"I must be hearing things, you’re telling me to step down?"
Ling Xiao narrowed his eyes at the young man before him. Of a similar age, he saw nothing particularly special about him. What could possibly give him such confidence?
"That’s right, I’ve told you, once I make a move, it’s bound to draw blood. You could very well be seriously injured."
Shi Yue nodded earnestly as he spoke.
This guy didn’t seem like he was trying to scare anyone.
Ling Xiao, on the other hand, became somewhat more interested in him.
"Use your strongest technique to attack me, if you can make me move even an inch from where I stand, you’ll have won."
He said with a smile.
"Sister, is this guy an idiot? He doesn’t understand what I’m saying," Shi Yue said to Shi Yu Lian with a wry smile.
"Shut up, this person is quite powerful. You may not win against him, you better be careful," Shi Yu Lian said sternly.
"Sister, you must be joking. Once I release my strongest move, even you could get hurt. And he dares say he won’t move an inch?"
Shi Yue said with a bitter smile, "I really don’t want to hurt anyone."
"The kid is sincerely cute, don’t worry. I have practiced top-level defensive martial arts. Even if you hurt me, it won’t be serious," Ling Xiao said.
Having initially been annoyed by Shi Yue’s boastful talk, Ling Xiao’s irritation vanished upon hearing the conversation between him and Shi Yu Lian. It turned out the kid wasn’t looking down on him; he was just an honest soul.
"Alright then, get ready, I’m going to make my move!"
Upon hearing Ling Xiao’s words, Shi Yue finally took a deep breath, and his originally honest gaze instantly sharpened like a blade.
The Gang Qi that he had been suppressing erupted forth.
"Such a strong momentum. His realm may be at the Pinnacle of Fifth Level Martial Pulse, but the quality of his Gang Qi has at least reached the Sixth Layer. No wonder he’s so confident."
"Now that Ling Xiao is really going to take a beating."
"It’s his own fault for being so arrogant. Didn’t you hear Shi Yue? If he goes all out, even Miss Yu Lian could get injured."
"Hehe, the Ling Family’s influence has been too strong. Finally, one of them is going to lose."
The crowd below buzzed with discussion, but the two on the stage paid no heed.
Ling Xiao stood with hands behind his back, his blue robe fluttering in the absence of wind, his face adorned with a faint smile, showing no sign of nervousness.
Shi Yue clenched his fists. Even before he attacked, the roar of his Gang Qi was too much for many in the surroundings to bear.
Suddenly, an explosive sound rang out. Shi Yue’s fists thundered forward, like a landslide or tsunami, distorting the air itself.
No, not just the air distorting, it was as if space itself was twisted. Looking through the Gang Qi around his fists, the surrounding figures were all warped.
Like the roar of the ocean, waves surged one after another toward Ling Xiao.
Ling Xiao finally realized what was so terrifying about this move.
It appeared to be just one attack, but it contained six hidden layers of force, like seven waves of the sea, each one stronger than the last.
Ling Xiao’s eyes lit up.
No wonder Shi Yue was so confident; such a technique would be truly frightening if his opponent were anyone but him.
Unfortunately, the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique naturally countered techniques with multiple layers of hidden force.
It’s a pity that Shi Yue’s exceptionally strong punch was likely to end in tragedy.
"The power of Shi Yue’s attack is probably not much different from Li Xinghui’s," someone commented.
"Indeed, although he relies on multiple layers of hidden force, while Li Xinghui’s is a powerful single strike, the power should be quite similar," agreed another.
"There’s no way Ling Xiao can block it."
"Yeah, unless he has cultivated top-level defensive martial arts to Great Achievement Realm."
As the discussion faded, suddenly a cry of surprise burst from the arena and then a figure was sent flying off the stage.
"No! It’s Shi Yue! What on earth happened, damn it, got carried away chatting and missed the exciting moment."
"Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique! Great Achievement Realm!"
Someone gave them the answer.
"What! The so-called most difficult to master, superior top-grade defensive martial arts ’Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique’!"
The crowd turned their gaze to the stage where Ling Xiao stood enveloped in golden light, looking like a Victorious Fighting Buddha.
He said he wouldn’t retreat an inch, and indeed he didn’t.
On the contrary, it was Shi Yue who was shaken till he spat out blood, appearing to be seriously injured.
"Sister, he is so powerful, even more than Li Xinghui!"
Everyone thought Shi Yue was seriously hurt, but unexpectedly the foolish kid stood up, wiped his mouth, and said something that made Li Xinghui’s brows slightly furrow.
"Don’t talk nonsense, go heal your wounds quickly."
Shi Yu Lian frowned and said. As the daughter of the City Lord’s Mansion, she naturally understood the way to win people’s hearts, so she really didn’t want to offend Li Xinghui and the Li Clan over this matter.
"You’re called Shi Yue, right? Your Surging Wave Fist is very powerful, and your Gang Qi is also very pure. However, I suggest you cultivate water-type internal cultivation mind techniques, which would make your fist technique even stronger,"
Ling Xiao said with a smile to Shi Yue, "You are not weak, it’s just unfortunate you met me. If the ’Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique’ werə not cultivated to the seventh-stage great accomplishment realm, I truly couldn’t have withstood your blow today."
"Ling Xiao, you don’t need to flatter me, you really are strong, I admit defeat."
Shi Yue said and spat out another mouthful of blood before he was forcibly taken by his family to heal.
Ling Xiao rarely admired anyone, and there were even fewer whom he would offer guidance. In the Ling Family, there were only Ling Yixue and Ling Yihang, and then Ling Luo. This Shi Yue, however, could also be counted as one.
By defeating Shi Yue, Ling Xiao indeed started to show his edge. The previous underestimation and complacency had all vanished.
Especially, the cultivation of the superlative top-grade martial arts ’Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique’ to the seventh stage was something unheard of among the younger generation of Tianfeng City, even in the Northern Han Kingdom.
His strength, by now, was beyond any doubt.
"Even though I acknowledge Ling Xiao’s strength, he should still be ranked last among the four people of the Ling Family. After all, if one only has strong defenses, it would be easy to find ways to target them."
"You’re right, I wonder who will challenge him next."
"Ling Xiao, you truly are worthy of accepting my challenge now,"
The speaker was none other than Wang Zui, one of the four young masters previously ranked fourth.
After a period of rest and healing, he had mostly recovered.
"Shouldn’t you be challenging Ling Yihang?"
Ling Xiao asked with curiosity.
"Stop the nonsense, don’t you dare to take up the challenge?"
Wang Zui certainly wanted to challenge Ling Yihang, but he truly was terrified by that slash from Ling Yihang and had no confidence whatsoever in challenging him.
The reason he chose to challenge Ling Xiao was that he felt Ling Xiao was weaker than Ling Yihang, and he would find it more comfortable to deal with a defense-oriented opponent.
Poison skills were his specialty.
Even if the defense was strong, it was futile against his poison skills, which was the reason for choosing Ling Xiao as his challenger.
Although Ling Xiao was only on the seventh stage right now, it didn’t matter. Everyone present could see that Ling Xiao was very strong, probably not weaker than Shi Yu Lian, so defeating Ling Xiao might allow him to regain some face.
Meanwhile, Ling Yihang watched Wang Zui and felt a silent sympathy for the guy.
Idiot, he could pick anyone else, yet he chose Ling Xiao—that’s practically asking for a beating.
How terrifying Ling Xiao could be, Ling Yihang knew best; there had never been anyone who made him feel he couldn’t catch up at all.
He felt unfathomable.
"Since you’re challenging me, then come on, I’d really like to see how much stronger you are than Ling Feifan,"
Ling Xiao said indifferently.