The Power of a Single Punch

Never mind the secret schemes Li Lei and his lackeys were hatching, or Liu Yun's plans and preparations to strike back.

Wu Tong, the chief instructor of the Limit Dojo, had arrived. His hair was disheveled, and his eyes were as sharp as knives. Before he could say a word, two Martial Artists under his command stepped forward to restore order.

"Enough chatting! The test is about to begin!"

"If you don't quiet down right now, you'll be disqualified from the test."

The two powerful Martial Artists stood tall and imposing, each over seven feet tall. At their words, everyone fell silent. Wu Tong had them take out their IDs and line up one by one for the test.

Liu Yun was first. His heart surged with excitement, and Wu Tong recognized him too. They had met before and even carried out a mission together. Now that they had reunited, Wu Tong was filled with emotion.

"Liu Yun, you're here too? Ah, the test is starting. Go on up."

Wu Tong spoke as he switched on the machine beside him. Liu Yun's information soon appeared on the display.

"Good! I really have recovered! Just watch, Chief Wu."

Liu Yun was already rubbing his fists together, eager to show his full strength, when a mocking voice suddenly came from nearby.

"Ahahaha! This is hilarious. You think a cripple like you can come back and take the test?"

"Any Tom, Dick, or Harry can show up these days. You look like a sickly weakling—don't punch so hard you kill yourself."

They were all friends of Li Lei's. Now they were gathered right beside the testing machine, fearlessly mocking Liu Yun. They had singled him out specifically to disrupt his performance.

Liu Yun's illness had been severe, and no one thought he could recover. So these people had no qualms about kicking him while he was down.

If Liu Yun lost his temper, it would distract him. Even if he passed, they could have him marked as a failure. Besides, the test time was limited; if he talked back, he might run out of time.

Li Lei watched Liu Yun get insulted from within the crowd, relishing every moment.

The insults were just idle chatter, and no one responded for a moment. Wu Tong merely frowned and glared at the two men. They scratched their heads and said they were only joking and didn't mean anything by it.

"Honestly, these people are shameless."

Luo Feng had seen it all. He couldn't help feeling indignant, though there wasn't much he could do about it.

Fuming, Liu Yun stepped forward and threw a punch, striking the punching target with tremendous force. No matter how angry Liu Yun was, his Machine Race Clone was there to guide him, so his movements were perfectly controlled.

He drove the power from his core, channeling it through his arm. His fist slammed into the punching target with a thunderous boom that took everyone by surprise.

"Bam!"

The crash was deafening. The two Quasi-Martial Artists had been standing too close, and the sound ruptured their eardrums, making them bleed.

A number immediately appeared on the display: 9330 KG. It was a figure beyond anyone's wildest expectations, leaving all the Quasi-Martial Artists around them dumbstruck.

Even some of Liu Yun's old acquaintances were utterly stunned.

"Didn't he suffer spinal damage that even technology couldn't repair? How could he suddenly be this strong?"

The two Martial Artists who had guarded the entrance were now inside the hall. They were completely shocked. They'd thought Liu Yun's herbal medicine treatments were nothing but self-deception. Only now did they begin to understand the wonders of traditional Chinese medicine.

"Brother Liu Yun is this amazing? I thought they said he was crippled!"

Luo Feng was stunned. He would later discover his own talent as a Psychic, but right now, he was looking at a War General Level powerhouse—and the man had just been chatting with him.

Li Lei, standing in the crowd, could hardly believe his eyes. He shouted in disbelief.

"What's going on? There must be something wrong! Is the machine malfunctioning? We have to test him again!"

At his words, several people seemed to agree. Some even began urging Wu Tong to reconsider, arguing that the test results might not be reliable.

But what drew even more attention were the two men who had mocked Liu Yun: Xia Lin and Wang Huifeng. Their ears weren't the only things bleeding now; blood was coming from all seven orifices. They lay on the ground, howling and writhing like maggots. Judging by their condition, their injuries looked severe—perhaps even enough to damage their strength.

Li Lei hurriedly called for medical staff. It seemed the sound had caused internal injuries, which could be serious or minor. If they delayed treatment, it might cost the men their lives.

Seeing this, most people's doubts about the test results faded. The thunderous impact had carried such force that two inexperienced fighters had collapsed on the spot. The result was probably genuine, and there was no way they could invalidate it. But Li Lei was sure to keep making trouble. He soon guessed the truth, but simply couldn't accept it.

"There's definitely something wrong! The result has to be canceled!"

He yelled helplessly, his face red and his neck bulging, but all he got in return were contemptuous looks. It was a clear sign that he was powerless to do anything.

Liu Yun looked toward Wu Tong, unsure what he would do. Wu Tong was just as shocked, but he had to maintain order. As professionals, they had long since prepared for incidents like this.

"It's fine. Accidents happen at the dojo, and we're prepared for them. Stop arguing. The result stands."

With a wave, Wu Tong sent a group of people in white rushing over to carry the two men away.

Li Lei's face turned pale. Partly because Liu Yun had passed the test, but also because Liu Yun might possess strength beyond anything he could imagine.

The sound wave that injured the two men was actually the result of the Machine Race Clone's careful calculations combined with Liu Yun's enraged punch. The Machine Race's absurdly powerful computing ability could guide Liu Yun down to the finest detail. If Liu Yun wanted, he could even unleash a technique like the Lion's Roar and injure an enemy.

"I can't believe you've recovered—and you're even stronger than before. It's a miracle! But about what just happened... Did you do that on purpose?"

Wu Tong, the chief instructor, stood beside Liu Yun and asked. He didn't even bring up the test result. Liu Yun shook his head. How could he admit to it?

"Chief Instructor, you're joking. No human could control their strength like that! It was just an accident. They were standing too close."

Liu Yun insisted that humans couldn't do anything like that, but Wu Tong didn't really believe him. He knew several peerless experts who could manage it, and even he himself might be able to do the same.

But if Liu Yun really had done it deliberately, that would be even more terrifying. Those experts he knew were all one-in-ten-thousand masters! Even if it was true, he had to treat it as if it weren't.

"The test will continue. Anyone who delays it will be considered to have forfeited. Next, Luo Feng!"

Wu Tong shrugged and called the next person forward. They had to finish the whole process.

Li Lei looked utterly despondent. He didn't dare cause Liu Yun any more trouble. He simply wasn't strong enough! Wu Tong didn't care what he said. He had only just become a Martial Artist, and his words carried little weight. Apart from a few friends backing him up, no one would pay him any mind.

Liu Yun smiled at that and strode away, meeting Luo Feng face-to-face.

"Give it your best."

As they passed each other, Liu Yun offered Luo Feng a few words of encouragement.

"Mm!"

Luo Feng nodded in reply. It was a quick exchange between them. Now that Liu Yun had War General Level strength, making friends came easily.

Only then did everyone recover from their shock. Several people saw Liu Yun coming and instinctively stepped aside, not daring to slight someone with War General Level strength.

A few even hurried over to apologize, hoping to distance themselves from Li Lei. After all, offending a War General Level powerhouse could end very badly for them.

Li Lei stood there, dumbfounded and speechless. His reputation had already been terrible, and now he realized he had gotten himself into huge trouble.

"Hmph. Get lost!"

Liu Yun wouldn't accept their apologies. He simply told them to leave. Despair showed on their faces as they shot Li Lei a resentful glance and went their separate ways.

Now they hated Liu Yun, but they hated Li Lei even more. He had made them an enemy of a War General for no reason. That was the harsh reality of a world where strength ruled and human warmth was so fleeting.

It was a minor incident, and it soon came to an end when Luo Feng landed a powerful punch measuring 1715 KG. Everyone began praising the young Luo Feng as a talented genius. After all, he was even younger than Liu Yun and had a brighter future ahead.

Not everyone liked getting tangled up in grudges, and Liu Yun was no exception. He went over and chatted warmly with Luo Feng after he came down. The subsequent speed test went smoothly, and the two remained just as close afterward.

Many people began to envy Luo Feng. Earning the friendship of a War General was a tremendous advantage for a Quasi-Martial Artist. Li Lei was forgotten completely; no one paid him any attention anymore.