Chapter 123: True Dragon's Bite: When Reason Fails, Resort to Physics, and When Physics Fails, Retur

Chapter 123: True Dragon's Bite: When Reason Fails, Resort to Physics, and When Physics Fails, Return to Reason (4K)



"What's the matter? Trying to flee the scene of an accident?"

Unfazed by the hand on his shoulder, Xiahou Shen channeled his energy, gathering it at his shoulder and then releasing it in a sudden burst.

His energy, comparable in power to a professional fifth-level expert, should have been enough to shatter an ordinary person's hand into a pulverized mess of broken bones.

Consider it a small lesson for someone who doesn't know their place.

However, to his surprise, that hand remained unmoved.

His burst of energy seemed to vanish into thin air as soon as it made contact with the hand, leaving no trace.

If not for the accelerated blood flow caused by the channeled energy still lingering in his body, he would have thought he had failed to exert any force at all.

'Something's not right. It's a master.'

Realizing the danger he was in, Xiahou Shen immediately reacted, reaching out to grasp the slender hand that rested on his shoulder.

Xue Jing had only intended to stop this man and have him discuss compensation with the talkative driver; he was still at the stage of wanting to reason.

But this man seemed resistant to the idea of compensation and had even resorted to using his energy.

In that case, Xue Jing wouldn't bother maintaining the pretense of civility any longer.

It was time to move beyond reasoning and resort to physics.

Channeling his energy, the True Dragon quickly formed within him, roaring as it surged into his palm. On his slender fingers, as delicate as jade, visible white waves appeared.

The white waves faintly took on the shape of a dragon's head, its upper and lower rows of sharp teeth overlapping with Xue Jing's fingers.

His fingers, as hard as fine steel, clenched suddenly.

Dragon-shaped energy, a true dragon's bite!

"Creak—"

The five fingers, like sharp dragon teeth, penetrated the man's shoulder and clavicle, emitting the sound of grinding bones.

The area around his shoulder and clavicle turned into a mess of flesh and broken bones, with bone splinters piercing through the skin. Two rows of deep bloody holes were left where the fingers had penetrated, as if they had been mauled by some large, ferocious beast.

"Impressive!"

Despite the excruciating pain of snapped tendons and shattered bones, Xiahou Shen's expression changed only slightly. He knew that the person behind him possessed profound skill, having reached the level of manifesting energy. He realized that a contest of raw power would be unwise.

Without hesitation, Xiahou Shen made a tough decision, gritting his teeth and forcibly pulling his shoulder out of the other's iron-like grip, regardless of the pain.

"Rip—"

Flesh, bones, and blood flew in all directions as a large chunk of his shoulder was torn away.

Even Xue Jing's pupils contracted slightly in surprise at such a decisive and ruthless move against oneself. He had not anticipated this, and his movement stalled for a moment, a beat too slow.

Xiahou Shen knew that this was a golden opportunity for a counter-attack, one that came at the cost of severe injury. Without hesitation, he ignited the energy within his body.

In battles between experts, every second counted. The finishing moves of the martial arts he had practiced required a certain amount of time to build up energy, but he didn't have that luxury at the moment.

So, in an extremely short period, he channeled as much energy as he could and, based on the height he had estimated from the hand on his shoulder, predicted the position of the other's neck. He then swung his arm back, executing a backhand punch.

Although it wasn't a finishing move, he was confident that even a fifth or sixth-level expert, well-versed in dirty fighting techniques, would be at least half-dead if struck by this punch on the neck.

If their martial arts style lacked defensive capabilities, it could even be a one-hit kill.

Even if they reacted in time to block it, he would still have the advantage of striking first. He had consecutive moves ready to follow up, ensuring his opponent would have no chance to counter-attack.

As an experienced professional martial arts competitor, he had participated in numerous tournaments and possessed extensive combat experience. He would never give his opponent another chance to strike back.

In that split second of turning around, Xiahou Shen also caught a glimpse of the person behind him.

To his surprise, it wasn't a young man or a middle-aged one, but a young boy who looked too young to be an adult.

'Another genius? Probably here for the U19 tournament... The quality of this U19 batch is just too high. This is just the elimination round for one city, and yet there are still such monsters besides those few...'

'To have cultivated his energy to this level at such a young age, he must be the type who focused all his energy on building a solid foundation before moving on to actual combat later on...'

'Nothing to fear.'

Xiahou Shen's thoughts raced, but his actions didn't slow down for a moment. Igniting his inner energy, he threw a punch that landed squarely on the boy's neck.

"Bang!"

The punch landed with the sound of a sledgehammer striking a steel plate, and Xiahou Shen's pupils contracted to their limit.

"How is this possible?!"

This punch, capable of shattering metal and breaking stones, had landed on the boy's seemingly fragile neck, and yet—it did nothing.

"As if he had struck not a man, but an ancient pine, unwavering through the ages, unyielding to the howling winds and lashing rain."

Xiahou Shen's planned combo attacks faltered as this outcome diverged completely from his expectations.

Before Xiahou Shen could recover from his shock, a palm gripped his neck with unimaginable speed, lifting him into the air.

Thick and powerful energy surged from the palm into his neck, locking down several critical areas of his body. With his throat constricted and airflow blocked, Xiahou Shen couldn't breathe to adjust his energy, leaving him suspended helplessly in the air.

"Good thinking, decisive response, and not slow at all."

"Just a bit lacking in strength."

Xue Jing looked at the man in his grip and spoke calmly.

The dragon scale-like marks on his neck gradually faded.

"Heh..."

Xiahou Shen stared at Xue Jing, his throat constricted, only able to make hoarse, unintelligible sounds.

Many questions filled his mind.

How did this youth manage to execute such a high-level defensive technique in such a short time, causing those scale-like marks on his neck?

And just now, when his backhand punch was about to land, he thought he saw a layer of something black, like leather, suddenly appear on the youth's neck...

Was it an illusion?

It felt like a long time, but from the start of their conversation to the end of their clash, only a few seconds had passed.

Two figures rushed out of the hotel entrance, one of them a middle-aged man who exclaimed in surprise upon seeing Xiahou Shen being choked in the air, "Friend, let's talk this out! Don't be impulsive!"

Xue Jing turned to see that the speaker was accompanied by a short youth he had encountered earlier in the port's waiting hall. If he recalled correctly from his sister's phone, his name was... Du Mingluan?

"It's you!"

Du Mingluan stared at Xue Jing in shock.

A few hours ago, this damn brat had knocked him and Kou Chenjian unconscious and then played a cruel joke by positioning them in an embrace.

"You son of a..."

Du Mingluan's face turned red with anger, and he was about to charge at Xue Jing.

"Mingluan, what are you doing?" The middle-aged man held him back, noticing his agitation.

Du Mingluan gritted his teeth and said, "Uncle Li, this guy is the one who..."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Li nodded, understanding Du Mingluan's reaction. He shook his head and said gravely, "Not now. We can't afford to be impulsive with Xiahou in his grasp."

Just then, another person exited the hotel.

Standing at almost 1.9 meters tall, this person wore a black martial arts uniform, their skin tanned, and their body rippling with muscles that stretched the loose clothing taut. It was a... woman?

Xue Jing turned to look at her, intrigued.

Despite her muscular build, there was a subtle curve to her chest, and although her features were angular and hard, they also carried a hint of femininity, framed by long hair that fell to her waist.

The muscular woman's expression changed as she saw Xiahou Shen's predicament.

"Friend, let's talk this through," Uncle Li said, his tone serious as he tried to calm the situation. "There must have been some conflict with Xiahou, but surely it doesn't have to end in tragedy? Let's discuss this like civilized people..."

The taxi driver peeked out from the driver's seat, his curiosity and fear mixing as he watched these 'superhumans'.

Xue Jing smiled and said, "It's not a big deal... This man hit the driver's car and tried to flee without discussing compensation or taking responsibility. I merely tried to reason with him, but things escalated."

Hearing this, the muscular woman's face turned awkward, and she raised her hand, saying, "This... I should shoulder some of the blame as well."

Contrasting her appearance, her voice was surprisingly sweet and pleasant, a stark contrast that even surprised Xue Jing.

He nodded at her and smiled, "Since that's the case, why don't you discuss compensation with the driver as well? What's your name, young lady?"

Young lady?

The woman looked puzzled, as this was the first time someone had called her that without knowing her.

But because of Xue Jing's unique reaction to her appearance and his pleasant demeanor, she felt a hint of goodwill towards him, despite her usual disinterest in such matters.

"Yin Mu Hu," she introduced herself.

Xue Jing nodded and smiled. "A good name. I'm Xue Jing."

Uncle Li, ever the opportunist, interjected, "Mr. Xia, Miss Yin, the fault for this incident lies entirely with Xiahou. We will take responsibility and provide full compensation to the driver... We martial artists should settle our differences amicably, and there's no need to bear grudges. I believe Xiahou has learned his lesson, so let's leave it at that, shall we?"

His attitude was sincere, and Xue Jing didn't mind letting the matter rest, especially since they were willing to compensate the talkative driver for his losses.

"You see, it's always better to talk things out calmly. There's no need for violence."

Xue Jing shook his head.

Xiahou Shen: "..."

The iron-like grip on his neck loosened, and Xiahou Shen, who had been lifted like a chick, fell to the ground.

He propped himself up with one hand and clutched his throat with the other, coughing incessantly as blood flowed profusely from his shoulder.

After a few seconds, when he regained his breath, he channeled his energy, and the wound on his shoulder began to writhe and close, stemming the flow of blood.

"By the way, Miss Yin, how did this fellow offend you?"

Xue Jing turned to Yin Mu Hu and asked curiously.

Although he didn't know the specifics, his first impression led him to believe that Xiahou was the instigator.

"Miss Yin..."

Hearing this address, Yin Mu Hu's lips twitched, feeling speechless. Her massive arms, like a pair of ox thighs, crossed in front of her, making her look even bigger.

She replied calmly, "He tried to take advantage of me, so I kicked him away."

"I see."

Xue Jing stroked his chin and turned to Xiahou Shen, "It seems the fault lies entirely with you."

Seeing that the atmosphere had eased, Uncle Li heaved a sigh of relief and walked over to the damaged car, beginning to discuss compensation with the driver.

At first, the driver shook his head fearfully, refusing the offer. But after some back and forth, and with Xue Jing also chiming in, he happily accepted an amount far exceeding the cost of repairs.

After profusely thanking Xue Jing, the driver called for a tow truck, which took the car to the repair shop, and he left with the tow truck.

Once the matter was resolved, Uncle Li smiled at Xue Jing, "Mr. Xue, may I ask which renowned school you hail from? To have produced such a remarkable talent as yourself."

Xue Jing glanced at him and replied, "Qingcheng, Canglong Dojo."

"Canglong? " Uncle Li pondered for a moment.

Then he exclaimed, "So that's it! You're a disciple of the 'Dragon King'? Truly, a remarkable teacher produces remarkable students..."

Xue Jing waved his hand dismissively, "Enough of the pleasantries, I have an appointment to keep. Let's part ways here."

Uncle Li wanted to chat further with this talented young man, but seeing that he truly didn't wish to continue the conversation, he reluctantly let it go.

Xue Jing turned to Yin Mu Hu, curious, "Miss Yin, are you also here for the U19 tournament?"

Yin Mu Hu nodded, then couldn't help but ask, "Why do you keep calling me 'Miss'?"

Xue Jing thought for a moment, then shook his head, "I don't know, just a gut feeling, I suppose. I feel like you're younger than me."

Sometimes, you meet people and instantly feel like you could be friends.

Xue Jing felt a sense of camaraderie with this big sister who exuded a strong sense of security.

"I was born in October 250," Yin Mu Hu said, her arms crossed and her voice a sweet, girlish contrast to her appearance.

"I was born in June of the same year... See, I told you I was older." Xue Jing smiled.

Yin Mu Hu pouted slightly, "Even if you're older, that doesn't mean I have to be called 'Miss'."

"It's just a term of address, and if you don't like it, we can change it," Xue Jing shrugged and smiled.

"It's not that I dislike it, it just feels strange..."

As they chatted, they walked towards the Yunlu Hotel.

Uncle Li, Xiahou Shen, and Du Mingluan watched their retreating figures, silent and speechless.

After a while, Uncle Li spoke, "This Xue Jing... He's extraordinary."

He glanced at Du Mingluan, feeling there were some things he shouldn't say in front of the youth.

"I will defeat him in the tournament," Du Mingluan said calmly.

Massaging his shoulder, Xiahou Shen grimaced, "Sure, go ahead. Not long ago, you and Kou Chenjian were both hung up and beaten by him at the port. Don't get ahead of yourself."

"That was because Kou Chenjian was in the way, and I was caught off guard..."

"Heh, as long as you're happy."

Xiahou Shen forced a smile.

"Uncle Li, is Zhang Shenyi in Fengcheng? You have a lot of influence, so please help me set up a meeting... Otherwise, my shoulder will be ruined. How did that kid train? He's like a monster, his strikes are so powerful."

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end