Chapter 3.1: Both My Past And Present Selves Are Me (Part One)

While Shan Xiong was a jerk, he did not waste his time at Martial Valor University. His kick came at Chen Chuan from a blind spot and was incredibly fast. By the time others realized his aim, the attack had already landed on Chen Chuan’s ear.

The lecturers turned to call the medics to bring Chen Chuan out.

The kick had landed solidly. Forget an ordinary examinee who had never received any martial arts training before, even a Martial Valor University student who had gone through rigorous impact conditioning would be laid on the ground by it. Such a hit could even be fatal.

Precisely because of that, everyone was shocked by what they saw.

Chen Chuan had been hit, but all that happened was his head tilting to the side a little and his left leg moving half a step to the side. He slowly turned his head back in place and returned to his stance.

Meanwhile, unseen by anyone, the head of Chen Chuan’s shadow blurred for a moment when Shan Xiong kicked him.

Shan Xiong was stunned. He knew just how strong his kick was, but Chen Chuan’s eyes remained clear, as if he was not affected at all.

Seated behind the long table was a middle-aged lecturer with thick arms and muscles so large that they looked like they were about to rip through his shirt. He had been silent until then, but at that moment, he asked, “Name?”

“Huh? Oh!” The teaching assistant beside him snapped out of his daze and checked the name list on the table. He looked up and said, “Chen Chuan.”

“Background?”

“He’s a Yangzhi City local who just graduated from high school. I don’t see any information about him joining a martial arts club or being trained before...”

The lecturer did not look away from Chen Chuan. “Got it.”

When Shan Xiong was unable to knock Chen Chuan out with a kick, people began whispering around the exam hall. Some were even chuckling. Rage filled Shan Xiong’s mind from the possibility that they were laughing at him, and he growled at Chen Chuan. With a twist of his body, he delivered a powerful spinning back kick.

Chen Chuan was not in the habit of simply taking it when someone attacked him, and he did not act timidly just because Shan Xiong was a Martial Valor University student. Not to be outdone, he kicked back.

His attack was similar to Shan Xiong’s roundhouse kick, but anyone could tell that Chen Chuan was just copying what he had seen. His form was off, which meant his attack lacked both strength and speed.

The two attacked at the same time, but the lecturers and students watching had no doubts that Shan Xiong was going to hit Chen Chuan first.

It was just as they expected, Shan Xiong’s kick landed on Chen Chuan’s head, but history repeated itself, and he did not manage to knock Chen Chuan out. This time, he did not even stagger.

As for Chen Chuan’s kick, it struck Shan Xiong’s neck.

Milliseconds before it, the identical shadow rushed to where Chen Chuan stood, and their bodies overlapped.

At that moment, his speed and strength increased by leaps and bounds.

A dull thud rose in the exam hall. There was even an echo, which made it clear just how powerful that kick was.

Shan Xiong’s eyes lost focus, and he tumbled to the side with his limbs spread out.

Liu Cai’s mouth fell open as he stared at what happened in disbelief.

The other students, too, stared in a dazed silence. Their thoughts were a mess. What had happened? Shan Xiong was a sophomore in Martial Valor University, so how could an untrained examinee knock him out?

Then, they started cackling at his misfortune. Shan Xiong was a difficult and unpopular person. Everyone cheered in their hearts when he was utterly humiliated.

The muscular lecturer took the name list from the teaching assistant, grabbed a pen, signed it, and put a stamp on it. “You passed.”

Chen Chuan could not help but turn to the lecturer to confirm whether he was talking about him.

“You’re good at taking a beating, kid. I’m Bian Feng, I’m a lecturer here. You’ve passed the test, but here’s a word of advice: Don’t be too pleased with yourself, this was only the entrance examination. The follow-up examination two months later will determine whether you have a solid footing in Martial Valor University.”

Chen Chuan smiled happily and bowed to Bian Feng. “Thank you, Sir!”

Clap! Clap!

The teaching assistants and students clapped. It was rare to see such an interesting test, and they looked forward to Chen Chuan’s performance during the follow-up examination. They all committed his name to memory.

As for the unconscious Shan Xiong, everyone ignored him.

When Chen Chuan walked out of the exam hall and into the brilliant sunlight outside, he looked at the path under his feet with excitement and delight.

“Chen Chuan,” a clear voice called out from behind him.

𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Chen Chuan turned around and saw the female upperclassman from before. He politely went over and asked, “Is something the matter?”

The female upperclassman extended her hand to him. “Congratulations on passing the exam. I’d like to formally introduce myself to you now. I’m Zhen Ping, a sophomore at Martial Valor University.”

Chen Chuan extended his hand too and gave her hand a firm shake. “I’m Chen Chuan. Pleasure meeting you, Zhen Ping.”

Zhen Ping’s hand was soft and smooth, with no sign of calluses, but there was a certain degree of firmness in her hand muscles. It gave him the impression that if she tightened her grip, she could crush his hand.

“Be careful, Chen Chuan,” she said. “Shan Xiong is a petty guy, and he knows some shady people outside. He won’t dare to do anything to you within the university grounds due to the rules here, but there’s no one to stop him outside. Stay on guard.”

Chen Chuan guessed that Shan Xiong was the name of the tall upperclassman he had defeated. He did not know why Shan Xiong was targeting him as if he had a grudge, but plenty of things in the world happened without a reason. It was even a daily occurrence for many people to make another person’s life hell simply because they found them an eyesore.

Still, he felt grateful for the warning and said, “Thank you, Zhen Ping. I’ll be careful—”

“Zhen Zhen!”

A girl nearby waved at them, and Zhen Ping returned the greeting before saying, “I hope that you pass the follow-up exam. Train hard. I’ll see you around.” She waved goodbye to Chen Chuan and ran away.

Chen Chuan bade her farewell and stood around for a moment, then left the old building. He did not go back the same way as he had come. Instead, he left via an exit route indicated by the signs so that he could avoid the crowd that was coming over to register for the entrance examination.

When he reached the covered parking lot to retrieve his bicycle, he noticed a number of flyers stuffed into the cargo rack. They were advertisements for martial arts schools, competition venues, and training centers. Chen Chuan folded them and stuffed them into his bag before pushing his bicycle out of the university grounds. When he got to the main road, he hopped onto his bicycle and rode home.