The dust had yet to fully settle.
The tavern floor was cracked. Tables lay shattered in every direction. The air was thick with the scent of splintered wood and suffocating tension.
At the center of it all, two figures stood facing each other.
Zhao Linyan.
And Li Wuchen.
Neither retreated.
Neither wavered.
Their brief yet ferocious exchange had already left devastating consequences. Blows had been traded with terrifying intensity. The tavern that once stood as their battleground was now barely recognizable.
And yet—everyone could feel it.
This fight was far from over.
It had only just begun.
Zhao Linyan slowly rolled his neck.
Crack… crack…
His sharp gaze locked onto Wuchen. "I was wrong to underestimate you from the start. But honestly… I'm glad I get to fight someone as strong as you now. I'll raise my strength even further."
A faint smile tugged at his lips, "Don't lose too quickly."
"I'll improve as well." Wuchen replied calmly. He shifted his stance slightly and regulated his breathing. In the next instant, his eyes sharpened, and his battle aura rose.
Seeing this, Zhao Linyan's lips curled upward, "Good. Let's begin the next round."
He moved his hands, forming seals with practiced precision. His internal energy surged more violently than before.
The air around him distorted again. This time, the vibration was no longer subtle—it was heavy and oppressive.
Several bystanders immediately dropped to their knees.
"Too… heavy…!" one groaned, struggling to keep from collapsing entirely.
"This pressure… Has Zhao Linyan been hiding his true strength all along?" another muttered, grimacing.
The old man behind Wuchen merely sneered. "That arrogant young master isn't half bad. Let's see if that foolish brat can endure this."
*****
On the battlefield, Zhao Linyan took the initiative.
He stepped forward. But the pressure he carried… seemed to crush the ground itself.
Crack—!
Fine fractures spread beneath every step he took. He raised his palm, gathering internal energy. Moments later, a projection formed—an enormous palm of condensed energy.
It grew denser. Trembling, as if eager to explode.
"Try… taking this." Zhao Linyan thrust his palm forward.
Wuut—!
A massive palm strike of pure internal energy shot toward Wuchen—faster, larger, and sharper than before. It came straight for his chest. If it hit, his chest wouldn't just cave in—it would collapse and burn to nothing.
Facing it, Wuchen did not flinch.
His eyes focused intensely.
He saw everything.
The rhythm.
The flow of energy.
The direction of pressure.
In a single instant—he understood. Li Wuchen adjusted his posture. His feet rooted deeply into the ground, veins bulging along his calves.
Then—
He roared.
Instead of retreating, he charged forward—cutting into the attack's trajectory from the side.
Wuut—!
His right fist swept horizontally.
BOOM!
The collision exploded with thunderous force.
Previously, Wuchen had been pushed back a full step.
This time—
Only half a step. No more.
Zhao Linyan narrowed his eyes."I've already increased my strength… yet this brat still stands…"
Wuchen clenched his fist, "Not strong enough. Is that all your internal energy?"
Silence fell over the onlookers. Even Zhao Linyan froze for a moment.
Then he laughed.
"Ha… ha ha…" The laughter was low. Oppressive. "Not strong enough… you say?"
His gaze changed.
Sharper.
Colder. "Then… don't regret it."
Zhao Linyan roared. He unleashed his full potential.
BOOOOM—!
His internal energy erupted.
Greater.
Denser.
The air shook violently. This time, not only pressure—but suffocating heat spread outward.
The old man behind Wuchen raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? That pampered brat has reached this level? Seems he's somewhat talented."
Across the field, Zhao Linyan stepped forward—But his body flickered like a phantom.
Wuut—!
Gone.
And suddenly—
He appeared behind Wuchen.
The strike came soundlessly. His palm slammed toward Wuchen's back.
But Wuchen moved as well. His figure flickered—and in an instant, he was already facing the attack.
His left hand moved.
CLACK!
Zhao Linyan's strike was blocked.
At the same time—
Wuchen's right fist shot forward.
BOOM!
Zhao Linyan deflected it with his left palm and immediately surged his internal energy again.
The resulting explosion of force blasted toward Wuchen. This time, Wuchen was pushed back two steps. Cracks formed beneath his feet. His breathing faltered slightly. His blood flow momentarily disrupted.
Seeing this, Zhao Linyan smiled. "Well? What about now…?"
Wuchen lifted his head. His gaze remained calm. "Your attack is better than before."
Zhao Linyan's smile stiffened.
*****
Outside the tavern…
More people had gathered. None dared enter, but even from a distance, they could feel the pressure.
"What's happening in there…?"
"That's… Zhao Linyan!"
"Who's he fighting?"
"They say… a youth without any aura…"
"What? Is that true?"
They exchanged glances, disbelief evident in their eyes.
*****
On the rooftop of a nearby building, Lin Xue'er stood silently. Her eyes never left the battle. Every movement. Every collision. Every moment—she absorbed it all.
"Li Wuchen isn't just physically strong…" she murmured softly.
"He's also perceptive… and adaptive."
Her eyes gleamed. "His body… evolves in the midst of battle…"
A complicated smile formed on her lips.
"Li Wuchen… I want to see how you overcome this."
*****
Back inside the tavern…
Zhao Linyan exhaled slowly. "We're running out of time…"
He lowered his stance.
Deeper.
More stable.
"Let's speed this up."
Wuchen narrowed his eyes slightly. "I'm ready anytime."
*****
Their figures flickered—
And in an instant, they clashed again.
Wuut! Wuut!
Collisions erupted in rapid succession.
Fists and palms met again and again.
Fast.
Relentless.
Each impact deepened the cracks in the floor. Each movement sent gusts tearing through the room.
Wuchen attacked.
A straight punch. Simple. But each time it was blocked—another fist followed.
Zhao Linyan folded his arms defensively, managing to block three consecutive strikes—Yet with every collision, he was forced half a step back.
"Insane…!" Zhao Linyan was shaken.
His internal energy… was being suppressed by pure physical strength? Was this youth even human?
Wuchen didn't stop.
Another punch. Then an elbow. Then a knee strike. He is unarmed—
Yet every part of his body was a weapon. And strangely, each successive attack carried even greater weight than the last.
Zhao Linyan gritted his teeth, coating his bones and flesh with internal energy.
Otherwise, blocking Wuchen's punches would be no different from breaking his own bones.
But as time passed, he was steadily pushed back.
Seeing this, the old man grinned widely. "Ha… it's finally coming out…"
*****
Realizing the situation was turning against him, Zhao Linyan leapt backward to create distance.
His breathing grew heavier. His gaze sharpened. "You're extremely skilled in close combat," he said with a faint smile. "…truly strange."
Wuchen did not pursue. Instead, he steadied his breathing. "You're not used to close combat. Your strength lies in long-range internal techniques."
He paused. "Use your advantage. I'm confident I can handle it."
Silence fell once more. What Wuchen said was true. But… did he really have to say it so openly? And wasn't that kind of fighting disadvantageous for him?
No one understood his reasoning. But they all agreed on one thing.. this battle would not end easily.
*****
Zhao Linyan fell silent. As if weighing something. Then he exhaled sharply and raised his hand again.
His internal energy gathered, even greater than before.
The air trembled violently, as though he stood at the center of a storm.
The old man sighed. "Well… this is getting excessive…"
He glanced at Wuchen. "Brat… if you don't get serious now… you will die today."
Wuchen didn't respond.
He simply lowered his stance further.
Deeper.
Stronger.
His muscles tightened. Veins bulged. His eyes remained calm—
But sharp as blades.
*****
On the rooftop…
Lin Xue'er's eyes widened.
"This…" She stared more intently at Li Wuchen. "He truly has no aura…"
"But that pressure…" A bead of sweat formed at her temple.
"That wild, suffocating presence…like a beast rising from the earth."
*****
Inside the tavern—
Two completely different forces stood opposed.
One—
Internal energy, a gift of the heavens.
The other—
A body that defied the limits of the earth.
And in the next instant—
They moved.
Toward the next collision.
The clash that would decide—
Who truly stands above.
To be continued.