Dugu Bo's Appreciation

Dugu Xin opened his mouth, and a mass of emerald-green poisonous mist surged out, shrouding toward Yu Hong.

The mist covered a wide area, spreading in a fan shape and sealing off almost every retreat path in front of Yu Hong.

However, Yu Hong's reaction was far faster than he had imagined.

Just as the poisonous mist was about to envelop him, Yu Hong's body flashed violently to the side, evading the coverage of the mist at an extremely tricky angle.

"What?!" Dugu Xin was greatly shocked.

His Jade Phosphorous Breath had an incredibly wide range; ordinary people simply could not dodge it.

Yet, Yu Hong had actually dodged it?

And looking at his movements, it seemed completely effortless!

Yu Hong did not give Dugu Xin much time to think. After avoiding the poisonous mist, his body shot toward Dugu Xin like an arrow released from a bow.

The speed was astonishing!

Dugu Xin's pupils constricted, and he hurriedly retreated.

But Yu Hong's speed was even faster, and in the blink of an eye, he arrived right in front of him.

He threw a punch!

The wind of the fist whistled, carrying a fierce, sharp force.

Dugu Xin hurriedly raised his arms to block.

"Bang!"

The fist collided with his arms, producing a dull, heavy sound.

Dugu Xin felt a massive force surge through him, sending him stumbling backward repeatedly. His arms went numb, and the webs between his thumbs and forefingers throbbed with pain.

What immense strength! Dugu Xin was horrified.

The power of this punch was simply not something an eleventh-level Spirit Master should be able to unleash!

Yu Hong did not stop; having gained the upper hand with one punch, he followed up with another.

Every punch whistled with wind, and every move was fierce.

Dugu Xin was beaten back step by step, unable to find any opportunity to counterattack.

"Damn it!" Dugu Xin gritted his teeth. "Second Spirit Skill, Serpent Shadow Entanglement!"

Two emerald-green, serpentine phantoms flew out from his body, winding toward Yu Hong.

The speed of the Serpent Shadow Entanglement was extremely fast, and their trajectories were bizarre, attacking Yu Hong from two different directions simultaneously.

Yu Hong's eyes narrowed slightly, and his body suddenly dropped low, slipping out from between the pincer attack of the two serpent shadows.

At the same time, he kicked off the ground with force, his entire body slamming toward Dugu Xin like a cannonball.

Dugu Xin was terrified and wanted to dodge, but it was already too late.

"Bang!"

Yu Hong's shoulder slammed hard into Dugu Xin's chest.

Dugu Xin let out a muffled groan, flying backward and rolling several times on the ground before coming to a stop.

"Cough, cough..." Dugu Xin clutched his chest, coughing violently, his face turning somewhat pale.

That collision had nearly broken his ribs!

"Do you want to continue?" Yu Hong stood where he was and asked calmly.

Dugu Xin climbed up from the ground and looked at Yu Hong, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He had lost?

He, a twenty-second-level Spirit Master, had actually lost to an eleventh-level Spirit Master?

And the opponent hadn't even used his Martial Soul or spirit skills!

How could this be possible?!

"I don't accept this!" Dugu Xin shouted. "Again!"

He charged at Yu Hong once more. This time, he had learned his lesson; he did not rashly use spirit skills but chose close-quarters combat instead.

His Martial Soul was the Jade Phosphorous Serpent, so his close-combat ability was not weak to begin with. Coupled with the agility bonus brought by Martial Soul Possession, he was confident he could defeat Yu Hong in melee combat.

However, reality dealt him another heavy blow.

Yu Hong's close-combat ability was even stronger than he had imagined!

Every punch and every kick carried astonishing power and precise angles.

Dugu Xin's attacks were either dodged or blocked; he simply could not inflict any effective damage on Yu Hong.

Conversely, Yu Hong's attacks struck Dugu Xin repeatedly.

One punch to the shoulder left Dugu Xin's entire arm numb.

One kick to the tail nearly made Dugu Xin lose his footing.

An elbow strike to the chest sent Dugu Xin staggering back several steps.

"This... this is impossible!" Dugu Xin's heart was filled with shock and confusion.

He was clearly ten levels higher than Yu Hong, so why was he completely outmatched in close-quarters combat?

Could this guy's body be made of iron?

Dugu Xin gritted his teeth, deciding to unleash his full strength.

"Jade Phosphorous Breath!"

He spat out another cloud of toxic mist while leaping backward to put some distance between himself and Yu Hong.

"Serpent Shadow Entanglement!"

Two serpent shadows flew out once more, coordinating with the toxic mist to form a three-dimensional attack network.

This time, he would ensure Yu Hong had nowhere to run!

However, Yu Hong's reaction once again exceeded his expectations.

Facing the pincer attack of the toxic mist and the serpent shadows, Yu Hong did not choose to dodge; instead, he charged straight forward.

His speed was at its absolute limit, and he passed through the edge of the toxic mist before it could fully disperse.

The two serpent shadows coiled toward him, but he sidestepped, slipping through the gap between them.

The next moment, he had already arrived in front of Dugu Xin.

Dugu Xin's pupils contracted violently; he wanted to retreat, but it was already too late.

Yu Hong's fist had stopped right in front of his throat, less than an inch from his skin.

"You lost," Yu Hong said calmly.

Dugu Xin froze in place, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

If that punch had landed, his throat would likely have been in pain for days.

"I... I lost," Dugu Xin said with difficulty, his voice somewhat hoarse.

Yu Hong retracted his fist and stepped back a few paces.

"I accept your concession."

Dugu Xin stood where he was, his expression shifting—shock, unwillingness, and a trace of admiration.

Since he was a child, he had been praised for his outstanding talent and was the standout of the younger generation of the Dugu family.

Yet today, he had been defeated by a boy one year younger and eleven levels lower than himself.

And the opponent hadn't even used his Martial Soul or Spirit Skills!

This gap made him feel a deep sense of frustration.

"Little Brother Yu Hong..." Dugu Xin's voice was dry, "How exactly did you train your body?"

"Daily exercise," Yu Hong replied briefly.

"Daily exercise?" Dugu Xin was stunned. "It's that simple?"

"It's that simple," Yu Hong nodded. "Four years as one day, never interrupted."

Dugu Xin fell silent.

Four years as one day, never interrupted.

These things sounded simple, but how many people could actually do it?

He asked himself, and he couldn't.

"I'm convinced," Dugu Xin sighed. "Little Brother Yu Hong, you are stronger than me."

Yu Hong didn't speak, merely nodding slightly.

Standing on the sidelines, a flash of surprise crossed Dugu Bo's eyes.

He had originally thought this sparring match would be an easy victory for his son.

After all, level twenty-two against level eleven—a full ten-level difference—looked like a complete stomp no matter how you viewed it.

But the result?

His son had been beaten without any ability to fight back.

Furthermore, Yu Hong hadn't used his Martial Soul or Spirit Skills, suppressing Dugu Xin purely through physical combat.

This boy's physical constitution was simply ridiculously strong.

Dugu Bo couldn't help but feel a sense of appreciation for Yu Hong in his heart.

"Yu Hong," Dugu Bo spoke up. "Your body must have undergone special training, right?"

Yu Hong looked at Dugu Bo and shook his head: "No, Senior Dugu."