The air in the arena compressed violently as Iron-Tooth’s fist plummeted downward.
Even though they shared the same numerical tier at Qi Gathering, Level 1, Sub-Level 6, the sheer physical disparity was staggering. Iron-Tooth’s frame was twice Lin Xuan’s volume, packed with dense, unrefined earth-element muscle built through years of brutal mountain tonics. The impact radius of his punch distorted the air currents, sending a sharp screech across the gray stone.
Lin Xuan did not attempt to dodge backward. His calculations mapped the trajectory instantly: Lateral evasion window is insufficient by twelve centimeters.
Instead, he dropped his center of gravity, spinning his hips in a tight, fluid rotation that utilized his Water-element Qi to minimize friction against the trembling slate floor. He let Iron-Tooth’s massive fist graze his left shoulder, absorbing only a fraction of the glancing blow while channeling the remainder of the kinetic energy past his body.
CRACK!
Iron-Tooth’s fist smashed directly into the stone circle where Lin Xuan had been standing a millisecond prior, shattering the bedrock into a web of fine powder.
"Missed!" Iron-Tooth bellowed, a cruel grin splitting his face as he pivoted with surprising speed for his size, sweeping his heavy leg in a low arc designed to snap Lin Xuan's shins.
Lin Xuan winced as the residual shock from the glancing blow rattled his already bruised ribs, but his mind remained ice-cold. He leaped upward, tucking his knees to his chest, using the upward surge of his Fire-element Qi to gain a brief moment of suspension. This chapter was taken from novelping.com without permission.
As Iron-Tooth’s heavy kick swept underneath him, Lin Xuan planted both feet directly onto the upper calf of the enforcer's extended leg.
Force reflection vector set at one hundred and eighty degrees, Lin Xuan thought.
Instead of trying to block or strike with brute force, Lin Xuan triggered a sudden, high-frequency thermal expansion cycle using his Fire root, while instantly lubricating the contact point with his Water root. The sudden micro-explosion of heat beneath Iron-Tooth's calf muscle didn't break bone—it violently disrupted the synchronization of the older boy's lower dantian circulation.
"Gah—!"
Iron-Tooth’s leg jerked sideways as his internal Qi loop stuttered violently. The sudden loss of structural stability caused him to stumble forward, his massive frame carrying him off balance.
Lin Xuan landed lightly behind him, though a fresh line of blood trickled from his nose due to the strain on his damaged meridians. He didn't hesitate. Twisting his torso, he drove a razor-sharp, compressed palm strike straight into the vulnerable pressure point at the base of Iron-Tooth’s spine.
A dull, resonant vibration echoed through the arena. The shockwave traveled straight up Iron-Tooth's spinal column, short-circuiting his nervous system and locking his core muscles in an instant of paralyzing agony.
Iron-Tooth roared in fury, trying to swing his heavy elbows backward, but his limbs refused to obey. His eyes rolled upward in shock, and his immense body crashed heavily onto the gray stone floor, kicking up a thick cloud of dust.
Silence descended upon the Slate Plateau for the second consecutive time.
On the southern perimeter, Patriarch Xiong stood frozen, his face turning an alarming shade of dark purple. The Iron-Bear Clan had just lost their second consecutive champion to a ten-year-old child who was supposed to be half-broken from the first match.
Inside the Lin Clan ranks, Lin Chen let out a shaky, relieved breath, while Second Elder Lin Shan stared at his son with a mixture of profound pride and deep, lingering dread.
Lin Xuan stood over the fallen enforcer, his chest heaving, his robes stained with dust and dried blood. He wiped his nose with the back of his hand, staring down at his trembling fingers. His calculation had worked, but his body was reaching its absolute structural limit.
There was only one round left. And the Iron-Bear Clan's final representative was watching him from the shadows with cold, murderous eyes.