Chapter 1 The Gym

The command department's gymnasium.

The First Military Academy's gymnasium was extremely well-equipped. Both sides were filled with various testing and exercise machines. The entire area of over two thousand square meters could easily accommodate two or three hundred people, making it seem extremely spacious.

A large group of people, all from the command department, surrounded the open space in the center of the gymnasium. Basically, everyone in the class had come to watch the fight.

Zheng Xu and Nie Yan stood facing each other, about five meters apart. Both of them had changed into combat uniforms.

"Today, regardless of the outcome, this is just a friendly exchange. If anyone gets hurt, I can only blame myself for being unlucky," Zheng Xu said, immediately positioning himself as the weaker party. The meaning of his words was clear: if Nie Yan got hurt, he could only accept it and not hold a grudge later. As for him losing, that was only to be expected. Nie Yan had the highest overall score, so it would only be normal for him to be stronger.

"I'll go easy on you," Nie Yan said coldly, sizing up Zheng Xu. This guy was too scheming, which made him loathsome.

Zheng Xu's expression turned ugly when he heard this. He sneered inwardly, thinking that it was too early to say who would be crying in the end.

"Who do you guys think will win, Nie Yan or Zheng Xu?"

"Nie Yan has a better chance of winning, but you never know. After all, their data for fist strength and leg strength is only off by a hundred or two kilograms. That can be completely compensated for with combat skills."

The surrounding classmates discussed animatedly, with opinions varying widely.

What they didn't know was that Zheng Xu's combat skills weren't even on the same level as Nie Yan's. Nie Yan had been an assassin, and his skills were not something these people's fancy moves could compare to.

"Let's begin," Zheng Xu said, bowing to Nie Yan.

"Please," Nie Yan returned the bow.

The surrounding onlookers retreated a distance, in order to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

It had begun!

Zheng Xu roared and lunged at Nie Yan, attacking with great ferocity, chopping down with a hand blade.

Nie Yan raised his arm to block, moving as fast as a rabbit. *Bang*, an elbow strike landed on Zheng Xu's abdomen, the movement as swift as lightning.

Zheng Xu didn't have time to dodge and grunted. He retaliated with a knee strike, a completely head-on approach.

Nie Yan sidestepped, retreated a few steps, and unleashed a spinning kick towards Zheng Xu's face.

Zheng Xu quickly raised his arm to block. With a muffled *bang*, his arm took the full force of the kick, and he staggered backwards several steps.

Nie Yan and Zheng Xu exchanged several blows in an instant, all hard-hitting techniques. The onlookers watched in horror, feeling the immense power contained in Nie Yan's and Zheng Xu's punches, elbows, and knees. They estimated that if they were to take just one of those hits, their bones might be broken.

Zheng Xu took several blows head-on and cursed inwardly. Although he had added 'special protection' to his joints, Nie Yan's attacks were too fierce, causing his chest to churn and his body to ache all over. What powerful attacks! If he hadn't taken precautions, he would have been flat on the ground within two moves.

Nie Yan was too strong, radiating a decisive, murderous aura that left him with no power to resist.

Nie Yan was also secretly shocked. His arms and legs were throbbing with pain. Those blows just now felt like hitting stone, incredibly hard, and the rebounding force made his limbs feel numb. He never expected Zheng Xu to dare use his chest to take his first elbow strike. According to the force of his elbow strike, Zheng Xu should have broken at least two ribs. However, Zheng Xu acted as if nothing had happened. Nie Yan immediately realized that Zheng Xu was cheating.

With the current level of technology, anyone with money could buy ultra-thin metal made of composite materials, which could be worn to defend against most of the force of attacks.

If Nie Yan were to expose Zheng Xu now, Zheng Xu would probably be disciplined by the First Military Academy. Cheating in the arena had to be disclosed to the opponent beforehand, otherwise it would be considered a violation. If these banned items were used in violation of the rules, and the attacks during the fight were severe, it would be classified as attempted murder.

In terms of real strength, Zheng Xu was no match for Nie Yan. He probably couldn't even withstand two or three moves. After wearing the protection, he could only adopt a defensive stance and had no chance to counterattack.

Nie Yan looked at Zheng Xu across from him and sneered inwardly. This guy actually wore protection to scheme against him. He was going to have some fun with Zheng Xu.

"Zheng Xu, you were too modest just now. I didn't expect your ability to withstand hits to be so strong. You took an elbow strike to the chest and acted like nothing happened. It seems you were holding back. In that case, I'll use my full strength. Please advise," Nie Yan said, cutting off Zheng Xu's escape route and giving himself a suitable reason to go all out.

Zheng Xu secretly lamented. As soon as they exchanged blows, he felt an overwhelming pressure. He wanted to dodge Nie Yan's elbow strike, but Nie Yan's movements were too fast, and he couldn't keep up. After hearing Nie Yan's words, Zheng Xu's cheeks flushed. He wondered if Nie Yan had noticed he was wearing protection.

Forget it. What was there to fear with protection? He'd use a mutually destructive fighting style. He didn't believe Nie Yan could withstand it. He just needed to protect his head and not worry about being hit.

"Likewise, you're very strong too, Nie," Zheng Xu said, still maintaining a façade of composure. With so many beautiful women watching, he couldn't afford to lose face.

Zheng Xu charged forward again, throwing a punch straight at Nie Yan's chest. Nie Yan shifted his body to the side, dodging the attack.

He then kicked out, aiming for Nie Yan's waist.

Courting death! Nie Yan dodged the attack with a quick shift, and his left hand shot out, grabbing Zheng Xu's ankle like an iron clamp, holding it firmly in place.

Zheng Xu tried to pull away several times, but he couldn't get his foot back. A sharp pain shot up his ankle, feeling as if the bone was about to crack.

This was just grip strength! This was too terrifying.

Nie Yan raised his right foot and delivered a side kick, striking Zheng Xu's chest with brutal force.

With a loud *bang*, Zheng Xu felt an enormous force slamming into his chest. Even after the ultra-thin metal on his chest had absorbed most of the impact, it was still incredibly powerful.

The force sent him flying five or six meters, before he landed on the ground and rolled to a stop.

The entire gymnasium fell silent. The power of that kick was terrifying. To send someone flying five or six meters with one kick required an incredible amount of strength!

Anyone who took a hit like that would be half-dead even if they survived.

Zheng Xu was finished, they couldn't help but think.

Zhao Shiyu's face had turned pale with fright. Although she knew Zheng Xu was wearing protection, she hadn't expected Nie Yan to be so strong. Zheng Xu didn't even have the ability to fight back in his hands. She now had a deep appreciation for the difference in their strengths. Even with protection, Zheng Xu was still no match for Nie Yan.

Nie Yan was much stronger than anyone had imagined.

"I estimate that in the entire First Military Academy, only Lei Su can go a few rounds with Nie Yan," an onlooker said with some trepidation.

Being humiliated like this in front of so many people for the first time, Zheng Xu was unwilling to accept it, especially since he had promised Zhao Shiyu that if he won, she would be his girlfriend. With that thought in mind, he gritted his teeth and stood up. Because of the protection, Zheng Xu hadn't suffered any serious injuries, just soreness throughout his body, feeling as if his bones were about to fall apart.

Zheng Xu could actually still stand! The entire crowd erupted in an uproar.

"Impossible! No one's ability to withstand hits can possibly reach this level! He definitely cheated!"

"Zheng Xu cheated!" The onlookers were indignant. In a fair challenge, cheating was absolutely unacceptable.

As soon as Zheng Xu stood up, he realized his mistake. He should have stayed down. Now, anyone with eyes could tell he was wearing protection. Enraged and humiliated, he roared and charged at Nie Yan.

Coming right at me! Nie Yan smirked coldly, quickly retreating and nimbly dodging Zheng Xu's attacks. His left hand suddenly shot out, grabbing Zheng Xu's elbow. He shifted his body slightly, accelerated with a lateral spin, and exerted force from his waist, channeling all his strength into his right arm as he threw a punch.

With a deafening *bang*, a powerful fist landed on Zheng Xu's chest. *Puh*, Zheng Xu spat out a mouthful of blood.

Nie Yan wasn't going to stop there. A guy like Zheng Xu would retaliate fiercely in the future if he let him off today. He needed to leave Zheng Xu bedridden for at least a few months, leaving him with a deep memory, so that he would avoid him at all costs in the future!

Nie Yan executed a flying side kick, slamming his foot hard into Zheng Xu's face. Zheng Xu cried out miserably and flew backwards, collapsing on the ground.

Even with special protection, Zheng Xu couldn't possibly put it on his face.

Nie Yan stopped in his tracks. Zheng Xu lay on the ground, unable to get up, whimpering incessantly. That kick had been extremely powerful, and it would take him at least a few months to recover. He estimated that even if Zheng Xu recovered, he wouldn't dare to cause trouble for Nie Yan again.

This time, Zheng Xu had broken the rules first, putting Nie Yan in the right. If the school investigated, they would only hold Zheng Xu responsible, perhaps even issuing a demerit. Nie Yan, on the other hand, would get off scot-free because everything he had done was within the rules. Getting injured during a martial arts contest was normal. As long as no one died, it wouldn't cause any trouble.

Zhao Shiyu called the school infirmary. After a while, Zheng Xu was carried away for treatment.

The students in the class looked at Nie Yan with awe, the events that had just unfolded leaving an indelible impression on their minds. This Nie Yan was not to be trifled with!

Xu Yan, Fei Zhe, and Xia Tianyu stared blankly at Nie Yan. They really hadn't expected Nie Yan to be so powerful. Even with protection, Zheng Xu couldn't last even tens of seconds against Nie Yan. What a freak!

"You're awesome! I've decided, from now on, you're my boss," Xu Yan said excitedly. The fight between Nie Yan and Zheng Xu had been too impressive.

"Bro, how about teaching us some fighting skills sometime?" Fei Zhe asked. He envied Nie Yan for having such skills. If Nie Yan could teach them some, it would definitely be of great help to them.

"No problem," Nie Yan said readily. He wasn't a stingy person.

Xia Tianyu had originally had a bit of pride and wanted to compete with Nie Yan, but now, he put all those thoughts away. To compete with a freak like Nie Yan was just asking for a beating.

The group chatted as they left.

Zhao Shiyu watched Nie Yan's departing figure, a complex expression on her face. That scene just now had made her afraid to provoke Nie Yan again. If she angered Nie Yan, she would suffer a terrible fate.