Everyone stared at Rowan in disbelief, as if he were some kind of monster.

Even Luo Feng could barely believe what he had just witnessed.

His current punching force was about 700 kilograms, and he could sprint at 17 meters per second. Rowan was a whole year younger than him yet his strength had already surpassed his own?

How was that even possible?

Could it be that Rowan, like him, suffered from mysterious headaches and awakened strange powers after passing out?

As Director Norris and the other trainees processed the shock, Rowan stood there, calm and unfazed.

He didn't consider himself a genius.

In the Swallowed Star universe, the truly gifted had already reached the Star-level by his age.

He wasn't even officially a warrior yet. What was there to be proud of?

Besides, Luo Feng himself was a spiritual force user in the making. Once he awakened those abilities and became a true warrior, his strength would leave Rowan in the dust.

"The test results are accurate, Director," Instructor Wu confirmed. "I just evaluated him myself."

Director Norris's initial shock quickly gave way to joy.

With that level of talent, Rowan could become a pre-warrior within the year. A seventeen-year-old pre-warrior his potential was nearly limitless.

And since Rowan trained at their Extreme Martial Arts Academy in Yian District, recommending him up the ranks would earn Norris substantial credit.

"Excellent, excellent! Wu Kuan, well done." Norris clapped the instructor on the shoulder, visibly pleased, then turned toward Rowan.

"Rowan, your talent is exceptional. I heard from Wu Kuan that this is only your second time at the academy. Let's do this spar with one of the trainees, and I'll give you personalized guidance based on what I see."

He didn't waste another word. Norris was eager to begin training this rare talent.

He swept his eyes over the group of senior students, then said, "Luo Feng, you'll spar with Rowan."

To Norris, it seemed Rowan might lack combat experience. Although Luo Feng was slightly weaker in raw stats, his real-world fighting skills were sharp. The match should be evenly matched.

"Sure," Luo Feng said, stepping forward and cracking his knuckles, eager for the challenge.

Rowan nodded and stepped up to face him, their gazes locking.

"My first fight in the Swallowed Star world… and it's against Luo Feng?" Rowan thought. A surge of excitement rose in his chest.

He was genuinely looking forward to this.

The crowd formed a loose circle around them, watching with anticipation.

"Watch out, Rowan I'm coming," Luo Feng warned as he took position.

"Bring it," Rowan replied, already bracing himself.

In a flash, Luo Feng dashed forward like a blur, charging directly at Rowan.

Rowan's gaze sharpened. He planted his foot and moved in to meet the charge head-on.

The two clashed in a flurry of fists and elbows strike, counter, evade, block.

To Luo Feng's surprise, Rowan stayed calm throughout. Not a hint of panic on his face.

Clearly, he wasn't as green as people thought.

What's more, Rowan had the strength advantage. Whether it was an elbow strike, a whip kick, or a feint, Rowan blocked and countered with precise, practiced efficiency.

After ten or so exchanges, Luo Feng had to admit he couldn't break through Rowan's defense.

Meanwhile, Rowan was getting the hang of it. His heart pounded faster with each impact.

The feel of real combat flesh against flesh, strike meeting strike was electrifying.

This wasn't just sparring. It felt like a scene out of a wuxia epic: sharp, graceful, and vicious.

Each impact echoed with a dull thud. Every movement was so fast, it left afterimages behind.

One word flashed through Rowan's mind: extraordinary.

And the feeling it brought he couldn't put it into words.

His heart pounded like a drum. Blood rushed through his veins.

Compared to the thrill of making billions off rice or Kroluminum trades which might rate a 1 this fight was a 100.

There was simply no comparison.

Then perhaps noticing Rowan had mentally wandered for a moment Luo Feng seized the opening.

He grabbed Rowan's wrists and lunged, driving his knee straight toward Rowan's chest with vicious force.

If that blow landed, Rowan would be sent flying and the fight would be over.

But Rowan didn't panic.

He erupted with strength, catching Luo Feng's left arm and shifting his weight sideways, just enough to slip past the charging knee.

The move threw Luo Feng slightly off-balance.

Rowan swept his left leg low, aiming to take out Luo Feng's supporting foot.

Luo Feng's face tightened. He hadn't expected Rowan to adapt this fast.

But he recovered quickly. Using Rowan's grip for balance, he kicked his own left leg up, dodging the sweep.

Using the downward pull of his weight, Luo Feng tried to slam Rowan into the ground.

Rowan didn't flinch.

He rotated, braced his stance, and unleashed the strength from his waist and core.

With a powerful over-the-shoulder throw, he flipped Luo Feng 180 degrees and slammed him onto the ground.

Bang!

Luo Feng landed hard on his back, the impact echoing through the training hall.

He let out a low groan as his breath caught.

Rowan didn't press the advantage.

This was still just a spar. No reason to go too far.

The crowd froze in stunned silence.

Luo Feng one of the academy's top fighters had just been thrown by the newcomer.

Director Norris and Wu Kuan exchanged surprised looks.

They hadn't expected Rowan to have this much combat experience.

"Senior Luo, are you alright?" Rowan stepped forward, reaching out a hand as Luo Feng groaned and rubbed his back.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Luo Feng chuckled, clasping Rowan's hand and pulling himself up.

Brushing off the dust, he grinned. "Rowan, you've got great instincts. That last counter caught me completely off guard."

Rowan smiled back. "I only won because of the strength difference. If our power levels were equal, I don't think I'd be able to beat you."

Luo Feng laughed. It was clear Rowan was trying to save his pride but he appreciated the gesture.

Despite losing, Luo Feng found himself respecting Rowan even more.

At that moment, Director Norris stepped forward.

"Rowan, I'm honestly impressed. You beat Luo Feng cleanly, and from what I saw, your instincts and battle awareness are sharp."

He didn't hold back on the praise.

"Thank you, Instructor," Rowan replied with a nod.

"But just as Wu Kuan mentioned, your force application technique is still rough. You generate power too slowly, and your energy efficiency is low. We'll need to focus on that."

Norris's tone turned serious.

Force technique was crucial for every stage of a warrior's development, and he understood its importance deeply.

Rowan nodded earnestly.

That was indeed his biggest shortcoming.

He had trained alone for years, figuring things out through trial and error.

Even after joining S.H.I.E.L.D., the instructors there were more focused on combat tactics they didn't know much about advanced internal force techniques.

They could teach him how to fight but not how to truly master power.

And in the Swallowed Star world, his understanding of force... was still painfully crude.

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