Hu Qi could see this not because of some incredibly sharp insight, but because the situation in the ring was just too obvious.
Anyone could tell.
However, nothing was set in stone. An unexpected turn of events wasn't out of the question.
Another ten-odd seconds passed.
Lin Rong started to pant heavily, sweat beading on his forehead, and his speed slowed down.
Seeing this, Chen Chang threw a punch.
Caught off guard, Lin Rong hastily raised his arm to block.
With a loud THUD from the immense momentum,
Lin Rong stumbled back several steps before landing on his butt, his arm already red and swollen.
"Sorry about that. You went easy on me."
Watching this, Chen Chang gave an honest smile and started to walk over to help him up.
But Lin Rong's expression was ugly. He completely ignored the offered hand, staggered to his feet on his own, and walked back to the line.
Afterward, Chen Wu continued to call out names.
The victors were excited, while the losers looked dejected.
However, these trainees had at best only reached the Entry-Level of Mixed Martial Arts; some were even weaker than Chen Chang and Lin Rong.
At one point, two of them got genuinely angry and their spar descended into a brawl, but Chen Wu stopped them in time.
The speed Chen Wu displayed when he intervened made Hu Qi's eyes narrow slightly.
Soon, it was his turn.
"Hu Qi, Song Jian!"
A flicker of interest appeared in Chen Wu's eyes as he glanced at the two of them.
Hu Qi and Song Jian were undoubtedly the two trainees in this batch he was most optimistic about.
Song Jian was one thing; his aptitude had been excellent from the start, and he was the first to reach the Entry-Level in Mixed Martial Arts.
Hu Qi, on the other hand, was someone he couldn't quite figure out. The man's rate of progress was astonishingly fast each day.
Therefore, he had intentionally pitted them against each other. He was very curious to see the result of their match.
Soon, Hu Qi and Song Jian walked into the center of the training area and stood facing each other.
"Go, Brother Song!"
"Show him what you're made of, Brother Song!"
The cheers of a few followers came from the side.
Song Jian paid them no mind.
He looked at Hu Qi.
"You're quite good. I've been watching you for a while. I hope you'll be a worthy opponent."
Hu Qi just smiled.
"Please."
The word had barely left his lips.
The two of them moved at almost the exact same moment.
Song Jian shot his hands out, his five fingers curling into the shape of claws.
With a shift of his body, he lunged, clawing for Hu Qi's vital points.
This was the Falcon Claw from Mixed Martial Arts.
Mixed Martial Arts had a total of eighteen forms, encompassing techniques for legs, feet, claws, fists, palms, and so on.
This Falcon Claw was one of its fierce and powerful offensive techniques.
The Falcon Claw that Song Jian executed was sharp and aggressive, like a falcon striking with its talons. Its power was formidable, a clear sign of his considerable skill.
Seeing this, Hu Qi raised his hand and executed a Falcon Claw of his own.
Their arms collided, producing a series of dull thuds.
"Not bad, not bad at all."
Chen Wu's eyes lit up slightly from the sidelines.
These two, Song Jian and Hu Qi, used the moves with such ease. They were clearly far beyond the Entry-Level.
In comparison, the previous trainees' matches were just a pathetic squabble between novices, unbearable to watch.
Meanwhile, Lin Rong and the others watching from the side were all completely shocked.
Previously, a few of them had sparred in private.
Song Jian's strength far surpassed theirs.
Even the strongest among them, Lin Rong, couldn't last more than two moves against him before being defeated.
When they had heard Chen Wu praise Hu Qi before, they had been a little dismissive.
They never expected this guy could actually fight Song Jian to a standstill.
In the ring, the two exchanged several moves.
Hu Qi, however, rarely took the initiative to attack, spending most of his time on the defensive.
Seeing this, Song Jian's brow furrowed slightly.
His opponent was so difficult to deal with. His application of Mixed Martial Arts was on par with his own.
No, as his opponent, he could even sense that Hu Qi was handling it with ease, as if he was still holding back.
At this thought, a wave of anger surged within him.
Seeing Hu Qi block his attack once again, he stomped on the ground, his muscles and tendons tensing and coiling.
He raised his other arm high, clenched his five fingers into a fist, and suddenly threw a powerful punch!
Hu Qi's expression shifted.
He also threw a Cannon Fist!
BANG!
A deep, booming sound erupted in the arena!
An invisible shockwave of force rippled outward.
As their clothes billowed, even the fine dust in the air was scattered to the sides.
The figures of the two fighters trembled.
Under the immense recoil, Song Jian staggered back two steps,
while Hu Qi, still in his original spot, only swayed and took half a step back.
Who was stronger and who was weaker was clear at a glance.
"You let me win," Hu Qi said calmly.
Song Jian stood his ground, feeling waves of aching numbness spread through his arm.
After a moment of silence, he spoke.
"You're strong. I won't lose to you next time."
Then, he turned and walked back to the line.
"You have a great Talent for fighting. Keep it up."
Chen Wu reached out and clapped Hu Qi on the shoulder encouragingly.
His palm was thick and broad, conveying a sense of immense power.
"I will."
Hu Qi smiled.
...
「After class.」
Hu Qi sat alone, leaning against a corner of the wall.
He lifted the back of his hand. A patch of skin was scraped off over his knuckles.
It was an injury from clashing bare-fisted with Song Jian.
He hadn't felt anything before, but now it was starting to hurt a little.
He now had a rough estimate of Song Jian's strength. He was probably at a level equivalent to the Proficient rank in Mixed Martial Arts.
Compared to him, there was naturally a gap.
He picked up a chilled bottle of mineral water, twisted off the cap, and tilted his head back, gulping down half of it in one go.
Only then did the boiling heat throughout his body begin to subside.
He recalled the fight.
The feeling of fist meeting flesh was somewhat intoxicating.
'Am I just a natural-born fighter?'
He couldn't help but wonder.
Thinking of this, an idea struck him.
He summoned his panel.
[Host: Hu Qi]
[Status: Normal (Scraped skin on right knuckles) △]
[Age: 21 (Remaining Lifespan: 59 years)]
[Skills: Mixed Martial Arts (Minor Achievement) △]
[Nourishing Essence Breathing Technique (Perfection)]
[Culinary Skill (Mastery) △]
[Modification Points: 1]
Hu Qi's eyes quickly swept over the panel.
Compared to before, the Crimson modification panel hadn't changed much.
After all, it didn't display precise numerical values for things like strength, speed, or Physique.
Hu Qi wasn't surprised by this. Summoning the panel to check was just a force of habit.
Just as he was about to look away, he suddenly paused.
'Does this mean it can be modified now?'
Hu Qi was a little surprised.
It was his habit to summon the panel and take a look almost every hour or two.
He was like an ordinary person with a new phone, habitually turning it on to glance at it for no reason.
Just an hour ago, he had checked, and Mixed Martial Arts couldn't be upgraded at all.
But now...
Hu Qi stared at the triangular symbol behind Mixed Martial Arts, which indicated it could be modified.
Then, his gaze shifted downward.
The Modification Points were still at one, with no increase whatsoever.
In that case, there was only one explanation for the current situation.