Chapter 67: Sweeping the Arena "Is that Wu Luo? Not good." Lin Lanyue's face changed slightly, noticing something amiss from the observation platform.
"What's wrong, Yueyue?" Wu Dongdong asked.
"Next to Li Yuan is Wu Luo from Hanshui Prefecture, who scored 394 in the martial arts proficiency test in January," Lin Lanyue said solemnly.
"394?" Wu Dongdong said nonchalantly. "Didn't you say Li Yuan scored 389? They should be about the same."
"Just worried about any unexpected situations," Lin Lanyue frowned.
She knew how important this invitation event was for Li Yuan and also understood how significant fifty thousand Blue Star Coins were to him.
"Yueyue, does he know Wu Luo's strength?" Wu Dongdong asked.
Lin Lanyue nodded. "Yes, I told him about it."
"Then that's settled," Wu Dongdong said, unusually serious. "Sis, I have to criticize you. I know you want to help Li Yuan."
"But he also needs to be worth helping."
"In terms of information, he already has an advantage and a good chance to take the lead. If he still can't win?" Wu Dongdong said nonchalantly. "That's his own problem."
Lin Lanyue remained frowning, lost in thought.
"Yueyue," Wu Dongdong waved a hand in front of Lin Lanyue's face.
Lin Lanyue looked at her.
"You need to think from a different perspective," Wu Dongdong suggested. "Difficulties are sometimes opportunities."
Lin Lanyue was momentarily puzzled.
"He's indeed facing a significant threat with Wu Luo," Wu Dongdong said. "But if he can defeat Wu Luo, won't his evaluation be higher in the eyes of the observers from the top five universities? Wouldn't his chances of receiving a special training invitation increase?"
Lin Lanyue was stunned for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "Dongdong, I didn't think it through as clearly as you did."
"Yeah, let's leave it to Li Yuan," Lin Lanyue said, her gaze fixed on Li Yuan on the stage.
"Being overly concerned causes confusion," Wu Dongdong said with a playful smile. "Yueyue, since I helped you out, you have to treat me when we get back. I want Liu Bo's cooking."
"Sure, you can have whatever you want," Lin Lanyue replied with a smile. "I'll have Liu Bo prepare it for you."
"Yueyue, it's starting!" Wu Dongdong pointed at the arena.
....
"Wu Luo."
"On this stage, there shouldn't be many who can match Wu Luo."
"Maybe he can reach first place in this round," some students from Hanshui Province also had high hopes for Wu Luo.
..The fourth round of the cage match.
"Begin."
A man in black stood high above, his deep voice echoing throughout the entire battle arena.
The 200 participants on the stage were immediately released from their restraints, and the battle erupted in an instant.
Having witnessed the previous three rounds of cage battles, the students participating in the fourth round understood what it took to survive longer.
First, they needed to eliminate the opponents around them as quickly as possible.
Second, they needed to appear fierce and formidable enough to deter those around them from wanting to provoke them.
If they started running right from the beginning, they would only be seen as easy targets and get swarmed by everyone.
"Boom!" "Clang!"
"Bang~" The sound of numerous figures moving swiftly echoed continuously, as swords, spears, staffs, and hammers clashed with each other.
"Whoosh!"
"Boom!" From the left and the right, two opponents simultaneously launched an attack on Li Yuan.
"Wu Luo? A score of 394 in the January exam? The top scorer in Han Shui Prefecture's January exam?" Li Yuan had already recognized the opponent on his right.
As for the other one? He didn't recognize him!
In fact, at Li Yuan's level, he could roughly gauge a person's skill level through a momentary observation of their burst speed and footwork.
With the same physical fitness, the higher the skill level, the more one can tap into their body's strength, resulting in greater speed and power.
Especially upon reaching the fourth level of skill, it is not an exaggeration to say that with the same physical condition, one could fight ten or even a hundred opponents.
"Deal with the weaker one first, then test this Wu Luo. There's a good chance he's reached the fourth level." This was Li Yuan's instinctive decision.
"Whoosh!"
As Wu Luo and his companions moved, Li Yuan's entire body crackled with energy, his feet shifting slightly. Instantly, his presence transformed, giving off the impression of an unbreakable boulder.
The next moment.
"Boom! Boom!" Li Yuan's legs had already exerted force, his whole body shot out like a cannonball, suddenly charging towards the opponent on the right, his speed terrifyingly fast, even faster than Wu Luo who had moved first.
"So fast?" Wu Luo's expression immediately changed. "Is that four-stage technique? Who is he?"
Wu Luo's technique was already at the peak of the third stage, yet someone could be faster than him by a significant margin?
Not just Wu Luo.
In the viewing stands, quite a few students from Jiangcheng were paying attention to Li Yuan.
In the conference room of the War Fortress, many observers from Kunlun University also noticed Li Yuan's explosive move.
His figure flashed.
His burst of speed was much faster than anyone else's.
"Mm?" The student who tried to attack Li Yuan panicked the moment he saw Li Yuan's burst of speed. Instinctively, he swung his sword at the approaching black figure.
"Clang!"
The spear, like a suddenly rising dragon, was unstoppable. It directly knocked the attacking sword into the air, and then the spearhead, driven with incredible force, pierced straight through the opponent's neck.
"pfft~"
The fighter wielding a sword was instantly blasted away, with a horrifying wound tearing open on their neck, blood splattering everywhere.
His body dissolved into nothingness in midair.
One shot, life extinguished!
Armor for protection?
With Li Yuan's marksmanship, using a technique that operates at a four grade advantage, he completely disregards the opponent's armor; each shot is destined to strike vital points directly.
This scene startled Wu Luo. Suddenly, he saw Li Yuan turn his head and glance at him with a cold gaze.
"Run!" Wu Luo's face changed drastically as he turned and fled. "This is definitely a fourth grade master."
"Run?" Li Yuan, having just forcefully killed someone, exuded an overwhelming aura as he mercilessly charged towards Wu Luo.
"Just now, it seemed like you wanted to kill me."
Boom! Boom! The two, one chasing and one fleeing, dashed nearly twenty meters toward the center of the arena.
How big is the entire arena anyway?
"Whoosh!" A participant, seeing Li Yuan sweep past, instinctively swung his sword at him.
Among martial arts beginners, those who practice with swords are the most common.
"Get lost!"
Li Yuan only glanced, his spear instantly lifted. He executed the technique "Stabilizing the Heavens," unifying all his strength. The spear, especially the spearhead, erupted like a massive boulder.
He fiercely swept it toward his opponent.
If it were a rival of the same level, Li Yuan's execution of this move would easily provide an opportunity to be countered and killed.
However, Li Yuan's strength far surpassed that of most participants at the high second level or early third level.
They were not on the same level at all.
Before the sword could reach him, the spear was already there!
"Bang~"
The 30-kilogram metal spear shaft instantly smashed into the shield that the panicked participant had raised. With a loud crash, he was sent flying backward, his arm breaking and fracturing on impact.
"I..." The participant, blood spurting from his mouth, was just about to speak when a flash of the spear already swept past.
The spear directly slashed across his neck, and his body dissolved into nothingness.
"Pfft!"
Li Yuan's spear whistled through the air. After killing this participant, he stepped forward and, in one swift motion, thrust his spear again, piercing through the chest of another participant who was fleeing in panic.
In one encounter, he killed two people.
"Shit, retreat!"
"He! Is he on the same level as Tian Dazhuang and Wu Dongdong? Fourth grade skill?"
"That's three now, and here comes another one?"
"Are there so many participants with fourth grade skill this year?" The surrounding participants were stunned, their faces changing as they retreated like a tide.
After the first three chaotic battles, almost everyone understood that, in theory, with over a hundred people, even at the cost of dozens of lives, they could encircle and kill one participant with fourth grade skill.
The key issue was that people were not united.
No one was willing to truly risk their life for others, and so, those with fourth grade skills were destined to slaughter their way through the battlefield.
Secondly, Li Yuan's display of dominance and strength was another factor that intimidated others.
"Let's compete for second place."
"Avoid him." This was the thought of most participating students.
...On the spectator stands.
"Holy crap!"
"Is this guy called Li Yuan?"
"Yes, Li Yuan! He's the top contender!"
"Li Yuan? Never heard of him."
"From today on, you will."
"Another foruth grade skill?" Elite students from all over Jiangbei Province had noticed the figure wielding the spear, and they were all shocked.
While others were still entangled in their fights, Li Yuan had already killed three people. No, he had just killed another one.
He had killed four now, displaying unparalleled ferocity.
"Yue Yue!"
Originally not too concerned, Wu Dongdong's eyes suddenly lit up. "Li Yuan is also a fourth-grade master? Good! Good! Good! You were just pretending to be worried and tricked me earlier."
"Whoa!"
Originally sprawled out and lying weakly on the chair, Gu Qianghan instantly jumped up, shouting excitedly, "Awesome! Li Yuan is awesome!"
"That's my brother, Li Yuan." Gu Qianghan waved his fist, instantly attracting the attention of many students around him.
"My brother, Gu Qianghan's brother!" Gu Qianghan shouted excitedly, as if he were the one dominating the arena.
While roaring, Gu Qianghan turned around and shouted, "Sis, I was wondering why your attitude towards Li Yuan changed. Turns out you already knew he had broken through to the fourth grade."
"Me?" Lin Lanyue was just as stunned. She wanted to explain but found herself at a loss for words.
Moreover, she was also deeply shocked.
"Fourth grade?" Lin Lanyue stared at the figure on the arena.
Li Yuan had already caught up to Wu Luo, relentlessly attacking him with one strike after another, forcing Wu Luo to retreat step by step.
"Li Yuan, when did you break through to the fourth grade?" Lin Lanyue wondered. "Did Teacher Xu not know either? Why did he ask me to help Li Yuan?"
"With this kind of strength, what help does he need from me?"
Lin Lanyue knew how difficult it was to advance from the third grade to the fourth.
"Well, this is good!"
"Fourth-grade skill." Lin Lanyue suddenly smiled. "There won't be any issues with Li Yuan's spot on the special training list. Now it's just a matter of which school is willing to offer him an A-level special training contract."
She was unaware of Li Yuan's talent in mental strength.
"Li Yuan?" The classmates from the same school were shocked, staring in disbelief.
"Li Yuan? This!" Dong Haifeng's eyes widened as he looked on, and the little schemes he had in mind instantly vanished.
Compete?
How could he compete with this?
...
"That student?"
"Fourth grade!"
"Absolutely fourth-grade skill! His name is Li Yuan? Why is he not on my pre-invitation list?" The previously relaxed dozens of observers were now in shock.
"Not even a B-level?"
"He's only seventeen and a half?"
"He hasn't awakened martial spirituality? So he's not on the list?"
"Useless! The intelligence gathering team at the admissions office is a bunch of useless fools! With fourth-grade skills, who cares if he hasn't awakened martial spirituality? He should at least be an A-level candidate." Many observers hurriedly began taking notes in a panic.
Fourth-grade skill!
Whether a student of this skill level emerges is largely a matter of luck. Sometimes, not a single one appears in an entire province. Other times, like in Jiangbei Province this year, four or five might surface.
Globally, it's normal for only about two hundred students of this age group to reach this level in a year.
"Fourth grade?"
"Much stronger than the information Dean Zhao gave me?" Fan Jin felt a mixture of excitement and anxiety. If Li Yuan's skill were only at the peak of the third grade, the other five major schools might not want him. But fourth-grade skill? Even without martial spirituality awakening, he was bound to be sought after, at least receiving special training offers.
"Old Fan." A voice echoed in Fan Jin's mind.
"Dean Li." Teacher Fan Jin looked towards the silent, bald man not far away.
"After the meeting ends, immediately come with me to invite Li Yuan. Before the other schools learn about his mental strength, directly offer him an S-level special training contract." The voice continued, "And promise him."
"It doesn't matter if he hasn't awakened martial spirituality. Kunlun Martial Arts University will fully support him in becoming a source warrior and creating his own techniques."