First Signs of Greatness

On the stage, the two stood facing each other.

The discussions below the stage reached both their ears, but Zhou Muyun's expression remained unchanged, completely unaffected.

Long Qian, standing opposite him, raised a brow and smiled. "Zhou Muyun, right? Looks like no one thinks much of you. How about you concede?

"Otherwise, once we really start fighting, I might not be able to hold back. If you end up dead or crippled, it'll be too late."

Naturally, a life-and-death contract had to be signed before the duel. Zhou Muyun had signed it yesterday; death, injury, and disability would all be disregarded.

If the Dragon Household won, the Leng Household could no longer interfere in the Dragon Household's medicinal herb business and would surrender all its shares.

Conversely, if the Leng Household won, the Dragon Household and the Leng Household would split the shares evenly from then on, with neither interfering in the other's affairs.

The Dragon Household had seized the critical moment when the Leng Household could not spare any manpower and set this wager.

"I accepted someone's request. We'll know after we fight," Zhou Muyun replied calmly.

Hearing Zhou Muyun's words, Long Qian naturally understood that his opponent intended to fight to the end.

His gaze sharpened as he assumed a stance.

Though he looked down on Zhou Muyun verbally, he had never let down his guard in the slightest.

Martial artists learned killing techniques. No one could be sure what move their opponent might use.

"Duel—begin!"

At the command, silence fell outside the arena.

The autumn wind blew in gusts, sweeping up withered yellow leaves.

Their gazes collided, and an invisible pressure spread through the air.

Long Qian attacked first. With a tap of his toes, his body shot upward. Twisting his waist in midair, he brought down his right leg like a battle axe, aiming straight for Zhou Muyun's head.

It was one of the killing moves of the Cloud-Climbing Leg: Cloud Dragon's Claw.

"The Cloud-Climbing Leg is at minor mastery!"

Someone below the stage cried out in alarm, clearly recognizing the move.

Zhou Muyun did not choose to block.

His feet moved in casual steps, his arms swaying loosely, his entire body relaxed and slack like a willow hanging in the wind. It was Windblown Catkin Dance.

Long Qian's leg cleaved toward his face in an instant, about to strike him.

Yet Zhou Muyun bent backward like a willow branch broken by the wind.

The edge of the kick brushed past his nose and slammed heavily into the stone slabs of the arena, spiderweb-like cracks rapidly spreading outward.

Long Qian's kick missed, startling him slightly. But he reacted quickly, sweeping his left leg directly at Zhou Muyun's knees.

However, Zhou Muyun used the momentum of his backward bend to slide several steps along the ground, evading the attack.

"Will you only hide like a rat?"

Long Qian's expression darkened. Though he tried to provoke Zhou Muyun with his words, his attacks continued to rain down like a raging storm.

His legs alternated in kicks, their angles vicious and their force powerful, as he unleashed the Nine-Link Cloud-Climbing.

Each of Long Qian's kicks was heavier than the last. Dense whistles of breaking air rang out as the shadows of his legs swiftly swallowed Zhou Muyun.

"Junior Brother Zhou, go!"

Below the stage, Leng Ni watched Long Qian's assault and nervously clenched her hands for Zhou Muyun.

The next moment, everyone froze, and some even shouted.

"Look! What is he doing?!"

Facing the dense shadows of legs, Zhou Muyun did not make any large evasive movements.

Instead, like drifting willow catkins, he lightly "stuck" to the edge of Long Qian's leg each time he kicked.

With every contact, he used the slightest force to alter the direction of Long Qian's exertion, evading every kick.

It was the Dry-Clothes Touch of the Flurry Fist.

"Incredible! His Flurry Fist is at minor mastery too!"

"When did Greenwood Martial Hall produce another monster? Wasn't Bai Yu the only one?"

"Could he be a hidden trump card the Leng Household has been concealing?"

The onlookers could not help voicing their amazement.

Leng Ni's beautiful eyes shone even brighter. He had reached the Organ Refinement Realm in less than half a year, and his Flurry Fist had reached minor mastery as well. He was hardly inferior to Bai Yu!

Long Teng, meanwhile, wore a fierce expression as he shouted, "Qian'er, what are you doing? Finish him already!"

On the stage, Long Qian had no mind to listen to anyone else.

The more he kicked, the more alarmed he became. Not only did every kick feel as though it had struck cotton, but his opponent's force was even causing his center of gravity to shift!

Finally, after one kick missed, Long Qian's body swayed almost imperceptibly.

The opening vanished in an instant, but this was precisely the moment Zhou Muyun had been waiting for.

However, Long Qian truly deserved to be called someone who had trained the Cloud-Climbing Leg to minor mastery. Knowing things were going badly, he simply poured out all his strength and, using his unbalanced center of gravity, forcibly threw another kick.

He intended to force Zhou Muyun to dodge, so that he could stabilize himself and open the distance.

But Zhou Muyun did not dodge.

He clenched his fist, and a faint bronze sheen emerged over it as he threw a punch straight ahead.

The punch howled through the air and struck Long Qian squarely on the sole of his foot.

Boom!

The two forces collided. Several more cracks burst across the arena's stone slabs, and a wave of air swept outward.

Nearby spectators felt a fierce gust strike them, sending their clothes fluttering. Those with sharp eyes cried out in alarm.

"It's a body-tempering technique!"

"What? His fist technique is at minor mastery, and he still had spare effort to temper his body? What kind of monster is he?!"

Long Qian only felt an enormous force surge up from the sole of his foot, numbing half his leg.

He was horrified. A body-tempering technique and fist technique at major mastery—what kind of monster was this man?

Every body-tempering technique consumed an enormous amount of time and vitality. A moment of carelessness could injure the practitioner.

Once one's vitality was depleted, the martial path was cut off. Usually, only martial artists with no hope of advancing would choose body tempering to increase their strength.

People like Long Qian generally only practiced stance arts and various martial techniques. Raising their realm was the highest priority.

That punch blasted Long Qian backward through the air. Knowing something was wrong, he hurriedly twisted his waist, trying to regain his posture before landing.

But Zhou Muyun would not give him the chance.

He directly used Myriad Catkins Obscure the Sky. The people below only saw Zhou Muyun's figure flash, and in an instant, numerous Zhou Muyuns appeared on the stage.

Every Zhou Muyun attacked Long Qian simultaneously from a different angle.

Long Qian's mind fell into chaos at the sight.

He could only land quickly, raise both arms to shield his face, chest, and abdomen, and try to block.

But the move was a feint. Like a nimble serpent, Zhou Muyun struck Long Qian beneath the ribs with a heavy punch from a vicious angle.

The instant his fist landed, hidden force poured into Long Qian's body like a burst dam.

Crack.

With the crisp sound of ribs breaking, Long Qian flew backward, rolled twice through the air, and slammed heavily onto the ground outside the arena.

He struggled to push himself up, but sweetness filled his throat. He spat out a jet of blood, then collapsed unconscious.

On the arena, Zhou Muyun slowly withdrew his fist. His long hair streamed behind him in the powerful wind, and his bronze-colored fist carried a hue that made people tremble.

"Incredible! Long Qian is one of the rising stars of Soaring Cloud Martial Hall, yet he was defeated in just a few moves?"

"His body tempering has achieved results, and his fist technique is at minor mastery. Zhou Muyun hid himself well."

"Greenwood Martial Hall has produced another ruthless one. Spread the news quickly."

The surrounding spectators all voiced their amazement. Some even hurried away, clearly intending to spread the news.

A smile bloomed across Leng Ni's face. It was not only because Zhou Muyun had won, but because she felt her sponsorship had been exactly right.

Now she wanted to see who would dare laugh at her!

Zhou Muyun met Leng Ni's eyes and smiled faintly, about to step down from the arena.

"Qian'er!"

Beside the arena, Long Teng cried out in anguish and rushed forward to hold Long Qian.

He looked at Zhou Muyun, his eyes full of resentment. The great plans of his Dragon Household had been ruined just like that, and the son in whom he had placed such high hopes was now dead or alive unknown.

Thinking of this, he set Long Qian down and brazenly attacked Zhou Muyun.

Long Teng leaped onto the arena and struck a palm at Zhou Muyun's chest, the strength of the Blood Exchange Realm erupting fiercely.

"Junior Brother Zhou, watch out!" Leng Ni cried out.

Palm force roared through the air with terrifying speed. Zhou Muyun had his back to Long Teng and had no time to react at all.

Just then, a light, airy voice drifted over.

"Brother Long, if you insist on acting like this, don't blame me for showing you no respect!"