Defeated in One Punch

Cultivation arts came in many varieties, each excelling in its own way.

The martial technique Yun Zhan executed was clearly geared toward close-quarters combat. Paired with the suppressive pressure of his cultivation realm, it cut an intimidating figure.

"Careful, Junior Brother Ning!"

A cry of alarm rang out. The voice belonged to Lin Yu, who stood not far away. Li Yunqi was also nearby.

Ning Fan felt a faint stir of gratitude. Disciples from the various main peaks naturally tended to stick together, but Lin Yu and Li Yunqi were genuinely worried about him.

That was why they had followed so closely behind him.

"Junior Brother Yun broke through again?!"

"The seventh layer of the Profound Extreme Realm?!"

"You have to remember, Personal Disciple Zhao Yan'er is only at the late stage of the seventh layer of the Profound Extreme Realm. Junior Brother Yun Zhan just joined the main peak, yet his realm is already approaching hers?"

"Such talent is truly terrifying."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Upon seeing Yun Zhan unleash his full cultivation base, many Yin Yang Peak disciples began to furiously discuss the development.

"Ning Fan is in trouble."

Someone voiced exactly what everyone else was thinking.

It was not that they believed Ning Fan would definitely lose, but rather that he was in a difficult spot. During his last gambling match with Zhao Yan'er on the Yin Yang Peak martial stage, Ning Fan had been forced to exhaust every method at his disposal just to secure a victory.

And even then, it was Zhao Yan'er who had actively conceded.

But right now?

Ning Fan was facing an opponent whose realm rivaled Zhao Yan'er's, one he had just openly mocked. This battle was bound to drag on.

The cultivation spots in the Yin Yang Tower waited for no one.

Even if they only fought for a quarter of an hour.

Every large barrier would likely be claimed, and even the smaller ones would be fiercely contested. By the time the fight ended, securing a spot...

...would be significantly harder than it was right now.

This was exactly what Lin Yu and Li Yunqi were worried about.

"Come!"

"Ning Fan! I, Yun Zhan, will fight you to the bitter end and determine who is superior! We will let the entire Sect see who the true prodigy of our generation is!"

Yun Zhan closed the distance, raising his fist to launch a brutal punch straight at Ning Fan's face. The biting wind of the strike stung Ning Fan's cheeks.

Facing Yun Zhan's full-powered blow, Ning Fan neither dodged nor retreated. He surged his own spiritual power, sending a towering aura into the sky.

"The... the sixth layer of the Profound Extreme Realm?!"

"Ning Fan's cultivation speed isn't any slower than Yun Zhan's! No, wait... Ning Fan's advancement speed is even faster than his!"

A shocked voice cried out, echoing the horror in everyone's hearts.

It had to be known.

The last time Ning Fan had fought in public was during the gambling match against Zhao Yan'er at the Yin Yang Peak martial stage. At that time, he was only at the fourth layer of the Profound Extreme Realm.

How many days had it been since then?!

What in the world?!

Just a few days!

A week at most! Yet Ning Fan's realm had jumped twice in succession, rocketing straight to the sixth layer. This speed was simply outrageous.

For a moment, the spectating disciples found it hard to believe his realm had advanced so quickly. This speed shattered their entire understanding of cultivation.

By comparison, it felt as if they had wasted all their time cultivating like dogs.

"Spirit Mark, activate!"

Ning Fan's aura climbed higher. Beneath his robes, dense arrays of patterns surfaced on his skin, all linked together by a single golden thread.

They coalesced into a Black Tortoise Diagram.

"Get lost!"

Ning Fan leaned back slightly, channeling force through his entire body. The power traveled from his feet up to his waist, before exploding outward into his fist.

He mercilessly unleashed a full-powered punch!

Bang!

Fist met fist, erupting with a heavy thud. A terrifying shockwave violently expanded from the point of impact. However, the shockwave did not ripple out evenly.

Instead, it was a completely one-sided suppression.

The shockwave on Yun Zhan's side collapsed on contact, instantly devoured by the raging currents of Ning Fan's strike. Yun Zhan was thrown backward like a broken ragdoll.

Crash!

"Gah-"

Yun Zhan's body slammed into the nearby barrier before rebounding and crashing to the floor. The massive force caused the barrier itself to shatter entirely.

It dissipated, revealing the Yin Yang Qi and the cultivation bed inside.

Silence.

Utter silence.

It was so quiet one could hear a pin drop. Everyone stared at Ning Fan, their eyes brimming with absolute shock.

This...

Yun Zhan, an expert at the seventh layer of the Profound Extreme Realm, couldn't withstand a single blow from Ning Fan! How was this possible?!

The seventh layer of the Profound Extreme Realm was the baseline for a Personal Disciple. Even if he was no match for Ning Fan, he shouldn't have been sent flying by a single punch!

Step. Step. Step.

Ning Fan's footsteps echoed clearly across the quiet second floor of the Yin Yang Tower. He walked toward Yun Zhan step by step, looking down at the fallen disciple.

"Ning... Ning Fan..."

Yun Zhan struggled to push himself up, but the slightest movement sent a piercing agony through his body, especially in the arm that had clashed with Ning Fan.

It hung completely limp.

The bone was fractured.

A single punch had actually snapped his arm in two?!

Disbelief overwhelmed Yun Zhan. He had realized earlier that he might not be a match for Ning Fan.

But he had never expected to lose so miserably!

Yun Zhan closed his eyes.

At this moment.

Forget Ning Fan-any disciple qualified to participate in the Peak Competition could easily kill him.

And it was a fate Yun Zhan could only accept.

But the expected finishing blow never came. After a few breaths, Yun Zhan slowly opened his eyes, only to see Ning Fan extending a hand toward him.

It was not an aggressive stance; it was a gesture to pull him up.

"I do not dislike a thirst for strength," Ning Fan said faintly. "I only hope that next time, you will pick a better occasion."

"Ha. Hahaha."

Yun Zhan lay on the floor and laughed loudly. In that instant, he completely understood. Ning Fan's disregard for him was truly genuine.

He was an opponent who had crumbled in a single strike. Even Yun Zhan himself wouldn't bother attacking someone so weak.

He just hadn't expected...

...that one day, he would be viewed this way by a peer.

"Watch out."

Yun Zhan spoke in a hoarse voice. He didn't take Ning Fan's hand, instead staring blankly at the ceiling of the tower.

"Watch out?"

Ning Fan frowned.

What did Yun Zhan mean by that?

Before Ning Fan could think on it any further,

he sensed something wrong. To be precise, it wasn't just him; everyone present felt the bizarre sensation.

The Yin Yang Tower was shaking!

What was going on? Was it an earthquake?

Or...

Were supreme experts fighting nearby?!

Everyone, including Ning Fan, swept their gazes around, desperately searching for the source of the tremors.

The next moment,

Ning Fan's eyes shot wide open, his pupils shrinking to the size of pinpricks. His jaw went slack, dropping open wide enough to fit three eggs.

Ning Fan...

...witnessed a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.

88.181.249.5

ns88.181.249.5da2