For this point, many people believed that Qian Jin, while strong in combat, was afraid of losing, which is why he hadn't entered the ranking battles for the A-grade division.

Rolyn, however, felt something different about this roommate and friend; he always had a hunch that Qian Jin avoided the A-grade strength ranking battles not out of fear of defeat, but because he simply disdained them—or perhaps, he held the so-called age ranking in utter contempt.

It was a strange feeling, one Rolyn couldn't quite articulate, and in the end, he categorized it under his merchant's intuition.

No one in the room dared to confront Qian Jin physically; the only recourse was to place bets, pinning their hopes on Mighty Bull Rudy not faltering again in the arm-wrestling match and losing to Qian Jin.

If Mighty Bull won against Qian Jin, there would be no need for a physical altercation; merely that defeat would be enough to strip Qian Jin of his dignity. "I bet five copper pieces!" "I'll wager seven copper pieces..." Qian Jin listened to the rising chorus of voices in the room, feeling a quiet thrill.

Although he had no idea what that bizarre virtual game, Endless World, was, practicing blacksmithing had indeed significantly boosted his strength, surpassing the brute force of Mighty Bull Rudy.

Rolyn wore a wide smile; knowing Qian Jin as he did, he realized that when Qian Jin spoke so confidently, he must have been absolutely certain of victory.

Rolyn's mind filled with fresh doubts.

Qian Jin could fight, yes, but sheer brute strength shouldn't allow him to beat Rudy so easily.

How could he win with such apparent ease? Had they arranged some sort of scam to swindle money? Qian Jin once again braced his elbow on the tabletop.

Rudy looked at Qian Jin's hand, which wasn't particularly large, took a deep breath, and forcefully calmed his spirit, adjusting his stance.

He slammed his right elbow onto the table with a dull thud, his five thick fingers splaying out fully as he shouted, "Come on! This time, I must win." The onlookers in the room held their breath as the two hands clasped together again, their eyes wide, straining to clearly observe the process of this arm-wrestling bout.

Rolyn, acting as the referee, also took a sharp, deep breath before swinging his arm down abruptly, calling out, "Begin..." Rolyn’s words still echoed in the room when Mighty Bull felt his arm being driven down by immense power, immediately pinned to the tabletop, unable to offer even a moment's resistance.

Bang! The table once again resonated with that sharp, solid impact sound.

Rudy’s wrist slammed into the surface for an intimate second contact.

The force of the impact made all four legs of the entire table tremble, threatening to lift off the ground.

This time, everyone in the room, except for Qian Jin and Rolyn, fell back into a state of frozen stupefaction, as if they had all been hit with a petrification spell, utterly motionless.

He won! Qian Jin won again, even more cleanly and decisively than the last time.

Even with Rudy fully prepared and everyone watching intently, Qian Jin had effortlessly and instantaneously defeated Rudy, ranked third in the division for brute strength.

The room, spanning dozens of square meters, once again descended into a silence so profound a falling pin could be heard.

This outcome was completely beyond everyone’s expectations.

Strength was different from combat; fighting could involve mistakes or moments of playing above one's level, but arm wrestling, being a pure test of power, offered no room for trickery—it was an outright comparison of might.

Mighty Bull Rudy was the most deeply shaken.

His eyes bulged as large as an ox's.

In the previous match, he had been extremely serious, channeling all his strength into his arm; normally, even if Qian Jin used both hands, he likely couldn't secure a swift victory. "Am I dreaming?" Mighty Bull Rudy shook his head repeatedly, denying the thought as the pain from his wrist hitting the table registered.

Dreaming wouldn't cause pain.

Rudy scrutinized Qian Jin closely.

Losing in an actual sparring match was normal, but losing to him in arm wrestling—even Professor Rodriguez would likely have his jaw drop in shock if he knew. "He won! Haha! Qian Jin really won!" Several fourth-year Class One cadets who had lost money instantly forgot their monetary losses.

They leaped off their beds in unison, raising their hands and shouting excitedly.

Rolyn watched his classmates' excitement, happily stowing away the copper pieces he had won.

While winning money was pleasant, Qian Jin defeating Rudy in arm wrestling was truly cause for celebration.

Rudy had held the title of third strongest in sheer brute force for a long time, a fact even upperclassmen in the second and third years had to acknowledge. "How could I lose?" Mighty Bull slammed his elbow down on the table again, shaking the four legs violently until they briefly left the floor. "No! One more time! I clearly wasn't ready just then." "Again?" Qian Jin glanced at the bulging coin pouch at Rolyn’s waist and the less-than-stuffed pouches of the others, shaking his head. "Forget it.

None of us are rich kids.

Don't waste the money your families give you." "One more time.

The last time," Rudy insisted.

Mighty Bull Rudy stared fixedly at Qian Jin, his gaze suggesting he wouldn't let Qian Jin leave unless they competed again, his eyes flashing with a warrior's stubbornness. "The last time?" Qian Jin questioned tentatively.

Rudy nodded: "The last time." "Fine...

the very last time." Qian Jin braced his elbow on the table again. "Are you ready? Get set...

Start..." Bang! Rudy felt a burning, stinging pain in the back of his wrist, as if someone had just taken his hand and smashed it violently onto a tree stump.

The third instantaneous victory...

The warriors in the room suddenly felt a sense of numbness watching the scene unfold.

The previous shock had begun to fade as this same scenario played out three times in a row.

While others felt numb, Rudy himself was far from it; this third defeat struck his heart with repeated, agonizing blows.

Others might not know, but he was acutely aware that to defeat Qian Jin this time, he had instantly activated his Dou Jin the moment they locked hands.

Yet, before the power he had just unleashed internally could fully manifest its might, Qian Jin had already won.

Dou Jin (Struggle Force/Battle Qi) was a unique warrior technique capable of instantly elevating one's strength and overall combat capabilities! Rudy had been prepared to risk exposure for using Dou Jin just to defeat Qian Jin once, yet he hadn't even managed to fully unleash his Dou Jin before Qian Jin overpowered him with raw strength.

ps: Ahhh, I'm going to be overtaken! I'm going to be knocked off the weekly ranking board...

Crying buckets! I desperately beg for member clicks, recommendation tickets, and collections.

Everyone, please log into your Qidian accounts to read this chapter.

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