C4 Defeat Sun Ze.

Name: Lu Chong

Level: Martial Disciple Stage 4 (6%)

Martial Skills: Nine Shadow Step at Great Completion (60%)

Monument Breaking Hand at Great Completion (52%)

Lu Chong barely had time to process the situation when Sun Ze was already upon him. Empowered by the Nine Shadow Step, his movements were elusive.

Yet, to Lu Chong, Sun Ze's footwork was not as inscrutable as it seemed.

His own Nine Shadow Step was not only at Great Completion but on the verge of advancing to the Arcane level. He was certainly not inferior to Sun Ze.

To everyone's surprise, Sun Ze's powerful chop passed right through Lu Chong's body.

"An afterimage!" Sun Ze inwardly gasped, while the onlookers exchanged confused glances.

"Did Lu Chong just dodge that?"

In the nick of time, Lu Chong executed the Nine Shadow Step, narrowly evading the strike and leaving an afterimage in his place.

"He got lucky," Sun Ze assumed, thinking Lu Chong's dodge was mere fluke.

But then, Lu Chong materialized behind him like a specter and landed a solid palm strike on his back.

The hit was so unexpected that Sun Ze couldn't even react.

Propelled by the force of Lu Chong's attack, Sun Ze was sent flying three meters, his face etched with disbelief.

Without giving Sun Ze a moment to recover, Lu Chong closed in and slapped him squarely on the right cheek.

Sun Ze yelped in pain, spinning a full 360 degrees before crashing to the ground.

"Lu Chong's Nine Shadow Step is at Great Completion!" a student shouted in awe.

Leaving one afterimage indicated the Beginner level of the Nine Shadow Step; two signified Small Completion; four afterimages were the hallmark of Great Completion.

Lu Chong's rapid succession of strikes had left behind four afterimages due to his incredible speed.

The Class Teacher, Chen Yufei, and Lou Qingqing, all familiar with Lu Chong, were dumbfounded by his display of prowess.

Sun Ze, who had underestimated his opponent, felt the brunt of Lu Chong's progress firsthand.

Though their strengths were comparable, with Sun Ze perhaps even holding a slight edge, his underestimation had given Lu Chong the opening for a triple strike.

Now that Lu Chong had the advantage, he wasn't about to pause for dramatic effect. He struck Sun Ze's left cheek with another heavy slap.

These blows were far more severe than Sun Ze's earlier attacks. Sun Ze's cheeks swelled, and he spat out two teeth.

Reeling from the assault, Sun Ze was on the verge of losing consciousness, but Lu Chong was relentless.

He lifted his palm, ready to deliver a knockout blow, ensuring that Sun Ze would be incapacitated but not fatally injured.

After all, Sun Ze hadn't conceded defeat yet.

"Wait, I give up!" In a last-ditch effort, Sun Ze cried out in terror.

But it was too late. Lu Chong's palm had already sent him into unconsciousness.

The crowd erupted, staring at Lu Chong as if he were a creature from another world.

Once Lu Chong was sure Sun Ze wasn't waking up, he bent down to help him, feigning concern. "Sun Ze, are you okay? Sorry about that, I didn't mean to hit so hard. I had no idea you were that fragile."

Sun Ze's body twitched. "Come on, wake up, Sun Ze," Lu Chong urged, shaking him.

The bystanders were taken aback, some even feeling a twinge of sympathy for Sun Ze.

But they soon remembered that Sun Ze had it coming; he was known for bullying others.

Yet, Lu Chong's ruthlessness seemed to surpass even Sun Ze's.

Fear crept into the hearts of many students as they wondered if they had ever crossed Lu Chong or his close friend, Chen Yufei.

Chen Yufei struggled to suppress a chuckle, amused by Lu Chong's cunning tactics.

"You've always held back your true self," he remarked.

Unlike the others, Chen Yufei wasn't afraid. He believed Sun Ze deserved the harsh lesson.

"Lu Chong, you're truly a brother to me!" he exclaimed, his grievances evaporating.

Lu Chong's act didn't last long before the Class Teacher approached, instructing, "Lu Chong, Lou Qingqing, take Sun Ze and Chen Yufei to the infirmary. Everyone else, continue your matches."

"Right away, Teacher," Lou Qingqing promptly replied.

Lu Chong then hoisted the 1.8-meter-tall Sun Ze with one hand and supported Chen Yufei with the other, making a beeline for the infirmary.

Lou Qingqing treaded cautiously behind them, stealing glances at Lu Chong's upright figure, her mind wandering with wild thoughts.

"Why can't you just give me a chance to get close to a beauty?" Chen Yufei grumbled.

"Aren't you smitten with Hsiang Yueya alone? I wouldn't want to make her jealous," Lu Chong quipped with feigned surprise.

Chen Yufei was at a loss for words.

In this world, medical technology was incredibly advanced. Chen Yufei's injuries required only minimal treatment, and he was set to recover by the end of the day.

Sun Ze, despite his severe injuries, would bounce back after an overnight hospital stay and be ready to return to school the following day.

By the time the trio made it back to the field, the combat class was nearly finished.

Sun Ze, of course, had been left in the infirmary. There was no chance of him leaving today.

"That's it for today's combat class. Dismissed," announced Wang Tong, and the students quickly scattered.

"Lu Chong, Chen Yufei, stop by my office after school," he called to them.

"Yes, Teacher," Lu Chong and Chen Yufei responded promptly.

"As I walk back, it seems our Class Teacher has caught on to the strides I've made in my training," Lu Chong mused to himself.

Just yesterday, he was a Stage 3 Martial Disciple with two martial skills at Small Completion. Today, his sudden surge in power was nothing short of extraordinary.

Lu Chong hadn't yet figured out how to explain this.

"Mr. Chong, you were incredible," Chen Yufei burst out with excitement once they were alone.

"Now, no one in our class will dare underestimate us."

Lu Chong didn't respond to Chen Yufei. Yet, he could sense the shift in his classmates' stares—from disdain to awe.