Chapter 91: Action and Reaction (4K)

Chapter 91: Action and Reaction (4K)



"... "

"That's a rather harsh statement, sir," Li Chengxuan said, feeling a bit offended. He prided himself on his qi cultivation, but he was still a young man, and being belittled by Li Qi made him stiffen.

His lips twitched, and his expression turned cold.

Su Bijing, standing beside him, quickly interjected, "Master Qi, my junior disciple didn't mean it like that..."

Li Qi waved his hand dismissively. "Enough. Let's cut the pleasantries. We're here to accept the challenge, and we're more than capable of handling it." His gaze shifted to Li Chengxuan. "Young man, there's an unwritten rule in the martial arts world to match challengers with opponents of similar ages. But if you think you can take advantage of your youth, you've made a grave mistake."

"That unwritten rule means nothing to me! Even if you were a three-year-old brat, if you dare cause trouble for the Hidden Dragon Martial Hall, I'll personally squeeze the shit out of you!" Li Qi's words made Xue Jing, who had just walked in from the training hall, break into a cold sweat.

'Didn't I enter the Hidden Dragon Martial Hall in the same manner?' he thought. 'Is it too late to thank Master for not doing the same to me?'

Su Bijing's face paled as he didn't think Li Qi was bluffing. The former Dragon King was a formidable figure who even Master Jiao Hongyuan acknowledged as far superior. Even now, as a wheelchair-bound elderly man, no one could be sure if he was truly disabled.

A martial artist who had surpassed human limits by leaping over the Dragon Gate, burning away his mortal coils, could possess unimaginable abilities.

Su Bijing quietly stepped forward, subtly positioning himself between Li Chengxuan and Li Qi, as if to shield the younger man.

"Heh, that's even better," Li Chengxuan said, his eyes flashing with anger as he took two steps forward. "You're full of shit, literally. But I'd love to see the famed Hidden Dragon style that even your master couldn't match."

Su Bijing's jaw twitched at Li Chengxuan's crudeness.

But Li Qi didn't seem angered. Instead, he scoffed, "If it were any other day, you'd be cleaning up your own shit by now."

"However, you're lucky today."

"I want to see just how far your wild ambitions exceed my diamond in the rough."

Li Qi turned his head toward the entrance. "My senior disciple and Zhu Shi are here!"

"They're here!" someone shouted.

Li Chengxuan and Su Bijing's expressions shifted as they, too, looked toward the entrance.

The surrounding disciples parted, creating a path.

A young man, clad in training attire, strode forward with a tall and straight posture, reminiscent of a majestic pine tree. His every step exuded a sense of calm and confidence.

His features were exquisite, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, perfectly proportioned without a single flaw. As he walked, his presence seemed to glow, as if enhanced by special effects.

Li Chengxuan had always considered himself good-looking, but in that moment, he felt a tinge of shame compared to this young man.

He narrowed his eyes, glancing past the young man to the petite, youthful girl half a step behind him. His eyes lit up at the sight.

"Senior disciple," he murmured.

"Senior disciple! Shi Zhu!"

"Senior disciple, you're here..."

"Senior disciple..."

All the disciples greeted the young man respectfully.

The young man smiled and nodded in response to the crowd.

"Senior Su, who's that person?" Li Chengxuan asked in a low voice.

Su Bijing nodded, his eyes on Xue Jing. "...He's the one who took down 'Number One' and 'Number Nine'.

Although we knew he was young, seeing him in person is still surprising." Su Bijing thought for a moment before whispering, "Junior disciple, he's not weak. Be careful if you end up fighting him..."

"I wasn't asking about him," Li Chengxuan waved his hand, his eyes fixed on Zhu Shiying with a mischievous glint. "What a cute girl. Is she also a direct disciple of the Hidden Dragon Martial Hall?"

Su Bijing was taken aback, feeling that Li Chengxuan's focus was a bit off. Nonetheless, he replied, "Yes... I think her name is Zhu Shiying. She's the youngest direct disciple of the Hidden Dragon Martial Hall, aside from Xue Jing. She rarely appears in public, so she's quite mysterious."

Li Chengxuan clicked his tongue. "Senior Su, I've changed my mind. We should definitely maintain a good relationship with the Hidden Dragon Martial Hall. After all, we're all in the same industry and should engage in more proper exchanges..."

Su Bijing: "..."

Soon, Xue Jing and Zhu Shiying made their way through the crowd to stand by Li Qi's side in the center of the hall.

Zhu Shiying, noticing the man staring at her, frowned and sidestepped behind Xue Jing, avoiding his gaze.

"Master~" she called out sweetly.

Xue Jing bowed respectfully and said, "Master."

Li Qi responded with a smile, "Mhm."

He then turned to Xue Jing and asked, "So, did you hear what was just said?"

Xue Jing nodded.

"Go ahead. Show him that there are differences in talent even among geniuses," Li Qi waved his hand.

"Little junior brother, beat him up!"

Zhushan Ying, standing behind him, made a small fist and cheered, "Go for it!"

He then began directing the surrounding disciples. "Everyone, step back and make some space..."

The disciples knew that the main event was about to begin, so they retreated to make room while eagerly discussing what was about to unfold.

"This is going to be good!"

"Finally, we get to see our little senior brother in action."

"Actually, it might not go so well. That challenger is called Li Chengxuan, and I've been following the recent U19 competitions. He's an outrageous competitor."

"I've watched his matches too. He finishes off his opponents swiftly and decisively, and he doesn't even need to use any weapons!"

"He's been gaining a lot of attention online lately. He's the dark horse of the Fengcheng division..."

"Our little senior brother's talent definitely isn't inferior, but he is younger and has only been training for a short time..."

"Ah? What do we do then? Do you think he'll really succeed in challenging our sect?"

The disciples' voices were filled with anxiety at the thought.

Seeing how far things had progressed, Su Bijing could only sigh and pat Li Chengxuan's shoulder. "Junior brother, be extra careful. That man is not to be underestimated."

Li Chengxuan casually acknowledged with a sound of agreement, not taking it too seriously.

After Su Bijing also left the hall, Li Chengxuan looked at the youth before him and smiled as he spoke, "So you're Xue Jing?"

"I'm Li Chengxuan... I'm a year older than you. If you don't mind, you can call me Brother Li."

Xue Jing remained silent.

"Don't get me wrong, I really didn't come here to challenge your sect. I just heard about your genius through the news and was very curious to meet you, so I took the liberty of coming here."

Li Chengxuan glanced at the petite figure standing behind Li Qi's wheelchair, cheering for 'little junior brother', and continued with a smile, "Rest assured, this is just a friendly spar, and I'll go easy on you. I won't make you lose face."

"Of course, as an exchange, I hope that after the fight, you'll answer a few of my questions..."

Xue Jing shook his head.

"You... really like to talk a lot."

"Bang!"

The floor suddenly cracked.

Xue Jing's figure disappeared from where he was standing.

As his qi surged, a dragon's roar sounded.

A spiral indentation appeared on his right arm, twisting and extending towards his clenched fist.

Whirlwind Thunder!

"Boom!"

Xue Jing threw a punch towards Li Chengxuan's face, the spiraling qi swirling violently and emitting a thunderous roar.

Li Chengxuan was about to finish speaking when he was met with a punch to the face, causing him to frown in dissatisfaction.

His hand moved swiftly as he lifted it to block, using the hardest part of his elbow to meet Xue Jing's punch at a very precise angle.

He channeled the Golden Wind White Rainbow Sword, exposing his sharp qi, intending to teach this ignorant youth a lesson.

"Bang!"

A circle of air waves exploded between the two.

Li Chengxuan slid backwards for seven or eight meters, his feet dragging two deep grooves in the rubber floor.

He looked at his smoking elbow, which felt numb, and his expression changed slightly.

The power of that punch... something was off!

"Well blocked," Xue Jing's eyes lit up as he clenched and released his fist, which now had a fresh, red gash on it, as if it had been cut by a knife. He felt excited.

It was incredible, but this was his first real battle against a martial artist.

His previous opponents had either been modified humans or cockroach monsters.

Even the sparring matches with his senior martial brothers and sisters had been more like training exercises without any real intensity.

Now, he had finally met a worthy opponent.

After having his punch blocked, he didn't hesitate and immediately closed in, continuing his assault on Li Chengxuan.

As he did so, he channeled his qi towards his skin, causing it to swirl and form dense dragon scale patterns on his skin from his neck down.

"Golden Dragon Scales?!"

Seeing this, Li Chengxuan immediately dropped his casual attitude and became serious.

He knew that his master had mentioned that the reason he had lost to the former Dragon King, Li Qi, was because he couldn't break through his Golden Dragon Scales.

He never expected that Xue Jing, at such a young age, had already mastered this technique?

'But... that was an old story.'

'The Golden Wind White Rainbow Sword has long since improved and is now far superior!'

Li Chengxuan's steps vibrated with power as he rushed forward, his eyes sharp and focused on Xue Jing.

The two youths clashed in close combat, moving at incredible speeds as they exchanged blows in the center of the hall.

"Clang clang clang clang—"

Xue Jing was surprised to find that every time his punches and kicks made contact with his opponent, they would create a metallic clanging sound, as if he were hitting a human-shaped block of steel instead of flesh and bone.

"Golden Wind White Rainbow Sword... That's interesting."

Li Chengxuan's gaze flickered, spotting a non-vital weak spot. He activated his Twin Speed, suddenly moving faster as if someone had pressed the fast-forward button. He threw a punch towards Xue Jing's chin, exploiting the gap.

The latter remained calm despite the surprise attack. Knowing that blocking with his arm would be impossible at this speed, he lowered his head, meeting the punch with the top of his skull.

"Clang!"

The sound of metal clashing rang out, yet Li Chengxuan seemed completely unharmed!

"Master, what's going on?" Zhushan Ying exclaimed in surprise.

Li Qi watched the two continue their fierce exchange and explained, "The Golden Wind White Rainbow Sword is a style that refines one's body into a sword, characterized by sharpness and hardness."

"This young man has cultivated his body to the level of 'Blade Reaches the Four Extremities', where even his hair is as sharp as a blade, not to mention his already sturdy skull."

Upon hearing this, Zhushan Ying worriedly asked, "Is Little Junior Brother alright...?"

Li Qi smiled but remained silent.

"Bang!"

Xue Jing threw another punch, colliding with Li Chengxuan's elbow.

The Golden Dragon Scales trembled, resembling a true dragon shaking its armor, deflecting and dissipating the sharp force.

The two continued their relentless exchange of punches and kicks, with Li Chengxuan growing more astonished.

Impossible! How could this be!?

Is he really only seventeen years old? Even in the U19 tournaments, he's never encountered such an opponent.

'This won't do. I can't let this continue.'

Li Chengxuan felt the numbing soreness in his limbs as he looked at Xue Jing, who was still full of vigor, his body covered in golden dragon scales. He deeply understood the helplessness Master Jiao Hongyuan must have felt back then.

It was time to get serious.

Li Chengxuan's gaze intensified as he made up his mind.

The Golden Wind White Rainbow Sword—the golden wind slashes, and the white rainbow pierces.

He crossed his arms in an X shape, firmly blocking Xue Jing's offense, then pushed him away with force.

Immediately, he channeled his energy towards the fingertips of his right hand.

Xue Jing's eyes flickered as he instinctively sensed a hint of danger.

Without hesitation, he activated his Twin Defense and simultaneously guarded his chest with both hands.

"Swish!"

The air was torn apart as a white wave of energy surged forward.

"Puff—"

An incredibly sharp finger, like a blade's tip, pierced Xue Jing's arm.

The golden dragon scales trembled and merged, but they couldn't stop this extremely sharp and concentrated finger strike. The scales shattered, and Xue Jing's arm was punctured, leaving a bloody hole.

But... that was all.

The fingertip struck Xue Jing's arm bone, emitting a cracking sound.

"Ah!"

Li Chengxuan stumbled back two steps, clutching his fingers, which were now bent at odd angles and poking through his skin. He cried out in pain.

"Didn't your physics teacher teach you?" Xue Jing asked as he rushed forward, a spiral indentation appearing on his arm. He threw a punch aimed at Li Chengxuan's chest.

"The force of an action is equal to the force of the reaction."

"Boom!"

Li Chengxuan was sent flying back over a dozen meters by the punch, crashing into the wall and spitting out blood.

"Stop!"

Su Bijing's expression changed drastically, and he shouted to halt the fight.

Xue Jing ignored him and stepped forward, using his hands and feet to relentlessly assault Li Chengxuan, who was stuck against the wall with no room to dodge.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!"

Su Bijing panicked and was about to rush forward, but a wheelchair suddenly appeared in front of him.

"The victor hasn't been decided yet. What's the rush?" Li Qi asked calmly.

Su Bijing was about to ignore Li Qi and push past him, but he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

He saw... a pair of dark golden vertical pupils.

In an instant, his mind went blank, and all thoughts of resistance vanished.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang!"

The concrete wall cracked as Xue Jing's relentless punches caused Li Chengxuan's body to sink further into it.

"It's over—"

Xue Jing raised his right fist to deliver the final blow.

Just then—

"Stop!"

A startled and angry shout came from an unknown source.

Clang—

The glass of the training hall shattered, and a figure rushed in through the window.

"Kid, I said stop!"

The figure extended an arm towards Xue Jing, moving at an incredible speed that startled Xue Jing.

He saw the incoming arm, but it was too fast, and his body couldn't react in time.

Just then, another figure flashed through the window.

"Smack!"

Xue Jing blinked, startled by the palm that had just missed his neck by a few centimeters.

However, that palm was now firmly grasped by another giant hand.

Xue Jing looked up at the tall figure standing between him and his attacker—his senior martial brother, Meng Boshang.

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end