Before the words had even faded, Li Mengchao moved. He leaped onto the fighting stage as nimbly as a cat, landing steadily opposite Qi Yun.

He wore black martial attire, his posture tall and straight. A powerful aura began to emanate from him as he stood there, making the surrounding air feel thick and stagnant.

Qi Yun gazed at Li Mengchao, feeling an invisible pressure bearing down on her. It was as if she wasn’t facing a man, but a mountain about to unleash its power.

She instinctively clenched her fists. Her Dark Energy circulated rapidly within her, but she couldn’t break free from the oppressive feeling.

This sensation far surpassed that of an ordinary fighter at the Peak of Dark Energy, making her heart sink. Yet, she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was different.

Below the stage, Yang Jing’s brow furrowed slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

’He hadn’t expected Li Mengchao to take the stage so early. From the looks of it, he plans to use sheer force to sweep aside all remaining opponents. He’s certainly confident.’

As Li Mengchao ascended the stage, a wave of discussion broke out in the spectator stands.

"Why is Li Mengchao going up now?"

"Logically, other Dark Energy experts should have gone first to wear down the opponent..."

"Is he that confident? Isn’t he afraid of Sun’s Martial Arts Hall wearing him down in a war of attrition? Everyone knows Yang Jing from the Sun Family is the main event."

The crowd murmured amongst themselves, their faces filled with confusion.

Everyone knew Sun’s Martial Arts Hall still had Yang Jing as their trump card. For Li Mengchao to take the stage now was undoubtedly putting himself at a disadvantage.

Li Haitao held his teacup, his expression perfectly calm.

His son taking the stage early didn’t surprise him.

With Meng Chao’s strength as a Half-Step Huajin, it didn’t matter that Sun’s Martial Arts Hall only had three people left. Even three more at the Peak of Dark Energy would be no match for him.

Telling him to hold back earlier was merely a precaution.

By acting early, he could instead display the Li Family’s might all the more thoroughly.

He glanced at Sun Yong, secretly looking forward to the moment his son revealed his true strength. ’This old fool’s face is probably going to turn green.’

In the plaza surrounding the fighting stage, the common folk had already erupted.

"It’s Li Mengchao! This year’s champion of the training ground trials!"

"He’s going up so soon?"

"This is going to be a good show!"

Amid the roaring din, the atmosphere on the stage grew even more tense.

"Li Family, Li Mengchao." Li Mengchao nodded slightly. His tone was flat, yet it carried an innate arrogance.

Qi Yun took a deep breath to suppress her unease and said in a low voice, "Sun’s Martial Arts Hall, Qi Yun."

The moment the words left her mouth, she took the initiative and attacked.

The ferocious power of the Mountain-Shattering Fist became a blur in her hands. The wind from her fist, wrapped in Dark Energy, shot straight for Li Mengchao’s heart.

She knew she was no match for him, but she hoped to at least drain some of his stamina.

A flicker of contempt crossed Li Mengchao’s eyes. He didn’t dodge or evade, simply raising his right palm casually and pushing it forward.

His movement seemed slow, but a subtle airflow swirled at the edge of his palm, carrying a power that was both fluid and tyrannical.

THUD!

A muffled impact rang out as fist met palm.

Qi Yun felt an indescribable, immense force surge from his palm, as if she had crashed into a rushing torrent. Her Dark Energy instantly dissipated, and her arm flared with intense, numbing pain.

She had no time to react. Her entire body was sent flying sideways like a kite with a snapped string.

She landed with a thud on the stone slabs outside the stage, spitting out a mouthful of bloody foam. She struggled a few times but couldn’t get back up.

The murmurs and clamor from the crowd instantly died down.

Many people were stunned by this scene. While Qi Yun wasn’t a top-tier Dark Energy Martial Artist, she could hold her own against someone at the Peak of Dark Energy. Yet Li Mengchao had sent her flying with a single palm strike?

’Could it be because she used up too much energy fighting Li Lie earlier?’

In the front row of the spectator stands.

The expressions of Wang Kui and the few other Huajin Powerhouses changed. They instinctively leaned forward in their seats.

Their gazes were sharp. Though they had only seen Li Mengchao’s one palm strike, they had already detected the profundity hidden within it. That fluidity and penetrating power was definitely not something Dark Energy could possess. It was clearly the aura of someone who had touched the threshold of Huajin!

"Half-Step Huajin..." Wang Kui muttered to himself, a trace of shock in his eyes. ’The Li Family has hidden this so well.’

Sun Yong’s hand, holding his teacup, suddenly tightened. His face was a mask of astonishment, his pupils contracting.

’No wonder the Li Family dared to make such a heavy wager. So, Li Mengchao has already stepped into the Half-Step Huajin realm!’

’A realm like this is enough to crush any Dark Energy Martial Artist, including Yang Jing before his breakthrough!’

All his previous doubts vanished in that instant.

Li Haitao had been watching Sun Yong intently. Seeing the shock finally appear on his face brought a wave of delight to his heart.

But the surprise was fleeting; Sun Yong quickly regained his composure, which somewhat diminished Li Haitao’s satisfaction.

’Putting on a calm act? Heh, you old bastard. You’ll be crying soon enough,’ Li Haitao sneered internally.

...

Below the stage, Yang Jing’s brow was tightly furrowed, his eyes narrowed.

The moment Li Mengchao had struck, he had clearly caught a trace of a familiar aura.

It was the unique flow of Qi Force characteristic of Huajin, but it was much weaker than his own, and tinged with a certain rawness and instability.

’Half-Step Huajin...’ Yang Jing understood instantly.

’No wonder the guy was so arrogant. He’s stuck at the threshold of Huajin.’

At this level, the quality of his Inner Strength had far surpassed that of Dark Energy. Dealing with an ordinary fighter at the Peak of Dark Energy would indeed be as easy as crushing dead branches.

He had already made a decision: he wouldn’t let Xu Hong go on stage.

His senior brother, Xu Hong, had not yet recovered from his injuries and couldn’t use his full strength. Facing a Half-Step Huajin like Li Mengchao would be like throwing an egg against a stone.

But just as he was about to step forward, Xu Hong, who was beside him, moved.

Xu Hong’s face was a little pale, but he straightened his back. He patted Yang Jing’s shoulder. "Junior Brother, you rest up and save your energy. I’ll go up and test him first."

Before his words had faded, he had already leaped onto the fighting stage, landing steadily opposite Li Mengchao.