Perhaps it was because he had exhausted his tricks, or perhaps Han Lang's relentless pursuit had worn down Sima Tuo's patience.
Thus, he unleashed his ultimate strike.
This strike was like a bamboo splintering!
Han Lang had no way to evade, so he could only mobilize the spiritual energy throughout his body and push his palm forward, forming an arc-shaped protective shield in front of him!
"Sizzle!"
The sharp edge of the short blade collided with Han Lang's defense, but it did not produce the intense energy explosion that everyone had anticipated.
Instead, it was like a small snake desperately trying to burrow into Han Lang's protective shield.
However, though its momentum was small, its energy was immense!
Han Lang's veins bulged, his face flushed red, and he gritted his teeth, resisting with all his might.
Even so, the powerful thrust of the projectile short blade still forced his body to retreat uncontrollably, his shoe soles leaving a clear mark on the ground.
"Hold on! I must hold on!"
Han Lang encouraged himself mentally. At this moment, his mind was a blank slate except for the word "hold on."
Such immense energy was simply not something he could withstand head-on at his current level.
If this were not a ring match.
If he could use a Spirit Gathering Pill.
Then this war of attrition would inevitably end like Tang Qin's, with a steady victory.
However, the current conditions did not permit it.
He could only endure with his own strength!
He could only persist with his own willpower!
But the spiritual energy in his dantian was limited!
No matter how unwilling he was to admit defeat, no matter how stubborn he was, the spiritual energy in his dantian was depleting at a visible rate.
Han Lang felt a sense of despair!
He knew that in this battle, he might be defeated!
But he was unwilling!
If he couldn't win the rookie ring match, Tang Qin, Ma Long, and the others, especially Tang Geng who had already displayed considerable strength, would inevitably be selected.
Although all members of the Special Special Forces were comrades, and he could trust anyone.
He had grown accustomed to the tacit understanding of fighting together with these brothers.
He didn't want to be separated from them!
Even less did he want to become rivals with them in the future due to some special circumstances!
As he thought about this, his dantian gradually depleted.
Just as he felt utter despair.
Suddenly, the meridians throughout his body trembled, and his entire being felt unprecedentedly smooth and unhindered.
As he was wondering what was happening.
The spiritual energy in his dantian, like a long-dormant dry well, began to gurgle with clear water.
The water gathered more and more, soon overflowing the well's rim, and even the surrounding wilting vegetation began to exude vibrant life.
Han Lang's mind, which had been hazy from the intense struggle, now became clearer than ever before.
He didn't understand why, but while continuing to resist, he quietly examined himself internally.
He saw that the spiritual energy in his dantian was now like an endless lake, with rippling blue waves, most pleasant to behold.
"I... I broke through?"
Han Lang was overjoyed.
He never expected that at this critical juncture of the battle, his seemingly within-reach late Foundation Establishment stage would smoothly break through.
"Is this what they call 'breaking and then standing'? The spiritual energy in my dantian was depleted, but it unexpectedly stimulated my potential, and at this crucial moment, I broke through!"
Feeling the surging energy throughout his body, Han Lang no longer hesitated.
While increasing the spiritual energy output to his protective shield, he moved his divine sense, and the six golden needles once again flew up gracefully.
This astonished all the spectators below the stage.
"How can he... still have the energy to control the golden needles at this time?"
"Could it be that he was hiding his strength all along, and in reality, he had already broken through to the Golden Core stage?"
"Impossible! The inspection by the Special Special Forces would not be wrong! If he had broken through to the Golden Core stage, this news would have spread like wildfire long ago. After all, for a rookie to have two Golden Core stage cultivators would be unprecedented!"
"Exactly! So the only possibility is that he just broke through! He must be filled with spiritual energy right now!"
"Haha... So, does this mean Han Lang's chances of winning have greatly increased?"
"A mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator breaking through to the late Foundation Establishment stage during a battle and defeating a Golden Core stage cultivator, this sounds like a legendary tale within the Special Special Forces!"
Not only the spectators below the stage, but even the veteran soldiers watching from the stands, all wore expressions of disbelief.
Even the military commander Song Heguo on the high platform couldn't help but murmur softly.
"This young man's future is limitless!"
Just as everyone's support was leaning overwhelmingly in one direction, Sima Tuo on the stage also sensed something was amiss.
He was now at the end of his rope. If Han Lang were to regain his vitality, he knew deep down that he would no longer be a match for him.
But even knowing this, what could he do now?
In his helplessness, he suddenly thought of a possibility.
Then, he shouted to the referee on the stage.
"Referee! I report! The opponent consumed recovery pills during the battle, which is a serious violation of the rookie ring match rules. Please disqualify him immediately!"
The referee, hearing this statement that even Sima Tuo himself didn't believe, looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Han Lang's breakthrough during the battle was witnessed by the entire rookie camp, and even by officers of various levels in the military region.
At this moment, trying to win with such a high-sounding excuse, how desperate was Sima Tuo to lose?
Seeing that the referee made no move, Sima Tuo felt a sense of despair.
He could only watch as Han Lang's six golden needles "sizzled" and pierced into his body.
The golden needles sealed his meridians!
With his six major meridians sealed, Sima Tuo instantly became like a deflated ball, collapsing limply.
The short blade, having lost its master's control, also lost its momentum at this moment and flew back into Sima Tuo's hand.
"Oh!"
Cheers erupted!
Everyone was excited about Han Lang winning the rookie ring match through his spectacular battle.
Han Lang also couldn't hide his joy. Seeing the referee smiling as he walked towards him, he knew he had done it.
Han Lang did not hesitate. He always remembered the rule of prioritizing friendship in the rookie ring match. Therefore, before the referee even arrived, he withdrew the golden needles from Sima Tuo's body.
The referee, witnessing this, felt even greater admiration for Han Lang.
However, just as the referee was about to take Han Lang's hand and announce the results of the rookie ring match.
Sima Tuo, unwilling to accept defeat, his eyes turned red, and an evil thought arose.
"Ah~"
He shouted, and even though there was no spiritual energy left in his body that he could mobilize, he still held the short blade and leaped high, preparing to end Han Lang in the most basic way.
Everyone was terrified!
At such a distance, besides the referee who was next to Han Lang, no one could provide assistance at such an extreme range.
The referee also seemed to have not expected that Sima Tuo would still resort to such means against his opponent after the battle had concluded.
In a moment of carelessness, they, like Han Lang, were stunned on the spot.
In this brief moment of stunned silence, Sima Tuo's short blade had already reached Han Lang's neck.
If no action was taken, Han Lang, the favored son in everyone's eyes, might perish on the spot.
At this critical juncture, there was a sudden "clang," and Sima Tuo, along with the short blade in his hand, was instantly sent flying.
Sima Tuo himself had his arm broken and lay on the ground, howling in pain.
As everyone was astonished as to who had made the move, Song Heguo on the high platform slowly stood up and said with authority.
"The Special Special Forces do not need talent that cannot afford to lose!"