Public Challenge

Chen Feng and the others left the gravity training area looking bedraggled, their expressions darker than the last. Especially the lanky man whose arm Lin Feng had numbed with a single finger—his entire right arm still hung limp at his side, unable to muster even a shred of strength, fear lingering on his face.

"Brother Feng, that kid is too damn strange! What finger technique did he use just now? My whole arm is still numb!" The lanky man looked as if he were about to cry.

"Shut up! Useless trash!" Chen Feng growled irritably, shocked and enraged inside. He was shocked that Lin Feng's strength and reactions had far exceeded his expectations, and enraged that they had tried to steal a chicken only to lose the rice used to bait it, thoroughly humiliating themselves.

Another person cautiously said, "Brother Feng, are we really just letting this go? If word gets out, where will Tianyao's pride go?"

"Let it go?" Chen Feng's gaze turned gloomy. "How could we possibly let it go? A mud-legged country bumpkin from Third Middle School dared to trample on Tianyao's head? If we don't show him some color, he'll really think that getting Top Scholar in a mock exam makes him invincible under heaven!"

He stopped walking and pondered for a moment, a vicious glint appearing on his face. "Isn't he arrogant? Doesn't he want to prove his strength? Fine! I'll give him a chance to 'prove' it!"

He immediately took out his communicator and logged into an internal Jiangnan City platform commonly used by Martial Artists—the Martial Domain Forum. The forum required real-name verification and gathered large numbers of Martial Artists, martial arts students, and industry workers from across the city, so news spread with incredible speed.

Chen Feng swiftly drafted a post with an especially eye-catching title:

[Public Challenge! Chen Feng of Tianyao challenges Lin Feng of Third Middle School! Whether he's a mule or a horse, bring him out for a run!]

The post's contents were inflammatory to the extreme:

"Recently, mock exam Top Scholar Lin Feng has been in the limelight. It is said that he has already broken through to the Martial Artist Realm and possesses astonishing strength. But is his strength truly worthy of his name? Or does he rely only on luck and certain unknown methods? I, Chen Feng of Tianyao Martial High School, formally challenge Lin Feng! Three days from now, at the Martial Arts Bureau's public arena, we will determine not only victory and defeat, but also test the quality of his credentials! Lin Feng, do you dare accept? If you do not, then tuck your tail between your legs and stop fishing for fame and reputation!"

At the end of the post, he deliberately @mentioned several influential Martial Domain Forum accounts, including some well-known martial arts commentators and the official accounts of major martial high schools.

The moment this gunpowder-soaked post was published, it immediately stirred up a tremendous uproar on the forum!

"Holy shit! Chen Feng publicly challenged Lin Feng?!"

"Ninth place in the mock exam challenging the Top Scholar? Now this is worth watching!"

"Chen Feng isn't convinced! Tianyao students really are arrogant!"

"Didn't Lin Feng just break through to Martial Artist? Chen Feng's been a Martial Artist for ages. This challenge is a bit like bullying!"

"What do you know upstairs? Lin Feng crushed everyone in mock exam points, so he definitely has real skills! I'm betting on Lin Feng!"

"Bet on what? Chen Feng's family-inherited Cracking Wind Palm isn't for show! I'm putting my money on Chen Feng!"

The comments beneath the post rapidly piled into a towering thread. The arguments raged without end, and its popularity soared in a straight line. Students from major martial high schools and independent Martial Artists all gathered to watch the drama, and some even started taking bets.

The news spread as though it had grown wings, and naturally reached Lin Feng, who had just finished training and was preparing to head home.

Steward Wang told him about it cautiously, even showing him the forum post.

After reading it, Lin Feng's expression did not change in the slightest, though his eyes turned faintly cold.

"Mr. Lin, this... Chen Feng has gone too far! Shall I contact the higher-ups and have the post suppressed?" Steward Wang asked tentatively. He knew how highly Director Lei regarded Lin Feng.

"No need." Lin Feng shook his head, his tone calm. "Since he wants to be a clown leaping about on a beam, I'll grant him his wish."

He took out his communicator, logged into the Martial Domain Forum—which he had registered on earlier to look up information—and directly replied beneath the explosive challenge post with three concise words:

"Accepted. You set the time and place."

There was no needless nonsense, not even the luxury of punctuation. Yet the confidence and dominance contained in those three words instantly set the entire forum ablaze!

"He's here! The man himself is here!"

"Accepted! Holy shit, that's so cool!"

"He just agreed like that? Without even a moment's hesitation?"

"Hahaha, now this is going to be a show!"

Lin Feng's response pushed the entire incident to its climax. Almost the entire Jiangnan City martial arts world turned its attention toward the duel three days later.

Over the next three days, Lin Feng's life remained as regular as ever. During the day, he trained madly in the Martial Arts Bureau's triple-gravity chamber. At night, he returned home and consumed intermediate Gene Repair Fluid to nourish his body and consolidate his realm, while repeatedly using the system's [Analysis] function to examine the possibilities of integrating the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade with the Electric Light Finger and Galloping Thunder Steps.

He made no deliberate effort to investigate Chen Feng's strength or martial techniques. Before absolute strength, every trick was futile. All he needed to do was continue growing stronger.

Meanwhile, outside discussion of the duel grew ever more intense. Someone dug up Chen Feng's detailed information: a key training prospect of Tianyao Martial High School, his family-inherited Low-grade Profound Tier martial technique Cracking Wind Palm already cultivated to minor mastery, his cultivation firmly at the peak of the early Martial Artist Realm, and extensive combat experience...

By comparison, information on Lin Feng was pitifully scarce. Aside from his astonishing mock exam performance and rumors that he possessed the "Dao Comprehension Physique," everything else was blank. That very mystery instead made even more people curious about him.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

On the day of the duel, the public arena area on the Martial Arts Bureau's second underground floor was packed to the brim. Not only had more than half the martial arts students from every school arrived, many independent Martial Artists and media reporters had also come after catching wind of the news, cramming the spectator stands so tightly that not even water could pass through. The atmosphere was as lively as a festival.

The arena was forged from special alloy and surrounded by an energy barrier, ensuring that the aftermath of the battle would not affect the audience.

Chen Feng had arrived long ago. Dressed in a well-tailored white training uniform, he stood on one side of the arena with his eyes closed, adjusting his condition. Several Tianyao students stood behind him, looking full of vigor.

"Look, Chen Feng seems really confident!"

"Of course he is. His Cracking Wind Palm isn't a joke. They say it can tear through steel!"

"Why isn't Lin Feng here yet? Don't tell me he's scared?"

Amid the crowd's whispers and eager anticipation, Lin Feng finally appeared at the entrance.

He was still dressed in that ordinary tracksuit, washed until it had faded white. His expression was calm, his steps steady, as though he had merely come for an ordinary morning workout. He seemed completely out of place amid the surrounding clamor.

His appearance immediately drew the attention of the entire venue.

"So he's Lin Feng? He looks so ordinary..."

"His aura is restrained. I can't see through him."

"What a pretentious act! Senior Brother Chen Feng will teach him how to behave soon enough!"

Ignoring the various stares and discussions, Lin Feng walked straight through the crowd, stepped onto the arena, and stood opposite Chen Feng.

The referee was a Martial Master-level staff member from the Martial Arts Bureau. After confirming that both sides were ready, he solemnly announced the rules. "Arena sparring, stop at the right point. Deliberately crippling or killing your opponent is forbidden! Surrendering, remaining down for ten seconds, or falling off the arena counts as defeat! Understood?"

"Understood." Chen Feng opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as a blade as it locked onto Lin Feng.

Lin Feng merely nodded faintly.

"Good! The match—begin!"

The instant the referee's words fell, a sharp gleam burst from Chen Feng's eyes as he struck first! His footwork was swift, like a gale sweeping over the earth, instantly closing the distance. He raised his right palm, green light curling around it as it let out a shriek that tore through the air and chopped straight toward Lin Feng's face!

"Cracking Wind Palm!"

His palm force was fierce, his momentum overwhelming! He had used his family's ultimate technique from the very first move, clearly intending to defeat Lin Feng swiftly with thunderous force and recover his lost face!

Cries of alarm rose from the stands as everyone was intimidated by Chen Feng's rapid and vicious strike.

Yet facing a palm strike capable of splitting steles and shattering stone, Lin Feng neither dodged nor retreated. He showed no sign of using any martial technique. He merely raised his right hand, spread his fingers, and lightly met that fierce palm wind.

"What is he doing? Catching a Profound Tier martial technique barehanded?"

"Is he courting death?!"

Before everyone's disbelieving eyes, Lin Feng's palm moved later yet arrived first, incomparably precise as it seized Chen Feng's wrist!

The palm wind that could tear through steel vanished the instant it touched his hand, like a clay ox entering the sea!

The cruel grin on Chen Feng's face instantly froze. He felt as if his wrist had been clamped in the jaws of a gigantic steel pincer. No matter how he urged his true qi, he could not budge it in the slightest!

"How is this possible?!" Chen Feng was horrified beyond measure!

Holding Chen Feng's wrist, Lin Feng remained expressionless. He casually pulled his arm backward, then thrust it forward!

An irresistible and boundless force erupted with a roar, like mountains toppling and seas overturning!

Chen Feng felt an utterly irresistible force travel through his arm. Like a kite with its string cut, his feet left the ground as he was forcibly flung away, tracing an arc through the air before crashing heavily onto the edge of the arena over ten meters away!

"Puh!" Sweetness rose in his throat, and he could not stop himself from spitting out a mouthful of blood. He struggled to rise, but felt as though every bone in his body had come apart and his organs were churning like rivers and seas. For a moment, he could not get up at all!

The entire venue fell dead silent!

Everyone stared with their eyes wide and mouths agape, as though they had been struck by a paralysis spell.

One move?

Again, just one move?!

He had not even used a martial technique? Just a casual fling?

Chen Feng, ninth place in the mock exam and Tianyao Martial High School's genius, had lost just like that...? Lost so cleanly, so utterly without the power to withstand a single blow?!

The referee was stunned for several seconds before recovering. He hurried over to check on Chen Feng, then announced loudly:

"Lin Feng wins!"

His voice echoed through the silent venue, exceptionally clear.

Lin Feng slowly withdrew his hand. Without even glancing at Chen Feng, who lay on the ground unable to rise with a face ashen as death, he turned and calmly walked off the arena.

Wherever he passed, the crowd automatically parted to form a path. Every gaze directed at him was filled with unprecedented shock, awe, and a trace of fear.

At that moment, no one doubted his strength any longer.

The Hidden Dragon was hidden no more.

The moment its fangs were revealed, the entire venue was already shaken.