Chapter Fifty-One: Hidden Mode
Chapter Fifty-One: [Hidden Mode]
Beneath the portable detector, a string of numbers appeared:
Comprehensive Combat Index: 83.
The corners of Chen Xiao’s lips curled into a subtle smile.
The detector did not display the levels of various abilities but instead simply showed a single comprehensive combat index.
Yesterday, after receiving his new equipment, Chen Xiao, driven by novelty, spent the entire evening fiddling with it, especially the detector, which he thoroughly explored until he was familiar with every function. Only then did he discover that the detection function also had an independent “simplified mode”—it would only present an analyzed combat index, omitting the details of each ability.
For Chen Xiao, this feature was far more entertaining—he couldn’t help but admit that this gadget made him nostalgic for that classic Japanese manga, Dragon Ball, he’d devoured as a child.
Combat Index: 83…
Was this a high number? Yesterday, his own measurements put his combat index at over a hundred—but that included his superhuman strength, which he couldn’t always access at will.
Still, Uncle Tian had told him last night that a combat index above 60 was already considerably above average. Ordinary people typically ranged from 30 to 60.
So, a combat index of 83—this guy, who practiced Iron Wire Fist, was indeed quite accomplished.
Chen Xiao couldn’t help glancing again at Xu Ershao, who stood before him…
Comprehensive Combat Index: 57.
Heh, Xu Ershao, it seems you still fall within the “ordinary” category, albeit among the more formidable of them.
But when Chen Xiao discreetly looked toward Xiao Qing…
He was stunned.
Combat Index: 40.
Forty? Only forty?
•
“Hya!”
The burly man struck a pose, then abruptly flexed his arms! The iron rings on his arms clanged as he exhaled sharply with a crisp shout.
He lunged forward several steps, turned his body slightly, and straightened his right arm. With a swift swing, he lashed down at Xiao Qing!
It was indeed a “lash” rather than a punch. With the iron rings augmenting his already robust strength, such a swing could easily crack stone tiles!
Even from a distance, many could hear the distinct whoosh as his arm cut through the air.
Whoosh!
His opponent’s approach was fierce, yet Xiao Qing’s expression remained calm and composed. She seemed to step back almost casually, her body inclining gently, as if using hardly any force. The arm bristling with iron rings swept through empty air right before her! The rush of wind stirred Xiao Qing’s hair, but her beautiful face remained as tranquil as still water.
“Hya! Hya! Hya! Hya!”
The man, undeterred by his missed strike, began to whirl his arms like windmills, smashing blow after blow toward Xiao Qing! His attacks grew faster, surging in a wild frenzy.
The air whistled with each swing. Onlookers saw that amidst this onslaught, Xiao Qing floated like a leaf in the wind—her steps neither hurried nor slow, her demeanor unflustered, untouched by aggression. Even the faint smile on her lips remained unchanged. No matter how violent the attacks, she remained as soft and untouchable as a drifting leaf, rendering the brute force futile, every strike landing on nothing but air.
Standing behind, Chen Xiao’s lenses locked tightly onto Xiao Qing in his viewfinder…
As Xiao Qing danced back and forth, the displayed index flickered ever so slightly above 40, but the change was minuscule. When Chen Xiao looked more closely, it had settled again at 40!
The burly man was raging like a mad tiger, while the delicate Xiao Qing naturally drew sympathy from the surrounding crowd—especially as she was a beautiful classmate.
Involuntarily, the other cadets began to cheer for Xiao Qing.
Xu Ershao watched the man grunting and bellowing with every strike and couldn’t help but sneer, “I just don’t get it—if you’re going to throw punches, why all the shouting like an ox? Does it really feel better to shout and punch at the same time? Don’t you think so, Chen Xiao…? Chen Xiao? Huh? Chen Xiao?”
He glanced beside him but found Chen Xiao had vanished.
Finally, Xiao Qing let her opponent finish an entire set of strikes, retreating to the edge of the arena. The man’s face was fierce with murderous intent, while Xiao Qing only raised her eyebrows slightly.
Whoosh!
Another punch came flying, but this time Xiao Qing didn’t retreat! In that instant, her movement became suddenly swift! The burst of speed was so abrupt that the crowd felt as though their eyes had blurred for a moment…
Xiao Qing dodged the punch and, for the first time, struck out.
Her slender hand reached out—not quickly, but with uncanny precision—pinching the man’s wrist. She pulled, then released… The motion was crisp and clean, without a trace of hesitation.
The man felt all his strength involuntarily redirected, his body suddenly losing balance, and in the next instant, a tremendous force crashed into him—
Bang!
Everyone heard a dull thud as the Iron Wire Fist practitioner was sent flying, crashing to the ground several meters away and rolling over and over. He tried to scramble up, but his face twisted as he failed to catch his breath; his body gave out, and he collapsed again.
As he struggled, Xiao Qing had already walked up to him, gently extending her hand.
The man hesitated, his face flushed, but finally gritted his teeth, took her hand, stood up, and quickly stepped back. Bowing with cupped fists, he said, “I am no match for you. Thank you for your mercy!”
Xiao Qing stood there calmly and extended her other hand—in her palm were two iron rings!
No one knew when she had deftly removed them from his arm.
The man’s face went through a kaleidoscope of emotions.
Xiao Qing’s voice was cool, “Your Iron Wire Fist is impressive. Hong Family Iron Wire Fist, though your style is not the orthodox lineage, but a branch, isn’t it? Iron Wire Fist begins with training double rings, and at the highest level, both arms can bear twenty-six rings each. You… you have sixteen on your arms now. You must have practiced for over ten years.”
She paused, and a faint smile touched the edge of her lips, “However, in my view, your foundation isn’t quite there yet. At your current level, fourteen rings would be the limit, but you insist on wearing sixteen. More rings may seem advantageous, but they actually hinder your agility. I’ve removed a pair of rings for you, and I advise you: focus on diligent training, wear fourteen for now. When you’ve made progress, then add more.”
Her words left the man’s face alternating between red and pale, his heart in turmoil.
This delicate young woman had, with a few casual remarks, laid bare the very essence of his Iron Wire Fist—her insight was unmistakably that of a true master!
Her assessment was spot-on. He himself knew that fourteen rings should have been his limit, but in the world outside, he’d added two more just for show, to impress others. Who would have thought she’d see through it so easily!
Ashamed and uneasy, he stared blankly for a moment, then bowed silently, turned, and strode through the crowd, ignoring even Young Master Ma as he hurried away.
Watching him go, Xiao Qing’s eyes glimmered with a hint of satisfaction before she turned to Young Master Ma. “Classmate, do you still wish to send your men forward?”
•
At that moment, Chen Xiao stood on the edge of the crowd, staring at Xiao Qing’s back.
Because, just as Xiao Qing flung the Iron Wire Fist fighter away in a single move, the detector’s index finally spiked—
283!
“Two hundred eighty-three…” Chen Xiao stared at Xiao Qing’s retreating figure. Her instantaneous combat burst was more than double his own!
Even factoring in his own erratic superhuman strength—the kind that could flip a car!—his combat index was still less than half of hers?!
•
Meanwhile, atop the library roof by the athletic fields of KID Academy, Red Seven, clad in her signature scarlet suit, pressed a hand to her earpiece, eyes fixed on the sports complex below.
Her lenses were set to “X-ray” mode, peering through walls as she calmly surveilled Chen Xiao.
“Hmph, the kid’s having fun. New gear must be quite the toy.” Red Seven smiled faintly, idly lifting a can of beer from the cement ledge and taking a sip.
Just then, a gentle voice sounded behind her.
“Excuse me, sorry to intrude.”
The voice was soft, almost shy. “Would you please stop monitoring Chen Xiao?”
Red Seven’s face changed instantly. The beer can slipped from her hand as she spun around, startled!
With her skills, someone had approached her so silently that she hadn’t sensed a thing?!
In the noon sunlight stood a breathtakingly beautiful young woman. Her long, cloudlike hair shimmered with golden light, her exquisite, gentle features so stunning that they seemed almost dangerous—a true beauty capable of toppling kingdoms.
“I’m sorry if this sounds rude,” the girl said, bowing slightly and smiling at Red Seven. “That boy is my friend. I don’t like anyone spying on my friends from the shadows. So, could you please stop?”
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