Chapter 49: You Don't Understand Brother Qi's Strength (Please keep reading)

“You’re too slow!”

Qiu Jie brandished his long spear, his figure moving with agility like a wisp of green smoke, appearing before Lin Qi in an instant.

Standing about 1.85 meters tall, his temperament was as fluid as the wind. His muscles were forged like fine iron—lean, powerful, and flexible—minimizing air resistance as he moved.

Lin Qi had to admit: Qiu Jie was indeed fast.

In the next instant, the spear in Qiu Jie's hand lunged forward, slicing through the air with the speed of a gale.

*Swish, swish—*

The shadows of the spear flickered like a sudden storm of driving rain.

*Dripping Water Spear Technique, First Form: Waterline Rapid Thrust!*

His spear moved like a straight line of water, thrusting fiercely toward Lin Qi's eyes. If it landed, there was a high probability the fight would end immediately.

At the same moment, Lin Qi countered. Putting strength into his arm, he made the spear shaft vibrate and rotate, drawing a circle in the air.

*Whirlwind Break!*

In a flash, the spears collided. Power erupted as the sharp force attempted to tear through the opponent.

*Clang!*

The spears clashed, sending sparks flying, the impact transferring through both of their arms. Both sides retreated a step, pushing off the ground with their feet to charge forward once more.

Suddenly, Qiu Jie exploded with momentum, his speed increasing significantly. He unleashed a barrage of spear shadows before Lin Qi, catching him off guard and making it impossible to distinguish which one was real.

Every thrust was as steady and fierce as water dripping through stone, carrying an unstoppable momentum.

*Clang, clang—*

Sensing the ferocity of the spear technique, Lin Qi chose to swing his spear in defensive arcs to evade the onslaught.

***

In the virtual room, all 49 students in the class were watching the live broadcast, many of them whispering among themselves.

“Who do you think will win, Lin Qi or Qiu Jie?” someone asked softly.

“Theoretically, looking at the rankings, Qiu Jie is tenth in the grade and Lin Qi is eighteenth. The gap is quite large; it’s unlikely Lin Qi is a match for him.”

“Since there are no restrictions on blood qi levels, Lin Qi doesn't hold an advantage in either blood qi or spear technique. I think Qiu Jie will ultimately win.”

One student provided a rational analysis, earning nods of agreement from many.

“I think since Lin Qi earned Teacher Zhang's recognition, his strength might be greater than we imagine. He might not lose,” someone else countered.

“I personally don't think Lin Qi can win. Everyone knows Teacher Zhang is particularly fond of guiding him. Maybe he's just using his authority for personal favoritism this time.”

“If Lin Qi loses, I want to see how he tries to save face,” someone added gloatingly.

“What the hell are you laughing at?”

“You don't understand how powerful Brother Qi is!” Jiang Tao snapped back with a cold snort.

Not far away, Zhang Cheng also heard the discussion. His eyes were fixed on the broadcast, watching Lin Qi, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

Nearby, Yu Jing watched the stream and remarked, “Lin Qi is a guaranteed loser.”

“Don't jump to conclusions so early,” Qi Yuelin countered.

Li Zhou remained silent, frowning at the screen. Facing Qiu Jie's torrential attacks, Lin Qi seemed to be merely dodging with his spear.

Lin Qi appeared to be truly outmatched, but the martial arts education he had received since childhood told him that this battle was not as simple as it looked.

***

The Red Realm Arena

*Clang, clang—*

“Dodge! Dodge! Dodge! Is that all you can do?”

“As a man, don't you even have the courage to face me head-on?”

Qiu Jie swung his spear frantically. The shadows of the spear came in waves like a violent storm, thrusting wildly to collide with Lin Qi. Every tremor and swing of the spear tip was as swift as a gale, making it difficult for the eye to follow.

Amidst the combat, he mocked relentlessly, venting his emotions.

In an instant, his spear technique descended like a crashing waterfall, the momentum fierce and the thrusts incredibly fast.

*Waterfall Impact!*

*Clang!*

Lin Qi’s gaze steadied. He swung his heavy spear horizontally, putting strength into his arm. The spears collided again, and the overwhelming force transferred to his arm, forcing him to stumble back several steps.

He looked at Qiu Jie expressionlessly, unaffected by the taunts.

Qiu Jie practiced the *Dripping Water Spear Technique*, a style that prioritized extreme speed, making one feel the explosive and sustained power of water dripping through stone and gathering into a river.

*“Qiu Jie’s blood qi is higher than mine, probably over 9.0. He’s a bit faster, but his strength is similar to mine,”* Lin Qi analyzed internally. His physical talent had undergone a transformation; his striking power exceeded what his blood qi level should allow. Much like Li Zhou, whose striking power exceeded the first realm despite having a blood qi of only 9.8.

*“Hoo—”*

Lin Qi looked at Qiu Jie, his aura shifting. A sharp light flashed in his eyes.

“We’ve fought long enough. It’s my turn.”

As he spoke, Lin Qi’s figure blurred. He lunged forward, his body expanding as power surged continuously from his spine. A fierce, domineering aura erupted from him. He thrust his spear with such force it felt as if great mountains were collapsing.

“With just that?”

Qiu Jie sneered and charged like lightning once more. His spear sliced through the air, and with a burst of arm strength, he unleashed several thrusts in a single instant, the wind tearing through the air.

*Splashing Water!*

*Clang, clang—*

The two collided again, the force of the spear transferring to their arms. At the moment of impact, Qiu Jie’s expression changed; he felt a terrifying force surge through his arms, leaving his muscles aching and numb.

*“How is this possible? Lin Qi’s strength is actually greater than mine?”* Qiu Jie was shaken.

“I don't believe it!”

His mind grew chaotic. He poured all his strength into the spear, making it vibrate rapidly like fluttering raindrops.

*Dancing Rain!*

Countless spear shadows rained down upon Lin Qi. Previously, Lin Qi wouldn't have been able to block this move and would have been forced into passive defense.

But in Lin Qi's eyes, he could clearly see every one of Qiu Jie's movements, accurately identifying the flaws. Images of Qiu Jie's subsequent moves flashed through his mind, and he envisioned several ways to counter.

The next second, Lin Qi swung his spear horizontally, precisely finding the one true thrust and neutralizing it.

*Clang!*

The spears collided, and Qiu Jie was knocked back. His offensive stalled, and the speed of his spear technique instantly slowed.

“What?!”

Qiu Jie was horrified. His move had been so easily blocked?

“No matter how fast your spear technique is, it’s useless!”

“I have already seen through you!” Lin Qi spoke coldly.

“You're asking for death!”

Furious, Qiu Jie snarled, “I have a killing move. I'll end this in one strike!”

His body exploded with energy. His blood qi surged through his limbs to pour strength into the spear, bringing out its true essence. The spear tip moved at an extreme velocity.

*Killing Move—Trace-less Drip!*

The speed of his killing move reached its peak, the cold light of the spear tip arriving in a flash.

However, the corners of Lin Qi's mouth curled up slightly, as if he had expected this. In an instant, his own spear technique shifted.

His wrist snapped with force, his spine straightened segment by segment, and his blood qi carried power into his arm muscles, erupting like a spreading flame. Lin Qi controlled this power steadily, channeling it through his fingers as he thrust forward.

*Mountain-Crushing Spear Technique—Crushing Thrust!*

A standard move versus a killing move!

Both techniques were unleashed simultaneously, but Qiu Jie felt a profound sense of danger enveloping him, filling him with terror.

*Puff—*

In the next instant, the two spears grazed past each other. Qiu Jie felt an intense, sharp pain.

*Bang!*

A massive force slammed into Qiu Jie's body, sending him flying uncontrollably until he crashed heavily onto the ground.

“You lost,” Lin Qi said emotionlessly. His aura was now murderous, like a predatory tiger. “Your spear technique is full of flaws in my eyes. Even if we fought ten more times, you still wouldn't win. You truly are nothing but a clown.”

“You...”

【Battle Over. You have died!】

Qiu Jie was so angry he felt like vomiting blood, but in the next moment, he dissolved into nothingness and vanished from the arena.

***

Outside the screen

Silence!!

The virtual room fell into a momentary silence before erupting into an uproar.

“Holy crap, did I see that right?!”

“Lin Qi actually won! He killed Qiu Jie in one move and turned the tide!!” Kang Feiyue exclaimed in disbelief. Was this really the same "Master of Fundamentals" he knew? How could he be this powerful?

Others were equally stunned.

Yu Jing’s face turned grim. He had misjudged the situation. Now that Lin Qi had actually won, it seemed his former classmate was getting closer and closer to his level.

Qi Yuelin grew increasingly curious about Lin Qi.

“What an unexpected battle. Interesting,” Li Zhou grinned. He saw more than the others; Qiu Jie was destined to lose from the very beginning.

In a corner, Chen Zichuan was shaken, never having imagined Lin Qi was this formidable.

“Brother Qi is awesome!”

“I knew Qiu Jie couldn't beat Brother Qi!”

“To think he looked down on Brother Qi—he was just asking for a beating!”

Jiang Tao laughed loudly, clearly the happiest person in the entire class.

Meanwhile, Qiu Jie, who had just exited the virtual pod, turned even darker upon hearing Jiang Tao's words.

***

(End of Chapter)