Chapter 131 - 104: Martial Arts Combined with Technology

Chapter 131: Chapter 104: Martial Arts Combined with Technology

He raised his fists, which had turned silver-gray and were a full four times the size of a normal man’s.

He smashed them heavily together.

There was no muffled thud of flesh on flesh, only the distinct, piercing clang of metal on metal.

Sparks even flew from the point of impact!

The crimson mist surrounding his body roiled from the force of the collision.

Leopard One lowered his head, the movement somewhat stiff due to his metallized neck.

His eyes, hidden beneath the metallic sheen, burned an even deeper, more violent shade of crimson.

He looked at Lu Jing’an, and when he spoke, his voice was hoarse and heavy,

like two pieces of rusted sheet metal scraping against each other:

"I have given you my utmost respect."

He enunciated each word slowly, a metallic tremor in his voice.

"I hope that in a moment... you won’t ’disappoint’ me too much."

Lu Jing’an didn’t answer. He just took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.

With this action, the aura around him suddenly retracted inward.

All of his projected sharpness seemed to sheathe itself.

Only his eyes grew ever clearer and brighter.

Like a snowy reflection in a cold pond, they locked onto every potential change in his opponent.

Lu Jing’an adjusted his state to one of unprecedented focus and concentration.

Seeing this, Leopard One made a strange "HEH HEH" sound in his throat.

It was like a rusty bellows pumping air. "Before the Battalion Commander came... he gave orders."

He raised a heavy arm, his silver-gray finger slowly tracing a line through the air, pointing to the edge of the stage.

"Our battlefield... is only... within this small space."

His finger paused, then abruptly pointed down at the audience—at the spectators who were holding their breath in fear, their faces pale.

The grating, metallic voice suddenly rose, laced with cruel mockery:

"If you jump off... or fall off just once... I’ll kill... a thousand people!"

"So, Young Master Lu... you’d better stand your ground. What you’re standing on... isn’t just a wooden plank... it’s... human lives!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the deathly silent air below the stage seemed to freeze solid.

Many people’s legs began to tremble uncontrollably, and some even had their teeth chattering.

An icy chill shot up from the base of their spines to the tops of their heads.

Even the ever-composed Chen Xuan’s expression grew utterly grave, his hand hidden in his sleeve quietly clenching into a fist.

It was as if ice was forming in the depths of Lu Jing’an’s eyes.

But he still offered no verbal response.

His straight spine just seemed to tense another fraction.

"WHOOSH—!"

He moved!

Lu Jing’an was the first to move!

Without warning, his figure shot forward like an arrow from a bow.

Yet also like a gentle breeze rustling a willow, with a speed that seemed relaxed

but was in fact so fast it left only an afterimage, he charged straight at Leopard One!

He was the first to attack!

No expression could be seen on Leopard One’s metallized face, but the red light in his eyes flared violently.

A mixture of derision and ferocity.

He remembered his mission.

’Kill!’

His massive body didn’t retreat an inch. Instead, he took a heavy step forward!

"BOOM!"

The already dilapidated stage surface collapsed further as dust flew everywhere.

The iron golem threw a punch with a swiftness that defied its size!

This punch had no flair.

It was a pure crush of power and speed. Wherever the fist passed,

the air was torn, letting out a low, terrifying whine!

"BANG—!!!"

One large, one small; one silver-gray, one flesh-colored.

Two completely disproportionate fists slammed into each other in the center of the stage with no frills!

An incredibly muffled boom exploded outwards.

A visible, circular shockwave erupted from the point of impact, spreading outwards,

sweeping the stage clean of all dust and debris!

Everyone instinctively closed their eyes or turned their heads away,

picturing the gruesome scene of Lu Jing’an’s arm breaking, him spitting blood and flying backward.

However!

Lu Jing’an’s body was like a deeply rooted old pine tree—he hadn’t moved an inch!

Even the hem of his clothes barely fluttered backward!

In contrast, Leopard One—who had taken the initiative and seemed to have the absolute advantage in size and strength—

his massive body shuddered violently, and he was forced to stumble back half a step.

His heavy iron feet plowed two shallow grooves into the stage floor!

"What?!" someone in the crowd cried out in shock.

The crimson light in Leopard One’s metallic eye sockets also froze for a moment in disbelief.

Lu Jing’an’s thoughts raced. In the instant of their clash,

he had already gotten a measure of his opponent.

’This metallized skin...’

’Its hardness is probably on par with the Defense Power of my own Copper Skin.’

’It might even be superior in terms of pure resistance to blunt-force attacks.’

’But!’

’It’s rigid, slow, and lacks the resilience, flexibility, and endless regenerative ability of a flesh-and-blood body.’

’More importantly, the power driving this heavy metallic shell...’

’...still comes from Leopard One’s own qi, blood, and Inner Breath. It seems immense right now...’

’...but in reality, the consumption is enormous, and there must be sluggishness in its circulation!’

These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.

How could Lu Jing’an possibly let go of this momentary stiffness and opening in his opponent?

Just at that critical moment, as Leopard One’s body was slightly stalled and his power scattered from the recoil of the clash,

Lu Jing’an’s toes suddenly dug into the ground like iron hooks.

A strange Vibration Force surged up from the soles of his feet.

It traveled up through his hips, past his spine, across his shoulders, and into his arms!

"VMMMM!"

This strange, vibrating power passed through their joined fists and surged into Leopard One’s body without any hindrance!

"Urgh!"

Leopard One let out a muffled roar mixed with pain and furious surprise.

He felt a numbing, tingling sensation, mixed with a tearing vibration, instantly course through his entire body.

His massive metal body, which he controlled with his will as if it were his own limbs,

now began to shudder violently, like a set of rusty gears.

The power he had gathered scattered, leaving him wide open!

Lu Jing’an seized the opportunity and took a step forward. It was an exquisitely precise step that brought him right into Leopard One’s centerline.