Chapter 401: Chen Hai Steps Up! Let You Strike for One Minute!

"Li Hao is right; Xu Jingming is indeed rather arrogant."

"A normal sixth-rank might be beatable for Xu Jingming, but Chen Hai isn't ordinary."

Li Hao made no effort to hide his thoughts.

In fact, several other martial arts instructors close to the vice-director echoed his words.

Beside him, Ling Shuang's pale, delicate face, marked by a tear-shaped mole, showed no expression.

Yet inside, she couldn't help but find it amusing.

Li Hao was born into a prominent family and always had bodyguards escort him into the wilderness.

Even his strength was built up through external aids; fighting across ranks was unthinkable for him.

But for Xu Jingming, it was as simple as daily bread...

"Chen Hai, Xu Jingming has challenged you. Do you accept?"

On the stage, Liu Wei, glasses on, calm and composed, looked toward Chen Hai on Platform 5 and asked.

"No problem."

Before, Chen Hai might have hesitated.

But after Wang Dong's guidance, he had gained confidence and nodded without a moment's doubt.

"Good. All other students, vacate the arena. Xu Jingming and Chen Hai, make your final preparations."

Hum~~

Under Liu Wei's control, the arena, previously divided into six sections by energy barriers, merged back into one massive 800-meter by 800-meter platform.

The other students quickly descended, while Xu Jingming and Chen Hai moved to opposite ends.

Standing 400 meters apart, facing each other.

That distance seemed far, but for sixth-rank adepts...

With their blood qi surging, their sprinting speed was terrifying—going from still to motion took only three or four seconds.

"Xu Jingming, do you remember what you said to me this morning?"

"You said that once the match began, you'd let me strike for a full minute without retaliating."

"The match is about to start. Is your promise still valid?"

On the right side of the arena,

Chen Hai, a burly man, held a battle knife in his right hand and shouted loudly.

Compared to the Bear Martial Arts Hall, the Thunder Martial Arts Hall had a higher proportion of elemental adepts.

But that didn't mean there were no enhancement-type adepts.

In the entire Elite Training Camp, enhancement-type adepts made up nearly a quarter of the population.

Chen Hai was one of the most prominent among them.

"Wait, was Xu Jingming this arrogant before the match?"

"Haha, I thought he was just big-talking. Now he's caught with his pants down."

"Let Chen Hai strike for a full minute? Even a few seconds is too much!"

"..."

Only a small group near the front had heard Xu Jingming's pre-match words.

Now, amplified by Chen Hai, the entire audience erupted in uproar.

Arrogant!

Too arrogant!

In battles between high-rank adepts, opportunities are everything.

One mistake could mean instant defeat.

Xu Jingming's pre-match boast, to most spectators, was plainly irrational.

"It was just talk before the match. Xu Jingming won't admit it or actually do it."

"But now he's lost the psychological edge."

One spectator shook his head in sigh.

As a sixth-rank adept, Chen Hai's physique was strong enough to clearly hear most of the audience's murmurs.

Seeing most people express confusion and disappointment at Xu Jingming's behavior, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of smugness.

So what if he's an SS-rank awakened?

In the end, isn't he just going to break his word?

He unconsciously glanced at Xu Jingming across the way, expecting him to be enraged.

But to his surprise, Xu Jingming's expression remained calm, not a single change in his demeanor.

"Huh? Why no reaction at all?"

Chen Hai frowned, sensing something was off.

At that moment, Xu Jingming's sharp, resolute face turned toward him.

His lips curled into a bright, radiant smile, revealing a row of white teeth:

"Since I said it, I won't break my word. For the next minute, I won't retaliate."

"He actually accepted!"

"Whoa! He means it! Real man!"

Seeing Xu Jingming accept without hesitation, everyone was taken aback.

Even Chen Hai froze for a moment, then burst into wild delight!

"I don't know whether to call you arrogant or conceited, but I won't hold back when the match starts!"

Crimson blood qi swirled around Chen Hai's body; his face glowed with barely contained joy.

If I can't beat you in a normal fight, and I still can't beat you after a full minute of first strikes...

Then I might as well quit the training camp!

"One minute without retaliation? Your student's quite interesting, Director Su."

Hu Jinyu, seated in the front row, chuckled and shook his head.

He'd assumed this so-called SS-rank awakened was Su Qingli's secret weapon.

But now it seemed he was just a reckless fool.

Su Qingli, hearing this, furrowed her delicate brows slightly.

But she knew Xu Jingming's nature—he never acted without confidence.

Her heart eased a little, and her clear, spring-like eyes turned to the arena.

Chen Hai was 27, having barely entered the Elite Training Camp last year at the age limit.

He was seven years older than Xu Jingming!

That meant Chen Hai had far more combat experience.

It bordered on bullying a younger opponent, but the challenge was initiated by Xu Jingming.

So it wasn't unfair.

Their duel, naturally, became the focus of the entire arena.

All students and instructors from the martial arts halls turned their gazes toward them.

Soon, a holographic countdown appeared on the transparent energy shield.

"3! 2! 1! Begin!"

As soon as the match started, Chen Hai activated his ability.

His body swelled, a pair of horns erupted from his head, and his eyes turned into goat-like horizontal pupils!

Enhancement-type A-rank ability—Dual-Horned Black Goat!

After activation, his physical attributes surged dramatically, granting him tremendous leaping power!

"Xu Jingming! Get ready to be crushed!"

With a roar, Chen Hai bent his knees slightly, then exploded upward.

Using the recoil, he leapt over ten meters high!

CRASH! When he landed again, he had crossed over two hundred meters.

Across from him, Xu Jingming hadn't even drawn his spear.

He hadn't even activated his SS-rank Thunder ability, Tian Shen Lei—just stood tall and still.

THUD!

Another leap, another landing—now he was less than twenty meters from Xu Jingming.

Though Xu Jingming claimed he wouldn't retaliate, who knew if it was a trick?

So Chen Hai didn't advance further—he raised his battle knife and slashed down with all his might!

WHOOSH!

A sonic boom cracked as a crimson blade slash, dozens of centimeters long, shot out like lightning!

THUD!

Before many spectators could react, the transparent energy shield opposite Chen Hai emitted a dull thump.

The crimson slash struck it, leaving a spiderweb of cracks.

Yet Xu Jingming, the target, remained unharmed—not a single step moved.

"Missed?"

Low-rank ability users in the audience, who hadn't clearly seen the movement, asked in confusion.

"No, it wasn't a miss—he tilted his head slightly and dodged the blade slash entirely!"

Fourth- and fifth-rank ability users in the audience who had seen Xu Jingming's movement explained with stunned expressions.

That blade slash wasn't a joke—if it had landed, the result would've been serious injury!

Even with support-type ability users present, it would take time to stabilize and recover.

Yet Xu Jingming simply moved his head casually and dodged it with ease.

Was this just lucky coincidence—or did Xu Jingming possess near-perfect control over his body and reflexes?