Just as the two closed in to within eight meters, the sword in Linda Warren's hand swept up a flash of sword light like a white rainbow, agile yet fierce, thrusting toward Ryan Lincoln's throat.

This was the martial arts secret technique she had painstakingly practiced for half a year—White Rainbow Sixfold!

It was a secret move that could only be mastered by cultivating the ‘White Rainbow Sword Technique’ to the realm of true understanding, organically integrating the six forms of the White Rainbow Sword into a seamless sequence—six consecutive strikes, as swift as lightning and thunder.

Earlier, Linda Warren had relied on this very move to defeat six opponents in a row within ten minutes.

“Watch closely, Ryan Lincoln!”

A smile curled at the corner of Linda Warren's lips. Ryan Lincoln would never have guessed that she had already mastered this secret technique, nor would he be able to withstand her six consecutive strikes.

But in the very next instant, Linda Warren's eyes widened, her pupils flashing with shock.

Opposite her, Ryan Lincoln did not switch from offense to defense as she had expected, but instead met her head-on with a slash.

The key was, his blade was even faster than hers by a hair! Wisps of crimson lightning wrapped around the blade, and as it cut through the air, it produced a thunderous ‘boom’.

How was this possible?

Linda Warren could hardly believe it—how could Ryan Lincoln's blade be even faster than hers?

She felt utterly helpless, but could only be forced to interrupt her own White Rainbow Sixfold, blocking the blade before Ryan Lincoln's strike reached her brow.

Their sword and blade collided with a crash, instantly sending up a shower of brilliant sparks, the sharp metallic clang piercing the eardrums.

Because Linda Warren had hastily changed her move to block, she lacked sufficient power, and was forced back by the heavy force of Ryan Lincoln's blade, sliding back several steps before she could stop. The lightning entwined around the blade nearly paralyzed her right hand.

Ryan Lincoln, however, pressed the attack relentlessly, pursuing her like a shadow, slashing at his opponent with several consecutive strikes.

The technique he used was the strongest secret move of the Crimson Thunder Blade—‘Crimson Thunder Nine Slashes’!

Ryan Lincoln's thinking was exactly the same as Linda Warren's: finish the fight quickly, there was no need to waste time on Linda Warren.

He wanted to defeat his opponent as fast as possible, to rack up more wins and battle ratings.

“Ding! Ding! Clang! Clang!”

At first, Linda Warren remained composed, her expression calm as she blocked four consecutive strikes. But when Ryan Lincoln brought down the fifth slash, her face changed again.

“This is the Crimson Thunder Nine Slashes?”

This guy before her had actually mastered a chain secret move even stronger than her White Rainbow Sixfold?

Linda Warren gritted her teeth fiercely, mustering all her strength.

She didn’t believe it! She didn’t believe Ryan Lincoln had already mastered the complete Crimson Thunder Nine Slashes.

This move required the ‘Crimson Thunder Blade’ to be cultivated to perfection, only then could it be mastered. The threshold was far higher than the White Rainbow Sixfold. With Ryan Lincoln's abilities, how could he possibly have achieved it?

Yet Ryan Lincoln's movement and blade technique were as smooth as flowing clouds and water, as swift as a shooting star, incomparably fluid.

By the time Linda Warren blocked the sixth slash, her footing and stance were already in disarray, staggering, barely able to stand.

When Ryan Lincoln brought down the seventh slash, Linda Warren could no longer hold on—her longsword was knocked flying by the overwhelming force of Ryan Lincoln's blade.

The afterglow of the blade had not yet faded, and it slashed in fiercely, striking directly into the brow of Linda Warren's virtual avatar!

“The match is decided! Please note, this battle scene will end in thirty seconds.”

As the synthesized female voice sounded, Linda Warren's damaged body was restored, whole as before.

A look of confusion first appeared in her eyes, her mind filled with a jumble of thoughts.

She had actually lost? Lost to Ryan Lincoln in just seven strikes? Unbelievable, and hard to accept!

And Ryan Lincoln's ‘Crimson Thunder Nine Slashes’—he had managed to unleash seven slashes, and it didn’t look forced at all, the moves flowed together seamlessly.

Linda Warren took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.

She looked at Ryan Lincoln with a complicated expression. “Ryan Lincoln, you’ve already mastered the complete Crimson Thunder Nine Slashes?”

But Ryan Lincoln's attention was drawn to a light screen that appeared before him.

—The system has matched you with your next opponent. Would you like to proceed to the next battle scene?

Ryan Lincoln immediately chose ‘Yes’, and his virtual avatar dissolved into points of light and disappeared.

He didn’t like this Linda Warren, and right now he only wanted to rack up more wins to improve his ranking and earn the school’s rewards. Where would he find time to chat with Linda Warren?

Seeing this, Linda Warren was momentarily stunned, then clenched her fist in frustration and resentment.

This Ryan Lincoln—he just left like that? Would it kill him to say one more word to her?

His personality was as infuriating as ever.

A dozen seconds later, Linda Warren finally regained her composure, her gaze growing grave.

Just now, Ryan Lincoln's blade was smooth and natural, perfectly integrated—it was clear he had truly mastered the complete ‘Crimson Thunder Nine Slashes’.

This opponent, who had been evenly matched with her for three years, had now left her far behind, surpassing her in every way. This was the hardest thing for her to accept.

Chapter 6: Face

Two hours later, the avatar combat assessment was still ongoing.

In the meeting room of the Ninth Base City Education Bureau, ‘Chairman of Sky Blue Biotech Group and Chairman of Mingde University’ Colin Faulkner tugged at his tie, both irritated and embarrassed.