Provocation 1

The dust settled on a fierce battle, leaving the arena's bluestone covered in fine blade scars and fist marks.

The audience had yet to recover from the intense fight, and the echoes of their cheers still lingered above the arena.

Zhang Changfeng was just about to step onto the platform and announce the next drawing of matchups.

An agile figure shot out from the eastern stands and landed in the center of the arena!

"Hold on!"

A youth in fitted martial attire stood with his hands behind his back. His skin and flesh were compact and tempered, his Qi and blood surged ceaselessly, and he exuded the presence of the flesh refining early stage.

He swept his eyes across the crowd before finally fixing his gaze on the Fierce Tiger Martial Hall's seats.

"I am Yue Song of the Blazing Mountain Martial Hall, and I challenge the Fierce Tiger Martial Hall!"

"I am at the flesh refining early stage. I ask only that a martial artist of the same stage from the Fierce Tiger Martial Hall come up and fight!"

The spectators immediately began to clamor.

"The Blazing Mountain Martial Hall is stirring up trouble again?"

"They're coming straight for the Fierce Tiger Martial Hall! The fated rivals are at it again!"

"He's deliberately restricting the challenge to his own stage. Now we're in for a show!"

Zhang Changfeng shook his head and also looked toward the Fierce Tiger Martial Hall.

The various hall masters turned their gazes over, all watching with amused interest.

Outside the formal matches determined by drawing lots, voluntary challenges between martial halls had always been tacitly permitted. Victory brought fame and prestige; defeat left one's reputation in the dust.

Chen Tie frowned slightly as he studied the provocative Yue Song on the platform.

His opponent's presence was steady. He was an early-stage flesh refining martial artist with a solid foundation.

He turned to Shen Yan beside him and asked a question.

"Second Senior Brother, why is the Blazing Mountain Martial Hall singling us out? It looks like there's a long-standing grudge."

A trace of helplessness crossed Shen Yan's eyes.

"It's an old feud."

"Back when Master Mo founded the Fierce Tiger Martial Hall, the martial halls' influence in the city was already entrenched. They didn't want Master taking a share of the market districts' cultivation resources or prospective disciples."

"To gain a firm foothold, Master Mo visited all the established martial halls to exchange pointers. Most of the other halls stopped short of going too far, but the Blazing Mountain Martial Hall made things difficult at every turn, intent on strangling the Fierce Tiger Martial Hall in its cradle."

"Left with no choice, Master Mo crushed the Blazing Mountain Martial Hall's old hall master at the time and made them lose face."

"The two halls have been enemies ever since."

A measure of helplessness colored Shen Yan's voice. "Every year after that, the Blazing Mountain Martial Hall never missed the Martial Hall Grand Competition, and they targeted our Fierce Tiger Martial Hall every time. Unfortunately for them, they provoked us year after year and lost year after year, yet they simply refused to change their ways."

Understanding dawned on Chen Tie. So the grudge had been festering for years.

On the platform, Yue Song folded his arms across his chest, his expression growing increasingly arrogant.

"What? Does no one from the Fierce Tiger Martial Hall dare to fight? Your hall master was so arrogant and overbearing back then, but now his juniors are all turtles hiding in their shells?"

His grating taunts carried throughout the arena.

At the highest point of the stands, Mo Hong's expression remained as still as an ancient well.

"Yue Zhengshan, your hall still won't give up. You keep fighting despite defeat after defeat."

Yue Zhengshan snorted coldly.

"Mo Laohu, don't get too pleased with yourself. No one loses forever."

Mo Hong's gaze passed over his disciples before finally settling on Shen Yan.

Shen Yan nodded, understanding Mo Hong's intention.

Among those in the hall, aside from Chen Tie, who had yet to reveal his strength, he alone was the most suitable choice for a fight at the flesh refining early stage.

"I'll do it!"

Shen Yan drew a deep breath, rose, and straightened his martial uniform. He gave Chen Tie a slight nod, then leaped onto the bluestone platform.

"Shen Yan of the Fierce Tiger Martial Hall! I accept!"

The two stood at opposite ends of the platform, facing each other from afar.

Zhang Changfeng wasted no words.

"Begin!"

As his voice fell, Yue Song's eyes lit up, his earlier arrogance turning into sharp killing intent!

He drove his feet down, crushing a few chips of bluestone beneath them. His Qi and blood surged as he pushed his skin, flesh, sinews, and bones to their fullest!

"Blazing Mountain Mountain-Crushing Fist!"

This was the Blazing Mountain Martial Hall's signature fist technique, built around fierce power and head-on clashes!

The wind from his fist was heavy and overbearing, carrying the robust Qi and blood of the flesh refining realm. His punch drove straight toward Shen Yan's face with the force of a collapsing mountain, ferocious beyond compare!

Shen Yan dared not be careless. He focused his mind and gathered his Qi, circulating his Qi and blood throughout his body. Sinking his waist and twisting his hips, he unleashed a Fierce Tiger Straight Punch!

Their fists collided with an explosive crash!

Waves of air churned, and dust shot skyward from the platform!

Shen Yan felt an immense, overbearing force rush from his fist into his arm. His entire arm went numb, his Qi and blood roiled, and he involuntarily stumbled two steps backward.

He was startled.

Though both were at the flesh refining early stage, Yue Song's foundation was stronger than that of an ordinary martial artist at the same stage, and his force was more concentrated!

Yue Song pressed his advantage without mercy. His punches erupted in an unbroken chain, each stronger than the last, as relentless mountain-crushing force bore down madly, denying Shen Yan even a moment to catch his breath.

Unable to find an opening to counterattack, Shen Yan could only grit his teeth and hold his ground. Layer upon layer of Fierce Tiger Fist formed a watertight defense against his opponent's savage force.

But after more than ten exchanges, the gap became clear.

The Blazing Mountain Mountain-Crushing Fist was brutal and overbearing, crushing forward step by step. Having seized the initiative, every strike battered forcibly against Shen Yan's defensive line of Qi and blood.

The longer Shen Yan defended, the harder it became. His Qi and blood were depleted at an ever-faster rate, his breathing gradually grew labored, and his arms ached and tingled with numbness. Small openings began to appear.

Chen Tie watched the platform intently, his brow furrowing.

It was not that his senior brother lacked familiarity with his moves, nor that his cultivation method was being countered. His opponent's fist technique was approaching greater mastery.

The Blazing Mountain Martial Hall's fist technique emphasized explosive attacks. Once it seized the initiative, it pressed hard with relentless blows. His senior brother was likely in danger.

Several more head-on exchanges followed!

Yue Song caught an opening as Shen Yan drew breath. He slipped sideways around the defense, lowered his fist to gather force, and poured all his Qi and blood into a single punch.

"Mountain Collapse and Bone Shattering!"

His fist smashed down!

The force of the punch pierced the defense and slammed into Shen Yan's chest!

Shen Yan's whole body shuddered violently. His face turned as white as paper, the Qi and blood in his chest surged backward, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

The tremendous force sent him flying to the edge of the platform. His arms trembled slightly, and he no longer had the strength to rise and fight again.

Yue Song withdrew his fist and stood still, looking coldly at Shen Yan as he spoke with disdain.

"The Fierce Tiger Martial Hall amounts to nothing more than this! You've lost!"

After a brief silence, Zhang Changfeng announced:

"Yue Song of the Blazing Mountain Martial Hall wins!"

The entire crowd erupted into an uproar of jeers and discussion!

"They won! The Blazing Mountain Martial Hall can finally hold its head high!"

"They kept the Fierce Tiger Martial Hall pinned down the whole time. It was a complete crushing!"

"As expected of sworn rivals. Not a shred of mercy!"

Mo Hong's expression remained calm, but a trace of gloom passed through the depths of his eyes.

Yue Zhengshan laughed heartily, finally able to hold his head high.

"Mo Laohu, your Fierce Tiger Martial Hall lost!"

Mo Hong glanced at him.

"It was only one loss. Look how happy you are. You've been losing for decades."

Yue Zhengshan sneered.

"Just wait and see. Your Fierce Tiger Martial Hall will lose the next few matches too!"

Shen Yan slowly stood and walked off the platform with his head lowered.

Chen Tie hurried forward and handed him a healing pill. After Shen Yan took it, a little color returned to his face.

"Second Senior Brother, don't take it to heart."

"He may be at the flesh refining early stage, but his fist technique isn't far from greater mastery. Presumably, he did this deliberately."

Shen Yan sighed.

Fresh from his victory, Yue Song was riding high. After he returned to his hall's seats, another figure leaped out from the Blazing Mountain Martial Hall and stepped onto the platform.

This man was as burly as a mountain, his Qi and blood rolling like rushing thunder. He had already reached flesh refining greater mastery.

He raised his eyes toward the Fierce Tiger Martial Hall, his voice ringing like a great bell.

"Yue Yang of the Blazing Mountain Martial Hall! I seek another lesson from the Fierce Tiger Martial Hall!"

A stir ran through the spectators.

The Blazing Mountain Martial Hall intended to strike while the iron was hot and suppress the Fierce Tiger Martial Hall completely in one go.

Mo Hong frowned slightly. His gaze swept over his disciples and soon settled on a brawny man.

"Zhou Hu, you go."

Chen Tie nodded slightly. Zhou Hu was a senior brother who had returned from training away from the hall, and his foundation at flesh refining greater mastery was solid.

Zhou Hu cupped his fists and leaped onto the platform.

"Zhou Hu of the Fierce Tiger Martial Hall. I'll take you on!"