Stronger with Crimson Modifier-Chapter 39: Assessment [2]

Perhaps after seeing the miserable state of his last opponent, Hu Qi barely had to lift a finger afterward.

Anyone who was matched against Hu Qi chose to forfeit beforehand.

One other person enjoyed the same treatment: Sims from Class 3.

Compared to Hu Qi, however, he was far more ruthless.

One student had been too slow to forfeit and was knocked unconscious by a single punch at close range.

Fortunately, a coach was on hand, so nothing worse happened.

"Too weak!"

Sims crossed his arms, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, pausing pointedly on Hu Qi.

He thought back to the string of numbers he had seen in the strength-testing room, and his eyes couldn’t help but narrow.

’Could it be you?’

...

Before long, the preliminary matches within each class concluded.

As for Li Yi, he hadn’t participated. Having practiced Mixed Martial Arts for only two days, he couldn’t even hold a basic stance correctly.

Soon, the results for Class 2 were announced.

Hu Qi, Song Jian, Chen Chang, and a girl named Ye Li advanced.

Ye Li had plain features and a touch of baby fat, giving her a cute appearance.

Her skin had a healthy tan that glowed faintly under the lights.

What was most striking were her long, shapely legs. Her thighs were powerful, and her calf muscles were firm and defined.

The toned lines of her muscles flowed smoothly down her legs, exuding a sense of power.

While it was no surprise that Hu Qi and Song Jian had advanced, and Chen Chang’s performance made his qualification understandable, Ye Li’s success was a genuine shock.

After all, her performance up until then could only be described as mediocre at best.

As if sensing his gaze, Ye Li glanced over and gave Hu Qi a slight nod.

’Was she hiding her strength before?’

Hu Qi smiled, looked away, and drew his own conclusion.

Besides that, since everyone matched against him had chosen to forfeit, Hu Qi had plenty of free time to observe the other classes.

Judging from the frequent gasps of surprise and the shocked expressions on the onlookers’ faces, it was clear that quite a few people were playing the wolf in sheep’s clothing.

’A bunch of sandbaggers, every one of them.’

Hu Qi could only marvel at the fact.

Soon, the other classes had also determined their top four fighters.

Five classes, twenty people in total.

As for those who had been eliminated, their chance was gone for good.

"Don’t be disheartened by this failure. Work harder next year, and you might have another chance.

Of course, that’s only if you’re under twenty-eight. Once you pass that age, there are no more chances."

The young man with the crew cut explained, looking at the dejected students.

After he finished, he paid them no more mind and turned his gaze to the remaining twenty.

"Next, we continue. Two matches per person to decide the five core class spots directly."

As soon as he finished speaking, the expressions of several students changed, including Song Jian.

This meant there was no second-chance bracket. If he drew someone like Hu Qi or Sims in his first match, it would be over for him instantly.

The others had the same thought, but given the young man’s intimidating presence, no one dared to say a word.

The young man with the crew cut saw their expressions and chuckled.

"I know you have objections, but the core class only accepts the truly strong. And as I see it, luck is a part of strength."

At that, everyone could only nod in agreement.

Soon, everyone went up to draw lots. With exactly twenty people, everyone was matched with an opponent.

Hu Qi’s opponent was a tall, heavyset young man who stood like a small mountain.

Hu Qi seemed to recall that he was a student from Class 1, named Hong Shan.

The moment the match began, he let out a low roar and charged straight forward.

He was like a speeding car, his feet pounding the ground with a THUD, THUD, THUD.

Hu Qi, however, stood his ground, making no move to dodge.

"Chen Wu, your student is far too arrogant. You should know, even I would have a hard time stopping that charge of Hong Shan’s head-on."

The speaker was the Class 1 coach, a blonde woman in her thirties. A faint smile touched her lips as she watched the unfolding scene from the sidelines.

"You can’t even block a student’s attack, and you still have the nerve to talk? How disgraceful!"

Chen Wu sneered, ignoring her darkening expression. His gaze didn’t waver for an instant.

In the ring, seeing that Hu Qi wasn’t dodging, Hong Shan scoffed inwardly. ’Arrogant!’

The instant he was a meter away from Hu Qi, his shoulder sank slightly, his right arm guarding his ribs and his left arm bent with the elbow out. He drove forward with a Mountain-Leaning Strike.

In that instant, the very air seemed to be compressed by his momentum.

It made a WHOOSHING sound.

The Mountain-Leaning Strike was a technique from Mixed Martial Arts, renowned for its brutally simple and aggressive style. It was a dangerous, short-range move known for explosive advances, hard clashes, and devastating impact. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Anyone hit by it would be sent flying; torn tendons and broken bones were considered light injuries.

Watching the figure close in, Hu Qi’s expression remained calm.

He spread his feet, bent his knees, and lowered his center of gravity. He raised a bent arm, sank his shoulder and elbow, and executed the exact same Mountain-Leaning Strike.

The only difference was that Hong Shan had a running start, while Hu Qi was standing still.

’Ridiculous! He actually dares to meet me head-on!’

A cold glint flashed in Hong Shan’s eyes, followed by a savage grin.

He stomped his foot, channeling power from his waist and hips into his shoulder, accelerating even more.

BAM!

In that instant, the two of them collided!

A muffled boom echoed through the arena, drawing the eyes of every spectator.

Fine dust on the ground trembled and scattered. Ripples, visible to the naked eye, spread like waves across the skin of their colliding arms.

The savage grin on Hong Shan’s face froze. The scene he had imagined—of Hu Qi being sent flying—did not happen.

Instead, he felt as if he had crashed into a solid, immovable boulder.

A violent shockwave of pain shot through his shoulder, and his expression changed drastically.

The next moment, an immense, irresistible force erupted from his opponent, sending him stumbling back several steps.

"Damn it!" Hong Shan’s face was a mask of shock and fury.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over him. He looked up just in time to see Hu Qi—who had been several meters away an instant ago—standing right in front of him.

The next moment.

Hu Qi’s right heel lifted, his weight resting on the ball of his foot.

All at once, the muscles in his leg contracted under his pants. It was as if every single fiber had been awakened, coiling and tensing in an instant.

The distinct lines of his muscles stood out in sharp relief, exuding a palpable sense of power.

From his thigh down to his calf, every muscle group tensed instantly, like a tightly wound spring.

SWISH!

Hu Qi whipped his leg up, his right leg a black blur that flashed before Hong Shan’s eyes.

He felt a numbness spread across his face before he could even react.

Then, his body was lifted into the air, his feet leaving the ground.

Like a dead leaf caught in a hurricane, he flew through the air in an uncontrolled arc.

His body was completely off-balance, limbs flailing helplessly as he tried to grab onto something to steady himself, but it was all in vain.

He finally crashed heavily to the ground with a dull thud and lay completely still.

Hu Qi lowered his leg and stood where he was.

The arena fell completely silent.