Yang Jing opened his mouth as if to say something, but Xu Hong had already stepped onto the platform, so he simply closed it again.

On the platform, Xu Hong stood with his fist cupped in his hand, his voice grave. "Sun’s Martial Arts Hall. Xu Hong."

Li Mengchao noted his pale complexion and raised an eyebrow. "Li Family. Li Mengchao."

Xu Hong didn’t reply. He simply settled into the opening stance of the Mountain-Shattering Fist. He knew his chances of victory were slim, but he wanted to hold on as long as he could—for the Martial Arts Hall, and for Yang Jing.

On the platform.

Xu Hong sank his waist and rooted his stance. He held the opening posture of the Mountain-Shattering Fist with unwavering stability as Dark Energy circulated through his meridians.

Although his injuries had mostly recovered, the hidden ailment from his previous attempt to break through to the next realm remained, causing a slight stagnation whenever he circulated his Inner Strength.

Yet his eyes were sharp, showing no sign of retreat. Even if there was only a sliver of a chance, he had to try.

"I ask for your guidance."

Xu Hong let out a low cry and attacked first.

He perfectly showcased the ferocity of the Mountain-Shattering Fist. He threw a punch that whistled through the air, aimed straight for Li Mengchao’s face.

This single punch contained all his strength.

A faint smile touched Li Mengchao’s lips. He simply raised his right hand in a casual block.

His palm seemed to hold a profound mystery. Without dodging or evading, it appeared exactly where Xu Hong’s fist had to pass.

BAM!

As fist met palm, Xu Hong felt a smooth yet domineering force wash over him. His Dark Energy felt like it had struck cotton; its ferocious momentum was instantly dissipated, and a sharp, tingling numbness shot through his wrist.

"Decent power, but... too crude," Li Mengchao commented nonchalantly. His left hand suddenly shot out, fingertips a blur as they aimed for a major acupoint on Xu Hong’s chest.

A chill went down Xu Hong’s spine. He hastily withdrew his fist to defend himself, his footwork shifting as he tried to evade the cunning finger strike.

But Li Mengchao was far faster than he had anticipated. The fingertip followed him like a shadow, already just inches away.

On the second move, Xu Hong was forced onto the defensive, finding himself at a disadvantage.

Li Mengchao pressed his advantage. His body flickered, closing the distance like a phantom. He struck with his right palm, an attack that seemed deceptively ordinary.

The palm strike looked slow, yet it sealed off all of Xu Hong’s escape routes. The force carried in the gust of wind from the palm made his scalp tingle.

He knew he couldn’t dodge. Gritting his teeth, he could only meet it head-on. He crossed his palms in front of his chest and pushed his Dark Energy to its absolute limit.

BAM!

As the third move landed, Xu Hong felt an overwhelming force crash into him. An intense pain shot through his palms as his Dark Energy instantly dissipated.

As if struck by a sledgehammer, he was sent flying backward. He landed with a heavy THUD off the side of the platform, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

At that moment, the entire crowd erupted in an uproar.

"Three moves! He won in just three moves?!"

"But Xu Hong is at the Peak of Dark Energy! Li Mengchao is just too powerful!"

"The man who ranked first in the Drill Ground Trials truly lives up to his name! With that kind of strength, he’s probably invincible in the Dark Energy realm!"

"I wonder who’s stronger—his ’invincible at Dark Energy’ or Yang Jing’s ’invincible at Dark Energy’?"

"Something’s off. Li Mengchao’s power feels strange. It’s like he’s already touched the threshold of the Huajin realm, but just hasn’t truly broken through."

"I felt something was off earlier but couldn’t put my finger on it. Now I’m starting to see it... Li Mengchao is very likely already a Half-Step Huajin!"

"Hiss... so you’re saying the Li Family is about to have its third Huajin Powerhouse?"

"Let’s just watch. Sun’s Martial Arts Hall only has Yang Jing left. The fight between those two is next."

"I was betting on Yang Jing before, but I never expected Li Mengchao to have reached the Half-Step Huajin realm. Now, it’s Yang Jing who’s in danger."

The common folk and Low-tier Martial Artists in the audience were dumbfounded. Many of them couldn’t discern Li Mengchao’s realm and just assumed they were witnessing someone at the Peak of Dark Energy completely dominate an opponent, leaving them in awe of his power.

However, some Martial Artists had a keener eye. They could tell that the power Li Mengchao had just displayed was unusual and guessed that he had already touched the threshold of the Huajin realm—in other words, he had reached the so-called Half-Step Huajin stage.

In the front row of the spectators’ gallery, Wang Kui and the other Huajin Powerhouses remained calm.

This was the expected outcome of a match between a Half-Step Huajin and someone at the Peak of Dark Energy.

County Magistrate Zhou Wenbin turned to look at Yang Jing, who was standing at the side of the platform. ’This is the genius who killed Li Qianxiong,’ he thought. ’How long can he last against a Half-Step Huajin like Li Mengchao?’

Below the platform.

Xu Hong struggled to sit up, his face a mask of astonishment.

He knew he was no match for his opponent, but he hadn’t expected to be defeated so quickly and so completely.

The power contained within those three moves—smooth, yet piercing—was something utterly beyond the realm of Dark Energy. The realization made his heart sink.

He looked up at Yang Jing, his voice weak but exceptionally grave. "Junior Brother... be careful. His power is strange. It’s like he’s touched the Huajin realm."

Yang Jing helped Xu Hong up and said in a low, steady voice, "Don’t worry, Senior Brother. Just get some rest. I’ll take it from here."

His voice was calm, yet it carried a reassuring strength.

On the platform, Li Mengchao heard this and couldn’t help but scoff internally.

’Take it from here?’

’You?’

’No matter how strong Yang Jing’s Dark Energy is, how could he possibly withstand an attack from the Huajin realm?’

’Even a Half-Step Huajin isn’t someone a mere Dark Energy Martial Artist can hope to defy.’

’It’s good to have a spine, but blind arrogance will only lead to a harder fall.’

Meanwhile, Yang Jing took a deep breath and leaped onto the platform.

The surface of the Black Stone Platform was warm from the sun. He stood opposite Li Mengchao, his posture as straight as a pine tree, his gaze as tranquil as still water.

"Sun’s Martial Arts Hall. Yang Jing."

The simple six words carried clearly across the entire venue.

...

Below the platform.

Xu Hong was supported by his fellow disciples. Qi Yun, Zhao Wenzheng, and the others gathered around him, their gazes locked on the figure on the platform.

Clutching his chest, his face pale but his eyes sharp, Xu Hong said in a low voice to Qi Yun, "That Palm Force from Li Mengchao... it was smooth, yet it had a piercing quality. That’s not something a person at the Peak of Dark Energy should possess... I suspect he’s already touched the threshold of the Huajin realm."