Chapter 188: Chapter 188: The Strength of the Martial Arts Top Scholar
In a hurry, a group of people ran down the stairs noisily, followed by the forceful kick of a door, making it burst open.
Shi Xiaole turned his head to find a spirited young man standing outside the door, glaring at him with a look of disgust.
"I order you to get off the ship immediately."
This was stated word by word by Cui Chen.
Shi Xiaole looked puzzled, not understanding when he had offended the other, but seeing as the other man was rude, he couldn’t be bothered to pay any attention and turned his gaze away.
Other people also arrived, crowding the corridor of the boat.
Shi Xiaole saw a black-clad girl winking at him and immediately understood what was happening.
"Kid, don’t make things difficult for yourself. If you leave on your own now, you can still save some face."
With everyone around, Cui Chen’s momentum was even higher.
There were countless martial arts schools in Qingxue State, with an unknown number of young peers. But for him to have stood out in the last heroes’ competition, he was undoubtedly a rare martial arts genius.
Moreover, people of his kind usually stuck together. Since Cui Chen didn’t recognize Shi Xiaole, he naturally considered him a nobody.
A nobody couldn’t possibly be stronger than him, right?
"If you leave now, I will also grant you some face."
Since the other party was uncompromising, Shi Xiaole wouldn’t be polite either.
"What did you just say? Say that again if you dare!"
Rage began to seethe in Cui Chen’s eyes.
On one side, Duan Xi and Hou Tianping revealed smiles of schadenfreude.
Cui Chen, to put it nicely, was impulsive, but to put it bluntly, he was just a hothead. Once his temper flared, he wouldn’t consider the consequences.
Now Hou Tianping was wondering whether he should step in when a conflict broke out later, to save the kid and avoid things getting out of control.
"I don’t like being watched. Three breaths, if you don’t leave, I’ll make you."
Shi Xiaole stared at Cui Chen and issued an eviction notice.
As soon as his words fell, the furious Cui Chen had already rushed forward, disregarding their surroundings, and directly threw a heavy punch at Shi Xiaole.
There was boundless dominance in this punch; it made one’s blood boil and breath hitch. It was indeed his famous, Tyrant Fist.
Many of the up-and-coming talents of the martial world were secretly surprised. He was deserving of someone who almost made it onto the Young Heroic Warriors List.
Before the punch arrived, it was stopped by an invisible layer of qi. Shi Xiaole transformed his palm into a sword, and in the blink of an eye, he split the palm’s force into two halves. In mid-flight, he executed his killing move, Landslide and Water Split.
With a "bang," Cui Chen was sent flying, falling from the second floor of the ship to the deck below in an embarrassingly disheveled state.
"What?"
Everyone gasped, taken aback by the unexpected outcome.
While it’s true that Cui Chen almost made it to the Young Heroic Warriors List, in terms of strength, he is still inferior to Xin Riyuan. Even when the latter used his ultimate killing move, he was defeated by Shi Xiaole in a matter of seconds. Naturally, Cui Chen’s trump card couldn’t withstand a single move.
"You..."
Cui Chen spat out a mouthful of blood, partly due to his injuries and partly due to his rage. To be defeated in one move under everyone’s watchful eyes was utterly humiliating.
"I will make you pay."
Cui Chen gathered all his strength, his aura rising continuously like a wild storm that seemed never-ending. It appeared as though he was preparing to use his killer move. However, Shi Xiaole had no intention of dragging things out, and as soon as Cui Chen made his move, a sword tip quickly pierced towards him.
Shh!
Blood splattered, and Cui Chen’s killer move was stopped in its tracks. The next moment, Cui Chen, with bulging, furious eyes, was kicked into the Yunshui River by Shi Xiaole.
The onlookers were collectively dumbfounded.
Cui Chen was said to be domineering, but the man who had just acted quietly was even more domineering than Cui Chen. It proved that appearances can indeed be deceiving.
"Sir, you went a bit too far."
Landing lightly on the deck, Hou Tianping said calmly.
"Whatever."
Shi Xiaole didn’t want to explain, nor did he feel the need to.
Being insulted for no reason, if he hadn’t had the strength today, he would have been in a worse situation than Cui Chen. Of course, the other party was likely all on the same side, so there was even less need for an explanation.
"Dear sir, it’s said that a gentleman seeks a fair lady. But there are rules to be followed. You shouldn’t desire someone else’s possession and shouldn’t resort to despicable means to insist on getting your way. Am I right?"
Compared to Cui Chen, Hou Tianping was much calmer. Mainly, he sensed from the confrontation just now that Shi Xiaole was no ordinary person. It would be better not to fight if possible.
Nodding slightly, Shi Xiaole suddenly looked at the girl in black and said, "I don’t know what you’ve told them, but I hope you won’t bother me again. It’s very annoying."
Whoa!
When these words came out, an uproar immediately swept across the scene.
The men looked at each other, while the women felt that at this moment, Shi Xiaole was more cold and aloof than ever, making it difficult for them to resist cheering for him.
The girl in black clenched her fists inside her sleeves, but a smile appeared on her face. She lowered her head, seeming wronged but having nowhere to vent, making everyone want to comfort her.
Hou Tianping narrowed his eyes, staring at Shi Xiaole. "Sir, words have consequences. Defaming a lady’s reputation is not the conduct of a gentleman, I’m afraid."
Despite their disagreement, Hou Tianping still sided with the girl in black, because she was a woman, a breathtakingly beautiful woman.
Shi Xiaole ignored Hou Tianping, but he felt somewhat sorry for him.
He had thought of himself as sticking up for the girl in the black dress, but perhaps in her eyes, he was nothing more than a tool to be utilized.
"I am Hou Tianping, also known as the ’Martial Arts Top Scholar’. I hope, my friend, that you will apologize."
Seeing Shi Xiaole about to leave, Hou Tianping swiftly stood in his way; appearing polite but exuding an inescapable aura.
Shi Xiaole’s victory over Cui Chen had indeed captured his attention, but Hou Tianping noted that Shi Xiaole had used his trump card, suggesting that the victory had not come easily.
Given the same circumstances, Hou Tianping could also defeat Cui Chen in one move, so while he respected Shi Xiaole, he had not yet reached a point of dread.
If it meant drawing a smile from the beauty, he didn’t mind flexing his muscles.
Duan Xi looked at Hou Tianping enviously.
Although the son of a magistrate, and well-acquainted with many outstanding youths in the martial world, Duan Xi’s own martial aptitude was not particularly high. So even after numerous years of martial arts training, he had only just reached the threshold of the Qi Absorption Realm.
Today, if Hou Tianping could force Shi Xiaole to yield, it would surely leave an indelible impression on the girl in the black dress.
"And if I don’t apologize?"
Shi Xiaole asked.
He now knew his opponent’s identity, but so what? It wasn’t the first time he had encountered a top fighter from the martial world.
"If you don’t apologize, I will find a way to make you apologize, friend, don’t force me into the final step."
Hou Tianping gave a small smile, his veneer of politeness slipping to reveal an air of unchallengeable authority.
Shi Xiaole stepped forward to leave.
Boom!
A hand reached out towards him, slender and fair, causing a swell in the air that brought a gust strong enough to injure a lower-tier practitioner of the Qi Absorption Realm.
There was no doubt that if this palm touched Shi Xiaole’s shoulder, it would be enough to pin him to the ground, and potentially fracture his shoulder if not controlled well.
"That’s the ’Martial Arts Top Scholar’s’ Stabilizing Mountain Palm, rumoured to be able to reduce a rock to dust."
"This kid is formidable, no wonder Brother Hou used his signature move from the start."
Many peer martial artists were watching Hou Tianping’s every move closely.
For them, witnessing a top martial artist in action was a rare opportunity. If they were observant enough, they might even glean some insight.
It was said that a few months ago, an up-and-coming martial artist had witnessed the Wandering Dragon Swordsman, Yue Tianlin - one of the four top young swordsmen in Qingxue State - in combat, and he had gained a unique understanding, leading to a great leap in his martial arts skills.
Hou Tianping certainly couldn’t compare with Yue Tianlin, but the principle was the same.
"The figures on the Qingxue state top martial artists leaderboard are indeed quite skillful."
The crowd was unaware that the girl in the black dress had reached her own conclusion within her heart and was watching the scene with a transcendent gaze.
Just when it seemed like the Stabilizing Mountain Palm would touch Shi Xiaole’s shoulder, his shadow flickered and he had already moved to the left side. Using his palm like a sword, he counterattacked Hou Tianping.
"Well done."
Hou Tianping twisted his body agilely like a leopard, his feet hovering just above the deck. He moved like a loach, continuously attacking Shi Xiaole.
The Loach Step, a top third-rate flying skill.
Thud, Thud, Thud.
The two men’s movements were supremely graceful, moving around the deck, until finally their shadows were hardly visible among the surging aura with only a few spectators able to keep track of them.
"That damn guy, his martial arts prowess is so advanced."
Cui Chen, who had just climbed out of the water, was full of anger.
If he had known earlier, he would not have been the first one to provoke Shi Xiaole. His impulsive personality had landed him in trouble many times, but it was a lesson he never seemed to learn.
"Your flying skill is not beneath mine, you’re good."
Hou Tianping coldly scoffed, suddenly stood firm with his swarming Qi Absorption Fifth Tier skills. As his right hand palmed out, the iron fan in his waist was smoothly moved to his hand, and in the blink of an eye, he tossed out countless fan shadows.
"That’s Brother Hou’s Phantom Fan Technique, which greatly impressed everyone in the last martial arts competition. Even if this kid is defeated, he should be proud."
"The Phantom Fan Technique builds on a mix of feints and direct assaults, catching the enemy off guard. Even if you have no flaws, your weak spots will be exposed under this technique. I’m curious to see how this man will handle it."
Hou Tianping was famous in the martial world, and everyone was familiar with his skills. Many women had shining eyes as they watched him. The top martial artist from the leaderboard was always a great attraction for young women.
Indeed, Hou Tianping’s unique skill, the Phantom Fan Technique, was putting Shi Xiaole under unprecedented pressure.
Truth be told, this was the first time he had ever faced a top martial artist from the leader-board.
If Shi Xiaole chose to use the Bird Crossing Skill, he could certainly escape from the fan shadows. But it wouldn’t be interesting that way. His opponent was highly skilled, and this was the perfect test for the insights he gained today.
Clang!
With a swift drawing of his sword, Shi Xiaole slashed to the left, instantly clearing a large area of fan shadows. But what followed was an even stronger wave of energy enveloping him.
"Fan Shocks Rivers and Mountains!"
Without giving Shi Xiaole a chance to catch his breath, Hou Tianping waved his long sleeves, stacking his fan shadows into an endless picture that rolled towards Shi Xiaole.
With both hands on the sword, Shi Xiaole delivered a Landslide and Water Split move. However, the fan shadows didn’t disperse, instead they launched a surprise attack from the right, at an unimaginable speed.
"My Illusion Shadow Intent Realm isn’t something you can fathom."
Hou Tianping laughed.
After years of understanding, his Illusion Shadow Intent Realm had already reached 20% completion. Coupled with the second-rate Phantom Fan Technique, it was not something just anyone could withstand.
