Chengping Square, Sun’s Martial Arts Hall.

The front courtyard.

Yang Jing was intently practicing the Mountain-Shattering Fist.

The wind from his fists whistled, stirring the fallen leaves on the ground. Each punch carried a dense, heavy force, striking the air with a series of muffled THUDS that left eardrums tingling.

He occasionally interspersed his routine with moves from the Surging Waves Leg Technique. His legs were blurs, fast as lightning, kicking up a biting wind with every sweep. The wooden dummy before him swayed under the force of his kicks. His vigorous practice drew several junior disciples, who stopped to watch.

Not far away, Xu Hong had just finished his practice and was drinking from a water flask.

Beads of sweat dotted his forehead and his Adam’s apple bobbed. After a few gulps of cool water, he felt his strength return.

His gaze drifted over to Yang Jing. He saw that the younger disciple’s punches had grown even more ferocious, and his circulation of Inner Strength was far smoother than before. Xu Hong’s interest was piqued.

During the tournament, he had fought his way to the final match of the arena stage, but he had failed to take first place. His journey ended there.

Yang Jing, on the other hand, had not only made it onto the tournament’s ranking list but had also secured fourth place in the placement matches. A feat like that earned the admiration of even Xu Hong, the senior-most disciple.

Xu Hong set down his water flask, wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, and ambled over to Yang Jing.

Sensing the movement, Yang Jing stopped, withdrawing his fist. He was slightly out of breath as he turned to the newcomer. "Senior Brother," he greeted.

A hearty smile spread across Xu Hong’s face. He cupped his fist in his hand. "Junior Brother, your fist technique has become so much more refined recently. Watching you has made my own hands itch for a fight. Would you be willing to spar for a few rounds? I’d love to learn from you."

Yang Jing smiled. "Senior Brother, you jest. I’m hardly in a position to teach you anything. But since you’re interested, let’s have a friendly match. It’ll be a good opportunity to test our progress against each other."

’He was actually quite tempted.’

Liu Maolin had been busy with his clinic lately, only visiting the Martial Arts Hall once every two or three days. Yang Jing had thus spent most of his time training alone, with few chances to spar against others.

Now that his skills had improved, he was looking for an opponent to test his limits. Since Xu Hong had been the one to ask, he was more than happy to accept.

"Excellent!" A flash of fighting spirit sparked in Xu Hong’s eyes. He retreated two steps and assumed a ready stance. "After you, Junior Brother."

Yang Jing didn’t hesitate. He sank into his stance, ready to unleash the opening move of the Mountain-Shattering Fist. His gaze locked onto Xu Hong, and the aura around him began to intensify.

The other disciples in the hall quickly noticed the commotion. They all stopped what they were doing, their gazes turning as one toward Yang Jing and Xu Hong.

"Are the Senior Brother and Senior Brother Yang Jing going to spar?"

"Whoa! Now this is a rare sight!"

After all, Xu Hong was the hall’s most senior disciple and its only expert at the Peak of Dark Energy. Yang Jing, meanwhile, was a powerhouse who had placed on the tournament’s ranking list. A fight between the two of them was guaranteed to be top-tier.

The disciples gathered around in small groups. Even Qi Yun, who had been practicing in the distance, stopped and stood with her arms crossed, a curious glint in her eyes.

She, too, wanted to see just how strong Yang Jing had become.

When Yang Jing had competed in the placement matches, she had left the tournament grounds early with her master, Sun Yong, so she hadn’t seen him fight against the other experts.

As Qi Yun watched intently, she suddenly heard the sound of soft footsteps approaching.

She turned her head and saw Sun Ningxiang, who had approached at some point, holding a small cloth for wiping away sweat. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Second Senior Sister."

Sun Ningxiang greeted her with a smile, her voice bright and clear.

"Junior Sister Ning Xiang," Qi Yun replied with a nod.

Sun Ningxiang was Sun Yong’s only daughter. Though her martial skill wasn’t particularly high, her special status meant she got along harmoniously with everyone.

She had just come from the inner courtyard and was clearly unaware of the situation. "Second Senior Sister, what’s going on?" she asked curiously.

"The Senior Brother is going to spar with Yang Jing for a bit," Qi Yun explained.

"Oh?" Sun Ningxiang’s eyes lit up with immediate interest. "Then I definitely have to watch."

She knew that Yang Jing was now the face of the Martial Arts Hall, and she was even more aware of Xu Hong’s capabilities.

But like Qi Yun, she hadn’t personally witnessed Yang Jing’s matches during the tournament’s placement rounds, so she was determined to get a good look today.

Both of them knew in their hearts that in a fight between Xu Hong and Yang Jing, the victor would undoubtedly be Yang Jing.

After all, Yang Jing had shone brilliantly in the tournament, while Xu Hong hadn’t even made it to the final championship match of the arena stage. The gap between them was obvious.

Even if Xu Hong was at a higher realm, Yang Jing was cultivating two martial arts simultaneously. The Body Technique he also trained in had even broken through to the Bright Strength level, complementing his Mountain-Shattering Fist perfectly. Both his Inner Strength and his overall combat prowess had increased by a huge margin.

The surrounding disciples instinctively took a few steps back, clearing a wide space, enough for the two to go all out.

Yang Jing and Xu Hong stood facing each other, separated by a distance of about ten feet.

Both men lowered their stances and focused their minds, their breathing steady. An invisible tension seemed to coalesce in the air between them.

Suddenly, Xu Hong moved!

He didn’t stand on the ceremony of being the Senior Brother and wait for Yang Jing to strike first. Knowing he was at a slight disadvantage, he took the initiative. Pushing off with his feet, his body shot forward like an arrow. A single punch aimed straight for Yang Jing’s face, the fist-wind fierce and carrying the sharp whistle unique to Dark Energy.

Faced with this swift attack, Yang Jing didn’t immediately counter. Instead, his footwork shifted, his figure suddenly becoming elusive.

He intended to test his Body Technique first. He didn’t meet the punch head-on, opting to evade it using the Surging Waves Leg Technique!

His Surging Waves Leg Technique was now on the verge of breaking through to the Dark Energy Realm, making it far more fluid and agile than it had been during the tournament a month prior.

Furthermore, Yang Jing himself was a Dark Energy expert with deep reserves of Inner Strength, allowing him to activate the Body Technique with effortless ease. He moved like a willow catkin in the wind—seemingly light and adrift, yet always managing to evade the edge of Xu Hong’s fist by a hair’s breadth.