Flames blazed, dense as rain, crashing down like shooting stars.
Feng Lin stood still, unmoving, as if stunned into stupor by the meteor fire rain.
The sea of flames instantly engulfed him, swallowing him from sight.
"Damn, this kid's going to get burned to death!"
"Zhao Kai's no slouch—second only to Klot among us. His Blazing Meteor Fist is as ferocious as ever!"
"The kid talks tough, but his skills are pathetic!"
...
The lackeys jeered, eager to stir up chaos.
Klot noticed the scene and furrowed his brow.
This kid had suddenly risen from nowhere, ranking third overall in the Virtual Martial Arts Tower. Who'd have thought he'd be this weak?
How did someone so pathetic achieve such a score?
Could the tower's optical computer be malfunctioning?
"Zhao Kai, watch it! Don't burn him to death!" he warned with a frown.
"Don't worry, Master Klot! I know my limits. This bit of fire will just char his skin—modern medicine can fix that in no time. If he doesn't take a hard hit, this kid won't learn to fall in line!" Zhao Kai sneered.
Klot nodded, finding it reasonable.
He had money anyway. As long as the guy wasn't reduced to ashes, he could save him. Letting him suffer a bit might teach him some humility.
"Want me to suffer? Your fists aren't up to it, but your imagination sure is!" A cold laugh rang out abruptly.
"What?" A gasp of shock.
Boom!
The massive fireball exploded from within, and Feng Lin walked out slowly, completely unharmed, not a single scorch mark on him.
"How is this possible? You're completely fine?" Zhao Kai was stunned. His full-force attack hadn't even singed a hair on this kid! How could he accept that?
"You talk too much!" Feng Lin shook his head.
Since the other had struck first, why should he hold back?
Courtesy demands reciprocity!
He'd just finished drinking the Green-3 nutrient fluid, his body brimming with restless energy. Moving around a bit would help him digest it.
Feng Lin stepped into a Bagua stance, using the Drifting Bagua Palm footwork to close in rapidly, leaving trails of afterimages.
At the same time, he thrust out both fists with overwhelming force.
Trouble was coming!
Zhao Kai met him head-on.
Scorching Wilds!
Flames erupted around him, swirling into a blazing inferno, turning him into a human torch.
Anyone else facing such fire would hesitate.
But Feng Lin was no ordinary man. His skin took on a jade-like luster from the inside out, insulating him from the searing heat.
His fists pounded like thunder, refusing to retreat, clashing directly with Zhao Kai.
"What?" The moment their fists met, Zhao Kai's face twisted in shock. It felt like punching a stone pillar—unyielding, his fingers screaming in pain.
Whoosh!
The flames were extinguished in a single punch from Feng Lin, and a surge of force blasted Zhao Kai three meters away.
In one exchange, the victor was clear.
"Too weak!" Feng Lin shook his head, showing no mercy as he gave chase.
Eight Extremes Fist!
Ten years of Tai Chi keeps you indoors; one year of Eight Extremes kills a man.
Feng Lin unleashed a set of Earth's ancient Chinese martial arts—fierce and rigid. He used fists, feet, elbows, swords, knees—every part of his body became a weapon, attacking in an unending torrent.
Zhao Kai took hit after hit, with no chance to counter, his body swaying.
His once-invincible flames couldn't harm Feng Lin's stone-hard skin, all snuffed out.
"What? Zhao Kai's being suppressed!"
"Didn't they say this kid's vitality is only 1.5? How is he this strong?"
"Unbelievable!"
...
Gasps of astonishment erupted. Not only was Zhao Kai shocked, but Klot and the other lackeys found it hard to believe.
Zhao Kai was no pushover—vitality 2.2, awakened fire and metal genes. When he unleashed them, his boxing was solid, backed by real skill.
He was a top-tier fighter. His Blazing Meteor Fist was famous across the school—fierce and scorching. Even students with vitality 2.0 couldn't withstand it and would fall. But now, being dominated like this was unthinkable.
"Damn it!" Zhao Kai missed another strike and took a heavy punch to the face. Humiliated, killing intent flared from him as he prepared to go all out.
Though not ranked in the school, he'd always prided himself as the class's top dog, untouchable.
But after the Virtual Martial Arts Tower, everything changed.
Feng Lin had leaped to third place, crushing most of the school's geniuses and leaving him far behind.
How could he tolerate that?
He could even sense the homeroom teacher's attitude shifting.
If this continued, his status would take a huge hit.
The class's top spot would go to this brat.
He couldn't let a nobody climb over him. That's why he'd tipped off Master Klot, hoping to use his influence to squeeze out Feng Lin's secrets.
But now, he was the one being suppressed.
"Damn it!" Zhao Kai roared, his face twisting, and suddenly changed his technique.
Golden Bell Iron Shirt!
His body trembled, exuding a fierce aura, turning a dark brown like an iron man.
"Metal gene!" Feng Lin noted.
This gene allowed control over metal.
Zhao Kai was always arrogant, thinking no one in class could threaten him, and loved showing off his abilities.
Feng Lin had heard of the Golden Bell Iron Shirt—a technique requiring the metal gene. It gathered metal ions in the body, forming a hard metal shell on the skin.
Vajra Lifting the Cauldron!
But Feng Lin wasn't intimidated. He switched to the "Vajra Demon-Subduing Fist" to clash head-on.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Their fists collided with a sharp, metallic ring.
One wielded the metal gene, the other the stone embryo gene.
Two body-enhancing genes met in brutal, bloody combat, sending chills down onlookers' spines.
Feng Lin advanced steadily, step by step.
Zhao Kai, meanwhile, retreated.
The fire and metal genes were both high-tier among basic genes, far superior to the stone embryo gene. Yet in direct combat, the flames were snuffed, the Iron Shirt nearly shattered—completely suppressed.
The reason was simple: Zhao Kai was too weak.
His vitality came from piled-up nutrients, his gene enhancement insufficient, making him feeble.
Vajra Mighty Palm!
Feng Lin struck out with one palm, whipping up a fierce wind that swept Zhao Kai away.
Too weak!
Though he knew defeating him made him the class's top dog, winning against such a feeble opponent brought no satisfaction.
Unsatisfied, Feng Lin shook his head and suddenly coldly addressed the others, "Come at me, all of you!"
"Arrogant!"
"You think beating Zhao Kai makes you invincible?"
"Looking for death!"
...
The lackeys, used to bullying their way through school, had never been so disrespected. They seethed with fury.
"You talk too much!" Feng Lin, annoyed by their bluster, charged at them, taking them all on.
Trouble comes to those who seek it!
This group was clearly out for blood.
Better to cut through the mess quickly!
Feng Lin had no time to waste with them.
In a cultivator's fight, strength reigns supreme.
No amount of trash talk would make anyone lose a pound of flesh.
Feng Lin lunged fiercely, aiming to crush them all with overwhelming force.