Chapter 76: Fist Moves the Crowd

Even at the same Late Tendon Training Stage, Jiang Xincheng was not at all afraid of the so-called Mad Tiger. His Primordial Force was four times that of Li Hu, and his combat experience was something Li Hu could never match. So, since this Mad Tiger was so arrogant and full of himself, Jiang Xincheng decided to challenge him in the very area he prided himself on.

Fist against fist, like needle against spearhead. Under the excited gazes of many onlookers, Jiang Xincheng’s fist collided with Li Hu’s.

“Bang…”

Amid the harsh, thunderous impact, Li Hu staggered back a few steps while Jiang Xincheng stood completely still. The outcome of the direct clash was clear: Li Hu was slightly inferior.

“Good, you really do have some skills,” Li Hu said coldly, then threw himself into another attack. His fists were even more ruthless, his speed faster, and his moves more cunning.

But to Jiang Xincheng, whose combat experience was incredibly rich, Li Hu’s moves were nothing special. So Jiang Xincheng easily found Li Hu’s fist and intercepted it head-on again.

Another hard clash, and Li Hu was forced back once more, but he immediately lunged forward again.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The two tangled together on the Platform, each move a fierce, head-on strike, each punch a forceful heavy blow. The intense impacts caught everyone’s attention.

Phones were put down, discussions ceased, and all fidgeting stopped as everyone focused their gaze on the two on the Platform.

Strong winds whistled as they moved back and forth. Jiang Xincheng’s fists easily blocked Li Hu’s attacks, forcing Li Hu back step by step. Still, Li Hu was tough; not only did he not admit defeat, his moves became even fiercer and more cunning, making Jiang Xincheng take him a bit more seriously.

On the large dueling Platform, only the sounds of colliding fists and Li Hu’s shouts could be heard. Even the professors and teachers of the first-year College of Computer Management and Science turned to watch them, their expressions growing serious.

“After so many days of matches, this is the first time I’ve seen such an exciting duel. Worthy of a top-ten clash, it’s truly thrilling. Li Hu’s combat ability is strong, but I never expected Jiang Xincheng, this newly rising genius, to be so skilled in actual combat. With skills like this, his future after graduation will be limitless. Not to mention he’s only eighteen now—give him a few more years and who knows how far he’ll grow.”

“Professor Bai is right. This year’s first-year students have quite good overall quality, especially since a few dark horses have emerged. I heard two classes even have students who’ve reached the Bone Training Realm. To reach the Bone Training Realm as freshmen is truly amazing. They’re much stronger than us old folks. I’ve been cultivating for so many years and I’m still stuck in the Muscle Training Realm. I really can’t compare to my own students.”

“Heh, how could we possibly compete with them? They are in their Golden Age of cultivation, progressing at an astonishing speed. Our Meridians and Dantian have deteriorated; if we can advance to the Tendon Training Realm in this lifetime, it’ll already be an achievement, let alone the Bone Training Realm. Ah, what a pity. If Primordial Force had appeared fifty years earlier, I might have already reached the Rain Transformation Realm by now.”

“I heard that among Tsinghua University’s freshmen, there’s a rare genius who’s reached the late Cloud Condensation Realm, just one step away from the Rain Transformation Realm. That’s truly terrifying. If nothing unexpected happens, this person will definitely become a leader among the strong in the future.”

“The era of Primordial Force belongs to the young. We old folks have already missed the best times; we can only wait to die. Still, I’ll do my best to nurture these students. Perhaps in the future, some of them will become world-shaking experts.”

…

As the group of professors and teachers talked about Jiang Xincheng and Li Hu on the Platform, the students below also watched with their mouths agape, stunned by the intense clash on stage, their hearts filled with longing.

“Jiang Xincheng is too strong. Even Li Hu is no match for him. I thought Jiang Xincheng would lose this time, but now it looks like it’s Li Hu who’s likely to be defeated.”

“Don’t be so sure. Mad Tiger hasn’t used his ultimate moves yet. Who will win is still unknown. Although Jiang Xincheng is strong, after all, he rose too quickly—how could his foundation be as deep as Mad Tiger’s?”

“Hard to say. These two are indeed the strongest among the freshmen in our College of Computer Management and Science. Their power is terrifying. Even among sophomores, they would probably rank near the top.”

…

Amid the discussions, Jiang Xincheng and Li Hu’s battle gradually neared its end. Li Hu finally used his ultimate moves.

“Fierce Tiger Descends the Mountain!”

“Hungry Tiger Pounces on Prey!”

“Tiger Roars Across the Land!”

…

Three moves in a row, said to be techniques Li Hu comprehended from street fights. Each one was more ferocious than the last, reckless and roaring forward like a wild tiger pouncing heavily on Jiang Xincheng.

Faced with Li Hu’s powerful killing moves, a faint smile crossed Jiang Xincheng’s lips. He did not dodge or evade. Using the Mountain-Shaking Fist, he threw three punches in succession, each one landing squarely on Li Hu’s fists, forcefully halting Li Hu’s fierce assault. He directly blocked Li Hu’s killing moves with sheer force and sent him flying backward.

These were merely vicious moves from street fighting, barely unleashing about 80% of the Primordial Force’s attack power. How could they match Jiang Xincheng? Still, such moves would be hard for ordinary Primordial Warriors at the Late Tendon Training Stage to resist. No wonder Li Hu earned the name Mad Tiger among the freshmen—it seemed he did have some ability.

But such skill was child’s play to Jiang Xincheng, who could fight opponents above his level. If not for wanting to test Li Hu’s strength, Jiang Xincheng could have defeated him in just a few moves.

After defeating Li Hu, Jiang Xincheng smoothly advanced into the top ten of the College of Computer Management and Science. With full marks in the Combat Proficiency Test and combined scores from the written exam and Primordial Force test, Jiang Xincheng’s final exam result was 198 points. With such a score, he was firmly ranked first in the college and was certain to receive a scholarship.

But to Jiang Xincheng, this was just a small matter. The most important part was still the upcoming main event: the All-School Martial Examination. That was the key. If he performed well there, he might even directly join the Flourishing Tang Empire.

Even if that didn’t happen, he could still catch the Flourishing Tang Empire’s attention, greatly increasing his chances of joining later.

After making it into the college’s top ten, it was inevitable that his dorm mates would make him treat them. But now Jiang Xincheng had money—over 600,000 Credit Points—so spending one or two hundred wasn’t a big deal.

Among the six brothers in the dorm, apart from Jiang Xincheng, none made it into the top ten of their year. The best was the eldest, Chen Dianming, who only ranked around 160th. As for the others, the worst ranked over 300th, while the rest hovered around the 200s. Their results weren’t particularly impressive.

So, for Jiang Xincheng who entered the top ten, his dorm brothers were naturally filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment. They insisted on making him splurge, though in the end, they usually just went to a cheap, affordable spot for a meal, spending at most two or three hundred Credit Points.

Although the dorm brothers talked big, they were actually very considerate. They knew Jiang Xincheng’s family wasn’t well off, so they wouldn’t actually bleed him dry.

Five days later, the internal matches for all the schools and colleges were completely finished. Next would be the All-School Martial Examination.