The moment the elder's voice fell, both figures exploded forward.
Chen Hao's feet struck the ground with force as his body surged ahead, his right fist already drawn back. Across from him, the Mountain River Martial Hall disciple did the same, his broad shoulders twisting as his fist shot forward.
Neither of them tested the waters.
Neither intended to retreat.
Bang!
Their fists collided in the center of the arena.
A heavy sound echoed through the courtyard.
The two bodies trembled simultaneously before being forced half a step backward.
The surrounding disciples immediately became excited.
"Good!"
"Both are Muscle Refining!"
"So this is Chen Hao?"
"He actually managed to withstand Brother Zhao's strength!"
The Mountain River disciple, Zhao Kun, shook his slightly numb fist and looked at Chen Hao with renewed interest.
He had originally assumed that Chen Hao's reputation had been exaggerated.
After all, Chen Hao had only recently entered the inner hall, and his cultivation had previously been stuck at Skin Refining for an unusually long period.
But that first collision had told him something.
Chen Hao's physical strength was not inferior to his own.
Zhao Kun grinned.
"Again."
His foot stamped forward.
The muscles throughout his body tightened, and his Qi-Blood surged through his limbs. The foundation of Muscle Refining was already visible in every movement he made. His body had been tempered far beyond that of an ordinary martial artist, allowing him to gather force from his legs, waist, shoulders and finally his fists.
He punched.
Chen Hao's eyes narrowed.
He didn't block directly this time.
His body shifted slightly to the side, allowing the fist to pass close to his chest. At the same time, his left hand caught Zhao Kun's wrist while his right palm struck toward his elbow.
Zhao Kun's expression changed.
He immediately pulled his arm backward.
Chen Hao followed.
Their bodies closed together.
Bang!
Chen Hao's shoulder slammed into Zhao Kun's chest.
The Mountain River disciple staggered backward.
Chen Hao didn't give him time to regain his balance. He stepped forward, his right fist shooting toward Zhao Kun's ribs.
Zhao Kun twisted his waist and blocked with his forearm.
Bang!
The force of the impact made his arm tremble.
He immediately retaliated with a knee.
Chen Hao lowered his body.
The knee passed over his shoulder.
Chen Hao's elbow then drove toward Zhao Kun's abdomen.
Zhao Kun tightened his muscles and received the strike.
Thud!
The impact caused his body to shake, but he merely gritted his teeth and grabbed Chen Hao's shoulder.
"Caught you!"
He pulled.
Chen Hao's body was dragged forward, and Zhao Kun's other fist immediately came toward his face.
The punch was fast and heavy.
Chen Hao's pupils contracted.
He raised his arm.
Bang!
The fist struck his forearm.
Pain spread through his bones.
Yet instead of retreating, Chen Hao used the impact to rotate his body, allowing Zhao Kun's force to carry him around his opponent.
In the next instant, Chen Hao was standing at Zhao Kun's side.
His palm struck toward the ribs.
Zhao Kun hurriedly turned.
Bang!
The palm landed.
He staggered sideways.
The Thunderbolt Martial Hall disciples immediately erupted.
"Senior Brother Chen!"
"Good!"
"Don't let him recover!"
Chen Hao advanced.
His fists came one after another.
He didn't possess an elaborate martial technique, but every strike was clean and practical.
A fist.
A palm.
An elbow.
A kick.
His attacks flowed together naturally, forcing Zhao Kun to continuously defend.
Zhao Kun's expression gradually became serious.
He had fought Chen Hao expecting to overwhelm him through his superior experience.
But the more they exchanged blows, the more he realized something strange.
Chen Hao wasn't simply strong.
He was learning.
Every time Zhao Kun used the same movement, Chen Hao adjusted.
Every time he changed his rhythm, Chen Hao observed it.
The young man's eyes remained extremely focused throughout the battle.
He wasn't fighting blindly.
He was studying his opponent.
Zhao Kun suddenly roared.
"Enough!"
His Qi-Blood surged.
His right foot slammed into the ground, and his entire body shot forward.
This time, his fist carried considerably more force.
Chen Hao raised both arms.
Boom!
The collision produced a dull thunderous sound.
Chen Hao's body slid backward several steps.
Zhao Kun immediately pursued.
His right fist descended.
Chen Hao blocked.
His left fist followed.
Chen Hao twisted.
Then came a kick.
Chen Hao jumped backward.
The kick swept beneath his feet.
Zhao Kun's attacks came faster and faster.
Bang!
A fist struck Chen Hao's shoulder.
His body shook.
Another punch followed.
Chen Hao barely avoided it.
Zhao Kun continued pressing forward, his movements becoming increasingly fierce.
The Mountain River Martial Hall disciples cheered.
"Brother Zhao!"
"Don't give him an opportunity!"
"Finish it!"
The Thunderbolt disciples became nervous.
"Senior Brother Chen, hold on!"
Chen Hao's expression remained calm.
His shoulder hurt.
His forearm was numb.
His breathing had become slightly heavier.
But his mind was unusually clear.
He had finally understood something.
His opponent's greatest advantage wasn't actually strength.
It was rhythm.
Zhao Kun was using a series of connected attacks to prevent him from establishing his own rhythm.
If he continued defending...
He would eventually lose.
Chen Hao slowly inhaled.
Then he stopped retreating.
Zhao Kun's next punch came.
Chen Hao stepped forward instead.
The punch passed beside his cheek.
Zhao Kun's eyes widened.
Chen Hao's fist struck his chest.
Bang!
Zhao Kun stumbled backward.
Before he could stabilize himself, Chen Hao followed with another punch.
Bang!
The second strike landed against his ribs.
Zhao Kun gritted his teeth.
His right hand shot toward Chen Hao's throat.
Chen Hao tilted his head.
The hand passed by.
He seized Zhao Kun's wrist with one hand and his shoulder with the other.
Then he twisted.
The two bodies rotated.
Zhao Kun's balance was completely disrupted.
Chen Hao stepped behind him.
His leg swept forward.
Zhao Kun's foot left the ground.
Boom!
His body crashed onto the arena floor.
The entire courtyard suddenly became silent.
Zhao Kun rolled once and immediately tried to rise.
Chen Hao didn't attack him while he was down.
He simply stood several steps away.
Zhao Kun pushed himself up.
His face was slightly red.
He looked at Chen Hao.
Then he laughed.
"Good!"
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Again!"
Chen Hao's eyes sharpened.
"Come."
Zhao Kun charged.
This time, both sides abandoned most of their defensive probing.
Their fists collided repeatedly.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Each impact echoed through the courtyard.
The two Muscle Refining martial artists exchanged blows at close range, neither willing to give ground.
Zhao Kun's fist struck Chen Hao's shoulder.
Chen Hao's palm struck his chest.
Chen Hao's knee hit his abdomen.
Zhao Kun's elbow slammed into Chen Hao's ribs.
The spectators watched with increasing excitement.
This was no longer a simple exchange of techniques.
It had become a contest of endurance.
Muscle Refining wasn't merely about possessing stronger muscles.
It was about tempering the muscles until they could withstand increasingly violent impacts.
Every collision tested the foundation of the two martial artists.
Chen Hao's breathing became heavier.
His muscles burned.
But the pain only made his mind sharper.
He remembered his months in the outer courtyard.
The ridicule.
The laughter.
The days when he had struggled to circulate Qi-Blood properly.
He had once thought that his path was destined to be ordinary.
But now...
He had entered the inner hall.
His Root Bone had been revealed.
His cultivation was advancing rapidly.
And this battle was his first opportunity to prove that he deserved his position.
Zhao Kun roared and threw a final heavy punch.
Chen Hao didn't retreat.
He tightened his entire body.
His Qi-Blood surged through his muscles.
He raised his fist.
Boom!
The two fists collided.
A powerful force spread through the arena.
Both men staggered backward.
Zhao Kun took three steps.
Chen Hao took two.
The Mountain River disciple's expression changed.
He knew.
He had lost the exchange.
But he wasn't willing to admit defeat yet.
He rushed forward once more.
Chen Hao met him head-on.
The two figures collided.
This time, Chen Hao's fist arrived first.
Bang!
It struck Zhao Kun's chest.
Zhao Kun's body bent slightly.
Chen Hao immediately stepped inside his guard.
His shoulder struck.
Then his elbow.
Then his palm.
Three consecutive attacks landed almost simultaneously.
Zhao Kun staggered.
Chen Hao's foot hooked behind his ankle.
With a sharp twist of his waist, he pulled.
Zhao Kun lost his balance and crashed heavily onto the ground.
Boom!
Dust rose from the arena.
Chen Hao stood over him.
His breathing was heavy, but his posture remained firm.
The elder responsible for the exchange immediately raised his hand.
"Enough."
Zhao Kun lay on the ground for several breaths before finally laughing.
"Hahaha!"
He slapped the ground and pushed himself upright.
"I lost."
The courtyard erupted.
"Senior Brother Chen won!"
"He defeated Zhao Kun!"
"Both were Muscle Refining!"
"He actually won!"
The Thunderbolt Martial Hall disciples were naturally delighted.
The Mountain River Martial Hall disciples, however, looked somewhat complicated.
Zhao Kun was not weak.
He had entered Muscle Refining before Chen Hao and had undergone considerable combat training.
Yet Chen Hao had defeated him fairly.
There had been no tricks.
No hidden weapons.
No outside assistance.
Just cultivation, physical strength, combat awareness and technique.
One of the Mountain River disciples looked at Chen Hao.
"Senior Brother Chen."
Chen Hao turned.
The young man cupped his fists.
"Your foundation is impressive."
Chen Hao returned the salute.
"Your martial arts are also powerful."
Zhao Kun stood and walked over.
He looked at Chen Hao for several breaths before smiling.
"Next time, I won't lose."
Chen Hao nodded.
"I'll be stronger next time too."
Zhao Kun laughed.
"Good."
The two exchanged another salute.
The tension between the two martial halls eased slightly.
Yet among the surrounding disciples, the discussion had already begun.
Chen Hao's victory would undoubtedly spread.
An inner disciple who had only recently been discovered to possess Yi Lower Root Bone had defeated a well-trained Muscle Refining disciple from the Mountain River Martial Hall.
That was enough to attract attention.
At the edge of the courtyard, Lou Feng quietly watched the scene.
His expression remained calm.
Chen Hao's victory wasn't surprising to him.
What mattered was how the young man had fought.
He hadn't relied on his Root Bone.
He hadn't become arrogant after discovering his talent.
Instead, he had observed his opponent, adapted his rhythm and found a way to overcome an opponent of equal cultivation.
That was far more valuable.
Lou Feng turned away.
He had no intention of interfering in Chen Hao's future.
The road of martial cultivation had to be walked by the martial artist himself.
Meanwhile, Chen Hao stood within the arena, looking at his clenched fists.
His muscles still trembled slightly from the battle.
But his eyes were bright.
For the first time since entering the martial hall...
He truly felt that he had stepped onto the path of martial cultivation.