Chapter 566 - 191: Entering the Top Three, The Sect Leader’s Thoughts

Fists collided with a thunderous BOOM. The explosion rocked the stage as a powerful shockwave radiated outward, kicking up a towering cloud of dust.

Lu Shaohua’s expression changed in an instant. He felt a colossal force, far more tyrannical than before, surge from Yang Jing’s fist like a tidal wave.

The force was ferocious, yet it held a trace of nimbleness that made it impossible for him to redirect.

At the same time, a potent and piercing stream of Inner Qi shot from the point of impact, drilling into his arm like a steel needle and surging through his meridians straight toward his Dantian.

His own Inner Qi rushed to counter it, but it was like a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot—instantly shattered by this tyrannical force.

Yang Jing stood his ground, perfectly still. Not a single crack appeared on the bluestone tiles beneath his feet.

Lu Shaohua, however, stumbled back six or seven steps as if he’d been hit by a battering ram. Each step he took made the stone tiles tremble, and he only managed to stop himself when his back slammed into the stage’s railing.

Lu Shaohua looked up in horror, his eyes filled with utter disbelief as he stared at Yang Jing.

’How could this be? Just a moment ago, I had him completely suppressed. How did he suddenly become so powerful?’

Meanwhile, the whole of Fushan Square erupted in an uproar.

Thousands of disciples and members of the Prefecture City’s noble families stared wide-eyed, their faces etched with shock. A tide of discussion washed over the crowd.

"What’s going on? Yang Jing was clearly on the losing end a second ago. How is he suddenly overpowering Lu Shaohua?"

"That power is insane! Lu Shaohua was sent staggering back six or seven steps!"

"Just how much has Yang Jing been hiding? That spike in power is terrifying!"

"Holy shit, what the hell? How did the tables turn so fast?"

"My god, is Yang Jing actually going to defeat Lu Shaohua? Is he going to jump from number twenty-three on the Hidden Dragon List straight to number three?"

"Third? I’d say he has a shot at second! Damn, who would’ve thought? After fighting all this way, he was still holding this much back?"

Everyone stared at Yang Jing in disbelief. Just moments ago, he was being thoroughly suppressed by Lu Shaohua. Now, he stood in the center of the stage, as profound as an abyss and as imposing as a mountain. His aura was magnificent, and he had completely seized the upper hand.

...

「On the high platform.」

Sect Leader Cao Zhen’s eyes narrowed, a flash of unconcealable surprise glittering in their narrow depths.

He gently tapped his fingers on the table before him, the corners of his mouth curling into a slight smile. ’Heh,’ he chuckled to himself.

’Holding this Fushan tournament was a brilliant decision. I really did reel in a big one. This kid... he sure knows how to hide his strength.’

His gaze remained locked on Yang Jing as he speculated, ’I just wonder where he gets such tyrannical strength from. Could it be... that he broke through to the Qi Eating Realm with his third True Skill? Or does he have some other ace up his sleeve?’

The seven Peak Masters beside him were also stunned. Their previously casual expressions vanished, replaced by gazes that were solemn and focused on the stage.

Bai Bing raised a delicate eyebrow. A flicker of surprise crossed her cool, stunningly beautiful face, and the corners of her lips tilted upward ever so slightly. She was clearly taken aback by Yang Jing’s performance.

The expression on Qin Gang, Peak Master Zhenyue, was the most complex of all. He stared at the high-spirited figure on the stage, a whirlwind of emotions stirring in his heart.

When Yang Jing had first joined the sect, Qin Gang had assessed his innate talent and found it merely average. He had concluded that the young man wouldn’t go far on the Martial Dao and had decided against taking him as a disciple.

Who could have imagined that the very disciple he had once deemed unworthy would grow to become this formidable?

He had thought Yang Jing’s performance up to this point was already shocking, but he never expected the man to have been hiding such profound reserves of power.

Now that he was unleashing his full power, not even Lu Shaohua, ranked third on the Hidden Dragon List, could stand against him.

...

「On the stage.」

Lu Shaohua stared at Yang Jing, his face a mask of shock and his eyes filled with bewildered uncertainty.

He simply couldn’t fathom how the man’s strength could have undergone such a cataclysmic transformation in a matter of moments.

But he had no time to dwell on it. With a calm and solemn expression, Yang Jing charged forward again. His fist cut through the air, carrying a potent Inner Qi and an overwhelming sense of pressure.

Lu Shaohua didn’t dare show the slightest hesitation. He pressed his lips together, mustering all of his Inner Strength. Veins bulged on his forearm as he threw a punch to meet the attack.

BAM!

Their fists collided once more, the dull thud echoing across the sky above the square.

Lu Shaohua felt an incredible surge of Inner Strength pour into his body like a flash flood. It was a vicious, tyrannical force that rampaged through his meridians. His own qi and blood roiled in its wake, and a painful, tingling numbness spread through him, leaving him in agony.

Before Lu Shaohua could even begin to circulate his own qi to purge the invasive Inner Strength, Yang Jing’s next assault was upon him.

Yang Jing closed the distance like a phantom, his fists a blur of motion. Each punch in the flurry carried a tyrannical power that was both hard and soft, and every strike was aimed at a vital point.

They exchanged another twenty-some blows. The wind from their fists howled across the stage, and waves of Qi Force rolled off them in palpable gusts.

Yang Jing’s assault was like a relentless tide, pressing Lu Shaohua back with every step. Each impact sent a tremor through Lu Shaohua’s qi and blood, forcing him into a constant retreat.

Lu Shaohua desperately defended himself, veins bulging on his forehead. A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and his red fighting attire was shredded in several places by the raw Qi Force.

His once-domineering boxing style grew sloppy, his defense riddled with openings. He could only block passively, falling back again and again under Yang Jing’s onslaught. His entire aura fell into disarray.

Resentment swelled in Lu Shaohua’s heart. A vicious glint flashed in his eyes as he let out a furious roar, mustering his last ounce of strength for a final, desperate counterattack.

But as he faced Yang Jing now, he felt as if he were staring up at an impossibly high mountain. The pressure was so immense it suffocated him. This sense of powerlessness... it was the same feeling he got when facing Chu Yunhai, the man ranked first on the Hidden Dragon List.

Just then, Yang Jing’s sharp eyes caught a tiny flaw in the transition between Lu Shaohua’s techniques.

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. The fused Inner Qi in his Dantian surged, gathering entirely into his right fist. The edge of his fist began to glow with a faint golden light, carrying an all-conquering might as it shot toward the opening on Lu Shaohua’s exposed side.

The color drained from Lu Shaohua’s face. He hastily twisted his body and raised his arm to block.

But Yang Jing’s fist was too fast, the force behind it too great. With a sharp CRACK, Lu Shaohua’s blocking arm was battered aside. His entire defense crumbled, leaving him wide open.

Yang Jing’s eyes narrowed. Without a moment’s hesitation, his left fist shot out, landing with pinpoint accuracy on Lu Shaohua’s stomach.

SPURT—

Lu Shaohua felt an unstoppable, colossal force ravaging his insides. It felt as if his organs had been rearranged. The impact sent him flying into the air, his own Inner Strength rampaging uncontrollably through his body. He sprayed a great mouthful of blood, staining the air before him crimson.

His body sailed through the air like a kite with a snapped string, tracing a long arc before crashing heavily onto the ground outside the stage, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Yang Jing stood on the stage, withdrawing his fist. His breathing was slightly ragged.

His last punch had been incredibly fast, but he had intentionally held back some of its power. Otherwise, given the tyrannical might of his fused Inner Qi, Lu Shaohua would be dead or, at the very least, critically injured.

With Lu Shaohua thrown from the stage, the winner of the breathtaking match was decided.

The entirety of Fushan Square fell into a dead silence. You could have heard a pin drop.

Thousands of disciples and the scions of the great families stared wide-eyed, their gazes fixed blankly on the heroic figure on the stage. The undisguised shock on their faces was a sight to behold.