Instantly Defeating Two Enemies, Zhuqing's Heart Stirred

"Watch carefully. I'll only demonstrate this once."

Yang Yu's calm, unruffled voice was like a stone cast into a deep pool, clearly cutting through the killing intent and clamor filling the Training Ground and landing precisely in Zhu Zhuqing's ears.

Zhu Zhuqing's icy pupils suddenly contracted! Her long lashes trembled slightly like startled butterfly wings. For the first time, those deep eyes, like ten-thousand-year-old cold pools, clearly reflected the black figure standing at the center of the field, still straight as a pine despite facing two powerful enemies. He... was talking to me? Demonstrate? Demonstrate what?

An indescribable sense of absurdity, along with a faint flutter she had not even noticed herself, as though she had been forcibly pulled onto some path, instantly seized her heart.

However, Dai Mubai and Tang San took this act of ignoring them as the greatest insult!

"You arrogant little bastard! You still dare lose focus when death is at hand?!" Dai Mubai's eyes turned bloodshot. Like an enraged mad tiger, his third spirit ring blazed purple! "Third Soul Skill! White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"

Boom! His body swelled once more, his muscles knotted and bulged like dark-gold rocks, while his skin gleamed with a metallic luster! A violent, savage aura shot into the sky! He stomped forward, cracking the hard ground into a web of fissures! His fists were like two heavy hammers, carrying terrifying force that tore through the air as they smashed viciously toward Yang Yu's head! This time, he held nothing back, determined to crush the Holy Son who had humiliated him time and again into pulp!

Almost the instant Dai Mubai moved, a vicious glint flashed through Tang San's eyes! He knew a frontal assault would be difficult to succeed with. He had to rely on speed and skill! Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track activated instantly! His figure dragged out a string of blurry afterimages like a ghost, circling behind Yang Yu in an instant! His Mysterious Jade Hand glowed with a cold jade light, and three Bone-Piercing Nails coated in deadly poison shot from his fingertips like venomous snakes striking, silently flying toward Yang Yu's nape, waist, and knee! The angles were tricky, ruthless, and lethal! It was precisely the Tang Sect Hidden Weapon technique—Hidden Sand Shooting Shadow!

One in front, one behind! One overt, one covert! The full-force combined attack of two powerful enemies! Violent fist force tore through the air! Sinister hidden weapons arrived without a sound! Every avenue of escape had been sealed off! Terrifying killing intent instantly engulfed Yang Yu completely!

"Brother Yu!" Ning Rongrong screamed in fright, her little face pale as paper! She might dislike Yang Yu, but she was even more afraid that he would be beaten to death on the spot!

Xiao Wu covered her eyes, not daring to look any longer. Zhu Zhuqing's cold gaze remained locked onto the battlefield, her slender fingers unconsciously clenching the hem of her clothes.

Teacher Rosen held his breath as well, ready to intervene at any moment! He had not expected Dai Mubai and Tang San to open with such vicious killing moves!

Just as the violent fist force capable of shattering stone tablets was about to smash into Yang Yu's head, and the poisoned hidden weapons were about to pierce the back of his neck!

Yang Yu moved!

Buzz! His first spirit ring, deep as a purple crystal, suddenly erupted with dazzling light!

"Void Nether!"

Yang Yu's figure instantly blurred where he stood, like a reflection cast into water! The next moment, he appeared out of thin air like a ghost three meters to Dai Mubai's left! Dai Mubai's certain-to-hit fists smashed viciously into empty space! The violent fist force blasted a huge crater into the ground, sending dust and debris everywhere! The tremendous recoil made his chest tighten!

"What?!" Dai Mubai's attack missed, and his eyes filled with disbelief! That strange Instant Movement again?!

"Stagnate!"

Yang Yu's cold voice was like a death god's proclamation! He pressed his left hand through the air toward Dai Mubai!

Buzz! An invisible fluctuation carrying the power of spatial confinement instantly enveloped the one-meter area around Dai Mubai!

Dai Mubai felt his body suddenly sink! It was as though he had been instantly cast into solidified cement! The air became incomparably viscous and heavy! His body, which had leaned forward due to his missed attack, and the surging Soul Power within him were forcibly slowed and frozen at that moment! Like a vajra statue whose pause button had been pressed, he remained locked in the posture of smashing both fists into the ground. He could not even move his eyes! Only the extreme terror and fear in his gaze continued to spread wildly!

Spatial confinement! One breath!

The instant Dai Mubai was restrained, Yang Yu did not pause in the slightest! It was as though he had predicted everything in advance! As he cast the spatial confinement, his right foot stomped the ground, and his body shot toward Tang San like a hunting leopard. Tang San's sneak attack from the side and rear had missed, and he had yet to regain his footing!

Fast! Fast as lightning! He did not use a soul skill. It was simply the extreme speed unleashed by his powerful, tempered body! In everyone's eyes, they saw only a blurry black shadow tearing through the air!

Tang San's pupils shrank sharply! He had just fired his hidden weapons, and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track had expended its old momentum before its new momentum could rise. This was his most vulnerable moment! He had never expected Yang Yu to dodge Dai Mubai's attack with Instant Movement, confine Dai Mubai, and still pinpoint his position so accurately and counterattack with such ferocity! That speed was beyond the limits of his reaction!

"Mysterious Jade..." Tang San only had time to cross his Mysterious Jade Hand before his chest in an attempt to block!

Bang!!! A muffled blast, like striking beaten leather, rang out!

Yang Yu's fist, wrapped in a faint, nearly invisible layer of the Power of Time—not a soul skill, but the innate enhancement of his martial soul—struck later yet arrived first, smashing fiercely into Tang San's crossed arms!

Crack! The bone-splitting sound that made teeth ache rang out clearly!

"Argh—!" Tang San let out a miserable scream! He felt as though his arms had been struck by a ten-thousand-pound hammer! The glow of Mysterious Jade Hand instantly dimmed! Piercing pain exploded from his bones! His entire body was sent flying like he had been hit by a charging rhinoceros, his feet leaving the ground as he flew backward like a kite with a severed string! Blood was already spraying from his mouth while he was still in the air!

Boom! Tang San's body crashed heavily onto the bluestone ground more than ten meters away, rolling several times before stopping! He curled up, his arms twisted unnaturally as he coughed up blood mouthful after mouthful. His eyes were unfocused, full of agony and disbelieving horror! Just one punch had crippled both his arms! That strength... that speed... how was this possible?!

All of this sounded lengthy, but it had happened in the blink of an eye!

From Dai Mubai and Tang San launching their attacks, to Yang Yu using Instant Movement to evade, confining Dai Mubai with space, then sending Tang San flying with a single punch of pure physical power... the entire sequence flowed as smoothly as water, so fast it dazzled the eye!

By the time Tang San crashed to the ground like a broken sack and groaned in pain, Yang Yu's spatial confinement on Dai Mubai had only just ended!

Thud! Dai Mubai's body loosened, and he staggered forward, nearly falling flat on his face! He steadied himself awkwardly, looking at Tang San in the distance, coughing blood and twitching, then at Yang Yu ahead, who slowly withdrew his fist and breathed as steadily as though he had done nothing. A bone-deep chill surged from the soles of Dai Mubai's feet straight to the top of his head! Fear! Unprecedented fear wrapped tightly around his heart like an icy venomous snake!

This monster! He was not human at all!

"You... you..." Dai Mubai's voice trembled violently with extreme terror. Pointing at Yang Yu, his legs weakened uncontrollably. The strength he had been so proud of was like paper before Yang Yu's unimaginable spatial abilities and terrifying speed and power! Even that sinister bastard Tang San had been crippled with one punch! What could he possibly use to fight?!

"Third Soul Skill! White Tiger—" Dai Mubai roared fiercely despite his inner weakness, trying to activate White Tiger Vajra Transformation again to bolster his courage.

However, just as his spirit ring began to glow—

Buzz! An invisible, vast Dragon Might that arose from the deepest depths of the soul and stood above all things descended with a crash, like an ancient beast opening its eyes from slumber! This time, its target was precisely Dai Mubai! It carried supreme majesty and absolute suppression originating from the Martial Soul Origin!

Roar—!!!

That soundless yet soul-shattering majestic dragon roar struck viciously into Dai Mubai's Sea of Consciousness once more!

"Argh—!!!"

Dai Mubai felt as though an invisible giant hammer had smashed hard into his skull! The Soul Power he had just gathered instantly dispersed! His Evil-Eyed White Tiger martial soul let out a miserable wail! His vision went black, and his mind turned blank! Overwhelming fear drowned him completely like freezing floodwaters! He could no longer endure it. His knees gave out, and with a thud, he fell heavily to his knees again! Both hands clutched his head tightly as he let out an even more miserable, agonized howl than before! Snot, tears, and saliva smeared across his face, while his body shook violently like a sieve. He looked like a mangy dog whose spine had been completely shattered!

The entire Training Ground fell deathly silent! A needle dropping would have been audible!

Only Dai Mubai's heart-rending howls and Tang San's pained groans echoed through the Training Ground.

Every student, including Teacher Rosen, seemed to have been immobilized! They stared dumbfoundedly at the bizarre and shocking sight in the field!

Two powerful enemies had joined forces. One had been sent flying with a punch, both arms ruined! The other had been frightened into kneeling and howling by an invisible "sorcery"!

And the one responsible, the Black-Clad Boy wearing a gray-white academy uniform, still stood there calmly. The deep-purple spirit ring beneath his feet slowly rotated, his aura steady, as though he had merely swatted away two flies!

Ning Rongrong's little mouth hung open, her sapphire-like eyes wide and round as her small hands tightly covered her mouth. Her heart pounded wildly! She had known Yang Yu was strong, but witnessing this crushing domination firsthand left her mind completely blank from the visual and spiritual impact! Brother Yu... he... he's even stronger than the Titled Douluo Father talked about?!

Xiao Wu watched Tang San's suffering with pain and fear in her eyes, her body trembling slightly.

Zhu Zhuqing... Her icy eyes were fixed tightly on that calm figure in the field, while unprecedented turbulent waves rose in the depths of her profound pupils! Instant Movement... spatial confinement... unimaginable speed and strength... and that terrifying pressure which silently intimidated the soul and made even the Evil-Eyed White Tiger collapse instantly...

All of it was like the most violent hurricane, brutally battering her established understanding! It crushed the pitiful pride and strength of the Star Luo Empire's royal heirs into dust!

Her gaze involuntarily swept over Dai Mubai, who knelt on the ground, howling and trembling like a lump of mud. That man was her fiancé in name, the Evil-Eyed White Tiger that represented the greatest fighting strength of Star Luo Empire's younger generation... Yet now, he was like a mongrel scared out of its wits! So pathetic! So ugly!

An indescribable disappointment and chill swept through Zhu Zhuqing's entire body like the deepest cold current! The person she had to follow for her family's mission, for the sake of breaking free from the shackles of fate... was this kind of trash?!

The stark contrast was like the sharpest chisel, viciously carving a tiny crack into the frozen lake of her heart!

Yang Yu... this mysterious and powerful boy, who controlled unimaginable strength... He had just said, "Watch carefully"... Was that directed at her? Why did he want her to watch? What did he want to demonstrate to her?

A ripple unlike anything she had ever felt before, called curiosity and inquiry, quietly spread across the depths of Zhu Zhuqing's frozen heart.

Yang Yu ignored Dai Mubai's howls and Tang San's pained groans. He slowly turned around, his calm gaze falling upon the black figure standing like an iceberg at the edge of the spectator stands.

Their eyes met!

Zhu Zhuqing's cold eyes trembled slightly. Instinctively, she wanted to look away, but some inexplicable force made her endure it instead, keeping her from avoiding that calm gaze that seemed capable of seeing through everything.

The corner of Yang Yu's mouth lifted into an extremely faint but meaningful curve. His lips moved soundlessly, forming two words that could only be read from their shape:

"How was that?"

Zhu Zhuqing's heart felt as though an invisible hand had clenched it hard! She understood those two words! An indescribable flutter and panic surged into her heart at once! She abruptly lowered her head, her long lashes trembling intensely as they concealed the complex emotions roiling in her eyes. A faint, nearly imperceptible blush quietly stained her cold, fair earlobes.

Teacher Rosen finally recovered from his extreme shock. Looking at the wreckage across the field, Dai Mubai kneeling and howling, Tang San coughing blood with twisted arms, while Yang Yu, the one responsible, stood there like nothing had happened, he felt his scalp go numb!

"Stop... stop! Quickly! Save them!" Even Rosen's voice had changed pitch. He hurriedly called for several bolder students to rush forward and, with much scrambling, carry Dai Mubai and Tang San away. Dai Mubai still twitched and howled unconsciously, while Tang San was in so much pain that he was nearly passing out.

The entire Training Ground was in chaos. The students looked at Yang Yu with awe, fear, and an almost fanatical disbelief! Too strong! So strong that it exceeded the limits of their understanding!

Yang Yu ignored every gaze and walked toward the edge of the field. Ning Rongrong immediately bounced to his side like a startled rabbit, tightly gripping his sleeve with her little hand as though that was the only way she could find a little sense of safety. Her eyes were full of lingering fear and near-blind worship.

"Brother Yu... y-you... are you all right?" Ning Rongrong's voice trembled slightly.

"I'm fine," Yang Yu said flatly. "Let's go."

With Ning Rongrong following closely behind him, he passed through the path that the crowd automatically opened and left the chaotic Training Ground. From beginning to end, he did not look in Zhu Zhuqing's direction again.

Yet Zhu Zhuqing's cold gaze seemed drawn by a magnet, uncontrollably following that straight, calm black silhouette until he disappeared through the Training Ground entrance.

Her heart was in turmoil.

Back in the dormitory building, Ning Rongrong sat on her little bed with her knees hugged to her chest. Her face was still somewhat pale, clearly not yet fully recovered from the shock.

"Brother Yu..." She hesitated before quietly speaking. "You... what you did to Sister Zhu Zhuqing just now..."

"Don't ask what you shouldn't," Yang Yu interrupted, his voice without any fluctuation. "Meditate and cultivate by yourself tonight. Draw out the Soul Power circulation route, and I'll check it tomorrow."

"Oh..." Ning Rongrong pouted in grievance, not daring to say more.

Yang Yu returned to his room and closed the door. He walked to the window and looked at Nuoding City gradually sinking into dusk, his gaze deep.

The first step of intimidation had been completed. Dai Mubai's disgraceful display and Tang San's miserable state had both clearly entered Zhu Zhuqing's eyes. The Star Luo Empire heir's incompetence, along with the immense gap between it and her expectations, was precisely the best leverage to pry open her defenses.

Next... he needed to give her a reason she could not refuse.

With a flip of his wrist, an unremarkable gray metal card appeared in his palm. Yue Guan had given it to him. It was a small, short-range Soul Guidance Communication device.

He injected a thread of Soul Power into it, and a faint white glow lit up across the card's surface.

"Elder Ghost," Yang Yu said quietly into the card. "Your subordinate is here." Gui Mei's hoarse, dry voice immediately came from the card, like a whisper beside his ear. "Look into Zhu Zhuqing's betrothal match in Star Luo Empire. Where is that so-called fiancé of hers, Dai Weisi, now? What kind of guards does he have around him?" "Yes." Gui Mei did not hesitate in the slightest. "Also," a cold glint flashed through Yang Yu's eyes, "help me deliver a 'grand gift' to Star Luo Empire..."