Chapter 80: Can’t Land A Hit
Chapter 80: Can’t Land A Hit
Chapter 80
The training field fell silent once again as the entire crowd looked at Li Bao, who had collapsed onto the ground, fresh puddles of blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.
"You should admit defeat; by doing so, you will be able to save yourself from the beating. I hope you know what is best for you and agree to my request, because if you turn a deaf ear and decide to continue with your hopeless struggle... then you will receive a flashy beating,"
Li Yu said, his gaze calm, yet a small wicked smile curved across the side of his face. One might say that Li Yu’s approach was too cruel, as he was, without a doubt, ridiculing the great Li Flash by telling him to admit defeat in front of such a massive crowd.
If he did that, he would lose his dignity... and the respect all these people had for him... his name would be soiled in an instant. But why should Li Yu care about that?
After all, he could tell that Li Bao’s intention had been exactly that when he attacked him, so he was only paying him back with the same coin that Li Bao never got the chance to pay him.
Well... that should make some sense, Li Yu thought before shaking his head and looking at the struggling Li Bao, who was still trying to rise to his feet.
It took him a while, but after much effort, he finally stood up and slowly... ever so slowly... turned his gaze toward Li Yu, whose expression remained as calm and composed as it had been since the very start of the battle.
The slight curve on Li Yu’s lips instantly made his blood boil; that bastard was mocking him. He was mocking him! It made Li Bao so furious that he nearly charged forward without thinking, but he forced himself to stop and instead spoke:
"What kind of trick are you playing? How can you move so fast that I can’t even see you move?" Li Yu raised an eyebrow. "Aren’t you supposed to be the Flash? Are you saying I’m faster than you?
Because the last time I checked, I don’t carry the Flash title... or do I? Tell me," he asked with an innocent expression that only made Li Bao even more furious.
This bastard surely knew what he was talking about. Li Bao knew that Li Yu was fast... the fact that he had been able to dodge his attacks repeatedly for more than twenty minutes was already a clear indicator of just how terrifyingly fast the guy was.
Even though Li Bao hated to admit it, he was certain that Li Yu was faster than him, and yet he was also certain that Li Yu had suddenly become even faster... far too fast... at the exact moment he decided to strike.
He had been able to follow Li Yu’s movements before, but during that split second when Li Yu attacked, it was as if his speed had multiplied several folds, making it impossible for Li Bao to follow anymore.
And so, he wanted to know just what kind of movement technique Li Yu was using to move at such an insane speed, yet Li Yu’s innocent gaze only annoyed him even more; the guy was looking at him as if he genuinely had no idea what he was talking about.
Li Bao’s face twisted into a vicious smile as he looked at Li Yu. "Guess what? You are not the only one with a great movement technique. I have one as well, and if you want to compete in speed... then I’ll compete with you."
He lowered his stance slightly, deciding to hold absolutely nothing back. He didn’t even care that much about winning the duel anymore; he just wanted to land a single blow. If he managed to do that, then he would finally feel relieved.
Even if he landed just one attack and still lost the duel, it would sting, but at least his restlessness would lessen; he would feel as though he had achieved something, and that was exactly what he was going to do.
After all, he had mastered the fastest movement technique of the Li Clan... or rather, he had learned a portion of it. That was why he was fast... too fast, even. Seeing the gleam in his eyes, Li Yu couldn’t help but shake his head.
Should he just beat this guy until he couldn’t stand anymore?
"Second Art... Phantom Crossing," Li Bao muttered under his breath. His body suddenly seemed to blur, and the very next instant, his punch shot toward Li Yu’s stomach at an insane velocity. Yet Li Yu didn’t even blink; instead, his hand merely twitched slightly.
Bang! Li Bao rolled across the ground for several seconds before finally coming to a stop, painful groans escaping from his mouth.
His lips had already turned purple from the beating he had received; he groaned in pain for several more seconds... more than a minute, in fact... before he once again began struggling to rise to his feet.
Li Yu himself had to admit that this Li Bao possessed some insane willpower. One had to know that Li Yu’s punches were by no means painless; if not for the fact that, from the very beginning until now, Li Bao had been hardening his body with Qi, and more importantly, Li Yu had been pulling back on his punches... after all, he didn’t want to end up killing someone now... he would have been finished.
Still, he was certain that most people in Li Bao’s shoes would have either admitted defeat or long since passed out. But this guy... well, maybe he was a masochist who loved getting beaten.
"Even Phantom Crossing can’t help me land a blow," Li Bao thought in shock. The shock itself mixed with the agonizing pain ravaging his body, making his mind seem blank and feeble; still, he forced his muddled thoughts to clear through sheer willpower.
He couldn’t lose; no, he would lose. He had already accepted that there was no way he was going to defeat Li Yu... he was simply that powerful... but he couldn’t lose without landing at least one hit.
Even if it was just the slightest tap, he needed to make sure he left a mark; otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to look himself in the face anymore. So he rushed forward once again, this time using Rapid Flash Steps coupled with Phantom Crossing.
To those at the Body Refinement and Qi Gathering Stages, his figure became nothing more than a blur, leaving countless afterimages in his wake, but to the true experts, they could clearly read his movements, which was only to be expected.
Even so, they still had to admit that they were impressed. What Li Bao was doing now was extremely risky, since those two movement techniques were rapidly depleting his Qi reserves.
Although his Qi Bead was of extremely high quality, it would soon be exhausted at this rate, and after that happened, he would become too weak to even face an ant, let alone defeat Li Yu in battle.
Well, Li Bao was no longer betting on defeating Li Yu; his only bet now was landing a single blow. Moving at this insane velocity, surely he could land one hit... he would land one hit.
That was the desperate hope he clung to as he rushed toward Li Yu at immense speed, ready to finally strike him for the very first time.
But then, Li Yu’s eyes locked onto him. The very next thing he heard was a series of loud... Bang! Bang! Bang! Followed by another scorching wave of pain rushing through every one of his nerves, the next instant, he staggered before collapsing onto one knee.
Li Bao’s gaze became shallow as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth; his entire body screamed in unbearable pain, but strangely, his mind wasn’t focused on that. Instead, only one thought echoed within it: "I still can’t land a hit..._
He had given it everything he had, and yet, he still couldn’t land a single attack. That alone was bad enough, but what made it even worse was the fact that Li Yu had completely decimated him without him being able to see even the slightest movement.
That kind of speed... he had never even seen a Qi Refinement expert move like that. Well, he couldn’t be completely sure, but he himself wasn’t certain to move that fast even if he reached the Qi Refinement Realm.
"What kind of movement technique are you using...?" Li Bao asked, his gaze still fixed on the ground. Hearing the question, Li Yu raised an eyebrow before shaking his head as he spoke:
"It is a skill of some sort... one I received from a king as well." Li Yu was technically telling the truth. The skill he had been using to completely crush Li Bao without him ever seeing him move was none other than Momentum; it tripled his speed, and Li Yu’s speed... let’s just say it was already ridiculously fast.
Boosting it by another three times... that was nothing short of a disaster. Hearing that made Li Bao smile slightly. "No wonder it is so powerful..." He slowly rose from one knee and looked at Li Yu with a vacant gaze.
"I can’t win... you really are just that strong. But at least... I will land a hit. I must," he said, his eyes showing clear signs that he was gradually losing his mind.
Li Yu shook his head; he should end this before this man went completely mad. With the remaining Qi in his reserves, Li Bao activated Phantom Crossing once more and lunged forward, punching straight toward Li Yu’s chest.
Just a tap... that was all he asked for. Yet before his fist could even touch Li Yu, Li Yu’s body seemed to blur, and he instantly appeared beside Li Bao. "It’s over," Li Yu said as he slowly brought one hand out of his pocket.
Momentum had already been activated. Li Yu’s hand flashed. Li Bao’s gaze dimmed, as if he already knew he wouldn’t survive this next hit. "I lost..." That was the only thought that crossed his mind before several loud... Bang! Bang! Bang! ...filled the air.
The crowd had long been too stunned by the battle to make any comments anymore; after all, all they ever saw was Li Yu keeping one hand inside his pocket.
Then, Bang! ...would echo through the arena, and Li Bao would be sent flying left and right as though an invisible force had struck him. A few more deafening bangs echoed across the training field; then, Li Bao’s legs finally gave out.
He collapsed onto his knees, his head lowering as the light within his eyes gradually faded.
His final thought before losing consciousness was simple: "In the end... I was unable to land even a single hit..." Li Bao’s head slammed against the ground, and he passed out.
The entire dueling field became as silent as a graveyard. That silence lasted until Li Yu turned his head toward the referee.
The referee finally stumbled out of his daze before hurriedly announcing, "The duel has ended in a truly shocking fashion... and the winner is... Young Master Yu!" The moment those words were spoken, someone began clapping; it started softly, then another joined, and another.
Soon, the entire training field erupted into applause. The disciples, the servants, the guards... everyone who had witnessed the duel applauded wholeheartedly. They were all truly shocked and stunned, but more than anything, they were overjoyed.
The failed heir was no longer a failure; he was a true warrior. Now, he was worthy of inheriting the Li Clan, and that alone filled everyone’s hearts with joy.
Even the elders slowly rose to their feet and began applauding as well; the reason for their joy, however, was entirely different. They were the ones who had truly understood the level of strength Li Yu had displayed throughout the battle.
From his overwhelming speed, to his flawless combat skills, to the incredible restraint he had shown by holding back his strength, they could all tell that he had experienced countless battlefields and had been forged into a genuine warrior. Finally, he truly deserved the title of heir.
Even Elder Jin had no choice but to clap; there was no point denying reality anymore. His son had never stood a chance against a genius of Li Yu’s caliber.
Li Yu’s gaze slowly swept across the cheering crowd; his expression remained calm and composed. Inside, however, he was seething. They had treated him like garbage when he was weak, yet now that he had become strong, they acted as though he had always been their favorite; they were truly disgusting.
Their praises, their smiles, made his stomach churn. For a brief moment, he genuinely felt like thrashing every single one of them. His gaze shifted toward the elders; the anger within him spiked. His teeth briefly sharpened into fangs before slowly returning to normal.
No... he had to control himself. Li Yu wasn’t overreacting; he had every right to be angry. After all, none of these people were qualified to stand before him pretending to be loving uncles or respected elders; they had all looked down on him with scorn.
Well... all except one old man, who had never opposed Li Yu and had secretly supported him. Still, even that old man’s support had been limited because he was constantly occupied with countless responsibilities.
Feeling even more disgusted, Li Yu suddenly sensed someone approaching. In what seemed like an instant, another figure was standing right in front of him. He felt a warm hand gently rest on top of his head. Li Yu looked up. What greeted him was the genuine smile of his uncle... the Clan Lord.
Unlike the others, this smile wasn’t disgusting; instead, it felt comforting, because this was the smile of someone who genuinely cared about his well-being. "I’m proud of you, kid," the Clan Lord said, his gaze filled with unmistakable pride.
Seeing that expression, Li Yu couldn’t help but feel warmth spread through his heart. He smiled before nodding:
"I said I would win, didn’t I? And I did." He grinned mischievously before adding, "You promised me a gift."