28: Restraint and Counter-Restraint

Training camp, first ranking challenge.

Lin Chen's initial number was Ring 3, No. 99. After the challenge in his ring ended in the morning, his ranking stabilized at Ring 3, No. 2.

Ring 3, No. 1, Jiang Yan, the Mechanism Guy, was unassailable. His instant kill mechanism was too overpowered and perfectly countered ordinary martial arts geniuses like Lin Chen who lacked special abilities.

All students in Ring 3 were Fourth-Order. Apart from the Mechanism Guy, Lin Chen steadily suppressed everyone else with his own strength.

In the afternoon, cross-ring challenge.

Lin Chen chose to challenge Ring 1, No. 280.

Ring 1 only had 300 spots, and the competition was fierce. Students initially all had Fifth-Order cultivation.

Ring 1, No. 280, a third-year student from Heart City, Fifth-Order early-stage cultivation, specialized in martial arts, comprehended fist force, no profession, and his talent was not combat-oriented, making him a suitable challenge for Lin Chen.

In a pure martial arts showdown, Lin Chen did not feel he would be weaker than a Fifth-Order martial arts genius.

The challenge began, and matching was successful.

On the arena, neither side started with zero-frame attacks. Instead, they exchanged names, maintaining the tradition of ancient martial arts challenges.

"Gu Yuan, Heart City, Heart Spirit Martial High, Class 1 of third year, Fifth-Order early-stage."

"Lin Chen, Feng City, Nirvana Martial High, Class 1 of first year, Fourth-Order early-stage."

Despite the one-order difference, neither side paid it much mind.

Gu Yuan, however, dared not underestimate Lin Chen. He had seen too many opponents capable of cross-order combat; rank was insignificant before a genius.

After bowing, both sides initiated zero-frame attacks.

Lin Chen did not use his Mentalist abilities. This was his trump card for stabilizing his ranking. The Ring 1 challenge would last another four hours, and he couldn't reveal all his trump cards and lose competitiveness.

After reaching Fourth-Order, Lin Chen began cultivating the Suspended Mountain Lin Family's inherited cultivation method. The various martial skills within it were incredibly profound, and only when his comprehension and spiritual awareness reached their limits could he glimpse a fraction of their subtlety.

"Heavenly Abyss First Form" (Lin Chen)

"Stone Shattering Fist" (Gu Yuan)

As blade and fist collided, their martial arts forces began to clash, neither yielding, and no stalemate occurred.

With one move failing to achieve victory, both immediately changed their moves, and more violent collisions occurred repeatedly.

As their martial arts forces clashed, phantom images of a blade and a fist appeared behind them, solidifying and expanding.

The victor's martial arts force would inevitably advance further, and the loser would also understand his shortcomings. After a period of cultivation, their martial arts force would also improve.

Because there were too many human geniuses, no one could remain invincible forever, so the Way of Invincibility could not be widely spread among humanity.

As a result, human youths were not obsessed with winning or losing, nor would their Dao Heart shatter or their martial arts path be severed after a single defeat.

On the contrary, the more they lost, the purer their martial heart became. Having seen too many strong individuals, they still had the courage to draw their blades when facing strong opponents, becoming stronger with each setback.

"Heavenly Abyss Nine Forms - Empty Roar"

"Stone Shattering Fist"

Lin Chen's nine flashy variations of moves were met by Gu Yuan's consistent use of the Stone Shattering Fist from beginning to end. His Stone Shattering Force was expanding, accumulating a surging momentum. When his fist struck, it shattered everything in its path.

"Student Lin Chen, I have a move that can shatter stone, shatter metal, shatter everything. Please evaluate it."

"Student Gu Yuan, I also have a move that devours the heavens and earth, burying everything. Please evaluate it."

Both sides tacitly chose to decide the outcome with one move.

"Heavenly Abyss - Burial of Emptiness"

"Annihilation Strike"

Their strongest moves collided.

Force clashed with force, blood qi clashed with blood qi, blade clashed with fist. Amidst these triple collisions, the entire arena space was filled with explosions and shockwaves.

The virtual grassy environment was riddled with holes.

When the dust settled, Lin Chen stood with his blade before Gu Yuan, whose right arm, which had thrown the punch, had vanished.

"Student Lin Chen, you won. I gained much from this battle. Thank you."

"Senior Gu Yuan, we both improved. You're welcome."

The atmosphere between them was harmonious. They added each other as virtual friends, agreeing to spar in martial arts in the future and improve together.

Gu Yuan still had strength to fight, but he knew he had lost. There was no need to force another move and expose more of each other's strength.

This was just a challenge match; the subsequent matches were the main focus. He still had to fight his way back into Ring 1 to obtain a better cultivation environment.

After entering Ring 1, Lin Chen did not continue to challenge higher. Instead, he chose to stabilize his ranking, planning to select an opponent he could defeat in the last hour to improve his ranking.

The second challenge began. Lin Chen was the challenged party and had no information on his opponent.

"Seriously, buddy, you're not challenging the first place, but you're challenging me? Is it interesting to challenge me, your defeated opponent?"

Lin Chen looked at Jiang Yan, who appeared before him, feeling a bit exasperated.

"Sorry, student. Among the three hundred people, only your 'value' is below mine. I can only challenge you."

"..."

Speechless, Lin Chen was instantly killed.

This was the third time!

Last year, he was instantly killed.

This year, he was instantly killed in the morning, only able to rank second.

In the afternoon, he was instantly killed again, dropping his ranking to Ring 3, No. 1.

"Damn Mechanism Guy."

He grumbled, but through their brief conversation, he understood Jiang Yan's implied meaning and gained some insight into Jiang Yan's instant kill mechanism.

"Value. Among the three hundred people, only my 'value' is lower than his. This 'value' might be something within his talent system, and I have no way to calculate it."

"Sigh, these talents are truly strange, with all sorts of peculiar effects."

Even if Lin Chen knew Jiang Yan's instant kill mechanism, he was helpless. It was a pure mechanism within Jiang Yan's system; he couldn't win no matter what.

Because Lin Chen possessed Ring 1 combat power, after he dropped back to Ring 3, no one challenged him, and he did not initiate any challenges, choosing to observe further.

The story was always full of drama.

After Jiang Yan's immunity period ended, he chose to accept a challenge, then was instantly killed directly, having his own method used against him, and his ranking dropped to Ring 4, No. 1.

"Fourth-Order early-stage, instantly killed Jiang Yan. It seems her 'value' must be extraordinary, though I don't know her actual strength."

Lin Chen was now somewhat hesitant to continue challenging. The higher his ranking, the more directly Jiang Yan could instantly kill him to gain a ranking, potentially making Lin Chen a stepping stone for Jiang Yan in the end.

Jiang Yan also stopped challenging, seemingly having his eyes on Lin Chen. His previous 'reminder' likely contained a bit of ulterior motive.

Lin Chen decided to stay put.

An hour passed. Lin Chen didn't move, and neither did Jiang Yan. They just kept waiting.

Finally, Jiang Yan added Lin Chen as a virtual friend through contact between their teachers.

Jiang Yan: Bro, I'm sorry.

Lin Chen: What do you mean?

Jiang Yan: Brother Chen, in Ring 1, I can only defeat you. Please, please, take me into Ring 1 [begging] jpg

Lin Chen: What's in it for me if I take you into Ring 1?

Jiang Yan: Brother Chen, I can turn the instant kill power into a one-time use item. Afterward, I'll give you three one-time use items that store instant kill power.

Lin Chen: Is this instant kill power based on your "value" or?

Jiang Yan: It's based on your "value," Brother Chen. When used, it's based on your "value" at that time, and it has some growth potential.

Lin Chen: Deal.

Jiang Yan: Thank you, bro [kneeling in gratitude] jpg

What they did did not actually violate the rules.

Jiang Yan had exploited a loophole in the rules, countering Lin Chen. As long as Lin Chen wanted to improve, he had to face Jiang Yan, who was targeting him. Without countermeasures, this was the optimal choice.

After reaching a 'wicked' agreement with Jiang Yan, Lin Chen began to scout for opponents, eventually selecting three individuals.

Ring 1, No. 108, No. 126, and No. 173. These three performed strongly, but Lin Chen was confident he could defeat them.

Other contestants either concealed their strength, making their combat power unknown, or were pure 'value' crush, or a small portion were 'mechanism' monsters that Lin Chen couldn't provoke.

So, Lin Chen began to challenge Ring 1, No. 173. This was the ranking for Jiang Yan's performance, making outsiders believe there was a conflict between them, leading Jiang Yan to target Lin Chen for kills.

This approach would somewhat hide Jiang Yan's outward strength but inner weakness, preventing him from being challenged by players who had fallen from Ring 1, making him appear powerful.

On the arena, both sides initiated zero-frame attacks.

With one strike, Lin Chen reduced his opponent, along with their ultimate move, to ashes.

Lin Chen could only unleash this one strike. If it didn't eliminate the enemy, he would have to use his stronger mental power, which was his trump card and something he was reluctant to use lightly.

In the preparation space, Lin Chen signaled Jiang Yan.

And so, Jiang Yan went up again.

The ranking changes between the two quickly caught the attention of teachers from various schools who were monitoring rankings and live combat broadcasts. The threat level of both individuals soared. Fortunately, they seemed to have a conflict, and Jiang Yan was even chasing Lin Chen for kills.

Such a clumsy trick wouldn't remain hidden for long, but as long as it wasn't seen through on the spot, during a later review, it wouldn't be the two of them who would be annoyed.

Lin Chen waited for half an hour, and Jiang Yan's position remained stable, unchallenged.

So, he began to challenge Ring 1, No. 126.

Matching successful, they entered the arena.

Neither side exchanged names, initiating zero-frame attacks.

One strike decided the winner; Lin Chen won.

Returning to the preparation space, Lin Chen scanned the leaderboard and found that Jiang Yan had dropped in ranking again, and this time it was even worse, directly falling to Ring 7.

Lin Chen: You, how did you get challenged again!

Jiang Yan: Bro, that person had a cheat, a perfect counter to me! It's my fault for not being good enough [crying] jpg

Lin Chen: ...