Dad!!!

"Holy shit..."

No one knew who swore first.

Then the whole courtyard erupted.

"Creating something out of thin air?!"

"What the hell kind of ability is that?!"

"He... he actually drew it into existence?!"

"In three minutes?!"

"A complete Yellow-Class Mecha?!"

"Am I seeing things?!"

The smile froze on Senior Brother Wang's face.

He stared at the Mecha for several seconds, then turned to look at the blank sheet of paper Chen Xing had left on the table. His expression grew complicated.

Chen Xing ignored the cries around him. He leaped into the cockpit.

The hatch closed, and the Mecha's eyes lit up.

Chen Xing's voice came through the speakers, tinged with amusement. "Senior Brother, ready?"

Senior Brother Wang snapped out of it and gritted his teeth. "Enough talk!"

He stamped his foot and shot forward like a cannonball.

Red light flared around his right arm, and a violent surge of Soul Power burst from his body.

He put everything into this punch. He would finish this arrogant brat in one move!

But...

Chen Xing's Mecha moved.

It didn't retreat or dodge. Instead, it met him in a way no one expected.

The Mecha raised its right arm, elbow angled outward. The motion was as fluid as a person's.

Senior Brother Wang's fist came crashing in.

But just as it was about to strike the Mecha's chest, the Mecha shifted slightly to one side.

The angle was frighteningly precise. Senior Brother Wang's fist skimmed across its armor and slid past.

Then the Mecha drove its left elbow forward.

Thud!

Senior Brother Wang stumbled back seven or eight steps, clutching his ribs, disbelief written all over his face.

"You..."

Chen Xing's voice came from inside the Mecha. "I told you. When you punch, your shoulder moves before your waist follows."

"You're two-tenths of a second too slow."

"My Mecha caught that opening."

Senior Brother Wang opened his mouth, but not a word came out.

The entire Martial Arts Arena fell silent. Every disciple stood frozen in place.

Then someone spoke up. "Did he just... draw that right here?"

The question was like a stone tossed into a still lake.

"He really did! I saw it with my own eyes!"

"Three minutes! From nothing to a complete Yellow-Class Mecha!"

"And that move just now... Did you see it? Didn't that Mecha move like a person?"

"It did! It really did! No ordinary Mecha moves like that!"

"How on earth did he do it?!"

The chatter grew louder and louder.

Chen Xing jumped out of the cockpit, dusted off his hands, and walked up to Senior Brother Wang.

Senior Brother Wang was still clutching his ribs. Shock gave way to a conflicted look, then to wholehearted acceptance of his defeat.

After several seconds of silence, he asked, "You said... I'm putting my strength into the punch in the wrong order?"

Chen Xing nodded. "Move your waist first, then drive your shoulder forward."

"Try it when you get back. You'll see."

Senior Brother Wang stared at him for two seconds, then nodded firmly. "I'll remember that."

He paused, then added, "You win."

At those three words, the courtyard went quiet again for a moment.

Chen Xing stood where he was, watching Senior Brother Wang with the faintest hint of a smile.

The look made Senior Brother Wang squirm. "What are you looking at?"

"Senior Brother," Chen Xing said, tilting his head, "aren't you forgetting something?"

Senior Brother Wang froze. His face turned bright red.

The courtyard fell silent again as every disciple turned to look at him.

Some were already struggling not to laugh.

Tang Wulin stood beside the stone table, his eyes shining. He looked ready to shout.

Senior Brother Wang opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again, only to close it once more.

His lips trembled several times before he finally managed, "Well..."

"Well what?" Chen Xing pressed lightly. "Senior Brother, we had a deal."

Senior Brother Wang's face turned even redder. Of course he remembered.

He had agreed to it himself. If he lost, he had to call the winner... call him...

Senior Brother Wang shut his eyes and drew a deep breath. Then, with everyone watching, he snapped his eyes open, gritted his teeth, stamped his foot, and shouted, "Dad!"

His voice rang out so clear and loud that even the cracked vat in the corner of the courtyard buzzed.

The place went silent for a second.

"Pfft—hahahahaha!"

Someone was the first to break into laughter.

Then the entire courtyard erupted.

"Senior Brother Wang actually said it!"

"Hahahaha! I'm dying!"

"Dad! Senior Brother Wang called a kid Dad!"

"I recorded it! I've got something on him for life!"

Senior Brother Wang's face had gone from red to purple. He wanted the ground to swallow him.

But Chen Xing clearly had no intention of letting him off that easily.

"Senior Brother, everyone else started this whole 'Dad' business," Chen Xing said slowly. "I don't really care about it myself."

Senior Brother Wang blinked, a glimmer of hope appearing on his face. "Then..."

"But," Chen Xing went on, "now that you've said it, once can't be enough, can it?"

Senior Brother Wang's expression changed again. "What... what do you mean?"

"I mean," Chen Xing said with a gentle smile, "that was just a rehearsal."

"A rehearsal for what?"

"You haven't done the real one yet."

Senior Brother Wang went rigid.

The disciples nearby laughed even harder.

Someone began egging him on. "Senior Brother Wang! One more time!"

"Louder! We didn't hear you!"

"Dad! Dad! Dad!"

Someone started chanting, and the whole courtyard joined in.

"Dad!"

"Dad!"

"Dad!"

Senior Brother Wang looked ready to burst into flames.

He glanced at his fellow disciples, who were cheering him on, then at Chen Xing's smiling face.

Finally, he closed his eyes in resignation, took a deep breath, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Dad!!!"

This time he was even louder. The sparrows passing outside the courtyard startled and fluttered away.

Chen Xing nodded in satisfaction. "Good son... Ah, no. Senior Brother, I'm glad to see how sincere you are."

Senior Brother Wang covered his face and turned to flee.

But he had barely taken a step when someone blocked his path.

At some point, A Ruheng had moved to the front of the crowd.

He glanced at Senior Brother Wang, then at Chen Xing, before asking:

"Convinced now?"

Senior Brother Wang nodded, his face still covered.

A Ruheng was silent for two seconds. Then he turned to face all the disciples.

"Did you all see that fight?"