CRACK—
In the dead silence, there was a sound like snapping bamboo.
The corner of Xie Kuang's narrowed eye twitched violently. The force of his thrust, which had already taken form, was suddenly knocked aside as if by a ten-thousand-ton boulder. If he and his spear were a jet of water, then Jiang Qiu's sudden upward flick of his spear shaft was the colossal rock that broke the stream!
The moment their spear shafts collided, a torrent of Hidden Force, like a mountain dam bursting, washed over him, completely shattering his grip.
It was like grabbing a metal rod, only to belatedly realize as the searing heat forced him to let go that he had grabbed the wrong end of a red-hot poker.
CLATTER...
Survival instinct forced Xie Kuang to release his grip. In an instant, the spear, which had been lunging forward like a wolf, lost its envelope of Strength. With a sharp CRACK, it shattered into pieces, blooming like a black Ice Lotus in his pupils.
CLINK! CLINK CLINK CLINK...
The tailless spearhead tore through the black shirt on Jiang Qiu's left side before falling to the ground. A rain of dark fragments pelted his body, clattering like ceramic tiles.
A cold gust of wind blew his hair back. The Double Arc Blade of a spearhead was now resting horizontally across the bridge of his nose. Its cold glint was blinding, the chill shattering every thought in his mind. The hairs on his body stood on end, and the light in his eyes scattered.
Everything fell silent.
Everyone's face was frozen, fixated on the scene. Wu Shan's right pupil dilated until it looked like a black pearl.
"Impossible... No, impossible." Xie Kuang's hands fell to his sides as he pulled back his forward left foot, the corner of his mouth twitching. "This is impossible!"
His narrow eyes bulged, and the blood vessels in them throbbed like veins.
'I lost. I lost in the very first exchange!'
'Facing Jiang Qiu was even worse than when Wang Guanjia beat me bloody!'
'I have such great Martial Arts aptitude, I've used so much Wusu Fragrance for Body Forging, I can even handle Wang Guanjia with ease now... but Jiang Qiu just shattered my spear shaft!'
'Is my talent really that bad?!'
The moment that thought formed, he heard the sound of a mirror shattering in his mind.
"The winner is Jiang Qiu! Does anyone else object? Step forward and challenge him!" From the crowd's perspective, Wu Shan seemed to stand tall right behind Jiang Qiu. His two-meter-tall frame silenced all noise, his chest puffed out like a drum. "Since no one dares to step forward, then starting this month, Jiang Qiu will be the number one outstanding student of Training Ground Eight, entitled to two portions of Wusu Fragrance per month.
If you have any objections, submit a challenge!"
Only when he said this did the wide-eyed crowd snap out of their daze, murmuring in disbelief, "Brother Xie actually lost?"
"This wasn't just a simple loss. His spear shaft was shattered in a single exchange..."
"With that kind of power, Jiang Qiu must have completely mastered Hidden Force. He can perform—Spear Rod Armor Shattering!"
"Does that mean... he might, he really might have a chance to rival Li Juefeng?!"
Scattered gazes converged on Jiang Qiu like fireflies gathering into a beacon. His sturdy, spear-wielding figure stood like a monument, making the chests of most onlookers tighten with apprehension.
Sitting on a bench in the back, Hu Ye'ye's pupils trembled in shock, her lips parting with a soft gasp.
Wang Guanjia, who had been watching with his own spear in hand, suddenly relaxed and then clenched his fist again, tightening it as he stared at Jiang Qiu with a focused gaze.
'One week. Just one week.'
'From first learning the last twelve forms of the Ancient Martial Spear Technique to completely mastering the use of Hidden Force—Spear Rod Armor Shattering!'
'In our first match, he used Spearpoint Armor-Piercing, a technique I hadn't even grasped myself. Every day we sparred, I felt that just one more day of practice would close the gap, or that getting some Wusu Fragrance would let me regain my former glory!'
'I never expected it would be like a charging tiger chasing a soaring dragon, or the Monkey King meeting the Buddha!'
'In front of him, what right do I have to talk about talent or be arrogant?'
'If he had the same resources as Li Juefeng, he'd probably have had a shot at reaching the top of Eighth Middle School today. Why would he be in the same class and on the same training ground as me?!'
At the moment his fist was clenched tightest, a turbid breath rushed from Wang Guanjia's chest, and his heart rate plummeted. 'Forget it. I can't compete with Li Juefeng, whose father is a director, and I can't compete with Jiang Qiu from the Shantytown either.
At least I got one portion of Wusu Fragrance in the first month. Once I cultivate my Copper Skin, I'll beat up Xie Kuang, and then I won't bother fighting for any titles...'
His fist slowly relaxed, but Liu Zili's remained clenched, the boy's figure reflected in her eyes like the sharp tip of a spear.
'Even though the hundred-year history of Eighth Middle School told many stories of ordinary students rising up, those tales had been lost through countless cycles of destruction and rebuilding.'
'Those from the Shantytown were all descendants of the lower class. They had no money for medicinal bath resources, couldn't afford to temper their bodies, and certainly had no connections to learn spear techniques in advance.'
'In recent years, the greatest hope for the lower class at school was just to become an outstanding student. Those fortunate enough to be admitted into Northwest Martial University were few and far between.'
'There were legends of the lower class making a name for themselves in other Outer City Districts, but at Eighth Middle School, located closest to the Outer City Wall, such stories were unheard of.'
'If Eighth Middle School is to have a legend from the lower class, it must be the future Jiang Qiu!'
"We will now distribute the Wusu Fragrance."
Hearing this announcement, most people's thoughts were yanked back to the present. Jiang Qiu also turned to look at Wu Shan.
CLICK-CLACK-CLACK.
Thick fingers turned the combination lock on the safe. With a CLICK, the latch released. The moment the lid was opened, a shimmering blue light reflected from within.
Counting them, there were eight vials embedded in black foam. Each was no longer than an index finger and thinner than a pinky.
But this was the official Martial Arts Resource they had all been longing for—Wusu Fragrance!
With two soft clicks, Wu Shan took out two vials of Wusu Fragrance. A complex look brewed in his right eye as he stared at Jiang Qiu. He was silent for a moment before saying, "The raw materials for Wusu Fragrance are extremely rare, and the process is very complex. Even today, with many Secret Realms under control, we still can't produce more.
These precious resources flow from the Inner City to the Outer City, and by the time they're allocated to Training Ground Eight, there are only eight portions. It's impossible to provide for everyone.
So, those who receive Wusu Fragrance must make the best possible use of it. Don't waste it!"
The cold vials and his chilling words landed in Jiang Qiu's left palm. His racing heart expelled the pent-up frustration of many days, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. "Thank you, Teacher!"
'I never thought it would be Xie Kuang who challenged me. This saved me from openly offending Wu Shan again.'
'Living in such tight circumstances, I can finally try this priceless Wusu Fragrance—the best Body Forging medicinal bath resource available before advancing to the rank of Martial Artist!'
"Hmph."
Glancing at Jiang Qiu's face, which was beaming like a sunflower, Wu Shan averted his gaze to look at Xie Kuang, who stood alone in a daze. A faint, cold light flickered in his cloudy right eye.
'He'd already suffered a nosebleed from Wang Guanjia on the stage before, which left a scar on his state of mind. Today, it has been completely shattered.'
'Not like Wang Guanjia. Even after being crushed by Li Juefeng, he remained resilient, became an outstanding student again, and even after having his Wooden Spear shattered in the proficiency test, he immediately grasped Spearpoint Armor-Piercing and furiously sparred with Jiang Qiu.'
'After this complete defeat, whenever Xie Kuang sees Jiang Qiu, it will be like a lame wolf seeing a mountain tiger. He'll have little chance of rising again.'
'He might not even make it through the college entrance exams.'
'But who could have guessed that Jiang Qiu would actually master Spear Rod Armor Shattering?!'
Wu Shan let out a long breath and reached for another vial, his voice booming like thunder, "Those whose names I called earlier, come here!"
The sound of footsteps mingled with rustling whispers. The outstanding students, who had originally been clustered together, scattered in different directions after lining up to receive their Wusu Fragrance, like a mirror shattered by a spear thrust.
Only two or three students remained around Xie Kuang. Four or five approached Wang Guanjia. The rest frowned, studying Jiang Qiu's expression, wanting to get closer but finding it difficult to speak.
SNAP.
Wu Shan closed the safe. "Some of you are receiving Wusu Fragrance for the first time. Don't blame me for not reminding you: the effects of Wusu Fragrance are most potent on the first use. When you use it for a medicinal bath, try to absorb it completely.
If you miss this chance, it's the loss of a lifetime. Not even a hundred portions of Wusu Fragrance can make up for it."