An Easy Victory

As he spoke with Luo Bu, Xiao Peng could feel two people staring fixedly at his back.

Xiao Peng did not even need to think to know it was Xiao Xun'er and Xiao Mei.

Xiao Yan watched Luo Bu with a grin, already picturing Xiao Peng giving him a thorough beating in a moment.

Xiao Peng and Luo Bu went outside and kept some distance between them.

Luo Bu stood several steps away, a confident sneer on his face, drawing a round of flattery from the boys nearby.

"Brother Luo Bu's presence alone will keep that kid from lasting a single breath!"

"Exactly! He dares to challenge Brother Luo Bu? He really doesn't know what's good for him!"

Xiao Yu watched with a smile, curious to see just how badly Luo Bu would be beaten.

The more everyone praised him, the smugger Luo Bu became. He raised his right hand and grinned viciously. "Kid, remember this—you brought this on yourself!"

Before he had even finished speaking, he shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, his fist whistling through the air as it drove straight at Xiao Peng's face.

The punch looked swift and fierce, but in Xiao Peng's eyes, it was riddled with flaws.

Xiao Peng did not even raise an eyelid. Only when the fist wind, infused with Dou Qi, swept across the tip of his nose did he slowly lift his right hand.

His five fingers spread seemingly casually, yet they precisely clamped around Luo Bu's wrist.

The fist that had carried such force when thrown was like one striking a pile of cotton, every bit of its power instantly dispersed.

"Hm?"

The vicious grin on Luo Bu's face froze. He felt his wrist locked by a force that was soft and yielding, yet utterly unbreakable.

No matter how he circulated his Dou Qi, his fist could not advance even half an inch.

A vague sense of dread rose in his heart. He felt that something bad was about to happen to him.

The flattery around them came to an abrupt halt, and the smiles on Ge La and the others' faces froze in place—how was this possible?

Xiao Peng lightly twisted his fingertips.

"Ah!"

Luo Bu suddenly let out a miserable scream. His entire arm twisted at a grotesque angle, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

Only then did he realize that the youth before him was no inexperienced brat who had failed to break through to the Dou Zhe realm. The force coming from those fingertips was enough to make even a Dou Zhe like him feel his bones tremble.

Before he could react, Xiao Peng had already released him.

But it was not over.

The youth's figure flickered as he closed in like a ghost, his elbow crashing into Luo Bu's chest with a howling gust of force.

Bang!

The dull thud of elbow meeting chest boomed like thunder. Luo Bu felt as though his internal organs had been crushed beneath a heavy hammer. His vision went black, and his body bent backward uncontrollably like a boneless snake.

Xiao Peng did not pause in the slightest. His left hand shot out like lightning, grabbing Luo Bu by the collar and forcibly yanking back the body that was about to collapse.

Then his right knee rose and struck precisely into Luo Bu's lower abdomen.

"Ugh!" A trapped-beast whimper escaped Luo Bu's throat. His stomach churned violently as sour fluid mixed with bile surged toward his throat, but the searing pain blocked him so thoroughly that he could not even vomit. The Dou Qi throughout his body had long since scattered beneath those heavy blows. His limbs were limp as cotton, and he could only let Xiao Peng hold him up like a chick.

The air around them seemed to freeze.

Ge La and the others stood with their mouths wide open, their legs shaking like sieves. The noisy praise from before had completely vanished, leaving only Luo Bu's stifled groans and the sound of their own chattering teeth.

The smile on Xiao Yu's face faltered slightly before a flash of satisfaction passed through her eyes.

She knew Xiao Peng would not go easy on him, but she had not expected him to be so clean and decisive. Every blow landed precisely where it hurt most, making his opponent suffer to the fullest without dealing a fatal strike. His control was impeccable.

Xiao Peng gave Luo Bu a little shake, looking at his paper-white face and unfocused eyes. His tone was as calm as if he were commenting on the weather. "Didn't you say I had to take three moves? Where are your moves?"

Luo Bu struggled to raise his head, his eyes filled with terror and disbelief.

He wanted to say something, but only a series of hoarse, leaking breaths came out. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth and stained his collar.

Xiao Peng loosened his wrist, and Luo Bu hit the ground with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"So powerful," Xiao Mei could not help saying.

The female students from Jia Nan Academy beside her could not help nodding in agreement.

Xiao Xun'er's expression did not change. She had expected all of this.

She would have been surprised if Xiao Peng had not won.

Xiao Yan was utterly astonished by what he saw. He had watched clearly—Xiao Peng had not used even a trace of Dou Qi. He had defeated Luo Bu purely with physical strength.

This kid... just how many trump cards is he hiding? Xiao Yan's heart churned like stormy seas, and his gaze at Xiao Peng gained a hint of scrutiny.

Xiao Peng patted away nonexistent dust from his hands. His gaze swept over Luo Bu, sprawled on the ground, before casually glancing at the pale-faced Ge La and the others.

His eyes were calm and still, yet they were like a boulder dropped into water, making the group instinctively shrink back. None of them even dared to breathe loudly.

"Who else wants to try?" Xiao Peng's voice was not loud, but it carried clearly through the area.

No one answered.

The lackeys who had been shouting moments earlier now wished they could curl themselves into balls. How could they possibly dare step forward?

"Hehe, this little fellow's talent really is quite good. It seems I may have found a treasure this time."

At that moment, a gentle female voice rang out.

Everyone turned toward the sound and saw a woman dressed in green.

She appeared slightly older than Xiao Yu and the others. Her full, graceful figure exuded the mature charm tempered by time, a natural allure far beyond comparison with girls as youthful and inexperienced as Xiao Yu and the rest.

Seeing that the newcomer was her teacher, Ruo Lin, Xiao Yu hurried over and explained, "Instructor, Luo Bu was the one who provoked him. It has nothing to do with Xiao Peng."

Ruo Lin's gaze lingered on Xiao Peng for a moment. Her clear eyes held scrutiny, but no reproach.

Ruo Lin gently patted Xiao Yu's shoulder and said softly, "I saw everything."

Luo Bu struggled to get up, but a single glance from Ruo Lin pinned him in place. He could only grit his teeth and lower his head, all color draining from his face.

Seeing Luo Bu in such a state, Ruo Lin sighed inwardly and walked over to begin treating him.

Blue Dou Qi glowed from Ruo Lin's jade-like hand, covering Luo Bu's injuries like gentle ripples of water.

The soft energy seeped into his flesh. Luo Bu, who had been twitching from the pain, gradually calmed down, and some color returned to his face. Yet when he looked at Xiao Peng, his eyes still carried unconcealed fear.

As she treated him, Ruo Lin was rather surprised. Xiao Peng had beaten Luo Bu into this state using nothing but strength. There were not many people in Jia Nan Academy capable of doing what Xiao Peng had done.

"You understand the academy's rules," Ruo Lin said softly as she continued the treatment. "Older students should behave like older students. Bullying the young with seniority only disgraces the academy."

Luo Bu's lips moved, but in the end, he lowered his head and muttered, "Yes, Instructor."