My Clones Can Cultivate

Chapter 126

Li Yu was practically holding back a wicked laugh at this point as he saw the faces of the crowd that had already written him off as the loser of this battle.

Not a single one of them had even a shred of confidence that he would be able to win the tournament, and those looks on their faces... Li Yu was going to wipe them clean soon enough, along with ripping them off all their money.

He would have even placed a bigger bet if he had more coins on hand, but since he didn’t have much, he could only bet every coin he possessed on himself to win because, without the slightest doubt in his heart, he was going to take the victory.

That said, why the hell would he lose? There were simply too many benefits waiting for him: first and foremost was the fact that he would be massively rewarded by his system for completing the quest and winning the tournament.

Not only that, but there was also the reward he was going to receive from Elder Ting, and something coming from someone as powerful as Elder Ting was bound to have tremendous value.

Then there was the massive wealth he was going to earn from the betting, and finally, breaking some bones would satiate his rising bloodlust and keep his mind calm and perfectly stable.

Although, if Li Yu were being completely honest, he genuinely loved breaking bones; it brought him a strange sense of joy, and he had already chosen his first victim: "Shi Lan... come onto the stage."

The young man named Shi Lan rose from the Shi Clan’s seating area and began walking forward with long, unhurried steps.

The reason Li Yu had chosen him as his first prey and victim was simple: he was the one who had hurt his little Yuexin, and the anger Li Yu had felt the moment he learned about it was still burning inside him. It simply wasn’t raging anymore; it had become calm, cold.

He was going to break Shi Lan’s bones... tenderly, gently, and make him experience every single bit of the pain.

Soon, Shi Lan stood across from Li Yu. His gaze was impassive, and he wore no expression on his face; instead, he merely looked at Li Yu without saying a single word.

Although his face remained emotionless, making it seem as though he held nothing against Li Yu, Li Yu could clearly tell that wasn’t the case.

The guy was furious, and if he had to guess, he probably knew exactly why; Shi Lan believed that someone as weak as Li Yu had no right to challenge him. Li Yu wasn’t about to correct that misunderstanding... there was no need... for the guy’s head would soon be set straight... soon enough.

The referee stepped onto the stage: "Alright, folks! Things seem to have taken yet another surprising turn, as it appears that the Li Clan is back in the tournament, with their main... and only... remaining contestant... The Li Clan heir... Li Yu!

And now we are about to witness the ninth match of today’s tournament! The battle will be... Li Yu... Against Shi Lan!" He raised one hand toward Shi Lan:

"On my right, we have the Fist King of the Shi Clan!" Then he turned toward Li Yu. He paused for a moment, deep in thought, as the referee suddenly realized he had no idea what title he was supposed to announce for Li Yu.

After all, the only title that was widely known throughout the Night Region was "The Failure Heir of the Li Clan," but he couldn’t exactly call him that now, could he? He remained silent for a brief moment before turning to Li Yu:

"...What title should I announce you by? Do you have one to give?" Li Yu thought for a while as his mind flashed through titles that might fit him... Slap King, Primal Tyrant, like the one the beasts had given him... and he thought for a few seconds before his eyes suddenly shone.

He didn’t have any official title yet, but after today’s tournament, the title he gave himself was bound to spread far and wide, so he needed a title that captured his overwhelming brilliance. After a while, his eyes lit up: "You can simply refer to me as... the Honored One."

The referee blinked... and then blinked again, as if wondering whether Li Yu was joking around.

But seeing his serious expression, he could tell almost immediately that he was serious. "Honestly... such a grand title for someone who was bound to be defeated in his very first match,"the referee thought.

But after a while, he shook his head. *No... it doesn’t matter either way.* So he nodded and continued with his speech: "And on my left is the Honored One of the Li Clan... Both participants are ready to go all out and fight to their hearts’ content, so let us watch the good show.

Now... let the match begin!" He said before vanishing, probably to watch closely from the side. Shi Lan looked at Li Yu with a detached gaze; he could tell that Li Yu was only at the very first stage of the Qi Gathering Realm... someone so weak didn’t deserve to be his opponent.

So he was going to watch him struggle helplessly against his qi barrier before taking him down in a single move, crushing the fool’s hope that he had a fighting chance against him.

"Go on. I will let you attack first. Do all you can do... I will give you one minute to try your very best... before I crush you like the bug that you are..." Shi Lan said, his gaze remaining as impassive as ever.

Li Yu, hearing that, couldn’t help the wicked smile that touched his face. *Ooh... ooh... ooh...* Being underestimated by someone who had no idea what kind of trouble they were standing opposite in a fight really felt so good; soon, Shi Lan’s gaze would change from that look of disgust... to confusion... and then to dread.

Li Yu nodded at Shi Lan’s words: "Okay then. If you insist so... who am I to protest?" He said before moving. With a burst of speed, Li Yu crossed the distance between the two of them and appeared right before Shi Lan, whose eyes trembled in shock at the speed Li Yu had displayed.

"That speed... It wasn’t something a Qi Gathering cultivator ought to possess. I might have underestimated this Li Yu..."

He thought, but his mind remained calm; his qi barrier was powerful enough to tank attacks from a mid-stage Qi Refining warrior without breaking. It would halt Li Yu in his tracks, his punch caught and frozen in midair. Li Yu’s fist struck the qi barrier around Shi Lan... and then it stopped.

A smug smile formed on Shi Lan’s face as he was about to turn and witness the look of despair and helplessness on Li Yu’s face. Yet when he did turn... what he saw instead was a smug, mocking smile.

Li Yu even winked at him. Before Shi Lan could process why Li Yu was making such an expression, he suddenly sensed that something was wrong; the qi barrier groaned... and then it shattered.

A powerful punch collided directly against Shi Lan’s mouth, and he felt as though he had been slammed by a mountain; his vision darkened slightly as he was hurled straight off his feet and into the air.

He spun several times before finally managing to stabilize himself and land back on the stage. When he did land, however, his impassive expression underwent a complete one-eighty; the cold disgust on his face was replaced by pure, utter shock as he looked at Li Yu, who was calmly walking toward him with a small, inviting smile.

"How... How did he break my barrier...?"

There was only one explanation: he had shattered it with brute strength. Shi Lan hadn’t sensed even the slightest use of qi, making that the only reasonable possibility.

But how could someone at the first stage of the Qi Gathering Realm possess the physical strength of a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator? It made no sense. How...?

He looked at Li Yu, who continued walking toward him with that warm, harmless-looking smile... Suddenly... Shi Lan’s instincts screamed only one thought: "He is dangerous."

Shi Lan’s mind reached that conclusion almost instantly. He now believed he finally understood why Li Yu had been so certain of his victory: the only explanation was that Li Yu was hiding his true cultivation realm through some special means.

There was no doubt in Shi Lan’s mind that Li Yu was actually a Qi Refining cultivator. "So you want to play tricks..." Li Yu raised an eyebrow as he continued walking forward. "Tricks...? You can act as much as you want, but I know what you are hiding."

Li Yu’s eyes twitched. *What the hell is this guy talking about?* He was certain there was no way Shi Lan could know anything about his system, his clones, or anything related to them; those were the only things he was truly hiding.

So everything coming out of this guy’s mouth was complete rubbish. *Maybe something is wrong with his head.* Li Yu simply shrugged. Shi Lan’s gaze darkened: "It still wouldn’t matter even if you are concealing your true cultivation level. There is no way you are beating me."

His voice was deep and ice cold. The next moment, he moved; his legs exploded with speed as he crossed the short distance between them in an instant, throwing a Qi-infused punch straight toward Li Yu’s face.

"I’m going to punch this lying bastard straight into hell." A joyful grin almost formed on Shi Lan’s face as he felt his punch connect. But... it never reached Li Yu’s face. Instead, it collided with Li Yu’s own fist, which had shot out so quickly that even Shi Lan was caught off guard.

The two fists crashed together; a violent jolt of pain shot through Shi Lan’s arm. "What the... " He couldn’t even finish speaking before another crushing impact slammed into his face.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!* Three loud explosions echoed almost at the same time. Shi Lan was sent rolling violently across the stage; he finally managed to stop himself before coughing out a mouthful of blood.

Looking at the blood on the ground, he noticed several small white objects mixed within it; recognizing them caused his face to twist in pure disbelief. Three of his teeth... had been knocked out from that single exchange.

His expression changed completely; that strength... the force behind those punches wasn’t something a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator should possess.

Which meant his previous speculation was wrong: Li Yu wasn’t at the middle stages; he had to be at the peak of the late stages... or perhaps even at the peak of the Qi Refining Realm itself. Shi Lan’s eyes widened. Without realizing it, he had already accepted that as the truth.

And if that was really the case, then there was absolutely no way he was winning this battle unless he fought with everything he had. He slowly stood up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth; the next instant, a violent storm of Qi erupted around him.

His body was strengthened to the absolute limit; his muscles tightened; his bones trembled with power; every inch of his body became reinforced as his aura surged explosively. In only a moment, he had reached his peak.

He looked toward Li Yu. Li Yu merely watched him with mild interest, as though he was observing something amusing. Then... both of them moved. The two figures collided in the middle of the arena, exchanging punches and kicks from every direction. Up. Down. Front. Back.

Their fists blurred as shockwaves spread with every collision. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* The arena echoed repeatedly with explosive impacts.

Those watching were left completely stunned. "Wait... is Li Yu really matching the Fist King of the Shi Clan in pure hand-to-hand combat?" "From the looks of it... that’s exactly what’s happening!" "But that makes absolutely no sense!"

The spectators were completely mistaken; they believed Li Yu was barely keeping up with Shi Lan. The reality, however, couldn’t have been more different.

Shi Lan’s face had long changed from its previous impassive expression; it was now filled with nothing but pure, overwhelming shock. He wasn’t dominating the fight; he wasn’t even matching Li Yu.

He was barely surviving. Those explosive sounds echoing throughout the arena... were the sounds of Li Yu’s fists repeatedly smashing into his flesh. Every impact dragged him deeper into unbearable pain.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Shi Lan rolled helplessly across the arena once again; his face was filled with naked terror, looking as though he had somehow survived a battle against a terrifying beast.

His cheeks were swollen; purple bruises covered almost every part of his body; his entire body screamed in agony. He couldn’t understand... how any of this was supposed to make sense. Slowly, he raised his head; his eyes met Li Yu’s once more.

Unlike him, Li Yu remained perfectly fine; not a single strand of his hair was out of place; his clothes were spotless; his breathing remained calm; that same small smile was still resting on his face.

Before, Shi Lan had thought that smile belonged to an arrogant fool who didn’t know his limits. Now, it no longer looked arrogant; it no longer looked foolish; it looked... terrifying. Seeing the fear filling Shi Lan’s eyes, Li Yu’s smile slowly disappeared; his expression turned deathly cold.

Shi Lan’s heart nearly burst from his chest. "Hey..." Li Yu’s voice was calm. "Tell me you’re still holding back." His eyes locked onto Shi Lan’s.

"Because if this is all you’re capable of... I’ll be more than disappointed." His gaze sharpened. "And besides..."

A cruel smile slowly returned to his lips.

"Your beating... is only just beginning."