The Fatty stared at Ye Jingyu, completely baffled. He truly couldn't fathom where this confidence came from. Had this fellow practiced martial arts before? If so, why would he bother coming to the White Cloud Villa?

As for the other disciples of the White Cloud Villa, they treated Ye Jingyu as nothing more than an arrogant fool who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth. In their view, defeating Ye Jingyu—a spoiled young master with no Zhenqi (True Qi) in his body—was an absolute cinch for Qin Minglong, a Warrior-level fighter...

"Boy, don't blame me for not warning you. This is a life-and-death duel. Once we start, I won't hold back. I have your challenge letter here; even if I kill you, your family can do nothing. You’d best think clearly. If you regret it now, there’s still time. Just offer me an apology, and everything..."

"Too much nonsense..." Before Qin Minglong could finish, Ye Jingyu cut him off coldly...

"You..." Qin Minglong hadn't expected that the person he viewed as an ant would dare call him long-winded at a moment like this. Anger flared in his chest, but before he could utter another word, the figure before him blurred. Then, a fist the size of a cauldron appeared directly in front of his eyes...

His body instinctively recoiled, and his right arm shot up instantly, but the fist still slammed heavily onto his right arm. Qin Minglong felt as if his arm had been struck by a sledgehammer; his bones throbbed with dull pain. Had the Zhenqi in his body not surged toward his arm automatically, it likely would have been shattered. Even so, the sheer force sent him staggering backward repeatedly...

Ye Jingyu, after all, was just a bad student who enjoyed fighting. He knew no formal moves. Although his strength had greatly increased, he had no idea how to transition between offense and defense. Seeing Qin Minglong thrown back by his blow, his confidence soared. Without a second thought, he rushed forward, again blasting toward Qin Minglong’s chest at terrifying speed...

Qin Minglong, shocked internally, saw Ye Jingyu charging again. No longer careless, he merely shifted his body slightly, effortlessly evading the punch. Then, with a swift counter, he slapped Ye Jingyu’s shoulder, channeling his internal Zhenqi into his right palm...

With a sharp snap sound, Ye Jingyu was struck by Qin Minglong’s palm. Then, Qin Minglong spun his body and delivered a sharp roundhouse kick that slammed heavily into Ye Jingyu’s chest, sending him flying backward in an instant...

In that moment, a piercing cheer erupted from the crowd. These people were all disciples of the White Cloud Villa. No matter what, seeing one of their own send Ye Jingyu flying was a happy occasion. Especially Qin Yuting, who followed Qin Yan, a cold sneer touched her lips. If it weren't for her status, she would have already settled scores with this fellow who had dared to flirt with her back then—why would she wait until now?

Seeing Ye Jingyu struck by his palm and then kicked away, Qin Minglong’s momentary surprise vanished without a trace. It seemed this kid only had slightly more strength than the average person...

His body contained no Zhenqi at all, whereas the Zhenqi within him had reached perfection, ready to break out and achieve the Martial Master realm at any moment. How could a boy with no Zhenqi possibly be his match?

That palm strike must have broken his shoulder bone; it contained seven-tenths of his Zhenqi power. Even an ox would be smashed, let alone a man!

Qin Minglong looked down at the fallen Ye Jingyu with immense satisfaction, already calculating how to deal with him. In his mind, Ye Jingyu had no fighting ability left...

Not only Qin Minglong believed this; the other White Cloud Villa members felt the same way. Their faces showed only cheers mixed with disappointment. Although they knew Ye Jingyu would fail, they never expected it to happen so quickly. Scornful voices filled the entire arena...

"Damn it, you look scrawny, how are you so strong?" But just then, Ye Jingyu’s voice rang out...

Everyone froze, their gazes simultaneously shifting to Ye Jingyu. They saw the fair-skinned youth stagger to his feet, wipe a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth, and speak casually, as if the exchange wasn't a life-and-death duel but rather a round of wrestling. As for his injuries...

Have you ever seen someone who was seriously wounded hopping around?

And his words further stunned them: what did he mean by "scrawny but strong"? Didn't he know that once a martial artist cultivated to the Warrior realm—meaning the appearance of Zhenqi in the body—their strength would increase tremendously when using it?

"You... you... how can you be fine?" Qin Minglong stared at Ye Jingyu with utter astonishment. In his view, that palm strike of his could shatter a slab of bluestone, yet this person seemed completely unharmed!

"Why must I be hurt?" Ye Jingyu snorted coldly and lunged toward Qin Minglong once more. Through the previous exchange, he had understood the fundamental difference between someone who had learned martial arts and someone who hadn't. He had no advantage in terms of moves; his only advantages were quick physical reactions, speed, immense power, and one more thing: his durability was frankly insane. He had expected his shoulder to be completely pulverized by that palm strike, yet there was nothing more than a slight ache. Perhaps refining the second Po (soul) spirit had vastly improved his physical constitution?

Seeing Ye Jingyu rush him again, the startled Qin Minglong had to re-evaluate him. However, the newly astute Ye Jingyu didn't charge head-on as before but instead relied on his agility, darting and weaving constantly to the left and right...

Watching the two resume their fight, the crowd below began to cheer again. A life-and-death duel should be exciting, shouldn't it?

And above the square, Qin Yan continued to watch the pair with a faint smile, his thoughts unknown. Qin Yuting, however, stared at Qin Minglong with anger, believing Ye Jingyu’s lack of injury must be due to Qin Minglong showing mercy. Only the white-haired elder beside Qin Yan, whose eyes had previously seemed cloudy, flashed a sharp, brilliant light the moment Ye Jingyu rose...

As he watched Ye Jingyu's agile movements and lightning speed, the sharpness in his eyes grew even more dazzling, as if the combatant on stage was not a mere person but a priceless treasure...