In the Dao Hall, quite a few spectators had already thrown up their hands to cover their ears. The explosive sounds of impact echoed repeatedly in the enclosed room, far more deafening than the loudest string of firecrackers.

With the stellar disparity, Qin Fen unleashed his full speed, delivering a Great Brahma Demon Subduing Palm strike that nearly sealed off every escape route Wang Ying had, precisely to force a direct clash—to gauge the true power of this twelve-star woman's full-force blow.

"Oh?"

Amidst the storm raised by the Great Brahma Demon Subduing Palm, a sharp glint flashed in Wang Ying's eyes. She repeatedly tapped the ground with her toes, swaying her body left and right like a dancer, silently slipping out of the palm’s trajectory.

Qin Fen inwardly muttered an admiration. A twelve-star woman was indeed formidable. This Great Brahma Demon Subduing Palm, while capable of locking down heaven and earth among those of the same star rank, still allowed someone using their inherent star power to break through its intricate technique when challenging a higher tier.

The palm strike proving ineffective, Qin Fen stomped, and before the tremor in the floorboards had even settled, he fired off a Cannon Fist force, causing the floorboards to vibrate and heave even more violently. He closed the distance to Wang Ying like a heat-seeking missile, five discernible scorch marks left in the air as his palm struck forth—like grooves raked across tofu, the air constantly churning with the sound of wind and thunder.

Wang Ying seemed to arch her back lazily, her entire being suddenly giving the impression of a night-blooming lotus secretly unfurling. The arm she swung carried a hint of solitary elegance; upon contact with Qin Fen’s arm, she drifted back dozens of meters, like a mimosa flower caught in a gale, swaying gently upon the water's surface.

Qin Fen felt a strange sensation regarding this fist technique! To call it rigid was untrue, as a mere touch sent him flying. To call it soft seemed wrong too, for that collision carried no sensation of yielding softness woven into it; the punch felt more like striking a flexible willow branch.

After a storm, the thick, sturdy branches often break, while the pliable willow sways with the wind and endures.

Since his debut, Qin Fen had always fought to seize the initiative. This was the first time he encountered such an opponent, one where he willingly surrendered the initiative, the rhythm, and the entire control of the battlefield, fully merging into the opponent's momentum.

If he wanted to break Wang Ying’s rhythm, he had to disrupt his own. Once his rhythm was broken, readjusting would be immensely difficult!

For the first time, Qin Fen felt the odd sensation that attacking this person was like attacking himself. Yet, his body showed no pause; he pressed the pursuit, his feet pounding the ground, stirring up the still-vibrating floorboards again. Wherever his feet landed, cracks appeared, churning up concrete like a series of bombs detonating beneath the surface.

Cement and stone flew everywhere. With every step, Qin Fen followed through with a shovel-kick, sending the debris flying with such raw force that its speed rivaled that of a handgun bullet. The sound of air being ripped apart whistled incessantly.

The on-site martial arts instructors watching could only click their tongues in amazement. Being struck by such stones, even if they didn't punch a hole clean through, would surely leave one bruised and breathless.

Wang Ying flipped her wrist, her five fingers flicking out, her palm strongly resembling a night-blooming lotus. The stones she intercepted did not shatter upon contact. Instead, the instant they brushed against her fingertips, their trajectories instantly shifted. Each stone zipped past her body, less than three centimeters from her skin. Even the sharp rush of wind from the stones only caused her uniform to flutter slightly.

In all his fights, Qin Fen had never met an opponent like this. Every move was countered, yet it felt worse than punching air—it was the frustrating sensation of striking nothing solid.

No! Worse than striking air! Punching air at least results in displaced atmosphere. When striking this person’s limbs, before the force could fully erupt, before the internal Zhenqi could radiate outward, the opponent would already leverage the momentary force of impact to drift away gracefully, like an immortal who had ascended, freed from Earth’s gravity.

The laziness had long vanished from Wang Ying’s eyes, replaced by surging excitement. It had been a long time since she encountered such a strange opponent. Not only did he possess nine-star strength at such a young age, but the terrifying control he exerted allowed him to unleash an impact force comparable to ten thousand steel blades in the very instant of contact.

What thrilled Wang Ying most, however, was Qin Fen’s combat state. Before the fight, this young man resembled a gentle big cat, but the moment combat began, he transformed completely—like a dragon roused from slumber!

Yes! Domineering, powerfully rigid, capable of completely controlling this small theater of battle within himself.

She hadn't met a worthy opponent in ages! Wang Ying sighed inwardly, once again using Qin Fen’s momentum to float dozens of meters away, a memory from long ago surfacing in her mind.

He, too, was that domineering... No! Even more so...

Distracted? An opportunity! The tightly wound string in Qin Fen’s mind snapped taut. The Dragon-Elephant Wisdom Power Technique, pressurized to triple capacity within him, erupted like a waking volcano, surging through every meridian. An uncontrollable roar tore from his throat, the floor beneath him convulsing with an earth-shattering shockwave. His body twisted instinctively, and he shot forward like an eagle fitted with rockets.

Even the engineered structural integrity of the floor could not withstand the brute force impact of Qin Fen’s triple-pressurized eruption of the Dragon-Elephant Wisdom Power Technique. The floorboard was pierced, revealing a horrifying sight where dozens of snapped steel rebar ends gaped like fangs.

The gym-goers hiding in the stairwell below were all stunned into silence. What was happening? Did the floor actually collapse? Were they renovating? This renovation seemed a bit extreme, and why no prior notice?

The low-level martial artists watching only saw a blur, a peculiar optical illusion. The rapidly accelerating ink-green silhouette was not a man; it resembled a bird!

Heavenly Fowl Movement Technique? Li Yongjun’s spirit lifted, but no! This wasn't the Heavenly Fowl Art, yet it surely contained the entire essence of that movement technique, interwoven with shadows of several other disparate arts? It even carried the deep aura of a dragon, though that draconic scent seemed to have been added later.

A soaring cry, a fierce pounce!

Qin Fen’s speed surpassed his own historical peak, trailing a cascade of green echoes as he arrived before Wang Ying. The moment his shoulders twitched, his wrists turned over, aiming to cover every inch of her skin, every possible escape route!

Raging Torrent!

For the first time since the fight began, Wang Ying was utterly shocked. What charged toward her wasn't a person? It was a gigantic tidal wave! A crushing wave that filled every possible hiding spot, from which even an immortal could not escape!

Dodge? Impossible. Even a twelve-star martial artist, momentarily distracted, facing the Raging Torrent conjured by a black-hole level master, could only confront it head-on! Even if the martial artist unleashing this torrent was only nine-star!

Moreover, this nine-star martial artist was the greatest anomaly among his peers! He could achieve what others could not: simulating the Vajra Pressure Force to further pressurize the raw power of the Dragon-Elephant Wisdom Power Technique, unleashing it with even more terrifying might.

This time, unlike the hasty reaction during their previous brief encounter, Wang Ying had afforded Qin Fen ample time to simulate the Vajra Pressure Force and fully pressurize the Dragon-Elephant Wisdom Power Technique.

A fully prepared outbreak of the Dragon-Elephant Wisdom Power Technique driven by pressure was a capability incomparable to that of other nine-star martial artists!

The gym-goers on the floor heard a continuous succession of thunderous blasts as techniques clashed, as if the area had transformed into a bombardment zone rather than a hall for hand-to-hand combat.

Nearly all the spectators had plugged their ears, their eyes staring blankly ahead. The quick-strike fury unleashed by the Raging Torrent held the appearance of sweeping away the world!

Wang Ying’s twin eyes, constantly blooming like night-blooming lotus petals, seemed to shed a petal with every strike. Yet, the fallen petals were perpetually reborn, sprouting new ones, just enough to hold back the raging tide.

Li Yongjun was completely dumbfounded at this moment. Though the power Qin Fen projected appeared nine-star, if an ordinary ten-star martial artist had been standing there, that ten-star combatant would have been defeated in the blink of an eye!

Terrifying! Truly terrifying! This was Qin Fen’s real strength! Li Yongjun’s forehead was beaded with sweat. The most frightening thing in this world isn't invincibility within one's own star rank, but the potential for absolute invincibility when fighting across ranks!

A nine-star martial artist is easily overlooked by Planetary-level practitioners. However! Li Yongjun dared guarantee that anyone who underestimated Qin Fen would suffer a massive setback in battle! Take, for instance, the twelve-star martial artist Wang Ying currently facing him...

In that split second of thought, Qin Fen’s palm wind finally pierced Wang Ying’s defense. Though the palm wind could not cause substantive harm, it brushed against the collar of her Taekwondo-style uniform, lifting it slightly. On her right chest, just below the right shoulder, a tattoo was exposed. Qin Fen could clearly make out the character: it was the exact same character as his own surname—"Qin."

"This is bad!" Manager Hua’s hair stood on end. This woman’s chest tattoo had been revealed; she was going to go mad! Trouble!

Few people had noticed this minute detail. Manager Hua, despite being unable to participate in such high-intensity combat, possessed unusually sharp eyesight and happened to catch it. No one understood this woman's terrifying nature better than he did. Usually indifferent, if she was pushed so hard that her tattooed marker was exposed, then...

"Ah~"

A shriek erupted from Wang Ying’s throat that made Qin Fen’s ears ring painfully. He instantly felt her aura shift entirely, as if a berserker had gone completely feral in an instant!

It was still the Night Lotus Fist, but this strike was infused with absolute dominance! As if countless lotus petals, ceaselessly regenerating, were determined to fill the entire space.

Eighteen Divine Dragons Converging Wind and Cloud!

Qin Fen gritted his teeth, aiming to shatter every petal with one punch and see the light again!

Their fists collided. Qin Fen felt the floorboards beneath him suddenly give way, and he plummeted straight down to the equipment level below.

He could withstand the force of that violent impact, but the floorboards beneath him could not! The instant his feet touched ground, he twisted his waist, tilted his head up, and sprang off his feet like a rocket, shooting back toward the martial arts hall!

Wang Ying’s eyes were blood-red. As she lowered her head to pursue, she happened to see Qin Fen standing below, his battle-hungry head raised. An image instantly flashed in her mind, overlapping with the Qin Fen before her.

Having returned to the martial arts hall, Qin Fen shook his shoulders. Driven by battle intent, his body surged forward again. He had learned much in this exchange, experienced much, but it wasn't enough! Continuing the fight would surely lead to further learning.

The crimson in Wang Ying's eyes suddenly cleared, replaced by an incredibly mournful and melancholic light. A question, faint but clear, audible only to Qin Fen, drifted into his ears, pinning him to the spot like a binding spell: "My destined rival, Qin Zhan—what is your relationship to him?"