Free Web NovelChapter 53: Trial of Combat (3)
The entire training hall devoured by silence, even the breaths of the disciples seemed to vanish. Lin Yuan and Teng Lianhua stood opposite to each other, separated by merely ten paces. One was the academy’s Combat Hall Master, a man whose name carried the weight of battlefields, while the other was merely a fifteen-year-old disciple. Yet, neither side looked pale.
Crack! Crack!
Teng Lianhua slowly crackled his shoulders, the movement deliberate and heavy. His joints cracking sound echoed through the room. Without releasing even a single shred of beast essence, an invisible, suffocating pressure naturally emanated from his massive figure. It was the calm, and pure presence of an experienced fighter.
Lin Yuan quietly observed every small movement in Teng Lianhua. His focus narrowed until the rest of the hall blurred into obscurity. He tracked the man’s breathing, the stillness of his stance, the precise posture of his feet, and the steady, rhythmic rise and fall of his shoulders. Nothing escaped his eyes.
’His center of balance is... perfect,’ Lin Yuan murmured, a chill running down his spine. Even within the vast storm of Noir’s memories and experience, he couldn’t identify a single flaw. There was no unnecessary motion, or strength.
"You’ve already begun fighting... Haha!" Teng Lianhua muttered, suddenly smiling with the expression calm and focused.
"Huh?" Lin Yuan sneered, raising an eyebrow, keeping his posture still.
"The moment you started observing me..." Teng Lianhua continued, his voice dropping to a low hum, "...the battle had already begun."
"Humph! I learned from the best, master Teng Lianhua," Lin Yuan wheezed, a faint smile lingering on his face.
"Hahaha!" Teng Lianhua laughed loudly, the booming sound lingered across the room. "Interesting."
"So then..." His smile slowly disappeared, swallowed by a focused, biting chill and his eyes sharpened, glinting like shiny things. "Show me!"
The surrounding disciples staggered backward, feeling the sudden drop in temperature. Mo Qinghe folded his arms, his gaze fixed on the center of the hall, while Dan Zhenren walked beside Mo Qinghe, his eyes locked on Lin Yuan.
"Begin." Teng Lianhua boasted, his chest heaving up in pride.
The word had barely left Teng Lianhua’s mouth... BOOM!
The stone floor burst out under his feet, fracturing into spider web cracks. The disciples gasped at a time. They hadn’t even seen him move. One instant he stood ten paces away, and with a raging blast, he had already appeared pridefully before Lin Yuan in a poster to slam Lin Yuan.
’A immediate charge?!’ Lin Yuan thought, his eyes widened in sheer disbelief. The sheer movement of air warned him of the incoming devastation. Instead of retreating into predictable points, he twisted his waist with an immense urgency.
Bang!!
Teng Lianhua’s shoulder grazed past his chest, tearing Lin Yuan’s robes slightly due to the impact. The wind pressure alone made his robes flutter vehemently, snapping like a boat in an ocean tide. Teng Lianhua stopped his forward slam immediately, his legs digging into the stone.
"You dodged... magnificent!!" Teng Lianhua smirked, his eyes shone with genuine surprise.
Lin Yuan remained silent, refusing to speak out about anything. His heart raced vehemently, hammering against his ribs. It was fast... Even without a drop of beast essence used by those muscles, the man was simply too fast.
"Again!" Teng Lianhua bellowed, rushing forward again.
Boom!
This time it was a straight punch, unleashed with the speed of a striking viper. Lin Yuan didn’t try to dodge; instead, he immediately crossed both hands to form a desperate shield.
Bang!
The impact rumbled into his body, sending a rattling shockwave straight up his spine. His feet slid nearly two meters backward, leaving dark streaks of trenches on the floor before he could halt to get balance again. His arms became numb instantly, the blood retreating from his hands.
The disciples widened their eyes in sheer disbelief. Only one punch... yet Lin Yuan had nearly lost his footing. Chen Ming clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white.
"Monster..." Chen Ming muttered, his voice low as whisper. He wasn’t referring to Lin Yuan. He was referring to Teng Lianhua. The Combat Hall Master hadn’t even used his full power. He just used raw power to overwhelm Lin Yuan.
"Second exchange," Teng Lianhua calmly announced, stepping forward to close the distance before Lin Yuan’s numbness could fade.
He moved once more, and Lin Yuan immediately lowered his stance, bracing for the incoming attack. Left. Right. Upstrike. Elbow. The attacks descended continuously, a relentless barrage of raw muscle power. Each strike followed by the next without a fraction of interruption, lacking any hesitation or flow. It was like waves crashing endlessly upon a jagged cliff.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Lin Yuan blocked two strikes, feeling the strong power of each impact. He managed to dodge a third by a mere inch, but received another against his shoulder. A lethal pain surged through his body instantly. But, he didn’t give up. He forced his mind to stay clear, observing through the agony. He watched every attack of Teng Lianhua.
’His left shoulder moves first. His waist rotates before heavy strikes. His breathing deepens before combinations.’ Noir’s countless battle memories continuously analyzed everything, processing the data at a frantic pace, searching for the opening hidden under the guard.
By the fourth exchange, Lin Yuan finally found his opening and counterattacked. His fist shot forward, targeting Teng Lianhua’s exposed ribs. The spectators leaned forward, holding their breath.
Tap!
With only a single finger, Teng Lianhua lightly pressed against the side of Lin Yuan’s wrist. The trajectory of the punch changed its goal. It struck nothing but empty air, pulling Lin Yuan off balance. His eyes widened in disdain. ’Impossible...’
"Too sturdy," Teng Lianhua muttered, clicking his tongue once.
Bam!
A palm landed against his chest, sending a reverberation of sheer force. Lin Yuan flew backward through the air.
Thud!
He hit the ground hard, tumbling twice before sliding to a halt. His chest burned as if he had swallowed fire, and his lungs gasped for the air. But he stood back onto his feet, without hesitation or a single word of complaint.
The Combat Hall Master smiled, a fierce glint of approval in his eyes. "Good. Fifth exchange."
Boom!
The battle resumed with a sheer anger in Lin Yuan’s eyes. This time, Lin Yuan took the start and attacked first. His movements were changing; they were becoming effortless and efficient. There were no flashy movements, no grand postures, there were only practical, lethal strikes of sheer will.
Teng Lianhua blocked every attack with less effort, his hands moving in small arcs.
"Too much force," Teng Lianhua warned, followed by a sharp slam to Lin Yuan’s ribs.
"Your elbow is exposed," Teng Lianhua sneered, delivering a palm strike that rattled the boy’s jaw.
"You used more strength too early," he corrected, and a dull crack echoed as he kicked Lin Yuan’s leg.
Every lesson came followed by an attack of sheer pain. The spectators watched with growing excitement. This was like a masterclass delivered solely through fists and bruises.
Lin Yuan’s breathing gradually became rough and ragged, rattling in his throat. The thick beads of sweat dripped from his chin, splashing onto the floor. His arms trembled expeditiously from the impacts, and his legs felt heavy. Across from him, Teng Lianhua stood still and calm. He hadn’t even broken a sweat. The difference between master and disciple resembled the vast difference between heaven and earth.
"Last one," the Combat Hall Master’s voice remained calm, and utterly steady. "Tenth exchange."
Lin Yuan took a heavy breath, forcing the agonizing air into his lungs. His fists tightened in sheer anger.
’I cannot dodge forever,’ he thought, his vision obscuring slightly. ’Then... I will advance.’
Boom!
He rushed forward, pouring the last ounce of his physical strength into his legs. Instead of waiting for the blow to fall, instead of reacting to the master’s attacks, he attacked. A desperate, straight punch targeted Teng Lianhua’s jaw.
For the first time during the entire battle, the Combat Hall Master’s smile widened. "Excellent!"
Then, he stepped inside Lin Yuan’s attack, completely evading the incoming punch.
BANG!!
Teng Lianhua slammed his shoulder onto Lin Yuan’s chest. The resulting shoulder strike crashed into Lin Yuan’s chest like a rumbling cannonball. The impact oozed out every remaining trace of air from his lungs. His feet left the ground instantly, the time itself seemed to slow for a second. The disciples watched helplessly as Lin Yuan’s body flew a few meters through the air before crashing against the battle floor.
Booom!
Thick dust and debris burst outward throughout the training hall. Silence followed immediately, heavy and suffocating. The dust slowly settled under the floor. Lin Yuan lay motionless on his back. His chest rose weakly, trembling with the desperate need for air. His vision was an obscured smear of darkness. Lin Yuan’s body screamed in sheer agony. His fingers barely twitched against the stone; the tenth exchange had utterly broken his body.
Chen Ming unconsciously took one step forward, his face pale. "Lin..."
"Do not interfere," Before he could speak another word, Teng Lianhua quietly raised one hand, cutting him off without looking back.
The Combat Hall Master stepped closer, looking down toward the fallen Lin Yuan. His fierce expression had melted away, becoming strangely calm, and solemn.
"Now..." Teng Lianhua murmured, his voice echoing in the calmness of the hall. "Show me... whether your answer about a true fight was merely words. Can you stand up and win, Lin Yuan??"
The entire hall waited, holding its breath, but Lin Yuan remained on the cold floor... without moving.
