Fierce Battle at the City God Temple

"I've been waiting for this match for a long time... Xia Qi'an..." Wei Wuji spoke with a cold tone, initiating the confrontation.

"Waiting to crawl at my feet again?" Xia Qi'an raised an eyebrow, sneering.

Hearing this, Wei Wuji's expression remained unchanged, but the clenching of his fists and the slight trembling of his body revealed that he was inwardly furious.

Words were useless!

Wei Wuji stomped his foot, and his body shot towards Xia Qi'an like an arrow.

At the same time, a flash of light emanated from him, releasing an astonishing aura.

Seeing this, Xia Qi'an's lips curved slightly, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.

The two instantly engaged in a fierce battle, clashing and weaving, their energies erupting and tearing through the surrounding air.

For a moment, the atmosphere became incredibly tense, with both sides fighting back and forth, refusing to yield.

Each clash was like a surging tide, a powerful wave of energy!

Their fists collided like meteors, striking with pinpoint accuracy.

The impact produced a dull, deafening sound, like bronze striking stone!

"Golden Bell Shield..." Wei Wuji roared, and a massive golden bell materialized from his body.

Simultaneously, Xia Qi'an reacted swiftly, and four incredibly powerful Vajra Arms appeared behind him.

These Vajra Arms then began to strike the oncoming golden bell with the ferocity of a storm.

"Dong dong dong..." A series of rapid, resonant bell tolls immediately filled the City God Temple.

As the battle continued, Wei Wuji felt increasingly shocked and uneasy.

He was a martial artist who had already reached the Mid Bone Forging Realm. Not only was his Blood Essence potent, but he also possessed the formidable Iron Body techniques of the Bronze Statue Technique and the Golden Bell Shield for defense.

Coupled with his Hundred Refinements Fist, which had been cultivated to the Grandmaster level, he should have been able to defeat Xia Qi'an with ease.

Yet, after several exchanges, he was already struggling to withstand Xia Qi'an's punches.

In the arena, Xia Qi'an appeared to be fighting effortlessly, clearly not using his full strength.

"I thought you'd give me some pressure, but this is it?" Xia Qi'an said with a dismissive shake of his head.

"Xia Qi'an... only one of us will walk out of here today..."

"Ah..."

Xia Qi'an's disdainful gaze was like a sharp blade, deeply wounding Wei Wuji's pride. He felt immense humiliation, lost control of his emotions, and descended into a state of frenzy.

Wei Wuji's hair stood on end, and his fists rained down like a storm, striking towards Xia Qi'an's face with the force of thunder.

Xia Qi'an did not back down either, meeting the attack head-on with his own fist.

However, if an observer were present, they would have noticed.

Wei Wuji's frenzied attacks had not caused Xia Qi'an to move even an inch.

In a flash, between sparks of lightning and fire, Xia Qi'an's figure suddenly vanished into thin air.

Wei Wuji's punch missed.

His heart lurched, and a sense of foreboding washed over him.

"Not good..."

Wei Wuji inwardly cursed his misfortune.

Then, the searing sensation of Bloodline Power from behind him made him keenly aware.

Xia Qi'an had silently appeared behind him.

At this moment, Wei Wuji's momentum had not yet dissipated, and his back was completely exposed to Xia Qi'an.

It was already too late to turn and defend.

The outcome of this thrilling duel seemed to be decided.

"Dong..."

With a dull thud, Xia Qi'an's fist slammed into Wei Wuji's back like a meteor!

The fist was like a mountain, carrying an aura of world-ending destruction, chilling one to the bone.

Although Wei Wuji was enveloped in a protective barrier condensed from Blood Essence, in front of Xia Qi'an's fierce fist, this seemingly impenetrable defense was as fragile as paper!

This punch was like lightning from the heavens, carrying immense pressure and power, accompanied by a deafening sonic boom!

"Pfft..."

Immediately after, a mist of blood erupted from Wei Wuji's mouth, blooming like a scarlet flower in the air, emitting a mesmerizing glow.

Concurrently, Wei Wuji let out a groan of pain, as if enduring the most brutal torment in the world.

"Ah..."

The power of this punch was simply too immense for Wei Wuji to resist. He was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string.

With a loud "boom," his head, like a cannonball, smashed heavily into the stone steps in front of the City God Temple's main hall, instantly buried by the surrounding debris.

For a moment, the entire world fell silent.

After Wei Wuji crashed into the stone steps, a deathly silence descended upon the City God Temple.

In the surrounding night, only the faint chirping of insects could be heard, as if lamenting the thrilling yet brief battle that had just concluded.

Xia Qi'an's purpose in attacking Wei Wuji was simple: to prevent him from participating in tomorrow's Steward Examination. He only intended to keep Wei Wuji bedridden for months, thus he didn't deliver a fatal blow.

Otherwise, with that punch just now, Wei Wuji would have been dead.

Xia Qi'an stood still, his gaze fixed on the steps shattered by Wei Wuji, and said softly, "Just lie at home honestly! Your current strength is far from mine, and you are no longer my match..."

His voice was as calm as water, as if stating the most obvious fact.

With that, Xia Qi'an turned and slowly walked out of the City God Temple, disappearing into the night of Jinling City.

Afterward, Xia Qi'an returned home and immediately went to the training room, beginning his cultivation.

Because he knew very well that tomorrow's Hound Guard Steward Examination would undoubtedly be an incredibly intense series of battles.

After all, he was the candidate personally appointed by Si Nanyue!

This meant that tomorrow, on the arena, he would have to act as a defender, facing continuous challenges from numerous Hound Guards.

In the past, these people were colleagues, and their personal relationships were quite harmonious.

However, once the position of Hound Guard Steward was involved, many things would change.

Xia Qi'an knew clearly that many fellow Hound Guards from prominent families would surely step onto the stage to challenge him tomorrow.

Facing such a situation, he had to adjust himself to his peak state and crush all challengers with thunderous force.

For Xia Qi'an, this examination was not only an opportunity to prove his strength but also an excellent chance to establish his prestige and make a name for himself within the Wei Dao Si.

Through this examination, he also hoped to show those prominent families in Jinling City what true martial arts genius looked like.

He wanted to use practical actions to make all those scions of noble families grovel at his feet.