"Luo Feng, what are you dawdling for? Afraid to come up?" Lin Hui taunted, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on Luo Feng, a ferocious grin on his face.
SWISH! Luo Feng snorted coldly, leaped, and landed steadily on the spacious martial arts platform.
"You? You don't have what it takes to scare me." Luo Feng stood ten paces from Lin Hui, his calm gaze as unfathomable as an ancient well.
"Hmph! Such arrogance!" Lin Hui's thick brows knitted together as his aura exploded. The veins on his face bulged like earthworms. With a RIP! his uniform tore apart from his suddenly expanding muscles, shreds of fabric fluttering down. Through his torn clothing, one could vaguely see his skin glowing faintly red underneath, his muscles swollen like chunks of red-hot iron.
"Strong Body Jue!" The students in the surrounding stands recognized the martial art Lin Hui was using and gasped in astonishment.
"Lin Hui's Strong Body Jue has already reached the Third Stage! This means his strength probably exceeds 3,000 pounds!"
"Yeah, Luo Feng is only at the Mid-Stage Cultivation Power Realm; his strength won't exceed 1,500 pounds. He's probably doomed this time."
Ji Wuyue's and Bing Ruolan's expressions flickered when they saw Lin Hui execute his Strong Body Jue. Strong Body Jue is a Yellow Grade, Mid-Rank martial art, a type of Horizontal Practice technique that enhances Qi and blood, tempering the physical body. If one cultivates Strong Body Jue to the Fifth Stage, their blood becomes like mercury and bones like jade; their skin turns to bronze and bones to iron, impervious to ordinary blades! Until one reaches the Iron Bone Realm, the sixth stage of the Meridian Wheel, Strong Body Jue is an exceptionally formidable martial art.
"HAHAHA! Luo Feng, you didn't expect this, did you? My Strong Body Jue broke through to the Third Stage a few days ago! My strength now exceeds 3,000 pounds! You're like an ant; you can't even take one punch from me!" Lin Hui declared, looking down on Luo Feng with a conceited gaze.
"Is that so?" Luo Feng picked his ear and flicked his finger, completely unfazed by Lin Hui's threat.
In the stands, Lin XiaoXiao watched Luo Feng's display, her brow furrowing in dissatisfaction. His earlier indifference had thoroughly annoyed her.
"Senior Brother Li, Luo Feng seems a bit strange. Cousin will be alright, won't he?" Lin XiaoXiao took a shallow breath, her gaze calming somewhat, as she turned to Li Yunhao beside her.
Li Yunhao waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry, Junior Sister Lin. Lin Hui's cultivation is higher than Luo Feng's, and his Strong Body Jue has reached the Third Stage, making his skin like wood and stone. I've guided his training these past few days, and his Tiger Roar Fist has also reached the Second Stage. A mere piece of trash at the Mid-Stage Cultivation Power Realm is no match for him. Luo Feng won't last a single move!"
Lin XiaoXiao's eyes brightened, and a soft smile appeared on her face. "Thank you for your guidance these past few days, Senior Brother Li."
Li Yunhao turned his head, a humble smile on his face. "Not at all. Since Young Master Duanmu asked me to look after you, Junior Sister Lin, your concerns are my concerns. It's a small matter, not worth mentioning. I only hope that Junior Sister Lin, when you're with Young Master Duanmu..." He chuckled drily.
As one of last year's top ten Challenge Kings and a student ranked in the top twenty of the Golden Sun Class, he was so eager to please Lin XiaoXiao because he wanted to curry favor with Duanmu Yu, an elite student of the inner courtyard.
Sensing Li Yunhao's humble attitude, a triumphant smile touched Lin XiaoXiao's beautiful face, her eyes shining faintly. "Rest assured, Senior Brother Li. I'll be sure to put in a good word for you with the Young Master."
Her gaze swept over the martial arts platform, landing on the figure with the straight back. Hmph! Just a mere Cultivation Power Realm practitioner, yet he dares to be so arrogant and give me such an attitude! Luo Feng, today I'll make you understand that in my eyes, you'll always be nothing but a dog! Lin XiaoXiao clenched her sleeves tightly, her eyes radiating a cold aura.
"Brat, die!" On the platform, enraged by Luo Feng's gaze, Lin Hui roared. Without much preparation, he shot forward in an arrow-step, launching a punch toward Luo Feng's chest from afar. His fist tore through the air, creating a WHISTLING sonic boom.
WHOOSH! Before the fist even arrived, the powerful shockwave from the punch made Luo Feng's clothes whip and snap.
What formidable fist momentum! The students in the stands expected Luo Feng to first evade Lin Hui's seemingly unstoppable punch. Instead, Luo Feng's brow twitched, and he let out a long cry.
"Good timing!" Luo Feng's fingers loosely formed a fist, like a beast's claw. With a bounce in his step, he WHOOSHED forward to meet Lin Hui head-on, blasting a Leopard Fist strike at him.
"Am I seeing things? Luo Feng is actually going to confront Lin Hui head-on!" a student in the stands exclaimed in shock. No one had expected Luo Feng, merely at the Mid-Stage Cultivation Power Realm, to choose a head-on confrontation with Lin Hui, who was at the Late-Stage Cultivation Power Realm! Especially since Lin Hui had also activated his Strong Body Jue!
"Courting death!" A savage glint flashed in Lin Hui's eyes. He pushed his Strong Body Jue to its absolute limit, his fist's momentum amplified to its utmost, tearing a white streak through the air as it thundered towards Luo Feng's fist with devastating force.
BOOM! The two fists collided. A violent shockwave erupted outwards, forming small cyclones on the platform amidst the swirling dust. In the chaos, a figure grunted and was thrown back nearly ten paces!
Everyone's eyes widened. "How is this possible? Lin Hui was actually knocked back by Luo Feng!" Once they could clearly see the situation on the platform, the crowd in the stands erupted with disbelieving gasps.
Luo Feng stood his ground, feet planted as if cast from bronze, while Lin Hui had been knocked back nearly ten paces, looking utterly disheveled! It was simply unbelievable! Lin Hui, at the Late-Stage Cultivation Power Realm and with his Strong Body Jue cultivated to the Third Stage, had actually been defeated by Luo Feng in a direct confrontation! Is he really only at the Mid-Stage Cultivation Power Realm? Looking at the imposing figure standing on the platform, this thought arose in everyone's mind.
Lin Hui stared at Luo Feng in utter shock, his body trembling with agitation, and roared, "Impossible! How can your strength be so immense?"
Luo Feng shot Lin Hui a cold glance. His body flickered as he strode forward, unleashing 'Leopard Attack!', the fastest move in the Leopard Fist repertoire.
SWOOSH! In a few fluid strides, Luo Feng transformed into a ferocious leopard on the hunt, lunging at Lin Hui with palpable killing intent!
Lin Hui's eyes bulged in disbelief that his strength was inferior to Luo Feng's. Facing the pouncing Luo Feng, he gritted his teeth and threw another punch. Their fists collided again. Lin Hui's face twitched; an immense, simply irresistible force surged up from his wrist!
Not good! Lin Hui, caught off guard, wanted to use the momentum to retreat.
"Trying to run?" Luo Feng's eyes narrowed suddenly, emitting a terrifying glint. His clenched right fist snapped open like a spring. He smoothly executed 'Leopard Crack,' his five fingers splaying out with a series of CRACKLING sonic booms!
Lin Hui's eyes widened as if they would tear from their sockets. He let out a wretched howl and was sent flying by the irresistible force. Mid-air, a sweet taste filled his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. The faint sound of bones shattering could be heard.
The entire training arena fell into an eerie silence. Everyone stared in shock at Luo Feng, standing motionless on the platform, and at Lin Hui, lying on the ground, seemingly at death's door.
Luo Feng actually won! This was the only thought remaining in everyone's mind.
Lin Hui's strength ranked him among the top twenty in the Silver Moon Class, yet now he had been defeated by Luo Feng, who had always been at the bottom. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, no one would have believed it.
"Impossible! How could this trash possess such strength?!" In the stands, Lin XiaoXiao shot up from her seat. Her bright eyes stared intently at Luo Feng, her pretty face cold, her fists clenched tightly. She had never imagined Luo Feng would win, let alone so decisively. With just two punches, he had sent Lin Hui flying, spitting blood!
"Li Yunhao! Didn't you say it was foolproof? Why did my cousin lose?!" Lin XiaoXiao spun around furiously, interrogating Li Yunhao.
Li Yunhao's gaze turned cold. This damned woman! Doesn't she know her place? How dare she push her luck with me! If it weren't for Duanmu Yu backing you, you wouldn't even be worthy of licking my, Li Yunhao's, boots! Though his thoughts were sinister, a smile appeared on Li Yunhao's face. "Junior Sister Lin, please calm down. Luo Feng probably had some fortuitous encounter that made his strength greater than an ordinary person's. But don't worry; that alone isn't enough for him to defeat Lin Hui."
"My cousin... hasn't lost?" Lin XiaoXiao asked, her eyes filled with suspicion.
"Mm," Li Yunhao nodded affirmatively, his cold gaze fixed on the platform. Thank goodness I prepared for the worst-case scenario. Otherwise, I really would have stumbled badly here today, and my, Li Yunhao's, reputation in the academy would be utterly ruined. He let out a long breath, his palms already slick with cold sweat.
On the platform, Luo Feng glanced at Lin Hui, who lay incapacitated in the distance, and said calmly, "Lin Hui, you've lost."
"I will not lose!" Lin Hui glared at Luo Feng, his eyes bloodshot, his face grim and resolute as he struggled to his feet.
The students in the stands watched the two on the platform with complicated expressions. Anyone could see Luo Feng's overwhelming dominance; Lin Hui couldn't even withstand two of Luo Feng's punches and had been utterly defeated.
This guy... when did he become so strong? Ji Wuyue looked at Luo Feng in astonishment; this duel had presented far too many surprises. Just as she was about to step forward and announce Luo Feng's victory, her expression suddenly changed.
On the platform, Lin Hui, his face covered in blood, suddenly took out a blood-red pill and swallowed it in one gulp!
THROB! THROB! Instantly, veins bulged on Lin Hui's face, writhing like earthworms. His eyes gradually turned an eerie blood-red, and his aura surged violently, far surpassing its previous level. Lin Hui glared furiously at Luo Feng and stomped hard on the platform. His figure shot out violently, the ground cracking and splintering where his foot landed! This power already far exceeded that of the Late Stage of the Fourth Layer of the Cultivation Power Realm.
"How could I, Lin Hui, possibly lose to trash like you?!" Lin Hui roared repeatedly, his blood-soaked face looking utterly ferocious.
"A Blood Sacrifice Pill! He took a Blood Sacrifice Pill!" Cries of alarm rose from the stands. Many students shot up from their seats, their faces filled with panic. Seeing Lin Hui's current state and his suddenly surging strength, many students recalled what pill Lin Hui had just consumed.
The Blood Sacrifice Pill burned lifeblood essence to unleash latent physical potential, allowing a person's strength to increase dramatically in a short time! However, the side effects were also severe: after the effects wore off, one would be bedridden for a month, and it could even damage one's Meridian Wheels. It was listed as a forbidden drug by the academy.
"Lin Hui! Stop it!" Ji Wuyue's face was grim as she bellowed. However, Lin Hui, his mind consumed by rage, turned a deaf ear. Fueled by the strength from the Blood Sacrifice Pill, he insanely charged at Luo Feng!
"Bastard!" Ji Wuyue stomped her foot on the ground, and large cracks instantly spread out from the point of impact.
SWISH. She whipped her head around, her icy gaze landing on a corner of the stands where Li Yunhao sat with a cold smirk.
"Despicable!" Ji Wuyue's brow twitched as she coldly spat out the word.
Li Yunhao snorted, a triumphant glint in his eyes. He was the one who had given the Blood Sacrifice Pill to Lin Hui. Originally, he hadn't thought it would be necessary against a mere Mid-Stage Cultivation Power Realm piece of trash. He'd only had Lin Hui bring it as a precaution, never expecting it to actually be used.