Chapter 74: Contest |
On the General's Platform, one could hear a pin drop.
Only the weak sounds from Gao Sheng's mouth as his body convulsed unconsciously.
Though faint, that sound scraped like a knife across everyone's hearts.
"Hiss!"
"His spine... is shattered! Gao Sheng is finished! Completely finished!"
"Pine Breeze Martial Hall has lost... their future pillar!"
Discussions arose from all sides.
Many experts, seeing this, actually breathed sighs of relief, a trace of schadenfreude passing through their eyes.
Gao Sheng's ruin was catastrophic news for Pine Breeze, but great news for them.
On Zhou courtyard's side, after brief shock came wild joy and indescribable excitement.
Sun Shun, clutching his shoulder, looked toward that upright figure on the platform, his heart shaking violently.
Having fought Gao Sheng, he knew the depth of his strength well, never imagining he could be defeated so thoroughly, so quickly!
Sun Shun and Liu Nianbo had both fallen to Gao Sheng's hands.
Comparing the two situations, Zhou courtyard's disciples finally truly understood Chen Qing's formidability.
In stark contrast to Zhou courtyard's elation, Pine Breeze Martial Hall's side was deathly silent.
The smiles on Zhu Lian'er and other disciples' faces had long since frozen.
Looking at that pile of mud-like convulsing figure on the platform, many trembled slightly.
"Ah! Senior Brother Gao!"
"Master! Master! Senior Brother Gao he...!"
The brief silence was broken as Pine Breeze disciples rushed onto the platform, lifting Gao Sheng with many hands and hurrying toward the medical hall.
"Good! Good! What a Zhou courtyard! What a Chen Qing!"
The smile had completely vanished from Shi Wenshan's face, his eyes coldly fixed on Chen Qing on the platform.
This wasn't just crippling a disciple, but brutally trampling his, Shi Wenshan's, dignity underfoot but he didn't cause a scene. If he jumped out to accuse now, he would only humiliate himself further.
Chen Qing could casually make up excuses like 'force control not following the heart' or 'full power self-defense counterattack' to block all accusations.
To recover face, he could only fight back.
"Yaohui, don't hold back!"
Shi Wenshan said coldly.
"Disciple understands!"
Qu Yaohui slowly walked from among the Pine Breeze disciples onto the platform, "Pine Breeze Martial Hall's Qu Yaohui requests instruction!"
Whoosh!
An uproar arose around the General's Platform!
Chen Qing also looked over. He wasn't unfamiliar with Qu Yaohui's name.
Pine Breeze Martial Hall's true second expert, Shi Wenshan's most senior chief disciple!
Already a transforming strength expert, his solid foundation and seasoned force far exceeded ordinary newcomers to transforming strength.
He was Pine Breeze Martial Hall's true stabilizing pillar, and Shi Wenshan's most valued disciple.
Qu Yaohui wasn't tall, even somewhat lean, wearing plain gray martial attire, completely unremarkable.
His features were ordinary, even somewhat wooden, only his eyes flickered with inner light between opening and closing, steady as a deep pool. His walking steps seemed ordinary but landed soundlessly, each step seemingly measured with precision, carrying a peculiar rhythm.
The aura around him wasn't ostentatious or flamboyant, but rather had an extremely restrained weightiness, like a reef smoothed by time hiding beneath calm seas, yet containing power to shatter giant vessels.
The air instantly solidified!
The entire venue fell silent again, but this time the atmosphere was even more oppressive and heavy, like the prelude to a storm.
A battle between transforming strength experts!
Even experts who had been disinterested now straightened their backs, watching intently.
Pine Breeze Martial Hall had been forced to the wall and bared its fangs.
Qu Yaohui was definitely not comparable to Gao Sheng.
Though Chen Qing's displayed strength was impressive, facing this deeply hidden transforming strength expert, who would win remained unknown!
Zhou Liang's brows knitted together. He had just given Chen Qing a meaningful look, not knowing if the latter had seen it but he couldn't stop this. Preventing this match would be detrimental to Chen Qing's mental state.
Liu Ze said gravely, "Brother Zhou, this is troublesome."
Chen Qing hadn't long broken through to transforming strength, probably not necessarily a match for this Qu Yaohui.
Not only Liu Ze thought this, many experts present held the same view.
Shi Wenshan sneered, "Just broke through to transforming strength, let me see how accomplished you are."
Chen Qing watched Qu Yaohui approaching step by steady step, his eyes calm as still water.
He took a deep breath, calming the qi and blood slightly agitated from his previous thunderous strike.
He slowly assumed the starting stance of through-arm boxing, Spiritual Ape Asks the Way.
Qu Yaohui stepped onto the platform, stopping three zhang away from Chen Qing.
He didn't assume any fancy stance, merely sinking his waist slightly, knees slightly bent, hands naturally hanging at his sides, his aura frighteningly calm.
Without excess words, their gazes collided in mid-air, invisible qi clashing thunderously!
Movement!
Qu Yaohui's figure didn't have Gao Sheng's wild explosive power, but was lightning-fast. One moment he was three zhang away, the next moment, a palm with thick joints and heavy calluses had silently reached Chen Qing's chest.
No sound of cutting air, no whistling winds, only an extremely refined, all-penetrating cold hidden strength, like a venomous snake's tongue, piercing straight to the organs.
Breaking Wind Hand! Sinister Snake Penetrates Bone!
Fast! Ruthless! Accurate! Sinister and crafty to the extreme!
Right from the start, a killing move!
Chen Qing's brows furrowed slightly. His opponent's speed and timing far exceeded all experts he'd encountered before. That soundless yet deadly penetrating palm force made him feel threatened.
In a flash, Chen Qing's right arm muscles instantly tightened like twisted steel wire. His forearm swept upward like a spiritual snake, five fingers together like an iron chisel, carrying spiral force that combined hardness and softness, striking later but arriving first, pointing precisely toward the Shenmen acupoint on Qu Yaohui's wrist.
Through-arm Boxing! Reverse Arm Whip Hand!
Point against point! Attack as defense!
"Hiss!"
At the instant fingertip met wrist skin, a slight friction sound emerged.
Qu Yaohui's wrist slipped strangely as if oiled, deflecting most of Chen Qing's concentrated spiral force.
Meanwhile, Qu Yaohui's palm striking toward Chen Qing's chest was also deflected by an inch as Chen Qing's body slightly turned.
Pfft!
Though most of the palm force was deflected, hidden strength still penetrated his body.
Chen Qing slid back half a step, qi and blood churning in his chest.
Where Qu Yaohui's wrist was struck by Chen Qing's fingertip, his clothing silently tore, revealing skin beneath with a small red dot appearing, surrounding muscles slightly sunken, clearly also suffering a hidden loss.
A trace of surprise flashed in his eyes, seemingly not expecting Chen Qing's reaction to be so fast, resolution so clever, counterattack so fierce.
In that lightning instant, the first round of combat ended!
As they say, laymen watch the excitement, experts see the technique.
Many transforming strength experts seeing this were secretly amazed at how smoothly and naturally Chen Qing grasped transforming strength.
The entire venue held its breath. This was a true transforming strength battle.
No earth-shaking momentum, only deadly silent battles where thunder could be heard in silence, each contact a life-or-death contest balanced on a knife's edge.
