On the dueling stage, Ye Jingyu darted left and right, giving Qin Minglong absolutely no chance to close the distance. Qin Minglong had originally thought that with his warrior-level strength, dispatching a fellow like Ye Jingyu would be effortless. Who knew this guy would be as resilient as a cockroach, impossible to kill no matter how he struck? Moreover, the longer the fight dragged on, the fiercer Ye Jingyu became, his speed increasing until Qin Minglong found himself struggling to keep pace with his rhythm...
A full quarter of an hour had already passed since the match began. A wave of boos rose from the crowd below, mocking Qin Minglong's incompetence. He couldn't even deal with a little fellow devoid of Zhenqi after all this time—was he truly a disciple of the White Cloud Manor?
Hearing the jeers from below and watching Ye Jingyu constantly flit before his eyes, Qin Minglong was utterly enraged. If he couldn't settle this brat now, he might as well stop bothering to stay at the White Cloud Manor...
"Brat, this is all your fault! Die! Cracked Stone Fist..." Filled with fury, Qin Minglong held nothing back. With a loud roar, his Zhenqi surged, instantly gathering in his right fist. He lunged forward, stomping one foot onto the floorboards with such force that a sound of cracking echoed—the floor shattering beneath his impact...
Terrifying power exploded forth completely. Qin Minglong’s speed more than doubled, his body instantly closing the gap to Ye Jingyu, smashing a heavy punch toward his sternum...
This was one of the White Cloud Manor's martial arts. Though it was merely a foundational technique, using it against someone who supposedly knew no martial arts felt like bringing a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Furthermore, knowing Ye Jingyu was fast, Qin Minglong had prepared a chained killing move...
Seeing Qin Minglong unleash his full power, the spectators below began to clamor once more, egging him on to use his most guarded skills...
Qin Yuting muttered, "It's about time." Qin Yan, however, merely smiled, as if none of this concerned him. The old man beside him, however, wore a thoughtful expression, seemingly pondering how Ye Jingyu might evade this imminent attack...
But Ye Jingyu did something that stunned everyone. He, too, stepped forward, clenching his right fist and driving it straight toward Qin Minglong's incoming blow...
Was he seeking death?
That thought flashed simultaneously across everyone’s mind. Even the old man stared at Ye Jingyu’s action with profound disbelief...
A warrior, one whose Zhenqi was exceptionally dense, a practitioner nearing the breakthrough from Warrior to Master—how destructive was his power when fully catalyzed? Let alone ordinary bluestone, even steel might not withstand such a full-force strike. Yet, Ye Jingyu, who possessed no Zhenqi, intended to resist this with sheer physical strength? What was that if not courting death?
In the eyes of many, Ye Jingyu was already a corpse. Could anyone possibly endure a Cracked Stone Fist, a blow capable of splitting mountains?
"BOOM..." With a deafening crash, Ye Jingyu's fist slammed viciously into Qin Minglong's.
"CRACK..." A brittle sound followed. The crowd watched as Qin Minglong’s seemingly invincible fist completely shattered. Stark white bone erupted between the shattered finger joints, and his entire arm instantly went limp, dangling uselessly...
Everyone froze, then gasped, their faces quickly contorting into expressions of utter disbelief, as if they had seen a ghost...
How could a warrior, about to become a Master, a powerhouse fueled by Zhenqi, be defeated head-on by pure physical force?
Ye Jingyu, who had shattered Qin Minglong’s fist, felt no comfort. A strange, volatile energy surged into his body, relentlessly tearing at his functions, seemingly intent on destroying his very bones and flesh. But precisely at that moment, a wave of warm energy flooded out from his Dantian—the energy field where his Yingpo resided—steadily counteracting the Zhenqi. In mere breaths, the sensation of pain vanished without a trace...
Lifting his gaze to Qin Minglong, who was reeling backward with a broken, dangling arm, Ye Jingyu’s mind suddenly recalled the scene of his past humiliations. He remembered being beaten senseless with no chance to retaliate, the scene of spittle flung onto his face, the curses spat upon his parents. An inexpressible surge of anger welled up from Ye Jingyu's core...
With a "WHOOSH," Ye Jingyu shot forward again. There were no elaborate moves or special posturing—just a simple punch, one carrying the entirety of his internal strength, that slammed heavily into the chest of the still-stunned Qin Minglong, blasting his body backward...
Blood sprayed out lavishly. If not for his internal Zhenqi automatically protecting his body, Ye Jingyu's force, easily totaling a thousand jin, would have caved in his sternum entirely. Yet, even dampened, that terrifying power fractured several of his ribs...
He fell heavily to the ground, spitting out another mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs...
The look of surprise in his eyes had completely vanished, replaced by deep, chilling terror...
"Die!" Ye Jingyu roared, taking a sudden step forward before leaping directly into the air, stomping down viciously toward Qin Minglong...
"BANG..." A heavy impact resonated...
Ye Jingyu's foot landed squarely on Qin Minglong's sternum. A sound of grinding bone echoed—the sound of Qin Minglong's ribs being utterly crushed. Blood erupted from his mouth like a fountain, his eyes bulging outward, filled with stark panic and utter despair...
His gaze slowly grew vacant, leaving only his body twitching spasmodically...
Everyone was stunned. They simply could not have anticipated this outcome...
Mouths gaped open, rendering them speechless. The once boisterous arena fell into a silence so profound a falling pin could be heard clearly...
Ye Jingyu stood motionless, like a vengeful demon. The icy glare from his eyes swept over the crowd below, and for a moment, not a single person dared to meet his gaze...
Growing up, though he wasn't born into wealth, he had never been one to suffer insults. When had he ever been ganged up on? When had he ever been ridden over? When had he ever had filth spat upon him? But after arriving in this world, desiring only a comfortable life, he was dragged here. On his very first day, he received such treatment, which he could not possibly tolerate...
The inherent arrogance inherited from his ancestors erupted fully at this moment: If others do not cross me, I shall not cross them; but if they dare violate me, they shall be destroyed!
Watching Ye Jingyu’s cold demeanor from afar, Qin Yuting’s small, pear-blossom face betrayed an inexplicable trace of fear...
The old man beside her spoke calmly, "What a fine seedling. I shall take this disciple..."
Qin Yan's eternally placid expression shifted slightly, while the fear on Qin Yuting's face deepened further...