Shan Xiong might have had a terrible personality, but his year at Wuyi Academy hadn't been a waste. The kick was subtle and swift, landing solidly just behind Chen Chuan's ear before anyone could react.
Seeing this, the teaching assistants prepared to send someone to carry him off.
A solid kick like that would put an ordinary, untrained examinee on the floor. Even a Wuda student with rigorous impact conditioning would have been knocked down. A slightly more serious blow could have been fatal.
However, what happened next was completely unexpected. Despite being hit, Chen Chuan's head merely tilted to the side. He took a single half-step outward, then slowly turned his head back and straightened his body.
Unseen by the crowd, at the very moment the kick landed, the head of the boy who looked identical to him flickered and went translucent.
Shan Xiong froze. He knew how much power was in that kick, yet Chen Chuan's eyes were clear. He looked completely unharmed.
Seated in the center of the long table was a middle-aged teacher with brawny arms and muscles that looked ready to burst through his shirt. He had been silent until now, but he suddenly spoke, "Name?"
"Ah? Oh!" The assistant next to him snapped out of it, grabbed the list from the desk, and glanced at it before looking up. "Chen Chuan."
"What's his background?"
"He's a local from Yangzhi City, just graduated from middle school. There's no record of him joining any Boxing Clubs or having any prior training..."
The teacher looked at Chen Chuan and said, "Understood."
Shan Xiong had failed to knock Chen Chuan down, and now he could hear murmurs and stifled laughter from the edge of the Training Ground. He felt they were mocking him. Blood rushed to his head, and with a furious roar, he spun around and unleashed another powerful roundhouse kick!
Chen Chuan wasn't one to take a beating without fighting back, nor was he intimidated just because his opponent was a Wuda student. Showing no sign of weakness, he launched a kick of his own at Shan Xiong!
The motion was similar to Shan Xiong's earlier roundhouse kick. Anyone could tell he was just copying the move, because his form was sloppy, resulting in a lack of both speed and power.
They both kicked at almost the same instant, but none of the observing assistants or students doubted for a second that Chen Chuan would be the one to get hit first.
And just as they expected, Shan Xiong's kick landed on Chen Chuan's head first. But the outcome was the same as before: he failed to knock Chen Chuan down. This time, Chen Chuan didn't even sway.
And at that moment, Chen Chuan's own kick landed—on the side of Shan Xiong's neck.
At that very same instant, the illusory figure that had been behind him suddenly moved to his position, the two forms merging into one in a flash!
In that moment, his speed and power exploded!
BAM!
A muffled bang echoed across the Training Ground, a testament to the immense power of the kick.
Shan Xiong's eyes went vacant. His body tipped to the side and then, with a thud, he collapsed onto the ground, spread-eagled.
Liu Cai's mouth hung slightly open, watching the scene in disbelief.
The other students present also stared blankly, their minds reeling. 'What just happened? Shan Xiong is a second-year Wuda student, and he just got knocked out by an examinee who obviously has barely trained?'
A moment later, however, gloating expressions appeared on their faces. Shan Xiong was a known troublemaker at the academy with very few friends. Seeing him get taken down a peg and utterly humiliated made them cheer inwardly.
The teacher in the center of the long table snatched the application form from the assistant's hand. He picked up a pen, swiftly signed his name, stamped the paper, and announced, "This student passes."
Hearing this, Chen Chuan couldn't help but look toward the teacher, wanting to confirm if the man was talking about him.
The middle-aged teacher said, "Student, your durability is impressive. I am Instructor Bian Feng, and you have officially passed the assessment. But I'll remind you of one thing: you've only passed the entrance exam. Whether or not you can secure your place at Wuyi will depend on the follow-up assessment in just over two months."
A happy smile spread across Chen Chuan's face. He bowed to Bian Feng. "Thank you, Instructor!"
CLAP... CLAP...
The surrounding teaching assistants and students began to clap lightly. An exam this interesting was a rare sight, and they were eager to see what this student would do next. They made sure to remember his name. As for Shan Xiong, still lying dazed off to the side, he seemed to have been conveniently forgotten.
As Chen Chuan walked out of the Training Ground, he stepped into the dazzling sunlight. He looked down at the path stretching out before him, a wave of excitement and joy washing over him.
"Chen." A crisp voice called from behind.
Chen Chuan turned and saw it was the female upperclassman he'd met while filling out the forms. He walked over politely. "Can I help you with something?"
The young woman approached and held out her hand gracefully. "Chen, congratulations on passing the exam. Let's have a proper introduction. I'm Zhen Ping, a second-year at Wuda."
Chen Chuan shook her offered hand. "Chen Chuan. It's nice to meet you."
He noticed her hand was incredibly soft and smooth, without a single callus. Yet, he could sense a deep resilience just beneath the skin. It gave him the strange feeling that with a simple clench of her fist, she could shatter his hand.
Zhen Ping said, "Chen, you need to be careful. Shan Xiong is extremely petty, and he knows some shady characters off-campus. The academy's rules keep him in line here, so he won't dare to try anything. But outside the school grounds, it's a different story. So, watch your back."