Beat Down Yu Xiaogang

"Boom—"

A deafening roar erupted from Luo Sanpao's backside, sounding like thunder rolling across the horizon.

At the same time, a yellow light barrier was released from Luo Sanpao's body, descending with the force of a thunderbolt and heading straight for Yu Hong.

The range of the light barrier was immense, covering a full ten-meter radius, leaving absolutely nowhere to hide.

Even more terrifying was the nauseating stench that accompanied the barrier.

The odor was intense to the extreme, as if rotten eggs, stinky tofu, a cesspit, and decaying corpses had been mixed together and fermented for a hundred years.

An ordinary person would likely have fainted on the spot upon smelling it.

"Hahaha!" Yu Xiaogang laughed triumphantly. "Yu Hong, you're finished! My soul skill is an area-of-effect attack; you can't dodge it at all! Once you're knocked out by the stench, I will..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he witnessed a scene that left him dumbfounded.

Yu Hong didn't dodge at all.

He didn't even move an inch.

Yu Hong simply took a deep breath and then... held it.

That's right, he just crudely and simply held his breath.

Then, his figure darted out like a phantom.

Yu Hong's speed was astonishing.

Over the past four years, he had engaged in high-intensity physical training every day, and combined with the nourishment of Whale Rubber, his physical fitness had long since far surpassed his peers.

Before the yellow light barrier had even fully descended, he had already dashed out of its coverage area.

"What?!" Yu Xiaogang's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.

How could he be this fast?!

Yu Hong's figure carved an arc through the air like a cheetah pouncing on its prey.

His target was none other than Luo Sanpao, who was still hovering in mid-air.

Luo Sanpao was still in the middle of releasing its soul skill and had no time to react.

A flicker of confusion flashed through its clear blue eyes.

Then, it saw a foot.

A foot approaching at high speed.

"Bang!"

Yu Hong kicked Luo Sanpao's round body.

The force of that kick was staggering, sending Luo Sanpao flying instantly.

Luo Sanpao let out a shrill cry, tumbling through the air like a purple rubber ball before slamming heavily into the ground.

"Thud!"

A small crater was smashed into the earth.

Luo Sanpao lay in the pit, limbs splayed upward, stars spinning in its eyes, completely incapacitated.

"Luo Sanpao!" Yu Xiaogang screamed in terror.

Because his martial soul had been attacked, he suffered a backlash, feeling a sharp pain in his chest that nearly made him spit out a mouthful of blood.

But what terrified him even more was that Yu Hong was already charging toward him.

"Wait! I surren—"

Yu Xiaogang wanted to concede, but Yu Hong didn't give him the chance.

"Slap!"

A loud, crisp slap landed on Yu Xiaogang's face.

Yu Xiaogang's head jerked to the side, and he was completely stunned by the blow.

"You..."

"Slap!"

Another slap followed, this time from the other side.

Yu Xiaogang's head snapped back the other way, and both his cheeks swelled up rapidly.

"Yu Hong! How dare you..."

"Bang!"

A fist slammed into Yu Xiaogang's stomach.

Yu Xiaogang's body doubled over, his mouth wide open, but he couldn't make a sound.

The force of that punch was too great; it squeezed all the air right out of his lungs.

He felt his internal organs churning, and the contents of his stomach threatened to spill out.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Yu Xiaogang coughed violently, tears and snot streaming down his face.

But Yu Hong did not stop.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

A series of slaps landed on Yu Xiaogang's face, left and right, with a rhythmic cadence.

Yu Xiaogang's head swayed back and forth like a rattle-drum; he was completely unable to resist.

"Don't... don't hit me anymore..." Yu Xiaogang cried out, "I surrender! I surrender!"

"Surrender?" Yu Hong sneered, "Didn't you just say you wouldn't show mercy? What's wrong, giving up already?"

"Bang!"

Another punch, this time slamming into Yu Xiaogang's chest.

Yu Xiaogang's body flew backward and crashed heavily onto the ground.

He lay on the ground, his entire body wracked with pain, unable to even crawl up.

Yu Hong walked over to him and looked down from above.

"Yu Xiaogang, do you know where you lost?"

Yu Xiaogang opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but only a whimper escaped his throat.

"You lost because you're too stupid," Yu Hong said indifferently. "You thought having a soul skill meant you could beat me? You thought Luo Sanpao's fart was invincible?"

He crouched down, looking at Yu Xiaogang's face, which was swollen like a pig's head.

"Let me tell you a common sense fact: no matter how stinky a fart is, you can't smell it if you just hold your breath. And your soul skill's activation speed is too slow, giving me plenty of time to rush you."

Yu Xiaogang's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief.

It... it was that simple?

Just holding his breath was enough?

He had spent so much time researching how to make Luo Sanpao's farts smell worse, only for the opponent to counter it by simply holding his breath?

This... this is too much of a scam?!

"And another thing," Yu Hong stood up, "Your martial soul is Luo Sanpao, and your method of attack is farting. But have you ever considered that while farting, Luo Sanpao himself is completely exposed?"

"As long as Luo Sanpao is taken out, your soul skill is useless. And you yourself have absolutely no combat ability."

Yu Hong shook his head, his eyes full of disappointment.

"Yu Xiaogang, you are truly weak. It's not that your martial soul is weak; it's that you are weak. You only know how to rely on your martial soul, yet you never train your own body. You think having a soul skill means you can walk sideways, not realizing that soul skills are merely auxiliary; true combat power comes from one's own strength."

"You..." Yu Xiaogang wanted to retort, but opening his mouth pulled at the wounds on his face, making him wince in pain.

"You'd better be prepared for the tournament in two years," Yu Hong turned and left, "Otherwise, today's beating is just an appetizer."

His figure gradually faded into the distance, leaving Yu Xiaogang alone on the ground.

Yu Xiaogang watched Yu Hong's departing back, his eyes filled with humiliation and rage.

But more than that, there was fear.

For the first time, he realized that the gap between himself and Yu Hong was far greater than he had imagined.

It wasn't just a gap in soul ring age, but an all-encompassing disparity in strength, willpower, and even intelligence.

"Yu Hong..." Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth as he hissed the name, "I won't let you get away with this..."

But his voice was weak and powerless; even he himself did not believe those words.

On the other side, Yu Hong returned to his courtyard.

He sat on a stone bench, reflecting on the battle just now, the corners of his mouth curling upward slightly.

Yu Xiaogang was indeed still as stupid as ever.

Thinking he was invincible just because he had a soul skill; he could have easily defeated Yu Xiaogang without even using his own.