Number Eleven High School.
The sports field was packed with a sea of people, stretching as far as the eye could see.
Today marked the day of Number Eleven High School's arena selection tournament. The top three finalists would represent the school in Earth's Hundred Academy Battle, and the top ten students from that battle would go on to represent Earth in the selection trials for the Four Great Key Universities. For anyone who secured a spot in those four prestigious institutions, a future of boundless potential and the respect of the entire world awaited them.
In total, sixteen students from Number Eleven High School had signed up for the arena tournament, Wang Hao included. Among the contestants, the highest cultivation level belonged to Xia Weiwei and another talented young woman named Le Xuan, both of whom had broken through to Level 9 Martial Apprentice. The weakest contestant, without a shadow of a doubt, was Wang Hao, who had only broken through to Level 6 Martial Apprentice the previous night, leaving him at a significant disadvantage against every other opponent.
"Silence, everyone! Will the sixteen contestants please step onto the stage to draw their lots!" The referee stood atop the main arena platform, speaking into a microphone.
In an instant, the sixteen contestants stepped onto the stage, and deafening screams erupted from the crowd below.
"Miss Xia Weiwei! No matter what happens, my love for you will never fade!!"
"Miss Le Xuan! I love you!!"
"Lin Tingbai! You're the most handsome! I adore you!!"
"Zhao Xunwen! You're the strongest! Beat that scumbag Wang Hao to a pulp!!"
"That's right! Beat the scumbag Wang Hao to death!!"
"Beat the scumbag Wang Hao to death!!"
Not far from the arena, a temporary VIP viewing area had been set up, where the principals of every major high school on Earth were watching the matches alongside Su Mu.
Principal Zhongli's heart skipped a beat when he heard the unified chants from the students. Just what in the world had this little bastard done to incur the wrath of the entire student body?
"A scumbag?" Su Mu narrowed his eyes, the corner of his mouth twitching up into an amused smile. He'd never expected Wang Tianyi's son to be such a ladies' man.
Principal Zhongli shot Su Mu a cautious glance, and when he saw no trace of anger on the old man's face, he let out a quiet breath of relief. At the same time, he sent a quick message to the referee, telling him to start the matches at once.
The draw concluded quickly, and Wang Hao's opponent was a young man named Lin Tingbai, a Level 8 Martial Apprentice. Incredibly handsome, he was the campus heartthrob of Number Eleven High School, one of its most prominent figures—and one of Xia Weiwei's most devout Flower Guard members.
Once the draw results were announced, the matches commenced simultaneously across eight separate arenas.
Wang Hao stood on his assigned stage, staring at the arrogant Lin Tingbai before him, his ears ringing with the cheers of Lin Tingbai's fan club.
"Whoa, Lin Tingbai! You're so freaking handsome!"
"My one and only! Go Lin Tingbai!"
"Go Lin Tingbai! Beat that scumbag Wang Hao to a pulp!!"
"Wang Hao, you're out of luck today, ending up in the ring with me." A cold glint flashed in Lin Tingbai's eyes. From the moment Wang Hao had dared to defile the goddess Weiwei in his eyes, his fate had been sealed.
Wang Hao curled his lip in disdain. This Lin Tingbai was unbelievably full of himself.
"Are both contestants ready!?" The referee glanced between the two of them, and when they both nodded, he dropped his hand sharply. "Begin!"
"Hah!"
Lin Tingbai let out a thunderous roar, slamming the sole of his foot into the ground and launching himself more than ten meters into the air, leaving two deep, clear footprints in the hard stone floor of the arena.
"He's so strong! He's almost at Level 9 Martial Apprentice!" The students below stared in stunned awe. That single move alone was enough to make 99 percent of the students at Number Eleven High School feel utterly inferior.
"Lin Tingbai is so handsome!" A girl stared up at him with starry, lovestruck eyes.
"The only man in Number Eleven High School who can hold a candle to Lin Tingbai is Zhao Xunwen."
"Too bad Zhao Xunwen's just a muscle head. He's nowhere near as handsome as Lin Tingbai—he's the real campus heartthrob."
"Sigh, it's a shame the only girl in Lin Tingbai's heart is that vixen Xia Weiwei."
"Tell me about it. What's so great about that violent girl Xia Weiwei anyway? And she's already been with Wang Hao, of all people."
"Tsk tsk, poor Wang Hao. He's gone and offended Lin Tingbai for no good reason."
"After today, we'll probably never see Wang Hao again."
"Tell me about it. Wang Hao might be a genius with alchemy, but he's signing his own death warrant by joining this arena tournament!"
"Wang Hao, get ready to learn what true power really is!"
Lin Tingbai's aura erupted forth in full force, surging forward like a pouncing tiger. A silver ring on his finger blazed to life, unleashing a streak of violent purple lightning, brimming with dense, unbridled destructive power, overbearing and unstoppable.
"An Electromagnetic Ring!" Wang Hao's expression shifted drastically. Without a moment's hesitation, he activated his Lightning Step, darting out of the way with blistering speed.
Rumble!!!
The second Wang Hao darted away, the spot where he'd been standing was blasted into a deep crater, shards of rock flying in every direction as lightning crackled and sparked violently across the shattered stone.
In the VIP viewing area, every single principal from the other high schools shot to their feet in shock. What had they just seen? That fluid, seamless movement was unmistakably a footwork technique mastered to the Peak Perfection realm. But how could a high school student have mastered such a technique? Even among the students of the Four Great Key Universities, barely a handful had ever reached Peak Perfection with any footwork art!
At the same time, every principal's gaze turned to Su Mu. This was undoubtedly the real reason he'd come to Number Eleven High School in person.
At that moment, Su Mu's body trembled slightly—not with fear, but with unbridled excitement. He'd known long ago that Wang Hao had mastered the Lightning Step to Peak Perfection, but seeing it with his own eyes still sent a thrill of exhilaration through him.
"Tianyi, your son is just like you. He was born for a life less ordinary." Su Mu took a deep breath, steadying his racing heart, as his mind began to race. If those nobles learned of Wang Hao's extraordinary talent, would they try to finish what they'd started all those years ago, and snuff out his bloodline entirely?
"Impossible!!" Lin Tingbai stared at Wang Hao, equally stunned. How could this pretty boy who hid away in the laboratory every single day have mastered a footwork technique to Peak Perfection!?
"Hmph!" Wang Hao let out a cold snort, shouting toward the referee. "Referee! He's using a technological weapon! That's against the rules!"
The referee shot Wang Hao a disdainful glance and said flatly, "What era do you think this is? Using technological armaments is standard practice now. Do you expect us to duel with cold weapons like they did in ancient times!?"
The second he finished speaking, a chorus of jeers and contemptuous remarks erupted from the crowd below.
"What the hell? Where did this guy even come from?"
"Using an Electromagnetic Ring is against the rules? Are you serious?"
"I bet Wang Hao's just a broke loser who can't afford an Electromagnetic Ring, so he's throwing a fit."
"Damn right! An Electromagnetic Ring costs tens of millions of credits. How could a broke loser like Wang Hao ever afford one?"
"Tell me about it. He couldn't even afford a hotel room when he went out with Xia Weiwei. Like he could ever buy an Electromagnetic Ring?"
"I really don't get why Xia Weiwei would ever get with a broke loser like Wang Hao!"
"It's not just Xia Weiwei. Mai Mengmeng's with him too."
"Life's so unfair. What's so great about Wang Hao anyway?"
"Well, Wang Hao's actually pretty good-looking. Even a little more handsome than Lin Tingbai."
"Too bad he's a total scumbag. I wouldn't touch him with a ten-foot pole."
"I'd take him! Did you all not see that? He just used a Peak Perfection footwork technique!"
"You're right! How does this alchemy nerd know a Peak Perfection footwork technique!?"
"Who knows? I saw him do something like it last time, but I didn't dare believe it. But this time, there's no doubt about it. That's Peak Perfection, no question."
"Even if he's an unparalleled genius, he's a terrible person. I still wouldn't want him."
"If you don't want him, I do!"