Chapter 260: Chapter 120: I Am Huajin, Forceful Suppression
The Li Family had been established in Yuhe County for a hundred years, their roots running deep.
In addition to a supreme martial art like the Vajra Hand Seal, they possessed numerous high-grade techniques, not to mention an even greater number of common ones.
"Li Family, Li Lie."
Li Lie stood in the center of the ring, his fingertips trembling slightly, exuding a chilling aura. His gaze swept over the members of Sun’s Martial Arts Hall with a hint of provocation.
Below the ring.
Li Mengchao couldn’t help but clench his fists.
He saw that Sun’s Martial Arts Hall was down to just Yang Jing, Xu Hong, and Qi Yun. Licking his lips, he struggled to contain the urge to step into the ring himself.
Before he came, his father had warned him not to make his move too early.
’Well, this isn’t too early anymore.’
After all, the opposing side only had three people left—or, more accurately, only one.
In his eyes, only Yang Jing was worth a second glance. As for Xu Hong and Qi Yun, one was still recovering from a failed breakthrough, and the other was a woman who hadn’t even reached the Peak of Dark Energy.
Any one of his Peak of Dark Energy experts could defeat those two.
’I can’t wait any longer.’
Li Mengchao had never intended to wear Yang Jing down through a war of attrition. Even if he won that way, how would it look to everyone else?
His goal was to defeat Yang Jing fair and square, in front of everyone.
And he had the strength to do it!
...
"Sun’s Martial Arts Hall, Qi Yun."
Qi Yun stepped forward, her light purple martial arts uniform accentuating her upright posture.
Although she was a woman, she was in no way inferior to a man. She leaped onto the ring and assumed the opening stance of the Mountain-Shattering Fist, steady and powerful.
"Be careful! That Li Lie’s claw technique is sinister and venomous!" Zhao Wenzheng’s warning came from below the stage.
Qi Yun nodded in acknowledgment, her gaze fixed gravely on Li Lie.
Li Lie grinned, and his figure suddenly shot forward. His ten fingers were like claws, whistling through the air as he swiped at Qi Yun’s shoulder.
The wind from his claws was so fierce it seemed to carry the sharp sound of tearing flesh.
Qi Yun didn’t dare to be careless. Her footwork shifted, and as she dodged the sharp claws, her right fist shot straight for Li Lie’s heart.
Although her Mountain-Shattering Fist wasn’t as fierce as Xu Hong’s, it possessed an added nimbleness. The force of her fist, wrapped in Inner Strength, was not to be underestimated.
The two clashed in an instant.
Li Lie’s Netherworld Claw was vicious with every move, like a viper striking from its den, aiming straight for her vital points.
Qi Yun, however, remained steady and solid. Her Mountain-Shattering Fist formed an impenetrable defense. She occasionally seized an opportunity to counterattack, her fist’s momentum heavy and focused, forcing Li Lie to retract his claws to defend himself.
Li Lie had already exchanged dozens of blows with Zhao Wenzheng earlier, depleting his Inner Strength. Faced with Qi Yun’s ferocious assault, he was gradually starting to struggle.
But his claw technique was cunning, and he always managed to find an opportunity to catch his breath in seemingly desperate situations. For a time, he was actually evenly matched with Qi Yun.
Below the ring, Sun Yong’s brow furrowed slightly.
Though Qi Yun’s Inner Strength was stable, it wasn’t as enduring as a man’s. A protracted battle like this was not to her advantage.
In the blink of an eye, the two on the ring had already exchanged nearly a hundred moves.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Qi Yun’s forehead, her breathing grew rapid, and her Inner Strength was greatly depleted.
Li Lie’s condition was even worse. His face was pale, his movements half a beat slow. He was clearly a spent force.
Just then, Qi Yun seized the moment Li Lie’s previous attack had lost its force. With a sudden low cry, she gathered her Inner Strength into her right fist, the momentum of her punch abruptly accelerating. She was risking it all for victory, abandoning her defense to strike straight at Li Lie’s face!
Li Lie hadn’t expected her to be so decisive. He hastily brought his claws back to block.
BANG!
Fist and claw met. Li Lie felt a powerful Inner Strength surge toward him. A sharp pain shot through his arm, and the form of his claw technique immediately fell apart.
Qi Yun seized the opportunity, following up with her left fist and smashing it heavily into his chest.
Li Lie grunted, retreated more than ten steps, and crashed into the railing. Left with no choice, he conceded defeat.
Qi Yun won!
Qi Yun stood on the ring, one hand on her knee, gasping for breath, her face pale.
That last battle had almost completely exhausted her Inner Strength. If another Dark Energy expert came up, she was afraid she really wouldn’t be able to hold on.
She glanced back at Yang Jing below the ring. A trace of exhaustion flickered in her eyes, but it was mixed with determination.
...
At the back of the viewing gallery.
Sun Ningxiang sat on a small stool brought by her handmaiden, her hands tightly clutching the hem of her dress.
Although she wasn’t a Dark Energy expert, she could still tell that Qi Yun was a spent force. That last punch had consumed nearly all of her strength.
Watching Li Lie press his attack step by step, Sun Ningxiang’s heart had been in her throat. Only when Qi Yun secured her narrow victory did she let out a long sigh of relief, the white from her strained knuckles slowly fading as she relaxed her grip.
"That was close," she muttered to herself. Her gaze shifted to Yang Jing on the other side of the ring. Seeing his calm expression, her heart settled slightly.
’With Junior Brother Yang Jing here, we can’t lose this competition.’
As she was thinking this, she caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye of a woman in a moon-white dress not far away, staring blankly at Yang Jing. Her gaze was complex, filled with a certain indescribable emotion.
Sun Ningxiang frowned slightly. The woman looked somewhat familiar. After a moment’s thought, she remembered: she seemed to be a young lady from Zhao’s Escort Agency who had visited the Martial Arts Hall with her father before.
’Why is she staring at Junior Brother Yang Jing like that?’
A strange feeling of unease stirred in Sun Ningxiang’s heart, but she deliberately pushed the thought aside and focused her gaze back on the ring.
...
In the Li Family’s camp.
A burly young man had already stepped forward. He was one of the standouts from the Li Family’s branch lineages, his cultivation nearing the Peak of Dark Energy, and he was preparing to go up on stage.
But after just two steps, a hand suddenly clamped down on his shoulder. The pressure was so steady and firm that he couldn’t move.
"Young Master?" The man turned his head and saw it was Li Mengchao. He quickly bowed, a look of confusion in his eyes.
A faint smile played on Li Mengchao’s lips. His gaze swept over the gasping Qi Yun on the ring, and his tone was tinged with a hint of laziness. "No need. The rest of you can relax."
He paused, his gaze shifting toward the Sun’s Martial Arts Hall, finally landing on Yang Jing. The smile on his face deepened. "From now on, just leave it to me."
