Chapter 216: Chapter 215: Instant Kill in One Move

"Haha, and you call him your big brother?" Liang Bing sneered. "In a moment, you’ll be helping carry that ’big brother’ of yours back for treatment! Remember to take good care of him, and don’t let him run around loose. Otherwise, he won’t even know what hit him when he dies!"

The match hadn’t even started, yet Liang Bing was already running his mouth, convinced he was going to win.

"My big brother won’t lose!" Yang Yu said coldly.

"Is that so? We’ll know soon enough, won’t we?" Liang Bing snorted, then turned and led Zhang Bin toward the martial arts platform.

Soon, they were standing on the platform. As news of the duel spread, a crowd quickly gathered. They were shocked to see Yi Tianyun and Liang Bing facing off. Wasn’t this a death wish? Liang Bing’s cultivation was so high, and this newcomer had only just joined, yet he was already stirring up so much trouble?

"Is this Yi Tianyun looking to die, dueling Liang Bing? Liang Bing’s Divine Rune skill is decent, but his real strength is in combat!"

"I heard he’s doing this to stand up for Yang Yu."

"He’s going to get himself killed just for that Yang Yu? He really is looking to die!"

...

They all shook their heads, thinking it was a foolish and pointless gesture.

"This is a sparring match. No killing blows!" A guard on the side came over to watch them. Sparring was allowed here, but killing was absolutely forbidden. The Celestial Pattern Pavilion didn’t want its disciples to be constantly dying.

"Don’t worry, I won’t use lethal force. We’re fellow disciples, after all. This is just a friendly spar to teach him that being too arrogant around here isn’t a good thing." Liang Bing smiled coldly, though he had already made up his mind. ’True, I can’t kill him, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be heavy-handed. Leaving him with half a life will be just fine. I’ll teach Yi Tianyun a harsh lesson.’

Yi Tianyun just stood where he was, his gaze cold as he looked at him. "Are you ready?"

"I’ve been ready. But, seeing as you’re my junior, I’ll grant you the first three moves!" Liang Bing held up three fingers. He was just that confident in himself. Just because Yi Tianyun could handle Feng Yulong didn’t mean he could handle him.

He was a good deal stronger than Feng Yulong, so in his mind, it was no surprise Yi Tianyun had won that fight. As for Jia Ping being slapped, Liang Bing believed Jia Ping had just stood there and taken the hit on purpose as part of a bet, not that he was incapable of blocking Yi Tianyun’s attack.

"Three moves?" Yi Tianyun shook his head. He extended his hand, holding up a single finger, and said in a low voice, "I only need one move to defeat you!"

"Oh, how arrogant. In that case, I’ll just stand right here and see how you defeat me in one move!" Liang Bing was furious. He couldn’t believe this newcomer was so damn cocky; it was a threat to the authority of all the senior disciples.

The people below all shook their heads, thinking Yi Tianyun was far too arrogant and not at all level-headed. Even if a person like that didn’t suffer a loss here, he would definitely suffer one out in the world someday. After all, being too arrogant is never a good thing.

One must learn to endure all things. Those who thought this way were usually from humbler backgrounds, willing to swallow insults and just bear it.

"Arrogant, my ass! Liang, teach him a harsh lesson! Show them what we’re made of!"

"His ranking jumped so high. I don’t even know how they decide these things!"

"Exactly! Teach him a good lesson! Show them how strong we are!"

Liang Bing’s supporters all belonged to the same faction. Seeing a newcomer like Yi Tianyun climb up the ranks and push them down made them feel like they had lost face.

The words had barely faded when—BOOM!—an explosion of force erupted from where Yi Tianyun stood. He unleashed a terrifying power, his stomp cracking the ground beneath him. With that furious step, the entire platform began to shake.

The deafening sound stunned everyone. They snapped their heads up to stare at the phantom-like figure rushing forward, their eyes filled with horror.

His figure became a domineering blur, magnified to its extreme. Veins bulged on his legs as his power erupted to its peak. A violent force and shockwave swept out in all directions! There were no flashy moves, just a single charge that unleashed the full, unadulterated power of his Physique!

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

The sound of his furious steps echoed, shaking the very ground. In the blink of an eye, a terrifying burst of speed carried Yi Tianyun right in front of Liang Bing. There was no sneak attack; the moment he arrived, he swung his leg like a long whip, lashing it straight at Liang Bing’s midsection.

Liang Bing hurriedly raised his arms to block, but the moment he made contact with that terrifying kick, it felt like a mountain was crashing down on him. A violent tremor ran through him, and with a CRACK, the bones in his arms were shattered by the force. His arms went limp and fell away, and the terrifying kick continued on, slamming viciously into his chest!

THUD!

Liang Bing’s body was sent flying like a broken kite, launched high into the air before—BOOM!—he crashed violently into a distant building, his condition unknown.

The entire crowd was dumbfounded. He had sent Liang Bing flying, his condition unknown, with a single kick. The terrifying power made their hearts tremble. They all sucked in a sharp breath of cold air. What kind of strength was this? Who said he was supposed to be weak?

"Liang!" Zhang Bin scrambled over, rushing into the collapsed building to search. When he finally carried Liang Bing out, the man was barely clinging to life. His chest had caved in. He wasn’t dead, but he would be bedridden for at least a few months before he could even think about walking again.

It was a terrifying kick. Liang Bing had been utterly unable to block that kind of power. How could he possibly defend against a force that so completely crushed his own? And it was a kick fueled by anger—who could possibly stand in its way!

"So... so strong..." Yang Yu gasped. "Boss is incredible! That power is terrifying. I bet even a giant bear would’ve been sent flying by that kick. He really did finish him in one hit."

"How vicious! Steward Huang, he used lethal force!" Zhang Bin yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Yi Tianyun.

Steward Huang came over and checked Liang Bing, then shook his head. "No. It was a normal duel. Take him away for treatment." Fists and feet have no eyes. The force used was within acceptable limits; he hadn’t killed Liang Bing, so it couldn’t be considered a lethal blow.

Zhang Bin was fuming. He couldn’t believe Liang Bing had been defeated just like that, while Yi Tianyun was completely unscathed.

"Do you want a match with me?" Yi Tianyun asked, looking down on him from the platform, his gaze like ice.

Zhang Bin trembled. ’Liang Bing was defeated... With my level of skill, how am I qualified to fight Yi Tianyun? I’d just get sent flying with one kick, same as Liang Bing.’

"What, you don’t want to fight?" Yi Tianyun sneered. ’If you want to step on others, you’d better be prepared to be stepped on yourself!’

"I... I have to take Liang for treatment first! Next time we fight, I’ll defeat you for sure!" Zhang Bin used Liang Bing as an excuse, a perfect way to escape the challenge. He then carried Liang Bing away, but any discerning eye could see that he was just scared and had found a convenient way to back down.

The other disciples who had been supporting Liang Bing were now silent. They didn’t like Yi Tianyun, but they were all weaker than Liang Bing. They never expected he would be taken out so easily. Was this newcomer really so terrifying in terms of martial strength, too?

Yi Tianyun snorted and walked off the platform. Yang Yu rushed up to him, exclaiming excitedly, "Boss, you’re incredible! The power you just unleashed was almost at the peak of the Spirit Refining Stage! How do you even cultivate to be that strong?!"

"I just trained, and then I broke through," Yi Tianyun said with a faint smile, which nearly made Yang Yu cough up blood. ’What kind of explanation is that?’

’And that was with my cultivation suppressed. If I had used my full power, Liang Bing would undoubtedly be dead! This is all just child’s play. There’s no need to get too serious with these small-minded people. If not for the Celestial Extreme Mansion, I would have flattened them with a single slap long ago.’

’Still, through these minor squabbles, I’ve gotten a general idea of the situation in the Celestial Pattern Pavilion. Very few here are worthy of being recruited into the Merak Sect.’