Chaos begins when one joins a martial arts school

Chapter 70 Li Family
When Yang Jing stepped off the stage, his steps were still a little unsteady. The emptiness brought about by the depletion of his internal energy spread along his limbs, and every step felt like walking on cotton.

He raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, his fingertips touching something warm, but he calmly withdrew his hand, hiding it in his sleeve and quietly clenching it. This little injury was nothing.

Qin Yu followed closely behind as he stepped off the stage, his steps steady. Although his black outfit was covered in dust, it did not diminish his upright posture in the slightest.

The silver-armored captain stepped onto the arena, his armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight. He announced loudly, "First round, second match, Qin Yu wins!"

As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous cheers erupted from the west stands, and the disciples of Zhenwei Martial Arts School stood up, waving their school flag and shouting.

"Brother Qin is awesome!"

"Zhenwei will surely win!"

The cheers rose in waves, almost shaking the training ground.

The owner of Zhenwei Martial Arts School stroked his beard and nodded repeatedly, his face full of arrogance.

Yang Jing stepped off the stage, his eyes fixed straight ahead, his steps steady. He found a corner under the main stage and sat down cross-legged.

At this moment, Lin Yue was standing below the arena, his gaze coldly fixed on him.

His usually arrogant face was now covered with frost, and he let out a clear, cold snort from his nose. The sound wasn't loud, but it was enough for the people around him to hear.

"Hmph, admitting defeat before anything has even happened, what a disgrace to the martial arts school." Lin Yue thought with disdain. He turned his head away, not even glancing at Yang Jing, as if looking at him would be a defilement.

Not far away, a well-dressed, fair-skinned, tall, and slender young man was watching Lin Yue. Seeing Lin Yue's disdainful look towards Yang Jing's actions, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and a playful look appeared in his eyes.

Yang Jing had no idea what Lin Yue was thinking at that moment, nor did he care.

He took out the small bottle containing the Rejuvenation Pill that Liu Maolin had given him from his pocket, poured out one pill, and put it in his mouth.

The moment it entered the mouth, the elixir transformed into a sweet, warm current that slid down the throat and into the stomach.

In a short while, the warm current spread out like a spring, and wherever it passed, the originally sluggish meridians seemed to be unblocked, and the parched dantian seemed to be infused with clear spring water.

He quickly closed his eyes and focused his mind to regulate his breathing.

The Rejuvenation Pill seemed to have also activated the Qi-Nourishing Pill's effects hidden within his body, causing a surge of heat within him, and a layer of fine sweat appeared on Yang Jing's forehead.

The surging internal energy coursed through his body, and the fatigue from the previous depletion subsided at a visible speed. A warm feeling spread through his limbs and bones, and every muscle and bone was stretching.

Yang Jing's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and a slight smile unconsciously appeared at the corners of his mouth.

He could clearly feel his internal energy rapidly recovering, and the power in his dantian becoming increasingly abundant.

He took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled, his breath long and steady.

"There's still a chance," Yang Jing thought to himself.

He needs to get back to peak condition before the next match begins.

Outside the fence, in the spectator stands.

The atmosphere at the Sun Family Martial Arts School was somewhat somber.

Sun Yong's gaze fell on Yang Jing's staggering figure as he stepped off the stage. There was no blame in his eyes, but rather a hint of relief.

He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching the ears of every disciple: "Yang Jing has done very well."

“What a pity—” Zhao Wenzheng, who was standing next to him, shook his head, about to say something.

Sun Yong waved his hand, interrupting him: "In martial arts sparring, there is always a difference in strength. Qin Yu's internal strength has reached an extremely high level, and he is quite a troublesome character even among those at the peak of internal strength. The fact that Yang Jing was able to withstand him for so long and still protect himself has far exceeded my expectations."

He paused, gazing at Yang Jing's figure below the stage, kneeling and healing his injuries, and continued, "Remember, for martial artists, winning and losing are common occurrences. The important thing is to recognize the gap between us, know our shortcomings, and then improve. Although Yang Jing lost today, he did his best and showed the spirit of our Sun Family Martial Arts School, and that's enough."

Sun Ningxiang, who was standing next to him, nodded in agreement: "Father is right. Junior Brother Yang Jing is resilient. Although he is injured today, he will surely achieve great things in the future."

Sun Yong nodded slightly and said nothing more.

Behind Sun Yong, Liu Maolin clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

He watched as Yang Jing was forced to retreat repeatedly by Qin Yu's punches, the blood seeping from his arm particularly glaring in the sunlight, and his heart clenched.

"Sigh, if I had known that Qin Yu's internal strength had reached this level, Junior Brother Yang should have admitted defeat sooner." Liu Maolin muttered to himself, his tone filled with worry. "After all, he has only just broken through to the internal strength level, and the gap between him and a veteran internal strength master like Qin Yu is still too big. Forcing himself to keep going will only hurt his body."

Xu Hong, who was standing next to him, also sighed and shook his head: "Admit defeat? Look at Junior Brother Yang's personality, does he seem like the kind of person who would admit defeat easily? But then again, it's already quite remarkable that he was able to hold out against Qin Yu for so long."

Xu Hong patted Liu Maolin on the shoulder and continued, "Fortunately, he cut his losses in time and didn't fight head-on. That's called being wise. As long as you're alive, you can always make a comeback. He learned his lesson this time, so he should go back and hone his skills. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

Liu Maolin nodded, his gaze falling on Yang Jing below the arena.

Inside the enclosure, on the main arena.

"First round, third match, contestants drawn under the 'C' category, Lin Yue, the top player on the third arena, versus Li Mengchao, the top player on the fifth arena, step onto the stage!"

The silver-armored captain's voice echoed across the training ground, carrying a cold, metallic quality.

As soon as he finished speaking, a commotion arose in the crowd.

The two figures stood up from their respective positions almost simultaneously, their gazes colliding in mid-air, creating invisible sparks.

Lin Yue stood up with a very steady movement, his shoulders slightly slumped, and his arms hanging naturally at his sides.

His gaze fell on the person opposite him, his brows furrowed slightly, and all the information about Li Mengchao flashed through his mind in an instant.

The direct descendant of the Li family, one of the six major families in Yuhe County, has been practicing the family's secret martial art, Vajra Great Hand Seal, since childhood. It is said that he has reached an extremely deep level, and his palm strikes can shatter rocks and break wood.

This person has a volatile personality and holds a high position in the family; ordinary martial artists are simply not worth his attention.

More importantly, the Vajra Great Handprint is an extremely powerful and fierce hard skill, which is exactly the same as his own specialty, the Mountain-Crushing Fist. This duel is likely to spark a lot of fire.

When Li Mengchao stood up, he had fair skin and a tall, thin build. He looked rather slender, but when he stood up, an invisible aura seemed to emanate from him, and the surrounding chatter subconsciously subsided.

He was dressed in a brocade outfit, made of fine material, with dark gold cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs. Even standing in the crowd, he exuded an innate nobility.

Li Mengchao's gaze swept over Lin Yue, his eyebrows slightly raised, and he scrutinized him more carefully, with a hint of something strange about him.

There was no contempt or wariness in his eyes; rather, it was as if he were examining something that was related to him but he couldn't quite put his finger on it, making his heart tighten.

The two walked towards the arena one after the other.

All eyes on the training ground were on the two of them.

Someone was examining Li Mengchao's hands. His hands were fair and slender, and looked no different from those of an ordinary rich young master. Who would have thought that these hands could unleash a palm force that could pierce through gold and split rocks?
"Lin Yue is extremely talented and has strong combat ability. His Mountain-Crushing Fist is also unparalleled in its power and ferocity. The Li Family's Vajra Great Handprint is famous throughout Yuhe. Li Mengchao is also one of the best among the Li Family's current generation of disciples. This battle is likely to be spectacular." "It is said that the Li Family's Vajra Great Handprint is of extremely high quality. A big shot from a sect in the prefecture city once came here specifically for this purpose. At the same level, very few martial artists can withstand the Li Family's experts."

"Look at them, no one who can get this far in the training ground test is an easy person."

The murmurs surged like a tide, but they did not affect the two people on the stage at all.

Lin Yue stood on one side of the ring, his feet shoulder-width apart, his waist and shoulders relaxed, adopting the starting stance of the Mountain-Crushing Fist, his arm muscles bulging, like a tiger ready to pounce.

Li Mengchao stood about two zhang away from him, his hands behind his back, still with that indifferent look, but his fingers hanging at his sides were slightly curled, and there seemed to be a faint golden current flowing between his fingers.

"Arrogant." Lin Yue's expression turned somewhat unpleasant, and he snorted coldly.

The air seemed to freeze at that moment, even the wind stopped, leaving only a silent standoff between the two.

The flags at the edge of the training ground drooped, and sunlight shone through the clouds onto the arena, casting long shadows of the two men that overlapped on the wooden surface, like a silent contest of strength.

The breeze in the stands was slightly hot. Qi Yun tucked a stray hair behind her ear, her gaze fixed on Lin Yue on the stage. Her fingertips unconsciously pressed together, until the pads of her fingers turned white.

She had received the news from her older brother before.

Lin Yue and the Xiao family are getting too close, and there are even rumors that the Xiao family wants to marry their daughter to Lin Yue, making him their son-in-law.

In this way, the issue between the Xiao family and Lin Yue is no longer a simple matter of providing financial assistance.

Lin Yue is a genuine member of the Xiao family.

With Lin Yue's natural talent and the support of the Xiao family's resources, he has a good chance of breaking through to the Transformation Realm.

This is something that neither the Li nor the Ye families want to see, especially the Li family, who have had constant friction with the Xiao family in Yuhe County for over a hundred years, and are practically sworn enemies.

Qi Yun still remembers her elder brother's solemn expression at the time, telling her to stay away from Lin Yue in the future to avoid getting involved.

Since then, she has stopped trying so hard to get close to and win over Lin Yue as she used to.

However, seeing Lin Yue fighting against the direct descendants of the Li family, Qi Yun still felt a vague unease in her heart.

She had previously considered whether the Li and Ye families would take action against Lin Yue during the school exam.

But after thinking about it, I realized I was overthinking it.

Yesterday afternoon, Lin Yue had just defeated Ye Canglan of the Ye family in the arena.

Although Lin Yue's victory in that match was not easy, and he even had a wound on his arm, he still won in the end. Although the Ye family members looked unhappy, they did not make a scene on the spot.

But now, looking at Lin Yue confronting Li Mengchao on the stage, Qi Yun felt that inexplicable unease welling up in her heart again.

Li Mengchao can be said to be the most outstanding member of the Li family in this generation. He looks indifferent, but his methods are ruthless. Qi Yun alone knows two things about him.

One incident occurred a couple of years ago when a small, unruly family offended the Li family. It was Li Mengchao who handled the matter, leaving no trace of his actions.

Another incident involved a group of river bandits who robbed the Li family's goods in the Yuhe River. Li Mengchao single-handedly slaughtered them all, and all the bandits in the entire bandit stronghold, except for a few who escaped, died at Li Mengchao's hands.

"Probably not..." Qi Yun murmured softly, as if trying to convince herself, "This is the training ground, with so many people watching. The Li family will have to consider their reputation and can't do anything underhanded in public, right?"

She took a deep breath, trying to suppress the unease.

In front of Qi Yun, Sun Yong sat upright in the middle of the large chair.

He stared at the tall figure on the stage, his brows furrowed.

Of the eight champions in this year's school field test, the one he felt most uncertain about was Li Mengchao.

The power of the Li family's Vajra Great Handprint martial art surpasses even that of the Mountain-Crushing Fist.

Moreover, Li Mengchao of the Li family had already cultivated it to the peak of Dark Force, while Lin Yue was still a little short of the peak of Dark Force.

On the stage, Lin Yue had already assumed his stance, his back ramrod straight, his jawline taut, and his eyes sharp as knives, clearly giving it his all.

Li Mengchao remained calm and composed, but his aura grew increasingly heavy, as if the surrounding air was being gripped tightly by his invisible hands.

The murmurs from the audience gradually subsided, and everyone's attention was drawn to the two fighters on the ring.

"Begin!" Before the silver-armored captain finished speaking, the two on the arena had already moved like arrows released from a bow.

Lin Yue stomped his toes and shattered half of the wooden plank beneath him, using the recoil to lunge forward.

With his right fist imbued with the fierce internal energy of the Mountain-Crushing Fist, he aimed straight for Li Mengchao's face with a whooshing sound.

Before the fist even arrived, it had already blown the hair on Li Mengchao's forehead upside down, and the energy gathered in his fist was surging.

He showed no mercy from the moment he made his move, attacking with all his might, determined to seize the initiative.

Li Mengchao slightly raised his eyes, and slowly raised his seemingly thin hands, spreading his five fingers and then suddenly closing them, with a faint golden halo appearing in his palms.

He didn't dodge; he pushed out his right palm flatly, seemingly slowly, but precisely meeting Lin Yue's fist.

"Oh!"

The moment their fists and palms collided, a muffled thud exploded in the training ground, and the shockwave swept outwards, causing the robes of the two men to flutter wildly.

Lin Yue felt an unparalleled force surging from the other's palm. The force was far more powerful than it looked, as if he had hit a red-hot iron wall. The shock made his right arm go numb, and his fist was actually blocked.

"What a strong palm force!"

Lin Yue's heart skipped a beat. Using the force of the recoil, he quickly took half a step back, his left fist following closely behind, the force of the punch even faster, aimed straight at Li Mengchao's ribs.

His Mountain-Crushing Fist emphasizes continuous attacks; if one punch misses, the second punch will follow like a shadow, with layers of fist wind, like raging waves crashing against the shore.

Li Mengchao slightly turned his body to avoid the vital points under his ribs, and then struck out with his left palm. The palm shadow and Lin Yue's fist shadow intersected in mid-air.

Bang bang bang!
The sounds of collisions rang out one after another.

This seemingly fair-skinned and slender Li family member possessed such fierce and domineering palm techniques.

Each time he unleashed his Vajra Handprint, it carried a powerful, heavy force. The palm wind swept across the wooden railing of the arena, leaving deep finger marks. His palm power had been honed to a state of perfect balance between strength and gentleness.

In just a few breaths, the two had exchanged more than ten blows.

Li Mengchao blocked all of Lin Yue's consecutive punches with just his bare hands. His palm strikes seemed ordinary, but he was always able to block Lin Yue's attacks with the slightest precision, and he had already gained the upper hand.

(End of this chapter)