Divine Emperor Demon Emperor

After a boring wait and three other fights, it was finally Lin Yun’s turn.

Seeing Lin Yun in his green robes, many of the students knew he was just from the General Class. The three preceding fights had featured two students from the Intermediate Class and one from the Elite Class.

Few students from the General Class ever fought in the Battle Arena. The rules were crystal clear: you only stood to profit by fighting opponents of a higher realm. A battle between equals would only yield one hundred Merit Points, just enough to break even with the entry fee.

Led by a Battle Arena Steward, Lin Yun ascended the Martial Arts Arena. The platform was huge—at least a thousand square meters—making it perfect for evasive maneuvers.

"You are challenging a death row inmate at the Seventh Layer of the Opening Realm. This is your last chance to back out. Once the fight begins, it will not end until one of you is dead. Understand?" the Steward gave Lin Yun one final warning.

Hearing this, Lin Yun simply smiled and nodded, indicating that he was ready.

With that confirmation, the Steward waved his hand. An iron gate opposite Lin Yun slowly ground open, and a man in a death row inmate’s garb emerged.

The man had a savage appearance. One could tell just from his aura that he had killed more than a few people.

His aura was even tinged with the stench of blood. ’Clearly not a decent person.’ For someone like this, Lin Yun felt no psychological burden in killing him.

"How many moves do you guys think this General Class student can last?"

"Doesn’t matter how many. He’s dead either way." None of the Intermediate or Elite Class students in the stands thought much of Lin Yun’s chances.

In their eyes, the General Class was just a mob of rabble, completely incapable of possessing the Combat Power to kill opponents of a higher realm. Moreover, every one of these death row inmates had several, if not dozens, of lives on their hands. The sheer viciousness of their attacks would make even these students’ hearts pound, to say nothing of a mere student from the General Class.

"Heh heh, it’s been a while since I’ve gotten to kill anyone. It’s just a piece of trash from the General Class, but I’ll make do." A bloodthirsty glint flashed in the inmate’s eyes as he stared at Lin Yun.

"Begin the battle!" With both fighters in position, the Steward at the side made the call. He then leaped off the Martial Arts Arena, leaving the entire platform to Lin Yun and the inmate.

Facing the murderous-looking inmate, Lin Yun’s expression remained perfectly calm, not wavering in the slightest.

"Haha, boy, die!" With a wide grin, the inmate attacked first. His right hand formed an eagle’s claw as he lunged, aiming to rip into Lin Yun’s chest.

As a death row inmate at the Seventh Layer of Opening, his Elemental Power was comparable to that of an ordinary Martial Artist, but the stench of blood about him and the viciousness of his strikes made him several times more dangerous.

This meant that in a true battle to the death, the inmate’s Combat Power was certainly a cut above that of a Martial Artist in the same realm.

Lin Yun didn’t dodge. He had chosen an opponent at the Seventh Layer of Opening precisely to test the inmate’s strength. Meeting the man’s right claw head-on, Lin Yun threw a sudden punch.

He didn’t use a Martial Skill for this punch; it was purely a combination of his Elemental Power and physical strength.

"Boy, you’re courting death." Seeing Lin Yun meet his attack head-on, the inmate’s expression twisted into a cruel sneer.

Fist met claw. The inmate’s ferocious expression instantly morphed into shock, then agony. Lin Yun’s fist was as hard as steel, and the impact shattered the man’s fingers.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" As the saying goes, the pain from one’s fingers goes straight to the heart. With his fingers shattered, the inmate let out a wretched howl.

Everyone had assumed the inmate would have the upper hand. Who could have guessed that in a single exchange, his fingers would be shattered? The scene was utterly bizarre in the eyes of the watching students.

’When did the General Class produce such a powerhouse?’

"As far as I know, there aren’t more than twenty people in the entire General Class who can challenge an inmate from a higher realm. The only ones who could defeat one in a single blow are the students in the top ten—those with a real shot at being promoted to the Intermediate Class," an Elite Class student remarked.

Hearing this, his companion asked in confusion, "Could he be one of the top ten in the General Class?"

"No, I’ve seen all the top-ten students from the General Class. He’s definitely not one of them. Still, his rank can’t be low... top twenty at least." The Elite Class students murmured amongst themselves. However, Lin Yun’s next action left them completely dumbfounded.

Lin Yun placed his right hand behind his back and said to the wailing inmate, "I’ll only use one hand. Come. If you can last ten moves, I’ll spare your life."

The inmate’s rage was palpable. He was actually being looked down upon by a student from the General Class.

"You little bastard, I’ll flay you alive!" Enraged, the inmate exploded into motion, unleashing wave after wave of attacks at Lin Yun.

Yet, facing the inmate’s desperate onslaught, Lin Yun still looked completely at ease. He showed no sign of counterattacking, simply contenting himself with dodging.

As he dodged, Lin Yun moved as if he were taking a leisurely stroll. After the inmate launched his ninth move, Lin Yun spoke softly, "Block this next move, and I’ll let you live."

As his words faded, Lin Yun’s aura suddenly surged. He instantly unleashed the Black Steel Tyrant Fist. An overbearing, tyrannical presence erupted from him, as if he were the sole sovereign in existence.

He threw the punch, and the crowd gasped. Faced with Lin Yun’s incredibly domineering fist, the inmate didn’t hesitate, immediately opting to defend with all his might.

He crossed his arms to shield his chest. However, when Lin Yun’s fist struck his forearms, a terrifying force instantly shattered every bone within them. Then, with unstoppable momentum, the fist continued onward, smashing violently into his chest.

His sternum caved in and his heart burst. The inmate was killed instantly by that single punch.

The victor was decided. Lin Yun had won the battle with absolutely overwhelming strength. The students watching from the sidelines were all slack-jawed in astonishment.

"Is he really a student from the General Class? I doubt even we could do that," an Intermediate Class student said.

"Since when did a General Class student have such incredible Combat Power?"

The crowd was still reeling in amazement, but Lin Yun, having now gauged his strength, returned to the registration point. He signed up for two more fights, both against opponents at the Eighth Layer of Opening: one against a death row inmate, and the other against a Tier Two Demon Beast.

The arena then became the Lin Yun show. Fighting two matches back-to-back was an extremely rare sight in the Battle Arena.

For the first match, he challenged an opponent two Small Realms above him—a Tier Two Demon Beast—and finished it off in just twenty moves.

The second match came immediately after. Facing a death row inmate at the Eighth Layer of Opening, Lin Yun took even less time, killing his opponent in a mere ten moves.

In just three matches, Lin Yun had earned eight hundred Merit Points. The rate was astonishingly fast. But at the same time, what truly shocked the students was the strength he had displayed.

Based on the Combat Power he had shown alone, getting into the Intermediate Class would be no problem at all.

Watching Lin Yun’s retreating figure, the students from the Elite Class were less affected, as they were capable of similar feats. The Intermediate Class students, however, were completely stunned. This student from the General Class was stronger than most of them.

A single thought arose in many of their minds: ’Is he really a fucking student from the General Class?’