Chương 60: I'm always willing to help others, so let me be your sparring partner forever.

Chapter 60 I'm always willing to help others, so let me continue being your sparring partner.

Upon hearing Luo Min's voice, Zhao Rui was visibly taken aback; he truly hadn't expected Luo Min to step forward like this.

"Okay, then come on up!"

Wang Zhanshan still had some impression of this outstanding-looking and talented girl.

Among the entire freshman martial arts team, she and Miao Miaomiao were considered the two beauties of their year, attracting much attention from the boys.

Upon hearing this, Luo Min moved gracefully to the front of the arena. With a light touch of her feet on the ground, she rose up like a flying goose stepping on snow, landing elegantly in the arena.

"Minmin is so handsome!"

"Go Minmin!"

Several cheers erupted from the audience immediately; they were all from her girlfriends!

The crisp, melodious sound stood out clearly in the empty training ground.

On the stage, Zhao Rui smiled at his opponent and nodded slightly as a greeting.

Luo Min smiled calmly, her posture upright, like a lotus bud just beginning to emerge from a pond.

"Please enlighten me, senior brother!"

After speaking, she moved her palms up and down, her nimble and slender fingers swirling and turning between her hands like blooming flowers.

It makes one want to see her beautiful face.

Flowers may be beautiful, but they have thorns. With graceful movements, Luo Min struck Zhao Rui with her palm.

"Hundred Flower Palm, copy?"

"Copy!"

Zhao Rui narrowed his eyes slightly, and without wasting words, said loudly, "Alright, then I'll give you some pointers!"

After saying that, he flicked his fingers into a flower-twisting motion, his body swaying like a willow, his feet moving in the wind, and suddenly snapped his fingers towards Luo Min.

Luo Min hesitated for a moment, never expecting that Zhao Rui would actually use a finger technique.

In an instant, the two figures crossed paths, each turning around and unleashing several attacks. For a moment, everyone only felt a blur before their eyes, unable to tell who had a flower in their hand and who did not.

It was as if Luo Min's flower had just bloomed when Zhao Rui forcibly plucked it, ruining the artistic conception.

The flowers, so vibrant and dazzling, paled in comparison under Zhao Rui's finger techniques.

Luo Min was shocked and quickly changed her finger techniques, with plum blossoms, orchids, chrysanthemums and lotus flowers appearing in turn. Her figure was elusive, making people feel as if they were standing in a garden of a hundred flowers.

"Break, break, break!"

Zhao Rui's tongue crackled like thunder, his finger techniques remaining unchanged, each move attacking the seemingly powerful but actually fragile branches beneath the flower's heart.

Luo Min's skills were so ruthless that he could only use half of his full potential, not even a single flower could bloom.

What a waste of the flower's beauty!

She quickly used her lightness skill to create distance between herself and Zhao Rui, then changed her palm into a fist and assumed a defensive stance.

This set of boxing techniques is a short-range fighting style called Chui Lei Quan, which is best suited for close-quarters defense by women.

Seeing her retreat, Zhao Rui did not pursue her. He suddenly changed his stance to the Hunyuan Palm, appearing as if he was defending against an enemy, yet also eager to try.

"What martial arts technique did you just use?"

Luo Min frowned and asked.

"Plucking flowers with your finger!"

Zhao Rui spoke clearly, and his voice slowly reached Luo Min's ears.

Luo Min's bright eyes widened, and she immediately retorted angrily, "Did you do that on purpose?"

"I only know this one finger technique!"

Zhao Rui said nonchalantly, "You use the Hundred Flowers Palm, and I'll use the Flower-Picking Finger. Isn't that great?"

Luo Min was extremely embarrassed and angry. She immediately stepped forward and delivered a downward punch followed by a second punch, aiming straight for Zhao Rui's vital points on the chest and abdomen.

Zhao Rui stepped back and turned his palm, unleashing the power of the Hunyuan Palm, meeting the fist head-on with his palm.

The two resumed their fight.

In an instant, their fists and palms collided, producing loud thuds as their internal energy clashed, causing their sleeves to rustle.

"A stone path stretches out in mid-air, yet I'll never see the flowers bloom in my lifetime!"

Luo Min gave a soft shout, her figure nimble, like a fluttering butterfly, appearing and disappearing around Zhao Rui in a flash.

Zhao Rui guarded the camp gate, displaying the Prajna Palm's state of being neither empty nor empty. He poured his inner strength into the palm, opening all five senses, and absorbed the opponent's figure into his consciousness with every detail.

"That's the Butterfly Shadow Movement Technique! This girl is no ordinary person!"

A third-year female student in the audience frowned slightly and spoke to Ye Jingqiu beside her.

"I thought it was already amazing that a cat had appeared, but I didn't expect this girl to be just as impressive. How come all the freshmen are such prodigies?"

"Yes! Truly extraordinary!"

Ye Jingqiu spoke with her pretty face still cold, but her eyes, which were fixed on the arena, gradually became serious.

Just then, Luo Min, whose figure was elusive on the stage, suddenly struck out with a palm from an unknown angle, hitting Zhao Rui's blind spot.

"Zhao Rui, watch out!"

The second-year students in the audience immediately gasped in surprise.

"This palm strike is so tricky, Zhao Rui probably won't be able to withstand it."

"Can this palm technique be defended against?"

Just as everyone was pondering this in their hearts, Zhao Rui on the stage made a move.

He stepped into the Heavenly Gang Step, his fingers pointed like a sword, and his arm swung lightly like a willow branch, causing his sword-like fingers to tremble slightly.

In an instant, countless sword fingers materialized, pointing sharply at Luo Min's fair and jade-like hand.

"A mere trick, yet you dare to show off your meager skills before an expert! Behold my Great Luo... uh! Taiyi Splitting Light Sword!"

Zhao Rui transformed his fingers into swords, and the sword energy split into countless forms, capable of breaking through all kinds of illusions. With the sword shadow on his body, what fear was there of fluttering butterflies?

The two exchanged blows, their fingers touching, and in an instant, they both swayed and fell out of their respective butterfly and sword shadows.

Luo Min was utterly shocked. She never expected that Zhao Rui's martial arts skills were so diverse, and that he could wield each martial art with such ease and mastery.

Her contempt had long since vanished.

The audience, whether freshmen or regular team members, all wore solemn expressions, their previous spectator mentality gone.

The two fought so spectacularly that it exceeded everyone's expectations. Their performance was far superior to their earlier encounter with Ge Wenlei.

Even among the guys from Dongyi Sports School who came last time, only one or two of them could play at this level.

"Was that guy Zhao Rui faced at the exchange meeting really a peak level eight?"

On the official team side, Gongye Lingchen frowned slightly and couldn't help but ask the person next to him.

"I heard he was the best player in their class, but during the game, it seemed like he was just about to unleash his power when Zhao Rui shot."

Gongye Ling Chen Moran nodded.

Being able to assess the situation and surrender in time before the opponent unleashes their ultimate move is more than just being cautious.

He realized he had underestimated Zhao Rui.

Not only did he think this way, but the freshmen in the audience also thought so.

"Will Luo Min go easy on me?"

"Ge Wenlei can't possibly let them get away with this, can he? Anyone who can get in must have some skills."

"Luckily, we didn't offend him. Come to think of it, he arrived several months earlier than us..."

"We're all from the same batch, why be so distant? It'll just make us look bad and people will laugh at us for not being united in our freshman year."

These non-prodigies, freshmen, instantly changed their attitude.

Zhao Rui doesn't need to do anything to guide public opinion.

On the contrary, Miao Miaomiao and the others looked at Zhao Rui with a different kind of scrutiny.

The complex thoughts in the minds of those offstage are beyond the comprehension of those onstage, who also have no time to understand them.

After the two fought for another ten minutes or so, Luo Min's pretty face was already frosty. She had thought that beating Zhao Rui would be a very easy thing.

Firstly, she was confident in her abilities, and secondly, she thought that she was, after all, a great beauty and his classmate.

Zhao Rui would never go so far as to use violence.

But now that they've actually faced off, she realizes how wrong she was.

Not only was he unable to defeat Zhao Rui in a short time, but he also felt like he was being kited by the opponent.

It's all about you hitting me, me catching you; you running away, me pulling you back. The main principle is: never give up, never abandon.

I'll just play a game of attacking each other with my moves.

It has a kind of tiger-skin plaster feel to it.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and strands of her hair remained damp and damp, a far cry from the graceful and flowing movements she had at the beginning.

"Can't you just give in to me?"

Luo Min felt increasingly frustrated, but how could she say such a thing? She was the one who had rashly appeared for her own selfish desires.

But she couldn't bring herself to admit defeat, so she had to grit her teeth and persevere.

"Stop it!"

The two fought for another half hour before Wang Zhanshan, unable to bear it any longer, stopped the sparring once again.

"You're too kind!"

Zhao Rui clasped his hands in a salute and calmly jumped off the stage.

Luo Min's pretty face was frosty, and the words she was about to say were swallowed back down. She could only leave the arena in a sullen mood.

He returned to the group looking dejected.

"Minmin, your classmate is amazing! Why doesn't he come to the martial arts academy?"

"Exactly! I thought he just couldn't pass the exam. Do you think he might be a disciple of some powerful master who's ineligible to take the martial arts academy entrance exam?"

"That's possible!"

Several girls immediately started gossiping in hushed tones, their voices making Luo Min even more frustrated and secretly regretful.

"Everyone, please be quiet!"

Seeing the noise from below the stage, Wang Zhanshan clapped his hands to stop the commotion.

Then he said, "The level of these two freshmen is obvious to everyone. And this is only the first time they have joined our team. Given time, they will definitely make great progress."

"The second- and third-year team members need to feel a sense of urgency and pressure, so that they don't let their juniors outperform them during the assessment..."

"Also, Zhao Rui has made great progress. Everyone should learn from him and train with him..."

After Wang Zhanshan made some affirmative remarks, he signaled for the sparring activity to continue, and invited anyone who wanted to show off to come up on stage and give it a try.

Soon, freshmen jumped into the ring.

However, the opponent chosen was not Zhao Rui, but someone Wang Zhanshan randomly selected.

Wang Zhanshan originally wanted to establish his authority by having the freshmen take the stage, but Zhao Rui ruined the first two rounds. So this time, he naturally wouldn't let Zhao Rui go on stage again.

For the remainder of the time, Li Xinran, Zhang Kui, and others took turns competing, and the results were mixed, not much different from what was expected.

After a series of competitions, all the team members present realized one problem: this year's freshmen were simply too difficult to control.

There were two level eight martial artists and seven or eight level seven martial artists as soon as they joined the team.

It's hard to imagine what level they'll be at when they're sophomores.

That's not all; there's also Zhao Rui, the unfathomable middleman between the freshmen and sophomores.

After the martial arts competition ended, Zhao Rui, who was about to leave with Qin Rui and the others, was called over by Wang Zhanshan.

Before he could even speak, Wang Zhanshan had already swiftly reached out and grasped his wrist to feel his pulse.

"Strong meridians and stable internal energy, you've already reached level seven?"

Wang Zhanshan said in astonishment.

He remembered that when Zhao Rui first joined the team, he was only at the sixth level. He never expected that in just a few months, he would become a seventh-level martial artist.

"Teacher, I haven't taken the test, but it should be about right!"

"It's a bit unexpected. Your talent is indeed lacking, but as Teacher Zeng said, your comprehension is excellent..."

After speaking, he hesitated for a moment and said, "Do you want to stay with the sophomores, or go back to the freshmen?"

Without hesitation, Zhao Rui looked at Wang Zhanshan and said, "Teacher, it doesn't really matter where I go. I just think being a sparring partner is great; it helps me improve my performance through practice!"

"I know I'm not very talented, so I might as well be a sparring partner and help those classmates who are capable of carrying the team."

Wang Zhanshan was taken aback, not expecting Zhao Rui to have such a high level of awareness.

But then I thought about it again and felt relieved, since I hadn't really taught him properly since he joined the team.

It's quite possible that he learned it himself during the sparring sessions.

He was probably angry inside!

After saying it once, Wang Zhanshan didn't say anything more. If it had been when Zhao Rui first entered the school and he found that Zhao Rui had good comprehension, he might have tried to teach him.

But now, there are too many talented people, so whether there is one more Zhao Rui or one less Zhao Rui doesn't matter.

"I'll have someone send you some martial arts materials later. Memorize them and never pass them on to anyone else."

Wang Zhanshan said with a serious expression.

Zhao Rui nodded hurriedly in agreement, wondering to himself if this was a form of recognition.

"Go ahead and get busy!"

After giving his instructions, Wang Zhanshan waved for Zhao Rui to leave.

……

The moon is bright and the stars are few, a gentle breeze blows, and rosy clouds drift slowly across the starlight, drifting into the distance.

Under the vast sky, in a small space, wisps of smoke rise and envelop the entire barbecue stall.

Throughout the event, the sounds of clinking glasses and eating skewers filled the air.

Another month or so has passed in the blink of an eye.

"The weather is getting colder and colder, and I'm getting tighter on money."

Zhang Kui took a sip of beer, picked up a peanut, and with a slight squeeze of his fingers, the peanut kernel seemed to grow wings and flew straight into his mouth.

"Does anyone know of any part-time jobs? Please introduce me to one."

"Part-time job? Being a gigolo? You're too ugly!"

Cao Guannan said expressionlessly.

"Damn it, cold-faced! Don't think I'm afraid of you now. Let's fight three hundred rounds if you dare!"

Zhang Kui stared at him with unwavering confidence, as if he were ready to fight at the slightest provocation.

"A bet of a thousand dollars?"

Cao Guannan didn't even raise her head, only glancing at him sideways with a slight lift of her eyes.

"Um... let's not talk about money."

Zhang Kui decisively gave up the idea of a fight. Although he had been training day and night with Zhao Rui during this period, he still didn't have much confidence. He felt that he was already able to go toe-to-toe with Cao Guannan.

"Actually, part-time jobs are available. You can work part-time as a sparring partner, but you'll have to go to the city center."

Zhao Rui smiled, raised his wine glass and clinked it with the two men's before speaking.

"No, absolutely not! Being a sparring partner in the team is already annoying enough, let alone asking me to do it outside! I'd rather never perform for money in my life!"

Zhang Kui resolutely rejected the idea.

"Selling yourself is also an option!"

"Damn it, you two!"

As the three were laughing and joking, Li Xinran and Qin Rui walked over from outside the lights of the barbecue stall.

"What are you saying, you seem so happy."

Li Xinran asked curiously.

"They're saying Zhang Kui's going to sell himself, haha!"

"Oh? Then I definitely have to go and support them!"

"..."

Zhao Rui and the others were stunned and looked up at Li Xinran.

The latter blushed immediately and spat out, "That's not what I meant!"

"Oh, I get it! We all get it!"

"You guys don't know anything!"

The five of them gathered together, joking and teasing each other, and then a huge pile of barbecue was served.

Qin Rui and Li Xinran didn't stand on ceremony and readily rolled up their sleeves to start eating.

While they were eating, Zhao Rui's phone suddenly rang.

The pleasant music sounded especially good in the slightly tipsy atmosphere.

He picked up his phone and saw that it was Youyou, who hadn't been seen in a long time, calling.

He swiped the screen and casually answered the call.

"Where are you?"

Her soft voice carried a woman's unique charm, with melodious and undulating tones that made it exceptionally pleasant to listen to.

"We're having barbecue, wanna come?"

"Um!"

"..."

I'll just be polite.

(End of this chapter)