The entire banquet hall fell deathly silent as all eyes fixed on Zhao Dong in shock. Is he insane? How could anyone dare to say they want to kill Xiao Hongtian?
In the hall, sitting beside Hong Wu, Xu Yafei's pupils constricted. How could it be him?
Elsewhere in the crowd, another figure revealed a thoughtful smile. Zhao Dong, oh Zhao Dong, you came after all. But... are you truly a match for Xiao Hongtian?
Zhao Dong's arrival instantly sent a ripple of commotion through the crowd.
Xiao Hongtian stiffened, then slowly turned, his icy gaze locking onto Zhao Dong. "So you're the bastard who slept with Lin Qingyun?"
Zhao Dong strode forward, his eyes narrowing. "Your mouth is disgustingly foul, like you're spewing filth," he said coldly. "Watch your damn mouth!"
Xiao Hongtian's expression shifted. It had been many years since anyone had dared to speak to him like that.
Zhao Dong added a taunting sneer, "At least a woman was willing to be with me, which already makes me better than you. If I'm a bastard, then you're less than a bastard."
Xiao Hongtian let out a humorless chuckle, the bloodlust in his gloomy eyes intensifying. He was now fully committed to killing him. "Very well. You're the first person in years who has dared to speak to me this way. Care to guess how you'll die today?"
"Let Lin Qingyun go first!" Zhao Dong demanded coldly.
By now, Lin Qingyun's face was deeply flushed, and her vision was starting to blur. The drug was clearly taking hold. Yet, when she heard Zhao Dong's voice, a flicker of clarity returned to her.
The moment she saw him, her eyes unexpectedly welled with tears. She never imagined that in her darkest hour of despair, Zhao Dong would actually come to save her. He knew how terrifying Xiao Hongtian was, yet he had come anyway. At that moment, Lin Qingyun's heart was filled with overwhelming gratitude.
Zhao Dong gave her a deep look before shifting his gaze back to Xiao Hongtian. "Xiao Hongtian," he said coldly, "if you have any guts, let her go. I'll fight you one-on-one. Life and death will be decided by fate!"
At these words, everyone's pupils constricted. Xu Yafei, in particular, turned pale. Has he lost his mind? He knows how strong Xiao Hongtian is, yet he's still challenging him to a duel. Is he trying to get himself killed?
Xiao Hongtian glanced at Zhao Dong and, surprisingly, released Lin Qingyun. He then began to walk slowly toward him. Stopping ten meters away, he rolled his neck and looked at Zhao Dong with a strange, contemptuous smile.
"You're just a retired special forces soldier. In my eyes, that's no different from being trash. Who gave you the confidence to challenge me to a duel?"
"Just say whether you dare to fight or not," Zhao Dong sneered.
Xiao Hongtian licked his lips, his eyes glinting with bloodlust. "Of course, I dare. But this won't be a duel. I'm going to crush you."
"You're welcome to try," Zhao Dong said, meeting Xiao Hongtian's gaze without flinching, though his heart hammered in his chest.
Just an hour earlier, while reading the Mystic Sky Technique in his room, he had inexplicably felt a connection. He had actually sensed the flow of Spiritual Energy. He immediately began cultivating according to the book's instructions and instantly felt his muscles and bones strengthen several times over. His entire body felt like it was brimming with inexhaustible power.
However, he still wasn't sure if he was a match for Xiao Hongtian. It's true, even though I can cultivate now, I'm at the very bottom rung. Xiao Hongtian is said to be a master of Inner Strength. I really have no confidence.
Still, he decided to stake it all on this fight. He would not give Lin Qingyun up to anyone!
Clenching his fists, Zhao Dong stared directly at Xiao Hongtian. "They say you're a prodigy of the Xiao Family with unparalleled strength. Allow me to see it for myself!"
Xiao Hongtian sighed. "The price for seeing it is your life. But then again, I truly would enjoy taking that worthless life of yours."
Before his words had even faded, Xiao Hongtian moved. His body became a blur, an afterimage that closed the distance to Zhao Dong in an instant. A punch carrying immense power shot toward him.
Zhao Dong's pupils shrank. Is this the power of an Inner Strength master? This speed could overwhelm even the king of special forces. No wonder he's called a master of Inner Strength!
Zhao Dong reacted, trying to block, but it was too late. Xiao Hongtian's fist slammed into his chest with terrifying force. He was sent flying, crashing into the far wall hard enough to leave a dent. He thudded to the floor and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Seeing this, Xu Yafei unconsciously bit her lip, her face turning pale.
On the floor, Zhao Dong continued to cough up blood, his chest feeling as if it had been shattered. He had no doubt that if this had happened yesterday, that single blow would have killed him. And yet, now he was just coughing up blood with no substantial injuries. He was shocked. Could the Mystic Sky Technique actually be working?
Across from him, a flicker of surprise crossed Xiao Hongtian's face. "You actually took my punch?"
Zhao Dong pushed himself to his feet, wiped the blood from his mouth, and sneered, "Seems your strength isn't all that impressive. Bring it on!"
Rage flared on Xiao Hongtian's face. "A mere special forces soldier, acting tough in front of me? You're courting death!"
With a low roar, Xiao Hongtian's body shot forward like a thunderbolt. This time, Zhao Dong was prepared. The instant Xiao Hongtian moved, he rolled to the side. Xiao Hongtian's punch missed, smashing into the wall where Zhao Dong had been standing. Stone chips flew everywhere. The solid marble wall, as if made of tofu, now had a hole punched clean through it.
Everyone gasped, their eyes filled with shock as they stared at Xiao Hongtian.
Zhao Dong was also startled. Xiao Hongtian's eyes were menacing. "Trash. Let's see how long you can dodge!"
Xiao Hongtian attacked again, his moves even more ferocious than before. Zhao Dong was backed into a corner with no room to retreat. The only option was to fight.
His eyes turned cold. As Xiao Hongtian's fist neared his chest, he twisted his body aside at the last second, dodging just enough, and shot out a lightning-fast kick that landed squarely on Xiao Hongtian's chest.
Xiao Hongtian staggered back three steps, leaving a dark shoe print on his white suit.
"See? You're really not that great," Zhao Dong mocked. "Is this what passes for a master?"
"Insolence. I merely allowed a buffoon like you to live a little longer. Now, you can die."
In an instant, Xiao Hongtian's form blurred like a thunderclap. He leaped three meters into the air, aiming a kick at Zhao Dong's head. The angle was vicious and impossible to evade. Zhao Dong instinctively threw both arms up to shield his face, meeting the kick head-on.
BOOM!
Zhao Dong was sent flying. His arms were completely numb from the impact, and a sickening crunching sound echoed from them. A chill ran down his spine. That was the sound of my bones breaking! Waves of pain shot through his arms; he was certain they now had fractures. The force of that single kick was terrifying.
Before Zhao Dong could even catch his breath, Xiao Hongtian's assault resumed. His fists were a torrential downpour, unleashing dozens of punches in a single second. If this had been the old Zhao Dong, he would have been brutally beaten to death. But now, he could actually see the phantom images of Xiao Hongtian's fists, and he threw his own punches to block and counter.
Within a few breaths, they exchanged more than thirty blows. In the midst of the furious exchange, Zhao Dong even managed to land another punch on Xiao Hongtian.
Xiao Hongtian touched his stinging chest, his eyes betraying his shock. I already had someone investigate him. He's just a retired special forces soldier, an ordinary man, not an Inner Strength master I could kill with a single palm strike. So how can he be so good at fighting? An ordinary person couldn't possibly keep up with me!
Finally, Xiao Hongtian clenched his jaw. His gaze turned frigid as he threw a punch straight at Zhao Dong's face. Zhao Dong moved to block on instinct, but Xiao Hongtian feinted. He pulled the punch back and delivered an unorthodox kick that caught Zhao Dong squarely on the chest.
Zhao Dong flew backward. He struggled to get back to his feet, but Xiao Hongtian's speed suddenly exploded. With eyes blazing, he surged forward.
"Sky Shattering Fist!"
With a roar, Xiao Hongtian channeled all his Inner Strength into his right fist and drove it toward Zhao Dong's chest.
"Zhao Dong, DIE!"
BOOM!
There was a sickening thud as Zhao Dong was sent flying through the air. He coughed up a great gout of blood before crashing heavily to the ground, motionless.
The hall fell utterly silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Xiao Hongtian retracted his fist. Clasping his hands behind his back, he announced with the air of a conquering emperor, "It is finished. Someone, remove this trash's corpse."
"ZHAO DONG!!!"
Lin Qingyun shrieked, tears flying from her eyes as she ran and collapsed beside Zhao Dong, cradling his still form.