Chapter 158. Ring Duel
In the ring, that Extraordinary Meridian martial artist kicked Kong Wei off the stage with one foot, then swept his gaze across the crowd below. In the end, his eyes paused on Xu Yuan for a brief moment.
Within that look were curiosity, scrutiny, and a faint trace of fighting spirit.
This man’s powers of observation are quite sharp.
Xu Yuan met his gaze, smiled faintly, and then looked away.
Clearly, the other man had already noticed his true cultivation.
But that was perfectly normal. Xu Yuan had no method for concealing his aura or hiding his cultivation. As long as someone of the same level observed him carefully, they would be able to tell.
Fortunately, Xu Yuan had no intention of hiding anything anyway.
At the end of the day, it would all come down to the skill in their hands.
Very soon, the steward’s voice rang out again. "B-5, to the stage!"
Xu Yuan nodded and walked up the ring at an unhurried pace.
Opposite him stood a woman of around thirty, dressed in a blue fitted martial outfit that faintly revealed supple skin full of resilience and vitality.
Her cheeks were rosy, her brows long and finely shaped, with a natural hint of heroism to them, and her eyes were clear and bright.
"I am Hong Qing. Please instruct me."
She too was an eight-meridian martial artist.
"Xu Yuan." Xu Yuan kept his words brief.
Hong Qing’s expression turned grave, as though facing a great enemy.
She had always acted with caution and had never deliberately underestimated an opponent. Much less now, when Xu Yuan’s reputation had long preceded him. At this moment, she did not dare relax in the slightest.
"Please!"
After observing for a moment and seeing that Xu Yuan still looked utterly calm and composed, Hong Qing gave a low shout and struck first. Her right arm snapped out violently, whipping through the air like a lash.
This was the martial art for which she had made her name: the Ape-Arm Technique.
By relying on the body’s extreme flexibility, it amplified the force of its blows, and it had earned no small reputation in the surrounding region.
Crack!
The force of the punch exploded in midair. Robes fluttered sharply as a fierce gale of force bore straight down on Xu Yuan’s face.
At the same time, Hong Qing’s footwork shifted rapidly. She slid along with the force of her fist, while power coiled and gathered in her left hand, waiting for the right moment as a hidden move.
This martial art is rather interesting.
Xu Yuan’s eyes brightened, and his interest rose a little.
As the attack came toward him, he shifted his body slightly to avoid it, then slashed upward at an angle with his right hand like a venomous dragon, cutting viciously toward her joint.
So fast!
Hong Qing cried out inwardly. Relying on the suppleness of her waist, she bent sharply and barely avoided the blow. Her two palms traced circles, waves of force rolling outward like a tide and forcing Xu Yuan back.
Xu Yuan secretly shook his head. She had already trained this skill to an extremely high level.
Unfortunately, under his Extraordinary Meridians cultivation, everything seemed to slow down by half. It posed no threat at all.
That gradually caused him to lose interest.
He lost focus? A perfect chance!
When Hong Qing saw Xu Yuan’s movements slow, delight flashed in her eyes. She took it for a flaw created by her exquisite footwork.
Seizing upon that "opening," she lowered her body and closed in like a wildcat. Twisting at the waist, she smashed toward Xu Yuan’s ribs with tremendous force.
She was confident that if this blow landed, her opponent would instantly lose most of his ability to move.
However...
Xu Yuan merely took a step back and evaded it as casually as though strolling through a courtyard. Then he drove a knee upward, instantly knocking Hong Qing back several steps. Taking advantage of the moment, he pressed forward and abruptly unleashed a full sequence of Thunderclap Fist strikes.
Bang!
Hong Qing’s face turned white as paper in an instant. Her whole body looked as though it had been struck by a siege ram. She staggered wildly backward and, in the end, fell off the ring.
"My concession." Xu Yuan cupped his hands slightly.
Hong Qing revealed a disappointed expression, then also cupped her hands and said, "Many thanks for showing mercy."
The entire battle had taken place in the blink of an eye.
The martial artists below only saw several moves exchanged in an instant, and they watched with great excitement, all discussing how a great reputation truly was not undeserved.
From that moment on, Xu Yuan became the defending champion of the ring. Next, he would have to defeat every challenger who came for him before his defense could be counted a success.
Soon after, Xu Yuan went through two more battles, and he won both with effortless ease.
All the martial artists present understood that he was not someone to be trifled with. Among the remaining few spots, one of them would most likely belong to him.
"This fellow is still as dazzling as ever!"
Not far away, Xiao Han smiled and said this to Yuan Danqing beside him.
Yuan Danqing gave a slight nod, her face still bearing injuries.
She had ultimately been unable to resist taking a wooden token earlier, wanting to test the results of her own training.
But in the end, no miracle had occurred. She had been knocked down in only six or seven moves.
"Lord Xu’s strength is probably among the very top tier even within the eight-meridian level. With his talent, if he can enter the Eldest Miss’s mountain gate, then he will be heading straight toward the Grandmaster realm!"
Yuan Danqing spoke slowly, her words full of deep envy.
Xiao Han shrugged. He did not care that much.
It would be best if he could reach the Extraordinary Meridians level in this life. If not, so be it. Relying on the legacy his father had left behind, he could still live quite comfortably.
"Personal fortune cannot be forced. Wait, that is..."
Xiao Han had just been about to laugh it off when his face suddenly changed, and he stared fixedly at someone in the distance.
Yuan Danqing followed his gaze and revealed the same look of surprise.
They saw a broad middle-aged man with a scar on his forehead strolling over with a wooden token in hand. His destination was unmistakably Ring B.
And the reason the two of them reacted so strongly was that nine horizontal stripes were embroidered on the man’s shoulder. He was clearly an Extraordinary Meridians martial artist.
"This is bad..."
Xiao Han muttered to himself, unable to stop worrying for Xu Yuan.
Yuan Danqing frowned. "Why did this Extraordinary Meridians martial artist have to come now?"
"I am afraid this man did not come for this opportunity at all." Xiao Han narrowed his eyes and spoke in a low voice.
"You mean...?"
Yuan Danqing looked at him steadily, as though she had understood something.
...
On the viewing platform,
A smile immediately appeared on Shangyang Qingzhen’s face as he said coldly, "Now let us see how that brat thinks he can dodge this."
Beside him, Zhang Cheng looked thoughtful, and a trace of sympathy for Xu Yuan rose in his heart.
No matter how well Xu Yuan could fight, if he encountered a martial artist who was clearly a whole realm above him, there was nothing he could do but sit there helplessly.
The moment that thought crossed his mind, for some reason, Zhang Cheng suddenly felt much better.
That was how it should be. Everyone had started from the same line to begin with, so who told you to suddenly run so fast?
When a strong wind came and blew through, if you were not the one to fall, then who would be?
...
On the ring, the appearance of this Extraordinary Meridians martial artist also stirred up no small commotion.
And among the voices, dissatisfaction made up the majority.
After all, if you added one more Extraordinary Meridians martial artist to the ring, then even if Xu Yuan lost, he could simply step down.
After that, he could just go to another ring and casually seize another spot. That would undoubtedly squeeze everyone else’s room even further.
Unless he could cripple Xu Yuan.
At that thought, some people immediately revealed eager expressions. They hoped that while this man defeated Xu Yuan, he would also cripple him at the same time, ensuring that Xu Yuan would be shut out of this martial arts tournament.
"My name is Sun Ba."
At that moment, the middle-aged man spoke in a deep voice. His eyes were gloomy, and a dangerous aura permeated his entire body.
Although the voices below the stage were quiet, he had heard them all clearly.
As it happened, he was thinking the same thing.
"Xu Yuan." Xu Yuan looked at him and replied indifferently.
"I had heard your name a long time ago. Only today have I finally seen you in person, and there is only one thing I want to say..."