Madman! Madman! Madman! (Seeking Follow-ups!)

The man was built like an iron tower, his arms covered in corded muscle, his temples bulging. He was clearly a master of Fist Arts, and just standing on the stage changed the atmosphere of the entire venue.

The referee blinked, his brow furrowed, "This doesn't match the schedule!"

"Rules are dead, people are alive!"

The burly man's voice boomed like a bell, refusing to back down. His gaze shot towards Lu Jue like lightning, "Classmate Lu Jue, do you dare to accept?"

A wave of gasps erupted from the audience below.

"It's Yan Hao from Fist Arts Class One!"

"Holy crap, did he see the powerful factions get setbacks and rush to show off?"

"That's him! He just crippled several commoner players with lightning speed!"

"Don't accept! You're leading in points right now, and you'll likely get a spot if you don't accept this match. If something goes wrong after accepting, all your previous efforts will be in vain!"

"Hasn't Yan Hao reached Entering Force this year? I heard..."

"Accept it! He's practically spitting in your face!"

On stage, Lu Jue understood everything clearly.

He naturally recognized the burly young man.

Yan Hao, ranked twenty-first in his grade. His family ran a moderately sized processing plant, placing him at the bottom rung of the powerful circles. Since his first year, he had been one of the top experts in their cohort.

This person had always followed Zhao He's lead. His stepping forward now was more than obvious: he wanted to help his master while using this opportunity to step over Lu Jue to rise in status.

Avoid the fight? That was absolutely not his style!

It also went against his original intention for being here. What he sought today was no longer just an exemption spot.

The shadow of the crisis in neighboring Yunyuan City hung over him like a sword, tightening his nerves like a taut string.

Get stronger, he had to get stronger, faster!

This was no longer a pursuit, but a necessity for survival!

What he wanted to do was use these fists to violently tear open a bloody gap in this arena controlled by the children of the powerful!

To prove his worth to the Martial School, to present an "oath of allegiance" that couldn't be refused!

Only then could he truly enter the sight of the higher-ups, leverage more resources, and fight for a future for himself and for everything he needed to protect!

"Good! I accept!"

Three words, sharp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

The referee looked hesitant, wanting to persuade him further, but seeing the expectant gazes of the audience below, he could only quickly walk to the main referee in the center of the stage to quietly seek instructions.

The main referee pondered for a moment, then announced loudly:

"Since both parties are willing, let them fight!"

This decision was like a massive stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand waves.

"Holy crap! He actually accepted!?"

"Go, Lu Jue!"

"He's still not calm enough. If it were me, I wouldn't accept no matter what. Yan Hao is definitely one of the top contenders among the participants..."

Amidst the boiling discussions, Lu Jue and Yan Hao locked eyes across the distance. Their gazes collided in the air, as if sparks could fly.

This sudden duel carried far more weight than just points.

Dignity, stance, and the irreconcilable conflict between two factions.

On the stage, the fighting spirit permeated the air like a tangible substance.

Yan Hao moved!

His imposing physique erupted with agility that belied its size. He stomped his foot down, and the wooden planks of the stage let out a dull thud.

He lunged forward, his right fist like a cannonball fired from its barrel, carrying a fierce wind, aiming directly for Lu Jue's open center. This was the opening move of his signature technique, "Collapsing Mountain Fist"!

Gasps erupted from the audience below, marveling at the power of this punch.

However, facing this fierce punch, Lu Jue's reaction astonished everyone!

He didn't dodge or evade. A hint of ferocity flashed in his eyes. Instead of retracting, he pushed his chest forward, his muscles instantly tensing like iron, and he met the punch head-on with his chest!

At the same time, he threw out his right fist, at an even faster speed, directly smashing towards the opponent's exposed right rib cage from his punch!

Yan Hao could only hastily lower his left arm to block.

"Bang!"

"Pfft!"

Two dull thuds, almost simultaneous!

Yan Hao's fist landed squarely on Lu Jue's chest, while Lu Jue's heavy punch mercilessly struck Yan Hao's left arm!

"Urgh!"

Yan Hao's confident expression instantly vanished, replaced by searing pain. He felt as though his fist had struck layers of tough leather, sending a numbing shock up his wrist!

The opponent's powerful, heavy blow was even more terrifying. If he hadn't quickly used his footwork to dissipate some of the force, his left arm would likely have been broken.

Even so, the piercing pain instantly weakened half his body, bringing his attack to an abrupt halt!

Lu Jue took a punch head-on, his body only swaying slightly. A terrifying grin stretched across his lips, as if he felt no pain at all!

"Is that all the strength you have!?"

Before his voice even faded, Lu Jue gave Yan Hao no chance to breathe. His left fist slammed out again like a hammer, employing a desperate, all-out fighting style of trading blows and risking life and limb!

Yan Hao was inwardly horrified. He had never seen such a reckless fighting style!

He could only muster his strength, raising his arms to block, while retreating rapidly with his footwork, attempting to create distance.

"Bang!"

Another muffled thud. Although he blocked most of the force, the heavy impact still penetrated his body, churning his Blood Essence and making his retreating steps falter.

In just two exchanges!

He had landed one punch, but the opponent had returned two, each one more brutal than the last! He was the one at a significant disadvantage!

"Madman! Madman! Madman!"

"Damn it!"

Yan Hao cursed inwardly, his gaze becoming incredibly serious. His footwork didn't stop as he quickly created a relatively safe distance from Lu Jue, panting heavily.

Before stepping onto the stage, he had carefully analyzed the information Zhao He had provided about Lu Jue.

The information clearly stated that Lu Jue possessed terrifying strength and had cultivated some unknown Hardening Kung Fu, making his physique extraordinary.

However, in Yan Hao's original understanding, any Hardening Kung Fu accessible to a commoner with no background would at most be some widely circulated, superficial external martial art.

It would naturally seem impervious to weapons against weaker opponents, but against an elite student like himself with refined Fist Arts, it should only make him slightly more durable.

Who would have thought that the toughness of the opponent's Hardening Kung Fu, and this death-defying, trade-blows combat style, were completely beyond his expectations!

This kind of recklessness, disregarding one's own safety solely to inflict damage on the opponent, put even more psychological pressure on him than the Hardening Kung Fu itself!

The audience below was also stunned, their discussions rising and falling.

"He took Collapsing Mountain Fist head-on and still managed to hit Yan Hao back!? Did I see that right?"

"Holy crap! Is Lu Jue made of iron? He's fine after that? And he even gained an advantage?"

"This fighting style is too brutal! It's completely an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!"

Yan Hao quickly suppressed his shock and physical discomfort, forcing himself to calm down.

He realized that any physical contact with Lu Jue was extremely dangerous. The opponent didn't care about getting hurt, and any head-on clash was a poor strategy, only playing into the opponent's rhythm.

"I must change my strategy! Attack the weakest link in his defense, and don't give him a chance to trade blows!"

Yan Hao's eyes sharpened. Another crucial piece of information flashed through his mind – Li Zhanting had publicly revealed that Lu Jue's Hardening Kung Fu's "Vital Point" was located above his head!

With his mind made up, Yan Hao pushed his footwork to the limit, circling Lu Jue like a phantom.

He no longer threw punches at the body carelessly, but instead engaged in "guerrilla warfare" around him, with only Lu Jue's head as his target!

He wanted to force Lu Jue to defend, reducing his opportunities for counterattack.

Facing this overwhelming offensive, Lu Jue made an instant decision.

—He couldn't reveal that his head wasn't actually a weak point!

This was not only a trump card that could turn the tide at a critical moment, but also the best response to the person who spread this "intelligence."

With his decision made, Lu Jue's strategy became clear.

He lowered his stance, sinking his center of gravity, using stillness to counter all changes.

But his "defense" was not pure blocking; it was filled with aggression.

If something could be intercepted with his fists, he would meet it with even faster speed and greater power, using absolute force to suppress, shake off, or force back the opponent's attacks.

He even resorted to using his body to block punches and kicks aimed at his head, just to create an instant opportunity for a counterattack.

The intention of "protecting his head" and the tactic of "fierce counterattack" were perfectly combined.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Their bodies intertwined. In just over ten breaths, they had exchanged dozens of rapid blows. Each collision made the audience below hold their breath.

Yan Hao pushed his footwork to its extreme, maneuvering and dodging within a small area. Faced with every powerful punch from Lu Jue, he could always react with the most exquisite response at the last moment.

Whether it was a slight pivot of his foot, a strange twist of his waist, or a slight step back, he could dissipate a significant portion of the force.

But Lu Jue's fighting style kept him on high alert, like walking a tightrope, consuming immense stamina.

He had to finish this quickly!