Starry Sky Professional

Facing such an opponent, Fang Xing couldn’t help but express his respect. With a swift motion, his fingers came together, his body arched like a bow, and in a single leap, he crossed several meters to seize the position Phoenix was aiming for. "But if spirit alone worked, why would we need the tangible?"

Boom!

A sudden explosion echoed through the air.

Bow Stance Cannon Fist!

A punch worth its weight in gold!

Once Fang Xing got slightly serious, Phoenix was sent flying backward even faster than she had arrived.

This time, she landed directly outside the ring, fainting upon impact.

"Damn, Fang Xing from Class Two isn't human! He actually knocked Phoenix out…"

"I'll remember you, we'll settle this in the ring!"

Despite being a pretty girl, Phoenix had many fans, which immediately stirred a commotion.

Fang Xing paid no attention to the buzzing of these flies.

‘Hmph, if I hadn't won so decisively, given her personality, she would have pushed for victory even at the cost of self-harm, which would only lead to a worse defeat and more serious injuries…’

He snorted internally and stepped down from the ring.

At this moment, a louder exclamation arose from the adjacent ring.

"So ruthless!"

"Is this... Skin Refining completion? And not just ordinary hide, it's bronze skin level!"

"That must be Cole from Class Two, right? Class Two is really on a roll, producing such martial talent!"

…

"Hmm?"

Fang Xing moved toward the adjacent ring and saw Cole, fists raised in a roar of victory, standing over another classmate who had fainted on the ground.

The classmate looked utterly tragic, as if they'd been flattened by a steamroller.

Upon listening to the conversation around him, Fang Xing grasped that in the previous matchup, Cole had exhibited a terrifying power. No matter how his opponent attacked, Cole remained unshaken.

Such defense could only be described as Skin Refining to perfection, and not just with any hide!

The more frightening thing was Cole's brutality once he gained the upper hand!

“Roar!”

Cole raised his fist, roaring like a beast.

His slightly bloodshot eyes darted around until they landed on Fang Xing. He immediately sneered, making a throat-slitting gesture.

‘How audacious...’

Fang Xing crossed his arms, his expression icy and unprovoked by the provocation.

After all, to him, Cole was no different from an ant by the roadside.

People wouldn't waste their time arguing with ants; they'd simply crush them without a second thought!

He soon faced his second opponent, his classmate Qian Xun.

Qian Xun, dressed in her training attire, her pumpkin-shaped hair still intact, said, “Fang, please go easy on me!”

Clearly, she knew how much Xia Long valued Fang Xing, and she was aware that she wasn't his match.

Yet, she still chose to challenge her own limits.

“Please!”

Fang Xing slightly lifted his hand as Qian Xun leaped forward, her legs twirling like a pair of snakes, the ‘Double Snake Legs’ move from the twelve forms of military fist!

With a slight twist of his hands, Fang Xing opened his palm and gripped her ankle.

With a tad more force, he threw Qian Xun off the stage.

“You...!”

Qian Xun's face turned a faint red, then filled with undisguised shock, “You've mastered skin refinement?”

Only such a level of defense could catch her move so effortlessly.

“Even that fool Cole has mastered skin refinement, so it's only normal I reached this level,”

Fang Xing replied with a smile.

“Oh, but do you know? Cole's family even took out a loan to support his martial arts training...”

Qian Xun said as she got up, brushing the dust off her clothes, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

“Don't tell me, his mother quit her job to take care of him full-time and then took out a loan to buy a house...”

Fang Xing's expression suddenly turned a bit peculiar.

Adding all these to pouring resources into tiger-parenting their child, this was perfectly the three major financial pitfalls for middle-income families back in my previous life.

“How is that possible? Louise was originally a full-time housewife, but later on, due to Cole's exorbitant martial arts expenses, she had to find work...”

Qian Xun, evidently not catching Fang Xing's drift, responded seriously.

“That's truly unfortunate.”

Fang Xing shook his head, when a voice suddenly reached his ears, causing his expression to change immediately.

“Ring Number Nine, Liu Wei versus Cole!”

“Hmm?”

He hurried to the edge of the arena and saw Liu Wei stepping up. On the opposite side was Cole, wearing only a tight vest, looking much more robust.

“Liu Wei... Perfect, aren't you Fang Xing's close buddy?”

“Back then, Ah Xing didn't cripple you; he really was too lenient...”

A hint of coldness flashed in Liu Wei's eyes.

“Ahem... You two may begin,” a teacher in charge of the ring coughed twice speechlessly.

Just high school students, yet their tones were so arrogant, constantly speaking of fighting and killing — did they think the martial arts teachers were dead?

Even though knowing that in a martial artist's bout, momentum is crucial, they should also be moderate.

“Die for me!”

Cole charged forward, resembling both a tank and a frenzied grizzly bear.

From his footwork and punches, he clearly learned a different set of fighting techniques, his style fiercely different from before.

Coupled with his mastery of the skin-refining stage, he could absolutely compete for the top spot among first-years at Yu Cai High!

“Hmm? This Cole is pretty good!”

Pushing his glasses up, a martial arts teacher remarked, “Being at the peak of the skin-refining stage and having learned 'Black Snake Combat Arts', he would've easily secured the top spot in previous years' practical tests.”

"Hmph..."

Xia Long's ears twitched as he picked up on a faint sound from afar. With disdain, he remarked, "From what I know, Cole has ingested the 'Blackman Serum.' Although this concoction isn't officially banned, it's practically the same... It seems his coach is short-sighted, focusing solely on immediate progress while ignoring potential and future growth..."

As the two teachers conversed, the scene shifted to the arena.

Liu Wei was already facing Cole. Both of them pulled back their arms simultaneously before launching their punches!

Cole's fist was rough-skinned with a bluish-black hue, reminiscent of an iron hammer.

Though his fist hadn't yet connected, the force of the strike was already ferocious.

Liu Wei too clenched his five fingers and threw a punch!

Yet as he swung his arm, the muscles on his right arm seemed to come alive, squirming and swelling madly...

Bang!

A thunderous explosion echoed!

Cole let out a scream, his right arm fractured into several segments!

Moreover, his entire body was thrown back like a cannonball, knocked off the platform.

"Hmm?"

Fang Xing, witnessing the scene, was somewhat amazed, "Liu Wei actually defeated Cole?"

Although they hadn't been in much contact recently, the progress Liu Wei made was astoundingly terrifying!

Whoosh!

Several figures descended around the arena at a speed indistinguishable to the naked eye, assessing Cole's injuries.

"His arm is broken, and the ribs too... it's a severe injury, but treatable."

One of the female teachers examined Cole's wounds and spoke up.

Xia Long focused on the squirming, almost living muscles of Liu Wei's right arm, his eyes brightened slightly: "An esper? Liu Wei... have you awakened your powers?"

"Yes, from the power category – Muscle Activation!"

Liu Wei replied earnestly.

"Not bad, this power might have limited potential but allows you to tap into most of your body's strength... Besides, you've got a big advantage in refining muscles and skin... looking at your level, you should almost be about to perfect your skin refining, right?"

Xia Long didn't spare his praise: "Keep working hard... Finally, in my class, we have a student with a hope of getting into college."

It was clear that in Xia Long's eyes, Fang Xing, who had been hiding his talents, might not have reached that level yet.

However, Liu Wei, who had awakened the ability of 'Muscle Activation,' had met the standard!

"Rest assured, teacher, I will work hard."

Liu Wei had become much more composed. He slowly stepped down from the ring, seemingly glancing towards Fang Xing.

"Cole, that idiot... talked about teaching me a lesson and ended up being eliminated first."

Fang Xing muttered a complaint, shifting his gaze to his next opponent—Ouyang Qianqian.

By sheer coincidence, he drew another classmate for the third round, continuing their internal competition.

"Fang, please teach me well!"

Ouyang Qianqian was full of vitality. Evidently, she had also undergone rigorous training. Her strikes were numerous and intricate, with a certain flexibility in her strength, clearly improved since last time.

"Ouyang, your progress is impressive..."

Fang Xing sighed emotionally, immediately dropping his defenses to withstand eighteen of Ouyang's finger strikes head-on.

Clang! Clang!

The finger strength, potent enough to fracture bones, was surprisingly blocked by an extremely resilient force on Fang Xing's body.

It felt as if someone were massaging him, the spots where the fingers hit tingling comfortably.

‘Hmm? Is this also a special effect of my 'Jade Skin'? Does it disperse force?’

Normally, even if it were cowhide or copper skin, they might withstand Ouyang's strikes but suffer some penetrating and retaliating damage.

However, Fang Xing felt his skin tremble slightly at the points of contact, redirecting the concentrated force.

Ouyang's finishing moves achieved nothing, and she looked at Fang Xing like he was a monster: "Even though I've worked so hard, the gap between us is widening..."

She felt a tinge of sadness.

Both Fang Xing and Liu Wei had leapt beyond her imagination in martial prowess!

In comparison, she, a natural human, felt completely inadequate.

"I concede!"

Ouyang Qianqian raised her hand to signal the referee, then turned to Fang Xing and declared, "I will definitely surpass you."

(End of Chapter)