"Arrogant bastard! I'll kill you!"
Wang Quan had been waiting for this moment. With a furious roar, he launched forward like a bolt of lightning, clawing straight for Su Ba's throat!
Fwoosh!
The air itself seemed to rip apart beneath the force of his attack, producing a sharp, explosive crack.
Wang Quan, a late-stage Two-Star martial artist, had exploded in power. Fueled by rage, his strike exceeded the maximum force measured in the assessment—surpassing 1,200 jin of raw strength!
That kind of force could snap a thick plank of hardwood in half.
A human throat? It would be crushed like paper.
Wang Quan was truly furious.
Being mocked again and again by a so-called weakling… His pride couldn't endure it any longer. He didn't dare kill Su Ba outright in public, but crippling him? Ruining his martial path forever?
That, he intended to do.
"So fast!"
"That power—! Su Ba's done for!"
Below, hundreds of third-year students watching the duel gasped in awe and disbelief.
Many of them knew they wouldn't be able to block that move even at their best.
Su Ba… was finished.
Up on the platform, the recruiters from every martial institute, as well as Headmaster Xu, the vice headmaster, and Instructor Yan Hua—all had their eyes locked on the scene.
This was the moment of truth.
Was Su Ba's perfect score real—or a fluke?
As Wang Quan's claw neared its target and Su Ba remained unmoving, a few people couldn't help but sneer in their hearts.
He's frozen. Petrified.
A coward is still a coward. Trash will always be trash.
Xu and Yan Hua couldn't hide the mocking glint in their eyes.
Nearby, Yunmeng Martial Institute's recruiter, Xia Hang, narrowed his eyes. His body tensed subtly, ready to intervene and protect Su Ba at a moment's notice.
After all, this was his suggestion. He couldn't let the boy be crippled on his watch.
But then—
Xia Hang's pupils shrank.
The very next second—
Just as Wang Quan's claw was about to seize Su Ba's throat…
Su Ba moved.
He raised a single hand—
And in a blur, it shot forward like lightning, grabbing Wang Quan by the throat instead.
A collective gasp rippled through the hall.
Then—
Wang Quan's body was lifted off the ground like a rag doll!
He flailed helplessly as Su Ba spun and slammed him down, creating a shockwave of dust!
BOOM!
A dull explosion echoed through the room as Wang Quan crashed into the floor!
Pfft—!
A mouthful of blood burst from Wang Quan's lips.
He lay there, dazed and struggling to lift his head.
But before he could even react—
Thud!
A foot descended like a hammer, stomping down onto Wang Quan's face!
His skull smashed against the floor with a sickening crack, and his eyes rolled back.
He passed out on the spot.
The entire exchange—
From Wang Quan's initial strike to Su Ba's counterattack, to Wang Quan lying sprawled on the floor unconscious—
It took place in just a few seconds!
Everyone stared in silence.
The atmosphere froze.
"W-Wang Quan… Got one-shotted by Su Ba?"
Hundreds of students stood motionless, exchanging shocked glances.
Even Jiang Lu Wan, standing off to the side, had her mouth wide open, her mind completely blank.
"This… this can't be happening…"
On the platform, Instructor Yan Hua stumbled back a few steps, his face pale and expression stiff with disbelief.
"No… no way. I must be seeing things!"
He slapped himself across the face.
Smack!
But when he looked again—
Wang Quan was still lying there like a dead mutt, motionless on the ground.
Thud!
Yan Hua collapsed onto his backside, lips trembling, color draining from his face.
"How… How could this happen? Su Ba—he was stuck at One-Star for years! He was a total loser! How could he possibly be this strong?!"
"If I'd known he had this kind of potential… Why would I ever suggest expelling him?!"
On the platform, Headmaster Xu's entire body began to shake
His lips moved, but no words came out.
Then, all at once—
A tidal wave of regret surged through him.
Overwhelming. Suffocating.