The strength of the Six-Inch Punch lay in the fact that no one knew whether he truly intended to strike from six inches away.
In a life-and-death struggle below the Human Immortal realm, experts only guarded against force being expelled through the air when their opponent was within one or two inches of their body. But if the incoming strike was still six inches away, an expert's first choice would definitely be to ignore defense for the moment, gather all their power, and attack their opponent at full speed. As long as they could kill the opponent before that fist entered the two-inch range, that was enough!
A clash between experts was an incomparably precise calculation, like walking a tightrope. A misjudgment of half an inch could leave one's life hanging by a thread, while a misjudgment of four or five inches meant certain death!
There were far too many vulnerable parts on the human body—the head, throat, heart... Even if the power of striking an enemy through the air was greatly reduced, it could still inflict fatal injuries when there was no raised hand to block it!
An expert being able to punch through a steel plate did not mean their own body could withstand a punch that shattered steel. Apart from the toughest bones, none of their other parts were harder than an iron plate. If they did not seriously channel force to deflect the blow and relied solely on their body's natural resistance, they could be beaten to death by someone several realms below them.
Whether he truly meant to strike through the air from six inches away or was merely feinting, his opponent would have to adjust their combat method and defend as though it were a six-inch strike. Fail to defend, and they would die!