Chapter 77: Chapter 73: Why Did You Have to Force Me?

You still haven’t broken through?

The calm question was tinged with a hint of curiosity.

His voice was neither loud nor soft, but it echoed perfectly throughout the training hall.

Everyone froze. Fang Jingyi and her group were also slightly stunned.

Guo Yun, who was closest, stiffened. He opened his mouth to speak, but when he came to his senses, a flicker of annoyance appeared in his eyes.

’I’m being questioned by a mud-leg?’

"It seems you have a death wish."

His voice turned cold as he dropped the pretense, threatening in a low voice only the two of them could hear.

Various possibilities surfaced in his mind. Lu Chao shrugged and started walking again.

"Sorry, I don’t like talking to trash."

STEP. STEP.

With that, he brushed past him.

Trash?

Trash?!

The single, calm word echoed in Guo Yun’s ears like the tolling of a great bell, setting his pride ablaze.

He had meant to provoke the other party, to get him to make the first move so he could teach him a lesson, but now the tables had completely turned.

"Lu Chao!!"

With a cold shout, Guo Yun’s face contorted with rage as he spun around.

Without a moment’s hesitation, a cold light flashed in his eyes as he thrust a palm straight at Lu Chao’s back.

SWOOSH!!

The air tore as his hand shot forward like an arrow released from a bowstring, carrying a sharp, vicious gale in its wake.

The onlookers in the distance paled at the sight, all thinking the same thing: ’This is bad.’

But just then—

WHOOSH!!

Lu Chao seemed to sway slightly, and the powerful Palm Seal missed, grazing his arm and hitting empty air.

The resulting shockwave stirred the air, kicking up dust.

Seeing this, Fang Jingyi and the others stared, their eyes narrowed in disbelief.

Guo Yun’s pupils contracted. He thought he must be seeing things.

And in that single instant.

Lu Chao had somehow turned to face him, and now he and the similarly-sized Guo Yun were eye to eye.

"I gave you..."

WHOOSH!!

Lu Chao exploded forward, his headbutt smashing down like a sledgehammer.

BANG!

A ring of white air burst outward. The vicious blow struck Guo Yun square in the head. The intense pain and impact twisted his face, his eyes bulged, and his entire body staggered uncontrollably.

"...a chance."

HUMMM!!

Before he could recover.

Rock Hide activated with a roar, his five fingers forming a mountain seal.

Lu Chao’s eyes were as cold and sharp as knives as he slammed a palm into his opponent’s chest.

THUD!!

The muffled explosion rattled the eardrums of everyone in the training hall.

In their astonished sight, Guo Yun, the one who had started the provocation, was sent flying, crashing through several red leather sandbags.

Amidst a series of dull thuds, several barbells were sent flying along his path, bringing down their racks with a harsh, metallic crash.

The atmosphere instantly tensed. They could all see Guo Yun crumpled on the ground, twitching and trembling.

His once-handsome face was now a twisted mask, veins bulging. He clutched his chest with a trembling arm, seemingly enduring some incredible pain, unable to get back up.

In an instant.

The training hall fell deathly silent.

The other young men and women who had been ready to teach Lu Chao a lesson were all stunned, looks of disbelief spreading across their faces.

"Professional level?"

He broke through?

Lu Chao reached the Professional Level?

It wasn’t just them. Senior Brother Xu and his group were also staring wide-eyed, completely shocked.

In their line of sight, Lu Chao stood his ground, clad in a black hoodie, his Palm Seal having just struck.

Guo Yun, a peak Fighting Level martial artist, had been severely injured in a single move. There was no better explanation.

The air seemed to freeze. Everyone felt their breath catch, the only sound the pounding of their own hearts, as if the whole world had been turned upside down.

"AHHH!!"

But then, Guo Yun, still crumpled on the ground, let out a beast-like howl.

It sounded like pain, but also like a plea for help!

Fang Jingyi and her group finally snapped out of it. Their expressions shifted as they all understood what he meant.

"So what if he’s Professional Level!"

Gritting his teeth, the young man closest to Guo Yun shot forward, shouting a reminder to Fang Jingyi and the others as he went.

"Guo’s business is our business!"

"Let’s get him together!"

As his voice fell, Fang Jingyi and the others gritted their teeth and finally nodded in unison.

They were all from the same circle; they couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

Besides, while Professional Level was strong, it wasn’t invincible.

’Could it be that several peak Fighting Level martial artists, all attacking at once with the help of Martial Skills and Secret Techniques, still can’t take him down?’

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!!

Instantly, the air howled with a piercing sound.

All five of them closed in for the kill, like five arrows streaking through the sky, cutting off all avenues of escape.

The one in the lead unleashed a fierce Palm Seal. The technique he used wasn’t from the Golden Stone Fighting Skill; instead, it was accompanied by the sound of rushing water, surging like a tidal wave, carrying a heavy force that seemed intent on smashing everything in its path.

HUMMM!!

The air hummed, the sound of the gale-force wind vibrating their eardrums.

In the distance, Senior Brother Xu and the others looked on with grave expressions, their eyes filled with apprehension.

These rich kids from the inner city circle had deep foundations and had mastered various Martial Skills and Secret Techniques. If they truly joined forces, the outcome would be hard to predict.

HUMMM!

However, before anyone could react.

A hum vibrated their eardrums, and everyone in the training hall felt their pupils contract.

They saw Lu Chao, still standing his ground, his skin tone changing slightly, as if covered by a faint brown layer.

He didn’t dodge or evade. Instead, he threw a sudden punch. A deep, ash-white color rapidly spread to envelop his Fist Seal as he met the tidal wave Palm Seal head-on.

SPLASH!!

A storm of wind erupted, spreading outward from the two of them.

Dust and debris flew. His muscular right arm was like a concrete pillar, steadfastly blocking the full force of the impact.

Lu Chao stood firm, his body as unmoving as a boulder.

In contrast...

CRACK!

SWOOSH!!

The young man who had attacked head-on was sent flying backward even faster, his arm bent at an unnatural, broken angle as he screamed in agony.

The thud of his body hitting the ground was particularly jarring, causing Fang Jingyi and the other three to look on in shocked disbelief.

The next moment.

They looked again and saw Lu Chao, standing calmly in the center of their encirclement, seemingly glancing over all of them at once.

"Why... did you have to force my hand?"

BOOM!!

With that, he vanished from his spot like a tiger descending a mountain.

The four of them saw a blur, their hearts leaping into their throats. ’This is bad,’ they all thought.

"Retreat!!"

Someone shouted urgently. His legs became a blur as he instantly activated a special Martial Skill to boost his speed, trying to create distance.

But.

HUMMM!! 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

The wind from a fist rustled his robes.

Lu Chao, who had vanished from sight, suddenly reappeared right in front of him.

The ash-white Fist Seal, like solid rock, carried a surging, explosive force as it hammered toward his chest.

"No!"

His face paled, and he shouted in alarm.

He hastily crossed his arms to block his chest.

BAM!!

The Fist Seal landed, forcibly blasting his crossed arms apart before unstoppably smashing into his chest.

CRACK!

A crisp cracking sound, like breaking bone, erupted. The man’s face flushed red as he spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying, crashing through equipment and following in Guo Yun’s footsteps.

"Damn it!!"

Fang Jingyi’s elegant brows shot up, her eyes filled with utter disbelief.

’How did this talentless mud-leg suddenly break through to the Professional Level?’

’And his skills, his reaction speed... why does he seem even stronger than a typical Professional Level martial artist?’

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!!

As she was lost in thought, two figures flew past her.

Looking left and right, she saw it was her other two male companions.

Their faces were deathly pale. With dull thuds, they slammed one after another into the hard wall of the fighting ring, collapsing half-paralyzed at its base, vomiting blood nonstop.

The nearby barbells, kettlebells, and other training equipment had been scattered and broken. In the space of just a few breaths, she was the only one of the inner-city fighters left standing.

Her heart trembled as she suddenly felt the light dim.

She looked up.

A sturdy figure had appeared before her. He wasn’t much taller, but it felt as if he had blotted out all the light around her.

A faint brown light seemed to flow across his normal skin, the distinct feature of "bronze flesh" appearing before her eyes.

"You..."

Her eyelashes trembled. Fang Jingyi opened her mouth.

But before she could finish.

HUMMM!!

A whistling Palm Seal slapped toward her, as fierce and violent as a boulder rolling off a cliff, tearing through the air.

"You!"

’A mere mud-leg from an orphanage dares to attack me again and again!’

Shock, annoyance, and rage filled her heart. Fang Jingyi clenched her jaw and immediately activated a Secret Technique.

SWOOSH!!

A wave of air exploded, rolling like clouds.

She thrust out both palms, seeming to conjure a flowing cloud. The powerful blast was piercing to the ears; even Lu Chao felt a slight discomfort.

THUD!

Their Palm Seals collided. The muffled sound was like a crack of thunder in midair.

In the distance, Senior Brother Xu and the others were already dumbfounded, and the crowd of ordinary disciples looked on in utter shock.

Then, before their eyes.

STUMBLE! STUMBLE! STUMBLE! STUMBLE!!

Fang Jingyi’s face went white. Her hands trembled and fell limply to her sides as a sharp pain, almost like her bones were breaking, shot through them.

Her feet slid backward uncontrollably. She retreated all the way to the edge of the fighting ring until her back hit the wall, leaving her with nowhere else to go.

STEP. STEP. STEP. STEP!

But even so.

His footsteps shook the ground like tumbling boulders. Lu Chao, his face cold and impassive, closed the distance.

WHOOSH!!

Planting his left foot firmly on the concrete floor, he twisted his waist and unleashed a sudden spinning kick.

His right leg shot out in an instant, sweeping through the air like a great spear, carrying all of his strength.

The ferocious, cunning attack left no room for retreat, aimed straight at Fang Jingyi’s head as if to smash her into the dust and force her to recognize reality.

Shocked and enraged, Fang Jingyi felt a formless terror for the first time.

’This mud-leg actually dares to be this ruthless—he might even cripple me.’

SWOOSH!!

At the critical moment, a figure suddenly appeared, blocking the attack for her.

BAM!!

The spear-like kick was blocked by a raised left forearm. A savage gale spread in all directions, blowing away the dust on the ring floor.

Lin Qingxue, dressed in a white Martial Arts uniform, had appeared out of nowhere. She stared intently at Lu Chao, her eyes filled with astonishment and disbelief.

’The Junior Brother Lu with limited potential... he’s reached this level too?’

"Junior Brother Lu..."

"Senior Sister Lin."

His tone was casual. Lu Chao narrowed his eyes as two steel nails slid silently from his sleeve into his hand.

Although their Life Energy levels were a dozen or so points apart, Lin Qingxue inexplicably felt that he would be a difficult opponent.

"Cousin!!" Snapping back to her senses, Fang Jingyi clung to her rescuer like a drowning person to a lifeline, instantly trying to twist the truth.

"It was him! He provoked us and tried to seriously injure us!"

"Quick, take him down..."

SLAP!!

Lu Chao slapped her across the face. The crisp sound echoed through the hall.

Lin Qingxue, who had been stunned into a daze, was momentarily shocked. When she recovered, a trace of anger and coldness appeared in her eyes.

Fang Jingyi, still shielded by her cousin, stared wide-eyed. Her cheek burned with fiery pain, and the world seemed to freeze, as if countless jeers were coming at her from all directions.

She looked at him in disbelief. ’How dare that mud-leg humiliate me like this?’

"Cousin, cripple him!!"

After a moment of shock, Fang Jingyi clutched her face and shrieked in fury, desperately pleading with Lin Qingxue.

But strangely.

Her cousin, who had always doted on her, suppressed her anger and fell strangely silent. She even gave her a subtle, almost imperceptible shake of the head.

"Why?"

Fang Jingyi’s eyes widened. She asked subconsciously, unable to accept it.

In response to this.

"Junior Sister Fang."

A sturdy figure in a white training uniform silently appeared, stepping in front of Lu Chao and blocking her view.

Zheng Wu did his best to restrain his displeasure, his voice low. "This matter ends here."

As if struck by lightning, Fang Jingyi trembled, unable to believe it.

But soon.

As if sensing something, she quickly turned her head to the side.

Luo Qianshan, dressed in a long, brown, traditional-style robe, had appeared at some point and was standing with his hands behind his back near the training hall’s rear entrance.

His eyes were deep and profound, as calm as a tranquil well.

He showed no expression, but for some reason, everyone present felt as if they were shrouded in shadow, a strange, hair-raising chill rising from the bottom of their hearts.

"Teacher Luo?"

Fang Jingyi’s pupils contracted, and her body trembled.

Her expression shifted several times in the span of a few breaths. She opened her mouth, trembling, wanting to explain.

But.

Luo Qianshan didn’t waste any words. He simply raised a hand and pointed at the heavily injured Guo Yun and the others on the floor.

"In a real spar, fists and feet have no eyes."

"Take them to be treated."

With that, he turned and left.

The tense atmosphere in the training hall instantly relaxed. Everyone felt the frozen air begin to flow again, and breathing became easier.

And soon.

His aged voice drifted back on the wind, serving as the final word that brought the matter to a close, settling everything.

"Lu Chao, come with me."