Chapter 565 - 191: Breaking into the Top Three, The Sect Leader’s Thoughts

In the blink of an eye, the two met in the center of the arena. There were no flashy moves; they both threw a punch, their fists colliding head-on.

BANG!

A deafening, muffled explosion erupted. A powerful wave of air radiated outwards from the two, kicking up clouds of dust. The very air around the arena trembled violently.

Lu Shaohua’s body only swayed slightly before he firmly planted his feet, a confident smile still on his face.

Yang Jing, however, was sent stumbling back two steps by the immense force. He left two shallow imprints on the stone slabs beneath his feet, and a numbing sensation traveled up his arm.

The outcome of that head-on clash was instantly clear. Lu Shaohua clearly had the upper hand.

"Good! How exhilarating!"

Lu Shaohua roared with laughter, his voice echoing through the venue. His eyes glinted with excitement as he boomed, "Again!"

Since the Fushan Grand Competition began, Yang Jing was the only opponent who could take one of his punches head-on in the arena.

The other disciples couldn’t last more than three to five moves against him. Now, he felt his blood boiling, his will to fight growing ever stronger.

Yang Jing shook his numb arm, a spirited, battle-hungry smile forming on his lips. He could feel just how tyrannical Lu Shaohua’s power was. ’This is a true rival!’

Without the slightest hesitation, he shifted his stance and once again threw a punch at Lu Shaohua.

Fists flew like shadows, and the force of the blows whistled through the air.

The two exchanged blows on the arena, trading more than thirty moves in the blink of an eye.

Lu Shaohua’s fist technique was exceptionally tyrannical. Each punch carried world-splitting power, its chilling force aimed squarely at vital points, allowing him to constantly maintain the offensive.

Yang Jing, however, mixed offense with his defense. The fist art of his Mountain-Breaking Seal was as solid and heavy as a mountain, while the Inner Qi from his Indestructible True Skill made his defense impenetrable.

No matter how ferocious Lu Shaohua’s attacks were, he could steadily block them, occasionally finding an opening to counter with a move or two, forcing Lu Shaohua onto the defensive.

....

Below the arena.

Thousands of pairs of eyes were glued to the intense match on the stage, their owners not even daring to breathe.

Discussions rose and fell throughout the square, but everyone deliberately kept their voices down:

"Lu Shaohua is still stronger, just as I expected. His punches are too fierce. Yang Jing has been on the defensive this whole time."

"You can’t say that. The fact that Yang Jing has lasted this long against Lu Shaohua is already impressive! Anyone else would have lost long ago."

"This fight is way more exciting than the last two! They’re both going head-to-head, it’s so intense!"

Just then, another loud BANG echoed from the arena as their fists collided once more.

This time, Lu Shaohua was forced back a step, and the smile on his face finally faded somewhat.

Yang Jing, on the other hand, stumbled back three or four steps before barely steadying himself.

Yang Jing took a light breath, and a sharp glint suddenly flashed in his eyes.

With a thought, he activated the light, agile Inner Qi deep within his Dantian—the one he had condensed after breaking through to the Qi Eating Realm with *Hengjiang Du*.

This stream of Inner Qi was like a clear mountain spring, carrying a graceful and nimble aura as it flowed, completely different from the two previous currents of fierce, heavy Inner Qi.

Under Yang Jing’s precise control, this light Inner Qi shot out like a roaming dragon, swiftly converging with the fierce, blended Inner Qi at the center of his Dantian.

The three streams of Inner Qi intertwined, emitting a faint hum that sounded like the roar of a dragon and the cry of a tiger.

In a mere instant, the separate currents of Inner Qi that had occupied Yang Jing’s Dantian completely merged into a single, even more powerful, robust, and pure stream of Inner Qi.

This new Inner Qi ebbed and flowed within his Dantian, faintly radiating a power that was both hard and soft, and it was several times more formidable than when the previous two streams had merged.

For the current Yang Jing, breaking through to the Qi Eating Realm with *Hengjiang Du* was equivalent to gaining two new trump cards.

One trump card was this light Inner Qi condensed from *Hengjiang Du*.

This Inner Qi lay hidden deep within his Dantian, completely imperceptible to others. Even if his strength surged as his Inner Qi merged, outsiders could only guess, unable to determine just how many trump cards he was hiding.

The other trump card was the sudden increase in his Body Technique and speed after breaking through to the Qi Eating Realm with *Hengjiang Du*.

This improvement was a massive boost to his overall strength, enough to give him an absolute speed advantage in a fight.

’However, I know that once I reveal this explosive increase in my Body Technique and speed, others will naturally realize I’ve broken through to the Qi Eating Realm with my third True Skill. At that point, my hidden Inner Qi trump card would naturally be figured out as well.’

Before he secured first place in the Fushan Grand Competition, Yang Jing wanted to hide as much of his strength as possible.

Therefore, he did not use that faster, more refined Body Technique at this moment. Instead, he chose to completely merge the third stream of Inner Qi, empowering himself with its even more formidable strength.

Yang Jing focused his mind and calmed his breath, swiftly circulating the Heart Method of the Mountain-Breaking Seal.

The formidable, merged Inner Qi coursed through his meridians like a raging river. As it passed, a warm, tingling, and slightly sore sensation spread through them.

Immediately after, this incomparably pure Inner Qi surged into his palms and fists. The surface of his fists began to glow with a faint golden light, and the air around them seemed to twist slightly under the pressure of this aura.

When Lu Shaohua saw Yang Jing standing there regulating his breath, he assumed Yang Jing was a spent force. He let out a cold snort and lunged forward, swinging his fist again.

The punch whistled through the air, still carrying the power to shatter stone tablets as it flew straight toward Yang Jing’s face.

Yang Jing lifted his eyes, a cold glint flashing within them. Without dodging or evading, he threw a punch of his own.

BOOM!