Chapter 303: Chapter 303: Contest of Hard and Soft

ROAR...

Veins bulged on Shen Haoran’s right fist. The tyrannical force of his punch carried a terrifying might as it shot straight for Murong Wanqing’s face. Before the fist even arrived, the gale it generated whipped her robes about wildly.

But faced with such a powerful attack from Shen Haoran, Murong Wanqing showed no intention of dodging. She simply extended a single palm, seemingly intending to block his punch head-on!

Shen Haoran possessed the Chaos Divine Body, and after multiple sessions of Body Forging, his physical strength was in no way inferior to that of a Spirit Aspect Powerhouse. Was Murong Wanqing really going to take his punch head-on?

BANG...

The next moment, under the shocked gazes of the crowd, Shen Haoran’s fist and Murong Wanqing’s palm collided with a muffled thud. However, the terrifying explosion everyone had anticipated never happened. Instead, only a small ripple of energy stirred between them, dissipating before it could even spread two meters.

The instant Murong Wanqing’s palm made contact with Shen Haoran’s fist, her wrist twisted. It coiled around his arm like a Spirit Snake as a strange, subtle power erupted, instantly neutralizing his ferocious attack.

Then, with a push from the slender hand wrapped around Shen Haoran’s wrist, she sent that terrifying force right back at him, completely unaltered!

Seeing this, Shen Haoran’s pupils contracted. He threw his other arm up to block. The next instant, the redirected force slammed into him, shoving him backward!

Shen Haoran’s body skidded several meters across the bluestone slabs before he managed to stop, his expression grave as he stared at Murong Wanqing. That bizarre power that had erupted from her arm just now had completely neutralized his attack.

"What... What just happened? Murong Wanqing barely used any Spiritual Power, but she still forced that kid back!"

"It’s perfectly normal, isn’t it? She’s the great Miss Murong of the Murong Clan, after all. How could that kid possibly compare?" The crowd was utterly stunned by the move Murong Wanqing had just displayed.

"Hmph. So Miss Murong has perfected the Murong Family’s Duality Eight Trigrams Palm," Lan Sha sneered, watching Murong Wanqing, who had forced Shen Haoran back in a single move.

"The Duality Eight Trigrams Palm? Manager Lan, are you talking about Mr. Murong’s signature Martial Skill, the Duality Eight Trigrams Palm?" An Elder beside Lan Sha was shocked and exclaimed.

The Duality Eight Trigrams Palm was the signature technique of the Murong Family’s Patriarch, Mr. Murong. It was an Earth Tier Low Level Martial Skill! Its greatest strength lay not in offense, but in defense. The Duality Eight Trigrams Palm could neutralize an attack several times stronger than oneself with minimal effort, and could even return the enemy’s attack. Legend has it that back when Mr. Murong was still at the Spirit Aspect Tier, he relied on this very technique to slay a Spirit King powerhouse, becoming famous in a single battle!

Ever since then, however, very few in the Murong Family aside from Mr. Murong himself had been able to master this Martial Skill. To think that Murong Wanqing had now displayed it here today... She truly was a prodigy!

Hearing the shocked voices around her, a flash of pride appeared in Murong Wanqing’s eyes. The Duality Eight Trigrams Palm was incredibly profound, and its Mental Method was abstruse and difficult to grasp. It was a perfect balance of offense and defense. She had spent a great deal of time just to reach Minor Achievement in the technique, allowing her to deflect immense force with minimal effort. It was the perfect counter to fierce and powerful techniques!

Murong Wanqing stared at Shen Haoran and beckoned for him to continue his attack, a trace of disdain flashing in her eyes.

Shen Haoran looked at Murong Wanqing’s taunting gesture, took a deep breath, and slowly straightened his body.

’Using softness to overcome hardness, is it? Hmph. Then let’s see if your softness can truly overcome my hardness!’ Shen Haoran clenched his fists. Veins bulged across his entire arm as terrifying power surged through him, and waves of a malevolent aura erupted from his body.

CRACK... CRACK...

Beneath his feet, the bluestone slabs began to crack under the pressure of this malevolent aura. The very air around him started to distort.

’This kid... his pure physical strength is this powerful? It might even surpass mine!’ Lan Sha’s brow furrowed tightly as he watched Shen Haoran unleash his full power.

’This kid must not be allowed to live!’ Lan Sha thought grimly.

Meanwhile, Murong Wanqing also set aside her disdain. The malevolent aura radiating from Shen Haoran was now putting some pressure on her. ’Looks like this is going to be a fierce battle!’

At that thought, Murong Wanqing sank into a slight crouch. She held one palm horizontally before her while her other hand tightened its grip on her longsword, her focus sharpening intensely. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

BOOM...

The next instant, Shen Haoran bent his knees and stomped down hard. He shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, the explosive force of his launch crushing the bluestone slabs beneath his feet into powder!

ROAR...

This time, the power behind Shen Haoran’s charge was on a completely different level. The ferocious, malevolent aura alone was enough to force Murong Wanqing back a few steps. Then, his enormous fist came smashing down like a giant hammer!

In response, Murong Wanqing quickly met his attack with her palm. A faint Duality Eight Trigrams pattern appeared behind her as that strange power once again erupted from her body and coiled around Shen Haoran’s fist!

"Hm?"

As the strange power enveloped his attack, Shen Haoran’s brow furrowed. He felt as if his immense force had just struck a ball of cotton. The sensation was so frustrating it made him want to vomit blood!

But while Shen Haoran was frustrated, Murong Wanqing wasn’t having an easy time either! She felt as if a great mountain was pressing down on her through Shen Haoran’s fist. Her Duality Eight Trigrams Palm seemed like it was about to buckle!

Murong Wanqing gritted her teeth, and the Spiritual Power in her body surged forth. The phantom image of the Duality Eight Trigrams behind her grew clearer! As her Spiritual Power flooded out, the terrifying force from Shen Haoran’s fist was finally, completely blocked!

HAH...

Having blocked Shen Haoran’s attack, Murong Wanqing let out a sharp cry as the Sharp Sword in her right hand slashed out, aiming straight for his throat. This time, she didn’t try to reflect his attack. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to, but that she couldn’t. Shen Haoran’s power was simply too terrifying; if she tried to forcibly redirect it, she would likely injure herself!

Sensing the sharp Sword Qi coming for him, Shen Haoran frowned and tried to pull away! However, a soft, clinging force suddenly emanated from Murong Wanqing’s hand, holding his fist firmly in place!

’Damn it!’ Shen Haoran cursed internally. He immediately wrenched his trapped right arm to block in front of him. In an instant, the arm swelled, transforming into a jet-black limb covered in crimson patterns—the Qilin Arm. Murong Wanqing’s Sharp Sword struck it directly!

CLANG...

The sound of metal striking metal rang out, and a shower of sparks erupted at the point of impact...