Chapter 155: Utilizing Momentum for Promotion

(Sorry, I didn’t manage to finish this Chapter by 5 PM, but I added a bit more content. I’ll try to release another Chapter before midnight.)

Zhao Yun intentionally pretended to offer three moves, then planned to ambush Li Yan when he wasn’t ready to counter. He thought Li Yan was merely average and foolishly fell into his trap by actually kicking towards his chest, but this wasn’t a joke.

Even though this kick was a bit sudden and beyond Zhao Yun’s expectations, he did not panic; he was well-prepared. With his arms ready, he exerted force forward, calculating that he would catch Li Yan’s foot before it hit his groin and then toss him aside!

Unfortunately, Li Yan’s elegant leap was a feint; his kick to the groin was also a feint!

While Zhao Yun’s attention and arms were focused on his groin, Li Yan’s hand had already swiftly reached out and grabbed Zhao Yun’s throat!

At this point, Zhao Yun had also caught Li Yan’s foot, but when he tried to throw him away, he felt a sharp pain and suffocation in his throat. To make matters worse, Li Yan’s grip was very tight, making any attempt to throw him out resulted in pulling Zhao Yun’s own neck, intensifying the choke.

With his limbs immobilized, Li Yan took the opportunity to leverage his position to start punching Zhao Yun’s face!

Zhao Yun found himself in a dire situation; Li Yan’s body was practically suspended from him, preventing him from throwing Li out. Instead, he ended up having to support Li’s entire weight, which exacerbated the pressure on his throat as Li Yan’s fist rained down from above.

In order to defend himself and counterattack, Zhao Yun knew he had to free his hands first. Unable to toss Li Yan away, he released his grip, allowing the foot to touch the ground, then aimed both hands at Li Yan’s waist!

Rescue through offense! Zhao Yun was well aware that trying to pull Li Yan off would be futile, and stopping his punches was unlikely. The only option was to strike a vital point to force him to abandon his attack.

Li Yan paid no heed to Zhao Yun’s effort to rescue through offense. As his feet hit the ground, he immediately used the momentum to raise his knee and slam it into Zhao Yun’s exposed groin!

Whether this was another attempt at rescuing through offense or not, Li Yan’s knee striking Zhao Yun’s groin made the hands that had just attacked Li Yan’s waist quickly reposition to protect his groin while he bent backward in retreat.

Standing at two meters tall, Zhao Yun towered over Li Yan by nearly twenty centimeters, roughly a head’s difference. But now, as he bent over, the gap closed considerably. Li Yan tightened his grip around Zhao Yun’s neck, and instead of using his fist, he struck with his elbow directly into Zhao Yun’s temple and eye socket!

Indeed, Zhao Yun practiced frequently and had a strong resistance to strikes. Li Yan’s blows were forceful enough to knock an average person down in one strike, yet after several punches, Zhao Yun remained standing. However, after being choked, punched multiple times, enduring a groin hit, and an elbow strike, he finally couldn’t withstand it anymore. His throat let out hoarse coughs, and as Li Yan gave him a push, Zhao Yun stumbled several steps before falling to the ground.

"Can you still stand up? I could easily finish you off right now, couldn’t I?" Li Yan asked indifferently.

He had trained in deadly combat arts, never opting for a flashy approach. Facing a real enemy, he wouldn’t bother with complicated maneuvers; after closing in, he’d simply cut their throat with a knife or blade. Even barehanded, there’s no need for feints; he’d directly punch the throat to shatter it. Just now, he was merely testing Zhao Yun’s skills. Since it was just a spar, there was no need to take his life.

For Li Yan, aside from enemies, ordinary people were easy to handle because most ordinary people were at a similar level, making it easier to gauge. Those who trained and were stronger than average weren’t as easy to control. Misjudge, and things could go wrong with heavy punches; too light, and it might have no effect, risking harm to oneself.

Meanwhile, Zhao Yun had passed the most uncomfortable moment. Though his head still felt dizzy, he wasn’t an ordinary person and recovered quickly, able to withstand a bit of discomfort. When he offered Li Yan three moves, intending to ambush, he didn’t expect Li Yan to counter with so many real and fake moves in such a short time, nor did he expect such helplessness in counterattacking. Now, with Li Yan’s taunting words, his heart was filled with resentment!

He certainly didn’t think it was because Li Yan’s skills outmatched his; instead, Zhao Yun believed it was due to Li Yan being more cunning. He felt Li Yan didn’t fall for the trap but used his counter-strategy, forcing Zhao Yun into a passive position.

"As long as you haven’t killed me, it’s you who’ll die!" Zhao Yun shouted out, stepping forward swiftly with a flying kick!

There’s no denying that this kick came with astonishing speed and explosiveness. A normal person, if hit, would likely fall, or even be kicked two or three meters away!

But he wasn’t facing an ordinary person now; he was up against one not a master, yet surpassing a master!

Having already tested Zhao Yun’s level earlier, Li Yan knew this leg kick was done with full strength, so he was prepared. He wouldn’t foolishly engage in a head-on collision but would surely confront Zhao Yun head-on!