Chapter 52: Chapter 40: You Can Call Me Brother Feng

“Classmates, we’ve already won the competition. So, tell me, should we continue?”

Instead of answering the Battalion Commander right away, Zhao Rui turned to face all the students present, gathered his Inner Strength, and said in a booming voice.

Empowered by fifteen years of Inner Strength, his voice rivaled the Martial Arts Arena’s loudspeakers, instantly thundering in everyone’s ears.

The afternoon sun cast long shadows as rays of sunset light poured through the clouds, draping the earth in a golden veil.

Zhao Rui stood in the center of the field, bathed in the sunset glow. His protective gear glinted, reflecting a brilliant light that made him look like a majestic, golden-armored war god.

To hear his voice was to hear thunder crash; to see his form was to witness a god descending to the mortal realm.

For a moment, the sight left everyone dazzled, filled with a sense of awe and admiration.

“Damn, our boy knows how to play the badass!”

At the edge of the Martial Arts Arena, Jian Congsheng leaned in and whispered to Le Bin.

Le Bin glanced at the dazed expressions on the faces of their female classmates and couldn’t help but nod.

’So jealous. This is the innate advantage of a Martial Arts Student!’

“CONTINUE!”

“GET HIM!”

In a situation like this, how could these already hot-blooded university students possibly disagree? Instantly, a deafening roar erupted from the sidelines.

Zhao Rui smiled, turned around, and said to the Battalion Commander on the platform, “I agree!”

“Heh, this kid!”

The Battalion Commander couldn’t help but curse with a laugh. He hadn’t expected the kid to completely turn the tables, acting as if he were the one running the match.

“Company Commander Hao, we can’t have the students saying we’re bullies. So, let’s stick to the previous rule: as long as he can stay on his feet for three minutes, we lose!”

Although the Battalion Commander could see that Zhao Rui’s Inner Strength was impressive, he couldn’t imagine the student could compare to a company commander who had been cultivating for nearly twenty years.

“Don’t worry. He won’t last a minute!”

Company Commander Hao’s words were casual, but his expression was grim, showing no hint of underestimation.

“What about you, student?”

“Um, can we get rid of the time limit?”

Zhao Rui scratched his head as he rejected the proposal. ’If there’s a time limit, how am I supposed to copy it?’

The previous two soldiers had used the same style of Martial Arts, which had led him to an unexpected discovery: it didn’t affect the copying process if different people used the same Martial Arts.

The system only copied the Martial Arts, irrespective of the differences between users.

Actually, it made sense when he thought about it. For the same Martial Arts, everyone’s comprehension was different, so the effectiveness and power they produced would naturally vary.

The system most likely just identified the basic information of the Martial Arts and then, by accumulating time, restored its original Cultivation Technique.

This meant that for common Martial Arts, or in a place like a military camp, he could use the number of people to stack up the required time.

The moment Zhao Rui said this, the spectating students were stunned, and a scattered buzz of whispers immediately broke out.

“Isn’t he being a little too arrogant?”

“He’s lost his mind trying to show off. And here I thought he was someone special. Hmph!”

Jealousy is an innate part of human nature. Whenever someone else is in the spotlight, there will always be those who, at the first sign of a mistake, unleash the envy they’ve long suppressed.

This was true even though Zhao Rui was, in name, fighting on their behalf.

“You can’t say that about him! If you think you’re so good, you get down there and fight!”

“Exactly! All you do is run your mouths, but you don’t even have the right to get in the ring. Hmph!”

Where there were voices of doubt, there was naturally firm support, especially from the girls in Zhao Rui’s class. How could they possibly allow their “hero” to be slandered?

They immediately launched a counterattack, showing all the spirit of warrior heroines, and successfully shut down the whispering boys, forcing them to swallow their taunts.

“No problem. Since this student has made such a request, we’ll change the conditions: the match is lost as soon as one person falls to the ground! Vice Principal Peng, what do you think?”

The Battalion Commander said with a smile, turning to the accompanying school official, Vice Principal Peng.

“I have no objection. Our school has always respected our students’ autonomy!”

Vice Principal Peng laughed heartily. He only had a vague understanding of Martial Arts, so with a student making this request, he naturally had to support his side.

Since neither side had any objections, the duel quickly commenced in the center of the Martial Arts Arena.

Cheers and shouts of encouragement rose and fell from all around the Martial Arts Arena, coming from students and soldiers alike.

Only the two men on the field remained still, neither making a move.

Time ticked by, second by second. Company Commander Hao saw that Zhao Rui’s breathing was steady and his Inner Strength was profound. He knew that if this stalemate continued, he would never be able to wait for his opponent to strike first.

With a furious roar, his body like a flood dragon bursting from the deep sea, his fists like a fierce tiger descending from the Tianshan Mountains, he erupted with Force and charged at Zhao Rui.

The edge of his fist seemed to tear through the air, shattering the distance between them to arrive before Zhao Rui in an instant.

Zhao Rui’s sharp brows furrowed slightly. He slapped aside the fierce, direct punch with an open palm, then settled into a Goat-Clamping Stance to stabilize his body.

He then quickly advanced, throwing a straight-line punch—a simultaneous block and strike, meeting attack with an even stronger attack.

The company commander had been watching from the sidelines earlier and had seen Zhao Rui fighting his comrades. Back then, Zhao Rui had focused purely on evasion, relying on nimble dodges.

So his plan had been to launch a fierce offensive from the very start, seizing the initiative and dominating the momentum.

He never expected Zhao Rui to show no intention of dodging, instead meeting his attack head-on.

This instantly blunted the edge of his ferocious assault. Fortunately, he was rich in combat experience and hastily adjusted his Technique to steady his stance.

Their exchange was as fast as a thunderclap. In a flash, their positions had already swapped several times.

“Good kid! I underestimated you!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep