Zhou Qin’s punch roared like a cannon blast. As it shot out, the very air around it seemed to compress and yield, moving like a furious thunderclap, reaching Liu Yuqing in the blink of an eye.

A faint start rippled through Liu Yuqing. He hadn't expected such delicate beauty to fight with such desperate ferocity!

Though surprised, Liu Yuqing’s decades of cultivation had led him to the realm where intent commanded force. With a mere thought, he drew back the palm aimed at Zhou Qin’s head and his body drifted away like smoke, an apparition, causing Zhou Qin’s fist to whistle through empty air.

Having missed, Zhou Qin instantly felt a fierce gust near her waist and abdomen—Liu Yuqing, capitalizing on his momentum, had whipped around and struck backhand toward her core.

This strike lacked the overt violence of his previous Sun-Facing Counter-Palm, but its energy was insidious and soft, targeting the vital juncture of the waist. If it connected squarely with the kidney area, the force would immediately bore inward, causing catastrophic damage to the organ.

Zhou Qin gritted her teeth, twisting her slender waist until she seemed folded like a pretzel. Her left hand swept out to deflect Liu Yuqing’s grasping hand, while her right fist snapped out with another swift whoosh toward Liu Yuqing’s chest.

Liu Yuqing sneered. The instant his hand brushed Zhou Qin, he flipped his wrist, his arm snaking around like an eel toward her midsection, his fingertips rapidly grazing her flank.

This was the ‘Exploring Horse Palm’ from the Eight Extremes Fist’s Eight Vajra Forms!

The moment the tips of his fingers touched her skin, an intensely frigid energy drilled into Zhou Qin. Her entire body seized as if struck by lightning, half of her paralyzed!

Anyone else might have lost all ability to resist then and there, but Zhou Qin had once scaled the frigid peaks of Mount Kalisen using only her bare hands against the ice and rock. Could she possibly yield to this pain now?

Suffering a severe blow in the opening exchange, Zhou Qin merely bit down harder. Like a wounded tiger, she erupted with explosive power, surging forward a step, burrowing into Liu Yuqing’s embrace. Her arm shot up to hammer her elbow toward his solar plexus, while her knee shot up in a vicious strike aimed directly at his groin.

Liu Yuqing started violently. He couldn't believe that after taking his palm strike, Zhou Qin hadn't retreated but had instead charged in like a madwoman for intimate, bone-jarring combat!

Close-quarters fighting was all about momentum and spirit. Liu Yuqing prided himself on his superior cultivation and seniority; how could he possibly yield to a youth, especially a beautiful young woman? Without hesitation, he countered with his own elbow, meeting her descending arm, while simultaneously lifting his knee to collide with hers.

The onlookers watched as Zhou Qin and Liu Yuqing crashed together—elbow against elbow, knee against knee—emitting two dull thuds, like someone relentlessly driving iron hammers into sandbags.

The moment they collided, Liu Yuqing felt the horrifying solidity of her bones, as if they were forged steel. Despite his mastery, he was still flesh and blood, not a master of the Golden Body realm. The impact sent blinding, tearing pain through his elbow and knee.

Yet, Liu Yuqing saw Zhou Qin act as if she felt nothing. Her face was like iron, the muscles in her jaw taut as steel cables. Biting down, she snapped another elbow strike toward his head.

Liu Yuqing found it impossible to believe her limbs were untouched. He thrust his own elbow forward to meet hers again.

This time, their elbow joints smashed together with a sickening crack, a brittle sound that sent a chill down the spines of the crowd.

Su Chan, a skilled martial artist especially knowledgeable about joints and skeletal structure, shivered at the sound, her face paling. “No, a bone has shattered! I wonder whose it was!”

Ziyuan and Ruan Hongling seemed not to hear her, their eyes fixed on the fray, blinking only rarely, terrified they might miss the moment the victor was decided.

When Liu Yuqing and Zhou Qin clashed head-on that time, he felt as if his own elbow joint had been hammered by a sledgehammer. Darkness swam before his eyes from the agony!

Before he could recover, Zhou Qin lunged again, driving her head straight at his face.

Liu Yuqing watched, furious and shocked: This girl was too outrageous, fighting with such unreasonable savagery! What kind of haphazard techniques were these?

No one expected the cold, beautiful Zhou Qin to deploy a headbutt—a move worthy of a street brawler—and this particular charge carried the decisive air of one who has burned their boats: win or die!

The headbutt came without warning, brutal and sharp. Liu Yuqing knew he had only two choices: meet the blow or dodge; there was no third option.

Being older and experienced, Liu Yuqing relied on the adage: in a narrow path, the brave prevails. Whoever flinched first would lose the momentum. Young fighters often expended their greatest energy in the opening flurry. If he could just endure this, Zhou Qin’s momentum would inevitably wane, and victory would be his!

Liu Yuqing’s thoughts raced. He immediately channeled his inner strength, meeting Zhou Qin’s headbutt with one of his own.

A muffled bang echoed as their foreheads connected solidly. The sound vibrated through the crowd, causing many practitioners to instinctively touch their own brows as if they, too, felt a searing pain.

The impact sent stars shooting across Liu Yuqing’s vision. His body rocked backward, and a hot, stinging sensation spread across his forehead. Liu Yuqing knew he was cut!

Shock and anger warred within him: This little girl had actually drawn blood?

When he focused his gaze, he saw Zhou Qin also reeling back, her forehead already crimson, streaming blood!

But even as she fell back, Zhou Qin abruptly halted her retreat. Gritting her teeth, ignoring the blood covering her face, she flung another punch toward Liu Yuqing’s face.

Liu Yuqing roared with indignation. He met her incoming fist with one of his own. Another crack split the air, a horrifying sound like an iron hammer crushing dried beans.

After several consecutive hard impacts, Liu Yuqing’s body trembled uncontrollably from the accumulated pain. But across from him, Zhou Qin appeared to be an automaton, devoid of feeling. Hair flying, face masked in blood, she snarled with terrifying ferocity and drove another headbutt toward him.

The onlookers felt their skin crawl watching Zhou Qin. They couldn't believe their eyes!

Such a beautiful woman fighting with such savage desperation? Had she gone completely mad?

Some people subtly glanced toward Li Yundong, wondering: Had his single remark just now provoked Zhou Qin into such a frenzied display?

But Li Yundong watched the fight, his expression placid, betraying no emotion. Only he knew this was Zhou Qin’s true nature: Bend, or be broken; lose, or die!

This girl had faced a handgun with calm composure. She had dared to fight to the death on a high building. Even in despair, she could leap from a tower without hesitation, choosing self-destruction over submission.

Within this seemingly frail girl resided a terrifying power, capable of annihilating any enemy, or herself.

Liu Yuqing saw the new headbutt coming. The beautiful woman had completely transformed into a fierce, snarling Banshee. Anyone who stood against her would be dragged down with her into an abyss of blood.

Zhou Qin’s madness far exceeded Liu Yuqing’s expectations. Facing this repeated, brutal attack, genuine hesitation and fear finally pierced him. He stepped back, abandoning the strategy of direct confrontation for evasion.

Liu Yuqing thought to himself: Zhou Qin cannot maintain this level of ferocious assault forever. If I just survive this phase, she will surely collapse!

However, the moment he retreated, an old, seasoned practitioner let out a low, sorrowful sigh and shook his head. “It’s over. He lost the initiative. Liu Yuqing cannot recover now! From this day forward, the cultivation world will know no more of True Man Liu Yuqing!”

A puzzled younger practitioner whispered, “Why is that? Zhou Qin is fighting crazily, but she surely can’t keep it up. If he just evades until she tires, couldn’t he counterattack and win?”

The elder practitioner spoke with deep gravity. “That is not the way of it! Haven’t you heard the saying: Fists fear the young, clubs fear the old? If they were using weapons, it would be a contest of skill, and Liu Yuqing would win without question. But in bare-knuckle fighting, it’s a contest of courage, internal energy, and endurance! Those few exchanges they just had, though brief, drained tremendous vitality—they were more exhausting than fighting three continuous duels!”

“Though Zhou Qin is a woman, her aura is intensely vibrant, and her spirit is soaring right now—she is at her peak, unstoppable! Furthermore, she is young; her endurance must exceed Liu Yuqing’s. He cannot count on outlasting her! Moreover, the first rule of the Eight Extremes Fist demands a righteous heart, followed by great courage; strength and technique are secondary! Liu Yuqing practices the Eight Extremes Fist; by losing his nerve, his skill has already been discounted by half. With one rising and the other falling, how can he possibly win?”

The younger practitioner remained unconvinced, but the swift change in the fight’s dynamics soon rendered him speechless.

Seeing Liu Yuqing retreat, Zhou Qin’s offensive became even more maniacal. Thrust, strike, entwine, kick, burst, bite, smash—every move was delivered with lethal intent, a fight for life itself!

Liu Yuqing, his momentum shattered, dared not meet her head-on. He sought only to evade, constantly expecting her strength to finally fail, but Zhou Qin showed no sign of exhaustion; each blow was more vicious, each strike delivered with greater force than the last!

Liu Yuqing was forced into continuous retreat. Yet, due to his deep cultivation, his footwork remained disciplined even as he fell back. After a period of desperate dodging, he realized Zhou Qin’s assault was a storm showing no sign of letting up, while he himself was beginning to gasp for breath.

Anxiety gripping him, Liu Yuqing knew that if this attrition continued, Zhou Qin might well exhaust him to death. He steadied his mind. Seeing Zhou Qin wind up for another punch, he suddenly spun and bolted backward.

Zhou Qin pursued without hesitation. But just as she closed the distance, Liu Yuqing abruptly reversed his motion and swept a powerful elbow strike, resembling the formidable ‘Slicing Blade Cut’ from a battlefield.

This sudden burst of technique caught her completely off guard—a maneuver derived from battlefield maneuvers, the very move that helped the Martial Saint Guan Yu cleave countless enemies in life.

Those in the crowd who recognized the skill erupted in cheers. But before their voices fully rose, Zhou Qin leaned her body sharply forward, as if she had overshot her momentum and chose to ride the momentum into a full forward lean, thereby dodging Liu Yuqing’s ultimate move. But in leaning forward, she exposed the entire back of her skull and her upper back to him.

Liu Yuqing’s elbow grazed Zhou Qin’s back. Seeing such a massive opening, his heart leaped with joy. He raised his hand to bring down a hammer-fist onto the back of her head.

But just as his hand began to descend, Zhou Qin suddenly threw a leg up from behind her head, flipping over like a scorpion’s tail, driving toward Liu Yuqing’s face in a lightning-fast arc!

Liu Yuqing never expected the brutally straightforward Zhou Qin to unleash such a concealed, exquisite move—one that both neutralized and attacked simultaneously. He couldn't react in time and took the full force of her kick squarely on his face.

Liu Yuqing felt a crushing blow across his features and nearly blacked out. He immediately shut his eyes and scrambled backward, his hands rising in a tight guard before him, like two closed doors, bracing for Zhou Qin to charge through.

Zhou Qin, as expected, pressed the attack without pause. She drove a palm strike toward the side of his head, pressing her advantage mercilessly. But Liu Yuqing, old and cunning, struck back with his hands like striking vipers, clamping down instantly on Zhou Qin’s neck. With a slight exertion, he could snap her delicate neck!

Yet, even as Liu Yuqing seized her throat, he felt Zhou Qin’s fingers brush against his eyelids. A terrifying coldness shot straight to the back of his head, suggesting that in the next second, her two slender fingers would pierce his eye sockets and stab into his brain!

Though Liu Yuqing held her life in his grip, he sensed no intention from Zhou Qin to stop. He had no doubt that if he broke her neck, she would use her fingers to gouge out his eyes and brain before her own life ended—a mutual destruction!

Was risking one’s entire life for a mere duel worthwhile?

In that instant, Liu Yuqing even forgot he was a Yang Spirit master. Zhou Qin’s ferocious, suicidal fighting style utterly destroyed his will to resist on a spiritual level. Without thinking, Liu Yuqing instantly released his grip on her throat and shouted in terror, “Stop! I yield! I admit defeat!”

Only then did he feel the tips of Zhou Qin’s fingers halt against his eyelid, cold and sharp, like a muzzle pressed against his forehead.

Zhou Qin maintained a stance resembling ‘Two Dragons Seizing the Pearl,’ her two fingers taut and powerful as steel hooks. Hair disheveled, face slick with blood, she snarled through gritted teeth, “You truly yield?”

Liu Yuqing nodded instantly: “I yield!”

Only then did the ferocity slowly recede from Zhou Qin’s face. She withdrew her hand and let out a long breath. Her gaze swept around the onlookers, sharp and cold, and she declared loudly, “My Master is not a Grandmaster today, but he will surely be one in the future! Who else dares to question the identity of Li Yundong’s most senior disciple, step forward and speak!”

Only then did the crowd understand: Zhou Qin had fought with such brutal desperation solely to reclaim justice for Li Yundong, and for herself!

But for the sake of justice, for a few dismissive words from the crowd, was such savage violence truly warranted?

For a moment, the cultivators within the cabin of the ship stood frozen, stunned by Zhou Qin’s display. Not a single person answered her challenge; not one stepped forward.

Zhou Qin stood proudly in the center of the ring, staring down the assembled crowd, calling out three times. Seeing no response, she slowly walked toward Li Yundong.

When she reached his side, the savage, fierce expression instantly melted into one of gentle affection. She broke into a smile and murmured softly, “Master, I haven't disgraced you, have I?”

Li Yundong gazed at Zhou Qin, his heart churning with a flood of complex emotions. He nodded slowly and said, “No. You did wonderfully. Very well!”

Zhou Qin smiled radiantly. The crowd felt the killing aura vanish from her body instantly; she had transformed from a blood-soaked blade into a blood-stained peony, beautiful in her tragic majesty.

After that smile, Zhou Qin’s body suddenly listed, collapsing limply toward Li Yundong!

The observers finally realized that Zhou Qin had been running purely on adrenaline, sustained only by sheer willpower until this very moment!

The cultivators from all the various sects sighed with awe. Du Fei of the Quanzhen Longmen sect shook his head and lamented, “After this fight, every practitioner in the world will know of Zhou Qin’s iron-blooded bravery! They will know that Li Yundong has a senior disciple who cannot be slighted! From now on, who would dare look down upon Li Yundong, or belittle Zhou Qin, the novice practitioner who has only just begun her journey?”