Gao Jie's punch landed, yet it was he who let out a muffled grunt. He clutched his fist and staggered back several steps.
The crowd collectively gasped.
"Whoa!"
Gao Jie lowered his head and stared at his hand. His knuckles were bright red, the skin swollen in a large patch.
"What the hell?" he muttered.
"I punched his stomach. That's the softest part of the human body. How did it feel like I hit bone? And not just bone, but something absurdly hard?"
What he did not know was that the mass produced avatar of Dao Xuan Tianzun had iron storage compartments embedded in both the chest and abdomen. Each contained a miniature reconnaissance unit. Gao Jie's punch had slammed straight into one of those iron boxes, which was covered by a layer of silicone skin.
Without that cushioning, his fist would have been injured far more severely.
Gao Jie, believing that his opponent had mastered Iron Body kung fu to an unbelievable level, such that even his abdomen was harder than steel, felt a wave of unease rise in his heart. He rubbed his injured right hand with his left, his expression awkward and stiff.
"What terrifying Iron Body kung fu," he muttered.
Li Daoxuan replied calmly, "Nothing special. Third best in the world."
Cao Wenzhao immediately asked, "If you are only third, then who are the top two?"
Cao Bianjiao groaned. "Uncle, focus. Is that really the important part? He said 'third' because it sounds good."
Cao Wenzhao paused, then nodded. "Ah. That makes sense."
Gao Jie continued rubbing his fist and said, "Earlier, I aimed for your abdomen because I was afraid of killing you by accident. But since your Iron Shirt kung fu is so strong, I will strike your vital points next."
Li Daoxuan nodded. "Alright. Aim properly. Hit the vital points."
The crowd burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! How arrogant!"
"Do you really think you can beat Dao Xuan Tianzun?"
Gao Jie clenched his teeth and threw another punch, this time straight at Li Daoxuan's chest.
Thwack!
Pain exploded through his hand.
He jerked his fist back and stumbled backward again, retreating three full steps.
This time, his fist felt almost numb.
A deep sense of fear crept into Gao Jie's heart.
"What kind of monster is this?" he thought. "Two punches, and he is completely fine. Meanwhile my fists are already useless. Should I really aim for his temple next?"
His eyes slowly lifted, settling on Li Daoxuan's temple.
Just then, someone gently tugged on his arm.
Gao Jie turned his head and saw Xing Shi standing behind him.
She did not speak. She only shook her head.
Gao Jie knew this woman well. His wife, whom he had taken from the Dashing General, was intelligent and perceptive, far sharper than he was.
The moment he saw her expression, he understood.
If he stubbornly continued, he would truly suffer.
His gaze shifted away from Li Daoxuan's temple. He clasped his hands together in a respectful salute.
"Two punches are enough," he said. "This Gao admits defeat."
The crowd let out disappointed murmurs.
"Huh? That's it?"
"It ended so fast."
They had not had enough of the show.
Li Daoxuan, meanwhile, thought to himself that a wise wife truly was a man's greatest support. Historically, after Gao Jie's death, this woman would take her son to seek refuge with Shi Kefa. That had been a very clever decision.
Li Daoxuan spoke aloud. "Since General Gao has conceded, please proceed to class."
Gao Jie saluted once more, then turned and left, too embarrassed to stay any longer.
As he walked away, however, a sly thought crept into his mind.
"I can just skip class, right?"
The thought had barely formed when Li Daoxuan's voice rang out from behind him.
"General Gao, no skipping class."
Gao Jie froze.
Li Daoxuan added, "If I catch you skipping, you will be confined for a week."
Those words instantly ignited Gao Jie's rebellious temper. He spun around in anger.
"I am an official appointed by the imperial court," he shouted. "You think you can confine me whenever you want? By what authority?"
"By this," Li Daoxuan replied.
The moment the words left his mouth, an enormous black teacup appeared in the sky. With a thunderous boom, it fell straight down, swallowing Gao Jie whole.
In an instant, Gao Jie was plunged into complete darkness. No light penetrated the teacup at all.
He reached out and touched the wall. It was smooth, hard, and unbelievably thick. No matter how he struck it, there was no way to break free.
Terrified, he screamed and shouted inside.
Outside, Xing Shi and Gao Jie's guards were completely stunned. One moment they had been walking normally. The next, a massive teacup had fallen from the sky and trapped Gao Jie inside. The violent gust of wind from its descent nearly knocked people off their feet.
When they finally recovered, they stood around the teacup in confusion, at a total loss.
Xing Shi turned toward Li Daoxuan and immediately dropped to her knees.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun, please show mercy," she pleaded. "Please spare my foolish husband."
"Do not worry," Li Daoxuan said calmly. "I have no intention of killing him. If I wanted him dead, he would already be gone. There would be no need for this."
As soon as he finished speaking, the teacup shot back into the sky and disappeared into the clouds.
The crowd stood there in silence.
When Gao Jie finally reappeared, he was completely shaken.
Only now did he truly believe that Li Daoxuan was a divine being.
He dropped to his knees with a heavy thud.
"This humble general will attend class properly," he said hastily.
Li Daoxuan waved his hand. "Go. Study well and be a decent man. Otherwise, your life will not last long."
Gao Jie scrambled up and ran as fast as he could, as though his life truly depended on it.
Only then did Li Daoxuan turn his gaze toward the Cao uncle and nephew.
His intention was obvious.
Cao Wenzhao looked utterly dazed, still struggling to recover from what he had just witnessed.
After several seconds, he suddenly asked, "That teacup was so big. How many catties of tea leaves would it take to brew a proper cup?"
Cao Bianjiao broke out in a cold sweat.
"Uncle, is that really what you are thinking about? A deity is standing right in front of us, and you are thinking about tea leaves?"
Cao Wenzhao blinked. "Ah. You're right."
He looked at Li Daoxuan, who was also watching him.
Cao Wenzhao glanced left, then right, then pointed at his own nose.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun, are you looking at me because you want me to attend class too?"
"Yes," Li Daoxuan replied. "Both of you must attend."
Cao Wenzhao straightened up proudly. "This Cao is not some surrendered bandit. I am well educated and known for loyalty and courage."
"I do not deny that," Li Daoxuan said. "However, what you learned before is not what I intend to teach. You still need to attend."
The uncle and nephew exchanged a look. In each other's eyes, they saw the same thought.
Neither of them wanted to go.
But after witnessing the teacup descend from the heavens, neither dared to openly resist.
Li Daoxuan continued, "I know you are thinking about skipping class as well. Let me be clear. If you skip, you will still be confined. However, given your loyalty and courage, I will not use a teacup."
"I will use something brighter."
As he spoke, a transparent glass cup descended from the sky and landed heavily in front of them, not trapping them, but clearly serving as a warning.