Chapter 410 - 150: Stunning Skill
The instant Zhang Han was shaken, a glint flashed in Yang Jing’s eyes. ’The purpose of honing my Mountain-Breaking Seal has been achieved,’ he thought. ’It’s time to end this fight.’
Zhang Han gritted his teeth and poured all his remaining Inner Strength into his right fist. He unleashed his ace in the hole, the Peak-Splitting Fist. The wind from the blow howled with desperate ferocity as it smashed toward Yang Jing’s chest.
Yang Jing neither dodged nor evaded, his feet firmly rooted to the cyan stone slabs. His Inner Strength surged as he channeled the Mountain-Breaking Seal to its absolute limit.
He threw a punch of his own, the edge of his fist seeming to hold the power of a collapsing mountain as it smashed violently against Zhang Han’s.
"BOOM—!"
A deafening explosion erupted. A powerful shockwave radiated from the two fighters, kicking up debris and dust from the cyan stone slabs.
Zhang Han felt a terrifying force, like a flash flood, surge through his fist and into his body. His arm went numb instantly, and his Inner Strength scattered like a receding tide.
As if struck by a heavy hammer, he staggered back five steps, each one leaving a shallow footprint on the cyan stone slabs. Blood rose in his throat, and he couldn’t stop himself from spitting out a mouthful, dyeing the front of his white robe red.
Yang Jing withdrew his fist and stood tall, his stance as steady as a mountain. He hadn’t moved a single inch.
Seeing Yang Jing calmly raise his fist, as if preparing to attack again, Zhang Han’s face paled. He hurriedly waved his hands and shouted, "I surrender!"
Hearing this, Yang Jing immediately dropped his offensive stance. He gave Zhang Han a slight bow with cupped fists and said calmly, "Thank you for the match."
...
In the judging area to one side of the Cyan Qilin Platform, several Main Peak Elders sat watching the battle, their gazes fixed intently on the stage.
Watching Zhang Han concede, an Elder with white hair and a matching beard stroked his whiskers and said slowly, "This Zhang Han’s strength is already at an upper-middle level. It’s a shame he ran into a wild card like Yang Jing. Otherwise, he definitely would have made it into the top eighteen."
Another Elder next to him, dressed in a purple robe, locked his gaze onto Yang Jing. A hint of admiration flashed in his eyes as he nodded and said, "This Yang Jing is something else! He was clearly holding back during the earlier strength assessment. We underestimated him. We need to raise his ranking for the next round."
According to the rules of the Cyan Qilin Battle, after each round of competition, the rankings were readjusted based on the disciples’ actual combat performance. The next round’s matches would then be arranged by pairing the highest-ranked disciples against the lowest-ranked ones.
This rule was designed to prevent the top contenders from facing each other too early, thus keeping the competition suspenseful.
Back on the Cyan Qilin Platform, Zhang Han, who had already conceded, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. As he looked at Yang Jing, his eyes held no trace of bitterness, only deep admiration.
He cupped his fists at Yang Jing. "You’re being too modest. Your strength is far greater than mine. I hope you can make it all the way to the end of this Cyan Qilin Battle!"
Just then, the Main Peak Steward presiding over the competition strode onto the Cyan Qilin Platform. His gaze swept over the silent crowd below before he announced loudly, "In the match between Yang Jing of Lingxi Peak and Zhang Han of Fen Yang Peak, Yang Jing is victorious!"
Yang Jing gave the Steward a slight bow, nodded at Zhang Han, and then turned to walk off the Cyan Qilin Platform.
Zhang Han watched Yang Jing’s back with a wry smile before he, too, walked off the platform.
The murmur from the crowd below quickly swelled like a rising tide.
The once-quiet crowd instantly erupted, their voices rising in a wave of discussion that threatened to overwhelm all other noise.
"How did this happen? Senior Brother Zhang actually lost?"
"I thought Senior Brother Zhang would win easily. After all, he’s competed in several Cyan Qilin Battles; he’s powerful and experienced. But that Yang Jing looked so unremarkable, yet he’s this strong!"
"More than just strong! Didn’t you see that last punch? Senior Brother Zhang was blasted back and even coughed up blood. The difference in their power is obviously huge!"
Without exception, everyone in the crowd had expected Zhang Han to win. They thought a veteran Inner Sect expert dealing with a fledgling newcomer would be a simple matter.
But the result before them completely shattered their expectations.
In an instant, the way everyone looked at Yang Jing changed. Their earlier disdain and indifference vanished, replaced by surprise, curiosity, and a healthy dose of shock.
In the crowd, Sun Ningxiang’s cheeks were flushed with excitement. Her eyes sparkled as she stared at Yang Jing walking off the platform, unable to suppress the smile spreading across her face.
Liu Rou, standing beside her, couldn’t help but sigh in amazement, her voice full of admiration. "Senior Brother Yang is truly incredible! He swept through all those beasts during the Dragon Gate trial, and now he just defeated a veteran expert like Zhang Han on the Cyan Qilin Platform with ease. He’s amazing!"
Lin Wenxuan, who was next to them, heard Liu Rou and nodded in agreement. His eyes followed Yang Jing’s figure as he said in a low voice, "I didn’t see Senior Brother Yang’s performance at the Dragon Gate trial, but after watching this fight, I can imagine his prowess that day."
He paused before adding, "He’s just too strong. I’d heard about that Zhang Han from Fen Yang Peak long ago. His fist techniques were said to be ferocious and his strength immense. I never thought he’d be defeated so decisively by Senior Brother Yang today."
As Sun Ningxiang listened to them praise Yang Jing one after another, the smile on her face grew even brighter, and a sweet feeling blossomed in her heart.
Just then, Lin Wenxuan’s gaze suddenly landed on something in the distance. His expression froze for a moment, then he discreetly nudged his chin toward Liu Rou.
Catching his cue, Liu Rou looked in the direction he indicated.