The two students warming up stood in the center of the venue, their gazes clashing with fiery sparks.

"This is a martial arts exchange. Pull your punches!" the referee, a middle-aged PE teacher with a determined, square-jawed face, announced. After speaking, he glanced at a female student behind him, a Japanese language major, clearly expecting her to translate.

However, the president of the Imperial Capital University Judo Club from Sakura Country, who was seated with the competitors, replied in fluent Mandarin, "Understood."

"..."

The PE teacher gave him a deep look, snorted coldly, and looked away. It was the same story every year. They always played rough. This was his third year refereeing, so he knew all about the grudge between the two schools.

This Judo Club president had once applied to Dongli University but failed to meet the admission score. He then went to Sakura Country and enrolled in Imperial Capital University instead. The very next year, he brought his Judo Club here for an "exchange." Dongli University naturally couldn't refuse an exchange with a world-class institution, but as a result… the conflicts had only grown larger.

"Best of five rounds! The first match begins now!" the PE teacher announced, his words falling on the tense air.

The female student from Sakura Country, designated Number 001, raised her hand in a judo stance. Her long hair, adorned with a white accessory, flowed freely. Contempt was written all over her pretty face as she extended a hand and beckoned with her finger.

The provoked Dongli student could no longer hold back and charged forward furiously.

But the result was brutal.

Just as his fist was ten centimeters from her cheek, the girl from Sakura Country smirked. Dodging backward, she lashed out with a kick to his groin!

"AHHHH!"

Hit in such a vital spot, the male student's body curled up like a shrimp as he cried out in agony.

"Alright, Mai! Well done!" Yin Tian, the Judo Club president, shouted.

"That's a foul!"

"How can you kick there in a spar? That's a dirty move!"

"..."

The venue erupted in boos and protests, with many Dongli students filled with righteous indignation.

Liu Nanwei and Zhou Feng rushed into the arena to check on the injured student.

The PE teacher's face was dark as he demanded, "Yin Tian, you…"

"Mai was probably aiming for his abdomen and missed," Yin Tian said with a shrug and a chuckle. "Teacher, we didn't do it on purpose. In a martial arts exchange, injuries are unavoidable, aren't they?"

"You…"

Hu Yanjie, the president of Dongli University's Martial Dao Club, said with a dark expression, "You've gone too far!"

"If you're scared, just admit defeat. What's the point of posturing when you can't even beat a girl?" Yin Tian said with a sneer. "Anyway, your Hua Country's martial arts... have always been all show and no substance. Heh."

Yin Tian's condescending use of "your Hua Country" made Hu Yanjie's veins bulge on his forehead. "I'll fight you!"

"Defeat Mai first. Don't let her take down three of you in a row," Yin Tian said contemptuously.

Hu Yanjie's expression turned grim. The philosophy behind the judo of Sakura Country was rooted in the ancient Daoist principle from Hua Country: using softness to overcome hardness. To be defeated for two consecutive years, and to lose again this year... would be a complete dishonor to their ancestors. Besides, he had specially invited his crush, Ruan Lan, to watch the match today, hoping to show off. And now he'd been slapped in the face right at the start!

"Ma Chang, you're up!" Hu Yanjie called out, sending in the strongest member of the club aside from himself—a student who had been self-studying Tai Chi for three years.

「In the audience.」

"That's so shameless!" Yu Xiaoxiao said, annoyed. "How could she kick a man there? She obviously did it on purpose."

"Exactly," the normally gentle Li Li agreed, very displeased.

"If there were a school doctor combat competition, my brother-in-law would definitely wipe the floor with them!" Ruan Lan said through clenched teeth.

A school doctor competing in fighting instead of medicine? Xu Lai glanced at his sister-in-law. "Just watch the match."

"Brother-in-law, who do you think will win?"

Yu Xiaoxiao chimed in, "I heard this Ma Chang has been practicing Tai Chi for years. Aside from Lan Lan's admirer, Hu Yanjie, he's the strongest in the Martial Dao Club!"

"He'll lose," Xu Lai shook his head. "The Dongli Martial Dao Club is going to lose."

The Sakura Country team consisted of three men and two women, all of whom were Martial Artists, albeit beginners. But on the Dongli University side... not a single one had even touched the threshold of the Martial Dao; they were all just hobbyists. This match was like elementary school students challenging university students. They weren't even in the same league.

"Huh?"

Ruan Lan and the other two girls exchanged glances, unwilling to believe that Dongli would lose.

But the result was exactly as Xu Lai predicted.

The girl from Sakura Country, Ishihara Mai, was terrifyingly strong. Her technique of using softness to overcome hardness was masterfully executed. Ma Chang was completely toyed with.

When Ma Chang's eyes turned bloodshot and he began fighting with furious desperation, Ishihara Mai kicked out with a contemptuous sneer.

Once again, she aimed for a vital spot!

BANG!

Ma Chang was sent flying backward.

"..."

This time, there were no more boos. Aside from Ma Chang's pained groans, the hundreds of people in the venue fell into a stunned silence.

"That's 2-0 now," Yin Tian said with a grin, then switched to Japanese. "Mai, take a rest. I'll go next."

"Mhm."

Ishihara Mai nodded and stepped back, but not before flashing a middle finger at the members of Dongli University's Martial Dao Club. It was an act of pure mockery.

"Damn it."

Hu Yanjie could no longer hold back. "I'll take the third match!" he roared. He tore his shirt open, revealing a muscular physique, which earned a few cheers from the crowd. After all, the tall and well-built Hu Yanjie, standing at 186 cm, looked far more formidable than Yin Tian from Sakura Country.

"Hu Yanjie, if you beat him, I'll get Ruan Lan to go on a date with you!" Yu Xiaoxiao shouted loudly.

Ruan Lan was mortified. "Xiaoxiao, what are you talking about? I don't even like him!"

"I'm just giving him a shot of adrenaline," Yu Xiaoxiao quickly apologized. "Ruan Lan, you don't want to see our school lose again, do you?"

"True," Ruan Lan sighed, and Yu Xiaoxiao breathed a sigh of relief. But then Ruan Lan also yelled, "Hu Yanjie, Yu Xiaoxiao says that if you win, she'll buy you dinner for a month!"

"..."

The two girls began to squabble.

But just as Yu Xiaoxiao intended, Hu Yanjie was completely fired up, tearing his shirt open to reveal his powerful muscles.

"I will definitely win!"

Hu Yanjie's expression grew grave. He had been pursuing Ruan Lan for a whole year, and this was the closest he had ever gotten to his goddess. Win, and I get a date!

He had to win. He had to force a fourth round for the Martial Dao Club. Even if not for the date, he had to do it for their honor.

"Hmph," Yin Tian sneered.

Amid the referee's grim expression, a whistle blew, and the match point began.

It had to be said that although Hu Yanjie's style was self-taught, he was incredibly fast and powerful. With his ferocious assault, he actually managed to briefly suppress Yin Tian, forcing him onto the defensive!

"He's going to win!" Ruan Lan was both surprised and happy—happy that Dongli was finally about to win a round, but shocked by Yu Xiaoxiao's promise…

"He's about to lose," Xu Lai said quietly.

The words had barely left his lips when Hu Yanjie, having failed to secure victory with his frenzied attack, began to tire. The moment his assault faltered, Yin Tian switched from defense to offense.

His fist landed on Hu Yanjie's back, seemingly light and powerless, yet it sent Hu Yanjie staggering forward several steps. At the same time, he spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood.

"President!"

The students of the Martial Dao Club shot to their feet anxiously, as the other Dongli students watched with tense expressions.

"We've lost…"

The PE teacher, serving as the referee, wore a pained expression and was about to raise his hand to forfeit the match on the student's behalf.

Hu Yanjie wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said in a trembling voice, "Don't, Teacher! I… I can still fight!"

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