Chapter 43: You Almost Won

Chapter 43: Chapter 43: You Almost Won

"Brother Lu has completed his Gang Transformation!" Liu Zhi said, pleasantly surprised.

He had felt it approaching yesterday, but he hadn’t expected it to happen today. It seemed Brother Lu had trained relentlessly last night. No wonder he consumed the Qi Nourishing Pills so quickly.

An Eighth Grade martial artist at not even sixteen years old... Brother Lu was even more of a genius than he was.

"So he finished his Gang Transformation. No wonder he’s so arrogant," Yu Qiuyang sneered.

So what if he had? The gap between them was still vast. It was not something a mere Gang Transformation could bridge. He still had absolute confidence in his victory. He was determined to get his revenge today!

Mu Lingche evaluated the situation silently in his mind. Reaching the Eighth Grade before sixteen was not bad; such talent could indeed be considered genius. Considering Lu Yuan hailed from a minor Seventh Grade family, his achievement was even more outstanding. But that was all it was.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Lu Yuan and Jianng Hongfei continued to exchange explosive, hammering blows. Lu Yuan was clearly at a disadvantage, taking the brunt of the strikes. After all, his innate constitution and foundation could not compare to Jianng Hongfei’s. As a scion of a Fourth Grade family, Jianng Hongfei’s innate bloodline and genetics were far superior to ordinary people’s, not to mention his Cultivation Techniques and resources.

Yet, surprisingly, Lu Yuan’s face showed no trace of fear, hesitation, or pain. Instead, it was flushed with thrill and excitement.

It was bizarre, unnatural even.

On the contrary...

Jianng Hongfei grew increasingly alarmed with every strike, his composure unraveling. He even started to feel a sliver of fear. He wondered if Lu Yuan was some kind of freak who possessed a Mad Demon Bloodline.

"Go down!" Jianng Hongfei roared, unleashing the maximum power of the Flood Dragon Fist with all his might.

BAM!

The impact forced Lu Yuan three steps back. He paused for a fraction of a second, then charged forward again, completely unscathed.

Jianng Hongfei’s eyes widened in disbelief. He threw another full-powered punch.

"Go down!"

BAM!

Once again, Lu Yuan was knocked back three steps, only to immediately rush forward.

"Go down!"

The third punch!

Lu Yuan staggered back, then charged.

"Die!" Jianng Hongfei gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot.

BAM!

Lu Yuan staggered back, then charged.

"Die!"

The fifth punch!

BAM!

Lu Yuan staggered back, then charged.

Jianng Hongfei’s mental state was on the verge of collapse.

"Get... lost!"

The sixth punch!

BAM!

Lu Yuan staggered back, then charged.

The seventh...

"Phew... I concede." Jianng Hongfei suddenly threw his hands up in surrender, his expression contorted in extreme agony.

He couldn’t understand how the fight had devolved into this. Why did he voluntarily surrender? Despite holding a clear advantage, he felt a profound sense of powerlessness, and even a sliver of fear.

This was a first for him. For the first time in his life, he felt so utterly suffocated and humiliated.

"Why are you completely fine?" Jianng Hongfei couldn’t help but ask.

Given the power of the Flood Dragon Fist, and the fact that Lu Yuan had just completed his Gang Transformation and hadn’t properly tempered his bones yet, it was impossible for him to take so many direct hits without consequence. His bones should have shattered long ago.

And yet...

"PHEW." Lu Yuan let out a long breath. "You finally gave up. If you hit me one more time, I wouldn’t have been able to take it."

"What?" Jianng Hongfei nearly coughed up blood. He pointed a trembling finger at Lu Yuan. "You... you..."

GASP. PANT. GASP. PANT.

Lu Yuan took deep, heavy breaths, seizing the opportunity to toss another Qi Nourishing Pill into his mouth.

Jianng Hongfei suffered another emotional breakdown.

He believed it now. Lu Yuan had been faking it earlier, forcefully enduring the pain.

If only... If only...

"I..." Jianng Hongfei thought.

His sterling reputation was shattered in an instant.

"Ugh... I’m about to fall apart," Lu Yuan groaned, a pained expression finally appearing on his face.

Jianng Hongfei wanted to curse out loud. "We fight again tomorrow. Do you dare?"

"As long as you have the money," Lu Yuan straightened up, speaking with nonchalance.

Inwardly, however, he was overjoyed. The Jianng family’s Flood Dragon Fist was truly extraordinary, balancing hardness and softness perfectly. Jianng Hongfei’s effectiveness as a sparring partner was even better than his wife’s younger brother’s.

Not only did he bring money, but he also served as a training dummy. He thought, "What a great guy!"

Lu Yuan’s gaze toward Jianng Hongfei couldn’t help but soften.

"You, you... what are you looking at?" Jianng Hongfei couldn’t stand Lu Yuan’s gaze and felt the urge to back away.

"Hand over the money," Lu Yuan reached out his hand.

"Uh, here, take it!" Jianng Hongfei handed the silver notes to Lu Yuan, feeling incredibly resentful.

He had taken a massive loss today.

"Are you alright, Brother Lu? I have a Blood Lotus Pill here, take it quickly," Liu Zhi hurried to Lu Yuan’s side and produced a red pill. It was a Superior Healing Pill that could rapidly stimulate blood circulation, dissipate bruises, and repair tissue damage.

"I don’t need it. I’m fine," Lu Yuan waved his hand dismissively.

He had just been acting; his internal injuries were already gradually healing thanks to his Undying Body.

"Really?" Liu Zhi was somewhat in disbelief.

Having witnessed the fight firsthand, he could clearly see the disparity in punching power between the two and the immense impact Lu Yuan had to endure. He had been trembling with anxiety the entire time, worried that Lu Yuan’s bones and tendons could be crushed at any moment.

Even if he appeared fine on the surface, he normally should have sustained severe internal injuries.

And yet...

"I was just born with tough bones," Lu Yuan explained with a smile.

Liu Zhi’s mouth twitched upon hearing this.

Was that so? He really did have tough bones.

"Since you’re fine, let’s begin," Yu Qiuyang stepped forward.

"What’s the rush, Yu Qiuyang? Brother Lu just fought a massive battle," Liu Zhi quickly turned around and snapped angrily.

"He said he was fine himself," Yu Qiuyang shrugged. "Of course, I can wait for him until noon, or even the afternoon."

"There’s no need. We’ll do it right now," Lu Yuan interrupted with a wave of his hand.

"Brother Lu, don’t push yourself!" Liu Zhi hurriedly advised.

"I know what I’m doing." Lu Yuan then looked at Yu Qiuyang. "Are we using our fists too?"

"You..." Yu Qiuyang shook his head. "I’m not going to bully you."

"I’m not afraid of you bullying me!" Lu Yuan said earnestly.

CLANG!

Yu Qiuyang drew his saber.

"Sigh." Lu Yuan looked a little disappointed. He walked to the side and drew his own saber. "Why must we use sabers?"

"Don’t make excuses when you lose," Yu Qiuyang warned.

"Heh, I’m just afraid you will," Lu Yuan shook his head.

"Arrogant!"

Yu Qiuyang swung his saber and slashed at Lu Yuan.

The Dusk Sunset Saber was one of the Yu family’s ancestral Saber Techniques, an absolute Superior Saber Technique.

The morning sun had just risen, casting golden rays of light. As he executed the technique, the flashes of his blade instantly merged into a continuous sheet of light. The saber reflected the sunlight directly into his opponent’s eyes, its momentum crashing down like a descending sunset.

SLASH!

Lu Yuan swung his saber in a simple, unremarkable slash.

CLANG!

Yet, it effortlessly pierced through the incoming momentum, shattering the saber move.

SWISH!

Lu Yuan swiftly lunged forward and slashed again.

SLASH!

This strike was equally simple and unremarkable. But Yu Qiuyang did not dare to be careless in the slightest, blocking with all his might.

Unfortunately, it was a continuous combo...

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

BAM! BAM! BAM!

A flurry of rapid attacks ensued.

With Lu Yuan on the offensive and Yu Qiuyang on the defensive, Lu Yuan surprisingly pushed Yu Qiuyang back again and again with sheer force.

"You..."

"I’m not done yet. Don’t get distracted," Lu Yuan warned, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"You..." Yu Qiuyang was furious.

Unforgivable!

"Brother Lu’s Saber Technique..." Liu Zhiming was astounded.

He knew Lu Yuan’s Saber Technique was formidable, but he hadn’t expected it to be this incredible.

It had visibly improved yet again today. The transitions were incredibly smooth, natural, and flawlessly rounded.

This was a Perfect Saber Technique!

And a perfect Superior Saber Technique at that!