Xu Guangwei took a deep breath, pushing aside his scattered thoughts. With a savage sneer, he moved again.

He was even faster now, a gray shadow circling Yang Jing. His claw technique was devious and brutal, aimed exclusively at weak points like joints and the area beneath the ribs. A cold light glinted from his fingertips, a clear sign he was striking with vicious intent.

Yang Jing remained calm and unhurried. He employed his Surging Waves Leg Technique, his movements becoming erratic as he perfectly evaded his opponent’s devious attacks.

At the same time, he clenched both fists, unleashing one move after another from his Mountain-Shattering Fist.

The wind from his fists howled, powerful and ferocious, creating an impenetrable defense around his body.

Each time fist and claw met, a dull thud echoed. The wooden planks of the ring creaked and groaned under the force radiating from their feet.

The more Xu Guangwei fought, the more shocked he became.

He had assumed that after so many brutal fights, Yang Jing’s Inner Strength would be nearly spent, and that a little pressure would be all it took to crush him.

But the Yang Jing before him showed no signs of depleting his Inner Strength. In fact, it was shockingly abundant. The force in his fists grew heavier and more ferocious with each strike, faintly beginning to overpower his own claw technique.

"Impossible!"

Xu Guangwei let out a low roar and abruptly changed his attack. His claw technique grew even more sinister and brutal. He feinted with his left claw to draw Yang Jing’s attention, while his right claw shot out like a viper striking from its den, aimed straight for Yang Jing’s heart.

The strike was lightning-fast and came from an incredibly devious angle.

Yang Jing’s pupils contracted. Instead of retreating, he advanced. His Surging Waves Leg Technique carried him forward in a bizarre arc, allowing him to evade the fatal strike by a hair’s breadth.

At the same time, he gathered power in his right fist, channeling the very essence of the Mountain-Shattering Fist. With a thunderous BOOM, he smashed it straight toward Xu Guangwei’s face.

Xu Guangwei had no time to react and hastily threw up an arm to block.

With a loud CRACK, a sharp pain shot through his arm. He staggered back several steps, and the look on his face finally changed.

It shifted from initial contempt to astonishment, and now, to grim solemnity.

He stared fixedly at Yang Jing, as if seeing the man before him for the first time. "You... How can you be..."

Yang Jing stood his ground. His breathing was a little ragged and his knuckles were slightly red, but his eyes were steady. "Fights are decided by strength, not by assumptions."

Before his voice had even faded, Xu Guangwei lunged forward again. This time, he didn’t dare to underestimate his opponent in the slightest, pushing his speed and power to their absolute limits. A storm of claw afterimages filled the air, enveloping all of Yang Jing’s vital points.

Yang Jing’s eyes sharpened. His coordination of the Mountain-Shattering Fist and the Surging Waves Leg Technique grew even more refined. His fists were like shattering stone, his legs like roiling waves. He would sometimes meet a blow head-on, and other times cleverly evade. The wind from his fists and the blur of his legs wove into a shimmering curtain that was both offense and defense in one.

Wood splinters flew across the ring, the two fighters moving so fast their figures almost blurred into one.

No one had expected this. What was supposed to be an easy victory for Xu Guangwei had turned into a fierce battle between well-matched opponents.

Xu Guangwei’s speed remained astonishing, but Yang Jing’s Inner Strength was as steady as a boulder. For a time, neither could overwhelm the other. The outcome hung in the balance.

「Time slowly passed.」

The two exchanged blows relentlessly, and soon, nearly a hundred moves had passed.

The dull thuds of their clashes grew more rapid. Xu Guangwei’s figure was no longer as swift as before, his movements now showing signs of sluggishness. Beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks, splattering on the planks and leaving small, wet stains.

He could clearly feel his Inner Strength draining away. The frenzied assault from moments before had consumed most of his stamina. A tide of soreness and numbness washed over his arm, causing his claw technique to lose some of its devious edge.

Yang Jing, on the other hand, though also breathing heavily, still had a gaze as sharp as an eagle’s.

The power of his Mountain-Shattering Fist had not diminished in the slightest, and the footwork of his Surging Waves Leg Technique remained nimble. The very air trembled wherever his fists passed.

Within his body, the residual power of that mysterious elixir flowed like a trickling stream, continuously seeping into his meridians. It transformed into pure Inner Strength, replenishing what he spent. This was the key to his ability to fight on without tiring.

"How is this possible... How can your Inner Strength still be so abundant?"

Xu Guangwei panted heavily, his claw technique clearly faltering. His eyes were filled with incredulous panic.

’My Inner Strength reserves at the Peak of Dark Energy should be far greater than Yang Jing’s,’ he thought. ’Even if he took an elixir beforehand, he should have hit his limit by now. But this guy... it’s like he has an endless supply of energy.’

But how could he have known that the Hundred Herbs Spirit Pill Yang Jing had taken was far beyond what any ordinary elixir could accomplish?

Yang Jing said nothing, answering only with his fists.

He spotted an opening as Xu Guangwei changed his move. With his Surging Waves Leg Technique, he took a sudden half-step forward, his body spinning like a top to evade the feinting left claw. He focused all his strength into his right fist, unleashing the Rock-Splitting Stance of the Mountain-Shattering Fist. The punch shot out from an impossible angle with a whistling shriek, aimed straight for Xu Guangwei’s chest.

The punch was too fast. Xu Guangwei was caught between moves, his previous attack spent and a new one not yet formed. He had no time to defend.

He felt an immense, irresistible force slam into his chest, as if he’d been struck by a sledgehammer. His Inner Strength shattered instantly, and his body flew backward like a kite with a snapped string.

THUD!

Xu Guangwei slammed heavily into the ring’s railings, making them shudder violently.

He then slid to the floor. A metallic, sweet taste rose in his throat, and he coughed up a large mouthful of fresh blood that stained the planks in front of him red.

Immediately after, he coughed up several more mouthfuls of bloody foam. He was clearly seriously injured.

Yang Jing did not press his advantage. He withdrew his fist and stood still, his chest rising and falling gently.

He could feel that the last vestiges of the elixir’s power within him had been exhausted, but by now, he had already secured a decisive advantage.

Xu Guangwei struggled to raise his head. Gazing at Yang Jing’s tall, straight figure, the last glimmer of hope in his eyes died.

He knew he had lost—lost completely and utterly.

If he kept fighting, he would only suffer worse injuries, and might even ruin his future on the Martial Dao.

"I... concede."

Xu Guangwei’s voice was hoarse and broken, filled with an indescribable bitterness.

As he spoke those two words, it was as if all the strength had been drained from his body. He collapsed listlessly to the ground, unable to move another inch.