Chapter Six: A Friendly Contest (Part Two)

These sorts of contests at school, of course, could never be allowed to reach the ears of the teachers. They could only take place after classes, at times like this, when such things might actually happen. Generally, it was rare for these matches to occur in the school’s official sparring arena. But this time, it was clearly a challenge—a matter to determine superiority once and for all—which lent the confrontation a more formal air.

“Let’s make this clear, Johnny, you’d better not mess around.” Everyone knew how tough Johnny could be. Xu Jun voiced his warning in advance; otherwise, he wouldn’t dare accept the challenge.

“Coward!” Johnny muttered under his breath, “I’ll be right here watching.” He grumbled as he helped Zhao Li put on his sparring gloves. This was the rule for entering the ring—it would at least prevent anyone from getting too badly hurt. If something happened at school, it would be hard for anyone to explain.

“Record my reaction time for me,” Zhao Li quietly reminded Johnny before stepping up, then confidently took his place opposite Xu Jun.

Two students, seeking to settle a dispute—one harboring the intent to provoke, the other eager to test himself—each with his own motives, the so-called rules were instantly cast aside the moment they set foot in the ring. They launched into a wild flurry of fists.

Naturally, one could hardly expect two boys who’d never received proper training—who’d perhaps been shown the rules once or twice in gym class—to maintain the composure of professional athletes under these circumstances. It was almost impossible.

Yet, the surprise when Zhao Li’s fist landed squarely on Xu Jun’s face was far greater than any pain Xu Jun could inflict on Zhao Li in return. No matter how Xu Jun tried to understand it, he simply couldn’t fathom why, even after practicing the Mighty Strength Technique, his blows to Zhao Li’s head were absorbed, while Zhao Li’s punches to his own skull caused such intense pain.

Confusion, disbelief, astonishment—all these emotions surged through Xu Jun’s mind in an instant, leaving him dazed. And in that fleeting moment of distraction, Zhao Li landed several more blows to his head.

Though the Mighty Strength Technique could indeed enhance muscle power, it required time—a long process, especially when one had just advanced from basic body conditioning to the first level of cultivation. A little more than a month of practice was not enough to yield significant results.

The basic body conditioning method, too, could strengthen one’s physique, though unlike the Mighty Strength Technique, it did not focus on a single aspect but instead improved all attributes—strength, speed, reflexes, flexibility—more evenly. Over the past two years, thanks to Zhao Li’s careful and secretive management, everyone’s progress had been more or less the same. But during the last two months of holiday, Zhao Li had never once interrupted his training. This steady improvement, combined with an increase in his training intensity, meant that in terms of raw strength alone, Zhao Li was now almost equal to Xu Jun.

But free fighting was never just about power; speed and reflexes were equally essential. Xu Jun, obsessed with the Mighty Strength Technique, had neglected the basic conditioning, so his progress in these areas was far behind Zhao Li’s.

At first, Xu Jun managed to hold a slight advantage with his superior strength, but once Zhao Li realized Xu Jun was little more than a paper tiger, he relaxed considerably.

Zhao Li could have easily defeated Xu Jun, but he chose not to—this was a rare opportunity, especially since his opponent had initiated the provocation. What better target was there to test his abilities against his peers? Though Zhao Li had often wanted to do this before, he couldn’t very well use Johnny as a punching bag. Xu Jun, coming to him of his own accord, was perfect.

He thoroughly tested the other aspects of his physical condition; though distracted and suffering a few hits himself, Zhao Li was not to be outdone and fought back fiercely.

Overall, Zhao Li maintained the clear advantage—a fact that Xu Jun had never anticipated. He had thought that after cultivating the first-level technique while Zhao Li stuck to basic training, the gap would be enough for him to humiliate Zhao Li in front of everyone. But the reality unfolding before him shattered those illusions.

The pain in his head, face, and body made it plain to Xu Jun that this was no hallucination—he was being thoroughly beaten by the very person he despised.

In the end, Xu Jun could do nothing but feebly shield his vital areas with his hands and try desperately to dodge Zhao Li’s increasingly frequent blows.

“Enough!” A loud shout from afar brought both boys to a halt. Zhao Li glanced over and spotted the Gorilla instructor striding toward them, his heart sinking. This was bad!

He’d been so focused on venting his anger that he’d forgotten to hide his strength. Though Xu Jun had taken a solid beating, Zhao Li’s performance had not escaped the instructor’s notice. Who knew what kind of trouble this might bring?

“Why are you fighting?” The instructor’s mood was foul, his tone severe.

“Sir, we weren’t fighting, just sparring a bit. See? We both have gloves on!” Zhao Li grinned, feigning ignorance, oblivious to the bruises and swelling on his own face that made his smile look grotesque. As he spoke, he slung an arm around Xu Jun’s shoulders in a show of friendship, subtly tightening his grip to remind Xu Jun to keep quiet.

Xu Jun, knowing he was in the wrong and fully aware of the consequences if the teacher caught them, could only play along, forcing a laugh. “Yes, sir, we were just practicing together.” His face was just as bruised; his forced smile looked equally ghastly.

The instructor looked from Zhao Li to Xu Jun and back several times before a faint smile appeared on his face. “Very well—sparring, was it? Seems like there was no clear winner?”

“Yes, yes!” Zhao Li and Xu Jun both nodded and laughed awkwardly. “No winner, haha!”

“So, you think that after just over a month of practicing the Mighty Strength Technique, you’re already something special?” The instructor’s tone suddenly hardened. “Going around challenging others—do you really think you’re so much better than those who’ve only just started body conditioning? Hmm?” Xu Jun’s face twisted with embarrassment, but he dared not talk back and could only bow his head in silence.

“Arrogant and narrow-minded!” After these two sharp words, the instructor turned his attention to Zhao Li. “And you—if you stick to basic conditioning without interruption, within six months you’ll definitely surpass those who rush into first-level techniques. Don’t tell me you don’t understand the principle of sustained improvement.”

“Yes, sir!” Zhao Li didn’t dare argue, only nodded.

“So, you were deliberately bullying him?” The accusation came swiftly. Zhao Li shook his head vigorously. “No, sir, just sparring!”

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