I'll Go Test My Skills

As soon as the words left his mouth, a burly, bald man leaped from the crowd onto the arena. One look at him was enough to tell he was a tough customer who practiced body refinement.

"Kid, with those skinny arms and legs, you dare show your face at the Hundred Battles Martial Training Ground?" The bald man grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "I'm Iron Mountain Zhao Hu, at the peak of the Hundred Refinements Fourth Layer. Today, I'll show you what a real punch feels like!"

Laughter erupted from the crowd below.

"Iron Mountain Zhao Hu! That kid's done for!"

"I bet Zhao Hu ends it in three moves!"

"Three? One will be enough!"

Hearing the jeers around him, Tang Xiaoman's smile only grew wider. He pulled a grass root from his robes, stuck it between his teeth, and drawled, "Peak of the Hundred Refinements Fourth Layer? Sounds pretty intimidating. But... to me, it's nothing special."

"You're asking for death!"

Zhao Hu roared and stomped down with both feet, charging at Tang Xiaoman like a cannonball. His right fist whistled through the air, aimed straight at Tang Xiaoman's face. The punch was heavy and powerful; if it landed cleanly, it could probably smash a man's head open.

But—

Tang Xiaoman suddenly ducked low, sliding beneath Zhao Hu's fist like a loach. At the same time, he lashed out with his right leg like a whip, striking Zhao Hu's lower leg.

"Smack!"

A dull thud rang out. Pain shot through Zhao Hu's leg, and he staggered.

Tang Xiaoman didn't let up. His figure darted around behind Zhao Hu like a ghost, and another whip kick slammed into his lower back.

"Bang!"

The kick sent Zhao Hu pitching forward onto the ground. He caught himself with both hands and was just about to rise when he felt a weight press down on his back—Tang Xiaoman had stepped right on him.

"That's it?" Tang Xiaoman said with a cheeky grin, the grass root still between his teeth. "Peak of the Hundred Refinements Fourth Layer, and that's all you've got?"

"You!" Zhao Hu's face flushed red. He abruptly threw all his strength into his arms, trying to flip Tang Xiaoman off.

But Tang Xiaoman was ready. He tapped Zhao Hu's back with his toe and sprang lightly into the air. After turning once midair, he brought his right leg down like a battle-ax. The force of his kick even compressed the air, sending out a sharp crack!

"Mountain Stomping Leg—Mountain Collapse!"

"Boom!"

The kick landed squarely on the back of Zhao Hu's head. The penetrating "second-layer force" erupted in an instant, smashing Zhao Hu's face into the arena floor. The entire platform shook three times.

Zhao Hu lay motionless on the ground, completely unable to fight.

The whole arena fell silent.

A moment later, deafening cheers and curses erupted—cheers from those who had bet on Tang Xiaoman, and curses from the gamblers who had lost their money.

Tang Xiaoman clapped his hands, hopped off Zhao Hu, and grinned at Qin Jue in the crowd, revealing two dimples.

Qin Jue stood outside the crowd, his expression calm. He could tell Tang Xiaoman had fought cleverly, avoiding Zhao Hu's strengths and targeting his weaknesses. Zhao Hu was powerful, but slow and not very quick to react. Tang Xiaoman's nimble footwork had completely countered him.

However, Qin Jue had also noticed Tang Xiaoman's weakness: his qi and blood weren't robust enough, and his opportunistic fighting style couldn't last long. Against a true expert, it would be easy to see through.

"Who's next?" Tang Xiaoman shouted from the arena. "Anyone else?"

This time, a lean, middle-aged man stepped up, holding a narrow-bladed long saber. His gaze was sinister.

"'Viper' Qian San, Hundred Refinements Fifth Layer." The middle-aged man's voice was hoarse. "Kid, your kicks are pretty good, but it's your bad luck to run into me."

Before the words had even left his mouth, Qian San was already moving.

He was incredibly fast. The long saber in his hand darted like a venomous snake's tongue, vicious and unpredictable, every strike aimed at Tang Xiaoman's vital points.

Tang Xiaoman's smile faded. Wearing Cloud Treading Boots, he flickered from side to side, leaving a string of afterimages across the arena.

"Clang, clang, clang!"

The two exchanged dozens of blows. Tang Xiaoman's kicks clashed with Qian San's saber, sending sparks flying.

The spectators below watched without blinking. Now this was a true duel between experts!

But Qin Jue frowned slightly.

Tang Xiaoman had managed to hold his own so far, but he was beginning to struggle. Qian San's saber technique wasn't especially refined, but he had years of experience. Every strike sealed off Tang Xiaoman's path of attack, forcing him onto the defensive.

This won't do. If they keep going like this, Xiaoman will lose, Qin Jue thought.

Sure enough, after a dozen more exchanges, Tang Xiaoman's breathing grew ragged, and his movements slowed by half a beat.

Qian San's eyes lit up. Seizing the opening, he thrust his saber toward Tang Xiaoman's throat in a flash!

"Look out!" someone cried from below.

Just then, Tang Xiaoman let out a low roar. "Blood Boil!"

His skin took on a faint red hue, and wisps of heat rose from his body. His speed and strength both surged.

"Mountain Stomping Leg—Mountain Collapse!"

Tang Xiaoman swept out with his leg, the air cracking around it. The kick struck Qian San's wrist, knocking his saber out of his hand. Then Tang Xiaoman rushed in and whipped another kick into Qian San's chest.

"Pfft!"

Qian San spat out a mouthful of blood and flew off the arena, crashing heavily to the ground.

Deafening cheers erupted once more.

Tang Xiaoman stood on the arena, panting heavily as the redness slowly faded from his face. He wiped away his sweat and grinned down at the crowd. "Keep 'em coming! Who's next?"

Qin Jue shook his head.

Tang Xiaoman had won, but at no small cost. The secret art Blood Boil could raise his combat strength for a short time, but it placed a tremendous strain on his body. Tang Xiaoman hadn't even fully recovered yet, and forcing himself to use it would only worsen his injuries.

"Can't find it by searching for the book title? Try searching for the author instead; maybe it was just renamed!"

That kid's still too impulsive, Qin Jue thought.

Just then, a lean, powerfully built middle-aged man slowly stepped onto the arena.

He wore a gray short jacket, his gaze calm. Not a trace of his aura escaped him, and he looked like an ordinary man.

But Qin Jue's pupils contracted slightly.

This man was no simple opponent.

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

Tang Xiaoman paused, then grinned. "No need. Come on."

He sounded casual, but he was on high alert. The Hundred Refinements Sixth Layer was a whole major realm above him, and his opponent kept his aura so well concealed that he was clearly an experienced expert.

"Then forgive me." Wei Jun nodded slightly and assumed a defensive stance.

Tang Xiaoman took a deep breath, stamped down, and shot toward Wei Jun.

His right leg whipped toward Wei Jun's side, the kick thudding through the air so fast it almost left an afterimage.

"Whoosh—"

The fierce gust of his kick skimmed past Wei Jun's nose without even brushing his clothes.

Tang Xiaoman's attack missed. His heart jolted, but he reacted quickly, forcing himself to twist at the waist with the momentum of his downward kick. His left leg shot toward Wei Jun's ribs from a tricky angle!

"Good reaction," Wei Jun said, his voice hoarse.

He still didn't counterattack. He simply leaned back slightly, like a willow catkin in the wind, narrowly avoiding the lethal kick.

For the next several dozen breaths, a strange battle of offense and defense unfolded on the arena. Tang Xiaoman attacked like a raging storm, a sky full of leg shadows enveloping Wei Jun.

And Wei Jun always dodged with the smallest possible movements, every evasion precise to the last fraction.

The spectators below stared in stunned silence, forgetting even to cheer.

"Damn it!"

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

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

I can't drag this out any longer! Alarm bells rang in Tang Xiaoman's mind.

I'll go all out!

Tang Xiaoman's pupils narrowed as he drove his qi and blood to the limit in an instant.

Blood-red light surged around his legs as he leaped into the air. Using his falling momentum, he swung his right leg down like a steel whip transformed into a battle-ax, aiming straight for Wei Jun's crown.

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

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

Wei Jun merely turned to the side and easily dodged the kick. Then, instead of retreating, he stepped forward half a pace.

As his foot came down, his sinews and bones rang out together with a series of sharp cracks.

"Boom!"

He threw a punch. The air before his fist compressed and burst in an instant, forming a visible white ring of air. This was the terrifying explosive force of Muscle and Bone Unity, unique to the Hundred Refinements Sixth Layer, which gathered the strength of his entire body into a single point!

The punch was incredibly fast and struck Tang Xiaoman squarely in the chest.

"Bang!"

Tang Xiaoman spat out a mouthful of blood and flew off the arena. He flipped through the air twice, slammed heavily into the ground, then skidded several meters before finally coming to a stop.

The whole arena fell silent.

A moment later, a burst of discussion rose from the crowd.

"I told you! A Hundred Refinements Sixth Layer fighter against a Hundred Refinements Fifth Layer is a complete crushing!"

Mad Wolf Wei Jun really lives up to his name. I couldn't even see that punch!

"That kid was too green. He won two matches and thought he could take on a Sixth Layer expert? He's got a death wish."

"Too bad. His kicks really were good, but what use is flashy footwork against overwhelming strength?"

Wei Jun withdrew his fist and didn't even glance at Tang Xiaoman on the ground. "Your kicks are good, but that's all they are. If this had been a fight to the death, that punch would have landed on your throat, not your chest."

With that, Wei Jun turned and walked off the arena. His expression had not changed once.

Tang Xiaoman lay on the ground, struggling to get up, but his chest throbbed with pain. The punch had shaken all the strength from his body.

Qin Jue stepped forward and helped him up.

"Damn, I ran into an old hunter." Tang Xiaoman gave a bitter smile. "He wasn't fighting me—he was playing with me! I bet every move I made looked like a flaw to him."

Qin Jue was silent for a moment, then said slowly, "It's not that you had too many flaws. It's that he saw nothing but flaws."

Tang Xiaoman froze, then gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "Brother Qin is right. I really can't handle the Hundred Refinements Sixth Layer yet."

He paused, then added, "Still, I don't think it's anything to be ashamed of. If I walk away alive, I've come out ahead."

Qin Jue looked at him and nodded.

Although Tang Xiaoman had lost, he had known when to concede. That decisiveness only made Qin Jue admire him more. In a place like this, the ones who couldn't let go of their pride were usually the first to die.

"Go get treated first." Qin Jue patted him on the shoulder, his tone casual. "I'll go test my skills."