Dominance
1003 Words
The man seated at the very top of the platform slowly rose to his feet. His voice rang out, clear and resonant, reaching every single participant present.
“Congratulations to all who have made it to the finals.”
He paused briefly, letting the weight of his words sink in, before continuing.
“You will now face a senior from the Academy’s Rank Three set of students.”
At that moment, a figure walked in from the front pavilion entrance.
It was a fat, chubby youth whose eyes practically dripped arrogance. He glanced at the enrollees as though they were worthless, then turned and gave a respectful bow to the man standing on the platform.
Lee Fei nodded slightly at the boy.
“Everyone, meet your senior, Wang Li. He will be in charge of assessing your abilities during the final test. Wang Li is already at the mid-tier Primordial Essence Law Comprehension Stage. Each of you will receive three strikes from him until you are eliminated. Successfully withstanding two strikes counts as a pass and earns you a place in the first level of the Outer Ring’s branch. But those who manage to block all three will be promoted straight to the third level of the Outer Ring and will have a chance to advance further in the future. Now, you may begin.”
“You, you, and you, get in line,” Wang Li said casually, pointing at a few students in the front row.
Boom!
“Fighter San Wu, eliminated!”
Boom!!
“Fighter Wan Che, eliminated next!”
Wang Li was as careless as he was cruel, letting only those he personally favored off lightly.
“Next!” called the commentator.
The elimination continued for dozens of minutes until only about five hundred people remained.
“You there,” Wang Li said, pointing at the boy standing nearest to Zhou.
Zhou frowned as Zi Feng stepped forward quietly and made his way to the stage.
Boom!
Zi Feng blocked the first strike, though his feet skidded backward.
Wang Li sneered and released a second attack, this time stronger, a barrage of wind blades.
Boom!
Zi Feng withstood the blow again, but blood spilled from his lips. His body trembled, his bones fractured, and he looked like he was at the very edge of death.
Wang Li smirked and prepared to unleash a third, even fiercer strike
“Stop!”
The voice rang out like a whip.
Wang Li halted and turned toward the speaker with an indifferent expression.
“And who told you to speak, peasant?” he asked coldly.
Zhou ignored him and rushed to Zi Feng’s side, quickly helping him up by the shoulder.
“Are you alright?” Zhou asked, a cold light flashing in his eyes.
He was completely enraged.
Straightening his back, Zhou glared at Wang Li.
“I, Zhou Chen, challenge you to take one strike from me.”
Boom!
Laughter erupted throughout the entire hall.
“Where did this lunatic come from?”
“I’ll destroy my dragon core here and now if you can withstand my attack. Do you dare accept, Fatty Li?”
The laughter died almost instantly, stuck in everyone’s throats. Destroying one’s core was no laughing matter, it meant becoming a cripple for life. Not only had Zhou made such a terrifying declaration, he had also publicly insulted a senior Rank Three inner court disciple.
He was either bold… or suicidal.
A look of anger twisted Wang Li’s face. Then, a slow, dangerous smile spread across his lips.
“Very well. Your challenge is accepted.”
Murmurs ran through the hall.
“He’s going to die…”
“And to think he’s so handsome.”
Zhou’s gaze didn’t waver. “What do I get if I win?”
Wang Li snorted. Would this peasant even be able to win?
“Fine. What do you want?”
“I want your spot in the Inner Court,” Zhou said without hesitation.
The entire hall fell silent again.
A mischievous grin spread across Wang Li’s face. “So that’s what you’re after? Good. Come at me. Come meet your doom.”
The cold, impartial voice of Lee Fei rang through the air.
“You may begin.”
Zhou inhaled deeply, focusing his mind.
“You know what?” Wang Li said mockingly. “If I even take one step back, you win.”
Spectators shook their heads in pity.
Zhou tightened his stance, recalling a technique from his cultivation method. Rage burned through him as he gathered every ounce of energy in his body, fusing it with his spiritual power.
He wasn’t entirely certain he could win, but if he hadn’t felt the possibility, he would have never spoken up.
With a roar and bloodshot eyes, Zhou unleashed his punch.
A red light erupted from his body, burning like a raging flame.
At that instant, the red seal between his brows lit up completely, radiating intense heat. It was so well-hidden that even Lee Fei, standing at the front, would not have detected it.
Zhou looked like a god descending from a world of fire, his entire figure blazing like a torch.
Vooooom!
Wang Li’s mocking smile vanished, replaced by sheer terror. The fist struck.
It felt as if he had been rammed by a steel wall moving at full speed.
Rumble!!!
The force blasted him straight across the hall, slamming him into a distant stone pillar. The entire structure crumbled, burying him in rubble.
No one knew if Wang Li was alive or dead.
Zhou stood motionless. Not even a hair on his head was disturbed. His clothes were untouched.
He had won with a single, devastating blow.
If he had not shown mercy, there wouldn’t have been a corpse left to bury.
The hall was silent, deathly silent.
To defeat a mid-tier Primordial Essence Comprehension expert while still in the Condensation Realm… it was unheard of.
Only one thought ran through every single mind present.
He’s a monster!
- Writer
