Chapter 54: Ultimate Insult of the Old Martial Arts Faction of the Shen Neng Xi

During summer vacation, the number of people online in Qiguang Heng University's Virtual Combat Room was not large.

After all, students with such good conditions were a minority.

You have to know, a computer equipped with a simulation system and compatible synchronization rate devices had a purchase budget ranging from over one hundred thousand to several hundred thousand, not some cheap electronic product.

Even students who could afford Qiguang Heng University were mostly from families that wouldn't be poor, yet they still found it difficult to support such large expenditures.

Moreover, to use it anytime and anywhere, one had to obtain internet access certification and pass the audit of the Patrol Department.

Otherwise, logging in as a "Black Household," if caught by the network security agency under the Patrol Department, the lightest outcome would be a fine of tens of thousands and fifteen days of detention.

Thus, the middle-class families of Hengzhou circulated a teasing joke:

What kind of family do you have, that you can actually afford to go online!

Inside the Virtual Combat Room, there were only a few hundred people; some opened training rooms to practice damage on wooden dummies, while others, idle with nothing to do, gathered in public channels to chat.

"The currently active online users are either third- or fourth-year students approved by the school to stay on campus, or rich brothers and sisters living nearby whose families have mines and burn money like it's nothing."

Lin Yunqing, who had exposed herself as a Black Iron rookie, spoke up to ease the awkwardness.

She lamented inwardly; her dream of creating a perfect persona, becoming a high-charm fishing-type older sister, and taming an Old Martial Arts genius had ultimately shattered.

"Let's first get a feel for it and experience the intensity of the New Martial Arts school."

Qin Shi ignored the dog woman and carefully selected in the combat room.

He set various filtering conditions to filter out senior brothers who were likely top True Disciples apprenticed under some elder, and to intercept high-ranking players with outrageously high win rates.

Finally, he started matchmaking!

A few minutes later.

Drip!

The interface suddenly trembled, emitting a faint blue light.

【Username: Cat Head Killer】

【Department Combat Power Ranking: 44369】

【School Combat Power Ranking: 71048】

【Ranking: Valiant Bronze】

Qin Shi opened the personal information, looking at the yellowish, round and plump milk dragon avatar:

"Qiguang Heng University Martial Arts Department, New Martial Arts school! Let me see what's going on!"

He stepped into the open doorway.

Accept match!

Whoosh!

In the spacious combat arena, a silver-haired handsome man descended from the sky, like flowing light across the heavens, smashing onto the sturdy platform several hundred steps square.

Those several pairs of shining large wings, paired with the magnificent long robes with fluttering hems, were extremely eye-catching!

In contrast, the 【Cat Head Killer】 opposite was much more plain and simple.

His whole body wore only an initial outfit of four-cornered shorts, with no other clothing to cover himself.

In a pay-to-win online game, who was the big shot and who was the newbie was clear at a glance.

"Damn! Did I run into a senior fishing for newbies?"

【Cat Head Killer】 was greatly shocked; Qiguang Heng University's Virtual Combat Room relied on the campus network, and many functions were independently developed by the people of the Shen Neng Xi and Mechanical System.

It was said that it referenced a large number of online games from the Old Era, especially absorbing the advanced experience of a certain penguin big factory, not only launching a fashion mall, paid items, skin fragments, etc., but also specially opening a recharge channel bound to student cards, and thoughtfully adding membership privileges.

So 【Cat Head Killer】, upon seeing his matching opponent's shining expensive fashion and dazzling cool special effects, knew he had run into that damn high-ranking fishing dog!

"That's not right! I clearly turned on 'Low Rank Protection'..."

He opened 【Nine Heavens Thunder Double Foot Kick】's personal information, then was stunned:

"Black Iron? Does our Martial Arts Department even have such a rare species as Black Iron?"

Qiguang Heng University mainly had three departments: Martial Arts, Shen Neng Xi, and Mechanical System, covering almost all branch majors.

Like battlefield bee doctors, electronic scouts, mechanical priests, these scarce occupations.

Generally, one would apply to the Yinghuo Ancient Star Officer School, or the more obscure Saint Hall Academy.

Among the three main departments, the Martial Arts Department was far ahead of the latter two in Life Force Development Level.

This was beyond doubt!

Likewise, they were also the most active high-ranking group in the Virtual Combat Room.

Almost everyone regarded climbing scores and rankings as one of the most important things besides academic grades, rather than mere leisure and entertainment.

In such a fiercely competitive open-book environment, how could the Martial Arts Department possibly have a Black Iron brother?

Just bully a few freshmen or Shen Neng Xi rookies, wouldn't the ranking go up?

The reason the Mechanical System was excluded was because these oil men could often pull off some ruthless moves.

For example, zero-frame smashing fragmentation grenades, implanting metal constructs, or using special terrain to set up micro production bases, temporarily assembling disposable combat armor, activating portable magnetic storm coils, turning into magnetic explosion infantry!

Running into such ruthless characters, even experts with Life Force over fifty points would be killed the moment they showed their heads, with no room to struggle!

"Big shot, go easy on me, I'm a sophomore newbie."

【Cat Head Killer】 applied for voice chat, opened his mic and said.

His intuition told him that only senior rich brothers and sisters would spend money on impractical fashions.

This thing didn't add attack power!

"Which school?"

Qin Shi converted voice to text to inquire.

"Limit Flow, mainly cultivating 'Ripple Intent Qi Gong'."

Seeing the other party not speak and only type, 【Cat Head Killer】 identified Qin Shi as a shameless senior using a small account to fish for newbies.

"Upper-year students posing as Black Iron, dropping down to Bronze and Silver ranks just to feel like they exist! Want to be a killer of fry, huh?"

Qin Shi nodded. His life force was around seventeen points; Qiguang Heng University's Martial Arts Department admission requirement was at least forty-five points, and even a second-year student slacking off with poor grades shouldn't be below fifty points.

"Take a few beatings, unlock a few combat retrospection targets worth using—quite a bargain."

A high school senior just stepping onto the Old Martial Arts path thinking he could stomp on a senior from a first-rank academy's Martial Arts Department was simply too fanciful.

It wasn't some "Soldier King Returns to Dominate the Campus and Conquer All Beauties" story!

Reaching Heroic Bronze counts as success!

Qin Shi used flag-planting combat, planting a red battle flag on the ground, with a five-second countdown.

At the moment it hit zero, the 【Cat-Head Killer】 struck first.

Facing an upper-year senior, he couldn't hold a turtle-shrinking mindset and let himself be toyed with.

He stomped his foot, his Qi Sense spun in an instant, completing more than five full cycles.

Boom!

Like a silver ripple spreading gently across a lake after a stone is cast, forming ring after ring of ripples, borrowing this mighty force, the 【Cat-Head Killer】's speed became unbelievable!

"A top student whose life force far exceeds fifty points and who has mastered the introductory textbook of a New Martial Arts school!"

Qin Shi's heart was filled with excitement; he desperately needed a fierce beating to help himself gain combat experience and sharpen his combat awareness.

【Super-Sensory Perception】 activated!

With the greatly enhanced five senses added, his naked eye could barely keep up with the 【Cat-Head Killer】's movement trajectory.

The opponent stepped, twisted his body, and stomped with a kick!

Silver-ripple-like ripples appeared again, stirring layers of airflow, like a ferocious battle-axe cleaving through water waves, straight for his chest!

Before even touching the edge, there was already an indescribably suffocating feeling of pressure!

This virtual character, built from scan data of a mortal body and then modeled and synthesized, almost restored over eighty percent of Qin Shi's physical condition.

As the Qi Sense heat current surged toward his limbs and bones, then converged toward the soles of his feet, a wisp of gentle wind swirled around him, driving him to retreat rapidly, narrowly avoiding the attack.

But the 【Cat-Head Killer】 did not let up; after kicking empty air, he changed to a downward stomp, using it as a pivot, spinning like a top and sweeping out horizontally!

"This guy's leg techniques are so fierce, especially paired with those strange ripples—every time the ripples surge, his strength and speed both double!"

After just one round of exchange, Qin Shi felt immense pressure; he desperately activated the Swift as Wind Momentum he had just barely entered, increasing his body technique flexibility, dodging and weaving rapidly.

"Huh? Not like a big shot?"

The 【Cat-Head Killer】 attacked seven or eight times in a row, completely holding the upper hand, suppressing his matched opponent to the point of having no strength to fight back.

"Could he really be a Black Iron rookie? Shouldn't be."

He spread his arms, shifted his center of gravity, like a giant bird skimming low over the ground.

In a few leaping strides, silver ripples surged several times, making his body movements exceptionally fierce.

In the blink of an eye, the palm with five fingers closed together like a bird's beak had already caught up to Qin Shi, heading straight for his vital points!

"Can't dodge it……"

A life force gap of more than double, bringing the resulting numerical chasm, made every round extremely difficult for Qin Shi to hold out.

Fierce wind struck his face, his Adam's apple rolled violently; he raised his left hand as a palm to protect his throat, while at the same time, every major tendon inside his body snapped like great bows drawn taut, stimulating blood flow and pumping out even more violent, savage power!

"Trade injury for injury? This kind of fighting……"

The 【Cat-Head Killer】 pinched his right palm into a bird's beak, called "Crane Peck," whose root lies in Old Martial Arts fist techniques, concentrating all force into one point—able to punch a hole through a steel plate, let alone a human body.

He was confident this Black Iron brother couldn't block it, would have his throat cartilage shattered, and be completely defeated.

But unexpectedly, Qin Shi's palm seemed engorged, suddenly swelling up.

Then it tightened sharply, like thick, tightly wrapped cowhide great tendons, forcibly clamping down on him.

In reality, this strike from the 【Cat-Head Killer】 would have been enough to cripple his hand, with blood gushing forth.

But the Virtual Combat Room had no clear pain sensation, only damage judgment.

With the 【Nine Heavens Thunder Double-Foot Stomp】 on top, Qin Shi's blood bar emptied by one-third; under such high pressure, the great tendons tempered countless times by Golden Chidao repeatedly stretched and contracted, like a spring pressed to its limit suddenly snapping open.

With his throat cartilage nearly shattered, he exerted force in his right arm, palm opening, fingernails curved like hooks, firmly grabbing the 【Cat-Head Killer】's shoulder.

Boiling blood, scorching hot short breaths, like the circulating Qi Sense of a turning motor……limbs and bones as one!

Under the linkage and coverage of the Twelve Blood-Red Great Tendons, it gave birth to unmatched force far exceeding seventeen points of life force!

Right hand dragging the shoulder! Left hand tearing apart! Tendons and bones intertwined, arms twisting like a rope!

In a flash of lightning and stone fire, the 【Cat-Head Killer】's blood bar also emptied by more than half; although pain sensation was weakened, the opponent's ruthless determination to fight even if his hand was pierced and his throat ruined, just to cripple one of his arms, sent a chill down his back.

"Qiguang Heng University Martial Arts Department, when did an Old Martial Arts faction pop up?"

This life-or-death, all-out fighting style to decide victory had a style too obvious.

After this trade of injury for injury, the 【Cat-Head Killer】 no longer took it lightly, continuously using 【Ripple Intent Qi Gong】 to grapple with this strangely originated Black Iron brother.

Two minutes later.

The 【Cat-Head Killer】 struck down the last trace of the opponent's blood line with a palm blade, achieving victory.

He did not feel the victor's joy, urgently opening voice chat to say:

"Classmate, which class are you in, what school do you practice?"

As the defeated side, Qin Shi was thoroughly satisfied, directly exited the room, and started the next match.

"A Martial Arts Department student from Qiguang Heng University! Really impressive!"

Just one high-intensity battle let him experience the exhilarating satisfaction.

Attack and defense game, exchanging injuries, comparing life force intensity and techniques……his originally stagnant life force seemed to sprout branches and leaves, eager to move.

As if about to leap upward!

Qin Shi suddenly remembered what Lao Liang had said about the requirements to break limits.

Temper oneself, accumulate foundation, and fierce battle plus a bit of luck.

"Is there any method more stimulating to the body than taking more beatings without suffering fatal injuries?"

Qin Shi thought:

"In the era when Old Martial Arts prevailed, there was no such thing as virtual combat."

"The progress of technology is truly wonderful!"

In a pleasant mood, he walked toward the next open virtual door.

……

……

"Who exactly is that kid!"

【Cat Head Killer】 scratched his head in frustration; defeating a Black Iron rookie brought him no joy at all.

Moreover, the victory was not clean and neat.

During the fight, the opponent's Qi Life Force was obviously weaker, and his strength, speed, and even physical quality were far inferior to his own, yet he still ended up losing a hand.

"His moves don't look like Military Martial Arts School or Bionic Style. Simple and direct, targeting vital points, with extremely strong explosiveness, limbs and trunk moving as a whole, flexible and coordinated... definitely Old Martial Arts characteristics!"

【Cat Head Killer】 was too curious; when did Qiguang Heng University's Martial Arts Department recruit an Old Martial Arts student?

This was a rarer "species" than a Shen Neng Xi who can speak human language or a Mechanical System with normal tastes!

He went offline, switched to the campus forum interface, and hurriedly posted.

【Heng University Discovers Old Martial Arts! Virtual Combat Room Name "Nine Heavens Thunder Double Feet Kick"!】

He clattered out a description of the battle process, then added several blurry screenshots of that guy's cool image.

【Cat Head Killer】 then logged out of Heng University's campus network.

"His Qi Life Force isn't high, but his body strength is outrageous; how did he do it? Old Martial Arts Breaking Limits?"

The round-faced boy with a sunny appearance took off his helmet, still thinking about the mysterious 【Nine Heavens Thunder Double Feet Kick】.

He vaguely felt that the opponent's Qi Life Force might not have broken through twenty-five points.

That is to say, in a situation where he led by double the value and held a great advantage, he almost lost the fight.

"I should add him as a friend! Feel out his background!"

The round-faced boy got up, took out a box of fruit-flavored Nutrient Paste from the refrigerator, and scooped it into his mouth with a spoon like eating ice cream.

He wolfed it down quickly, replenished his Physical Ability consumption, and rested for another hour and a half.

He put on his helmet again and entered Qiguang Heng University's campus network platform.

Drip drip drip drip drip drip—

Reply reminders came one after another!

The round-faced boy opened them one by one.

【Lu Shiping: Black Iron rookie spent so much on outfits? Stupid and rich? Let him V me 50, let's see his strength.】

【Jiangbei Wutong Tree: How could Qiguang Heng University possibly recruit Old Martial Arts? The water experience isn't that watery; suggest the moderator ban the original poster, lock him in the small black room...】

【Zhicheng: It seems to be true! I was matched with him too! This bastard's fighting style is fierce, he hard-tanked my Military Boxing Heavy Cannon Style and took two-thirds of my health!】

【Starved to Death on the Battlefield: This person's body strength is a bit exaggerated; I used my imitation machine gun - Fierce Dragon Charge and couldn't kill him...】

【Grape Orange Jiro: I asked in the communication groups of all the major classes; there's no such person in the Martial Arts Department.】

【Fire Spear Warrior: His account seems to be bound to Shen Neng Xi!】

【Person Among People: Shen Neng Xi running to Martial Arts Department to duel? The world turned upside down! There's never been any reason other than Martial Arts Department abusing them...】

The round-faced boy browsed as the floors rose higher, reading the hot post with replies breaking through two hundred.

He secretly slandered in his heart:

"Shen Neng Xi, then walking the Old Martial Arts path? What kind of goods? He also wants to learn He Lanchan!"

Crossing out the post that sparked heated discussion, the round-faced boy suddenly saw a pinned forum comment.

The original poster was 【East Wind South Crossing】.

A golden crown mark appeared before the username.

"It's Senior Brother Ji! A top ten Combat Power Ranking Martial Arts Department big shot!"

The round-faced boy widened his eyes.

He hurriedly clicked it open.

【East Wind South Crossing: Shen Neng Xi + Old Martial Arts. If anyone in our Martial Arts Department loses to this mysterious person, wouldn't they be stepped on twice?】

【East Wind South Crossing: The Ultimate Insult Grand Challenge of this year's Martial Arts Department has appeared; low-rank students be careful, losing one match will make them a laughingstock for four years, and they might even be permanently nailed to the Pillar of Shame.】

"Thank goodness, thank goodness, I won by a narrow margin!"

The round-faced boy was startled.

He did not want to become a prominent figure of Qiguang Heng University in this way!

"I wonder who will be the first unlucky child to lose..."

(Chapter End)