Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

From the seat of honor.

Ye Yang's gaze was fixed on Chen Cheng's fist, completely still.

"...How can this be!?"

Ye Yang's voice trembled slightly, his expression extremely complex.

Just a moment ago, he had emphatically warned Chen Cheng to never meet his opponent's Instant Burst of Power head-on, that he must do everything he could to evade the brunt of the attack.

Yet now, Chen Cheng had not only met it head-on but had also sent his opponent stumbling back several steps.

Crucially, his opponent's fist was bruised purple, and his arm—even half his body—was trembling. He was clearly injured.

Even if it was just a minor injury, it was enough to prove the formidable Power of Chen Cheng's punch.

Over at the Cloud Platform Hall's section.

Han Chuo maintained his perfectly composed posture, his face impassive. He said nothing.

Only, on the teacup in his hand, a web of fine cracks silently appeared. Tea seeped from the fissures, dripping onto his leg, yet he seemed completely unaware.

Han Tianqi shot to his feet. The movement was so abrupt, almost instinctual, that his knees knocked over the low table in front of him, sending the teacup and teapot shattering across the floor.

His eyes bulged and his pupils trembled. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought he'd seen a ghost.

Just a moment ago, he had been confidently proclaiming how Yu Shi couldn't be judged by common sense, how he was invincible in the Same Tier, and that it would count as Han Tianqi's loss if it took more than half a move to cripple Chen Cheng.

And now, reality was like a giant boomerang, turning every word he had just uttered into an invisible slap that struck him squarely in the face.

He seemed to be nailed to the spot, his posture and expression as stiff as a statue.

Behind him, the disciples of Cloud Platform Hall could feel that he was like a volcano on the verge of erupting.

No one dared to make a sound, not even daring to breathe too loudly, fearing he would grab them and use them as an outlet for his fury.

A few of the more timid ones had already quietly taken a few steps back.

Facing the arena stage.

Wu Shannan's gaze was fixed solely on Chen Cheng. Deep within his aged, profound eyes, the surprise had yet to fade as curiosity began to surface.

"Brother Pang, you've always had a sharp eye," Wu Shannan said, tilting his head slightly. "What did you make of that last exchange?"

"Similar techniques..." Pang Shixun murmured, his gaze also fixed on Chen Cheng, his tone weighty yet dignified. "The strength of their Blood Qi is comparable, and their Power is evenly matched. Both used the technique of an instantaneous burst of Dark Force... However, Chen Cheng's method is clearly more refined."

He paused, as if still savoring the moment. "It feels like... there was something else... but it's not something you can see with the naked eye."

"...How interesting!" Wu Shannan squinted into a smile, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepening as he sighed with feeling. "I never expected that a mere competition between the Outer City's Middle Courtyards would reveal such a budding talent! For an old man like me, this trip has truly been worthwhile!"

"President Wu, are you thinking of recruiting him?"

Pang Shixun raised an eyebrow, a subtle, unusual glint flashing through his eyes.

Wu Shannan gave a faint smile, not offering a definitive answer.

"The match isn't over yet. Let's watch and see."

As they spoke, Chen Cheng and Yu Shi had already clashed again.

One moment, Yu Shi was still shaking his arm to soothe the pain; the next, his feet suddenly shifted, and his body twisted and lunged forward.

As always, he moved with a speed that defied the naked eye.

But this time, he would not underestimate Chen Cheng again.

As he drew near, his figure suddenly flickered, creating two afterimages that attacked Chen Cheng from the left and right simultaneously.

Someone in the audience cried out in surprise.

Chen Cheng, however, didn't even raise an eyelid.

His Divine Marrow, long nourished by Health Tai Chi, had enhanced his Perception Power enough to pinpoint locations by sound alone.

Even with his eyes closed, he could distinguish the real from the illusory.

'The right one!'

Chen Cheng took a step back with his right foot and twisted his body half an inch. It was this half-inch that allowed Yu Shi's fist to graze past his chest. The force of the punch tore his lapel but failed to touch his skin.

And in that very instant, Chen Cheng's left fist hooked upward, aiming for Yu Shi's armpit.

Yu Shi's pupils shrank.

He didn't have time to retract his right arm, so he hastily brought his left arm down to block the punch.

THUD!

Another dull thud rang out.

The punch lifted Yu Shi's entire body two inches off the ground. When he landed, he staggered and retreated several more steps before barely steadying himself.

When he had brought his arm down to block, he had clearly mobilized his Blood Qi, concentrating his Dark Force on that single point to counteract Chen Cheng's Dark Force.

However, about ten percent of the Power still pierced through.

The sleeve on Yu Shi's left forearm burst, and a purple-red fist mark quickly appeared.

Beneath the skin, his muscles and bones vibrated as if about to shatter. That familiar, sharp pain once again bored out from his very marrow.

"How the hell did you train your Dark Force... It's so damn freakish!"

Yu Shi's mouth twitched. His voice was no longer lazy and casual, but had become hoarse, heavy, and even a little shaky.

Chen Cheng didn't respond, merely resetting his stance.

With one fist forward and the other back, he lowered his center of gravity, his entire body like a fully drawn bow.

"You're forcing my hand!"

Yu Shi's gaze hardened. A faint smile suddenly tugged at the corner of his mouth, like a thin cut drawn across his cheek.

As his voice fell.

The wind on the arena stage suddenly stopped.

No, that wasn't right.

It hadn't stopped. It was being sucked away by something!

The crowd below felt their breath catch, as if all the surrounding air was rushing toward Yu Shi.

His loose, old robes billowed without any wind, flapping loudly.

The moment his eyebrows twitched, something began to gather in his dull gray eyes.

In the next instant.

He charged forward again.

This charge was faster than any before.

So fast that ninety percent of the people below only saw a gray blur flash past. So fast that even the wind had no time to react, leaving only silence.

The thought of defending had barely formed in Chen Cheng's mind when Yu Shi's fist arrived.

A hook punch from an extremely tricky angle, with a spiraling trajectory, swept viciously from left to right toward the side of Chen Cheng's neck.

BOOM—!

Chen Cheng raised his arm to block, and the punch smashed squarely into his forearm.

The force was so immense it sent a massive tremor through Chen Cheng's entire body. The floorboards beneath his feet shattered on impact, sending splinters flying, and the entire arena stage shook violently, as if about to collapse.

Almost at the same time.

Yu Shi's second punch was already hurtling toward Chen Cheng's heart.

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