The news of Su Xin engaging in a life-and-death duel with Meng Changhe's disciple had spread throughout Changning Prefecture in the span of three days.In the past,major factions would have deemed Su Xin's death certain,but the recent victory over Dong Chengwu in public changed perceptions.
Su Xin,defeating Dong Chengwu,a seasoned cultivator of the late-stage Innate realm,showcased enough strength to qualify for a confrontation with Li Zhonghe.Betting markets even opened,with favorable odds for Li Zhonghe,who was considered the stronger contender.
Meng Changhe,responsible for teaching martial arts within Three Heroes Association,had over a dozen personal disciples.Among them,Li Zhonghe stood out as the most powerful,having cultivated more than ninety acupoints and inherited Meng Changhe's true teachings.
As the three-day deadline approached,Su Xin emerged from seclusion,leading his followers to Changde Alley.The Three Heroes Association had secured an entire street to construct a massive arena for the life-and-death duel.Other factions gathered in designated areas surrounding the arena.
When Su Xin arrived,representatives from major factions and societies were already present.Observers couldn't help but notice the apparent split between Su Xin and Sha Feiying,even though they were both associated with the Flying Eagle Gang.
The front row of the platform held over ten chairs for the leaders of major factions,and a vacant seat in the center awaited Tie Wuqing.As the appointed time neared,Tie Wuqing arrived with his subordinates,seemingly unconcerned about punctuality.
"Hey,you all came pretty early,"Tie Wuqing greeted as he took his seat,eliciting silent criticism from the others.Meng Changhe was eager to start the duel,but Tie Wuqing interrupted,stating that some matters needed clarification.
Meng Changhe,anxious,asked if Tie Wuqing was considering reneging on the agreement.Tie Wuqing scoffed,emphasizing that once Su Xin agreed to the life-and-death duel,the matter would conclude.However,he warned Meng Changhe against pursuing further trouble with Su Xin afterward.
With a cold smile,Meng Changhe declared that Su Xin's fate depended on surviving the duel.Tie Wuqing agreed,and the life-and-death duel officially commenced.
Li Zhonghe stepped into the center of the arena,a formidable figure in his early thirties with a robust physique.In contrast,Su Xin seemed slender and somewhat frail,prompting skepticism among onlookers.
As the crowd expressed doubt,especially those who had placed bets against Su Xin,Huang Bingcheng and others in Su Xin's camp felt a sense of unease.Even Yellow Glow Gang's Li Huai,after becoming a fervent supporter of Su Xin,remained confident in his victory.
Huang Bingcheng asked Li Huai about Su Xin's chances,to which Li Huai replied,"I don't know,but I believe the boss will win."
Huang Bingcheng,baffled,looked at Li Huai,who had become an unwavering fan of Su Xin after being impressed by the martial arts techniques he had learned.Li Huai explained that Su Xin possessed unwavering confidence required for life-and-death battles.
On the platform,Li Zhonghe subtly shook his head as he observed Su Xin.Although he harbored no ill feelings towards Su Xin and even felt grateful,he understood the importance of defeating Su Xin to gain Meng Changhe's approval within Three Heroes Association.
"Suxin,if you die,don't blame me.If you need to blame someone,blame yourself for killing the wrong person!"With Li Zhonghe's words,he immediately pounced towards Suxin.
Meng Changhe,as a lay disciple of Zhou Dingfang and inheritor of some introductory techniques and martial skills from the Shaolin Temple,not just the remnants of the Seventy-Two Ultimate Arts,including the Great Toppling Stone Hands.Among these teachings,Li Zhonghe learned the Shaolin Temple's Arhat Fist.Although seemingly simple,it was incredibly powerful.
Despite Suxin's cautious sword strikes,Li Zhonghe's Arhat Fist was exceptionally fierce,resembling a roaring lion,pressing forward.Suxin had no choice but to sheathe his sword to fend off the assault.
"Clang!"The fine sword struck Li Zhonghe's arm,producing a metallic resonance.Surprisingly,with Suxin's current strength,the sword only left a white mark on Li Zhonghe's arm.
"Shaolin Golden Bell!"The knowledgeable spectators below couldn't help but exclaim.Although the Golden Bell was the Shaolin Temple's basic body-refining technique,it was widely known and practiced in the martial world due to its stability,despite slow cultivation progress.
"Your sword is fast,but it can't harm.No matter how fast,a sword is useless without sufficient power!"Li Zhonghe shouted as he continued his assault,using various Arhat Fist techniques.He forced Suxin into a corner of the arena with his powerful and relentless punches.
Battle always served as the best method to assess one's strength.While Suxin found his fight against Dong Chengwu effortless,facing Li Zhonghe now brought a sense of pressure.Where did he fall short against Li Zhonghe?It wasn't in the extra twenty or so acupoints Li Zhonghe had opened;it was in strength.
Internal energy was the foundation of martial artists,and Suxin practiced the"Primary Internal Energy"of the Quanzhen Sect,an entry-level technique rated at half a star.Although Li Zhonghe's cultivation technique was unknown,it undoubtedly surpassed Suxin's half-star technique by a considerable margin.
The more acupoints one opened,the greater the difference in cultivation techniques.As Li Zhonghe had pointed out,a fast sword was meaningless without sufficient power.Suxin eagerly anticipated the system's reward for the"Purple Mist Divine Technique."
"Die!"Li Zhonghe's expression turned cold.His left fist,like supporting a pagoda,blocked Suxin's fierce sword,and his right fist,resembling a descending tiger,directly hammered towards Suxin's chest.
However,at this moment,Suxin made an unexpected move–he suddenly retracted his sword.While Suxin had a scabbard at his waist,warriors rarely sheathed their swords during battle unless the fight concluded.
A sheathed sword could be more terrifying than a drawn one because you didn't know where it would strike from or which hand would wield it.Li Zhonghe remained vigilant towards Suxin's swift sword,known for its speed and lethality.
Suxin's reputation in Changning Prefecture was built on his fast sword,which had claimed the lives of Daichong,Chen Laoda,and many others.As the saying goes,knowing your enemy is the key to victory.Suxin had obtained information about Li Zhonghe from Tie Wuqing,and in turn,Li Zhonghe had gathered information about Suxin.
Li Zhonghe knew about Suxin's fast sword skills,proficient not only with the left hand but also with the right–a rare feat in the martial world.However,what Li Zhonghe didn't know was that Suxin excelled not only in swordsmanship but also in boxing.
A punch was thrown,full of hatred and determination–the Hate Fist.The collision of fists saw Li Zhonghe being pushed back several steps.Suxin's Hate Fist was exceptionally unusual,channeling the power of hatred into his martial arts,creating an unrelenting and ceaseless force.
In the spectator stands,the representatives of various factions were astonished by Suxin's boxing technique.Although unfamiliar with this peculiar martial art,they could see its tremendous power,far surpassing Li Zhonghe's Arhat Fist.
Suxin had used the Hate Fist many times before,but it had often gone unnoticed.It went unseen against Lao Lang,and when he killed Meng Chong and others,there was no chance for Meng Changhe to explain before they were all killed.
Finally,Suxin used the Hate Fist in the battle against Dong Chengwu.However,at that time,emotions were high,and people like Sha Feiying were too enraged to pay attention to the specific martial art used.
Tie Wuqing,with a faint smile on his lips,thought to himself,"Where did this kid learn such a martial art,imbued with the essence of martial dao?I've never seen anything like it.But it's indeed interesting–a martial art centered around the core principle of hatred.I wonder who the creator of this martial art harbored such deep grievances against to develop such a technique."
On the arena,Suxin,now taking the offensive,unleashed the Hate Fist relentlessly,compensating for the gap in strength with powerful martial techniques.
