The two entered the virtual arena once more.
This time, however, Liu Jing's performance was like that of a completely different person!
The moment the system's "Begin" prompt sounded, her figure drifted out like a phantom.
It was no longer the somewhat flashy footwork from before. Instead, she moved with a sharp decisiveness, lunging straight for her opponent!
Her Spirit Finger became faster and more ruthless, carrying an indomitable momentum.
The faint light at her fingertips condensed as if it were solid, and the sound of it tearing through the air was sharp and piercing.
She no longer deliberately sought the so-called "perfect" opportunity. Instead, relying on the profundity of her family's Finger Technique, she launched an assault as fierce as a raging storm.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
The Finger Force cut through the air like a sudden squall, instantly enveloping her opponent.
The male student challenging her had clearly not expected Liu Jing to come out fighting with such life-or-death ferocity.
His specialty, a fierce and powerful Fist Technique, was completely suppressed by Liu Jing's utterly unreasonable Finger Technique!
He tried to block, but the condensed Finger Force always found an opening, piercing through his Fist Momentum to strike his arm, shoulder blade, and even his cheek.
Every strike sent a wave of piercing pain and a feeling of stagnated Qi and Blood through him.
Only then did he realize that even though Xu Wuyi had blocked her effortlessly earlier, Liu Jing's Spirit Finger was not weak at all.
Now that it was his turn, he was clearly on the ropes, forced to dodge and block pathetically, completely unable to fight back.
Liu Jing's eyes were icy, her movements never pausing, as if she intended to vent all the frustration from her defeat against Xu Wuyi on the opponent before her.
Within a short minute, her opponent's body was covered in dense finger marks. His virtual combat suit was in tatters, and the exposed skin beneath was covered in black and blue bruises, as if he had truly been poked full of holes!
"Enough!" The boy could no longer stand the one-sided torture and tried to make a desperate last stand.
However, the instant he raised his hand, a cold glint flashed in Liu Jing's eyes. She keenly spotted an opening and thrust a finger forward out of nowhere, as if breaking the limits of space, striking his throat with pinpoint accuracy!
PFFT!
The faint light at her fingertip sank into him.
The boy's voice died in his throat. His eyes bulged, and his virtual body convulsed violently before going limp, collapsing to the ground and dissipating into a stream of light.
[Victor: Liu Jing!]
Silence once again fell around the arena.
On the platform, Liu Jing was breathing heavily. Her face was as pale as before, but her gaze was firmer than ever.
The students watching her swallowed subconsciously.
At that moment, no one thought of her as a 'pushover' anymore.
A slight smile curved the corners of Zhou Yun's lips.
...
The challenges all came to an end, and the rankings were set.
The students dispersed. The results of the resource allocation were decided, but what specific resources each student would exchange their quota for was not yet fixed.
The two teachers, Zhou Yun and Wang Wenhai, would create personalized training plans based on each student's situation.
At the same time, they also added to the rules for the ranking challenges:
Since resources were distributed every two weeks, the challenges would follow the same cycle. Each person could only issue one challenge every two weeks, regardless of the opponent or the outcome.
This was to prevent the top-ranked students from facing endless challenges and to stop lower-ranked students from abusing their challenge opportunities.
Liu Jing silently packed her things, rejected the hesitant attempts at consolation from a few female classmates, and left the school alone.
When she got home and pushed open the door, she saw an unexpected figure in the living room.
Her father, Liu Zhenwu, was sitting on the sofa, holding a cup of hot tea, his calm gaze watching her enter.
Liu Zhenwu was in his forties, with a lean and powerful build. He sat with a straight back, exuding the sharp aura of a Martial Artist even at home.
He was a true Martial Artist. Although an old injury had caused his strength to decline, his insight and experience remained.
"Dad? Why are you back so early today?"
Liu Jing was a little surprised. Then, she remembered what had happened in the prep class today, and the shame that had just faded from her face rushed back.
She lowered her head, not daring to meet her father's eyes.
"Teacher Zhou Yun gave me a call." Liu Zhenwu's voice was steady, betraying no emotion.
Liu Jing's body stiffened instantly. She hung her head even lower, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "...I'm sorry, Dad. I've brought shame to our family."
She expected her father to scold her.
Although the Liu Family wasn't fabulously wealthy, they had a decent reputation in the Red River City Martial Arts Realm.
This was not only because Liu Zhenwu had once been a Martial Artist, but also because his eldest son, Liu Yan, had been the top scorer in the Red River martial arts entrance exam four years ago, gaining admission to Star Martial University—one of the Three Greats—with outstanding results.
Liu Yan had attended Honghe First Middle School, where he excelled for all three years, completely overshadowing the neighboring United Middle School.
Liu Jing's talent in the Spirit Finger was no less than her brother's, and she had been held in high hopes since she was young. Yet, on the very first day of the prep class, she had been 'killed' by a single punch...
However, the scolding she anticipated never came.
Liu Zhenwu put down his teacup, walked over to Liu Jing, and patted her on the shoulder. His tone was even tinged with a rare gentleness. "Silly child, a single victory or defeat means nothing."
"The path of Martial Arts is a long one; it's not about being fast or slow in the short term."
"And don't feel ashamed. You practice Martial Arts to pursue your own inner goals. Why should you care what others think?"
Liu Jing looked up, her eyes filled with astonishment, unable to believe that her usually strict father was comforting her instead.
Liu Zhenwu continued, "Your problem before wasn't a lack of skill, but a lack of mental fortitude. If you don't dare to fight to the death even in a virtual battlefield, what will you do when you face real danger?"
"This is a hurdle you had to overcome sooner or later. Passing it now is actually a good thing."
As he said this, a flicker of guilt flashed in Liu Zhenwu's eyes before disappearing.
As a Martial Artist, he naturally understood his daughter's weakness.
It was a flaw he should have corrected himself. But having had a daughter late in life, he cherished her to no end. How could he bring himself to be harsh with her?
He had put it off until now. It was as if he had just woken from a dream, realizing his hesitation had nearly been his daughter's undoing.
"But, I lost so badly..." Liu Jing's eyes reddened again as she recalled Xu Wuyi's deceptively simple punch and the murmurs from the crowd.
"Badly?" Liu Zhenwu shook his head and chuckled. "You didn't lose without reason today."
"Huh?" Liu Jing was surprised. "That Xu Wuyi's Life Energy Level is clearly lower than mine, and he hasn't even learned any decent Martial Arts. That last punch was so ordinary, like..."
"It was the Basic Body Refining Technique," Liu Zhenwu said with certainty. Having received the call from Zhou Yun, he had naturally also watched the recordings of his daughter's two matches.
Liu Jing had actually recognized it too, but the power of Xu Wuyi's punch was so immense that it completely surpassed her understanding of the Basic Body Refining Technique, which was why she hadn't been sure.
'You call that basic? What part of that was basic?!'
As if sensing his daughter's thoughts, Liu Zhenwu could only say with a sigh, "It is indeed the Basic Body Refining Technique, but... it's the Basic Body Refining Technique at the Minor Achievement Level."