Both sides were system-generated avatars, not only identical in height and build, but even their clothes were of the same style, with no differences whatsoever.

Wade, however, still scrutinized Ryan Lincoln from head to toe, his eyes filled with doubt: “You’re from Mingde University? What’s your current ranking? How come I’ve never heard of your name before?”

The fact that this Ryan Lincoln could be matched with him meant his ranking must have entered the top fifty-four.

Yet, at this level, Wade knew everyone—these names were all familiar, after all, the circle of top academic elites was only so big.

How did this person suddenly appear, and from the so-called trash heap that is Mingde University, no less?

Ryan Lincoln glanced sideways at his own ranking: “Fifteen.”

This Wade was different from the previous Linda Warren; his words and demeanor showed no hint of condescension, so Ryan Lincoln’s attitude was naturally different as well.

Upon hearing this, Wade was taken aback: “Fifteen?”

He hadn’t expected Ryan Lincoln’s ranking to be so high.

Wade immediately rubbed his forehead in frustration, feeling like he was in trouble.

Anyone who could make it into the top twenty was not to be underestimated.

The problem was, he knew nothing about Ryan Lincoln—he had no intel beforehand, nor had he done any targeted research.

Wade didn’t know what martial arts the other was skilled in, nor had he prepared any strategies for the fight.

But in the next instant, Wade’s blood began to boil, his eyes surging with fighting spirit.

Now this was a battle worth having!

This guy wasn’t even a seeded candidate, yet in just three hours, he’d stood out from tens of thousands of avatar students and fought his way into the top fifteen!

His blade technique must have its own unique flair—something different from the Ten Elites!

Those old rivals had already bored Wade.

The moment the countdown ended, Wade suddenly raised his hand and drew his longsword, his figure flickering like a shadow.

All his movements were pushed to the extreme, so much so that Ryan Lincoln could only catch a few afterimages.

This was the ‘Shadowstep Sword’ that had made Wade famous—a sword technique of ultimate speed.

Fortunately, the Scarlet Thunder Blade that Ryan Lincoln practiced was also renowned for its speed.

Sparks exploded instantly between the two, accompanied by a rapid series of crisp, piercing ‘ding ding’ sounds.

The speed of Ryan Lincoln’s Scarlet Thunder Blade was already very fast, but Wade’s sword was even faster by a margin.

As a result, Ryan Lincoln had to defend with all his might, coordinating his footwork to dodge left and right, maneuvering against Wade.

Electric currents flickered all over his body as he slashed in all directions, and with each clash of blades, Wade’s wrist went numb.

“You really are impressive.”

Wade’s eyes were filled with astonishment.

Before the fight, he had already tried to overestimate Ryan Lincoln’s strength, even treating Ryan Lincoln as a ‘quasi-Ten Elite’ level opponent.

But he never expected that he had still underestimated Ryan Lincoln—this was the level of the Ten Elites!

Although Ryan Lincoln could only defend under the pressure of his sword, his whole stance was as firm as a pine, steady and unyielding, his blade defense watertight.

His footwork was also steady, his blade moving with his body, calm and composed, every step purposeful.

Under the relentless strikes of Wade’s longsword, Ryan Lincoln stood as immovable as a mountain.

Could it be that this guy’s Scarlet Thunder Blade had also reached mastery? How did such a monster emerge from Mingde University, which is widely regarded as a trash heap?

Wade knew the weakness of his own Shadowstep Sword—though incredibly fast, it consumed a huge amount of energy.

Even though this avatar’s stamina was unlimited, Wade’s mental strength was not, so despite having the upper hand now, if the fight dragged on, he would definitely lose in the end.

Wade tried several times to unleash his secret move, attempting to use the Shadowstep Sword’s chain technique, the ‘Shadowstep Seven-Strike’, to defeat his opponent. This was his signature secret move, which had never failed him in past battles and had earned him an impressive record.

Even the top-ranked member of the Ten Elites would fall to his seven-strike combo if caught off guard.

The problem was, every time Wade began the first move of the Shadowstep Seven-Strike, Ryan Lincoln would sense it, instantly unleashing a burst of blade speed to disrupt Wade’s actions, breaking his chain attack before it could continue.

Wade was extremely experienced in combat, and after several failed attempts, he decisively changed tactics.

The sparks flying from their weapons became even more dazzling, the ‘ding ding’ of clashing metal even more rapid, like iron being forged, ringing in their ears.

Ryan Lincoln had been thoroughly enjoying this battle.

This was the first formidable opponent he had encountered in this practical assessment.

The opponent’s mastery of the Shadowstep Sword was definitely top-tier among this year’s avatar students.

Wade’s combat experience and swordsmanship far surpassed Ryan Lincoln’s, and almost every exchange gave Ryan Lincoln new insights, deepening his understanding of his own Scarlet Thunder Blade.

Ryan Lincoln’s current situation was like having the top-tier skill in an online game.

Even though the skill was top-notch, how much of its power Ryan Lincoln could unleash still depended on himself.

Ryan Lincoln was learning from Wade—though their martial arts were different, the underlying principles were the same. As long as he observed a few times, he could learn it and later imitate it himself.