One Punch Kneel!

Jiang Che wasn't surprised by the appearance of a troublemaker at all. In fact, even before he took office, Liu Zhi had warned him to be careful and to deal with any troublemakers decisively, as this would solidify his position and earn him respect.

Of course, Jiang Che could have refused Deng Yan's challenge.

But if he did, he would have lost all his authority. His words and orders would no longer be heeded, which would be very detrimental to his command of his subordinates.

Therefore, Jiang Che accepted very readily.

He also wanted to test the extent of his current strength.

Deng Yan nodded and slowly walked onto the stone platform. Almost all eyes below turned to him and Jiang Che, some with admiration, others with disdain.

Hu An glanced at Jin Dayya, who was watching intently, and let out a cold laugh.

Liu Zhi retreated to the corner of the stone platform, his gaze also not relaxed.

Deng Yan dared to challenge, so his strength must be extraordinary. Yet Jiang Che had only been practicing martial arts for half a month. Even if Jiang Che had exceptional talent, his chances of winning wouldn't be very high.

But he could neither refuse nor intervene.

Jiang Che was his confidant and represented his reputation. It was easy to block Deng Yan for Jiang Che, but to get by in the martial camp, one needed extraordinary strength to gain the respect of others.

A cold wind blew a strand of long hair across Deng Yan's cheek. He looked up, gripping the hilt of his saber.

"Deputy Commander Jiang, are you not using a weapon?"

"I don't need one to deal with you,"

Jiang Che said calmly.

This wasn't him trying to show off. It was because he hadn't systematically practiced saber techniques. Using one casually would only be a hindrance, especially since he had only practiced Savage Bull Strength so far.

All his strength was in his fists.

Jiang Che's 'contempt' did not make Deng Yan underestimate him. Instead, it made him believe that Jiang Che was overconfident due to his superior strength, and his expression grew more solemn. He took half a step forward with his left foot, assuming a ready stance.

Without any warning, Deng Yan moved the next moment.

The two were about ten meters apart. The hand gripping the saber hilt suddenly drew it out.

Zheng!

A cold glint pierced the soul. The scabbard flew towards Jiang Che. He feinted two steps forward and thrust his saber directly at Jiang Che's chest.

This change happened almost in the blink of an eye. In an instant, the saber tip reached Jiang Che. Even though there was still some distance, he could still feel the sharpness of the blade.

Then, he took a step back, intending to create distance.

His opponent's speed was fast, but he had already mastered Savage Bull Strength, so his reaction was equally quick. A simple step back showed that Jiang Che's stance training had been ingrained into his very bones.

It was almost an instinctive reaction, and there was no instability.

Jiang Che's retreat was within Deng Yan's expectations. He quickly changed his move from a thrust to a left slash, unleashing a "Sweep the Army" strike that even produced a whistling sound.

"Slash!"

"Hoo!"

The blade cut through the air. Jiang Che's feet left the ground, and he flipped in mid-air, narrowly avoiding another strike. The sharp blade even easily sliced off a small lock of hair from his forehead.

"Swish!"

"Swish!"

"Swish!"

The next ten or so moves turned into Deng Yan's personal showcase. Dazzling saber lights flashed continuously, demonstrating his exceptional saber skill, but Jiang Che always managed to dodge 'just in time' for every attack.

The crowd below held their breath. Geng Dabiao and a few others were worried, while many from the original martial camp secretly cheered.

Well done!

They've curbed the arrogance of Liu and Jiang.

But only Deng Yan, at the center of the exchange, understood.

No matter how fancy these moves were, they were useless.

Because no matter what tricky moves he used, or how he seemed to force Jiang Che into a desperate situation, had Jiang Che suffered even a single injury up to this point?

On the other hand, he was finding it difficult to withstand such a significant expenditure of energy.

If this stalemate continued, he would surely lose.

Liu Zhi, who had also noticed the situation, had been worried earlier. But now, looking at the situation on the field, he had completely relaxed. Jiang Che was bound to win this fight.

Every step, in his eyes, was exquisitely perfect. Jiang Che was even holding the initiative in the exchange.

Such stance training... it was simply flawless!

Even he, who had already broken through to the Bone Forging Realm, found it difficult to achieve.

This kid was growing too fast.

The only flaw was that Jiang Che seemed intent on outlasting Deng Yan, wearing him down step by step. It wasn't as satisfying as a hearty beatdown of Deng Yan.

But he didn't know that Jiang Che also wished he could.

It was just that he had no weapon, so he could only fight this way.

Deng Yan's knife techniques were indeed superb; he had nearly exposed openings several times, but Jiang Che had reacted swiftly each time.

"Clang!"

With a sharp ring of steel, Deng Yan leaped into the air with a 'whoosh' and brought his blade down from above. His previous high-intensity knife work had pushed him to his limit.

To win, he had to go all out and risk everything.

However, this also gave Jiang Che an opportunity.

Jiang Che sidestepped the descending blade. Then, the cool inner qi within his body gathered in his right arm. He took a step forward, closing the distance between them to just a foot.

He gathered his strength, And threw a punch!

The power of Jiang Che's inner qi erupted completely, unleashing a muffled sonic boom as it broke through the air. Deng Yan's pupils contracted sharply; his long saber was already too late to be retracted.

He brought his left arm across his chest to block.

"Bang!"

With an explosive sound, Deng Yan was sent flying back several meters, his long saber clattering uselessly from his grasp.

After being sent flying, his body tumbled several times on the ground before he knelt, clutching his left arm tightly, his face contorted in pain.

The entire arena fell silent.

The sudden turn of events shocked everyone present except Liu Zhi. Hu An, Jin Dayya, and the others gaped, frozen in place.

Weren't they clearly in the advantageous position?

How did he suddenly get blown away?

This defied all logic!

After blasting Deng Yan away, Jiang Che didn't linger to show off. Using the momentum, he moved forward several steps, his fists like heavy hammers smashing towards Deng Yan's head.

Deng Yan had been arrogant for long enough; it was time for his comeuppance.

If this heavy hammer blow landed, anyone could foresee Deng Yan's head exploding like a watermelon.

"Bang!"

With a soft thud, Deng Yan fell to his knees.

Jiang Che's fists stopped steadily an inch above Deng Yan's head, not falling further, but the gust from his fists scattered Deng Yan's hastily tied topknot.

"Not fighting anymore?"

Jiang Che gazed down at Deng Yan from above.

"I lost."

Deng Yan looked up, his voice hoarse, his left arm still trembling uncontrollably.

That punch had nearly shattered his left arm.

Jiang Che's strength was far superior to his.

The dozens of exchanges they'd had earlier were just the other party playing with him.

At this moment, Deng Yan believed he finally understood.

"I accept the bet and admit defeat. Deng Yan is willing to accept whatever Deputy Commander Jiang decides."

He lowered his head, looking at the surface of Jiang Che's shoes, and said in a low voice.

"From now on, you will follow me obediently and be at my service."

Deng Yan's eyes held a hint of surprise. He had expected Jiang Che to expel him from the West City Martial Camp, but he quickly composed himself.

"Your subordinate... obeys."

Jiang Che, hands behind his back, faced the crowd below and continued, "Now. Who agrees, and who opposes?"