First Battle: Heart-Mind Unity!

"You're asking for death!"

The masked assassin's eyes flashed with anger.

He hadn't even made a move yet, and this kid with the yellow hair dared to attack first. He truly didn't know the meaning of the word "death."

With a thought, he also channeled his strength to grab the incoming elbow, intending to capture it first, and then...

"Bang!"

The moment they made contact, the masked man's expression changed drastically. He felt a terrifying, highly condensed, and domineering force surge through the point of contact on his elbow.

How could he be so fierce?!

Immediately, he changed his technique, switching from capturing to using a subtle force to deflect.

But he had lost the initiative, and it was a last-minute change of strategy. He could only muster three-tenths of his formidable strength before being forced to meet Huo Yuanhong's attack, which was an all-out, life-risking strike.

The masked man let out a low grunt, as if hit by a charging warhorse. His body involuntarily retreated, and his arm felt slightly numb.

"Top Elbow Strike! Who is your master?!"

As soon as they created distance, the masked man shouted.

But...

Facing the masked man's question, Huo Yuanhong remained silent. Taking advantage of the fact that the opponent hadn't recovered, he tensed his left foot, which had just landed after charging forward. A violent force vibrated through the ground, and propelled by the phản lực from his foot and the ground, his figure erupted forward again, charging!

In an instant, he closed the two-step distance that had been created between them, once again lunging at the masked man!

At this moment, his mind was incredibly calm, with only one thought: Get down!

His master had told him that when sparring, the worst thing was to be hesitant or have a cluttered mind.

Therefore, he cast aside all distracting thoughts. He didn't think about the opponent's background or care what he said. He just wanted to beat the guy in front of him into submission!

As for anything else, if the opponent was still breathing after the fight, then they could talk slowly!

"Scoundrel!"

The masked man was shocked and enraged. In Jinmen, besides that lunatic Li Shuxing, how could there be someone so undisciplined! Wasn't he afraid of being targeted by everyone?!

Normally, shouldn't one first ascertain the background before deciding whether to fight! After all, anyone who could reach this level must have some background!

But...

First, he lost the initiative and was forced to hastily receive a full-power elbow strike, his right hand still numb.

Then, by speaking out, he lost the crucial window for a breath.

Facing Huo Yuanhong's relentless, renewed charge, even though the masked man could see seven or eight openings and conceived of more than ten counter-moves at a glance, without being able to catch his breath and with his right hand still numb, he could only grit his teeth and continue to resist the elbow strike with his left hand!

"Bang!"

The masked man felt as if a mountain was pressing down on him, his chest feeling heavy. Fortunately, his skill was deep enough, and he managed to hold on.

From now on, as long as he could create distance, catch his breath, and recover his state, he would naturally be able to easily kill this undisciplined kid with yellow hair!

His thoughts were good, but unfortunately...

"Kill!"

Huo Yuanhong stared intently at the masked man. Ignoring the burning heat in his lungs, he charged forward again. With one rise and one fall, the unique domineering force of Baji Quan within him erupted like a dormant volcano.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! ...

Elbow strike! Elbow strike! Elbow strike! Elbow strike! Elbow strike! ...

His mind was clear, and he utilized the close-quarters fighting advantage of Baji Quan to its fullest. He stayed tightly pressed against the masked man, unleashing a storm of furious elbow strikes! Every strike was aimed at a vital point, forcing the opponent to block!

One step ahead, always ahead!

The goal was to suffocate the opponent, to force the opponent to watch their openings with frustration but without the chance to act!

As long as every round was his round, then even if he hadn't practiced specialized combat techniques, and even if he had many flaws in his fighting, what did it matter?

"Madman! Madman! This is a damn madman! Even crazier than Li Shuxing!"

The masked man's face turned ashen. He roared inwardly, trying to find an opportunity to adjust his state. But under Huo Yuanhong's desperate and ferocious fighting style, he was suppressed and forced to retreat repeatedly.

He was a master at the Heart-Mind Unity stage, and an old-timer at that! Yet he was being beaten down by someone at the Manifest Strength stage who hadn't even fully mastered his fighting techniques!

Clearly, he could end the fight with a single complete burst of strength, but he didn't dare to ignore Huo Yuanhong's steady elbow strikes, nor did he dare to trade injuries with Huo Yuanhong!

He could only fight with extreme frustration, following Huo Yuanhong's rhythm, being pushed back step by step until his back hit the surrounding wall of the car shop. With nowhere left to retreat, he crashed through the wall with a loud bang and was sent flying backward!

"Hoo... hoo... hoo..."

Huo Yuanhong gasped for air, his lungs burning like fire, and his vision was red, unable to see anything.

His arms also felt a stinging pain, with wisps of insidious and troublesome energy constantly surging, difficult to expel.

"So this is Heart-Mind Unity. It's truly powerful. Whether it's physical quality, the subtlety of energy circulation, its tenacity, or its destructive power, it's far superior to mine. I can withstand so many elbow strikes without major issues..."

Huo Yuanhong knew that if he hadn't seized the initiative and used his desperate, crazy tenacity to cling to the opponent, preventing him from unleashing his true abilities, he would likely have died in the very first exchange.

No wonder most Manifest Strength practitioners were still in the middle strata, while Heart-Mind Unity, even the weakest, was qualified to ascend to high society!

"Old Ghost Luo! You have some nerve!"

In a furious voice, a tall, thin figure flashed over and exchanged over a dozen blows with the masked man. The surrounding courtyard walls and stones, brushed by the explosive force they unleashed, shattered instantly.

This Heart-Mind Unity force, with its extremely high penetrative power, was like being pierced by a crossbow bolt when striking a person – instantly fatal. It was not something Manifest Strength, known for its sheer power, could resist!

This was the true strength of a Heart-Mind Unity master. They struck people like cutting grass; even facing a foreign gun, they could strike with fists faster than a man could walk seven steps!

Seeing this, Huo Yuanhong was not only shocked but also deeply felt how wise his earlier decision to seize the initiative and relentlessly pursue had been.

If he had hesitated for even a moment, his body would now be riddled with holes from their forceful blows!

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

After they exchanged about ten rounds, the tall, thin man was clearly superior, quickly forcing the masked man to flee.

But after only a few steps, the stout figure of the carriage shop owner blocked his path. This startled the masked man, his eyelids twitching wildly as he tried to change direction.

But...

It was too late!

The carriage shop owner's gaze was icy. Force erupted from his feet, and he suddenly vanished. The ground where he had stood cracked like a spiderweb, unable to withstand the terrifying explosive force and splitting open from the sheer impact!

Whoosh!

As fast as if he had teleported, the carriage shop owner crossed a distance of five meters and appeared before the masked man, unleashing a thunderous punch!

Boom!

Even though he wasn't facing it directly, Huo Yuanhong felt as if a mountain had toppled onto him, a terrifying sense of the sky collapsing and the earth caving in, his heart pounding violently.

"Fist Intent!"

He remembered his master mentioning Fist Intent once!

No one expected that this fatty, who usually had a big belly, got out of breath after a few steps, and felt soft and weak when hitting people, would actually be a rare master of Heart-Mind Unity! And he was clearly a cut above Old Ghost Luo and the tall, thin man!

"Bang!"

Old Ghost Luo was sent flying by this cannon punch, leaving a trail of blood as he fled into the darkness and disappeared.

The carriage shop owner didn't pursue, merely looking coldly to the side. After a figure in the shadows chuckled and retreated on their own, he walked up to Huo Yuanhong.

"Thank you, young man, this time. Otherwise, if Sixth Brother and I had been caught off guard by Old Ghost Luo's assassination, we would have suffered greatly."

The carriage shop owner clasped his hands, his words filled with gratitude.

"No need for thanks, Boss. You have taken care of my father and me many times before."

Huo Yuanhong replied.

"Your father?" The carriage shop owner, this great master, was taken aback. "Who is your esteemed father?"

He didn't recall any of his old acquaintances having such a remarkable son, who at such a young age was at the peak of Manifest Strength and could even chase and beat a Heart-Mind Unity expert like Old Ghost Luo.

"My father is Huo Danian."