The air in the elite class's training hall was thick with unspoken tension. It was Sunday, the unofficial day of reckoning at Honor School. Everyone knew that by nightfall, the weekly combat rankings would be locked in, and the rewards distributed. It was a day for settling scores and climbing the ladder, a day most students lived for.
But today, the usual flurry of challenges was on hold. All eyes were on one person: Xiao Ke.
He and his friend Ling Feng walked in, offering a respectful nod to the instructors gathered on the side. Head Instructor Di Shitian returned the nod, his gaze lingering on Ling Feng with open admiration. The boy was from a noble family—an illegitimate son, yes, but brimming with potential. A future pillar of the empire, perhaps.
Then his eyes fell on Xiao Ke, and his brow furrowed. The boy was an enigma.
Technically, Xiao Ke was a mere Level 2 War Soldier, but his physical strength was unnatural, off the charts. Di Shitian had pegged his true combat ability as closer to a Level 5 War General after the entrance trials. Yet, seeing him now, something felt… different. He couldn't put his finger on it. The kid's Origin Power signature was as faint as ever. Was he imagining things?
He pushed the thought aside. "Xiao Ke," Di Shitian's voice cut through the silence. "You haven't forgotten our bet, have you?"
Xiao Ke met his gaze without flinching. "I remember. And I'm still waiting for your apology, Head Instructor."
A flicker of anger flashed in Di Shitian's eyes. He had only given Xiao Ke a spot in the elite class to act as a "catfish"—to stir the pot and push the other, more pedigreed students. He never expected the boy to take him so seriously. Now, with the whole class watching, his own authority was on the line.
"Fine," he said, his voice cold. "Break into the top ten today, and you can stay. I'll even apologize. But if you fail, pack your bags and get out." He leaned forward slightly. "So, have you chosen your opponent?"
Before Xiao Ke could answer, another instructor, Jiang Youwei, stepped forward. Her voice was softer. "Xiao Ke, you have until the end of the day. If you aren't ready, you can wait until this afternoon."
The other instructors exchanged surprised glances. The Grand Princess herself seemed concerned for this nobody. Xiao Ke felt a pang of gratitude. She had secretly given him a rare Bone-Cleansing Pill the night before, a gesture he wouldn't forget.
"Thank you, Instructor Jiang, but there's no need to wait," he said calmly. "I'm ready. I've already chosen my opponent."
Across the room, the top ten students tensed. To get in, Xiao Ke had to knock one of them out.
A smirk played on the lips of Li Zhenning, the fifth-ranked student. His eyes were full of open provocation, daring Xiao Ke to even think it.
"And who would that be?" Di Shitian pressed.
The eighth and tenth-ranked students, Chu Tian and Song Zhongjin, held their breath. They were the logical targets, the weakest links in the top ten.
But Xiao Ke's gaze bypassed them completely. He raised his hand, pointed it directly at the smirking Li Zhenning, and said, "Him."
The smirk on Li Zhenning's face froze, then twisted into a predatory grin. "You've got guts, kid. I'll give you that."
Di Shitian was genuinely taken aback. He glanced at Jiang Youwei, who looked just as confused. Xiao Ke was still a Level 2. That pill she gave him should have boosted him to Level 3 at least. Did he not even take it? Was he just throwing in the towel, choosing an impossible fight so he could go out in a blaze of glory?
"Well, Xiao Ke," Di Shitian chuckled, a humorless sound. "I have to admit, your courage is commendable. But courage doesn't bridge a gap in power. Let's see how you plan to beat Li Zhenning." He raised his voice. "Clear the floor! Give them room to fight."
The students scrambled back, forming a wide circle. Xiao Ke and Li Zhenning stepped forward, handing their dog-tag-like nameplates to Di Shitian for safekeeping. They met in the center of the ring.
Li Zhenning mouthed two words, a silent, vicious promise: You're dead.
Di Shitian held up their nameplates. "Begin!"
Li Zhenning exploded into motion. He moved like a hawk, closing the distance in a blink and unleashing a brutal right hook. The air around his fist crackled with raw Origin Power, the tell-tale sign of a master.
Xiao Ke simply stepped into the attack and threw a punch of his own. It was a plain, unadorned strike, seemingly artless except for the violent shriek of the air it displaced.
Clueless brute, Li Zhenning thought with a sneer. My 2,000 units of Origin Power are going to turn his arm to dust. "Go down!" he roared.
BOOM!
The impact was a thunderclap. It wasn't the sound of shattering bone, but of two unstoppable forces colliding.
The impossible happened. Xiao Ke barely rocked on his feet, his legs rooted to the floor like ancient trees. It was Li Zhenning who was thrown back, stumbling several steps, his entire right arm buzzing with a painful numbness.
His eyes went wide. What?
He had no time to process it. Xiao Ke was on him, a blur of motion, his elbow driving for Li Zhenning's chest like a battering ram. The blow was simple, direct, and utterly devastating. Li Zhenning knew if it landed, his ribs would be splinters.
Years of elite training took over. He twisted, catching Xiao Ke's elbow with his left hand while his right snaked around Xiao Ke's neck, trying to use his momentum for a throw. But Xiao Ke's reaction was just as fast. Instead of fighting the fall, he clung to Li Zhenning, dragging the bigger fighter down with him.
They hit the floor in a tangled mess of limbs. It wasn't a graceful duel; it was a brawl. Elbows, knees, and fists flew, slamming into flesh and bone with sickening thuds. When they missed, they struck the training floor, leaving spiderweb cracks and craters in the reinforced surface.
Li Zhenning finally landed a solid kick to Xiao Ke's chest, sending him flying off. Both scrambled back to their feet, breathing heavily. Xiao Ke's chest screamed in protest, a sharp, stabbing pain with every breath. But Li Zhenning was worse off. His face was a swollen, bloody mess from a punch that would have crushed the skull of a lesser man. Only his own Origin Power had saved him.
The hall was utterly silent. No one had expected this. Not a quick victory, but a bloody stalemate where the underdog seemed to be gaining the upper hand.
"Again!" Xiao Ke roared, a primal cry that echoed in the cavernous room.
"Fine!" Li Zhenning spat back.
They crashed together again, but this time, the dynamic had shifted. Xiao Ke, forged in the crucible of real battle, fought with a terrifying ferocity. Pain was just a distraction. Li Zhenning, on the other hand, was shaken. His confidence was shattered, and his movements became hesitant, defensive. He was being systematically broken down.
Jiang Youwei watched, mesmerized. Xiao Ke's style was pure military—brutal, efficient, and devoid of wasted motion. Every strike was aimed to maim or kill. It was a style that, in anyone else's hands, would be merely effective. But powered by Xiao Ke's freakish, inhuman strength, it was unstoppable.
Defense can only last so long. Xiao Ke found his opening. Three lightning-fast punches, each one a hammer blow, shattered Li Zhenning's guard. His chest was wide open.
Xiao Ke didn't hesitate. He surged forward, driving his fist deep into Li Zhenning's sternum. There was a sickening crunch. Li Zhenning gasped, stumbling backward, but Xiao Ke's hand shot out, grabbing his arm and yanking him back from the brink of escape.
Then came the final, brutal blow. A kick, swift and merciless, snapped Li Zhenning's head back. A spray of blood erupted from his mouth as he crumpled to the ground, unconscious before he even landed.
Medics rushed in, but the fight was already over. The students just stared, their minds struggling to process what they had just seen. The Level 2 kid from the trash class had just dismantled the fifth-strongest student in the school.
Di Shitian walked forward, his face an unreadable mask. Was he proud of discovering this monstrous talent, or humiliated that his judgment had been so wrong? He picked up the "005" nameplate and handed it to the victor.
"The winner is Xiao Ke," he announced, his voice tight. "He is now ranked fifth in the elite class."
He paused, the next words clearly difficult. "About… our bet. Are you sure you want me to apologize right now?" It was an out, a silent plea for Xiao Ke to be gracious in victory. Let it go, and he'd earn the Head Instructor's gratitude. Insist, and he'd make a powerful enemy.
For Xiao Ke, it was never about politics. It was about respect. Di Shitian had insulted his family, using his deepest pain as a weapon. That could not be forgiven without an apology.
He looked the Head Instructor in the eye. "I'm sure."
Di Shitian's jaw tightened. He was the Head Instructor. He couldn't go back on his word. "Student Xiao Ke," he said, the words forced through gritted teeth. "For my… inappropriate words on Monday, I apologize."
"Apology accepted," Xiao Ke said quietly, knowing he had just traded a potential ally for his principles.
Sensing the tense atmosphere, Di Shitian turned to the rest of the students, his voice booming to reassert control. "Listen up! In less than a month, the Emperor's Autumn Hunt begins. The new Emperor has made it clear: Honor School will outperform the nobles from the Hanlin Academy this year. Your graduation depends on it. So get to work. It's time we showed those arrogant aristocrats what real power looks like."