One-Punch Man!

(Ah Yin, Xiao Wu)

Osler and Yu Feng had not even reacted before they saw a fist rapidly enlarging in their field of vision.

"Bang!"

A single punch slammed into Osler's chest, sending him flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the guardrail at the edge of the arena before bouncing back and collapsing onto the floor, motionless.

Yu Feng turned to run, but the moment he took a step—

"Bang!"

His collar was grabbed, and a massive force flung him away, piling him on top of Osler until the two were a tangled heap.

The arena fell silent.

The spectator stands fell silent.

The host stood with his mouth agape, the Soul Tool megaphone in his hand nearly slipping to the ground.

Ye Lingling stood where she was, looking at the Wind Leopard Duo lying motionless over there, then at Lin Jiang, who was standing in front brushing the dust off his hands.

Her mind was a complete blank.

They... won, just like that?

One punch each?

Lin Jiang glanced back at her, his tone as indifferent as if he had just returned home from fishing.

"Let's go, prepare for the next match."

Ye Lingling nodded blankly and followed behind him off the arena.

Her footsteps were unsteady, as if she were walking on clouds.

Only after walking a few steps did it dawn on her that they had won.

The opponents were the Wind Leopard Duo, who had a twenty-three-match winning streak.

One punch each.

She stole a glance at Lin Jiang's back, recalling the words Dugu Yan had said: "He is definitely even more powerful than I am."

"Powerful" didn't even begin to cover it.

Was this guy a monster?

In the spectator stands, there was a three-second silence before the place erupted.

"Holy crap! One punch?!"

"What kind of monster is that kid?!"

"Is he One Punch Man?!"

"My Gold Soul Coins—!!!"

The mountain of Gold Soul Coins in front of the bookie was swept away with a clatter.

There was only one person who had bet on the Golden Leaf Duo to win.

Lin Jiang.

Before the match even started, he had circled around to the bookie and bet every single Gold Soul Coin he had on himself.

The odds were one to one hundred.

Now, the mountain of Gold Soul Coins was all in his pocket.

Lin Jiang weighed the heavy money bag, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

Money sure comes fast this way.

On the arena, Yu Feng was still pinned under Osler, the two of them tangled together, unable to crawl up for a long time.

"Impossible... how could this happen..." Yu Feng muttered to himself, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Osler spat out a mouthful of blood and gritted his teeth: "This kid... how is he so strong..."

That little brat who used to squat in the corner six years ago just knocked them both out with one punch each?

Yu Feng struggled to stand up, leaning against the guardrail, his gaze dark and gloomy as he tracked Lin Jiang's retreating figure.

"Find the boss... have him avenge us..."

Osler gritted his teeth: "Fine!"

The two helped each other stand and limped off the arena, not even bothering to acknowledge the jeers from the spectator stands.

Off the arena.

Lin Jiang flicked his sleeves, taking no clouds with him, walking with an air of nonchalance.

Ye Lingling hurried to keep up, breaking into a light jog to catch his pace.

She snuck a glance at him, then quickly lowered her head.

How is he so strong?!

The Wind Leopard Duo, who had achieved a twenty-three-win streak with one punch each, didn't even use their Martial Souls?

What kind of background did this person have?

What happened next left Ye Lingling even more shocked.

Lin Jiang dragged her along to sign up for several two-on-two matches in a row.

One match.

Two matches.

Three matches.

Every single one was an instant kill.

The opponents ranged from Iron Soul Fighters to Bronze Soul Fighters, from those just reaching level thirty to those nearly at level forty, yet not one could last more than three seconds under Lin Jiang.

One punch. One kick. One shoulder throw.

Clean and efficient, without a hint of hesitation.

From start to finish, Lin Jiang hadn't even used his Martial Soul.

Ye Lingling stood behind him, never having cast a single healing Soul Skill from beginning to end.

Because it simply wasn't necessary.

Every time she prepared her Soul Power, the opponents across from her were already sprawled on the ground.

She stood behind him like a decorative ornament, watching Lin Jiang treat his opponents like children, taking them out one punch at a time.

Her inner state shifted from shock to numbness, and from numbness to... boredom.

So this is what it feels like to be a decoration.

The sentiment in the spectator stands was also quietly shifting.

"It's that Golden Scale again! Which match is this today?"

"The fifth! All instant kills!"

"He hasn't even used his Martial Soul?! Is he even human?"

"Isn't that girl next to him from the Ye family of the Nine Heart Begonia? She's been standing there watching the show the whole time, hasn't even lifted a finger."

"They should just rename this duo 'Golden Scale and His Accessory'."

Ye Lingling heard this, her face flushed, and she silently shrank further behind Lin Jiang.

By the sixth match, Lin Jiang finally felt it was becoming a bit troublesome.

It wasn't that the opponents had gotten stronger.

It was that the audience had grown.

After every match, another circle of onlookers gathered to watch the spectacle.

By the time the sixth match was about to start, the sub-arena where the Golden Leaf Duo was competing was packed to the point of being impassable.

"That's him! The one who takes them out in one punch!"

"The one wearing the mask? Can't see his face clearly."

"Don't know if he's handsome, but he's definitely strong!"

Lin Jiang listened to the surrounding chatter and rubbed his chin.

After the last match, he had gone outside and spent a few copper Soul Coins to buy the most ordinary black mask, which he then strapped onto his face.

Most of his face was covered, leaving only his eyes exposed.

Ye Lingling watched him put on the mask and blinked.

Even with a mask on... how is he still so handsome?

She hurriedly lowered her head, her face turning red again.

The sixth match.

The opponents were two level thirty-nine Soul Elders who had a bit of a reputation in the Soul Fighting Arena.

The two were full of confidence when they stepped onto the stage, and upon seeing Lin Jiang's mask, they even mocked him: "What's with the mystery?"

Three seconds later.

The two were lying under the ring, questioning their lives.

There was no cheering in the spectator stands anymore.

Everyone was numb from watching.

Ye Lingling stood behind Lin Jiang, looking down at her own toes.

What am I even doing here today?

Nighttime.

When the Soul Fighting Arena closed its doors, Lin Jiang and Ye Lingling walked out of the main entrance.

Ye Lingling had completed half of her win-count mission for the month in just a single day.

She lowered her head and whispered, "Thank you."

Lin Jiang waved a hand dismissively. "Small matter."

Ye Lingling hesitated for a moment, unable to help but ask, "Who... exactly are you?"

Lin Jiang thought for a moment. "Just an ordinary person."

Ye Lingling: "..."

This is what he calls an ordinary person?

She had watched six instant victories today, and to this moment, she hadn't even seen what Lin Jiang's Martial Soul looked like.

Just how many trump cards did this person have?

She stole a glance at Lin Jiang.

Under the moonlight, he wore a black mask, revealing only a sharply defined jawline and a pair of calm eyes.

Ye Lingling's heart skipped a beat for no reason.

She quickly withdrew her gaze and lowered her head.

"Um... could I ask for your help again tomorrow?"

Her voice was as small as a mosquito's.

Lin Jiang nodded. "Sure."

The corners of Ye Lingling's mouth curled up slightly, and her steps became a little lighter.

After walking a few paces, she couldn't help but ask again, "Why do you wear a mask?"

Lin Jiang touched the mask on his face and said indifferently, "I'm afraid that being too handsome will affect my opponents' performance."

Ye Lingling was stunned for a moment.

Then, she let out a "pfft" of laughter and quickly covered her mouth.

Arriving at a fork in the road, Ye Lingling stopped.

The moonlight spilled onto the bluestone path, stretching their shadows out long.

She kept her head down, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers, drawing circles on the ground with her toes, and dawdling for a long time.

Finally, she gathered her courage...