novelhome Chapter 172 - 123: Instant Kill, Part 2
Chapter 172 - 123: Instant Kill, Part 2
His fists were a mangled mess of flesh and blood, the bone visible beneath, dripping with gore.
And the third figure...
...was a man in black who had appeared out of nowhere.
He stood between the two, expressionless, having appeared out of thin air. With one hand, he had casually pinched the tip of Lin Ye’s spear—a strike powerful enough to pierce a steel plate.
Lin Ye was shaken to his core.
’I can feel it. My Instant Body was pushed to its absolute limit, but this man in black... he’s even faster!’
What made his blood run cold was that he couldn’t sense the slightest fluctuation of Qi and Blood from this man, as if he were just an ordinary person.
’But could an ordinary person just appear on the stage out of thin air? Could they stop my killing blow with a single hand?’
Lin Ye couldn’t even begin to imagine his true strength.
Even with someone in the Gang Condensation Realm, like his teacher Chen Meng, Lin Ye could use his Spiritual Power to sense the vast fluctuations of Qi and Blood coming from him.
But with the man before him, Lin Ye could detect nothing at all.
When his divine sense reached out, it was like falling into a black hole.
’Is this... an expert of the Divine Realm, a level above the Gang Condensation Realm?’
"You...!"
The excruciating pain from his arms twisted Xue Wangshu’s face in agony, and a cold sweat instantly soaked his back.
The violent aura of his Burning Fist vanished in an instant, as if doused by a bucket of cold water.
His entire body went limp.
Only then did he understand what had just happened.
His eyes, filled with utter terror and shock, were fixed on the spear tip that was inches from his throat.
His lips trembled, unable to form a single word.
A moment ago, when Lin Ye’s figure vanished and the sonic boom exploded by his ear, he had felt as if his very soul had been pierced by a spear capable of sundering all things!
The intent arrived before the spear!
It was an intensely focused spear intent, combined with a bone-chilling killing intent!
That single thrust had even conjured a deathly illusion in his mind of being struck down on the spot!
Xue Wangshu staggered back a few steps, not daring to look at Lin Ye again.
He knew.
If this mysterious man in black hadn’t intervened, the illusion he had just seen would have become reality.
He really would have died.
Below the stage, Chen Meng was incredibly excited to see this.
He understood that at this moment, Lin Ye’s spear technique had finally reached the peak of the Third Realm of Slaughter.
He just needed the right opportunity to break through to the fourth realm.
But at the same time, as he looked at the student he had personally trained, an unprecedented sense of unfamiliarity washed over him.
’Is this still the student I thought I knew?’
On the second floor, Li Kai Nian spoke calmly. His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire venue.
"Wei Lin, come back."
Hearing this, the man in black on the stage released his grip. His figure flashed and vanished without a sound. A mere blink of an eye later, he reappeared behind Li Kai Nian.
It was as if he had never left.
This display sent a chill through the hearts of the many bigwigs from Dongjiang City on the second floor.
’Such terrifying strength.’
On the stage, Lin Ye slowly withdrew his spear. His Phase 2 Frenzy state faded, and the surging Qi and Blood within him returned to a state of calm.
The referee at the side of the stage snapped out of his daze and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
He loudly announced the result of the battle.
"In this match, the winner is Lin Ye of Dongjiang First Middle School!"
After the referee’s voice faded, the entire observation hall fell somewhat silent.
Because everything had happened too quickly.
’Did the fight start?’
’Seems like it did.’
’Is it over?’
’Seems like... it’s over, too.’
From the moment the referee shouted "Begin" to the first exchange of blows, and then to the decisive outcome, the entire process probably took less than ten seconds.
They hadn’t seen a thing clearly.
They had only seen Lin Ye’s figure suddenly disappear.
The next thing they knew, there was a sonic boom, Xue Wangshu’s gauntlets were shattered, and horrifying wounds had appeared on his hands.
It was all a bit absurd.
The number one genius of Dongjiang City, who had suppressed all his peers for years and was hailed as a potential future Martial Saint, was just...
...taken out in one hit!
After a brief, dead silence, an earth-shattering uproar of clamor and discussion finally erupted.
It nearly blew the roof off the entire stadium!
Below the stage.
Yan Hui was equally stunned.
An indescribable feeling of powerlessness washed over him like a cold tide.
Xue Wangshu, who could have easily crushed him, was instantly defeated by the man on the stage, even after activating his Martial Arts Spiritual Burning Fist.
At that moment, Yan Hui was just glad he hadn’t been qualified to challenge him.
...
In the second-floor viewing area.
Li Kai Nian took a deep look at Lin Ye in the center of the stage, the calm smile returning to his face.
He slowly rose, preparing to leave.
The purpose of his trip had merely been to make an appearance, but he hadn’t expected to truly discover a diamond in the rough.
At the very least, he had now committed the name Lin Ye to memory.
Just then, Wang Zhengguo, who was standing to the side, seized this final opportunity and suddenly spoke up.
"Mr. Li!"
This call made Li Kai Nian, who was about to leave, pause. It also made Sun Changkong, the director of the city’s Education Bureau, tense up.
Wang Zhengguo’s tone was incredibly sincere. "Mr. Li, Lin Ye’s lifelong goal has been to participate in the Qiming General Star Training Camp organized by the provincial military department this year."
"If... if Dongjiang City has a spot this year, could you consider selecting him to attend?"
These words were meant for Li Kai Nian.
But they were also meant for Sun Changkong beside him.
Sun Changkong understood instantly and immediately declared his stance: "Mr. Li, rest assured! Dongjiang City’s position is clear! If the province grants us a spot, that spot will go to student Lin Ye and no one else!"
Hearing this, Li Kai Nian just gave a noncommittal smile.
He looked at Wang Zhengguo and finally said slowly, "The Qiming General Star Training Camp is directly managed and organized by the military. As the Deputy Director of the Education Department, my reach doesn’t extend that far."
He paused, his tone still level.
"I don’t know how many spots they’ll give your Dongjiang this year."
"Or if there will be any spots at all."
Wang Zhengguo’s heart plummeted.
On the surface, it seemed he hadn’t said anything definitive.
But in reality, he had said everything.
If he were merely uncertain, Li Kai Nian could have just said the first part.
By deliberately adding the second part, he was stating a fact—
Dongjiang wasn’t getting a spot this year.
A wave of anxiety washed over him. Wang Zhengguo cast aside all decorum and pleaded again.
"Mr. Li... I’ve watched this child grow up, step by step."
"His family isn’t well-off. He has no resources, no background. The amount of sweat and effort he’s poured in to get this far... even as an outsider, it pains me to see how hard it’s been for him."
"I know that perhaps other cities have produced even more shocking geniuses."
"But you’ve seen Lin Ye’s talent for yourself! If it’s possible... if Dongjiang truly has no spots, could... could you help recommend him?"
He knew that a word from the Deputy Director of the Ninghai Education Department would absolutely carry weight with the military.
What’s more, Li Kai Nian himself came from the military system.
Compared to the Education Department, his connections in the military were likely even more extensive.
This was Lin Ye’s only chance.
Hearing Wang Zhengguo’s words, the expression on Li Kai Nian’s face remained largely unchanged.
He didn’t give a direct answer.
He simply cast his gaze back toward Lin Ye on the stage and said blandly, "Getting into the training camp might not necessarily be a good thing for him."
"Without an awakened Martial Arts Spirituality, his competitiveness will be lacking in a place teeming with monsters like that."
After saying this, Li Kai Nian didn’t linger.
He gave a slight nod to Sun Changkong and the others, then turned and left directly with his entourage.
He left behind a stunned Sun Changkong and Wang Zhengguo, whose heart was left hanging in the balance.
Wang Zhengguo stood rooted to the spot, not moving for a long time.
Li Kai Nian’s words needed to be carefully considered.
They were more like a piece of advice and a warning than an outright rejection.
’Perhaps it was out of the camaraderie between fellow soldiers from the past. Perhaps it was simply because he cherished talent. Although Li Kai Nian didn’t agree to my request, he didn’t deny it either. That’s enough. I’ve done everything I can. As long as Li Kai Nian is willing to put in a word, there’s still a chance for Lin Ye to be chosen!’