123: Chapter 123 Cultivation Level Exposed
Wang Pingan stood quietly in the center of the square, the focal point of tens of thousands of scrutinizing and hostile gazes.
There was no anger on his face, no tension, and not even a single superfluous expression.
He maintained that same calm and composed demeanor, as if everything around him had nothing to do with him.
"You fraud! You finally decided to show yourself!"
Qin Wushuang stared fixedly at him, his eyes bloodshot and distorted by jealousy and resentment.
"Now, do you dare to release your aura in front of everyone?!"
"Let us see if you are truly at the so-called 'Fourth Rank Peak'!"
"Right! Make him release his aura!"
"If he doesn't dare, he has a guilty conscience! He's a fraud!"
Voices of agreement rose and fell within the crowd.
They were like a pack of fanatical inquisitors, impatient to send this "heretic" before them to the stake.
Wang Pingan ignored the noisy clamor.
His gaze simply fell calmly upon Qin Wushuang.
Looking at this silver-haired youth who had repeatedly sought him out to get "slapped in the face" since the start of school, he suddenly felt he was a bit... pitiful.
He clearly possessed a top-tier family background, top-tier resources, and top-tier talent.
Yet, he was narrow-minded and consumed by jealousy.
"Sigh."
Wang Pingan let out another soft sigh.
"Qin Wushuang."
He spoke; his voice wasn't loud, yet it possessed a strange penetrating power that clearly suppressed all the noise.
"Do you really... want to see it?"
His tone was very flat, as if asking a simple question like "Have you eaten today?"
But for some reason, when Qin Wushuang heard these words, his heart skipped a beat without warning.
An inexplicable sense of foreboding emerged.
"Cut... cut the crap!"
Qin Wushuang forcibly suppressed the unease in his heart and roared with false bravado.
"If you have even a shred of a martial artist's dignity, stop playing tricks!"
"Fine."
Wang Pingan nodded.
"Since you want to see it so badly."
"Then I shall... satisfy you."
The moment his voice fell.
Within Wang Pingan's habitually calm eyes, there was no longer any concealment or suppression.
The aura he had perfectly restrained within his body awakened at this instant.
Boom—!!!
An indescribable, absolute pressure belonging to the Fourth Rank Peak!
It erupted without reservation from his seemingly frail body!
Golden Blood-Qi Astral Energy, like a burning sun, soared into the sky from beneath his feet!
In an instant, it swept across the entire Central Martial Arts Arena!
At that moment, everyone present, whether Third Rank or Fourth Rank...
...whether an ordinary student or a top-tier genius...
...all felt their souls tremble before this irresistible, terrifying pressure!
Qin Wushuang, standing at the very center of the storm, felt as if he had been struck head-on by a meteorite falling from the heavens!
His Protective Astral Energy, which he was so proud of and had just broken through to the Fourth Grade Late-Stage, was as fragile as a soap bubble before this golden tsunami.
With a soft "pop"...
...it instantly disintegrated!
"Pfft!"
Qin Wushuang's body felt as if it had suffered a heavy blow!
He sprayed out another large mouthful of blood, and like a kite with a broken string, he was violently sent flying by the rampaging airwaves!
In mid-air, he couldn't even muster a shred of strength to resist.
He could only watch helplessly as he moved further and further away from that golden "sun."
His mind went blank.
Only a single, constantly echoing thought filled with regret remained.
Really...
It's actually... real...
He really is... Fourth Rank Peak!
...
The golden blood-qi storm came quickly and left just as fast.
After a few short seconds, Wang Pingan perfectly retracted that terrifying aura, which was enough to change the very color of the sky, back into his body.
It was as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion.
The entire Central Martial Arts Arena returned to a deathly silence.
But this time, there were no more doubts or clamors.
Only the sound of people sharply drawing in their breath remained.
Everyone stared blankly at the youth who still stood in the center of the square, hands in his pockets, as if he had only done something insignificant.
Atop the high platform, Instructor Shi Yan looked down at the "little chicks" who were shocked into silence, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
He knew that from this day forward...
...the name Wang Pingan would become an insurmountable legend in the hearts of all freshmen of the 227th class.
Wang Pingan, however, paid no mind to anyone's shock.
He simply took a step forward and, under the watch of countless reverent gazes, slowly walked up to the despondent Qin Wushuang, who had just struggled to crawl up from the ground.
He looked down at this "defeated opponent," whose face was as pale as paper and whose eyes were vacant and hollow.
A warm, harmless smile appeared on his face.
"Now."
"Are you truly convinced?"
Wang Pingan's voice was gentle and calm, without a single hint of mockery.
But to Qin Wushuang's ears, it was more piercing and hurtful than the most vicious curse.
Truly convinced?
How could he possibly be convinced?!
All his pride and all his dignity had been crushed to pieces by the other party in the most barbaric and unreasonable way during those few short seconds!
He was left with nothing but endless humiliation and resentment.
"I..."
Qin Wushuang opened his mouth, wanting to say something to save face, to reclaim a bit of his already non-existent dignity.
But as soon as he spoke, he aggravated his chest injury, and another mouthful of blood welled up.
Looking at Wang Pingan's smiling face—so close and filled with "kindness" and "concern"—all his resentment eventually turned into a deep sense of despair.
He had lost.
He had lost completely.
He had lost everything.
Slowly, he lowered his once incredibly proud head.
This movement seemed to drain all the strength from his body.
...
A farce worthy of being recorded in the history of Xuanyuan University came to a close in a way that no one could have expected.
No one questioned the fairness of that ranking anymore.
No one discussed the ownership of those one million credits anymore.
Because everyone understood the simplest and most cruel truth.
In this world where the strong are respected...
...strength is everything!
Wang Pingan had used the most direct and shocking method to prove to everyone who the true and only king of this freshman class was!