Fierce Battle at the City God Temple

"I've been waiting a long time for this battle... Xia Qi'an..." Wei Wuji said coldly, speaking first.

"Waiting to grovel beneath my feet again?" Xia Qi'an raised an eyebrow and sneered.

Wei Wuji's expression did not change in the slightest, but his tightly clenched fists and faintly trembling body revealed that he was already furious to the extreme.

Words were useless!

Wei Wuji suddenly stomped the ground, his body shooting toward Xia Qi'an like an arrow.

At the same time, a flash of light flickered across his body, and he radiated an astonishing aura.

Seeing this, the corners of Xia Qi'an's mouth lifted slightly, and a trace of disdain flashed through his eyes.

The two instantly clashed, their figures weaving and flashing as surging force scattered in all directions. The surrounding air seemed to be torn apart.

For a moment, the atmosphere on the field grew tense to the extreme. The two exchanged blows back and forth, neither giving an inch.

Every clash was like a raging tsunami, unleashing powerful waves of force that surged with overwhelming momentum!

Their two fists collided with pinpoint accuracy like falling stars.

The resulting sound was like the muffled boom of metal striking a bronze statue—deafening!

"Golden Bell Shield..." Wei Wuji roared, and a gigantic golden bell immediately materialized around him.

At the same time, Xia Qi'an reacted swiftly. Four incredibly mighty Vajra Arms appeared behind him.

The Vajra Arms then hammered violently against the golden bell charging toward them, their strikes coming down like a storm of wind and rain.

"Boom, boom, boom..." A rapid succession of loud bell strikes immediately rang out through the City God Temple.

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

After all, he was a martial artist who had already entered the Mid Bone Forging Realm. Not only was his qi and blood formidable, but he was also protected by the exceptionally powerful Iron Body techniques, Bronze Statue Technique and Golden Bell Shield.

On top of that, he had cultivated the Hundred Refinements Fist to the perfected realm. By all rights, he should have been able to defeat Xia Qi'an with ease.

Yet after several exchanges of blows, he had gradually begun to find Xia Qi'an's fists impossible to withstand.

On the battlefield, Xia Qi'an appeared completely at ease. Clearly, he had not yet used his full strength.

"I thought you'd put some pressure on me. I didn't expect you to be this weak." Xia Qi'an shook his head slightly and spoke disdainfully.

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

"Ah..."

Xia Qi'an's contemptuous gaze was like a sharp blade, stabbing deep into Wei Wuji's pride. The humiliation he felt was unbearable, and his emotions instantly spiraled out of control as he fell completely into madness.

Wei Wuji's rage shot into the heavens. His fists arrived together like a violent storm, carrying thunderous momentum as they slammed straight toward Xia Qi'an's face.

Xia Qi'an did not retreat either. He threw his fists forward and met force with force.

But if there had been anyone else present, they would have noticed.

Though Wei Wuji attacked like a mad demon, he never managed to make Xia Qi'an move even slightly.

In the blink of an eye, amid the clash of lightning and flint, Xia Qi'an's figure suddenly vanished into thin air.

Wei Wuji's fist struck nothing.

His heart lurched, and an ominous premonition surged into his mind.

"Not good..."

Wei Wuji cried out inwardly that something was wrong.

Then, the scorching sensation of qi and blood power coming from behind made him keenly realize it.

Xia Qi'an had already arrived silently behind him.

At that moment, Wei Wuji's momentum had yet to run its course, while his back was completely exposed before Xia Qi'an.

By the time he tried to turn around and defend himself, it was already too late.

The outcome of this breathtaking confrontation seemed to have been decided.

"Boom..."

Amid the muffled impact, Xia Qi'an's fist smashed viciously into Wei Wuji's back like a meteor!

That fist was like a mountain, carrying an aura capable of destroying heaven and earth. It made one's blood run cold.

Although a shield of qi and blood enveloped Wei Wuji's body, before Xia Qi'an's fierce fist, this seemingly impregnable defense was like paper—it collapsed at the slightest touch!

This punch was like heavenly thunder from beyond the ninth sky, carrying boundless pressure and power. It came with a roaring sonic boom that shook the ears!

"Pfft..."

Immediately afterward, a mist of blood burst from Wei Wuji's mouth like a blooming blood flower, blossoming in the air with a bewitching radiance.

At the same time, Wei Wuji let out a pained groan, as though he were enduring the most agonizing torture in the world.

"Ah..."

The power of this punch was simply too great. Wei Wuji had no way to resist, and his entire body flew backward like a kite with its string cut.

With a thunderous boom, his head slammed into the stone steps before the main hall of the City God Temple like a cannonball, instantly buried completely beneath the scattered rubble.

For a time, the entire world fell silent.

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

In the surrounding night, only the faint chirping of insects could be heard, as though recounting the breathtaking yet fleeting battle that had just taken place.

Xia Qi'an's purpose in attacking Wei Wuji was simple: he wanted to stop Wei Wuji from participating in tomorrow's Steward Examination. Making him bedridden for several months would be enough, so he had not struck with lethal force.

Otherwise, Wei Wuji would have already been dead from that punch.

Xia Qi'an stood quietly where he was, his gaze fixed on the steps Wei Wuji had shattered. He said softly, "Just lie at home and behave yourself! Your strength is far inferior to mine now. You are no longer my opponent..."

His voice was calm as water, as though he were merely stating an 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, once Xia Qi'an returned home, he hurried into the training room without stopping and began circulating his energy through breathing exercises.

He knew all too well that tomorrow's Hound Guard Steward Examination would certainly be an intensely fierce battle of attrition, with challengers taking him on one after another.

After all, he had been personally selected by Si Nanyue as the steward candidate!

That meant that tomorrow, on the arena, he would have to receive continuous challenges from numerous Hound Guard members like a defender of the ring.

In the past, these people had all been colleagues working together, and their personal relationships had been fairly harmonious.

However, once the position of Hound Guard steward was involved, many things would become unusual.

Xia Qi'an knew perfectly well that tomorrow, many Hound Guard colleagues from prominent clans would step onto the arena to challenge him.

Faced with such a situation, he had to adjust himself to his optimal condition and crush every challenger with thunderous force.

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

Through this examination, he also hoped to let the prominent clans of Jinling City see what a true martial arts genius was.

He would use his actions to make every scion of those prominent clans grovel beneath his feet.