Today was destined to be an extraordinary day.
From major powers to common folk, everyone was discussing Lin Yu.
Then, amplified by the media, Lin Yu was elevated to a pedestal, while Shi Yifeng, who had been defeated by Lin Yu, was trampled underfoot.
Shi Yifeng's humiliation was self-inflicted. Lu Huan of High School One was unhappy because he was at the bottom of that particular pile, having lost to Shi Yifeng.
Thus, a hierarchy of contempt was formed.
High School Two despised High School One, and High School Three despised High School Two!
Damn it!
"Who did I offend? Why is it always me who gets hurt?" inside the dormitory of High School One, a young man was curled up under his covers, his mind filled with resentment.
He was Lu Huan. Ever since losing to Shi Yifeng, his life had been on a downward spiral.
Previously, his classmates had looked at him with admiration. Now, they doubted his true strength. Just a few days ago, someone had even threatened to challenge him.
Who had he offended?
What was so wrong with losing to Shi Yifeng?
They were both awakeners of the same tier. Losing was nothing to be ashamed of.
However, when the news of Lin Yu defeating Shi Yifeng arrived today, he, Lu Huan, had been dragged out by some scoundrel.
He was said to be crushed under two giant feet, becoming the defeated dog of the defeated dog of Lin Yu. Upon hearing this, he trembled with rage.
"This Lin Yu has brought me immense misfortune! I must see who this person is. Shi Yifeng probably lost to you due to a talent counter, but I won't!"
He kicked off his covers, stomped angrily out of bed, and headed towards High School Three.
Meanwhile.
At Zhao Ke's home.
A delicate and cold, yet beautiful girl, with a faint smile on her face, pushed open her door. The sunlight facing her illuminated her face, giving her an aura of light, like a saintess.
"Finally out of seclusion!"
"It's a pity I didn't break through to the fourth tier. The difficulty of breaking through from the third to the fourth tier is much harder than I imagined."
"I wonder how Lin Yu has been during my seclusion? Has he been cultivating diligently?"
The thought of Lin Yu brought a smile to the girl's face.
"I should go to school and see. I haven't been to school for many days," Zhao Ke murmured to herself.
Passing through a large area of buildings and crossing two streets, High School Three was right in front of her.
As soon as she arrived at the school, she noticed that the students were different.
Everyone was smiling happily, heads held high, chests puffed out, and toes slightly raised.
What was going on?
I've only been in seclusion for five or six days, how could things change so much?
Zhao Ke rubbed her eyes, disbelieving what she was seeing.
She stood frozen, unsure of what to do.
At that moment, a scrawny young man walked over angrily. He went to the most crowded area and shouted, "Where is Lin Yu? Call him out, I want to challenge him!"
As soon as his voice fell, a commotion erupted around them.
"No way? Challenging Lin Yu at this time? Who does he think he is?"
"Hmm, isn't this the defeated dog of the defeated dog from High School One? He couldn't even beat the defeated dog, and now he's here to be humiliated."
"Does he really think he can beat Lin Yu? I think he's here to make a joke."
"You from High School One, don't embarrass yourself, hurry back!"
Lu Huan's chest ached with anger as he listened to the surrounding discussions.
"Call Lin Yu out, are you afraid to come out?" Lu Huan gritted his teeth and shouted.
If Shi Yifeng had won, he wouldn't have stood out. But now that Shi Yifeng had lost, he was highlighted, and he was stepped on by someone at the bottom of the mountain. This was a humiliation that had to be washed away.
Besides, it wouldn't be worse if he lost again. After all, he had already lost to Shi Yifeng, so losing to Lin Yu wouldn't be the worst-case scenario.
However, what he didn't know was that at this moment, a girl was staring at him with a cold expression.
Zhao Ke's face was like frost. With a "boom," thunder raged around her, forming a lightning storm that made her appear divine.
"You want to challenge Lin Yu? Defeat me first!" Zhao Ke pointed at Lu Huan and said dominantly.
As soon as Zhao Ke appeared, she was quickly recognized, and exclamations of surprise erupted: "Zhao Ke is out of seclusion!"
"Zhao Ke, beat him! Show him your strength! He dares to challenge Lin Yu, how ridiculous!"
"Yeah, don't hold back! Let him know why the flowers are so red."
"Fight! It's best if he leaves with his tail between his legs."
Listening to the surrounding discussions, Zhao Ke remained expressionless, her demeanor still icy. But Lu Huan's heart was about to explode.
He wished he could beat all these people up to vent his anger.
"Fine, Lin Yu isn't here, but you are. After I defeat you, I'll challenge Lin Yu. I'll show you that I'm not the weakest!" Lu Huan said.
Zhao Ke frowned at this. What had happened these past few days?
Never mind, she would think about it later. This person wanted to challenge Lin Yu, but given Lin Yu's talent, she didn't think Lin Yu would be a match for him. Since that was the case, she would defeat Lu Huan in advance to protect Lin Yu.
"Fight!"
"Fight!"
The battle between the two was casual, taking place on the school's sports field.
People formed circles around them, each intensely focused on the two fighters.
This was a battle between two SS-class awakeners, something rarely seen.
At this moment, Zhao Ke wanted to see Lin Yu quickly, so she chose to end the fight swiftly.
She raised her right hand, and thunder raged within it, condensing into a black vortex.
She said calmly, "During this seclusion, I not only broke through to the third tier, but I also learned a new skill. This move is called: Thorny Black Hole!"
Boom!
As soon as the Thorny Black Hole appeared in her palm, it began to absorb the surrounding lightning elements with great intensity. The lightning elements gathered, forming a lightning storm around them, with countless bolts of lightning dancing and intertwining, creating a dazzling spectacle.
Opposite her.
Lu Huan was not to be outdone.
"My talent is Flame Dragon Armor. Ever since I lost to Shi Yifeng, I've been diligently studying and have learned a new skill!"
Dragon-shaped armor covered his body. He furiously gathered flames in his hands. These flames gradually solidified, eventually forming the shape of a Western dragon.
"This move is called: Dragonfall!"
The dragon in his hand grew larger and larger. Finally, he held the dragon's tail, and the massive dragon, over thirty meters long, flew into the air. Flames condensed into magma around the dragon, hurtling towards Zhao Ke.
Zhao Ke also hurled the Thorny Black Hole in her hand.
Rumble!!!
The Thorny Black Hole collided with Dragonfall, like a volcanic eruption. Flames spurted in all directions, and the area within a radius of tens of meters became a sea of magma.
"I'm going to win!" Lu Huan shouted frantically!
However, the next moment, he was stunned, because a blurry figure had appeared before him.
This figure was tall, at least ten meters high. Its face and form were indistinct, and it was impossible to tell if it was male or female. It simply floated quietly behind Zhao Ke.
Suddenly, it moved.
It bent down, extended its arm, and gently scooped from the ground. The Thorny Black Hole returned to its hand like a swallow returning to its nest.
"Go!" Zhao Ke said calmly.
She lightly tapped the Thorny Black Hole with her finger, and it instantly transformed into a spear.
Then, holding the spear, she thrust it forward with great force.
Boom!
There was only the sound, no sight of the spear.
The next moment, a piercing cry was heard, and only then did everyone realize the battle had ended.
Lu Huan clutched his chest, staring at Zhao Ke in horror.
"You... how can you be so strong?"
Zhao Ke deactivated her talent, glanced at him indifferently, and left, uttering one sentence.
"This is why I was admitted early, while you still have to take exams step by step!"