Defeating the Enemy in One Move!

Xiao Chen stood at the center of the arena, while Wang Ming had already been sent flying. Lu Muda shot forward like a bolt of light, catching Wang Ming before he could crash. A trace of blood leaked from the corner of Wang Ming’s mouth. Though his life was not in danger, he had clearly lost all combat strength.

The crowd outside the arena was already in an uproar, everyone stunned beyond belief. Wang Ming was a student of the Big Dipper Academy, a master at the Sixth Heaven of Mortal-Shedding, counted among the academy’s strongest. Not that there weren’t those who could defeat him—but today, he had been laid low in a single move. It was simply staggering.

Word spread like wildfire. Within moments, nearly a thousand people had gathered at the central training field.

“I’ll fight you!” Another of the four great experts stepped forward—medium height, somewhat gaunt, an ordinary face with a trace of sharpness in his eyes. He strode into the arena and announced his name: “I am Xu Feng.” He was direct, wasting no words. In an instant, his form became ethereal and elusive, as if he had transformed into a shadow, impossible to track.

Among the onlookers, whispers broke out.

“Xu Feng is a natural-born Spiritist, at the Sixth Heaven of Mortal-Shedding. Few in the academy can match him—he commands a fearsome divine art!”

“He can vanish without a trace and kill without a sound!”

These muttered comments naturally could not reach the ears of the two combatants. Under everyone’s gaze, Xu Feng’s figure suddenly vanished, dissolving into nothingness.

The setting sun stained the sky crimson, and the red glow bathed the arena in blood-like light. The crowd stared wide-eyed, no longer able to find any trace of Xu Feng.

In that instant, Xiao Chen suddenly moved. He shifted swiftly from the center of the field, drifting five meters to the side as if weightless. A blinding flash of light swept through the space he had just occupied—Xu Feng had launched a fierce attack. But having missed, that point of light vanished without a trace, leaving no ripples behind. Xiao Chen frowned slightly.

Silence fell over the arena. The spectators stopped their chatter, watching intently. This was an unusual battle. Though Xiao Chen’s cultivation was formidable, his opponent was invisible—a threat that could not be ignored.

Crack! A dazzling bolt of lightning split the air. A corner of Xiao Chen’s robe turned to ash in an instant. Had he been half a step slower, his body would have been reduced to charcoal. No one doubted the power of that lightning—the acrid smell of scorched cloth hung in the air. He had dodged by a hair’s breadth, and his brow furrowed again.

The arena fell into absolute stillness, so quiet that one could hear the breathing of the crowd. Everyone was watching with bated breath, for the next second might decide victory or defeat.

Shing! A brilliant blade-light slashed out from the void, aimed directly at Xiao Chen’s neck. But in the moment before contact, Xiao Chen bent his body like a willow in the wind, twisting into an almost impossible arc. He dodged the blade by a hair, then spun like a swift leopard, charging toward the direction from which the attack had come.

Though the blade-light had vanished and Xu Feng was nowhere to be seen, Xiao Chen seemed to have locked onto his target. He struck at a patch of empty air without any wasted motion—a single punch, simple and direct. His fist was almost translucent, gleaming with a brilliant light, and it landed with a sharp crack.

A muffled grunt sounded. Xu Feng’s figure flickered back into view as he retreated hastily. One of his arms was twisted at an unnatural angle, the bone clearly shattered by Xiao Chen’s blow.

“Not bad,” Xiao Chen said. That was his assessment of Xu Feng. Though the man was only at the Sixth Heaven, his ability to become invisible was a rare and potent Spiritist art, worthy of notice.

But Xu Feng heard only mockery in those words. Furious that an opponent younger than him would speak with the air of a senior instructing a junior, he snarled, “Again!” Unwilling to accept defeat, he quickly vanished once more.

“You are no match for me,” Xiao Chen said, addressing a patch of empty space. The hidden Xu Feng trembled at the words and hastily shifted his position.

Seeing that Xu Feng would not yield, Xiao Chen said no more. By now, he had activated his divine ability—foreknowledge without seeing or hearing. Xu Feng’s every action was as clear in his mind as if drawn in light. If Xu Feng had known that Xiao Chen had deliberately sealed his spiritual senses earlier, he would have been astounded. He would never have guessed that Xiao Chen was using him to train his bodily reflexes, never even considering him an equal opponent.

Of course, Xiao Chen would never reveal that he possessed such a power. He would not let anyone know he could perceive without sight or sound.

Boom! A storm of energy swept through the arena. Xiao Chen’s fist sent the invisible Xu Feng flying, and the sound of shattering bones echoed clearly across the field. Xu Feng’s other arm hung limp, and both legs were twisted, his body clearly suffering multiple fractures.

The onlookers erupted in noise. This man named Xiao Chen was nothing less than a human-shaped weapon. Xu Feng’s strength was outstanding in the Big Dipper Academy; few could suppress him. But now he was being battered like a ragdoll, thrown about by Xiao Chen’s fists. It seemed almost unbelievable—was that fellow cast from solid steel?

Looking at Xiao Chen’s tall, handsome features, he didn’t seem like someone trained in the iron-shirt or golden-bell techniques. But his performance was that of a wild beast—one touch and bones would snap, tendons would tear!

Hai Yuntian, standing nearby, sucked in a cold breath. “This guy fights mercilessly!” He turned to the fat man Zhuge Liang beside him. “Watch out, fatty. Don’t you go scheming about the Little Defiant Dragon. If he gets his hands on your pig arms and pig legs, they’ll snap like twigs. Break on impact. Watch out, or your pig head will get smashed.”

“He’s not human!” murmured the blue-haired girl, Kanasi, her limpid eyes wide. She bit her rosy lips hard, her small nose wrinkling with displeasure. “Is that guy made of iron? So fierce… will my cousin even be able to beat him later…”

By now, the Big Dipper Academy was buzzing. More than half the students had gathered, and the area outside the arena was packed. The news that the four great experts were fighting an unknown master had already spread to the neighboring War God Academy and White Deer Academy. Many students had jumped over the walls to come see the madman who dared to challenge the Big Dipper’s turf.

Xu Feng could no longer fight. He looked as if a Tyrant Dragon had trampled him—multiple bones broken throughout his body.

The third man strode into the arena. Tall and powerfully built, rough-featured with an air of banditry, he was very direct. “Xu Long. I’ll fight you!”

Boom! A punch crashed forward, the wind of the strike splitting the air. Purple light shot out like a rainbow streak of energy. Xiao Chen did not dodge. He met it with a punch of his own. His clenched fist sparkled, skin translucent like jade. Though no energy burst outward, no blade-light shot forth, the air rumbled with a sound like thunder.

Boom! The two fists collided head-on. Xiao Chen did not move an inch. Xu Long shook his arm painfully and stumbled back seven or eight steps. His right hand was not broken, but it had swollen badly, dark bruises spreading through the flesh.

Everyone outside gasped in shock.

“That guy is a human-shaped Tyrant Dragon!”

“Xu Long is a Seventh Heaven expert with the nickname ‘Iron Fist,’ and he got pushed back by that guy’s punch. What a monster!”

“Xu Long is the strongest disciple in our academy, right? And he’s being suppressed so thoroughly—that guy is a true beast!”

“Wrong. Xu Long, at the Seventh Heaven, is the strongest in our outer academy. The inner academy has two secret trump cards who should be stronger than him.”

There was no doubt about it. Xiao Chen had knocked back the outer academy’s top expert with a single punch, shocking everyone watching.

“That brutal gorilla is an absolute animal!” muttered the little girl of the Mande family.

Swoosh! A sound of tearing air—Xu Long launched himself into the sky, hovering midair. He struck downward with purple light bolts that shot toward Xiao Chen. Many spectators were surprised; few knew that besides being a martial arts master, he was also a Spiritist.

Xu Long no longer dared to engage Xiao Chen directly. He circled in the air, diving repeatedly, trying to wear Xiao Chen down through hit-and-run tactics. But that was only his wishful thinking. Amid the crowd’s exclamations, Xu Long stared dumbfounded as Xiao Chen unfurled a pair of energy wings and shot skyward, flying straight at him.

“Heavens! That human-shaped Tyrant Dragon is practically invincible—he can fly!”

“What do you know? That’s the Undying Sect’s supreme art. He’s actually mastered the Undying Wings! This is the bane of Spiritists and Spellmasters alike—a flying human-shaped Tyrant Dragon is terrifying!”

If Xiao Chen had heard, he would have been furious. Everyone was already calling him a human-shaped Tyrant Dragon, an invincible monster.

Xu Long tried to evade, but with the Undying Wings, there was no escape. Xiao Chen was too fast. In a blur, the spectators saw him and Xu Long—a Seventh Heaven expert—collide midair. Between them, sword-light crisscrossed, blade-energy billowed, blinding radiance flared, and surges of power howled.

The energy currents in the air roiled violently, rumbling like thunder. Xu Long, after all, was a Seventh Heaven master. He exchanged over a dozen blows with Xiao Chen, but in the end he could not hold out. Amid a series of booming fists, he was sent flying backward, a string of blood droplets scattering through the air.

All the onlookers were cultivators with keen eyes. They saw Xu Long’s two arms twisted, obviously broken again.

“Xu Long’s bones are broken too!”

“This guy is too strong. I bet even the inner academy’s two secret aces are no better than this.”

“Damn, he really lives up to the name of a monster!”

At this time, many students from the War God Academy and White Deer Academy had also arrived. Seeing the scene, they began to shout and jeer.

“Brother, you’re amazing! You took down the Big Dipper’s number one outer disciple. Go for broke—beat the inner academy too!”

“Brother, let’s be friends later. I’m from White Deer Academy!”

“Bro, you really are a human Tyrant Dragon! So strong you’ve left Big Dipper’s experts speechless. Big sis supports you!”

The Big Dipper students glared at them.

“Hey, girl from War God Academy, stop stirring up trouble!”

“You from White Deer Academy—dare to show your face here? Forget about that time you sneaked into the Big Dipper girls’ dormitory and got chased out, huh?”

A girl retorted, “Tch, Big Dipper Academy isn’t off-limits. Why can’t we come? Hey, Mr. Tyrant Dragon in the arena, keep it up! Later, come to White Deer Academy, and big sis will introduce you to some pretty juniors.”

The area outside the arena was a cacophony of noise.

Amid the clamor, Lu Muda stepped into the arena. He was not particularly handsome, but he carried a unique presence—calm, composed, with the bearing of a true expert.

“As I said, if you can defeat the three of them, I won’t trouble you today.”

“You won’t trouble me today, but you’ll come looking for me tomorrow, I suppose.”

“I do intend to arrange another time to cross blows with you.”

“I knew you’d say that. Better today than some other day. Let’s settle it now.”

Their words carried clearly to the audience. The arena quieted down.

Who was Lu Muda? An Eighth Heaven expert. If he hadn’t just left the Big Dipper Academy, the title of outer academy’s number one would still be his.

Lu Muda smiled faintly. “Fine. Straightforward. Today it is. Do you need to rest?”

“No need. Let’s fight directly!” Xiao Chen took a step forward—as if wielding a great divine art of shrinking the ground, a single small step covered ten meters.

Gales of energy howled. His right hand slashed down diagonally, sparkling with metallic brilliance. Xiao Chen dared not take Lu Muda lightly, for he was a true peer at the same level.

Swoosh! Lu Muda drifted like a willow leaf in the wind, gliding eight meters away. Xiao Chen launched himself into the air, legs first, sweeping forward horizontally. His legs, like cast steel, would surely shatter bones if they struck a human body.

Lu Muda obviously recognized Xiao Chen’s ferocious, overwhelming power and did not want to clash directly. He shifted sideways a few feet, then leaped, performing a backward somersault in midair. His legs, like a pair of scissors, divided to strike at Xiao Chen’s waist.

All this happened in a flash, faster than thought. Most people saw only a few afterimages—they could not track the exact movements of the fight.

Xiao Chen remained utterly calm. The scissor-legs technique was a basic killing move; every martial artist knew its fearsome power, but few could use it well. Xiao Chen did not panic. Instead of dodging, he suddenly shifted sideways in the air, accelerating directly toward Lu Muda.

“That kid is ruthless!”

“Brutal! This brother is fierce!”

“Truly a human Tyrant Dragon. Wild!”

The experts outside could see clearly, and many commented. The students from White Deer and War God were especially unrestrained.

By charging forward like this, Xiao Chen sent his waist straight toward Lu Muda’s legs. The way he countered the scissor-legs was brutally direct—before Lu Muda’s legs could clamp down, the most vulnerable part of his body would be struck first.

“Animal!” Kanasi muttered.

Many cried out in surprise.

Lu Muda was a true expert. He had not expected Xiao Chen to be so fierce. He quickly steadied himself, making his body suddenly heavy as if weighing ten thousand jun, and rapidly descended to the ground, evading Xiao Chen’s sharp attack.

At the same time, Xiao Chen flipped head-down and dove straight, both hands like blades as he struck. Brilliant light made his hands shine like translucent jade sparkling with treasure’s radiance.

Torrential energy, as if tangible, crashed down like a colossal hammer. The ground cracked and groaned, invisible forces splitting the earth in long fissures that spread outward.

The gale whipped Lu Muda’s hair wildly. He could no longer evade—the mountain-like force had already locked onto him from above. He could only brace himself, with no room to retreat.

Boom! It was like two great mountains colliding. A gale surged, energy raged, and blinding radiance made it impossible to open one’s eyes. The terrible invisible force swept outward like a monstrous wave.

The spectators at the innermost ring reeled as if struck, their bodies shaking violently as they were forced back. Many were caught in the shockwave, and chaos erupted in the arena.

At the center, after that brutal collision, Xiao Chen and Lu Muda twisted together like bolts of lightning, afterimages trailing, palm shadows flying, blinding flashes of light bursting forth as they fought fiercely.

“He’s flying! Flying!”

“That’s a rare Flying Feather Robe! I can’t believe Lu Muda has such a treasure!”

The crowd gasped. Lu Muda had shot into the sky, soaring aloft. Xiao Chen unfurled his Undying Wings and ascended as well, continuing the fierce battle in midair.

Nearly all the students of the Big Dipper Academy had now gathered at the central training field. Many experts from the White Deer and War God Academies had also arrived, and even some old masters within the academies were stirred, beginning to watch this match.

“Xiao Chen, you’re finished!” Lu Muda said with supreme confidence, shouting, “Yin Yang — Extinction!”

Xiao Chen felt a powerful sense of danger. He roared in response, “Slay the God!”