Chapter 583 - 194: Decisive Battle! Each Has a Trump Card
The muffled thuds of fists and palms colliding echoed one after another, the force of the impacts causing the very air around the arena to tremble violently.
Chu Yunhai’s movements grew increasingly nimble. He pushed the Infinite Body to its limit, his steps leaving a trail of afterimages in their wake.
The winds from his Refining Gang Palm were vicious and cunning. Sometimes they struck straight down the center, other times they sliced in from the flanks, each move targeting Yang Jing’s openings.
Yang Jing continued to counter with the Mountain-Breaking Seal. His fists, wreathed in three fused streams of Inner Qi, were as heavy and immovable as a mountain. Every collision unleashed an astonishing shockwave of air.
However, his steps gradually grew heavier, and the rhythm of his punches was slowly being dictated by Chu Yunhai.
Yang Jing’s expression turned grim.
He could clearly feel Chu Yunhai’s speed increasing, bit by bit.
At first, they had been evenly matched, but as they exchanged more blows, Chu Yunhai’s Body Technique grew faster and faster.
Yang Jing understood. ’In the dozens of exchanges just now, Chu Yunhai wasn’t using his full strength at all. He’s been hiding his advantage in speed. This is him finally getting serious.’
Once he could no longer keep up with the speed, the scales of battle began to tip.
Gaps began to appear in Yang Jing’s defense. His opportunities to attack dwindled as he was completely enveloped by the wind from Chu Yunhai’s palms, gradually ceding the initiative.
Chu Yunhai moved like lightning, darting across the arena. One moment he was behind Yang Jing, the next he flashed to his left. He had mastered the Refining Gang Palm to perfection, its palm strikes as sharp as blades, layering attack after attack upon Yang Jing.
The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and a glint of confidence flashed in his eyes.
’From now on, I’m the one who sets the pace of this match.’
Next, he would widen the gap in their speed completely, eroding Yang Jing’s defenses bit by bit until he was finally defeated.
Although certain of his victory, Chu Yunhai’s regard for Yang Jing only grew.
Ever since he had reached the top of the Hidden Dragon List, no disciple of the same generation had been able to last more than fifty moves against him. Even Bai Ziyu and Lu Shaohua could only hold on for a short while, the difference in their strength glaringly obvious.
But today, he had met his match in Yang Jing. Their fight was so intense that he had to rely on his advantage in speed just to slowly gain the upper hand and find an opportunity for victory.
As Chu Yunhai watched Yang Jing continue to resist fiercely, he thought to himself, ’This kid’s talent is truly terrifying. Given time, his future will be limitless.’
Although he would win today, Chu Yunhai didn’t dare to underestimate Yang Jing in the slightest.
...
On the secondary platform, Patriarch Hong Shixian of the Hong Family stroked the short beard on his chin. Watching the changing tides of the battle, he nodded slightly and said with conviction, "Yang Jing is about to lose. Chu Yunhai is faster, which is enough to give him complete control. The outcome of this match is already clear."
The moment he finished speaking, Su Wenbo, the Patriarch of the Su Family, nodded in agreement beside him. "Brother Hong is absolutely right. When Martial Artists clash, the slightest difference can decide victory or defeat, let alone a crucial gap in speed. As time goes on and they exchange more blows, the impact of this speed difference will only grow, ultimately determining the final outcome."
Just as the two of them concluded that Chu Yunhai’s victory was certain, Lin Weiyuan’s gaze suddenly sharpened. His expression changed as he looked at the arena, and he cried out, "Wait, look—Yang Jing has gotten faster too!"
As Lin Weiyuan’s voice fell, Hong Shixian and Su Wenbo froze, stunned. They quickly whipped their heads back toward the stage.
There on the arena, Yang Jing, who had been on the defensive, suddenly blurred. He too became a black afterimage as his speed surged, instantly matching Chu Yunhai’s pace.
Both men stared in astonishment, their eyes filled with disbelief.
Miss Ning of Yanyu Pavilion, the woman seated in the center of the secondary platform behind a thin veil, also looked toward the arena upon hearing the commotion.
Watching the black figure that had suddenly accelerated, she raised an eyebrow. Beneath her veil, the corners of her lips curved into a playful smile. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes as she thought, ’Oh? He still has cards up his sleeve? This is getting more and more interesting. It seems my trip to the Xuanzhen Sect wasn’t a waste after all.’
...
「On the arena.」
Yang Jing and Chu Yunhai clashed once more. Their figures were as fast as lightning; only two afterimages could be seen colliding rapidly on the stage. Their tyrannical Inner Qi slammed against each other again and again, causing the arena itself to tremble slightly.
Both felt their Inner Qi violently roil and their blood surge.
When Yang Jing felt Chu Yunhai’s sudden burst of speed which instantly gave him the upper hand, he knew he could no longer hold back.
He immediately stopped hiding his abilities and pushed "River-Crossing Steps" to its limit. The Inner Qi in his meridians surged without pause, and his Body Technique’s speed increased dramatically, instantly reversing his previous disadvantage.
Just a moment ago, Yang Jing had been thinking he would first fight Chu Yunhai head-on to test his own recent improvements.
After all, once his three streams of Inner Qi had fused, their power was simply too immense. Neither Bai Ziyu nor Lu Shaohua could give him a truly satisfying fight or allow him to fully gauge the bottom line of his current strength.
But today, in his no-holds-barred fight against Chu Yunhai, every punch and palm met flesh, every move was a direct clash. The battle was exhilarating.
Even when he went all out, Chu Yunhai didn’t fall behind. They were evenly matched—a skilled opponent meeting his equal.
If possible, he wanted to continue this fight with Chu Yunhai. Opportunities for such a direct and intense battle were rare.