Evolving infinitely from ground zero

1:30 PM.

There was still half an hour before the fifth round of the duel began.

By this time, the stadium was already packed with spectators, looking even more crowded than in the morning.

Among them, there were many members of the student council, instructors from various academies, and school leaders.

The first four rounds of the competition were just a warm-up.

The three rounds in the afternoon, the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals, were the real highlights.

"Who do you think will take first place?"

"Lin Zichen."

"Who else but Lin Zichen?"

"Lin Zichen's physical body is too strong, completely overwhelming his peers. Only people like Li Moyu, Ma Xiwei, and Luo Yongjian have a chance to overtake him after further Genetic Fusion next semester."

In the audience, many people were discussing who would take first place in the freshman competition.

Whether it was ordinary students, members of the student council, or school leaders, nearly everyone believed Lin Zichen would take first place.

It was simply because Lin Zichen had performed too well during the school's opening trials.

Furthermore, Lin Zichen had caused a stir recently with a proxy battle incident, showing even stronger abilities.

Overall, he was the undisputed number one among the new students.

...

Soon, it was 2 PM.

The quarterfinals officially kicked off.

Lin Zichen was the first to appear, his opponent the strongest high school valedictorian in the history of Yuntian Province—Lu Qizhi.

"Are both competitors ready?"

"Ready," they both said.

"Let the duel begin!"

As the referee's call rang out, the first match of the quarterfinals began.

Lu Qizhi took the initiative with a surge of dark fog billowing out behind him, shrouding the entire Martial Stage in thick black mist.

He had fused with the Exotic Beast Gene of a miasma poison marten, and the black fog he released was highly toxic, a single wisp of it potent enough to bring down an elephant.

Lin Zichen was completely unaffected by such a potent poison.

Thanks to the "Immunity to Hundred Poisons" trait, he was immune to the toxic fog's attack.

To prevent the poison mist from drifting out of the protective barrier around the Martial Stage and accidentally hurting the spectators outside,

Lin Zichen charged out in a flash, kicking Lu Qizhi off the Martial Stage with a single blow. With a loud "bang," Lu Qizhi hit the protective barrier and passed out, granting Lin Zichen a lightning-fast victory.

At the moment the duel ended,

a robot flew into the barrier and completely absorbed the poison fog, cleaning the battlefield for the next match.

Once the battlefield was cleaned up,

the referee down below immediately shouted out loud:

"Please welcome, from the Genius Class, Ma Xiwei, and Shen Qinghan, to come onto the stage to prepare for the duel!"

No sooner had these words fallen,

than Shen Qinghan and Ma Xiwei simultaneously emerged from the contestants' waiting area and ascended the Martial Stage from the left and the right.

Both of their looks were the most dazzling among the freshmen.

Upon their appearance, they attracted the attention of all the males in the spectator stands.

"I never expected Shen Qinghan to actually make it into the quarterfinals. Compared to her performance during the school trials, her progress is just too great," the dean of the Mechanical Academy couldn't help but exclaim.

Ma Zhenhe nodded and said, "The progress is indeed huge, so huge it's almost unbelievable. It's a pity she's up against Xiwei; otherwise, she would have a chance to make it into the semifinals."

Hearing his words, Yuan Dongzhi beside him smiled without replying.

Pity she's up against Xiwei?

Your daughter can't compare with my little disciple.

Let's just wait and see.

...

On the Martial Stage.

Ma Xiwei looked at Shen Qinghan and said, "I'm surprised you made it into the quarterfinals, but this is as far as you go."

She spoke with a condescending tone, not considering Shen Qinghan a worthy opponent at all.

In her eyes, her real competitors were Lin Zichen and Li Moyu.

Apart from these two top-tier prodigies, she didn't care about anyone else.

"Don't underestimate me; I'm not weak," Shen Qinghan said, looking directly into Ma Xiwei's eyes, her voice steady.

As she said this, she tried to calm herself but still felt a bit nervous,

having never faced an opponent at the level of a genius like Ma Xiwei.

However, her eyes soon filled with determination, thinking that she had to win.

If she could only beat Ma Xiwei and make it to the semifinals, she would have a great chance of facing Lin Zichen.

She wanted to compete against Lin Zichen as a rival.

Even if defeat was certain, she longed to stand on the same stage as Lin Zichen.

This had nothing to do with winning or losing, but rather a single-minded obsession.

Having lived for 19 years under Lin Zichen's protection,

she wanted to change this dynamic from now on.

She no longer wanted to be the dependent sister protected by Lin Zichen,

but instead to become someone who could ease Lin Zichen's worries and offer support.

"Are both ready?" the referee asked, seeing both contestants had taken their positions on the stage.

Ma Xiwei: "Ready."

Shen Qinghan: "I'm ready."

Hearing this, the referee immediately raised his right hand and then forcefully chopped it down, saying, "Let the duel begin!"

At the sound of his voice,

the two girls on the stage activated the Exotic Beast Gene within them with a thought. One grew a pair of purple beast ears on her head, and the other's hair turned a glossy blue. They both instantly entered combat mode.

"Buzz!"

A sound of tearing through the air erupted suddenly.

Ma Xiwei made the first move, her figure turning into a blur, moving at a speed invisible to the naked eye as she launched an assault on Shen Qinghan.

It's true that she didn't take Shen Qinghan seriously as an opponent.

But that didn't mean she would do something foolishly arrogant like standing still and letting the other person attack first.

As long as she stood on the Martial Stage, she would give her all with each move.

"So fast!"

Witnessing Ma Xiwei's speed, Shen Qinghan was shocked.