Chapter 20: The Contest of Ranks (Part Two)

As his teammates surged forward, Zhao Li's lips curved into a faint smile. His face was calm, but his hands and feet moved swiftly; with a single stride, he dashed straight into the arms of the teammate at the very front.

This was a combat technique taught by the instructor: when facing a group assault, one must minimize direct contact with enemies. This approach not only allowed for decisive victory but also reduced potential harm.

Zhao Li's explosive speed caught the rushing group off guard. The teammate at the vanguard crashed into Zhao Li’s shoulder with a thud—a collision powered by inner energy. That single impact was enough to halt the man’s advance. Seizing the moment as his opponent’s body stretched out in surprise, Zhao Li unleashed an uppercut, his fist driving upward squarely into the man’s jaw.

Even though Zhao Li held back, using only a modest amount of inner energy, the force generated by striking at the moment of bodily expansion was still enough to knock the leading teammate unconscious. His body, following the momentum of Zhao Li’s punch, was sent flying upward.

Before the body had even landed, Zhao Li launched a kick—seemingly unremarkable, but its target was not the teammate already sent flying, but rather the next comrade charging in.

The punch had been so swift that the following teammate’s view was blocked and he failed to notice Zhao Li’s kick. By the time he saw Zhao Li’s movement, the kick had already landed, driving into his abdomen.

The soft belly, of course, couldn’t withstand such a blow. Fortunately, Zhao Li had restrained his strength, but even so, the impact was unbearable. The teammate, caught mid-run, abruptly halted, clutched his stomach, and crumpled to the ground. Had Zhao Li not held back, a kick carrying inner power to the dantian could have crippled his martial abilities and ruined his future.

Having knocked down two, Zhao Li did not pause for a moment. After all, more than a dozen opponents remained. Spinning on his heel, he moved with lightning speed to intercept a third teammate trying to circle around the fallen.

This teammate swung a punch, but Zhao Li, using his rotational momentum, sidestepped easily. At the same time, his left elbow, powered by the spin, struck heavily into the exposed ribs of his opponent.

Zhao Li didn’t bother to check the result—there was no need. To avoid being overwhelmed, he had channeled considerable inner energy into that elbow strike. Even if it didn’t knock the man out, it would certainly leave him gasping, unable to breathe properly for a while.

He crouched low, dodging a high kick from behind with a split-like maneuver, then sprang up like a coiled spring. Mid-air, his knee smashed into the chest of the teammate who had just thrown the kick. The man, not yet landed, was knocked aside in midair, crashing into another comrade.

Zhao Li landed, sweeping out a leg in a low arc. His left hand shot out, catching a fist aimed at him from the side. Without waiting for his opponent to fall from the sweep, he unleashed a surge of inner energy through his arm, yanking the captured fist inward. The sudden force threw the attacker off balance.

With a loud crack, Zhao Li’s fist landed hard just below the ribcage, at the diaphragm. The strength in the attacker’s hand vanished instantly. The swept teammate finally hit the ground, and Zhao Li’s right elbow jabbed upward, catching another opponent in the lower back. Without a word, the man collapsed, limp.

In a flash, six had fallen. Aside from one clutching his side and struggling to catch his breath, the others were all knocked out, silent as death. Among them were several fifth-level teammates.

Those further back were startled by Zhao Li’s fierce technique. The few who could see clearly realized that, aside from the tactical separation and timing, Zhao Li was using moves and striking points all taught by Instructor Xiao Qiang in their combat classes—moves they’d all practiced together, only without full force.

But Zhao Li had no intention of giving them time to adapt. The first few knocked down were the more moderate teammates, and he had shown some restraint. The ones remaining were staunch supporters of Li Xiuyuan; if Zhao Li didn’t quickly defeat them, he’d be the one getting beaten.

This time, Zhao Li no longer held back. The instructor’s attitude, combined with his earlier words, had made it clear: the level of one’s martial skill wasn’t the most important thing—it was merely a metric for assessment.

With the instructor’s tacit approval, Zhao Li had no reason to spare Li Xiuyuan’s group. With a loud shout, he charged forward, employing the very techniques everyone had learned. Yet somehow, only Zhao Li could use them with such impeccable timing and overwhelming effect; no one else could replicate his results.

A few more fell in quick succession, this time to Zhao Li’s grappling techniques. His grip was strong; though the fallen were not unconscious, they could not stop crying out in pain.

At the back, Li Xiuyuan was beginning to feel afraid. Wasn’t Zhao Li only a fourth-level martial artist? How could he face so many at once, unafraid and so ruthlessly effective?

As he hesitated, wondering if he’d been too reckless, a metallic clatter sounded at his feet. Looking down, Li Xiuyuan spotted a handy weapon—a police-issue T-baton—lying right beside him. Glancing up, he saw Instructor Xiao Qiang standing in the corner, holding another T-baton, which he tossed in his direction.

Catching Li Xiuyuan’s gaze, Instructor Xiao Qiang offered him a genial smile, then nodded meaningfully at the baton on the ground.

At this, Li Xiuyuan’s heart settled. It seemed the instructor, too, was favoring him due to Zhao Li’s lower martial rank—otherwise, why provide a weapon? Armed, the situation was entirely different from being barehanded.

Emboldened, Li Xiuyuan picked up the baton and signaled a friend to grab the other, then they both charged toward Zhao Li.

Zhao Li, deep in the thrill of battle, moved with incredible agility, felling opponents one after another. The remaining few seemed to have caught on and formed a tight circle, rushing at him together.

With a long sigh, Zhao Li spread his inner energy throughout his body. If his opponents intended to fight this way, he’d have to withstand a few hits to take them all down.

Just as he was attacking with all his might, a sudden, sharp noise came from behind him.

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