Gold Nuggets and Pearl Gravel, Lu Yuan Makes His Move

You Tai knew that if Xiang Cang's momentum was allowed to keep building,

they would lose without even fighting.

"Come on!!!"

You Tai's gaze sharpened as he shouted.

He shattered Xiang Cang's oppressive aura.

His footwork shifted, and the Withered Wood Fist came forth in an unbroken stream. His fist wind howled as it shot straight for Xiang Cang's face.

Yet Xiang Cang neither dodged nor evaded, actually allowing You Tai's fist to slam into his chest.

"Bang!"

A dull thud rang out.

You Tai only felt as though his fist had struck a thick oxhide iron anvil.

The shock numbed his arm.

"Again."

Xiang Cang wasted no words.

He threw a straight punch.

He did not use the Iron Mountain Fist.

It was nothing but pure physical strength.

You Tai's face changed drastically.

He crossed his arms before himself to block.

"Crack!!!"

A teeth-grating sound rang out.

It was the sound of bones cracking.

You Tai's arms bent as if they had been smashed crooked.

That immense force

made You Tai feel as if he had been struck by a battering ram.

He flew backward several meters, crashing heavily onto the ground and sliding a long way before stopping.

One move!

You Tai, the senior disciple of Withered Wood Fist Hall and also a Second-Rank Lower Martial Artist, could not even withstand Xiang Cang's casual punch.

"Again..."

You Tai took several seconds to recover.

But the moment he opened his mouth,

Pfft!!!

His blood and qi churned, and blood spilled straight from the corner of You Tai's mouth.

"Enough. Step down."

Seeing You Tai's condition,

Chen Wang barked an order.

The entire venue fell deathly silent.

The disciples of Withered Wood Fist Hall looked ashen. Su Yu and Lin Ruoxue's pupils contracted as well, their faces full of disbelief.

The two had originally thought themselves talented enough.

Who would have thought that this big fellow could fight a senior disciple of the same realm

as easily as squeezing a chick?

"Withered Wood Fist Hall has already lost two matches in a row."

Tu Zhenyue could not help laughing. "Old Chen, according to the old rules for martial hall sparring in our town, if you lose a third match, every disciple of your Withered Wood Fist Hall will have to offer me a cup of tea in acknowledgment of me as their master."

"And for the next month, any promising seedlings who come to Withered Wood Fist Hall to seek a master must first be picked over by our Mountain-Calming Martial Hall. Have you decided who will take the next match?"

Tu Zhenyue's words instantly turned Chen Wang's face livid.

It was rare for challenges between martial halls to end in three consecutive losses.

Offering tea was what disciples did for their masters.

Stealing new disciples would directly sever Withered Wood Fist Hall's foundation and future.

For Withered Wood Fist Hall, which had recently suffered heavy casualties while hunting demons and was already struggling to take in disciples, this was simply snow atop frost.

"Tu Zhenyue, you're going too far!"

"Rules are rules, Old Chen. Can't you afford to lose?"

Lu Yuan saw Chen Wang's difficulty and struggle.

Since he had caused this trouble, and it might bring more trouble in the future, he naturally had to settle this third challenge himself.

"I'll take the third match."

Lu Yuan stepped forward.

"Nonsense!"

"Lu Yuan, get back here! You're courting death! Even if Withered Wood Fist Hall shuts its doors, we do not need you to throw your life away."

Seeing this, Chen Wang shouted sternly.

"Master Chen, there's no other way now."

Lu Yuan turned back and gave Chen Wang a calm look. Then, ignoring all attempts to dissuade him, he walked straight toward the center of the field.

Xiang Cang's bell-like eyes swept over Lu Yuan from head to toe. Without saying a word, he turned and retreated behind Tu Zhenyue.

Clearly, in his eyes, Lu Yuan was not even qualified to make him fight.

"Old Chen, your martial hall truly has no one left. You actually sent a novice who hasn't even trained his skin and flesh properly up here to die. How utterly laughable."

Tu Zhenyue shook his head and mocked him.

"Hall Master, why use an ox-cleaving blade to kill a chicken? Leave this kid to me."

He He jumped into the field again, rubbing his fists together as he stared at Lu Yuan.

In his view, the aura Lu Yuan gave off was not even as strong as Su Yu's had been. Wouldn't handling him be as easy as turning over one's hand?

"Kid, how about you kneel and apologize to my senior brother Wan Songbai, then crawl back to your master? That way, you can avoid having your arms and legs broken."

He He gave a strange laugh.

"No!"

"Then I'll break both your legs and make you kneel."

His body flashed forward like a ghost, his twin claws hooked as they seized straight for Lu Yuan's throat.

Facing He He's nimble, lightning-fast attack, Lu Yuan remained where he stood, neither dodging nor evading.

Just as He He's sharp claws were about to touch his skin, Lu Yuan moved.

Carefree Steps—he took one stride.

His body was like a falling withered leaf, angling ever so slightly to one side.

He perfectly evaded He He's attack.

He also saw through the flaw in He He's movement technique.

"Hm!"

He He missed with his attack, and alarm rose in his heart. Just as he tried to change moves and retreat,

Lu Yuan had already closed in. His right arm stretched out like withered wood.

It appeared slow, yet was fast as lightning, landing precisely upon He He's shoulder.

The first layer of the Withered Wood Fist: Withered Wood Perches on Branch.

It emphasized the toughness of a dead branch, borrowing force to return force. Once it latched on, it became like a festering sore clinging to the bone.

Lu Yuan's arm suddenly exerted force, and a hidden force surged through He He's shoulder and blasted into his body.

"Bang!"

He He felt half his body go numb in an instant. Then that enormous force flung his entire body away, sending him tumbling twice through the air.

He crashed heavily down at Tu Zhenyue's feet.

One of his arms hung limply at his side.

Again, it was one move—just like Xiang Cang, Lu Yuan had defeated his opponent in a single strike.

The entire venue once more fell into dead silence.

This time, the shock was even greater than Xiang Cang's.

Su Yu's eyes widened and his mouth fell slightly open, his face filled with disbelief.

He He, whom he had only narrowly lost to after going all out, had actually been defeated by Lu Yuan in one move?

"Eh!"

"Didn't Master say his martial arts talent was poor, and that he was nearly expelled from the fist hall?"

A strange light flashed through Lin Ruoxue's beautiful eyes.

Xiang Cang's lowered eyelids lifted slightly as he gave Lu Yuan a deep look.

"Good lad, that's the Withered Wood Fist!"

Chen Wang cried out in approval.

At the same time, his gaze turned toward You Tai.

You Tai hurriedly explained that he had passed it to Lu Yuan on his master's behalf.

He had originally thought he would be reprimanded.

"Well done." Chen Wang nodded.

"But why hasn't his skin turned bronze?"

"Could it be that he has already surpassed the bronze color and reached the second layer of Grinding Force?"

Chen Wang was puzzled for an instant before the thought struck him.

As expected of someone recommended by Mr. Yan.

Only then did he realize that his earlier thoughts had been somewhat... rash.

"You..."

He He abruptly got to his feet.

He was about to enter the field again.

How could he possibly accept being defeated by a novice fresh out of the gate?

Moreover, he believed

that he had only been flung away by Lu Yuan because he had been careless.

"Useless trash."

Tu Zhenyue held He He back.

And Xiang Cang, who had remained silent all this time,

also stepped forward.

Seeing Xiang Cang's action,

Chen Wang immediately rose to his feet. "Tu Zhenyue, does your Mountain-Calming Martial Hall have no shame?"

Lu Yuan was only a First-Rank Lower Martial Artist.

Xiang Cang, meanwhile, was a Second-Rank Lower Martial Artist.

The two were separated by an entire major realm.

And Xiang Cang's monstrous talent—

Chen Wang had not only heard of it, he had just witnessed it with his own eyes.

Lu Yuan was gold nuggets and pearl gravel.

Chen Wang had finally discovered him with great difficulty. How could he let Xiang Cang ruin such a promising seedling?