Free Web NovelChapter 266: Chapter 121: Invitations from All Parties, Personally Delivering the Prize
Yang Jing watched him go, his expression serene. He offered no reply.
The path of the Martial Dao was a constant struggle, like rowing upstream. ’Having a rival to contend with isn’t necessarily a bad thing.’
He pulled his gaze back and looked down from the stage at the few remaining Dark Energy Martial Artists of the Li Family. In a clear voice, he said, "Gentlemen, the fist exchange isn’t over. By the rules, it’s your turn. Please, enlighten me."
Upon hearing his words, the Li Family’s Dark Energy Martial Artists glanced at one another, their expressions grim.
The image of Yang Jing crushing Li Mengchao was still vivid in their minds. Even from a distance, they had felt the oppressive might of a Huajin Powerhouse.
Forcing them onto the stage to fight him now was tantamount to throwing an egg against a stone. They would only go up there to get beaten, and they might even suffer internal injuries in the process. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
The few of them looked back and forth, none willing to be the first to step forward.
Just moments ago, they had been eager to make a name for themselves in the fist exchange. Now, their legs felt as heavy as lead, their hearts filled with dread.
But below the stage, Li Haitao and the Grand Elder were staring them down, their faces livid. Their gazes were almost tangible, carrying an unquestionable pressure.
The Li Family’s honor was at stake. No matter how terrified they were, they didn’t dare utter the word "no."
After a moment of stalemate, a young man of about thirty gritted his teeth.
He was a standout of the Li Family’s direct lineage, a genius considered second only to Li Mengchao. With his cultivation at the Peak of Dark Energy, he was now thrust onto the razor’s edge and could not escape.
’To hell with it, I’ll risk everything!’
He took a deep breath, braced himself, and leaped onto the stage, landing across from Yang Jing.
Perhaps aware of the immense disparity in their strength, his face was devoid of the arrogance the previous Li Family members had shown. Instead, with a certain stiff courtesy, he cupped his fist and said, "Li Chong of the Li Family. I ask that Young Hero Yang go easy on... Please, enlighten me."
His tone was extremely humble, and his posture was thoroughly deferential.
’He knew perfectly well there was no harm in being polite at a time like this. If he really angered Yang Jing, he’d be the one in pain when the fists started flying. A serious injury would ruin his future. What good would acting tough now do? If he lost his potential, the family wouldn’t spare him a second glance.’
Yang Jing looked at him and gave a slight nod. "Proceed."
No more words were needed; his bearing said it all.
Below the stage, watching Li Chong’s overly cautious display, Li Haitao felt his chest tighten with suppressed anger, yet he was utterly helpless.
’When you’re outmatched, being aggressive only leads to self-humiliation.’
Yang Jing stood in the center of the stage, in no hurry to attack.
He looked at Li Chong across from him. Though his opponent had adopted a defensive stance, fists clenched and knuckles white, the tension and apprehension in his eyes were impossible to conceal.
After all, the gap in their cultivation realms was immense. Forcing someone at the Peak of Dark Energy to proactively attack a Huajin Powerhouse was indeed asking the impossible.
Yang Jing stood still for a moment. Seeing that Li Chong still didn’t dare to advance, he decided not to wait any longer.
He took a single step, his body darting forward like a phantom and kicking up a light breeze.
Simultaneously, he raised his right fist, effortlessly transitioning into the opening stance of the Mountain-Shattering Fist. The full force of the blow had yet to form, but it already carried a condensed, oppressive weight as it aimed directly for Li Chong’s face.
Since breaking through to the Huajin realm, his power, speed, and the quality of his Inner Strength had all undergone a fundamental transformation. His every movement now possessed a might that a Dark Energy Martial Artist could never hope to match.
The punch appeared unremarkable, yet it was lightning-fast, arriving before Li Chong almost at the very instant Yang Jing moved.
Li Chong’s pupils shrank. With no time to dodge, he could only instinctively cross his palms in front of his chest and channel his Inner Strength with all his might.
A golden light flickered in his palms for an instant—the opening move of the Vajra Hand Seal. As a talented, direct descendant of the Li Family, he too was qualified to cultivate this ultimate technique, but his mastery was far from Li Mengchao’s, still shallow and unrefined.
THUMP!
Fist met palm with a muffled thud.
Li Chong felt an immense, overwhelming force travel from the opponent’s fist. The Inner Strength he had painstakingly gathered was like a lone skiff crashing into a stormy sea; it shattered instantly.
The savage power surged through his arms, causing his chest to tighten and his vision to blacken.
At that moment, he finally understood what Li Mengchao had just experienced.
In the face of such an absolute gap in cultivation, all techniques and ultimate skills seemed utterly pale and insignificant.
What terrified him even more was the clear sensation that Yang Jing had not used his full power. The force, though tyrannical, had been restrained; it hadn’t truly damaged his internal organs.
The next moment, Li Chong felt his body go light, as if he were soaring through the clouds.
His heart dropped. ’It’s not an illusion... I’m really flying!’
THUD!
With another dull thud, Li Chong landed heavily on the limestone slabs outside the stage, kicking up a cloud of dust.
He struggled to sit up and instinctively patted his chest. He could feel his vital energy in turmoil, but there was no sharp pain. No bones were broken; he clearly hadn’t been seriously injured.
Li Chong was stunned for a moment, then it dawned on him: Yang Jing had shown mercy!
If his opponent had struck with full force, the power of that last punch—while perhaps not fatal—would have easily left him bedridden for half a year.
He gazed at the tall, straight figure on the stage, a complex storm of emotions swirling within him: shame, gratitude, admiration, and, most of all, a profound reverence for a Huajin Powerhouse.
Li Chong rose to his feet and solemnly cupped his fist in the direction of the stage. He didn’t say a single word, but his gesture said everything.
Nearby, the two remaining Dark Energy Martial Artists from the Li Family stared at Li Chong’s miserable state after being sent flying by a single punch. They froze in place, instinctively sucking in a sharp breath as their faces drained of color.
They knew Li Chong’s strength best. Among the Li Family’s younger generation, he was second only to Li Mengchao. He was already at the Peak of Dark Energy and had even trained in the Vajra Hand Seal; an ordinary martial artist at the same level was simply no match for him.
And yet this very expert couldn’t even withstand a single punch from Yang Jing and was blasted clean off the stage.
