Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

All eyes focused on a single point as a figure shot up like a cannonball, launching from the direction of Dragon Mountain Hall and crashing heavily onto the high platform.

BANG—!

The entire wooden platform, and even the ground around it, trembled from the impact.

The common folk watching gasped in shock.

What a burly man!

The young man was about seven feet tall. His head was shaved clean, save for a patch of stubble on top where the short roots of his hair bristled.

His neck was frighteningly thick, with muscles so gnarled they almost merged with his broad shoulders.

The black Training Attire he wore was stretched taut over his frame, its chest buttons barely holding, looking as if they might burst open from his pectoral muscles at any moment.

In terms of build alone, he was even a size larger than Fang Haokun.

Fang Haokun stood on the other side of the stage. The arrogance on his face receded slightly, but he immediately stiffened his neck, trying to overpower his opponent with sheer presence.

"State your name! I, Fang Haokun, do not fight nobodies!"

The young man with the stubbled head grinned, revealing two rows of slightly crooked, yellow teeth.

"The name’s Shi Lei, your grandpa! Dragon Mountain Outer Hall, White Character Token!"

His feet were already moving as the words left his mouth.

"Watch the fist—!"

He shouted "Watch the fist," but instead of punching, he closed the distance with a rapid step, sank his hips, and suddenly unleashed a vicious groin kick.

The kick was powerful and heavy, whistling through the air.

That kick was aimed at ending his family line!

"You son of a..."

Fang Haokun erupted in fury, but his curse was cut short.

The kick was too fast. He had to silence himself and focus, twisting his hips sharply to barely dodge the dirty move.

Shi Lei’s kick hit nothing but air, but he didn’t stop. Seizing the moment while Fang Haokun was off-balance, he closed in, swung his thick arm around, and smashed down. His palm curled into a claw as he struck with a devastating Hidden Dragon Seal!

This was the most explosive move in the Hidden Dragon Fist style. It had no complex forms or variations, focusing only on ultimate speed and destruction.

The claw strike aimed straight for Fang Haokun’s temple. The sheer force of the wind from the attack tightened the skin on his cheeks and sent his hair flying back. If it landed, it would be a killing blow!

But Fang Haokun was, after all, the number one practitioner of the One Pillar of Blood Qi in the Cloud Platform Middle Courtyard. His reputation was not unearned.

He jerked his head to the side, and the claw strike grazed the tip of his ear, failing to gain any advantage.

Using the momentum, he turned his body, his right elbow immediately sweeping sideways to strike Shi Lei under the ribs. This was the ’Cloud Peng Spreading Wings’ technique from the Cloud Peng Fist, an iron elbow strike that could tear the heavens asunder.

Shi Lei didn’t dodge.

He took the elbow strike head-on. A dull thud sounded from his ribs, but a savage grin appeared on his face.

At the same moment he was hit, his right hand had already seized Fang Haokun’s belt. His left hand shot up from below, fingers like hooks, stabbing straight for his opponent’s throat. It was a textbook Dragon’s Tooth Nail.

Fingers like a dragon’s fangs, meant to pin an opponent’s joints, tendons, and vital points... Once hit, it was nearly impossible to escape. Even if it wasn’t fatal, you’d be torn to shreds.

"You..."

Fang Haokun’s pupils shrank. He never expected Shi Lei to use such a life-risking tactic right from the start, attempting to trade injury for injury.

Fang Haokun threw his head back with all his might to retreat, but five deep, bloody gashes were still raked across his neck. If he had been even a split second slower, his artery and windpipe would have been ripped right out.

The instant he retreated, he had already lifted his right leg, driving his knee straight into Shi Lei’s abdomen.

Shi Lei tensed his abdominal muscles but still didn’t dodge or evade, letting the knee slam squarely into his abs.

BAM—!

The dull thud was like the beat of a drum!

Blood trickled from the corner of Shi Lei’s mouth, but his hands moved with the flow of the attack, wrapping around Fang Haokun’s leg. He put power into his hips, preparing to twist him to the ground.

This move was the Dragon Locking Twister, a grappling technique. Once the lock was fully applied, it could snap Fang Haokun’s leg clean in two.

With one leg locked, Fang Haokun lost his balance.

But he didn’t panic. Instead, he had a flash of inspiration in the heat of the moment. He planted his hands on the ground and swept his other leg through the air, his toes pointed like a spear, aiming straight for Shi Lei’s face. This was the Cloud Peng Wind Fighting Technique from the Cloud Peng Fist, using the foot as a beak, an unexpected counterattack much like a Reversal Spear.

This time, with the kick aimed straight for his temple, Shi Lei didn’t dare to take it head-on. He was forced to let go and lean back. The kick grazed the tip of his nose, carrying with it a foul-smelling gust of wind.

The two separated and stood their ground.

Fang Haokun was panting heavily. Blood flowed endlessly from his neck, and his right leg, which seemed to have been sprained, trembled slightly.

Shi Lei wasn’t in much better shape. The elbow to his ribs had landed squarely; even if the bones weren’t broken, they were surely cracked, sending a piercing pain through him. The knee to his abdomen had churned his insides, and a constant metallic sweetness filled his mouth, which he forced himself to swallow back down.

"Not bad..."

Fang Haokun spat on the ground. Without giving Shi Lei a moment to breathe, he pushed through the pain in his leg and charged forward again.

Although he was injured, his assault was even more ferocious than before.

He was determined to crush Shi Lei in one final, overwhelming onslaught!

"Shi Lei!"

From a distance, Ye Yang suddenly spoke up.

He didn’t state it outright, but any discerning observer could tell he was reminding Shi Lei not to push his luck. If it was time to surrender, he should surrender.

The reason was simple.

Shi Lei’s Blood Qi fluctuations were a notch weaker than Fang Haokun’s. This was a fundamental disadvantage in terms of raw power, a critical weakness.

While that gap could theoretically be closed with tactics and fighting style, Shi Lei’s gambits had proven ineffective.

His surprise attack, two attempts to trade injuries, and his preemptive grappling lock had all failed to give him an advantage.

If the fight continued like this, the outcome was certain.

Because of this, Ye Yang wasn’t worried about winning or losing. He was worried that Fang Haokun might use a lethal blow, leaving Shi Lei either dead or permanently crippled.

For his own safety, surrendering was Shi Lei’s best option.

However, no sooner had Ye Yang’s voice faded than Shi Lei and Fang Haokun were already clashing again, trading fists and claws, meeting every blow head-on, showing no intention of surrendering whatsoever.

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