Caught You!

In a private training room.

Tang Ning, panting, placed her long sword on the weapon rack beside her. Just as she pulled out her phone, she saw an urgent message from an "informant."

She jumped up as if electrocuted and shouted at Su Li, who was still practicing punches on a special iron post in front of her:

"This is bad! This is bad! My man is probably drunk, and he's going to challenge Li Zhanting!"

Su Li, who had just returned to the training room, was startled. She stopped punching, turned, and looked at Tang Ning with a hint of helplessness.

Her good friend Tang Ning was excellent in every way: beautiful and elegant, from an influential family, and dignified in her demeanor. She was the ideal marriage prospect for countless young men from noble families.

Of course, this was just her outward facade.

Once they were alone, Tang Ning would completely shed all pretense, becoming carefree and completely unlike a rich young lady.

Su Li pondered for a moment and calmly analyzed:

"Based on Lu Jue's past physical data, combined with his record of defeating Zhang Tie yesterday, his match against Instructor Li is not without a chance of winning.

Li Zhanting's internal force can only support at most two attacks. Theoretically, if both of those attacks miss, Lu Jue's win rate can definitely increase to thirty percent. Furthermore, Lu Jue is not an impulsive person, so this challenge must have some undisclosed reliance or a contingency plan."

"Ugh! Stop being so formal! Just tell me directly, are you going to help or not?" Tang Ning stomped her feet anxiously. Without waiting for a reply, she lunged forward, grabbed Su Li's wrist, and stormed out of the room.

The two hurried along and arrived at the training hall to find Lu Jue and Li Zhanting confronting each other in the center of the hall.

Hundreds of students sat in the audience, silent, the atmosphere tense as if frozen.

"Lu Jue, I'll ask you one last time, are you sure you want to fight me?"

Li Zhanting's voice was deep, carrying undisguised pressure.

Lu Jue did not respond verbally. He directly picked up the duel agreement drafted by the notary, quickly scanned the terms, and after confirming everything was in order, dipped his thumb in red ink and crisply pressed his fingerprint.

"Good, good, good! You brought this upon yourself!"

Li Zhanting sneered. As his voice fell, his figure shot out like an arrow released from a bowstring!

He started with a standard Basic Fist Arts move, a Straight Punch aimed directly at Lu Jue's center. The punch was concise and sharp, the power condensed and not dispersed, and the speed was astonishingly fast!

Lu Jue's eyes narrowed. Daring not to be careless, he tensed his shoulder and prepared to counter. However, he suddenly noticed that the opponent's footwork was light and his body swayed unpredictably.

His counter suddenly missed, not hitting anything solid. Instead, due to the excessive force, Li Zhanting seized the fleeting opening and struck Lu Jue's right arm muscle with lightning speed!

"Again!"

Lu Jue endured the numbness in his right arm, advancing instead of retreating. He lunged forward, attempting to disrupt the opponent's rhythm with close-quarters pressure.

"You're seeking death!"

Li Zhanting pressed his advantage, letting out a cold shout. His footwork changed again!

The footwork was light yet treacherous. It no longer moved in straight lines but instead circled Lu Jue like a phantom, shifting left and right.

Each change of direction stirred up a faint breeze, his movements so elusive that it was impossible to predict his true intentions.

He unleashed another Straight Punch from the Basic Fist Arts. However, midway through the punch, his wrist suddenly flicked, and the force instantly shifted from rigid to soft. The punch changed from a thrust to a push, skillfully hooking onto Lu Jue's blocking arm and pulling it outwards—

At the same time, the real killing blow suddenly erupted!

His left fist shot out like a viper from its hole, silently and swiftly, aiming directly for Lu Jue's abdomen, his dantian!

This move was deceptive, with a feint hiding the real attack, and the change of technique was so fast it caught people off guard.

Although Lu Jue reacted quickly, he was still half a beat too slow. Caught off guard, he was hit squarely and forced back several steps!

A gasp went through the audience. Almost everyone believed he had suffered a severe injury.

Tang Ning's heart leaped into her throat. If Su Li hadn't stopped her, she would have rushed forward.

However, only Lu Jue knew—

The moment Li Zhanting's attack touched his body, it was like a mud ox entering the sea. The incredibly tough Hundred Tough Fat Armor beneath his skin rapidly dispersed and neutralized the force. Seven or eight tenths of the ten-tenths force was already unloaded!

The remaining force that entered his body only caused his Blood Essence to churn slightly and his muscles to ache briefly before quickly returning to normal, causing no fundamental damage.

"As expected, Li Zhanting's strength is far more formidable than Zhang Tie's, but for me, it's not enough!"

Lu Jue instantly made a judgment. A subtle glint flashed in the depths of his eyes.

The reason he dared to challenge Li Zhanting head-on was precisely the absolute defense provided by the Hundred Tough Fat Armor!

Li Zhanting's punch yesterday certainly wasn't held back; he even used his force, yet it still didn't cause him much substantial damage!

He hadn't fully utilized the Hundred Tough Fat Armor's defensive capabilities yesterday, only using about thirty percent of its power.

If it weren't for the opponent's elusive and unpredictable footwork, he could have gone head-to-head with him directly!

He had to find a way to catch this slippery eel!

If Li Zhanting hit him ten times, he might not be harmed.

But as long as he could land one solid punch, he was absolutely confident he could make Li Zhanting remember it for the rest of his life!

For this reason, he deliberately held back thirty percent of his strength, just to give the opponent a surprise!

As his thoughts raced, Li Zhanting's assault rained down again like a storm.

His footwork became even more erratic, his punches and palms carried the wind, and every move targeted Lu Jue's vital points.

Bang! Crack! Thump!

Heavy impact sounds echoed endlessly.

Lu Jue's figure constantly moved around the arena, blocking, occasionally still being hit on the shoulder blades, arms, and below the ribs by those tricky attacks. He seemed to be retreating step by step, only able to defend against Li Zhanting's fierce assault, as if he would be completely defeated in the next second.

In the audience seats, discussions had already erupted.

"It's over, it's over! Lu Jue is completely getting beaten!"

"Instructor Li is too ruthless, this is a total annihilation!"

"I knew it, how could an instructor lose to a student?"

However, the more Li Zhanting fought, the more alarmed he became.

His attacks had clearly hit multiple times, and the feedback from his fists and palms landing was incredibly solid.

Yet, the opponent's body was like a thick piece of cowhide soaked in water. It seemed to be deeply indented by the immense force, on the verge of collapse, but in the next moment, it sprang back to its original shape, stubbornly holding on and refusing to be truly broken!

Seeing this, Li Zhanting's offensive unconsciously slowed down by half. His gaze was locked onto Lu Jue's "pained" face, his heart filled with uncertainty.

He knew very well that even the most sophisticated Hardening Kung Fu was never completely flawless.

They weren't perfect, continuously existing barriers. They often had imperceptible "vital points" or limits to their endurance.

Once a vital point was accurately struck, or if the force of the attack exceeded its carrying capacity, the Hardening Kung Fu would collapse instantly like a balloon pierced by a needle, revealing its true form.

"Damn it! What kind of evil Hardening Kung Fu is this guy practicing? After taking so many heavy blows, he should have been completely broken through by now!"

A flicker of struggle flashed in Li Zhanting's eyes, but it was immediately replaced by deeper ruthlessness.

He couldn't continue like this!

Under everyone's watchful eyes, he had the upper hand but couldn't finish the fight, even feeling a sense of humiliation, as if he were being used as a whetstone by the opponent.

Every second he delayed, his authority as an instructor diminished by one point!

Aside from that Crimson Blood Pill, the pure force he had been cultivating in his dantian had not yet been used.

His original plan was to first wear down the opponent with conventional attacks, break through his Hardening Kung Fu, and then use this indestructible force to deliver a fatal blow to Lu Jue!

Not only would he defeat him on the spot, but he would also thoroughly cripple his meridians and foundation. Even if he could be cured later, he would be left with indelible sequelae, rendering any further progress impossible!

But at this moment, the impatience from the prolonged inability to finish the fight gradually overwhelmed his patience. What he needed was a crushing, overwhelming victory, not a war of attrition!

Therefore, he seized a tiny opening that Lu Jue seemed to expose after a series of blocks. The Blood Essence in his body surged, and the sharp force he had meticulously cultivated surged out unreservedly along his arm's meridians!

"This is the price for daring to challenge me!"

Li Zhanting grinned sinisterly, his right fist, infused with force, carrying the momentum to tear everything apart, landed squarely in the center of Lu Jue's chest!

He seemed to have already heard the pleasant sound of bones shattering!

However—

The expected scene of utter destruction did not appear!

The instant Lu Jue was hit, his feet sank down as if rooted, forcefully grinding the soles of his shoes an inch into the hard floor tiles!

The enormous impact force was forcibly channeled into the ground in this most brutal manner, and he stood firm like a mountain!

At the same time, a hand as cold as an iron clamp had already firmly gripped Li Zhanting's right arm, which he hadn't had time to retract due to exhaustion!

The sinister grin on Li Zhanting's face instantly froze, transforming into extreme horror.

He abruptly looked up, meeting a pair of eyes that were bone-chillingly cold.

The corner of Lu Jue's mouth curved into a grim smile, and he slowly uttered a few words:

"Finally got you!"