111: Chapter 111 Li Wen? Let me see what you're really made of!

Chapter 111: Li Wen? Let Me See What You're Made Of!

The hard ground glinted with a cold, metallic luster, surrounded by invisible boundaries formed by energy barriers. Beyond the barriers was the boiling, clamorous virtual spectating space, where countless pairs of eyes were focused.

Sure enough, as soon as Chu Feng, Nangong Xue, and the members of the "Third-Party Loose Alliance" where Li Wen was located landed, a tacit understanding was formed without the need for any signal.

Almost the moment they landed, the three teams swept toward the relatively weak or isolated contestants in the center of the arena like three giant rakes.

Blade light, sword shadows, spear flares, and fist energy erupted instantly.

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The Auras of the Momentum Realm collided and clashed, producing muffled rolls of thunder.

Afterimages flickered, while blood and data light intertwined and splattered.

"Teaming up? That's a foul!"

"Dammit! This is unfair!"

"Curse it, we've been played by them!"

Those contestants who failed to find strong teammates in time or were instantly targeted by the three major teams found it difficult to hold their own, despite their strength, under the joint suppression of several Momentum Realm prodigies.

Shouts of shock and fury rang out on the arena, which was completely isolated from external sounds by the energy barrier, only to be swiftly extinguished in the next second under the fierce attacks.

The virtual spectating space completely exploded with activity.

The eliminated contestants and supporters from their respective schools let out earth-shaking boos and angry condemnations: "Shameless! Teaming up in advance! What kind of Provincial Second Mock Exam is this?"

"The three major forces have taken over! No one else has a chance!"

"Strongly protest! This rule has a loophole!"

"

"

However, as expected, the rules did not prohibit such unofficial verbal Alliances before the battle began.

Strictly speaking, what the three parties were doing was finding the optimal solution within the framework of the rules, though it was full of pragmatism and ruthlessness.

The examiners responsible for supervision remained calm and did not intervene.

The outcome was decided; the anger of the losers could not change any facts.

Just a little over two minutes.

When the last Unity Realm Peak contestant who tried to hide was pierced through the chest by a cold Ice Sword Qi from Nangong Xue and turned into white light, only about thirty people from the three parties remained on the massive arena.

The battlefield, which had been noisy and chaotic just moments ago, instantly became empty and solemn.

The three parties each occupied a corner, the air thick with tension, where even breathing was clearly audible.

The brief, suffocating silence was broken.

What was supposed to be a three-way standoff suddenly changed.

Chu Feng held a dark silver spear, his eyes like a deep ancient well, devoid of any ripples.

The members of the Provincial Capital No. 1 Middle School Alliance behind him shifted their steps.

At the same time, on the other side, Nangong Xue, the female Prodigy with a cold Aura like frost, also raised her ice crystal longsword at an angle.

Almost at the same instant, their targets were not each other, but—

"Move!" a low shout came from somewhere.

The members of Chu Feng's and Nangong Xue's teams, like two well-trained armies, erupted with astonishing speed and coordination, carrying the majestic pressure of the Momentum Realm.

Like two surging torrents of rage, they pounced fiercely from the left and right sides toward the Third-Party Loose Alliance led by Wang Shuo, which had the most people but relatively mixed strength.

"Chu Feng and Nangong Xue have teamed up?!"

"They want to clear us all out first!"

"Oh no!"

An uproar instantly broke out within the loose Alliance; no one expected these two giants to choose this moment to join forces against them first.

Wang Shuo and the others' expressions changed drastically as they hurriedly organized their defense and counterattack.

The scene instantly escalated from a crushing defeat of the weak into a brutal free-for-all involving only Momentum Realm prodigies.

Spear flares like dragons, cold Sword Qi, blade light tearing through the air, and domineering fist energy—various powerful Momentum Realm techniques collided violently.

Massive energy fluctuations exploded on the arena in brilliant but deadly displays of light. The piercing sound of clashing metal rang out, making all the spectators hold their breath in excitement, their blood boiling as they cheered at the spectacle.

Li Wen felt a massive pressure rushing toward him the moment the melee broke out.

The members of Chu Feng's and Nangong Xue's teams coordinated perfectly with clear objectives, their every move carrying a chilling Intent to kill.

A sharp Aura instantly locked onto him.

A tall, muscular boy holding a broad, serrated battle saber charged through the brief intersection like a bull. His blade, carrying a heavy, earthy-yellow Intent, slashed directly toward Li Wen's face.

It was the Prodigy ranked eighteenth in the Provincial First Mock Exam—Zhou Kai.

"It's Zhou Kai! He's targeted Li Wen!"

"Zhou Kai was eighteenth in the Provincial First Mock Exam! Li Wen is only in the forties!"

"It's over, Li Wen is in danger!"

In the Qingshi No. 3 Middle School spectating area, students who had been anxiously watching Li Wen's figure let out cries of alarm, and the atmosphere instantly became tense to the extreme.

Through the real-time scrolling leaderboard projection above the arena, they clearly saw that after the Early Stage harvesting and being diverted by the third-party Alliance, Li Wen's current real-time ranking was indeed hovering only in the forties.

If he were killed by Zhou Kai now, losing half his points, falling out of the top fifty would be almost certain. This meant Li Wen's final ranking in the Provincial Second Mock Exam might even be lower than in the first.

Zhou Kai's eyes held a trace of arrogant disdain for Li Wen's reputation along with Battle Intent. His serrated battle saber tore through the air under the pressure of the Momentum Realm, its momentum heavy as if it could split the earth.

"Li Wen? Let me see what you're made of!"

Facing this fierce slash, Li Wen's eyes were as calm as water, without a hint of panic.

He didn't even use his newly mastered Shou Que Style at the first opportunity.

His footwork shifted like a flickering shadow. Instead of retreating, he advanced, moving half a step to the side. The fast blade that had appeared in his hand at some point lashed out diagonally like a venomous snake's tongue.

On the blade's edge, a grayish-white Saber Qi was condensed and restrained, not emitting much light, but its speed was extreme. It accurately struck the thickest part of the serrated connection to the back of Zhou Kai's saber—the point where its power was greatest but also most clumsy.

Clang!

A crisp and melodious sound of clashing metal, far exceeding the ordinary.

There was no earth-shaking shockwave from the collision; it was as if Li Wen had simply flicked away a speck of dust from his blade tip.

Zhou Kai's heavy Intent, which seemed capable of splitting mountains, was actually knocked aside by this seemingly light flick. The powerful force made his wrist go numb, and his subsequent fierce offensive was instantly interrupted. He lost his balance slightly as his kinetic energy was skillfully redirected.

The arrogance in Zhou Kai's eyes vanished, replaced by profound astonishment.

He steadied himself and let out a low growl. His serrated battle saber slashed and swept in rapid succession like a violent storm. Earthy-yellow Saber Qi crisscrossed, each strike weighing over a thousand catties, as he tried to suppress Li Wen with absolute strength.

But Li Wen's response made the students of Qingshi No. 3 Middle School, and even many experts who saw this scene clearly, feel alarmed.

Li Wen's figure drifted like a ghost through the dense and heavy blade shadows, his fast blade flipping, tapping, parrying,

deflecting, and leading. The grayish-white Saber Qi remained restrained, yet it always accurately intercepted Zhou Kai's attacks at the most uncomfortable positions.

Zhou Kai's offensive seemed fierce, but it was as if he had fallen into an invisible swamp. Sixty percent of his ten-fold strength was parried or diverted, failing to pose a real threat.

The scene didn't look like Zhou Kai was suppressing Li Wen; instead, it seemed as if Li Wen was calmly guiding every one of Zhou Kai's attacks with ease.

Li Wen turned with his blade, borrowing and neutralizing force, his cold gaze analyzing every trajectory of his opponent's power.

After a few exchanges, he had a clear judgment of Zhou Kai's strength: "His Blade Intent style values power above all, following the path of 'one strength subduing ten techniques.' It's fierce enough, but lacks variation and subtlety, especially with several small flaws in the transition of power flow.

In terms of Blade Technique Realm and the fineness of application alone, I am a level above him. If I activate Absolute Focus now...

""

A sharp light flashed through Li Wen's eyes and vanished as he suppressed the urge to use his trump card: "Solving him wouldn't take more than three seconds, but now is not the time to fully expose myself."

He drifted nimbly several yards away, avoiding a wide sweep from Zhou Kai, and his gaze swept across the core of the chaotic battlefield.

There, Chu Feng's spear flares and Nangong Xue's Sword Qi had already become like two storm centers, putting immense pressure on the core team of Wang Shuo and the others.

The true top-tier collision had only just begun.

He needed to conserve his strength, stay hidden, and deliver a decisive blow to the strongest competitors at the most critical moment.

Zhou Kai seemed completely infuriated by Li Wen's composure. The muscles on his arms bulged, and the earthy-yellow light on his serrated battle saber suddenly blazed.

"Roar! Behold my Earth-Splitting Slash!"

On the giant virtual coliseum, energy ripples surged incessantly.

The three forces were like three churning evil dragons, strangling each other. The sound of clashing metal and exploding energy echoed through the entire space.

Zhou Kai's roar echoed in Li Wen's ears. Like a maddened bull, every slash was heavy and powerful, carrying a whistle that tore through the air.

Pale red Blood-Qi Power flowed through him, and his Intent was even more fierce and unyielding, striving to break Li Wen's defense within a few strikes.

However, it was as if he were facing not a person, but a bottomless cold pool.

Li Wen's figure maneuvered within a tiny space. The Star-Shattering Battle Saber in his hand, which condensed a grayish-white edge, moved with extreme simplicity and precision.

Every parry and every neutralization seemed calculated, steadily warding off Zhou Kai's attacks that were enough to split mountains.

His eyes were terrifyingly calm. His deep gaze pierced through the frantically attacking Zhou Kai, his focus firmly locked on the core area of the battlefield—the clouds stirred by Chu Feng's dark silver spear and the path frozen by Nangong Xue's cold Sword Qi.

The center of the battle was the true stage for prodigies.

Chu Feng's spear struck like a dragon, the shadow-like spear flares condensing without dissipating, easily tearing through the third party's defense.

Nangong Xue's figure was ethereal. Wherever the ice-crystal-condensed sword edge passed, even the air seemed to be frozen, leaving behind heart-palpitating trails of cold air.

Wang Shuo, another top-ten Prodigy, along with several other experts ranked in the teens, struggled to hold on under the joint pressure of Chu Feng and Nangong Xue, but every collision was accompanied by the dimming of light and the dissipation of their figures.

"Kill!"

"Hold on!"

"Ah—!"

Screams and roars rose and fell one after another.