A muffled, earth-shattering boom exploded, and the entire arena floor shuddered violently.
The azure barrier caved inward beneath that punch, forming a deep crater. In that same instant, over a hundred of the rapidly spinning notes on its surface shattered, spraying azure fragments through the air.
Yun Qingyin's body slid three steps backward under the impact.
Her bare feet scraped three faint white marks across the stone tiles, while a corner of her purple skirt was lifted by the shockwave, revealing her fair, well-proportioned calves beneath.
Her hands remained pressed against the strings, her ten fingers trembling slightly. When the punch's force traveled through the barrier into her body, her knuckles ached faintly from the shock.
"Interesting."
Yun Qingyin spoke, her voice still gentle, though it now carried a subtle warmth born of roused competitiveness.
"What a 'cultivating only oneself, not the Great Dao.'"
"There truly were no traces of laws upon that punch of yours, nor any fluctuations of Saintly Breath."
"Pure physical strength was enough to shatter a barrier woven from thirty percent of my musical runes."
"Xu Xun, just what is sealed within you?"
Xu Xun stood three zhang before her, the purple cocoon of light around his right fist slowly fading.
The smile at the corner of his lips was several shades deeper than before, but most of that gentle, gentlemanly air had receded, replaced by the excitement of battle intent being ignited.
"I don't know."
He answered with complete frankness.
"I've had these patterns on my body ever since I was born."
"I've practiced boxing for thirty thousand years. Every time I exerted strength, I could feel something inside me helping me."
"It bears the backlash for me, digests the impact for me, and strengthens my muscles and bones for me."
"But I've never seen