Chapter 29: Three Strikes, One Victory
The silence that had weighed over the duel ring moments ago shattered into thunderous cheers.
"Young Master Wu! Young Master Wu!"
The chant started with a few Wu Clan juniors but quickly spread like wildfire. Even neutral spectators, caught up in the raw dominance of Wu Yuan's display, joined in.
"He's not just strong… he's fearless!"
"Wu Yuan has upheld the Wu Clan's honor today!"
"Did you see how he crushed that arrogant brat? Like snapping a twig!"
"Wu Yuan didn't just defeat him—he broke him with three simple punches! Who fights like that?"
On the Wu Clan side, Wu Xiao's eyes sparkled with unrestrained pride, her voice carrying above the crowd:
"See? I told you—no one can beat Young Master Wu Yuan!"
While the crowd roared, Wu Yuan's mind was elsewhere.
A faint, familiar ding echoed in his consciousness.
[System Mission Completed!]
Mission: Take Revenge for Wu Lu – Completed
Rewards: 50 SP
Spark Essence Pill Bottle x1 (12 pills)
New Item Unlocked: Spirit Awakening Pill (Cost: 20 SP)
Wu Yuan's gaze flickered briefly as the screen updated again.
[New Mission Activated]
Mission: Help the Wu Clan regain its face by defeating every opponent on the duel ring.
Rewards: 200 SP
Spark Essence Pill Bottle x1 (12 pills)
Spirit Awakening Pill x1 (12 pills)
[New Item Unlocked]
Pill Recipe: Spark Essence Pill
Cost: 100 SP
[New Item Unlocked]
Pill Recipe: Spirit Awakening Pill
Cost: 200 SP
Wu Yuan's lips curved faintly.
Spirit Awakening Pills? Vermilion Mind Pill? He had no idea what these items did yet, but the names alone hinted at something extraordinary.
If I can earn enough SP today, I might just push my cultivation to a level that shocks even the Verdant Kingdom…
But his moment of calculation was short-lived.
In the crowd, the "Jiang" juniors were no longer laughing. Their disguised faces were taut, and their eyes gleamed with suppressed fury.
"That brat humiliated one of ours with just two strikes…" one muttered under his breath.
Another clenched his fists.
"Elder Jinghong said we're not to reveal our identities, but if this continues, Wu Yuan's name will overshadow ours. We'll be a joke."
The youth beside Lei Hanwu, Lei Ziyun—calmer than the rest—spoke quietly.
"It's my turn. We underestimated him. No more taunts, no more games."
His cultivation base rippled out like a wave as he stepped forward.
Level 5—Body Tempering Realm.
The crowd felt the difference instantly. The air seemed to grow heavier as he walked toward the platform. Unlike the previous challenger, this youth carried himself like a honed blade—sharp, cold, and without arrogance.
"Finally… someone serious from the Jiang Clan," someone whispered from the stands.
"This one… he's no ordinary Level 5. I can feel his strong body from here."
Wu Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly. The youth before him wasn't like the others—there was no mockery in his gaze, only a silent confidence that felt more dangerous.
"So," Wu Yuan said, his tone even. "You're here to test me too?"
The youth didn't answer. He merely stepped onto the platform, his movements smooth and precise, his aura flaring like a storm gathering strength.
Finally, the youth spoke, his voice calm yet carrying a faint edge of arrogance.
"Wu Yuan, you are only at Level 4 of the Body Tempering Realm, while I stand at Level 5. I don't wish for anyone to think I'm bullying the weak… so I'll allow you three moves first."
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
"He's giving Wu Yuan three moves?"
"Level 5 confidence! But… didn't Wu Yuan just crush that Level 3 guy with two punches? This might not be as easy as he thinks…"
"Still, Level 5 versus Level 4… the gap is huge."
Wu Yuan's eyes locked on Lei Ziyun's stance. Solid guard. Balanced footing. He's not like the others.Still, Wu Yuan didn't slow. He stepped in with no wasted motion, his body coiling like a tightened spring. Three moves… I'll make each one count.
He lunged forward—not with any grand stance or flourish, but with a straight punch that was brutally clean, precise, and fast enough to blur. No excess, no theatrics—just raw, condensed power.
Lei Ziyun's expression remained composed, but his heart sharpened with focus. He knew this boy wasn't ordinary. Breaking a Level 3 cultivator's arm with one strike was something even he, a Level 5, might not replicate so casually.
He's no weakling, Lei Ziyun thought, muscles tightening like drawn steel cables. I can't afford to take him lightly. Not for a second.
Wu Yuan's fist blazed toward his chest like a meteor, cutting the air with a sharp whoosh—First Strike.
The blow landed with a bone-shaking BANG! that echoed through the ring.
His fist slammed straight into Lei Ziyun's chest. The impact was brutal, like a sledgehammer smashing into a war drum. Dust rippled outward from the shockwave, and the wooden planks beneath them groaned.
Lei Ziyun staggered half a step back, his ribs screaming as the vibration surged through his torso. His breath hitched, ribs vibrating like they might crack. This… this isn't Level 4 strength. His body—it's like smashing my chest into tempered steel!
Second Strike
Wu Yuan didn't give Lei Ziyun time to breathe. His foot slid forward, the wooden platform creaking beneath the shift of weight, and his fist flashed again—this time sharper, heavier, aimed at the exact same spot.
BOOM!
The punch landed squarely on Lei Ziyun's chest once more, the sound like a drum being struck with a metal mallet. Lei Ziyun's body jolted violently. He clenched his jaw, forcing back the rising blood in his throat, but pain radiated through his ribs like fire crawling under his skin.
He's targeting the same point… deliberately! Lei Ziyun's eyes narrowed as a hint of fear flickered within.
From the stands, murmurs rose.
"He's hitting the same spot again?"
"That's… dangerous. He's targeting a single weakness!"
"Look at that Jiang youth—he's not as comfortable as before."
Third Strike
Wu Yuan's stance shifted, his presence tightening like a coiled spring. A faint spark of lightning seemed to crackle in his body, and his gaze sharpened like a blade. "Third move," he muttered under his breath.
This time, Lei Ziyun raised his arms, crossing them over his chest in a desperate guard. He roared, pushing every ounce of his Level 5 strength into bracing for impact.
But Wu Yuan's fist shot out with devastating precision, like a spear piercing through paper.
CRACK!
The force shattered Lei Ziyun's guard as if it didn't exist. His crossed arms were blown apart, and Wu Yuan's fist slammed into his chest for the third time. The impact was deafening, a low, bone-shaking thud that echoed across the arena.
Lei Ziyun's body convulsed, a violent spasm wracking his frame as blood burst from his lips. His knees buckled, the strength in his limbs draining like water from a shattered jar. I… I can't stop him! His thoughts splintered, the searing pain in his chest tearing through his organs like jagged glass.
He collapsed onto one knee, each breath ragged and shallow, his vision trembling at the edges of consciousness.
But even as agony raged through him, Lei Ziyun's pride burned hotter. The humiliation of falling before so many watching eyes twisted like a blade in his heart. He willed his body to rise—but it refused, trembling and unresponsive.
For a heartbeat, the entire arena froze, the silence so deep it seemed to smother even the wind.
Then, the whispers started—uncertain, almost disbelieving.
"Is that… one of the Jiang Clan's hidden geniuses?"
"He's Level 5 Body Tempering Realm… and yet, he lost… in three moves?"
"Everyone said that group of ten could defeat opponents above their level."
"Then how… how did Wu Yuan just defeat him so easily?"
The shock spread like fire, and doubt crept into their voices.
"Maybe… maybe not all of these 'mysterious Jiang juniors' are as strong as we thought?"
"Could it be that the Jiang Clan's talk of hidden geniuses was just to intimidate everyone?"
"But… no, didn't you see how powerful that boy's body was before the fight? He's not weak at all. So how terrifying is Wu Yuan, to crush him this fast?"
The Wu Clan's section erupted in cheers.
"Did you see that? Young Master Wu Yuan defeated him in just three punches!"
"This is revenge for Wu Lu! And it's proof that our Wu Clan's name won't be trampled!"
"Young Master Wu! Young Master Wu! Young Master Wu!"
The chanting grew louder, swelling like a tidal wave. Even the older Wu members exchanged glances, their pride barely concealed.
Meanwhile, in the stands where the remaining disguised Lei Clan juniors stood, the atmosphere was dark and tense.
"Ziyun… was defeated?"
The words hung in the air like a thunderclap, silencing the group. Faces paled.
"No," Lei Zhenyu said, his voice low and cold. "This boy… he's far stronger than we anticipated. We can't treat him like an ordinary talent anymore."
"Impossible!" another junior blurted out, his fists trembling slightly. "Ziyun has one of the strongest talents in the Third Elder's line. He could crush most Level 5 cultivators—and even Level 6 cultivators in Wu City would struggle to match him! Was Wu Yuan holding back when he fought the Shan and Jiang juniors?"
"Enough," Lei Zhenyu cut in sharply, his tone like a blade. His eyes swept over the group, silencing their muttering. "Our faces are on the line now. If we lose again… although we don't care about the Jiang Clan's reputation, they know who we are. We'll become their laughingstock. Worse, the cooperation our elders are negotiating with them will be jeopardized. They'll see us as unreliable, or worse—weak."
The weight of his words sank into them like stones in deep water. A tense silence followed.
"Senior Brother Zhenyu," one of the juniors said after a moment, his voice hesitant, "we don't have many juniors to begin with. Among those in the Body Tempering Realm, we only brought six. Now, two have already been defeated. That leaves us with just two cultivators at Level 5, one at Level 6… and Brother Qingshan at Level 9."
He hesitated before adding, "If we send another Level 5, we might still have a chance. But if we're forced to send the Level 6 or, worse, Brother Qingshan, even if we win, the crowd will say we bullied someone weaker. Everything we've built here will crumble—our entire purpose would be meaningless."
A girl with sharp eyes and an aura of quiet authority spoke up. Her voice, cool but firm, cut through the silence. "What should we do, Lei Zhenyu?" Lei Xueyin, the Spirit Initiation cultivator among them, crossed her arms, frowning slightly. "If Wu Yuan continues to dominate the stage like this, he'll not only crush the Wu Clan's rivals but also steal the spotlight we came here to seize. Our mission… it could fail before it even begins."
Lei Zhenyu's gaze darkened as he studied Wu Yuan on the duel platform—steady, relaxed, utterly unshaken. That composure alone felt like mockery.On the stage, Wu Yuan stood like an unmoving mountain. To the Lei juniors, that calm was a challenge they could no longer ignore.