Chapter 274: Chapter 147: Seed
Upon hearing this, Qin Fang felt a strange sense of unease...
...Poisoning and Hidden Weapons?
’Damn. So just like that, the trump cards I used to rely on for survival are banned?’
...Fortunately, he was no longer the rookie he once was.
So, with a calm expression, he simply nodded. "Understood."
Huang Shun took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on Qin Fang, and replied in a heavy tone, "Understood."
"In that case, enter the ring."
Chief Li waved his hand.
The two stepped inside the ropes and stood facing each other, about thirty feet apart.
The area around the ring fell silent, all eyes fixed on the two men inside.
The crowd from D Building held its breath. Huang Shun was a well-known figure among them, a cultivator at the Peak of Anjin whose "Stone-Splitting Palm" was quite formidable. Many from D Building had sparred with him privately and could attest to his sheer power. There weren’t many in D Building who could get the better of him.
’...They wondered if this delicate-looking young man could actually defeat him.’
Meanwhile, the Huajin Martial Artists in the distance focused their gazes primarily on Qin Fang...
"He really does look young..."
The stout, young man surnamed Qian exclaimed in admiration, "His aura is so steady, as still as a deep pool and as imposing as a mountain. He already has some of the bearing of a Grandmaster... It seems he really has entered the Huajin realm."
The young man surnamed Lin standing beside him said nothing, but his gaze sharpened.
On the fighting stage, Qin Fang naturally sensed the gazes from all directions... and sighed internally.
’...This is why he truly hated being forced into the spotlight.’
As the saying goes, a man fears fame as a pig fears being fattened for slaughter.
’...Compared to being the center of attention, he much preferred to make his fortune on the down-low.’
But things had already come to this. There was no point in dwelling on it. He focused on Huang Shun before him.
He didn’t even recognize this Huang Shun, yet here the man was, challenging him. He looked to be a middle-aged man in his forties, and judging by his aura, he probably hadn’t reached the Huajin realm...
’...But wait, didn’t they say only those at the Huajin realm could obtain Martial Arts Records?’
’Yet yesterday, almost everyone he’d seen from D Building was below the Huajin realm.’
’What are they even doing here?’
Qin Fang still didn’t understand all the inner workings of this place, and a few questions lingered in his mind.
"You may begin."
Chief Li’s voice pulled Qin Fang back to the present.
Huang Shun took a deep breath and clasped his fist. "Brother Qin, I apologize for the offense, but rules are rules. I am Huang Shun of Nanlin, here to witness your superior techniques."
Qin Fang looked at him, thought for a moment, and simply said, "Qin Fang."
He didn’t announce his clan or origin.
A sharp glint flashed in Huang Shun’s eyes. He wasted no more words.
"Watch out!"
The moment the words left his lips, he stomped his foot. A muffled THUD echoed from the stone floor as he shot forward like a cheetah!
His right palm, held vertically, chopped straight for Qin Fang’s face.
The movement was silent yet incredibly swift... a textbook Anjin Powerhouse.
Yet Qin Fang’s expression remained unchanged.
His mind was a placid mirror, the state of the battle as clear as the lines on his own palm. The moment his opponent’s muscles tensed, Qin Fang already knew every possible move that would follow.
WHOOSH!!
The palm strike whistled through the air, aimed squarely at his face.
But Qin Fang merely tilted his body to the side.
The motion seemed almost leisurely, yet in a flash, he allowed the fierce palm strike to barely graze past his temple. His expression remained completely unperturbed.
Huang Shun’s palm hit nothing but air, and his heart sank!
’This is bad! He’s a Huajin Powerhouse?!’
His expression changed drastically.
In that single exchange, the difference in their strength was made clear!
His opponent’s stance was far too casual, which was the most telling sign of a Huajin Powerhouse!
Huang Shun made his decision in an instant, shouting, "I concede!!"
Because Qin Fang’s hand was already resting on the back of his own.
The abrupt cry of surrender made Qin Fang’s eyebrow twitch, and the Force he was about to release from his palm faltered.
But Huang Shun had already sucked in a sharp breath... The instant his opponent’s palm touched the back of his hand, a sharp, piercing pain shot through him.
’That’s clearly Protective Qi!’
’Damn my luck!’
Cursing internally, feeling an unspeakable frustration, Huang Shun quickly retreated. He clasped his fist toward Chief Li on the platform and announced loudly, "Chief Li, I concede."
This sudden turn of events brought an instant silence to the grounds.
Many of the spectators looked on, bewildered, exchanging confused glances.
’...It’s over, just like that?’
Wang Qi, Shen Tie, and the others exchanged glances, seeing the shock mirrored in each other’s eyes.
They knew Huang Shun’s strength. How could he concede immediately after making his first move?
Brother Shen’s expression was grave as he whispered, "He’s definitely a Huajin Powerhouse... To be so composed in the face of an expert at the Peak of Anjin like Huang Shun, there’s no other possibility. That Huang Er is a wily one, though. He made his judgment instantly after a single missed strike and decisively conceded. Spared himself the embarrassment..."
Wang Qi sucked in a sharp breath and said, a hint of relief in his voice, "Thank goodness... Thank goodness he was the impulsive one who went first..."
If Huang Shun hadn’t gone, it likely would have been one of them.
But now... any thought of challenging Qin Fang to switch courtyards was completely extinguished.
’...That’s a Huajin Martial Artist!’
’People like him are here aiming to become a Celestial Spirit Disciple...’
’He’s not even on the same track as us.’
On the wooden platform, Chief Li glanced at the Hourglass; the sand in the top half had not yet run out. Expressionless, he stated flatly, "Huang Shun of D Building is eliminated. Qin Fang of C-7 wins."
’...As the one who had seen the ’Temporary Passage Token,’ he naturally knew Qin Fang’s cultivation level.’
’This result was entirely within his expectations.’
Huang Shun let out a breath and glanced at Qin Fang, who was standing there looking a bit speechless. With a wry smile, he said, "Young Master Qin, I was blind to your greatness. My apologies for the offense, please forgive me."
After speaking, he took a small, pre-prepared cloth bag from his robes. He walked over to the Soldier at the registration post by the side of the ring who was in charge of records and placed the bag down—inside were one hundred taels of "disturbance silver."
He clasped his fist toward Qin Fang one more time, then turned and left without a backward glance.
’...And that’s it?’
Qin Fang was left speechless.
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