One Punch! One Kick!

Dongyang Gathering, atop the terrace.

Zhang Lingshan stood proudly, looking into the distance, where he saw a mighty procession approaching.

Feng Zai, Old Fourth—every lackey or leader from Three Rivers Gambling House whom Zhang Lingshan had ever seen was present.

They all crowded around a burly young man with a cold, stern face.

It was none other than Chen Hui, the Gambling House Master of Three Rivers Gambling House!

A man's name was like a tree's shadow.

When Chen Hui strode into the crowd, the surrounding spectators immediately and voluntarily made way for him. None dared slight him in the least, afraid they might offend him.

Chen Hui strode toward the terrace, then leaped into the air and landed steadily opposite Zhang Lingshan.

He did not recognize Zhang Lingshan as Shi Lei's former junior brother who had tagged along at his side. Gazing at him calmly, he said, "You're the one challenging me?"

Zhang Lingshan did not answer his question. He simply said, "Come on. Stop talking nonsense."

"Good!"

Chen Hui let out a great shout. His legs bent slightly, his center of gravity sank, and he pushed his arms forward together before curling his fingers in invitation. "Come. Hit me."

Whoosh!

Zhang Lingshan stomped hard against the ground and pounced like a tiger.

Blood Thread spread across the backs of his hands and finger bones at a rate visible to the naked eye. Power erupted from his fists, with what seemed to be heat steaming off them.

Bang!

His fists collided solidly with Chen Hui's arms.

Thud, thud, thud.

Both men retreated three steps.

Zhang Lingshan was secretly startled. This fellow's arms are as hard as iron. Just as Senior Sister said, Iron Arms uses special medicinal broth to temper the arms, and its defensive strength is considered the pinnacle of Skin Grinding. I only struck him with thirty percent of my strength, yet he still forced me back.

What he did not know was that Chen Hui was even more shocked!

This kid's strength is so heavy. What did he eat growing up? Just one punch, and my arms are already aching. I can't meet him head-on. I need to use clever force to deflect his power, then defend and counterattack.

After that probing exchange, Chen Hui immediately settled on a battle strategy.

His feet stood neither square nor splayed, his knees bent as he crouched even lower. Bringing his arms together again, he pushed them forward. "Come. Hit me."

"Heh."

Zhang Lingshan was amused by how Chen Hui repeatedly begged to be hit. Red Thread Fist surged forth once more with sixty percent of his strength, while beneath his feet he used Gale Wind Step, borrowing the subtle force of his footwork to add momentum to his punch.

Bang!

The punch landed, and Chen Hui's expression changed drastically. "You!"

No matter what, he had never expected the other man's strength to suddenly increase so much.

This kid had been hiding his true ability just now!

But they were both Copper Hide cultivators. Why could Zhang Lingshan unleash such terrifying strength, enough to double it outright? It was simply incomprehensible.

Originally, Chen Hui had planned to angle his arms aside and dissolve Zhang Lingshan's fist force, then use the driving momentum from a stomp of his legs to swing an arm upward and strike Zhang Lingshan's chin.

Then he would launch a series of attacks with the force of mountains collapsing and seas overturning, taking Zhang Lingshan down in one fell swoop.

But Zhang Lingshan's suddenly surging strength caught him completely off guard. Panic-stricken, he fell into a disadvantage at once and was forced back step by step.

In the blink of an eye, Zhang Lingshan was about to force him to the edge of the terrace.

Hearing the discussions from below, Chen Hui felt deeply humiliated. His face flushed red in an instant as he roared, "Get lost!"

Bang!

His arms abruptly swelled, and a bluish gleam spread across his skin. His arms pressed together like a Bronze Shield, firmly blocking Zhang Lingshan's fist.

"Hiss."

Zhang Lingshan sucked in a cold breath. It felt as though he had punched a wall of bronze and iron. The impact sent a sharp ache through his knuckles, giving him the same feeling as when he had taken a blow head-on from the Demon Rabbit.

But times were different now.

When he had faced the Demon Rabbit before, a single strike had left him weakened and powerless.

Now, his strength was no longer what it had once been. Though it hurt, he recovered quickly. He hurriedly leaned backward, thrust out his right leg, and stomped down hard.

Whoosh!

He retreated with lightning speed, intending to widen the distance between himself and Chen Hui.

But while he was fast, Chen Hui was not slow either.

His opponent also possessed movement arts and followed closely behind. At the same time, he swung his arms in wide arcs, every strike aimed at Zhang Lingshan's neck, head, and shoulders.

Unable to evade in time, Zhang Lingshan could only forcefully intercept with his fists, or switch to Blood Claw Hand to grab Chen Hui's arms and jab at his wrists.

But the results were less than ideal.

This fellow's arms seem like they've been drugged. Blood Claw Hand is useless against him.

Zhang Lingshan thought to himself. Chen Hui had definitely studied Blood Claw Hand beforehand, just as Zhang Lingshan had learned about Iron Arms from Senior Sister. He had specifically prepared countermeasures.

Besides that, every one of Chen Hui's moves avoided Zhang Lingshan's torso. It was obvious that he knew Zhang Lingshan wore inner armor.

With Blood Claw Hand ineffective and the inner armor unable to come into play, Zhang Lingshan could only use Gale Wind Leg and Red Thread Fist to circle around Chen Hui.

Zhang Lingshan refused to believe that Chen Hui's blue arms could stay like this forever.

Though every hard clash sent backlash through his fists and made his knuckles ache, Chen Hui could not possibly be feeling much better.

With my current strength, if I burst out with everything I have, I could definitely break Chen Hui's arms. But in full view of everyone, there's no need to expose so much.

Zhang Lingshan silently weighed the matter and made the choice most beneficial to himself.

Rather than reveal too much and draw attention, it was better to drag things out and use Chen Hui as a whetstone, honing the combat techniques of Red Thread Fist and Gale Wind Leg along the way.

Moreover, Chen Hui was currently in Berserk State. If Zhang Lingshan fought him head-on, even if he won, the backlash would injure him. That would be exceedingly unwise.

So Zhang Lingshan shifted to using Gale Wind Leg primarily for evasion, only exchanging a punch with Chen Hui when he had nowhere left to dodge.

Damn it! This kid has cultivated leg techniques too and refuses to fight me head-on. But I can't maintain this state for long. It seems I can only...

Chen Hui hardened his heart.

He had thought that, after countless battles and having fought his way through bloodshed, he was a powerhouse forged in combat. Facing a cultivation genius like Zhang Lingshan should have been a sure thing.

Yet reality had dealt him a crushing blow.

Fortunately, he had prepared beforehand.

Since he had misjudged the opponent's strength and could not kill him openly and honorably, then he could only...

His left hand suddenly reached into his robes. Then, with a swish, he flung out a handful of white powder toward Zhang Lingshan.

At the same time, his right hand swept across his waist, and a sharp glint flashed beneath the sunlight.

"Shameless!"

Hong Wenjuan and the other disciples of Hong Clan Martial Hall cried out in anger.

"Using lime powder—what a vile, lowly trick."

"And he's even using a weapon. He'll stop at nothing."

"As expected of the Great River Gang."

The surrounding spectators shook their heads in disdain at Chen Hui's actions.

Others sneered. Since they knew he came from the Great River Gang, weren't underhanded tricks simply standard practice for gang members? What was there to make such a fuss over?

If Zhang Lingshan died because of this, he could only blame his own stupidity. He had no one else to resent.

"Hahaha! Who says weapons can't be used? As long as I can win, I'm the victor! This battle is mine!"

Chen Hui grinned viciously, ignoring the crowd's abuse. Dagger in hand, he rushed in close, intending to slit Zhang Lingshan's throat.

But at that moment, he saw a blood-red fist hurtling toward his face. Alarmed, he hurriedly leaned back to evade while raising the Small Knife in his right hand.

Yet in the end, he was still a step too slow. Before he could strike, the fist seemed to transform into an axe, its blunt back smashing through the air as it crashed toward his face.

Bang!

Chen Hui's nasal bone shattered instantly, and his cheek caved in with it.

The enormous force drove downward, smashing Chen Hui's upper body backward.

His entire body folded into a Weird posture. Then, with a thud, he collapsed onto the terrace.

Time seemed to freeze at that instant.

Aside from the powerful experts watching from the upper floors, none of the spectators beneath the terrace could understand what had just happened.

Had Chen Hui not succeeded in his sneak attack? Why was he the one who had fallen?

At Clear Breeze Inn.

Song Lian glanced at Zhao Qing and said, "Brother Qing, Zhang Lingshan won. His final move was incredibly fast. In an instant, he broke through the lime powder Chen Hui had scattered. His timing was flawless, and his fist came down like a hammer—heavy and powerful. Is that one of your Red Thread Fist moves?"

"No!"

Zhao Qing's face darkened as he snorted. "I knew that old bastard Hong Zhengdao had hidden something up his sleeve. I just didn't expect him to teach it to this kid so quickly. He didn't treat me sincerely, yet he still expects my unwavering loyalty?"

Seeing the resentment on Zhao Qing's face, Song Lian said nothing and remained silent, lest she provoke his displeasure.

Elsewhere, at Tripod Fragrance Teahouse.

Feng Shaolong stared at the terrace in disbelief, then looked at his father and cried, "Father! Zhang Lingshan won! Incredible! How did he know the other man would throw lime powder? He actually seized that moment to burst forth and win with one blow! Amazing! As expected of the man Father has his eye on."

Feng Ji smiled faintly. "You may be a disciple of Hong Clan Martial Hall, but you do not understand Hong Zhengdao. That old man has been through far too much. With age comes cunning; if he merely gives Zhang Lingshan a few pointers, Zhang Lingshan can benefit endlessly. I expected him to win with one blow."

Feng Shaolong secretly curled his lip.

I just saw shock on your face, and now you're saying it was all within your expectations. What a master of hindsight.

Still, for his father's sake, he cooperatively praised, "As expected of Father—perceptive in every detail, strategizing from afar, with eyes bright as torches!"

"Get lost!"

Feng Ji laughed as he scolded him.

He was in an exceptionally good mood today. Usually stern and sparing with words, he could not suppress the smile at the corners of his mouth now.

Next, as long as he recruited Zhang Lingshan into the Hunting Squad, their Hunting Squad would truly take shape.

Afterward, when they went hunting, they might not be invincible, but at the very least, they would return with full loads every time!

At that moment, Feng Ji raised his wine cup to his lips, already considering how to secretly draw Zhang Lingshan into the Hunting Squad.

Just then, Feng Shaolong suddenly shouted, "Watch out!"

Feng Ji was startled and hurriedly focused his gaze.

He saw—

Someone beneath the terrace roar furiously, "Xiao Hui!"

Whoosh!

His body flashed like lightning. Like a savage bear, he slammed viciously toward Zhang Lingshan. "I'll kill you!"

Zhang Lingshan had his eyes tightly shut and had not yet wiped the lime powder from his face when he felt a vicious wind rushing at him. His entire face prickled with a gritty scraping sensation.

So strong!

He was greatly alarmed. What level was this person at? Surely not merely Flesh Refining? He had seen Flesh Refining cultivators before. Even if they erupted with all their strength, they should not be this terrifying.

Could he withstand it?

If he ignited the Fire Momentum of the Primal Chaos Righteous Yang Posture, perhaps he could take a blow head-on like when he had fought the Demon Rabbit before—but only one blow.

But...

Whoosh!

Before everyone's eyes could blink, a figure wrapped from head to toe in gray robes suddenly leaped onto the terrace.

The figure moved later yet arrived first, violently thrusting out his right foot.

Bang!

A figure was sent flying backward.

Who else could it be but Chen Hui's Master?

He had wanted to avenge Chen Hui and had immediately charged madly at Zhang Lingshan. But he had come fast and left even faster. In the blink of an eye, he flew off the terrace and crashed into an open area in the distance, rolling like a gourd across the ground as blood splattered everywhere.

After a long while, he slowly struggled to his feet. Blood flowed from his mouth as he said with difficulty, "Hong, Hong... you..."

Pfft!

Before he could finish even a single sentence, he could hold on no longer. He spat a mouthful of blood high into the air, then fell to the ground with a thud and did not rise again.

Dead on the spot!

His eyes remained open in death.

Had they not said everything was foolproof? Who said Hong Zhengdao was crippled? He was clearly still so strong. Why... Fu Xiang, you old bastard, you deceived us...

"It's Hong Zhengdao!"

Someone cried out.

Sure enough, the gray-robed figure before Zhang Lingshan removed the hood from his head and declared loudly, "I, Hong Zhengdao, am injured—not crippled. Whoever dares use the strong to bully the weak and lay hands on my disciple shall end up like this man!"

The crowd erupted in an uproar.

For a small battle between juniors, Hong Zhengdao, an old powerhouse at the peak of Tendon Changing, had actually come in person despite his injuries.

It was clear how dearly he cherished this newly accepted disciple.

Still, this disciple truly had not disappointed him. As powerful as Chen Hui was, even after launching a sneak attack and resorting to shameless tricks, he had still been smashed to death by a single punch.

Chen Hui's Master had likewise been kicked to death by Hong Zhengdao.

This master and disciple were both ruthless people. One after another, they had acted and directly wiped out the inheritance of Iron Arms.

Poor Chen Hui's Master had been a dignified Tendon Changing powerhouse, yet he could not even withstand a single kick from Hong Zhengdao.

No wonder people said Hong Zhengdao stood only one step away from breaking through into Bone Forging. He was a powerhouse among powerhouses.

Even now, despite being injured and having one ruined arm, he could still instantly kill a Tendon Changing cultivator.

Such strength had no choice but to inspire complete admiration!

"I never expected Hong Zhengdao to disregard his status and hide among the crowd, personally stepping in to protect Zhang Lingshan. He really does cherish him."

Inside Clear Breeze Inn, Song Lian's eyes were filled with astonishment. She sighed, then added, "Brother Qing, Hong Zhengdao could kill a Tendon Changing cultivator with one kick. Even if Chen Hui's Master was only at the First Layer of Tendon Changing, he should not have died so easily, right? It seems Hong Zhengdao's strength has not declined much at all. He is still formidable. Everyone misjudged his strength."

"No!" Zhao Qing said. "Hong Zhengdao is most confident in his fist techniques, yet now he abandoned his fists and used the leg techniques he is least skilled in. This proves his right hand is completely ruined. His strength will never advance another inch, and as he ages and weakens, he will only grow worse."

After saying that, he gave a cold laugh. "What's more, he forcefully acted before recovering from his injuries. His wounds will certainly worsen afterward. At the very least, he will not recover for half a year, and his strength will be greatly reduced again. During that time, as long as I successfully achieve Tendon Changing, I can reclaim what should have been mine."

Noticing the fighting spirit in Zhao Qing's eyes, Song Lian smiled faintly and raised her wine cup. "Then let us toast in advance to Brother Qing's success in Tendon Changing."

Clink!

At River Moon Tower, the two clinked their cups.

One of them said, "Congratulations, Brother Fu. Without lifting a finger, you eliminated two thorns in your eyes."

The white-bearded man opposite him smiled upon hearing that. "Heh heh. Chen Hui and his master relied on having some family ties to the Gang Leader, acting arrogantly and without any manners. They were bound to die sooner or later."

"They were fit to be blades, but they wanted to rise up and take my territory? They should have looked in the mirror to see whether they deserved it.

"Still, they helped us sound out Hong Zhengdao's abilities today. At least they died where they should have.

"Give them a proper burial!"

After the white-bearded man finished speaking, he beckoned again and told his subordinates, "Send someone to Hong Clan Martial Hall to apologize to Hong Zhengdao. Say that Chen Hui and his Master acted on their own initiative, that our Great River Gang values peace above all else, and waive his disciple's debts at Three Rivers Gambling House."

"Yes!"

His subordinate immediately acknowledged the order and set off.

Inside Tripod Fragrance Teahouse, Feng Ji sighed. "Hong Zhengdao truly lived up to his name. What a pity."

"What's such a pity? Father, I think Hong Master was still strong in his old age. Even injured, he could kick Chen Hui's Master to death with one blow. That was too fierce."

"You don't understand. Hong Zhengdao at his peak possessed far more strength than this. He truly had grown old, and he was injured as well. Let's go."

"Are we still bringing Zhang Lingshan into the Hunting Squad?"

"I have my own judgment. You don't need to concern yourself with it."

"Alright."