SSS Grade Saint Knight - Chapter 115

Chapter 115: A Fierce Combat Style! The Principal’s Praise!

TL: Etude Translations

Before challenging Zhou Yi, Liu Jing had considered the possibility of losing. However, he never expected to lose so quickly!

In his imagined scenarios, even in defeat, Zhou Yi should have had to exhaust every effort and use all his techniques.

There was absolutely no way it would mirror the one-sided defeat from the Special Admissions Meeting, where a single whip-like kick instantly knocked him out.

Yet, as the icy edge of the Giant Battle Axe pressed against his neck, he realized he might have underestimated things far too much…

…

“Defeated so quickly!”

“The 20th-ranked Retribution Knight lost just like that?”

“Their strength levels are simply not in the same dimension!”

…

The swift defeat of Liu Jing left the crowd utterly astonished.

They all knew Liu Jing was ranked 20th among the elite prodigies!

In the outside world, such a rank signified someone who could easily dominate groups of peers of the same age.

His combo attack—a charge followed by a Vitality Slash—was something very few could avoid!

Yet, Zhou Yi, as a Saint Knight, had defeated him effortlessly without even activating a single buff skill.

…

“Did you notice Zhou Yi’s reaction speed? It’s terrifyingly fast!” someone exclaimed.

The speed of the Vitality Slash was extraordinarily quick, not something easy to evade.

If his sidestep had been even slightly slower, he might have been struck directly.

By comparison, using a weapon to block was the safer, more conventional choice.

…

“And the Pure White Blade’s stagger effect is absolutely absurd! Liu Jing couldn’t even control his body and fell straight to the ground.”

The stagger effect varied in intensity.

A weaker stagger might only cause a slight tingling sensation, barely affecting combat ability.

A stronger stagger, like what Liu Jing experienced, could render someone completely unable to control their body.

The stronger one’s constitution, the less pronounced the effects of stagger would be.

Logically, as a Retribution Knight focused on strength and constitution attributes, Liu Jing should not have been affected to this degree.

…

“For such a situation to occur, there’s only one explanation: Zhou Yi’s intelligence attribute must be incredibly high.

It allowed his skill effects to completely bypass Liu Jing’s high constitution, resulting in the strongest possible stagger!”

…

At this moment, the new students, while speculating on the reason, grew curious.

Just how high was Zhou Yi’s intelligence attribute?

To completely disregard Liu Jing’s constitution was no trivial feat.

Another factor they were intensely curious about was Zhou Yi’s level.

As one advanced in level, the required experience for each subsequent level increased substantially.

Most had only gained two or three levels in the dungeon. Even if Zhou Yi had started at a higher level than them, the difference in experience requirements should have prevented him from leveling up at the same rate.

If that were the case, their levels should have evened out, making it possible to discern some information about him using the appraisal technique.

Yet, up to now, none of them had been able to ascertain Zhou Yi’s level through appraisal.

…

“However, one thing is certain: Zhou Yi’s strength is undoubtedly among the very best.

While attribute advantages do exist, they are not the primary reason for his dominance!”

…

The incredible strength Zhou Yi demonstrated in this first duel silenced those who had doubted the legitimacy of his rank.

Even the top ten freshmen wore expressions of unease, their faces reflecting newfound caution.

Shen Lingfeng narrowed his eyes, his heart growing heavier.

Though Zhou Yi’s moves had been swift, the finer details revealed much.

If it were him facing Liu Jing’s Vitality Slash, he would have countered with a sword strike of his own.

With his power, a single counter-swing would have easily deflected the opponent’s attack.

Even if he chose to evade, he would never opt for Zhou Yi’s sidestep maneuver.

Sidestepping carried too much risk—any delay in the movement could lead to being struck by the sharp sword-light.

That level of risk was far too high.

“The winner of this duel: Zhou Yi!”

As the referee instructor announced the result, Zhou Yi removed his battle axe.

Liu Jing, now free from the stagger state, stood up and walked off the arena in a daze.

It was evident that the outcome of this match had dealt him a severe blow.

He didn’t even notice the shallow cut on his neck caused by the sharp edge of Zhou Yi’s axe resting against it.

“Defeated so quickly!”

“It’s hard to believe. We’ve all seen Liu Jing’s performance in the Abyss-level dungeon, and his strength was quite impressive.”

In the ceremony stands, many instructors began to discuss and exchange thoughts.

As a Special Admissions student, Liu Jing had been one of the key figures observed during the dungeon challenges earlier.

The hidden profession he had transferred to, Retribution Knight, was a powerful damage-dealing profession.

His performance in the dungeon had been particularly eye-catching.

His movements were fluid, and his mastery of the greatsword was exceptional.

Whenever the sword-light flashed, it often resulted in the deaths of numerous magical beasts.

In the final bonus stage, Liu Jing had even managed to kill the Bear Monster Wraith ten times, ultimately clearing the dungeon.

This series of accomplishments showcased his considerable strength.

Yet, in front of Zhou Yi, he was still instantly defeated.

“It mainly comes down to Zhou Yi’s incredible reaction speed and the sheer power of his skills,” one instructor commented.

“At level 19, it’s rare to see anyone capable of such speed, right?”

“Indeed. Even the older students in their second or third year, with levels above 20, might not have such quick reactions.”

The instructors privately estimated the speed of Liu Jing’s sword strike.

To sidestep and evade that strike would require an almost superhuman reaction speed.

It had to occur within 0.23 seconds!

0.23 seconds…

This was a terrifying level of reaction speed that even many senior students would struggle to achieve.

“Fortunately, Zhou Yi didn’t strike too heavily,” one instructor noted.

“When you’re overwhelming an opponent, it becomes easy to control the damage. Even the shallow cut on Liu Jing’s neck happened because he absentmindedly brushed against the axe blade.”

“Heh, compared to physical injuries, I think Zhou Yi’s near-dominant way of defeating him is what stings the most,” another instructor said.

“Indeed. Recovering from the shadow of Zhou Yi’s overwhelming victory will likely take some time.”

On the ceremonial platform, the instructors understood that while Liu Jing appeared unharmed physically, Zhou Yi’s indifferent attitude and near-humiliating manner of victory had left a significant psychological scar.

However, none of them seemed particularly concerned about this.

Those who chose to provoke others had to be prepared to face the consequences of failure.

Zhou Yi refraining from seriously injuring Liu Jing was already a form of restraint.

As for psychological damage, that was for Liu Jing to resolve on his own.

If he couldn’t handle this level of failure, it was better for him to drop out sooner rather than later.

On this point, Wu Mang, the dean of the War College, was the most supportive.

After all, on a battlefield, there might come a time when an entire squad was wiped out, leaving only one survivor.

In such situations, without exceptional mental fortitude, it would be nearly impossible to survive the horrors of war.

“Not bad. His strikes are both sharp and concise, completing the match with minimal expenditure,” remarked Wang Hui, nodding in appreciation.

In fact, this was his first time witnessing Zhou Yi’s combat style in its entirety.

He had arrived late and had only seen Zhou Yi using magical skills during the bonus stage earlier.

That, however, had not showcased Zhou Yi’s true combat style.