Sun Ningxiang, who had been hurrying toward the platform, abruptly stopped in her tracks. She stood frozen, staring blankly at the scene above. Undried tears still marked her cheeks, but her eyes were filled with undisguised shock.
She instinctively covered her mouth as she watched the burly black bear slam into the platform's railing with an agonized howl. Its thick forelegs hung limply, clearly no longer capable of fighting.
Turning back toward the center of the platform, she saw Yang Jing standing as calmly as ever, his azure robe fluttering as though that punch had been nothing more than a casual gesture, stirring not a single ripple in him.
The stark contrast made everything feel unreal. Yet as she watched Yang Jing's steady, upright figure and heard the exclamations rising all around her, a thought quietly surfaced in her heart: Junior brother is so handsome!
The silence in the plaza was soon shattered by a surging tide of discussion. The watching disciples erupted into an uproar, pointing toward the platform.
"Heavens! How is this guy so strong? Was he born with divine strength, or did he practice some top-tier Hardening Martial Art?" an Outer-Door Disciple exclaimed, his face filled with disbelief.
Beside him, a female disciple in an azure robe stared intently at Yang Jing, her eyes shining. She declared to her companion with absolute certainty, "Within the time it takes an incense stick to burn, I want every detail about him! Only a man like that deserves to walk beside me!"
Discussion rose in waves. Yang Jing's punch had truly stunned quite a few people.
On the distant hill, Bai Bing remained as still as a mountain. Her cool expression showed not the slightest change, as though she had expected this all along.
Beside her, however, Si Jiawen raised