Chapter 40: Overwhelming Dominance

Out of the dense smoke, a figure walked out leisurely; it was none other than Qin Zhe, who remained completely unscathed.

"This... how is this possible?"

James’s expression shifted repeatedly as he retreated a few steps, on high alert. To avoid killing Qin Zhe, he had only used fifty percent of his power in that last strike. Yet, even at fifty percent, the offensive power of the Holy Light lineage was something no ordinary martial artist could withstand. The Holy Light lineage was renowned for being indestructible; how could Qin Zhe still be standing after taking a direct hit?

On the high platform, the Eagle Nation instructors, including James’s mentors, stared with wide eyes, their faces filled with disbelief. How could this student named Qin Zhe manage this? How could he take a hit from James and not even... tear his clothes?

Seeming to sense their thoughts, Wang Zhongguo chuckled and said, "The material of our academy’s contestant’s 'battle robe' is made from luminous silkworm silk, a specialty of the Cold Moon Secret Realm. It is impervious to water and fire, and ordinary blades cannot damage it in the slightest. I have recently been attempting to mass-produce it; I wonder if you gentlemen are interested? If you wish to purchase some, I can authorize the sale of a batch, and the styles can be adjusted as you please."

After laughing as he made his pitch, Wang Zhongguo glanced at Qin Zhe and cursed inwardly. *You brat, why didn't you dodge earlier? You scared the hell out of me for nothing! Even with a tough body, you shouldn't play like that! When you can dodge, why wouldn't you?*

Qin Zhe was unaware of Wang Zhongguo’s thoughts, and had he known, he would have scoffed. It wasn't that he didn't want to dodge, but that he couldn't. Since entering the path of Immortal Martial Arts, his dynamic vision had improved to the point where he could track the trajectory of high-speed attacks. However, his body could not yet keep up. With only a sliver of spiritual energy in his body, he could not react quickly enough.

But that didn't matter. What mattered was that his health bar was thick enough. Not only was Qin Zhe fine after taking a heavy hit, but he had also seized the opportunity to use his "Counter-Shock" talent to accumulate a significant amount of energy, which he kept under control without releasing. He had to admit that James was strong and had the capital to be arrogant. In terms of raw power, James’s offensive output was comparable to the palm strike of a giant in the secret realm. If Qin Zhe had rashly vented the energy returned by his Counter-Shock talent, it might not have caused James any substantial damage.

*Should I take another hit to store up more energy?* Qin Zhe thought, remaining calm on the surface as he looked at the retreating and cautious James. "What? Are you scared already?"

Before he could finish, a roar of laughter erupted from the students in the stands. Someone mocked, "James! You were so confident just a moment ago! Why are you suddenly acting like a coward? Come on! If you’ve got the guts, face Qin Zhe head-on!"

A girl screamed, "Qin Zhe! You’re so cool! Beat that blond monster to the ground!"

A cacophony of voices rose at once, some jeering at James, others cheering for Qin Zhe. Upon hearing these remarks, James’s face turned pale and then green; he remained suspicious and did not act rashly.

Qin Zhe, meanwhile, turned his head to look around. *Which beauty just thought I was cool? She’s got good taste!*

Seeing that both individuals on the arena floor had stopped moving, Wang Zhongguo grew anxious. *What is that brat Qin Zhe waiting for? As long as he beats James to the ground, he’ll have all the fan girls he could ever want! If he doesn't move now, what if that shameless old man William goes back on his word?*

With this thought, Wang Zhongguo abandoned his composure and stood up with a start. "Qin Zhe! If you win this match, I will personally pay out of my own pocket to reward you with one hundred top-grade spirit stones!"

"???" Qin Zhe looked up, full of question marks. *One hundred top-grade spirit stones? Dean, are you serious?*

Wang Zhongguo had already been shameless once, so he didn't care about being shameless a second time. As if he could read the other man's mind, he said solemnly, "I am serious, no joking."

Qin Zhe exploded with excitement. He could no longer control the suppressed Counter-Shock talent, which surged toward the soles of his feet. With a "boom," and to the astonishment of everyone present, the arena floor beneath his feet shattered completely.

What kind of power was that? Not only the people in the stands, but even Wang Zhongguo was stunned by the sight. The academy’s arena was made of an extremely rare, special material, exceptionally hard and capable of withstanding the full-force strike of an ordinary fourth-tier expert. Qin Zhe hadn't even moved; why did the floor suddenly crack like that?

At this moment, Qin Zhe, the person involved, was also a bit dumbfounded. *Oh no! I was too excited and couldn't control it. What do I do now? All that hard-earned energy has leaked out. Now that James is so cautious, how am I going to win?*

Qin Zhe was conflicted, but he quickly made a decision. *One hundred top-grade spirit stones! Converted to Dragon Coins, that’s a whole ten million! Even if I only eat the kind of fruit they have in the dormitory, I could buy a potential point! Screw it! The worst that happens is I make a fool of myself!*

*Burning Blood True Self Art!*

Qin Zhe’s blood and energy boiled instantly, and his "True Self" awakened. The next moment, he was startled to discover that he had not lost control of his body. Normally, when he awakened his True Self, his consciousness would submerge into his body. But now, Qin Zhe had a feeling that his True Self was the one becoming the passive observer! *Is it because there are so many people around? Can the True Self be shy?*

Qin Zhe frowned, then suddenly realized a key factor he had overlooked. When he checked the materials earlier, there were no cases of people who practiced the True Self Heart Scripture acting out in public; they had all committed offenses first and were then caught in the act. Thinking back, when he had lost control in the library and was caught by Yu Shuangshuang, his True Self did indeed seem to show signs of panic, but the time limit had just happened to run out then.

*So... as long as I use it in public, there won't be a problem?* Qin Zhe was ecstatic, then quickly gathered his focus. *Three minutes! That's all I need to decide the outcome!*

He stomped on the ground, and the thread-like spiritual energy in his body coursed through his limbs. Qin Zhe utilized his martial arts movement technique, the "Seven Dragon-Roaming Styles," and lunged toward James amidst a sound like a dragon’s roar.

James was still stunned from the long-distance exchange between Wang Zhongguo and Qin Zhe, and when he suddenly saw the latter rushing toward him with a wild surge of energy, he couldn't help but step back several times. *This energy is completely different from before! Strong! Not just ordinarily strong! I must use all my power!*

James immediately assessed the situation, raised his spear, and prayed once more. "Almighty Lord! Help me defeat the enemy before me!"

A thick pillar of light descended abruptly. However, this time it was not aimed at Qin Zhe, but fell upon James, and his aura became even more intense. Before the light could dissipate, Qin Zhe had already reached James and, without a word, threw a "Mountain-Shaking Fist."

The Mountain-Shaking Fist was very basic, but there was no doubt it was the martial skill Qin Zhe was most familiar and comfortable with at the moment. Facing such a basic technique, James sneered with disdain and swung his spear horizontally. With the dense power of the Holy Light added to his body, his confidence had returned.

With a "bang," James struck first despite being the second to act, his spear sweeping across Qin Zhe’s waist. However, the scene he expected—of Qin Zhe being swept away—did not happen. James watched in horror as Qin Zhe merely tilted his body slightly after the heavy blow, his fist’s trajectory unchanged, and crashed straight toward his face!

Facing such a simple and brutal attack, James dared not slack off and hurriedly concentrated his power in his face. With a "thud," the fist made solid contact! James felt as if he had been struck head-on by a high-speed train; his head buzzed, and he nearly lost the ability to think. He couldn't understand why he couldn't resist this basic martial skill even after gathering most of his power.

"Your Highness James, please clench your teeth. The next part... might hurt a little."

A nightmarish voice rang out. James, whose vision was blurred from the punch, had no ability to resist. "I... I surr..."

James opened his mouth in a panic, wanting to admit defeat, but an iron fist had already hammered into his chest, cutting his words short.