Chapter 78 - 77: The Fierce Tiger Roars, Appears Out of Nowhere

"Mom... Jiang Shu, he..." Having been following the battle on the arena closely and with immense tension, Jiang Yanyue suddenly stuttered. Ever since Jiang Shu had stepped into the arena, she and her parents had been worried. You see, in Wu Zhiming’s hands, even Martial Arts prodigies ranked around twentieth on the Rookie List had been blasted off the stage with just a few punches. Her brother was only ranked nineteenth on the Rookie List. Compared to the top three, who knew how big the gap was? She had stopped eating snacks altogether and was just praying in the stands, hoping Jiang Shu would not get injured, so that he could fight again in tomorrow’s revival match and strive for a top-ten finish. But now, on that arena, the figure retreating was actually Wu Zhiming? Is my older brother... really this terrifying now?!!! 「In the official live streaming room.」 "Was the camera just shaking, or did I overdo it last night and start hallucinating? Wu Zhiming, retreated half a step? No good, I need to go ’cool off’ again." "???" "Holy shit, who ranked this Rookie List? Nineteenth, hammering the third? Is this really the Rookie List’s nineteenth-ranked?" "Calm down, it’s just half a step back, not like he’s been knocked off the stage. The outcome is still undecided." A barrage of comments flew. Many viewers from other livestreams had been redirected here, and the number of viewers had reached an astonishing 8,000,000. "PHEW..." 「Up on the arena.」 Jiang Shu and Wu Zhiming both paused their exchange in an instant. Wu Zhiming reined in the shock in his eyes. He took a deep breath, adjusting his state. He massaged the several red, swollen patches on his arm again and again. So painful. So sore. So swollen. But... this is what a fight between men is all about! This is the genius competition I’ve dreamt of! Wu Zhiming clenched his fists, the fighting spirit in his eyes surging like a tidal wave! Heroes in this world are truly as numerous as crucian carp crossing a river! Jiang Shu... He’s really, very strong... But I have trump cards too! "Watch out," Wu Zhiming said with utmost seriousness, then took his stance. His legs were shoulder-width apart, fists held at his waist, palms up. He twisted his waist, thrust his shoulder forward, and rotated his arms inward—his punch roared! This was the Bow Stance Punch! An improved version of military boxing, unleashed by Wu Zhiming in this very moment! Throat-piercing kick! Step forward, smash with the elbow! Every move was savage and fierce! It was as if the person before him wasn’t a genius contestant on the stage, but a vicious and evil thug! Jiang Shu’s gaze was calm. Having achieved Great Success in Snake Step, he could easily maneuver around the spacious arena. But what fun would that be? The Tiger Pattern Three Moves! Pounce! Lift! Snip! "Bring it on!" Jiang Shu’s stance was firm, without a hint of dodging. With a long howl, he was like a fierce tiger, his aura imposing, his punches ravaging, his long hair fluttering! BANG. BANG. BANG! The two figures clashed rapidly, their speed astonishing and their power ferocious, causing onlookers to marvel. Their clothes, under the explosive force of the punches, were shredded to tatters, pieces flying everywhere! Wu Zhiming’s muscles were exposed, his veins bulging fiercely, and his bronze skin made each move look powerful and valiant! Even if Zhu Qingyun were here, I’m confident I could defeat him! Wu Zhiming’s eyes were full of confidence, all his limbs and muscles exerting force simultaneously, his energy thrumming. As for Jiang Shu, ever since he achieved Break Limit with his Starving Tiger Stance and Starving Tiger Breath Control, he could rapidly digest any amount of exotic beast meat he consumed. Although he didn’t have muscles as developed as Wu Zhiming’s, his bones and sinews were incredibly strong. The simple Tiger Pattern Three Moves, when executed by him, was like a torrential downpour, like the roar of thunder! He was a tiger emerging from its cave, a tiger descending the mountain. He wouldn’t turn back until he drew blood! BOOM! In just a few dozen seconds. Wu Zhiming, who had come fully prepared with all his cards laid out, was sent flying back by a single punch from Jiang Shu! One foot landed on empty air, half his body nearly tumbling off the stage! His body, with nowhere to redirect the force, bore the brunt of Jiang Shu’s tremendous punch. A sweet taste welled up in his throat. He forcibly swallowed it down, trying to lift his arm and fight again. But his arm was too sore and weak to move; the surging vitality within him had already been exhausted during the furious, storm-like assault. If retreating half a step before wasn’t a loss, what about now? He pulled his foot back, his lips pursed as if making a monumental decision. After a few seconds with his head lowered, he lifted his once-proud head again, looking at Jiang Shu as though to memorize his face completely. "I lost," he said quietly. The three words were soft, yet under the watchful eyes of the entire crowd, they rang out with exceptional clarity. All the new students from Tian Shu Academy in the stands, who had been loudly cheering for Wu Zhiming, instantly fell silent. Coming from the same school, they knew better than anyone the terrifying extent of Wu Zhiming’s true strength. Before the College Martial Arts Genius Competition began, they had even fantasized about Wu Zhiming shining like a star, eclipsing even Shang Jibei’s brilliance and claiming the top spot. Yet, at this moment, their fantasy shattered. They had never imagined that Jiang Shu, ranked only in the middle of the Rookie List, would demolish all their hopes with his fists in just a few dozen seconds! The Genius Competition... We’re just Bright Strength Martial Artists who barely qualified... The ones on stage now are the true geniuses. Wu Zhiming is already incredibly strong. But... he encountered the even stronger Jiang Shu. The new students from Jiangnan Academy were trembling, their emotions having rollercoastered throughout the morning. Originally, among the Four Great Universities, Jiangnan Academy was already at a considerable disadvantage. Jiang Shu, ranked first in their academy, was incredibly only nineteenth on the Rookie List. These new students had all braced themselves for their academy to become a laughingstock. None of the top ten geniuses were from Jiangnan Academy. So, everyone had been fighting with all their might, struggling to salvage some face for Jiangnan Academy. Even if none of us make the top ten, perhaps it would be somewhat better if we could at least avoid being dead last. They fought hard, exhausting all their strength. Their inner strength resounded, their vitality depleted. But how many newcomers from Shengjing, East Sea, and Tian Shu academies were ordinary? Even two of their own who were on the Rookie List had been blasted off the stage in the fourth and fifth rounds. They felt distressed, inferior, and full of regret. And then, Jiang Shu had stepped forward. A fierce tiger’s roar! A meteoric rise! Without a single wasted word, he used nothing but his fists to fiercely carve out a bright future for Jiangnan Academy, which had been on the verge of becoming a laughingstock among the universities! 「The live broadcast room.」 At this moment, countless Jiangnan Academy students watching this genius competition were so moved that tears welled in their eyes. No amount of shocked "Holy shit!" comments from other viewers could suppress their emotions. One barrage of comments after another kept repeating: "Jiangnan Academy, Class of 2022 graduate, reporting in!" "Class of 2026. Our professor stopped the lecture; we’re all watching Jiang Shu’s genius battle together!" "Class of 2025. The whole dorm is going wild! I accidentally smashed my keyboard in excitement. This feels so damn good! Now, who dares say times have changed and Jiangnan Academy is obsolete?!" "Damn it, I thought I was the one who smashed the keyboard in my excitement! FUCK! Why the hell are you smashing *my* keyboard because *you’re* excited?! You son of a dog, go to hell!" "Class of 2020. Graduated a while back. Was supposed to work overtime today. HAHAHA, screw that! I’m taking the day off! I’m going drinking! HAHAHA!" "Damn it, those motherfucking officials! Why did they disable the gift-giving feature? Who are they looking down on? I want to send gifts!"