With a muffled bang, a surge of force erupted directly on the swordsman, forming a faint ripple that shattered his protective battle aura.

This was only the beginning. The power of the first strike had not dissipated. William Lincoln's hand, shaped like a knife, bent at the knuckles and struck again. Accompanied by a "crack!" sound, the sternum shattered into pieces.

Then, gathering his fingers into a fist, he delivered another punch, the force penetrating directly into his opponent's body, wreaking havoc inside.

Wing Chun inch force! Three strikes in quick succession!

The speed of these three consecutive blows was so fast that they all happened in the instant William Lincoln struck the swordsman. The entire process took less than a second—even some of the nearby fourth-level swordsmen couldn't see clearly what had happened.

In the eyes of the crowd, William Lincoln, who had suddenly blocked the swordsman, first stopped his kick, and then, with just one move, the sound of the swordsman's sternum shattering echoed like beans being fried, "crackling" through the air. His entire chest caved in as if hollowed out, forming a bizarre distortion. Immediately after, "splurt!"—he spat out a mouthful of blood, much more than Karui had, spraying it into the air. The once-towering figure was sent flying by the force of the three strikes, crashing heavily into the wall with a thunderous boom, shaking loose a shower of plaster from the wall.

As he collapsed to the ground, countless fine cracks instantly spread from the point of impact, radiating outward and covering the entire wall...

With a single move, a fifth-level swordsman was knocked unconscious, his fate unknown!

The tremendous shock left all the students who witnessed the scene in utter turmoil, their faces full of disbelief. For a moment, the eyes of nearly a hundred people in the trial arena all turned to the figure who had suddenly appeared, staring as if at an alien...

Volume One, Nine-Nine Upper Profound, Chapter Eight: Astonishment

The trial arena, which had been bustling just moments before, fell silent in an instant. Everyone stared, dumbfounded, at the fifth-level swordsman from Brilliant Academy lying on the ground, blood gushing from his mouth, and at William Lincoln, whose face was cold and who wore a third-level swordsman badge on his chest—his mouth agape, jaw nearly dropping to the floor.

A student, still in shock, reached out and tugged at the sleeve of his friend beside him, his voice stilted and halting: "Am I seeing things, or was that senior from Brilliant Academy wearing a fifth-level swordsman badge on his chest?"

The friend looked carefully at the young swordsman lying motionless on the ground, then nodded vigorously as if to bolster his own confidence: "You didn't see wrong. That badge... is for a fifth-level swordsman."

"B-13 dorm's Charles Lincoln, the badge on his chest is for a third-level swordsman?"

The name of B-13 dorm had been on everyone's lips for the past month. Without hesitation, the friend replied, "It's a third-level swordsman."

"Oh, so a third-level swordsman just punched a fifth-level swordsman into unconsciousness, spitting blood."

"Judging by what we just saw, that seems to be the case."

"That's how it is."

"..." The friend.

"..." The student.

...

An eerie silence filled the trial arena. Almost everyone was in a daze, unable to believe their eyes. What had just happened before them was hard to accept.

If, a month ago, William Lincoln had used his close-combat skills to successfully ambush a fourth-level swordsman and knock him out, people could have accepted it. After all, Katherine Lincoln was only a fourth-level professional. Although there are primary and intermediate distinctions between third- and fourth-level swordsmen, the difference is just one level, so being knocked out was understandable.

But now, the person before them was a fifth-level swordsman from Brilliant Academy, one of the three top academies of the Ziyun Empire—a genuine, certified fifth-level professional. Such a powerful figure was still sent flying and spitting blood with a single punch?

Knocking down a fifth-level swordsman with one move? Is that even possible? If so, can this person still be considered a third-level swordsman?

When the swordsman crashed into the wall, the force that shook dust from the entire wall was something everyone could feel. Such immense power was in no way inferior to a full-force, battle-aura-infused strike from a fifth-level swordsman... Even if you couldn't sense it, weren't the cracks on the wall the best proof of that destructive power?

Does a third-level swordsman really have such overwhelming strength?

Such a profound question instantly caused all the students' minds to freeze...

William Lincoln swept a glance at the group from Brilliant Academy who looked ready to gang up on him. His sharp gaze was like a blade of icy cold, making the three fourth-level swordsmen shudder in fear, as if they were being stared down by a vicious wolf, sending chills to their core. Almost simultaneously, the thought of turning and fleeing sprang up in their minds.

"If it weren't for the academy's rule against killing, I could have easily finished your cousin off with another palm just now!" William Lincoln's gaze fell on Jane Lincoln, his tone still calm. Although he hadn't deliberately displayed any intimidating aura, his actions just now—knocking a fifth-level swordsman into a bloody mess—were enough to frighten the girl into trembling.