「Inside the training hall, a few minutes later.」

Watching Lu Chao and the young man from Cangyun Martial Arts Hall step onto the platform, many disciples were surprised and began to murmur amongst themselves.

"Is Senior Brother Lu going to fight someone?"

"I don’t know who’ll win. Cangyun Martial Arts Hall is no minor school, and that senior brother looks pretty imposing."

"Can Senior Brother Lu handle him? He only broke through to the Fighting Level a month ago, right?"

The Fighting Level itself had different tiers of strength. Every five points of Life Energy marked a new threshold, representing a significant gap in power.

Besides that, factors like combat experience, Martial Skills, and Secret Techniques also played a role.

In their eyes, Lu Chao had only recently broken through. He had the image of a silent, diligent cultivator and had rarely fought anyone lately. It was hard for them not to feel his chances of winning were slim.

"Heh, this guy from Cangyun Martial Arts Hall sure knows how to play games."

Also watching the scene, the few young men and women at the Fighting Level who had recently joined the hall all had mocking looks in their eyes. They gathered around Shen Tianchen, along with Fang Jingyi.

"His foundation is solid, his aura is stable... He’s mocking that Senior Brother Lu for his slow breakthrough."

"He’s just picking the low-hanging fruit. He knows he’s no match for Senior Brother Shen or the rest of us, so he deliberately chose him as an opponent."

Amid the teasing and laughter, Shen Tianchen’s expression remained placid, neither confirming nor denying their comments.

At the other platforms, Senior Brother Xu and a few others also frowned, exchanging glances.

"This guy is quite calculating. If Junior Brother Lu loses..."

"Sigh, our hall’s recent undefeated streak is probably going to be broken. This guy might even use this opportunity to attract attention from the newspapers and get sponsored. What a shrewd plan."

The various discussions were like fine needles, faintly piercing Lu Chao’s ears.

In his peripheral vision, he could see Zheng Wu and Lin Qingxue looking over. The former offered an encouraging gaze, while the latter quietly shook her head, as if she had already foreseen a certain outcome.

Paying them no mind, Lu Chao simply walked silently to the center of the platform, pushing all the noise to the back of his mind.

Sparring with fighters from different halls was a natural way to increase one’s combat experience.

Not to mention, he had recently felt the opportunity for another breakthrough in his Life Energy. He needed a well-matched opponent to stimulate his potential and break through sooner.

[Carbon-Based Human]

[Life Energy: 25 (Healthy)]

He quietly glanced at the data from his intuitive senses.

The young man from Cangyun Martial Arts Hall in his line of sight, whose name was Lv Chengfeng, was still smiling as he stood opposite him.

"Junior Brother Lu, the Fighting Skill I practice is called the Cangyun Hand."

"When we start fighting in a moment, fists and feet have no eyes. If I happen to offend you, I hope you can be magnanimous."

He cupped his fists again, appearing perfectly polite while hiding the contempt in his heart.

His silver-patterned Martial Arts uniform fit snugly against his body, outlining his streamlined muscles and making him look exceptionally fit and powerful.

"Heh, Senior Brother, you’re too kind."

Without exposing the pretense, Lu Chao also cupped his fists in a salute and replied with a smile, "In a martial arts spar, victory and defeat are common occurrences. There’s no need to speak of blame."

"Oh? Junior Brother is truly broad-minded, unlike ordinary people."

Lv Chengfeng nodded repeatedly in agreement, the smile on his face growing wider as the last trace of caution completely vanished.

’This guy’s not only mediocre in talent, but he’s also honest to the point of being stupid.’

’Looks like this fight is in the bag.’ 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"Junior Brother, shall we... begin?"

He said with a grin, slowly assuming the opening stance of the Cangyun Hand, the mockery in his eyes about to spill out.

Lu Chao nodded. He balled his hands into fists and held them protectively in front of him, taking the standard defensive stance of the Golden Stone Fighting Skill to show he was ready.

’Heh, what an idiot.’

With mockery in his eyes, Lv Chengfeng no longer concealed the cold sneer in his heart.

BANG!

His foot stomped the ground, and the surface of the pale gray platform trembled slightly.

His body shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, instantly lunging.

His outstretched left arm was like a javelin, his five fingers forming a seal as he aimed straight for Lu Chao’s face.

A sharp whistling sound cut through the air, his speed so fast it left behind an afterimage!

However.

SWOOSH!

Contrary to his expectations, Lu Chao suddenly took a step back with his left foot. As if he were shifting sand, his body tilted slightly to the side, perfectly dodging the strike.

The Palm Seal that missed its mark grazed the tips of Lu Chao’s hair, stirring up a small gust of wind.

Lv Chengfeng raised an eyebrow slightly, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

’His reaction time is pretty fast.’

With no time to dwell on it, his forward momentum carried him on. He followed through with a lunge of his left foot to stabilize his center of gravity.

His right palm shot out from his waist like a dragon piercing through clouds!

It looked soft and gentle, but it tore through the air with the sound of ripping silk, striking viciously toward Lu Chao’s chest.

BANG!!

However, a dull thud exploded once more.

Violent power collided between fist and palm, kicking up wisps of airflow that swept across the platform.

Looking closely, one could see Lu Chao’s left arm, like a block of hard stone, had met the attack head-on and blocked it squarely.

The soft yet vicious palm power had been forcefully stopped by this rock-like defense. The Rebound Force even made Lv Chengfeng’s wrist go slightly numb.

’Now!’

"Seventh Skill, Giant Rock Shake!"

His eyes suddenly lit up as Lu Chao took a step forward, seizing the opportunity.

THUD!

The platform trembled slightly. He seemed to transform into a boulder, charging forward recklessly and ramming his right elbow out.

The sound of his strike cutting through the air was unusually heavy, carrying the unstoppable force of a battering ram as it shot toward his opponent’s chest.

"What?"

His breath hitched. Lv Chengfeng vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

But at this moment, there was no way to dodge. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes; he could only meet it head-on!

"Wind-Breaking Skill!"

SWOOSH!!

Sinking into a horse stance, he channeled power from his shoulders and elbows, pouring all his strength into his right arm.

The muscles in his back and waist exploded with power. He swung his arm like a sledgehammer, creating a whistling gale as he smashed it forward, as if to decide the match with this single blow.

BOOM!!

Once again, a muffled boom echoed through the hall, like the beating of a war drum.

A violent shockwave radiated outward from the two of them, causing the hair of the onlookers below to stir and their eardrums to vibrate!

Eyes wide with surprise, the crowd focused their gazes on the platform.

They saw that the seemingly stronger Lv Chengfeng had actually swayed, stumbling slightly as he slid back a step.

Opposite him, however, Lu Chao stood as steady as a great Rock rooted to a mountain, not wavering in the slightest from beginning to end.

"Junior Brother Lu..." Lv Chengfeng’s eyes were filled with shock and suspicion. He subconsciously started to speak, hoping to slow his opponent’s assault.

"Senior Brother Lv..."

But Lu Chao cut him off, his tone calm.

His bright, piercing eyes were dazzling. Peeking through the gap between their crossed arms, he met Lv Chengfeng’s gaze.

"It seems... you’re not all that great."

VMM!!

The force of his fist surged. Lu Chao’s left arm suddenly erupted with power, blasting away the Palm Seal Lv Chengfeng was using to block.

To the naked eye, the skin of his fist had turned a tough, pale gray, like stone. It tore through the obstruction and shot straight forward.

"You!"

His face turned ugly, a flash of anger in his eyes.

At that moment, how could Lv Chengfeng not realize he had underestimated his opponent?

He hastily tried to pull back and dodge, but the incoming Fist Seal was faster than he had imagined!

SWOOSH!!

The sharp wind pressed the clothes against his chest inward, making his skin sting.

Gritting his teeth, Lv Chengfeng had no choice but to change his move, hurriedly crossing his palms in front of his body.

BANG!!

A direct hit!

The stone-like left fist collided with his two palms, unleashing a violent force of over two hundred kilograms.

In that brief instant, Lu Chao and Lv Chengfeng’s eyes met, and Lu Chao precisely caught the slight tremble of his opponent’s palms.

His expression unchanging, he stepped forward again.

His shoulder and elbow bent like a great bow, and he unleashed the coiled power of his right arm in a sudden uppercut.

It was the killing move of the 2nd Floor Fighting Skill, Flying Stone Rends the Sky!

WHOOSH!!

The sharp, whistle-like sound caused many of the onlookers below to tense up.

Lv Chengfeng’s expression changed again. He quickly sank his hips and leaned backward.

BOOM!!

The right fist that missed its target created a gust of wind that grazed the tip of his nose, leaving behind a chilling sensation.

The Iron Plate Bridge technique allowed him to dodge the fatal blow.

’That was close.’

Breathing a sigh of relief, Lv Chengfeng completely shed all his contempt.

As his thoughts raced, he suddenly twisted his body, intending to use his powerful core strength to spin back up and launch a counterattack.

But he never expected it.

CRACK!!

In a flash, the right fist that should have missed its mark suddenly smashed downward, transforming from a fist into an elbow, revealing a cunning and ruthless move.

The light in the training hall was blocked by his opponent’s arm at that moment, and Lv Chengfeng’s vision darkened.

’This is bad!’

His expression changed drastically. Lv Chengfeng hurriedly raised his arms, trying to block again.

But the next second...

WHOOSH!!

"What?"

His pupils shrank as he glanced out of the corner of his eye.

A sharp whistle came from his left. He could see a pale gray fist breaking through the air, heading straight for his head.

’It was all a feint. From the very beginning, only the left fist was the real killing blow.’

BANG!!

Instantly, Lu Chao’s fist smashed into his head without holding back in the slightest.

To the naked eye, Lv Chengfeng’s eyeballs bulged, and bloodshot veins appeared.

A spray of blood mist and sweat exploded from his left cheek. His once-handsome face twisted and contorted, his skin trembling as two streams of blood gushed from his broken nose.

WHOOSH!!

In the next instant, his entire body was sent flying, spinning through the air before tumbling off the platform.

Then, with a heavy THUD!

He crashed onto the ground with a dull thud, kicking up a cloud of dust from the concrete floor. A spar that was supposed to be between equals had ended just like that.

The crowd below looked on in amazement. Many of the junior brothers stared with wide eyes, their faces filled with shock.

The other fighters who had thought he was picking on an easy target all had flickering gazes. Fang Jingyi and the other young men and women from the inner circle also raised their eyebrows slightly, their expressions surprised.

"He actually won?"

Stunned, confused, bewildered...

No one could answer the questions in their minds.

Only Luo Qianshan, who had appeared at the back door of the training hall at some unknown time, had a slight glint in his eyes, as if he were re-evaluating Lu Chao.