I'll Try My Hand

As soon as the words fell, a burly, bald man leaped onto the stage from the crowd. He clearly practiced body refinement and was a tough opponent.

"Kid, with your scrawny arms and legs, you dare come to the Hundred Battles Martial Training Ground?" the bald man grinned, revealing yellow teeth. "I'm Iron Mountain Zhao Hu, peak Hundred Refinements Fourth Layer. Today, I'll show you what fists are all about!"

A burst of laughter erupted from the audience.

"Iron Mountain Zhao Hu! That kid is dead for sure!"

"I bet Zhao Hu finishes the fight in three moves!"

"Three moves? I think one is enough!"

Tang Xiaoman listened to the surrounding mockery, but the smile on his face grew wider. He took a blade of grass from his pocket, put it in his mouth, and said slowly, "Peak Hundred Refinements Fourth Layer? Sounds pretty scary. But... to me, it's just so-so."

"You're asking for death!"

Zhao Hu roared, stomping his feet on the ground. He charged at Tang Xiaoman like a cannonball, his right fist whistling through the air, aiming straight for Tang Xiaoman's face. The punch was powerful and heavy; if it landed squarely, it would likely blow the opponent's head off.

However--

Tang Xiaoman's body suddenly dropped low. He slid under Zhao Hu's fist like a slippery loach. At the same time, his right leg whipped out like a whip, striking Zhao Hu's calf.

"Crack!"

A dull thud echoed. Zhao Hu's leg throbbed with pain, and his body stumbled.

Tang Xiaoman pressed his advantage, his

Tang Xiaoman stood on the stage, panting heavily, the redness on his face slowly receding. He wiped the sweat from his brow and grinned at the crowd below, "Next! Who's next!"

Qin Jue shook his head.

Although Tang Xiaoman had won, the cost was significant. Secret techniques like Blood Boil could boost combat power in a short time, but they placed an immense burden on the body. Especially since Tang Xiaoman hadn't fully recovered yet, forcing its use would only worsen his injuries.

"This kid is still too impulsive," Qin Jue thought to himself.

Just then, a lean, middle-aged man slowly walked onto the stage.

He wore a simple grey outfit, his eyes calm, and not a trace of aura leaked from his body. He looked like an ordinary person.

But Qin Jue's pupils contracted slightly.

This person was not simple.

"Mad Wolf Wei Jun, Hundred Refinements Sixth Layer," the middle-aged man said calmly. "Young man, you've already fought two matches. Would you like to rest?"

Tang Xiaoman paused for a moment, then grinned, "No need, bring it on."

He said it easily, but his heart was on high alert. Hundred Refinements Sixth Layer was a whole major realm above him, and the man's contained aura indicated he was an experienced master.

"Then I'll have to offend you," Wei Jun nodded slightly and assumed a defensive stance.

Tang Xiaoman took a deep breath, stomped his foot, and instantly charged at Wei Jun.

His right leg lashed out towards Wei Jun's waist with a muffled thud, so fast it almost left afterimages.

"Whoosh—"

The sharp leg wind grazed Wei Jun's nose but didn't even touch the hem of his clothes.

His attack missed, and Tang Xiaoman was startled, but his reaction was lightning-fast. Using the momentum of his downward kick, he twisted his body and swung his left leg from a tricky angle towards Wei Jun's ribs!

"Good reaction."

Wei Jun spoke, his voice hoarse.

He still didn't counter, merely leaning back slightly, like a willow branch in the wind, narrowly dodging the fatal kick.

For the next few dozen breaths, a strange battle of offense and defense unfolded on the stage. Tang Xiaoman attacked like a storm, his leg shadows engulfing Wei Jun.

Wei Jun, however, always evaded with minimal movement, each dodge precise to the extreme.

The audience below stared dumbfounded, even forgetting to cheer.

"Damn it!"

Cold sweat beaded on Tang Xiaoman's forehead as he cursed inwardly.

"Is this guy a slippery loach? How can I not hit him!"

"I can't drag this out any longer!" Tang Xiaoman's internal alarm bells were ringing.

I have to go all out!

Tang Xiaoman's pupils constricted, and the Qi and Blood within his body surged to its limit in that instant.

As a bloody light surged around his legs, he leaped into the air. Using the downward momentum, his right leg transformed into a steel whip, then an axe, cutting through the air with a whistling sound, aiming straight for Wei Jun's crown.

At that moment, a sharp glint finally flashed in Wei Jun's usually calm eyes.

"So that's it. This is your limit."

Wei Jun merely shifted his body slightly and easily dodged the kick. Then, he stopped retreating and took half a step forward.

As he planted his foot, his bones and muscles rang out with crisp cracking sounds.

"Boom!"

He threw a punch, and the air in front of his fist exploded, creating a visible ring of white air. This was the unique "Bone and Muscle Unity" of the Hundred Refinements Sixth Layer, a terrifying burst that condensed all of one's strength into a single point!

The punch was incredibly fast and landed squarely on Tang Xiaoman's chest.

"Bang!"

Tang Xiaoman spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward off the stage. He tumbled twice in mid-air before crashing heavily onto the ground, sliding several meters before finally stopping.

The entire venue fell silent.

After a moment, the crowd erupted into discussion.

"I knew it! Hundred Refinements Sixth Layer against Fifth? It's a complete stomp!"

"Mad Wolf Wei Jun truly lives up to his name. I didn't even see that punch clearly!"

"This kid is still too green. He thought winning two matches meant he could challenge a Sixth Layer expert? He's courting death."

"What a shame. His legwork was indeed good, but what's the use of fancy moves against absolute power?"

Wei Jun retracted his fist and, without even looking at the fallen Tang Xiaoman, said calmly, "Your legwork is good, but only just good. In a fight to the death, that punch wouldn't have landed on your chest, but your throat."

With that, Wei Jun turned and walked off the stage, his expression unchanged from beginning to end.

Tang Xiaoman lay on the ground, struggling to get up, but the pain in his chest was excruciating. The punch had shattered all the strength in his body.

Qin Jue walked forward and helped him up.

"Damn it, I ran into an old hunter," Tang Xiaoman said with a wry smile. "This guy isn't fighting me, he's playing with me! All my moves are probably just openings in his eyes."

Qin Jue was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "It's not that you have too many openings, it's that in his eyes, there are only openings."

Tang Xiaoman was stunned, then he chuckled wryly and shook his head. "Brother Qin is right. Hundred Refinements Sixth Layer is indeed not something I can handle right now."

He paused, then added, "But I don't feel ashamed. Surviving is a profit in itself."

Qin Jue glanced at him and nodded.

Although Tang Xiaoman lost, his decisive surrender only made Qin Jue appreciate him more. In a place like this, people who were too concerned with saving face often died the fastest.

"Go heal yourself first," Qin Jue said, patting his shoulder casually. "I'll go give it a try."