng was like a reef in the middle of stormy waves; his footwork range was extremely small.

Often just a slight sidestep, a half-step back, or a small step forward

was enough to dodge all the attacks with minimal movement.

The training saber was even still held behind his back, never once raised.

"Too poor!"

Gu Feng seemed to lose patience.

In the instant right after the ancient ruler had just chopped down—when the old force was spent and the new force had not yet been generated—he moved!

His figure flashed, directly entering Xiao Huohuo's inner circle.

At the same time, the training saber had been swung out at some unknown moment.

It accurately swept upward, the back of the blade lightly tapping the body of the ancient ruler.

"Clang!"

A crisp sound rang out.

Xiao Huohuo only felt a clever yet massive force transmitted from the ruler; the webbing between his thumb and forefinger throbbed with pain.

No longer able to hold on, the pitch-black ancient ruler immediately flew out of his hand.

With a clatter, it landed on the smooth floor several meters away.

"Your Ruler Technique is rigid; you only know how to use brute force!

Your transitions are sluggish, and you're full of openings!

Your method of exerting force is also incorrect; seventy percent of your strength is wasted!"

Gu Feng criticized him mercilessly, "In my view, you are still far from the Tier 1 Middle-Stage assessment standard!

Go down and think about it properly!

Next, 96th place, Ye Fan!"

Xiao Huohuo's face turned red. He picked up his ancient ruler in shame and quickly ran back to the line with his head down.

The tests proceeded in order of ranking, with students stepping forward one by one to be assessed.

The process was almost identical for each.

Most students, like Xiao Huohuo, did their best to launch attacks at Gu Feng.

While Gu Feng relied on his superb movement techniques to dodge.

And during the process, he observed their skills.

In the end, he usually only needed one strike to accurately disarm them.

At the same time, he would point out the fatal flaws and deficiencies in each person's skill with pinpoint accuracy.

Many students lasted even shorter than expected; some couldn't even make Gu Feng Move a single step.

"35th place, Qin Yan."

Hearing his name, Qin Yan tightened his grip on the long spear and stepped forward.

"Teacher Gu, please guide me."

He first cupped his fists in salute, then his gaze sharpened.

His entire temperament suddenly changed, as if he had merged into one with the long spear in his hand.

Without any warning, his body lunged forward and his feet exploded with power.

Instantly crossing several meters, the long spear in his hand turned into a flash of cold light, piercing toward Gu Feng's center!

The speed was astonishingly fast!

"Hmm?"

For the first time, a slight change appeared on Gu Feng's previously calm face.

A light flickered in his eyes, "This explosive power? This spear speed and angle?"

"So fast!"

"Hiss... Qin Yan's Spear Technique seems to have become stronger again!"

"Is this the 'late bloomer' that the Gu Class mentioned?"

The surrounding students also showed expressions of shock and couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

"This guy... is simply a monster!"

Someone murmured.

In the past, Qin Yan's comprehensive strength had always been in the lower-middle range of the class.

But just half a month ago, he seemed to have suddenly had an epiphany; his Spear Technique skills and Stance Training levels were both improving rapidly.

Coach Gu Feng said that Qin Yan was a late bloomer.

In the last test, Qin Yan's class ranking had risen to the middle range.

And looking at it now, his rate of progress hadn't slowed down in the slightest!

"This spear strike... I am not his equal."

A calm voice rang out from the crowd, causing a small commotion.

Everyone turned their heads in surprise.

The speaker was a student with a cold, stern face.

He was also holding a long spear, standing as straight as a pine tree.

This person was Wang Ping, a standout student in the class who specialized in Spear Technique, ranked 11th in the class's martial arts rankings.

His Spear Technique skills had already reached the peak of Tier 1 Middle-Stage, approaching tier one high-stage.

"Wang Ping, you're not joking, are you?

Your Spear Technique is one of the strongest in our class."

Someone nearby spoke in disbelief.

Wang Ping's gaze was fixed intently on Qin Yan's figure in the field, and he shook his head.

His tone was calm, but an imperceptible ripple flashed in his eyes.

"I wouldn't joke about something like this.

Qin Yan's Spear Technique is indeed stronger than mine."

He just didn't understand why Qin Yan's rate of progress was so terrifying.