On the screen, Xue Wangshu’s battle grew increasingly brutal.

He was like a beast trapped in a cage. Every attack was thrown with all his might, and every injury only fueled a more ferocious will to fight.

But everyone could see this was merely the struggle of a cornered beast.

His stamina was plummeting, the wounds on his body were multiplying, and the form of his attacks was becoming erratic.

The scales of victory were, in fact, tipping toward the Martial Arts Puppet.

In the observation hall, no one in the Celestial Star Martial Arts High School section said another word.

The spark of hope in their eyes had now become a pool of stagnant water.

In fact, the attention of most people in the observation hall was now fixed on the left half of the screen.

Lin Ye’s initial awkwardness and distress had long since vanished without a trace.

Like a seasoned Hunter who had completely figured out his prey’s habits, he was beginning to close the net.

His every move landed him precisely in the weak points of the puppets’ attack formation.

On the second-floor viewing area.

Wang Zhengguo’s breathing slowed.

He couldn’t read the emotions of the man beside him; his feelings were as contained as a deep abyss.

But Wang Zhengguo noticed a detail.

From the moment the screen had split, Li Kai Nian’s gaze had not left Lin Ye for even a second.

As for Xue Wangshu—the one hailed by all of Dongjiang City as a once-in-a-century genius with the potential to become a Martial Saint...

Li Kai Nian hadn’t given him a single glance.

A sudden realization dawned on Wang Zhengguo.

’The so-called number one genius of Dongjiang is probably not even worth mentioning in the eyes of a provincial official who has seen what true genius looks like.’

’The people in Dongjiang’s education circle, including myself, are nothing but frogs in a well.’

Just as Wang Zhengguo’s thoughts were churning, Lin Ye, on screen, officially began his counterattack.

A little over six minutes into the fight, for the first time, Lin Ye chose to take the offensive!

This strike was not a hasty one.

It was meticulously planned, long in the making!

He seized a fleeting gap as the three puppets’ attacks intersected, his body cutting in like a phantom.

The momentum of his spear suddenly shifted, changing from the defensive Wandering Dragon Form to the hyper-offensive Soul-Chasing Form!

The spear tip drew a straight silver line through the air, stabbing directly at the throat—a vital point—of one of the puppets!

CLANG!!!

The sharp, ear-piercing sound of the impact echoed through the hall!

The terrifying force contained in that single thrust sent the alloy puppet flying back several meters before it crashed heavily onto the ground!

A clear dent had appeared on the alloy shell of its throat.

But it was just a dent.

The puppet struggled for a moment, its eyes flashing red, and actually managed to climb back to its feet. It swayed unsteadily as it tried to rejoin the battle.

Seeing this, Li Kai Nian, on the second-floor viewing area, finally spoke slowly.

"His spear skill is decent, and his combat intelligence is acceptable, but it’s a pity..."

"His weapon is lacking."

"Doesn’t he have his own custom weapon?"

Li Kai Nian turned his head, his calm gaze falling on Wang Zhengguo.

Yet, out of the corner of his eye, he subtly glanced at the director of the Dongjiang City Education Bureau standing nearby.

The director’s mind was currently in a turmoil as he frantically tried to figure out how to make up for his previous oversight.

Caught by Li Kai Nian’s casual glance, he felt cold sweat instantly break out on his back, and the hair on his body stood on end.

Wang Zhengguo didn’t dare to delay and quickly replied, "Lin Ye initially specialized in Staff Skill, and his proficiency was quite high. He only switched to spear techniques a few months ago."

"His family’s financial situation is ordinary. On most days, he can’t even afford supplements for his training."

"A tailor-made custom weapon would be astronomically expensive for his family, far beyond what they could afford."

Hearing this, Li Kai Nian nodded slightly and said no more.

But in his mind, this was actually a point in Lin Ye’s favor. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

’To have grown this strong under such poor conditions is proof enough that his talent is quite good.’

Standing beside them, Sun Changkong, the director of the Dongjiang Education Bureau, immediately understood the deeper meaning in Mr. Li’s words. His face instantly flushed a deep crimson, which then quickly morphed into an incredibly awkward smile.

"Ahem, Mr. Li, this... this is a failure on my part. We haven’t done enough to care for and identify top talent. I will conduct a thorough self-criticism!"

"Mr. Su, you’re not to blame. This is primarily my failure as principal. I was the one who didn’t promptly report student Lin Ye’s situation to you and the Bureau!"

But Wang Zhengguo suddenly spoke up.

He took the blame upon himself.

This move instantly put Sun Changkong at ease, and his gaze toward Wang Zhengguo now held a trace of approval.

’Not bad. This old fox is sharp!’

’He’s in his fifties, prime time for ambition. I can see Wang Zhengguo is looking to move up.’

’I’ll have to talk more with this principal later. If possible, I’ll promote him to be my subordinate.’

Having been given a way out, Sun Changkong smoothly took it:

"A custom weapon is not a problem! Since student Lin Ye has already proven with his strength that he is the undisputed number one in Dongjiang City, we must give him the reward befitting the number one!"

"Alright then!" Mr. Su looked at Wang Zhengguo. "I will personally speak with the city’s best weapon workshop, the Myrrh Forge, and have their finest craftsmen tailor-make a top-tier long spear for student Lin Ye! All expenses will be fully covered by our Education Bureau!"

"Mr. Wang, please get his input later and report the detailed weapon specifications. Hmm, you know what, let’s do this: I’ll have him go directly to the Myrrh Forge’s workshop. Whatever requirements he has, he can discuss them directly with the craftsmen!"

Wang Zhengguo was inwardly delighted, but his face remained impassive. He simply expressed his gratitude on Lin Ye’s behalf.

For a moment, the tense atmosphere in the viewing area eased considerably.

Sun Changkong felt he had finally managed to save a little face in front of Li Kai Nian.