When Zhao Shi's arm was easily torn, the spectators gasped in shock. The deep, bloody wounds had been carved from his solid, muscular flesh.
Class leader Zhang let out a soft exclamation, a bit incredulous, but quickly chuckled, "Zhao Shi underestimated his opponent. That was a mistake."
Class leader Yang, though aware of the gap in strength between the two contestants, couldn't help but hope that Kent might pull off a miracle. After all, it wasn't pleasant to have someone sitting on your head.
Zhao Shi cried out in pain but immediately intensified his attacks. His punch speed seemed to increase by about thirty percent, though his technique had become somewhat chaotic. This was probably his maximum speed.
Kent, seeing this, subtly increased his own ability, quickening his movements. He dodged most of Zhao Shi's strikes, occasionally meeting them head-on, feeling the force of each blow push him back several steps.
This was the power gap in action.
The two continued to fight, a back-and-forth exchange that had already lasted over two minutes. Zhao Shi, although seeming to hold an advantage, was visibly exhausted. Controlling the beast's abilities came with a huge energy cost. Now, he was running low and could barely keep up.
In contrast, Kent remained calm, seizing every opportunity to strike, each hit leaving deep gashes on Zhao Shi's body. Every time Kent struck, Zhao Shi felt intense pain, his skin torn open in multiple places.
"Roar!"
Zhao Shi, unwilling to lose, activated his Hunger-Driven Fury ability. Instantly, all of his internal energy was converted, causing his body to shrink slightly, but his combat power soared to almost explosive levels, boosting his strength, speed, and attack power across the board.
"The battle just shifted. Zhao Shi has entered a strengthened state, his power has increased significantly. Kent probably won't be able to hold on much longer," one of the spectators said.
"Even if Kent loses, it's still an honorable defeat. Remember, Zhao Shi is a wealthy heir with abundant training resources and he's a repeat student. Kent has already done far better than anyone expected," someone else said, giving Kent a thumbs-up.
"Wait... do you really think Kent will lose? It's still too early to say. Look at him, he seems completely unfazed."
As soon as this was said, the spectators refocused, their curiosity piqued.
Kent shook his head. Since Zhao Shi had activated his Hunger-Driven Fury, he had no choice but to activate his Deadly Strike in return.
At once, a burst of blood-red light erupted from Kent's body, vanishing in an instant. Then, Kent's muscles twitched violently, as if struck by lightning.
"Kid, I didn't expect you to be this strong. I must have underestimated you," Zhao Shi sneered, licking his lips. "But this ends now. You won't win."
With that, Zhao Shi moved forward with a stride that resembled a dragon or a tiger—powerful, aggressive. His state had more than doubled in strength, looking as if he'd taken some kind of rage-inducing drug, turning him into a nearly invincible warrior.
Fortunately, using such enhancement drugs was prohibited in the Beastmaster Competition to maintain fairness.
Kent looked at him with a pitying gaze, shaking his head and sneering, "Oh? Are you sure you can beat me?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he lunged forward, meeting Zhao Shi's attack head-on.
Bang!
Their fists collided with a dull thud.
Kent felt a tremendous force and staggered back several steps. Zhao Shi, on the other hand, was also forced back, stunned and unable to understand how his enhanced state had resulted in a loss of strength.
"So? Are you sure you can defeat me?" Kent taunted.
"Shut up, take this!" Zhao Shi roared in fury and threw another punch.
Kent had already gauged Zhao Shi's power. Though strong, Zhao Shi was still weaker than Kent, so Kent didn't return the punch. Instead, he dodged at lightning speed and, with his right hand shaped like a cat's claw, slashed at Zhao Shi's chest and abdomen.
Riiip!
Four deep gashes appeared on Zhao Shi's chest, like he'd been torn open by iron hooks. Blood poured from the wounds, staining his clothes and the ground.
The spectators gasped. That slash had been brutal, a merciless attack.
Zhao Shi staggered, his face turning pale, his spirit crushed. "How is this possible?" he muttered.
"Do you surrender?" Kent pressed.
"I won't surrender. I'll come for you again!" Zhao Shi roared, gritting his teeth and pushing through the pain. Blood was pouring from his wounds, but his desire for revenge was overpowering. He charged at Kent, driven by murderous intent.
The referee, seeing the situation escalate, quickly intervened. The Beastmaster Competition was meant to be a test of skills, not a life-and-death battle. Serious injury was rare.
The referee jumped onto the stage, stopping Zhao Shi. "Zhao Shi, you're in no condition to continue. If you keep fighting, you'll bleed out. You've already lost."
"No! I didn't lose. That lucky bastard just got me," Zhao Shi shouted, completely ignoring the referee's words. "I won't give him another chance. I'll kill him!"
Ignoring the referee's intervention, Zhao Shi continued to charge, but the referee, after receiving a look from the school leaders in the stands, decisively moved in, pressing a point on Zhao Shi's arm to paralyze it. He then grabbed Zhao Shi by the collar and lifted him off the stage.
"Get the school doctor," the referee called out, as the school medic rushed over to stop the bleeding.
"The winner of this match is Kent from Class Nine, and he earns one point," the referee announced.
The scoreboard updated, and Kent's score changed from 1 to 2, greatly improving his ranking.
"Garfield, we're done here."
Kent waved his hand, and Garfield obediently jumped off the stage, ignoring the Red-Eyed Savage Wolf, which was still snarling in pain after losing most of its flesh.
On the observation deck, Class Leader Zhang remained silent, his earlier arrogance completely gone.
The competition between the elite classes was fierce, and now that Zhang had been proven wrong, both the leaders of Class One and Class Three found immense satisfaction.
"Zhao Shi was indeed impressive, no doubt. A wealthy heir who repeated a year, he dominated the fight with Kent. If he hadn't been careless, he wouldn't have lost. Too bad," Class One's leader, Mr. He, sighed.
Zhang's embarrassment deepened. He could easily detect the sarcasm, but he had been too full of himself earlier to back down.
Class Nine's Mr. Yang, however, didn't seem the least bit pleased. He stood up with great composure and said with respect, "Mr. Zhang, thank you for allowing Zhao Shi to hold back. Otherwise, how could Kent have won? Didn't you say Zhao Shi was one of the top three in Class Two, and that the strongest student in a regular class wouldn't even rank in the top twenty of the elite class?"
"Kent was near the bottom of my class for three years. I was really worried about his future after his parents passed, but thanks to your generosity, Mr. Zhang, he was motivated to improve. I appreciate you allowing Zhao Shi to hold back so Kent could win."
"I will make sure to pass on your kindness to my students. In fact, such a noble gesture should be recognized. Let me inform the school news department and have them publish it—it deserves front-page attention."
Mr. Zhang took a deep breath, staring daggers at Mr. Yang. His chest nearly shook with anger, but he could say nothing. This "backhanded praise" was a new experience, and it stung badly.
The vice principals and head of the department, seeing this, chuckled lightly. "Haha, Mr. Zhang, this was just an accident. Everyone has their off moments. Zhao Shi's strength is undeniable, as we all know."
They were giving him an easy way out.
But Mr. He from Class One wasn't done yet.
"Zhao Shi is strong, but Kent is even more impressive. A student from a regular class who was almost at the bottom—yet now he's so powerful. Mr. Yang, you've truly done an exceptional job. I must say, I'm a little ashamed of myself."
Mr. Yang chuckled softly, secretly enjoying the moment.