Translator: Transn Editor: Lucas
Crack!
Lou Cheng and Ren Li each had their forces concentrated and threw themselves at each other. In a split second, they were close at hand.
Ren Li suddenly paused and turned into a paper man, leaning backward and then sideways through the strong wind resulted from Lou Cheng’s high-speed charge. She agilely avoided the frontal confrontation and broke up the rhythm.
Bam! She lowered her weight and concentrated her force, launching a straightforward blast punch with the pound from the Dan stage eruption.
Lou Cheng knew exactly why Ren Li did this, to disrupt his rhythm. She was afraid of having another frontal confrontation with his Internal Explosion because she knew she would suffer fairly severe injuries from it which would pretty much determine the result of this neck and neck match.
Three Internal Explosion punches had a chance of killing some Professional Sixth Pin fighters who couldn’t achieve the simplified physical invulnerability.
To not confront Lou Cheng from the front when he was well prepared, she would have to disturb his rhythm at all costs to waste his preparation.
Lou Cheng had kind of predicted it. He didn’t think he could give the favored fighter of the age another Internal Explosion easily.
However, he had figured out a substitute plan.
Lou Cheng’s eyes narrowed and his qi, blood, and strength were gathered together before being shot out into his right arm. All the muscles in his arm tightened and closely stuck to each other.
Internal Explosion leaves the organs shivering. I’ll find another means to ignite it.
“Come and try my Thunder Roar Zen!”
Bam!
At the very last second, Lou Cheng visualized thunderclouds vibrating and whirled his right arm to meet Ren Li’s Blast Punch.
Bang!
Following the loud explosion sound, all the muscles on Ren Li’s body’s surface shook and the discomfort in her Five Viscera and Six Bowels intensified. She hurried to concentrate her force to calm her blood and qi and dissolve the shiver.
Lou Cheng was about to whirl his arms to cause more shiver with another Dan stage explosion when a faint fruity fragrance that he had never experienced hit his nose.
The fruity scent awakened the shortness of breath, oppression in his chest, and weakness in his limbs. He felt a minor ache in his head, sick at the stomach, and short of breath.
“Could this be the odd martial arts style invented by the Kongtong School Ke mentioned before?”
“The killing gas? The biological weapon?”
Ren Li didn’t perform it earlier because she hadn’t reached the Inhuman stage or the physical invulnerability yet, which meant she couldn’t cause much of an impact on him. However, after Lou Cheng got hit by the simplified physical invulnerability of the Plague Sect, a seed was planted in his body, and the scent could work greatly to worsen his symptoms and performance in battle.
As ideas flashed through his mind, Lou Cheng instantly flew his blood and qi back and concentrated his force to eliminate the influence. He held his breath and turned right, whirling his left arm as if wielding a huge hammer at Ren Li.
The force in Ren Li’s Dantian was gushing and her arms were bloated. She threw a left upward punch to block Lou Cheng’s terror Zen.
Bang!
Her body pulsated slightly out of her control and her qi and blood were boiling and rolling again, more intense than earlier. The fruity scent became stronger within a one-meter radius, and it condensed inward and spread outward.
Lou Cheng held his breath, gathered his Dan, and prepared for another thunder Zen, attempting to completely ignite the shake left in Ren Li’s body by the Internal Explosion before his physical condition affected his combat performance.
He had recently mastered some new moves of the Ice Sect, but at this very moment, the Thunder Roar Zen was probably the most effective strike. A martial artist couldn’t always go after the far-away at the expense of the near-at-hand to take the enemy by surprise.
In short, the essential rule for any martial arts battle was to defeat the enemy with the most suitable moves at the most suitable time.
Ren Li concentrated her force again and again to dissolve and restrain the physical discomfort and sent out more hidden scent with her punches and explosions in hopes of breaking down Lou Cheng’s combat strength before the shock within her got ignited and winning this fight.
This was the most effective means she could think of right now.
Triple Explosion and then Quadruple Explosion and Quintuple Explosion. Lou Cheng clenched his teeth, held his breath, and whirled his arms to launch the thunder Zen over and over again frequently like a blacksmith bloating his muscles and hammering weapons.
One, two, three, and four... He forced his eyes open wide and punched again and again despite his narrowing pupils, tightness in his chest, and weakness in his body.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Ren Li held her ground and completed multiple explosions herself while keeping her force concentrated to suppress the rolling qi and blood and shaking organs.
More and more of her blood capillaries were broken, turning her fair skin rosy pink and eyes bloodshot, making her gums bleed and giving her a taste of rust in the throat.
Something is not right! Lou Cheng should have reached his limits long ago! He should be out of breath and weak by now. He should be showing more signs and symptoms!
Sextuple Explosion and then septuple and octuple! Ren Li saw Lou Ch e ng imposing and overwhelming, his hair and beard shooting out like a warrior returning from death. It was impossible to tell his actual status.
“No... I can’t continue like this...” Feeling overwhelmed, Ren Li was no longer sure about her current strategy and thought about changing her means.
After another Force Concentration, she pushed her back forward and lifted her right foot to launch a series of flying kicks like a whirlwind, which forced Lou Cheng back and gained herself some space to adjust her breath, gathering her Dan realm and calming her physical discomfort.
Lou Cheng had long quitted holding his breath in such a violent battle and intense collisions. He inhaled the fruity fragrance and began to feel dizzy, short of breath, and worn out.
As soon as Ren Li withdrew, Lou Cheng released his blood and qi and shot his body out to the side like a lightning bolt to take in fresh air as much as possible.
“I couldn’t last long if I didn’t have this break.”
Ren Li couldn’t help feeling slightly upset as she didn’t realize Lou Cheng had already been pushed to his utmost limits when she could have handled three if not four Tremor Punches.
In Songcheng University Martial Arts Club’s seating area, Yan Zheke noticed how thirsty her boyfriend was for air and realized what had happened in the ring. Her heart was aching, she felt very concerned and rather proud, and she began to pray.
Has Cheng forced Ren Li to perform that move?
She probably intended to save it as her trump card for Peng Leyun.
The slightly recovered Lou Cheng didn’t think too much. He quickly formed a seal in his hands and visualized an ancient character in his head before calling in a low voice,
“Xing!”
His figure charged out at lightning speed and reached Ren Li in no time, very eager to fight.
“Care less about life and death and fight on if you don’t want to accept your defeat!”
His blood and qi were gathered and then spurting, driving the remaining fragrance apart. Lou Cheng pulled his arms back and launched another ferocious thunder Zen!
Ren Li’s bearing was cracked and negative feelings were brewing, affecting her status. She failed to keep the distance between Lou Cheng and herself and had to focus at her Dan realm again to send off more hidden scent.
Bang!
Ren Li’s muscles quivered and more blood streaks appeared in her eyes. She could barely keep the rolling qi and blood down.
Lou Cheng held his breath and released his qi and blood while whirling his left arm.
Bam! Bam! Bam! His punches at Ren Li echoed in Liu Chang, Chen Sansheng, Yan Xiaoling, Mu Jinnian, and every spectator’s heart.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Lou Cheng’s vision became blurry. He reached his right arm out and threw another downward thunder Zen.
Bam!
Ren Li lifted her arms to block the strikes and her qi and blood were shocked again. The effect left in her body by the Internal Explosion was completely ignited.
Her Five Viscera and Six Bowels experienced convulsions at the same time. The dizziness in her head was unbearable and there seemed to be blood spilling out from her throat. Ren Li’s stance fell apart.
An opportunity!
Lou Cheng widened his eyes and infused strength into his shoulders to launch a side hook at his rival’s temple.
Everything in front of him became blurry, like the replay of a film in slow motion.
“Am I at my limits?” He saw his fist slowly moving towards Ren Li’s head and she slowly swung her arm, aiming at his throat.
Phew... Phew!
Their fists were grabbed by the referee at the same time.
In the last bout, Lou Cheng took the initiative, but his strength was at its limit and his movement was slow. Ren Li was not much better, but she saw it as an opportunity to sink together with her rival.
Ren Li was able to block Lou Cheng’s strike, but she wouldn’t have much strength left to launch a counterattack after. She wasn’t sure how exhausted Lou Cheng was at that moment. It made perfect sense for her to take the risk.
Lou Cheng couldn’t have gone this far without his firm and tough determination and the bearing developed from the tempering between life and death. How could he have any strength left? He couldn’t throw another attack if this punch missed.
The referee thought about it carefully before lifting his right arm and announcing loudly,
“Round One, tie!”
The very first tie in this national university martial arts tournament!
While giving the announcement of the result, the referee shook his arms and created a sudden strong wind which blew clear the hidden scent around Lou Cheng. His head was clear again and he resumed his full consciousness. Things no longer moved in slow motion.
Lou Cheng didn’t feel disappointed at the result of this fight. He was actually pleased about it. Ren Li was stronger than him in terms of actual combat strength and way stronger than Peng Leyun was last December. If he didn’t suppress her in momentum with his determination, he would have been dealt a rout.
After this match, I can summarize and improve again!
Terrific. I did much better than in the last fight of the favored fighters of the age.
I didn’t lose face again!
Lou Cheng turned sideways and waved his fist at Yan Zheke sitting in Songcheng University Martial Arts Club’s seating area. The wave was weak but high spirited.
Yan Zheke felt very relieved and the shine returned to her eyes. She gave him her thumb subconsciously. The audience, also relieved, clapped and cheered for this exciting match between Lou Cheng and Ren Li and their graceful martial arts bearing.
“They are indeed the favored fighters of the age!”