Chapter 181 Kung Fu Gal
The lanky youth from {Judgment’s Domain} surveyed the venue with a lazy glance, then turned his eyes back to Xiao Xiao. "This is it? All for this?"
Xiao Xiao, in the midst of stretching and warming up, shot him a look. "What?"
"From what the Tiger said, we can kill, right?" he asked.
"Of course." Xiao Xiao nodded, "Our goal this time is to kill them."
"Is it really necessary to go through all this trouble?" The youth shook his head and said, "Why not just take care of them downstairs?"
"If it were that simple, would we have called you here?" Xiao Xiao retorted, irritation flickering in her eyes. "We’ve already paid the deposit. You’re here to deliver, so do your part."
"Alright, alright, I get it."
"Alas..." Ole Sun sighed, a trace of exasperation in his voice. "Ain’t this just blatant bullyin’? The three o’ us’ve all got our {Reverberations}."
"That little lass is strong, too?" Ole Sun raised an eyebrow, his tone tinged with surprise.
"She is," Xiao Xiao confirmed with a sharp nod. "While her {Reverberation} may not be as strong, she’s a skilled martial artist. In a one-on-one, even you would struggle to match her."
"Wow..." Ole Sun exclaimed, “Then I’d best be careful, eh.”
"What about that tattooed man in the center?" the lanky youth inquired. "Should we be cautious of him?"
"No need," Xiao Xiao replied calmly. "I dealt with him last time. He’s probably just here to fill the numbers." She recalled that, despite the tattooed man having joined her in the black bear hunt with {Terrestrial Ox}, his role had been limited to holding the iron plate throughout the entire ordeal—bold, yet not particularly sharp.
"Got it." Ole Sun nodded.
The trio watched Zhang Shan and Li Xiangling intently, each lost in their own thoughts about how best to handle the situation.
"What’s your take?" the lanky youth asked. "Should we take them on one by one, or all at once?"
"That depends on them," Xiao Xiao replied. "I’ll take the lead. Whoever is first on the other side, I’ll knock them down without hesitation."
The two nodded in agreement before turning their gaze toward the opposite side.
Zhang Shan slowly stepped onto the single-plank bridge and called out, "Are you two ready?"
"Yeah," Qiao Jiajin and Li Xiangling responded, nodding in unison.
"Then let's move out—let's make these {Judgment's Domain} lunatics regret this," Zhang Shan said, rolling his shoulders as he steadily walked toward the center of the single-plank bridge.
Xiao Xiao’s expression hardened as she stripped off her shirt, stepping forward.
On the opposite side, Qiao Jiajin watched the scene unfold, unable to hold back a curse. "Damn... How did that gal get muscles like that?"
Li Xiangling, her eyes widening, couldn’t hide her awe. "So amazing..."
The sharp echo of footsteps reverberated on the steel as a man and a woman stood at the center of the platform.
A thunderous bell sounded, and Xiao Xiao's smile deepened.
"Zhang Shan, let me see what you've got," she challenged.
"You’re not even worth activating my {Reverberation} for."
"Oh?" Xiao Xiao’s smile grew even more peculiar. "You’re not planning to use your own bare body to withstand my {Reverberation}, are you?"
"Cut the bullshit!!" Zhang Shan snarled, immediately extending his hands. His muscles tensed, hardening like unyielding stone, as he pushed toward Xiao Xiao.
Unfazed, Xiao Xiao raised her arms to meet his, locking palms with the oncoming force.
Their arms, thick as tree trunks, remained in a tense deadlock. Veins pulsed along their forearms, their muscles straining with effort. The steel beneath their feet groaned in protest, emitting a screeching {creak, creak} sound.
Zhang Shan planted his feet firmly, legs spread shoulder-width apart, while Xiao Xiao positioned herself with one leg forward and the other braced in back, both choosing stances designed for maximum power as they pressed against each other.
The rules of this pure test of strength were simple—whichever side ran out of energy first would be the loser.
After nearly a minute of deadlock, Qiao Jiajin turned his head and called out, "Kung Fu gal, it’s your turn."
"Yes, sir!" Li Xiangling grinned, then leaped into the air, landing deftly atop the steel. With astonishing speed, she charged toward the two.
"Huh?" Ole Sun exclaimed in shock as he saw the scene unfold. “Their mate’s comin’.”
"It’s fine," the lanky youth replied lazily. "Xiao Xiao will call for us if she can't hold on."
“But can she take on two?” Ole Sun asked, his voice filled with doubt.
"The bridge is too narrow," the lanky youth explained. "There’s no room for two opponents to fight side by side. Besides, this is a test of strength—that girl wouldn’t be of any help."
Ole Sun glanced at the scene on the bridge, skepticism still in his eyes. But a few seconds later, his eyes widened in surprise.
Li Xiangling didn't slow her pace as she charged toward Zhang Shan's back. With a sudden drop in posture, she slid forward, slipping effortlessly between his legs and positioning herself between Zhang Shan and Xiao Xiao.
Seeing this, Zhang Shan immediately released his hold and took a step back.
From the ground, Li Xiangling swiftly executed a Spinning Kip Up. Her legs spun like propeller blades, and in a single, sharp motion, she launched a powerful kick toward Xiao Xiao's legs.
"Your lower body is unstable!" Li Xiangling called out.
Her movements were fluid and precise: her left leg struck Xiao Xiao’s left leg while her right leg targeted the right, neatly throwing Xiao Xiao off-balance.
Xiao Xiao was completely unprepared for the sudden turn of events. She only felt her feet abruptly lift off the ground, and her body uncontrollably began to topple backward.
Li Xiangling swiftly executed a Kip Up, flipping herself upright. Without missing a beat, she followed with a Flying Slap Kick, her body descending forcefully through the air, aiming to crush Xiao Xiao’s chest with a brutal stomp.
But Xiao Xiao's reaction was lightning-fast. With a swift motion, she crossed her arms in front of her chest, shielding herself from the impact.
Seeing this, Li Xiangling flicked her toes, redirecting her foot to strike Xiao Xiao's arm with the sole of her foot. Using the momentum, she unleashed a move known as the Rabbit Kicks the Eagle. With a sharp, powerful downward stomp, she propelled herself upward, flipping in midair before leaping over Xiao Xiao and dashing toward the opposite end of the bridge.
"Hehe!" Qiao Jiajin watched with great delight, "Kung Fu gal! Impressive!"
Zhang Shan, seeing the opportunity, no longer hesitated. With Xiao Xiao still on the ground, he swiftly stepped forward, grabbing her by the shoulders, and attempted to push her off the bridge.
But Xiao Xiao’s hands were firmly gripping the edge of the single-plank bridge, and despite the immense force Zhang Shan applied, he couldn’t budge her an inch.
Zhang Shan cursed under his breath, realizing it was futile. With a growl of frustration, he bypassed Xiao Xiao and quickly chased after Li Xiangling, running toward the opposite end of the bridge.
Ole Sun, seeing the situation was slipping away, rushed onto the bridge, blocking Li Xiangling’s path.
"Oi! Stop!" Ole Sun shouted urgently.
Another resounding bell tolled.
Li Xiangling paid no mind to Ole Sun, her focus entirely on how to knock him down. But suddenly, she tripped and stumbled forward uncontrollably.
Fortunately, her reflexes were sharp. She quickly rolled to her feet and regained her balance. Looking back, she saw a few stones scattered across the steel.
"What?" she murmured in confusion, unable to suppress her curiosity.
Had those stones been there before?
If they had been placed on the flat ground, she would have seen them long ago. So how could she have tripped over them now?
"Alas..." Ole Sun shook his head, a hint of helplessness in his tone. “I told ye to stop earlier. Yer alright?”
Li Xiangling took a cautious step back, with Zhang Shan also halting behind her. The two of them fixed their gaze on Ole Sun, their vigilance palpable.
At that moment, Xiao Xiao slowly rose to her feet, her expression steely as she turned to position herself alongside Ole Sun, effectively trapping them in an encirclement.
"Though I was cautious, I still underestimated you," Xiao Xiao said, her voice calm but carrying an edge. "But now, it's too late. You're both surrounded. Don’t blame us if things get rough."
Zhang Shan and Li Xiangling exchanged a glance, their throats tightening as they swallowed nervously. They were caught between a rock and a hard place—the situation had grown increasingly dire.
Xiao Xiao opened her mouth to speak further, but before she could, she felt a hand pat her on the back.
"Buff mui, wait a minute... listen to me first."