One punch!
Just one punch!
Qin Lie, who had been brimming with imposing momentum and displaying divine might moments ago, was sent flying backward vomiting blood by Lu Changsheng's single Dragon Elephant Power-infused punch. The extent of his injuries was unknown!
Whoosh~
At that moment, deafening cheers like mountain cries and tsunami waves erupted from the Zhou Family's stands!
"Ha ha ha, good!"
The Zhou Family's First Elder was so excited that his beard trembled wildly. He clapped his hands fiercely, his aged face flushed crimson.
The younger generation of the Zhou Family leaped up in excitement, waving their fists. Their gazes toward the Green-Robed Figure at the center of the fighting platform were filled with fervor and awe.
As for Zhou Qingtian, the clan head, there was no need to mention him. He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white, his chest heaving violently as an unprecedented light of hope burst forth in his eyes!
In contrast, the Qin Family's camp was deathly silent. The arrogant expressions on every Qin Family elder's face had vanished completely, replaced by stunned disbelief!
"Impossible! How could Lie'er lose to that brat?!"
Qin Tianba shot to his feet, his eyes bloodshot. He crushed the armrest of his chair into powder with his bare hand!
Qin Lie possessed the strength of the first level of Divine Palace Realm. How could Lu Changsheng, who was only at the eighth level of Core Condensation Realm, send him flying with one punch?
The Qin Family members seemed as though their throats had been seized. The young disciples who had shouted the loudest earlier were now pale as sheets, their lips trembling as they failed to utter a single word.
"Cough... cough, cough cough..."
Violent coughing came from the deep pit. As the dust dispersed, it revealed Qin Lie's miserable figure.
His arms hung limply at his sides, blood dripping down them and staining his tattered clothes red. Blood seeped from his mouth and nose, while shattered stones had cut open half his cheek, making him look savage and terrifying.
Yet his gaze had become even more sinister and venomous.
"Good... very good!"
Qin Lie gritted his teeth. His voice was hoarse like a broken gong, every word seeming to squeeze out from between his teeth.
"I never expected you to injure me to this extent! But do you think this is all the strength I possess?"
Qin Lie's lips curled into an almost crazed arc. Then, his hands swiftly formed seals.
Boom!
A terrifying aura several times stronger and several times more violent than before surged from Qin Lie's body without reserve, soaring into the sky!
The sheer strength of that aura instantly stirred the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, forming visible crimson vortices around him across the plaza.
That aura was no longer merely scorching. It carried a suffocatingly heavy pressure, as though an erupting volcano had risen from the earth!
"Heavens!"
"Th-the third level of Divine Palace Realm?!"
"My heavens! Qin Lie had actually concealed his strength! He wasn't at the first level—he was at the third level!"
"This is completely over! The eighth level of Core Condensation Realm against the third level of Divine Palace Realm? With such a gap in cultivation, no matter how strong the Zhou Family's son-in-law is, he has no chance of winning!"
The entire plaza erupted like a boiling cauldron, waves of shocked cries surging one after another.
On the Zhou Family's stands, the flames of wild joy that had just been kindled were doused by a bucket of icy water. The color instantly drained from Zhou Qingtian's face. His body swayed, and he nearly could not remain standing.
The smiles on the First Elder and the others' faces froze, as though they had instantly turned to ash. Zhou Zhirou secretly clenched her delicate hands in anxiety.
They had not expected Qin Lie to have concealed his true strength.
The enormous gap in cultivation was like an uncrossable heavenly chasm. The hope that had just risen within the Zhou Family was instantly crushed to pieces by this cruel reality!
"Ha ha ha! Do you feel despair now, Lu Changsheng? This is this young master's true power!"
A cold smile rested on Qin Lie's lips. The aura around him was still rising madly, the pressure of the third level of Divine Palace Realm bearing down upon the entire fighting platform like a tangible mountain. Even the distant spectators found it difficult to breathe.
"The third level of Divine Palace Realm truly surprises me somewhat, but despair is still far from the question."
Lu Changsheng spoke calmly, his expression utterly unmoved. Looking at Qin Lie, whose aura towered to the heavens, his gaze remained deep and showed not the slightest trace of fear.
"Arrogant! You are at death's door, yet you still dare to talk tough! Next, this young master will grind your bones to dust and scatter your ashes!"
Qin Lie was completely enraged by Lu Changsheng's calm attitude, and the killing intent in his eyes immediately became almost tangible.
Whoosh!
His figure vanished in an instant, his speed more than several times faster than when he had used Ghost Shadow Steps!
Only a crimson afterimage remained where he had stood!
Almost at the same instant, he appeared before Lu Changsheng. The terrifying power of the third level of Divine Palace Realm poured into his right fist without reservation, while the crimson spiritual energy coiling around his arm nearly condensed into solid magma!
"Die for me!"
Boom!
Qin Lie threw a punch, and the space itself seemed compressed, letting out a sound as though it could not bear the burden.
Before the fist even arrived, its scorching and violent wind had pressed Lu Changsheng's green robe tightly against his body, making it snap loudly!
Faced with a punch capable of severely injuring even an ordinary third-level Divine Palace Realm cultivator, a sharp light burst from Lu Changsheng's eyes!
"Dragon Elephant Golden Body!"
Roar!
A deep dragon-elephant roar containing supreme majesty suddenly exploded from his chest!
In an instant, dazzling golden light erupted from Lu Changsheng's body.
His skin, muscles, and bones were instantly dyed a pure, heavy gold. Beneath his skin, countless tiny golden dragon patterns seemed to writhe and roar!
A terrifying aura of primordial antiquity and indestructibility spread outward!
Dong!
Qin Lie's punch, powerful enough to shatter a small mountain, smashed squarely onto Lu Changsheng's dark-golden arms crossed before his chest!
A deafening clang of metal striking metal resounded throughout the arena!
Violent crimson waves of air clashed and exploded against brilliant golden light!
Yet what made everyone's eyes nearly pop out—especially those of the Qin Family—was this—
Lu Changsheng's body merely swayed slightly!
The hard bluestone beneath his feet shattered and sank nearly a foot, but he himself stood unmoving, like a Primordial Divine Mountain rooted in the earth!
There was not even the slightest mark left on those dark-golden arms!
"W-what?!"
The savage grin on Qin Lie's face instantly froze, turning into incredulous horror!
He felt as if that punch had not struck flesh and blood, but a barrier forged from Divine Gold and reinforced by divine mountains!
The rebounding force caused searing pain in his arm and made his blood and qi churn violently!
"My turn!"
Lu Changsheng's icy voice rang out. Power surged through his body as his dark-golden fist, carrying Dragon Elephant Power capable of suppressing all things, struck back with fierce force!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
On the fighting platform, the two figures instantly transformed into golden and crimson streaks of light, colliding, tangling, and separating madly across the vast arena!
Every clash of fists and feet erupted with deafening booms and blinding flashes of energy!
The sturdy bluestone fighting platform looked as though it had been plowed over, broken stones flying everywhere as cracks spread across it!
Qin Lie was like a crazed tiger. Spiritual energy from the third level of Divine Palace Realm poured out without restraint—Wind Sword Finger, Eight Extremes Sky Rending Fist, and even some sinister claw techniques and kicking arts. Every move was ruthless, aimed directly at vital points!
The speed and strength in which he took such pride had reached their peak under the empowerment of the third level of Divine Palace Realm!
Yet what terrified him was that no matter how wildly he attacked, that dark-golden figure stood like the hardest reef, remaining immovable despite the raging waves crashing against it!
The defensive power granted to Lu Changsheng by the Dragon Elephant Golden Body was simply unimaginable!
When his attacks landed, most of their force was absorbed and dissipated by that dark-golden glow. Instead, the rebounding force made Qin Lie's blood and qi churn, leaving his arms numb and aching!
Even more terrifying was Lu Changsheng's counterattack! Those golden fists containing Dragon Elephant Power were as heavy as ten thousand jun!
Qin Lie did not dare receive them head-on and could only rely on his movement technique to evade or deflect them. Even so, wherever the fist wind grazed him, his protective spiritual energy shook violently and throbbed with pain!
He could not break through when attacking!
He could barely hold on when defending!
A dignified third-level Divine Palace Realm cultivator was actually being forcibly suppressed into a disadvantage by an eighth-level Core Condensation Realm cultivator relying on that bizarre golden body!
"Ah!!! I refuse to believe it! Break for me! Break!"
The more Qin Lie fought, the more alarmed and stifled he became. Fear wound around his heart like poisonous vines. He let out a beast-like roar, his attacks growing increasingly violent—and increasingly chaotic.
On the high platform, Qin Tianba's expression had darkened so much it seemed water could drip from it, his fingers digging deeply into his palms.
The Zhou Family members, meanwhile, saw an unbelievable glimmer of dawn amid their despair. Their hearts rose to their throats.
"Damn it!"
Qin Lie roared inwardly, unprecedented panic and humiliation nearly swallowing him whole.
He could not accept this. He had exposed his hidden trump card and reached the third level of Divine Palace Realm, yet he still could not do anything to his opponent! This Lu Changsheng was practically the bane of his existence!
"You forced my hand, Lu Changsheng! To die beneath this move is a blessing you cultivated for eight lifetimes!"
A flash of madness and resolve passed through Qin Lie's eyes. Using the distance opened after a fierce collision, he suddenly formed an extremely ancient hand seal filled with savage aura!
"Roar—!!!"
A lion's roar seemingly originating from the ancient wilderness shook the entire plaza!
The crimson spiritual energy around Qin Lie rolled backward wildly, gathering and compressing above his head! A terrifying pressure capable of tearing apart the sky and destroying mountains descended with a crash!
Space twisted violently as an enormous lion claw, entirely formed from spiritual energy burning with dark-red flames, slowly took shape!
Its sharp claws resembled curved giant blades, blazing with unquenchable hellfire. Within its palm, a miniature storm of destruction seemed to rage!
A profound, tyrannical intent that could tear through all things spread through the air!
This martial art was none other than the Black-tier Martial Art, Sky-Splitting Sacred Lion Claw!
"A Black-tier Martial Art?!"
"Heavens, could this be the Qin Family's clan-defining ultimate art?"
Countless martial artists cried out in shock.
No one had expected Qin Lie to possess another trump card!
And this trump card was the Qin Family's clan-defining ultimate art, one that had reached the rank of a Black-tier Martial Art!
"Sky-Splitting Sacred Lion Claw! Tear him apart for me!"
Qin Lie's face twisted viciously, his eyes filled with frenzied delight, as though he could already see Lu Changsheng being torn into pieces!
Boom!
High in the sky, that terrifying lion claw actually tore through the void!
Facing this world-destroying claw strike, Lu Changsheng's pupils contracted slightly as he felt unprecedented pressure.
Yet there was no fear in his eyes. Instead, blazing battle intent ignited within them!
"Dragon Elephant Divine Fist!"
Lu Changsheng shouted deeply, his voice like a dragon's chant and an elephant's trumpet. The Dragon Elephant Spirit in his chest erupted with unprecedentedly brilliant golden light!
He clenched both fists as the dark-golden glow across his body surged into them madly, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea!
An equally ancient and boundless fist intent, capable of suppressing the eight wildernesses and six directions, soared into the heavens!
Behind him, a massive dragon-elephant phantom raised its head and roared toward the sky, as though it had come alive!
Golden light condensed over Lu Changsheng's fists, forming two lifelike golden giant fists entwined with dragon-elephant phantoms!
Where the fists pointed, space solidified!
Whoosh!
"What?! He actually possesses a Black-tier Martial Art as well?!"
"Heavens! An eighth-level Core Condensation Realm cultivator using a Black-tier Martial Art?! How can his body withstand it?!"
Countless martial artists were utterly shocked.
"Break for me!"
Qin Lie roared madly. The Sky-Splitting Lion Claw, burning with dark-red hellfire and carrying the force to rip apart the firmament, slammed down viciously!
"Suppress!"
Lu Changsheng's gaze flashed like lightning. Both fists shot forth together, the golden giant fists entwined with dragon-elephant phantoms carrying supreme might capable of suppressing mountains and rivers as they met the attack head-on!
Bang—
The two Black-tier Martial Arts, representing two different extremes of destructive power, collided like two falling meteors beneath countless horrified gazes!
At that moment, time seemed to stand still!
Blinding light swallowed everything! Crimson hellfire and dazzling golden radiance intertwined and annihilated each other madly!
An indescribably terrifying energy storm exploded in an instant!
The entire fighting platform was torn apart, its hard stone floor splitting as countless cracks spread wildly.
Violent shockwaves swept outward like a tsunami. The front rows of spectator seats closest to the platform were instantly overturned, and screams rang out without end!
At the center of the light and dust, the two figures stood locked in a stalemate amid the violent torrent of energy. The Sky-Splitting Lion Claw and Dragon Elephant Divine Fist pressed fiercely against one another, neither yielding an inch!
Energy collided madly, producing scalp-numbing hissing and explosive sounds!
They were evenly matched!
"How is this possible?!"
Qin Lie's eyes were bloodshot, as if blood might drip from them at any moment. He had exhausted his full strength and even used the Black-tier Martial Art he had kept hidden as his final card, yet he still could not crush his opponent?! What kind of monster was Lu Changsheng?!
Extreme unwillingness, along with a trace of fear he refused even to admit to himself, gnawed at his heart like venomous snakes.
Seeing that the deadlock could not be broken and their energy was about to run dry, an incomparably vicious thought instantly occupied his mind!
"You forced me to do this! You mongrel! Die!"
Madness and resentment flashed through Qin Lie's eyes. Shielded by the intense light and chaotic currents created by the colliding energies, the fingers of his left hand hanging at his side flicked with extreme secrecy!
Whoosh!
A nearly imperceptible black glint, as thin as an ox hair and gleaming with a faint blue light, silently pierced through the violent energy currents. It was so fast that it surpassed the limits of divine sense, shooting straight for Lu Changsheng's brow!
This was the Qin Family's exclusive concealed weapon, a vicious object designed to exterminate souls—the Soul Annihilation Needle!
"Despicable!"
"Watch out for the hidden weapon!"
Zhou Zhirou's scream and Zhou Qingtian's furious roar rang out almost simultaneously!
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