Competition

In the blink of an eye, the outcome was decided, and Ren Yu stood upon the stage.

With a wave of his hand, another retainer stepped up, and the two exchanged a formal salute.

The battle began once more. This time, Ren Yu took the initiative, launching a fierce punch.

He then nimbly bent his frame, driving an elbow upward to strike hard at the man's solar plexus.

The retainer who had stepped up naturally understood Ren Yu's methods and did not underestimate him.

He pressed his hands forward, crossing them in defense. With a dull thud, their two forces collided.

As the energies canceled each other out, the retainer's defensive stance remained unbroken.

But Ren Yu struck and retreated instantly, moving with the uncanny agility of a spirit tortoise that had just found water.

The retainer's expression darkened. As he blocked in front of him, he swung his elbow in a horizontal strike while lowering his center of gravity.

He unleashed the second move of the Tortoise Spirit Breath-Control Technique: "Spirit Tortoise Flip."

One could see his power condensing in his elbows; as he lashed out, the force could be seen expanding in a faint, circular ripple.

Following the shift of his elbows, his sluggish posture rotated in an instant.

Yet Ren Yu did not panic. Using his foot as an axis, he did not shift even half a step.

Having anticipated the retainer's spinning elbow, Ren Yu, who had originally maneuvered behind him, suddenly surged with power in his feet. His entire body swayed, and in a bizarre turn, he rotated back to the front.

"As expected of Ren Yu, he has even mastered the fourth move of the Tortoise Spirit Breath-Control Technique, Returning Tortoise Silent Shadow!"

"How is anyone supposed to play against this? Old Zhou said that during the transition from Ming Jin to An Jin, one is only expected to master the first three moves."

"Ren Yu has mastered the fourth; there's simply no way to fight him!"

On the stage, Zhou Wei and Ren Yun nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Old Zhou, what do you think of this Ren Yu?"

Zhou Wei pondered for a moment. "His foundation is good, but he is somewhat too eager for success."

"I said that between Ming Jin and An Jin, mastering the first three moves is sufficient."

"To learn the fourth move, one must break through to An Jin; otherwise, it is easy for things to go wrong. This Ren Yu's ability to suppress the other retainers relies on the foundation of the first three moves, while the fourth move seems to be a display of vanity!"

During their conversation, the second retainer was caught by Ren Yu's sweeping elbow and shoved off the stage.

The disciples below fell silent.

"Could it be that there are no more challengers? Then I shall graciously accept this first place, everyone!" Ren Yu cupped his fists, his face full of triumph.

Ren Yu had defeated many in a row, stripping everyone of the courage to challenge him.

Because if they waited for him to step down, those weaker than him could still take second or third place.

But once they were defeated, they would walk away with nothing.

It was unclear who started the murmuring, but everyone's gaze turned in unison toward the newly appointed martial artist, Duan Xuan.

"Brother Duan, it seems the people below are very curious about your strength."

Ren Yu also wanted to see what kind of performance someone who could single-handedly slay twelve Wolf Stronghold bandits—including a Ming Jin expert—would put on.

Zhou Wei extended a hand. "Little Brother Duan, these Ren Family retainers are arrogant and conceited. They lack practical combat experience, and we need someone to wake them up. I'm counting on you!"

Duan Xuan took a deep breath. He did not refuse and walked slowly toward the center of the stage.

The atmosphere at the scene reached its peak.

"I heard that when that group from Wolf Stronghold was wiped out, only this kid was on the mountain."

"Are you saying he was the one who took them out? Look at his scrawny, pathetic appearance; do you think that's possible?"

"Regardless, I'm betting on Ren Yu. I doubt this kid's fists could even break Ren Yu's defense!"

Ren Yu crossed his arms, his eyes filled with disdain. A mud-legged commoner, how could he possibly fight me?

"Tortoise Spirit Qi-Control Technique, Ren Yu!"

"Broken Mountain Fist, Duan Xuan."

As soon as the words fell, Ren Yu was about to launch a probing charge, but to his surprise, the scrawny youth before him initiated the attack first.

With a thunderous stomp of his feet, dust rose into the air. Duan Xuan's face flushed a deep red as his power surged from his blood and qi.

The steady Broken Mountain Fist stance was formed in an instant. The first move, Opening Mountain, Breaking Earth, shot out like a cannonball from Duan Xuan's waist.

With a muffled bang, Duan Xuan's fist slammed solidly into Ren Yu's tortoise-shell defensive guard.

Ren Yu did not retreat, but the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

Why is this kid's punch so painful?

Before he could finish the thought, Duan Xuan did not rest; a second punch, fueled by stored momentum, followed immediately.

With his feet rooted to the ground and his waist pivoting wildly, Duan Xuan unleashed both fists, showing no intention of giving Ren Yu a chance to counter.

Ren Yu maintained his defensive stance. Although he felt Duan Xuan's power stacking and growing more ferocious, he only curled his lips in a smirk.

Finally, after a dozen exchanges, he seized the moment Duan Xuan paused to catch his breath. He pulled his defensive stance tight, chest to back, merging his force into one.

Like a giant tortoise flipping over, he expanded outward, his dense and stable power erupting with ferocity.

Yet, in that very instant, he sensed something was wrong. As his defense opened wide, the scrawny youth stood before him like a mountain, his expression devoid of joy, sorrow, panic, or madness.

It was as if he had calculated everything, waiting precisely for Ren Yu to leave his center wide open.

"Break Wall!"

Duan Xuan thought to himself, and the unstoppable momentum of the Broken Mountain Fist erupted.

Not good! Ren Yu's heart surged with alarm.

But having mastered the first three moves of his own technique, he remained confident in his defense.

He chose not to defend his center, instead lunging forward, intending to use other moves from the Tortoise Spirit Qi-Control Technique.

He aimed to wrap his arms around Duan Xuan's body and use brute force to crush his bones, ending the match.

"Duan Xuan is in trouble!" Ren Yun frowned deeply.

Zhou Wei, with his sharp eyes, shook his head. "Although this punch is indeed gathering all his strength for a desperate gamble, I feel something is off!"

On the stage, Duan Xuan watched as Ren Yu abandoned his center to trade injury for injury. His own gathered punch suddenly stopped.

As the saying goes, a smile does not disappear; it merely transfers.

Ren Yu had abandoned his center to close the distance, but Duan Xuan's feet seemed to be equipped with springs. His Achilles tendons stretched taut, his muscles tensed in synchronization, as if they were about to combine into a hydraulic press.

Thrum—

With an absolute burst of speed, Duan Xuan leaped a large step to the left.

The smile on Ren Yu's face vanished completely.

In its place, a sense of shock expanded infinitely within his heart.

Duan Xuan's previous buildup had been a ruse!

There are two types of attacks that cannot be dodged: one with no wind-up, and one with a wind-up so long that the enemy mistakenly assumes it is a finishing move.

"Rupture!"

Ren Yu was wide open. Duan Xuan's fists, one high and one low, distributed the previously accumulated stress, pulling an arc through the air.

At this moment, everyone below held their breath, feeling as if they were watching two massive, pointed hammers about to shatter an immobile giant tortoise.

But these were Broken Mountain hammers.

If they could chisel through a mountain, what use was a thick shell to a giant tortoise?

Ren Yu saw it the same way. Duan Xuan's fists were not large, but they were unfathomably heavy.

Duan Xuan's figure was small, but at this moment, he appeared immense!

Whoosh!

Duan Xuan's two fists stopped—one hovering at Ren Yu's exposed left ribs, the other aimed straight at his vital point. But the punches stopped.

The force of the strike roared, blowing back Ren Yu's long hair and tearing his clothes, exploding behind his head.

Ren Yu's pupils lost their focus, and cold sweat streamed down his forehead.

"Just now... I think I saw death."