Chapter 374: Chapter 185: Explosive Popularity, Return of the King
A huge grin spread uncontrollably across Dong Dongchen’s face.
So satisfying!
The smug satisfaction of ’I told you all he was incredible, but you wouldn’t believe me, and look at you now’ sent a wave of pleasure through him, making every pore on his body tingle.
After a moment of stunned silence, the chat erupted like a volcano.
"??????????"
"Wait, Chen, you were serious?!"
"Holy shit, are my eyes messing with me? I couldn’t see a thing! What just happened?!"
"That was teleportation! Are you fucking sure he’s not cheating?!"
"How could he be insta-killed with one punch?! That was a Gangsha Armor from a Gang Condensation Realm expert!"
"I thought he used a spear! Why’d he switch to his fists? And how is he this freaking strong?!"
Seeing the flood of comments on screen, along with the rapidly rising gift and subscription notifications, Dong Dongchen couldn’t hold back any longer and broke into a wide, ear-to-ear grin.
"Thanks to TheScreenIsDelicious for the Rocket! You’re a legend, boss!"
"Holy shit, thanks to WantsAnInvestigationByChen for the Amusement Park! You’re a beast, boss!"
"Thanks for all the subs, everyone!"
While thanking everyone for the gifts, he pulled up the recording of the fight and replayed it in fifty-times slow motion.
"Alright everyone, watch closely. I’m only replaying this once!"
Onscreen, Lin Ye’s figure moved so fast it was just a blur. The instant before his opponent’s staff came crashing down, he appeared at the man’s side and threw a simple punch.
The punch had no flashy techniques, not even a hint of a Gang Sha fluctuation.
Only pure, physical strength!
"See that? To this day, not a single opponent has been able to force him to use his weapon!"
Dong Chen’s voice swelled with pride.
He then proceeded to watch several more of Lin Ye’s matches in a row.
Without exception.
Every single one was an instant victory.
He was an unstoppable force, crushing all opposition.
The chat, which had started out full of doubt, was now a unified chorus of awe and adoration.
"Holy crap, he’s a real-life One-Punch Man..."
"Is this for real? Is this really the New Star Sequence?"
"Watching him fight gives me the delusion that I could do it, too."
"Snap out of it, man. If you went up there, you’d be the one getting insta-killed."
Soon, Lin Ye was matched with a new opponent.
And the appearance of this particular opponent made the mood in the stream a bit strange.
[Goblin Soldiers (Rank 2811) VS Winning Is Surviving Until The End (Rank 1957)]
"Winning Is Surviving Until The End?"
Dong Dongchen recognized the ID and immediately started explaining to his audience. "I remember this guy. His real name is Shi Zhiyong, a direct heir of the Taishan Shi Family."
"His family’s ancestral Cultivation Technique, combined with his awakened Earth Attribute Martial Arts Spirituality, makes his Defense Power notoriously high in the New Star Sequence!"
The chat immediately lit up.
"Finally, a real challenger!"
"They’re both Defense System Martial Artists, but this Shi Zhiyong’s cultivation level is way higher than that kid from before. There’s no way he’ll get insta-killed too, right?"
"Alright, alright, I was getting sick of the one-punch-kill show. Finally, someone who won’t get taken out instantly."
"Bullshit! I’m here precisely to watch him insta-kill people!"
"Give me a break. These so-called one-punch kills work on squishies, but it’s impossible against a guy who has clearly mastered the art of turtling."
...
「In the Arena」
Lin Ye looked at the burly, good-natured-looking man across from him, a slight smile playing on his lips.
’Finally.’
After acquiring the [Elemental Mastery] skill, his perception of all types of Source Energy had become incredibly keen.
The moment the match was made, he had sensed the dense, stable fluctuation of Earth Attribute Source Energy emanating from his opponent.
’This is a great target for farming. No one in the training camp has an Earth Attribute Martial Arts Spirituality.’
The countdown to start the battle ended.
Across from him, Shi Zhiyong didn’t charge forward rashly like the others. Instead, with a low shout, he planted his feet firmly, digging them into the ground like the gnarled roots of an old tree.
A layer of thick, solid, earthy-yellow Gang Sha instantly enveloped him. On top of the Gang Sha, a Rock Armor forged from sand and dirt began to rapidly take shape.
He assumed a defensive stance.
Lin Ye’s figure moved.
He charged straight forward at a speed that wasn’t blindingly fast, but was full of menacing pressure.
Again, it was that same, unremarkable punch.
BANG!
The fist collided with the Rock Armor, letting out a deep, muffled boom.
The ground beneath Shi Zhiyong’s feet instantly cracked. The immense force sent him sliding backward several meters, carving two deep furrows in the sand.
But he had blocked it!
Although his Rock Armor was now covered in cracks, his Qi and Blood were in turmoil, and his face was flushed red, he had ultimately managed to withstand the blow.
A storm raged in his heart.
’What kind of monster is this?’
’To have such terrifying power with pure physical strength, without even using Gang Sha?’
In Dong Dongchen’s stream, countless comments instantly flooded the screen.
"He blocked it! He actually blocked it!"
"See! This is how it should be! There aren’t that many one-punch-kills in the world!"
"Hahaha, looks like the myth of the One-Punch Goblin is over!"
However, Dong Dongchen narrowed his eyes.
"No."
He shook his head, his tone firm.
"He’s not using his full strength."
"As for why... I’m not quite sure yet."
The scene that followed proved his guess correct.
As if tireless, Lin Ye hammered Shi Zhiyong with one punch after another.
Shi Zhiyong, on the other hand, was like a stubborn reef, standing firm no matter how the wind and waves crashed against him.
He continuously used his Earth Attribute Gang Sha and Spirituality to repair his armor, just barely managing to block each of Lin Ye’s attacks.
On the surface, it was a fierce back-and-forth, an incredibly intense fight.
Shi Zhiyong was drenched in sweat. Every block he made felt like it was about to shatter his bones.
He had only one thought now: outlast him!
Wear him down until his stamina gives out!
He refused to believe anyone could maintain such an intense, purely physical assault indefinitely!
「More than ten minutes later.」
Just as Shi Zhiyong was gritting his teeth and holding on, a notification that only Lin Ye could hear sounded in his mind.
[Ding! You have reached the maximum Attribute Source Energy Affinity that can be obtained from this opponent. You will no longer be able to acquire Earth Attribute Source Energy Affinity!]
In an instant, the look in Lin Ye’s eyes changed.
In his eyes, this opponent who had been trying so desperately to defend himself had transformed from a resource pack providing benefits into a worthless punching bag.
’The game is over.’
Shi Zhiyong, who was channeling his Gang Sha with all his might to receive the next punch, suddenly noticed that Lin Ye had stopped attacking.
His heart leaped with joy. ’Is he finally exhausted?’
However, his joy didn’t even last a second.
Lin Ye’s figure abruptly vanished from sight.
An unprecedented sense of crisis made the hair on his body stand on end!
"Profound Rock Wall!"
Shi Zhiyong reacted faster than he ever had in his life, unleashing all of his Gang Sha without reservation. A massive, half-meter-thick rock shield instantly materialized before him!
This was his strongest defensive technique!
But the very instant the rock shield formed,
A fist landed silently in the center of it.
CRACK—
Not a single crack appeared on the shield.
It simply disintegrated into a cloud of dust.
Shi Zhiyong’s pupils constricted. He only had time to see the fist punch through the cloud of dust and grow larger and larger in his field of vision.
Then, he lost consciousness.
Shi Zhiyong’s head exploded!
He then turned into a streak of light and vanished.
Back in the stream, all the viewers who had just been saying Lin Ye had met his match and couldn’t get an instant kill were left completely speechless.
Dong Dongchen shot up from his chair.
He planted his hands on his hips, leaned down toward the camera, his face flush with uncontrollable excitement.
"How about that!"
"I’m asking you! How’s my judgment?!"
His voice, an octave higher with excitement, echoed through the stream.
"I told you! I told you he was going easy on him! He was just toying with that big oaf! He could have won from the very beginning!"
"Answer me! Look at my eyes! LOOK AT MY EYES!"
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