Chapter 32: Striking My Teammate

Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Striking My Teammate

Murong Kaixin watched quietly as they substituted players. He didn’t initiate an attack; he had his own pride.

The spectators in the stands, who had originally intended to leave, sat back down. They didn’t care about who was a Grandmaster and who wasn’t. Free entertainment was free entertainment, especially when it didn’t cost extra money.

"Murong Kaixin?" The Qingcheng Sect Leader, the Celestial Dao Alliance’s Third Elder, and others were stunned when they saw him step onto the field. They had just formed their clubs and were only enjoying a trial version of Demon Qi. Since they hadn’t established a formal relationship with Li Ye yet, they naturally wouldn’t step onto the field to join the chaos against a Grandmaster. If Li Ye was beaten to death, how would they face Murong Kaixin in the future?

"Are you ready?" Murong Kaixin’s expression remained indifferent.

The more Li Ye prepared, the more confident he became. Having witnessed the miraculous recovery abilities of those people, he realized Li Ye indeed possessed extraordinary traits. Perhaps he really came from a higher realm. However, the pride deep in his heart wouldn’t allow him to lower his noble head. He couldn’t be like Gongsun Jie, playing to the gallery and entertaining the crowd on the field. If there truly was a path to immortality, he would rather forge his own.

Deep down, Murong Kaixin had a feeling that by defeating this Immortal—or Demon—who had descended to the mortal realm, he could find the breakthrough for the Martial Dao and surpass the current Grandmaster realm. Above the Grandmaster realm, perhaps, lay the Path of Immortal.

"Ready!" Li Ye scanned the people around him and nodded. Anyone whose martial arts were below the Innate level had been replaced by members of the Profound Light Sect. This was the strongest team he could assemble right now.

"Please." Murong Kaixin extended a hand in invitation.

Li Ye pointed his hands to the sides. Gongsun Jie and the others quickly scattered, encircling Murong Kaixin in the middle. This wasn’t a match between two teams; the barrel formation was the most suitable for dealing with a single person. After all, only by touching the soccer ball would the Spiritual Power in their bodies become more active. Therefore, no matter what, they had to ensure they didn’t lose possession of the ball.

BANG!

Li Ye kicked the soccer ball with tremendous force. He poured all of his Inner Strength into this kick, mingling it with Demon Qi. The moment the ball flew out, it was as if a hurricane had swept across the field. The un-cleared weeds were blown flat to the sides.

The spherical soccer ball visibly warped into an oval under the impact of Li Ye’s Inner Strength, shooting toward Murong Kaixin like a cannonball. Its trajectory initially skimmed the ground, but as it neared Murong Kaixin, the ball abruptly changed course, crashing straight toward his lower abdomen...

BANG!

A loud explosion echoed. A split second before the ball could hit Murong Kaixin, his right hand suddenly appeared in front of it, catching it steadily. Like Gongsun Jie, Murong Kaixin committed a mistake anyone ignorant of soccer rules would make. Relying on his agility, he caught the ball directly with his hand.

The penalty rule took immediate effect.

Murong Kaixin suddenly stiffened. His overwhelming Grandmaster aura vanished into thin air, leaving a look of utter bewilderment on his face.

Now was the time! This was the exact moment Li Ye had been waiting for. Strike while the iron is hot—kick him while he’s down!

In a flash, he appeared right in front of Murong Kaixin and swung his foot at the ball in the man’s hand. While this kick seemed aimed at the ball, the tip of his foot was pointed straight at Murong Kaixin’s lower vitals. If the kick landed, so what if he was a Grandmaster? He’d still end up in the palace serving the emperor as a eunuch...

At the same time, Gongsun Jie, arriving a step late, kicked toward Murong Kaixin’s rear from behind. Fan Jie and Liu Guangsheng slid in from the left and right, tackling both of Murong Kaixin’s calves respectively.

Gongsun Jie also held a longsword in his hand, its tip pointing straight at Murong Kaixin’s waist. To increase the entertainment value of official matches, Li Ye had banned weapons. But this wasn’t an official match, so these Martial World heroes had brought along their weapons of choice.

After so many days of training, they had perfected their dirty plays on the field. Bolstered by Demon Qi, these moves were backed by extraordinary strength and speed.

In a single encounter, Murong Kaixin found himself thrust into a life-or-death crisis.

In the stands, the Qingcheng Sect Leader and other veteran Martial World figures who knew Murong Kaixin widened their eyes, staring fixedly at the field.

BANG!

Li Ye was the fastest. Under Murong Kaixin’s terrified gaze, the tip of Li Ye’s foot viciously smashed into a soft mass. At the same time, the ball was kicked out of Murong Kaixin’s hand.

AARGH!

A short, inhuman shriek squeezed out of Murong Kaixin’s throat. However, the moment the ball left his hand, his suppressed Inner Strength instantly returned. Enduring the excruciating pain, he swiftly vanished from everyone’s sight.

Gongsun Jie’s kick hit nothing but air, and his momentum carried him forward for over ten meters. Liu Guangsheng and Fan Jie violently collided into each other, their tackling legs viciously striking one another.

CRACK! CRACK!

Two crisp sounds rang out. Liu Guangsheng’s left leg and Fan Jie’s right leg bent at ninety-degree angles, with jagged bone fragments protruding through the skin.

AGH!

Two more agonized screams followed. Liu Guangsheng and Fan Jie clutched their broken legs, wailing in pain.

In just one exchange, the Fun Seeker soccer team lost two members, while Murong Kaixin’s balls were shattered. When experts clashed, the result was either death or grievous injury.

Ignoring the injured Liu Guangsheng and Fan Jie, Li Ye stepped on the soccer ball and looked back at Murong Kaixin.

Murong Kaixin’s face was flushed red. Yet, to maintain the demeanor of a Grandmaster, he still stood straight and tall. However, his tightly clamped legs and slightly trembling hands betrayed that he wasn’t as composed as he appeared.

"Shameless... You all must die," Murong Kaixin squeezed the words through his clenched teeth. His long hair fluttered without wind, making him look like a Demon God.

He was on the verge of madness. He had challenged Li Ye to achieve a personal breakthrough, but he never expected to be "broken through" in the very first exchange—losing his manhood entirely. His Body-Protecting Divine Skill hadn’t worked at all in that critical moment. It was absolutely preposterous! What Immortals? They were clearly just a bunch of Demons!

Having suffered a huge loss in close combat, Murong Kaixin dared not approach Li Ye again. He threw a punch from a distance, and a transparent Fist Seal shot out from his fist. As it flew, it grew larger and larger, arriving in front of Li Ye swiftly.

"Holy shit!" Li Ye thought. "There are even special effects? This is like something straight out of a wuxia fantasy!"

Li Ye’s pupils suddenly shrank. With no time to think, he flicked the tip of his foot up, and the soccer ball intercepted the Fist Seal just in time.

BANG!

A dull, heavy boom resonated. The Fist Seal dissipated, but the resulting shockwave forced Li Ye back two steps. The soccer ball was sent flying off to who knew where.

"Heh, let’s see how many punches you can block!" Murong Kaixin sneered menacingly, throwing another punch.

Without the soccer ball this time, Li Ye tried to dodge, but he wasn’t fast enough.

BANG!

The Fist Seal slammed into his shoulder.

With a CRACK, agonizing pain assaulted him. Li Ye felt as if his entire shoulder no longer belonged to him. His expression changed drastically. "Fuck, this guy is too fierce!" he thought. "Striking people from thirty meters away through the air—who can withstand that?"

"Nothing more than that," Murong Kaixin scoffed, raising his hand to launch another punch.

Just then, a voice called out from the side. "Lord Li, catch!"

Li Ye possessed absolute vision on the field and had long seen the soccer ball flying toward him. His figure flashed as he performed a bicycle kick, once again using the ball to shatter the Fist Seal.

The Team Emblem promptly released Demon Qi, helping heal his injuries.

Murong Kaixin threw another punch, launching yet another Fist Seal. The soccer ball that had just bounced away was kicked back to Li Ye’s feet by someone unknown. Utilizing the ball’s enhancement, Li Ye blocked the attack again.

This repeated several times.

Murong Kaixin finally understood. "So the secret lies entirely in this ball. In that case, this old man will destroy those who pass the ball to you. Let’s see how you deal with that!"

With that said, he ignored Li Ye and unleashed a Fist Seal that sent Elder Li Qiang of the Profound Light Sect’s Precepts Hall flying. Since it was Li Qiang’s first time participating, the Demon Qi within his body was limited. Taking a direct punch from a Grandmaster, half of his body was blasted to pieces. He crashed heavily in the distance, clearly beyond saving.

"Elder Li!" Gongsun Jie cried out in alarm.

At this moment, the soccer ball returned to Li Ye’s feet. Murong Kaixin didn’t even glance at him, instead throwing a direct punch at Gongsun Jie, who wasn’t far away.

Seeing that Gongsun Jie was about to lose his life on the spot, Li Ye didn’t have time to think. He raised his foot and kicked Gongsun Jie away just in time, helping him dodge Murong Kaixin’s Fist Seal.

The moment he kicked Gongsun Jie away, a powerful surge of Demon Power flooded into Li Ye’s body. His injuries were instantly healed, and a Derived Skill naturally materialized in his mind:

Strike My Teammates: When you personally inflict pain on your teammates, your Attributes will increase exponentially, and your teammates’ combat power will double.