Chapter 272 144: Measure

In the ring.

Zhu Qian's opponent was a youth with a fair complexion and a bit of baby fat still on his face.

The youth had a clear gaze, was properly dressed, and acted courteously after stepping into the ring. He looked like a harmless little lamb.

But Zhu Qian had a fiery temper. Without returning the courtesy, she strode forward on her large feet and charged.

Despite her imposing physique, her speed was not slow at all. In the blink of an eye, she loomed before the youth.

The youth remained calm, not retreating but advancing. He took three quick steps, and his fist whistled through the air, heading straight for Zhu Qian's chest.

Zhu Qian's fierce eyes narrowed as if she had seen through something. Her body went still, and she stood her ground, neither dodging nor evading.

THUD—

In the next instant, the fist solidly struck her chest. The residual force kicked up a wave of air, tugging at her clothes and hair.

But she remained rooted to the spot, completely unmoved.

The youth's expression, however, changed drastically. He felt as if his fist had just struck a block of cast iron.

The rebound force shot up his arm, making half his body go numb, and his knuckles throbbed with pain.

His gaze subconsciously fell on Zhu Qian's extremely full chest. It stretched her shirt taut, giving it a solid, almost square shape.

"What are you looking at?"

Zhu Qian's voice was deep and gruff, making the youth shudder.

He quickly averted his gaze, only to meet Zhu Qian's large, square face, distinguished by wide cheekbones, thick lips, and a unibrow.

That coarse, dark brown face seemed to flush slightly.

The youth sucked in a sharp breath. He even completely forgot to retract his fist, which was still pressed against her iron-like chest.

Zhu Qian glanced down at him, then suddenly swung a massive slap at him.

Her open hand was like a door plank. Her arm, thicker than the youth's thigh, was bulging with muscle, radiating ferocious power.

The youth gritted his teeth, retracted his fist, and sidestepped to change position. His movements were anything but slow.

But Zhu Qian's large hand was faster, instantly clamping down on the youth's shoulder.

The next instant.

Her five fingers tightened, gripping his shoulder. Like lifting a baby chick, she hoisted his entire body off the ground.

He was still struggling desperately, trying to fight back.

However, his punches and kicks landed on Zhu Qian like he was merely scratching an itch, having no effect whatsoever.

With a flick of her arm, Zhu Qian sent the youth flying sideways.

This seemingly casual toss was actually infused with a clever force. With the youth's level of skill, he was completely unable to regain his balance. He was thrown some twenty feet away, tumbling wretchedly on the ground several times until he came to a stop, covered in dirt.

Seeing this, the rather subdued, even dead, atmosphere of the arena finally stirred with some excitement.

"Upper Grade Horizontal Martial Arts, coupled with a perfectly compatible Root Bone. Truly a match made in heaven."

Pang Shixun praised, then turned to the person beside him.

"What do you think, Lord Hong?"

"...Refinement within coarseness, great skill appearing as clumsiness."

Hong Jinhai paused, then slowly added,

"She's a true talent."

「On the other side.」

Qin Xiangyun lowered her voice.

"That man-woman's strength is far greater than what my investigation suggested. Either she was deliberately hiding her true abilities, or her progress is just frighteningly fast—she's like a different person every day!"

"Her opponent wasn't weak..."

Zhan Mubai paused, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"But the result was like a father beating his son. He couldn't fight back at all. How interesting."

As they spoke, both of them turned their gazes in unison to Qin Zhao, who was sitting quietly to the side.

The strength Zhu Qian had just displayed was enough to intimidate the vast majority of the competitors present.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that only two people here today could contend with Zhu Qian...

Qin Zhao and Huang Tao.

Both of them had reached the Secret Inheritance Entry Level.

Within the bounds of East City, Huang Tao had never been defeated in a fight against someone of the Same Tier.

Qin Zhao was a recent up-and-comer and didn't have many notable achievements. There was only one battle worth mentioning, and that single fight had made him famous overnight.

"Fighting above his tier?"

Chen Cheng glanced sideways at Zhuang Zhen.

"That's right, above his tier!"

Zhuang Zhen said in a low voice,

"Qin Zhao once fought a Transforming Force Martial Artist with Seven Pillars of Blood Qi when he was only at the Six Pillars of Blood Qi Realm. They exchanged a hundred moves, and he didn't lose ground."

"Admittedly, that Transforming Force Martial Artist was a rather mediocre one, but he held nothing back in that fight."

"After a hundred moves, the fight ended in a draw, and Qin Zhao became famous overnight."

Zhuang Zhen paused, then added,

"The main reason it was a draw was that Dark Force can't break through the Transforming Force Barrier. Otherwise, Qin Zhao probably would have won."

"Why only a hundred moves?"

Chen Cheng asked,

"Was it because Qin Zhao's stamina was running out?"

"You're sharp, Junior Brother. You immediately grasped the key point."

Zhuang Zhen said,

"Theoretically, if Qin Zhao had enough stamina, he could have worn his opponent down to death. However, the Qin Family's Secret Martial Arts consume a massive amount of physical stamina and Heart Power."

"Qin Zhao can only last for about a hundred moves at most. That's why they agreed to a hundred-move limit when they arranged the fight. Otherwise, if it had gone on for just a few more moves, Qin Zhao would have been the one to lose."

Zhuang Zhen paused, then added,

"Regardless, for someone using Dark Force to fight someone with Transforming Force, holding his own for a hundred moves without losing ground... that Qin Zhao truly deserves his current fame and reputation."

Chen Cheng nodded in agreement but didn't say much.

He just wanted to see Qin Zhao fight as soon as possible to confirm just how big the gap between them really was.

「On the other side.」

Qin Zhao and Huang Tao had already been exchanging glances from across the venue for a short while.

Neither of them wanted to go up on stage first.

Fighting an extra match meant expending more stamina and Heart Power, and it would also reveal their strengths and techniques prematurely.