"Fusu Great Wall, Liu Xilong!"
Liu Xilong cupped his fists from a distance, a smile playing on his lips.
Lin Zhao returned the salute in kind: "Snowy Heaven Lake, Lin Zhao!"
...
The next moment, Liu Xilong lunged forward with a punch.
With a hum, a golden General's Gall blazed on his chest, instantly boosting his entire body's fist intent by a large margin. He delivered a fierce straight punch towards Lin Zhao. Facing such a direct assault, Lin Zhao abruptly adopted the Qi Chong Dou Niu stance, channeling power from the ground. He was like a tree rooted to the earth as he threw out a punch!
"Boom!"
With a deafening sound, white true qi light shattered at the point of contact between their fists. The advantage was immediately clear. Liu Xilong staggered slightly in place, while Lin Zhao slid back dozens of meters, landing on one knee. He spat out a mouthful of blood with a "噗." In just one punch, Liu Xilong had gained an absolute upper hand.
The street fell silent, everyone astonished.
No one had expected that the person who defeated Ye Lin could not even withstand a single punch from Liu Xilong! And he had been made to spit blood by just one punch!
"Is that all you've got?"
Liu Xilong did not pursue. He stood his ground, waiting for the other to recover his qi, and said with a smile, "If you really can't continue, just admit defeat. Losing to my punch, Liu Xilong, is nothing to be ashamed of."
"No!"
Lin Zhao supported himself with one hand on the ground, shakily rising. He adopted his fist stance again, his fist intent flowing through him. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said, "Unless I fall and cannot get up, I will never surrender!"
"Good, good!"
Liu Xilong laughed heartily, "Then I'll make sure you fall and can't get up!"
With that, Liu Xilong delivered his second punch. The fist energy raged, forcing the spectators to squint their eyes. The next moment, the two met again with a punch. This time, Liu Xilong merely swayed slightly, while Lin Zhao slid back more than ten steps, his body trembling, the blood at the corner of his mouth becoming more prominent.
"Hmph..."
Liu Xilong smiled faintly, "Yesterday, you were so high-spirited on the city wall, saying you would knock down all the young experts of our Fusu Great Wall. Today, the opportunity is before you. If you pass my test, only Qin Yu will remain."
"As you wish!"
Lin Zhao roared and threw another punch.
For a time, only the figures of two young martial artists exchanging blows filled the open space on the street. Lin Zhao took more hits, his mouth, forehead, and eyes struck multiple times. Liu Xilong, on the other hand, had only landed a few punches. His fighting spirit was soaring, completely dominating the situation, almost as if he were pounding Lin Zhao into the ground.
...
"Alas..."
An old sword cultivator, holding a bowl of premium private beef noodles, shook his head and said, "The gap in strength is too great. How can this fight continue? The boy can't even block Liu Xilong's punches head-on. His fists are knocked aside with every strike. There's no way to fight."
"Indeed."
A middle-aged martial artist of the eighth realm, sitting on the railing of the second floor, frowned and said, "Liu Xilong not only has excellent fist techniques, but his physical body is also extremely well-honed. He can be considered the strongest of the seventh realm in this era. Not only that, Liu Xilong was born into a military family, awakening a Martial Gall at the age of seven and honing it into a General's Gall by fifteen. His strength is inexhaustible, and each of his punches carries much more power than Lin Zhao's. There's no suspense in this match; Liu Xilong is bound to win."
"That kid from Snowy Heaven Lake..."
A female sword cultivator, drinking on the second floor, chuckled, "What a shame. He does have some skill; his victory over Ye Lin was definitely not accidental. But he chose to fight Liu Xilong consecutively. Isn't that seeking death?"
"Born into a military family..."
A ninth-realm cultivator gently stroking his companion's thigh smiled faintly, "Truly extraordinary."
...
In the arena, Lin Zhao took punch after punch. His protective fist aura would be shattered each time it condensed, but he seemed unwilling to surrender, repeatedly condensing his fist aura, waiting for Liu Xilong's punches. Liu Xilong, on the other hand, attacked without reservation, each punch landing with full force. He had truly become angry. He had initially thought he could finish the wavering Lin Zhao within ten punches, but fifty punches later, the opponent was still staggering, refusing to fall.
At this moment, the naturally born general even felt a hint of killing intent.
With a "hum," Liu Xilong landed a heavy punch on Lin Zhao's back. Then, crossing his arms, he firmly clamped onto one of Lin Zhao's arms. With a roar, the General's Gall buzzed, and he poured all his strength into it, intending to break Lin Zhao's right arm. He believed that with one arm crippled, Lin Zhao would have no choice but to concede.
"Huh?"
Seeing the opponent's move, Lin Zhao's heart turned cold. He hadn't expected Liu Xilong, this naturally born general, to be so ruthless, treating a friendly spar in the city as a battlefield kill.
Thus, the moment Liu Xilong exerted his force, Lin Zhao, like a slippery loach, lightly shook his body. Then, his right arm "slid" out from Liu Xilong's grip. Furthermore, Lin Zhao also became a little serious. He spun around and swept Liu Xilong with a kick, then delivered a punch to Liu Xilong's abdomen. With a "thump," Liu Xilong was sent flying.
"What's going on?!"
The spectators were shocked.
The eighth-realm martial artist holding the bowl of noodles frowned, "In that instant, Lin Zhao's aura seemed to surge suddenly, but now... it seems to have returned to its previous state."
"Liu Xilong was actually thrown out?"
A female martial artist rubbed her eyes, "The naturally born general was sent flying by that Lin Zhao with a single punch?"
...
"Good!"
In the arena, Liu Xilong was sent flying by a punch, but he was unharmed. On the contrary, he narrowed his eyes. His mind was now clear. This kid had been holding back all along. His strength was far beyond defeating Ye Lin. Based on that punch alone, Liu Xilong could even conclude that, as seventh-realm martial artists, Lin Zhao's strength was no less than his own!
A General's Gall, growing stronger when facing stronger opponents. Lin Zhao's suddenly revealed strength made Liu Xilong even more excited. This match was no longer just about representing the young generation of Fusu Great Wall; for Liu Xilong himself, it was a rare opportunity for tempering!
"Come!"
Liu Xilong adopted his fighting stance and roared with laughter, "Shall we have a real fight?"
"Alright."
Lin Zhao smiled and nodded.
But the next second, Lin Zhao was sent flying again.
"Alas..."
A female martial artist lowered her head and held her forehead. It was the same as before, knocked down by a single punch?
Liu Xilong was also getting anxious. He found this guy incredibly troublesome. Why would he deliberately hide his strength? Since he was such a brilliant young seventh-realm martial artist, why wouldn't he have a true battle with him?
"If you keep this up, I won't hold back!"
Liu Xilong roared, unleashing his full strength with every punch!
Lin Zhao was once again sent flying across the street, repeatedly slammed onto the ground, cracking the paving stones like a spiderweb. But this time, it was different. He began to counterattack. For every two punches he took from Liu Xilong, he would return one. Although these punches seemed light and did not inflict much damage, Liu Xilong was indeed hit.
In a flash, Liu Xilong had thrown over five hundred punches. Lin Zhao was covered in blood, but stubbornly refused to fall.
"Seeking death!"
Liu Xilong roared, putting even more force into his punches.
On the street, Lin Zhao was cornered, fighting defensively, taking more hits than he landed, appearing extremely disheveled.
...
"Hmm?"
Qin Yu narrowed his eyes. He was not a martial artist, but a seventh-realm sword cultivator could discern the fundamentals of martial artists' punches. Even he felt that there was something peculiar about Lin Zhao. His strength was far greater than what he was currently displaying. The naturally born sword seed frowned and lightly placed his hand on his sword hilt.
Perhaps, he would have to intervene.
"Xiao Yu."
Beside him, a stunning sword cultivator in white appeared, Lin Wanhua.
"Sister!"
Qin Yu exclaimed in surprise, "When did you get back?"
"Last night."
Lin Wanhua pursed her moist red lips, "I happened to come back this morning to watch your match with Lin Zhao."
"My match with Lin Zhao?"
Qin Yu was slightly taken aback, "Sister Wanhua, are you so sure Liu Xilong will lose?"
"Impetuous, his fists are heavy but lack precision."
Lin Wanhua frowned, "How could Liu Xilong not lose? And the timing of his loss is entirely up to Lin Zhao."
She looked at her cousin, "Xiao Yu, when you face Lin Zhao later, you must go all out, or you will lose too."
"Is it that serious?"
"Yes!"
...
At this moment, Lin Zhao in the arena was covered in blood, close to his limit.
"Admit defeat!"
Liu Xilong punched Lin Zhao, sending him sprawling on the street in a spread-eagle position. Then, he descended from the sky, his body enveloped in a torrent of fist energy, aiming to smash Lin Zhao's head with a single blow.
But just as his fist was about to connect, Lin Zhao, in his battered state, rolled away to avoid it. Liu Xilong's fist instead struck the street, sending broken bricks flying. Amidst the chaos, Lin Zhao, in his desperation, threw a punch. His fist, mixed with the broken bricks, landed on Liu Xilong's jaw. With a light "pong," the proud naturally born general reeled backward and fell, already unconscious upon landing.
"This???"
On the street, the spectators were all dumbfounded.
A female martial artist frowned, "Liu Xilong... was knocked unconscious by his own reflected fist energy?"
"Oh, my..."
Someone burst into laughter, "Lin Zhao got incredibly lucky!"
"Liu Xilong lost so unfairly."
"Tsk tsk, Liu Xilong, do you know how much money you made me lose?!"
...
On the street, countless people grumbled.
Lin Zhao slowly rose, took a deep breath, and said, "Qin Yu, it's your turn?"
"Me?"
Qin Yu raised an eyebrow, "Do you need some rest?"
"Yes."
Lin Zhao nodded, "Give me the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to rest."
"Alright!"
Just then, many gamblers in the crowd rushed into the gambling houses, placing bets on Qin Yu to win! If not now, when would they bet on Qin Yu? Liu Xilong had almost crippled Lin Zhao, and what kind of existence was Qin Yu? As one of the three young prodigies of Fusu Great Wall, Qin Yu had fought Liu Xilong many times, but Liu Xilong had never won. What did that imply?
...
In the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Lin Zhao had not only rested himself but also given those people time to place their bets!
"Uncle."
Lin Zhao brushed the dust off his clothes and asked, "What are the odds for me and Qin Yu now?"
"Two thousand to one!"
The uncle's eyes gleamed, and he said with a smile, "I bet a Qing Fu coin on you to win, kid. My ability to get a wife in my next life depends on you!"
"Oh, oh..."
Lin Zhao chuckled, "Why don't you bet another Qing Fu coin on me to win, and we can get two wives in one go?"
...
At this moment, he stood up, glanced at Qin Yu, and said, "Shall we begin?"
"Begin."
Qin Yu smiled slightly, his long sword slowly unsheathed, emitting a dazzling light.
"Brother Qin Yu!"
In front of Mingyue Tower, a beautiful girl in a green dress shouted loudly, "Go, defeat this wild boy from Snowy Heaven Lake!"
"Right!"
Another girl in a pink dress said indignantly, "This Lin Zhao is despicable and shameless, using trickery to defeat Ye Lin and Liu Xilong. Brother Qin Yu, you must defeat him and make him leave Fusu Great Wall! Our Fusu Great Wall doesn't need such a villain!"
Many young girls from Fusu Great Wall voiced their support for Qin Yu. After all, Qin Yu was the number one among the younger generation. Neither Ye Lin nor Liu Xilong was. Even if Ye Lin was a naturally born romantic, extraordinary in matters of love, his popularity in Fusu Great Wall paled in comparison to Qin Yu's.
...
Lin Zhao ignored the surrounding sounds. He shook his body, and his spirit and energy were instantly refreshed, completely different from the battered youth of before. At the same time, he secretly ignited a Speed Talisman. True qi surged within him, and a War God Gall hummed, mobilizing and stirring all the true qi in his body. At this moment, Lin Zhao's strength had reached the peak of the seventh realm!
"Swish!"
The moment Lin Zhao dashed out, Qin Yu almost felt his liver and gall split. Such speed!
"Bang—"
The first punch, shattering Qin Yu's sword aura!
As Qin Yu retreated, Lin Zhao instantly circled behind him. The second punch, to Qin Yu's back of the neck!
Qin Yu grunted, his body flying forward. Just as he was about to summon his lifebound flying sword, a punch imbued with a strong martial aura descended from the sky, landing heavily on the back of his head!
The third punch. The naturally born sword seed had already fallen unconscious.