On the dueling platform.
When enemies meet, their eyes blaze with fury—the tension was already thick enough.
But hearing those familiar voices cheering for him, Li Mo felt an overwhelming urge to dig his toes into the ground, even forgetting about Wang Hao’s murderous glare for a moment.
Please, just stop chanting.
"Let’s see what you’re made of, Junior Brother Li."
Wang Hao’s inner energy surged, his aura locking onto Li Mo.
The moment Qian Bufan shouted "Begin!", Wang Hao shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.
His fist gleamed with a dark sheen—clearly, he wore specially crafted gauntlets.
With a single punch, the howling wind carried the roar of tigers and leopards, while the churning of his inner energy rumbled like thunder.
Many within the Qingyuan Sect recognized this move.
It was the signature technique of the inner sect’s steward, Fudo—a high-tier martial art: Tiger-Leopard Thunderclap Fist.
"Good timing."
Excitement surged in Li Mo’s heart.
Truthfully, this was his first proper duel. The last time, he had fought Cui Peng, who was already on death’s door—barely exchanging a few blows before being struck down.
He didn’t draw his sword.
Instead, his muscles tensed, the energy of his thirty-six meridians surged upward, and with a twist of his waist, he met the punch head-on.
Wang Hao froze for a split second before a sinister grin curled his lips.
So, he’s too proud to use his Scarlet Sky Sword, unwilling to rely on a weapon’s advantage?
He had been worried his gauntlets wouldn’t withstand the edge of a profound weapon.
Li Mo’s choice played right into his hands.
Facing a higher-realm opponent, yet not going all out from the start—letting pride cloud his judgment?
Today, I’ll teach him the meaning of true cruelty—
But could he really?
"Wait—a Blood Qi Realm cultivator fighting an Inner Breath Realm opponent… without a weapon?"
"Not just that—he’s not even using martial techniques!"
"Elder Brother Li has a solid foundation in body tempering. I often see him in the Divine Edge Cave—maybe he has another trick up his sleeve?"
"Even if body tempering reaches the pinnacle of the Blood Qi Realm, it shouldn’t be this absurd. Otherwise, everyone would focus on tempering instead of learning other martial arts."
"Wasn’t he supposed to be a sword prodigy?"
...
A Blood Qi Realm cultivator, bare-handed, brawling with an armed Inner Breath Realm opponent?
Who wouldn’t be baffled?
Yet—in the blink of an eye, their fists collided.
CLANG—
Flesh against metal, yet the impact resonated like a temple bell.
A shockwave of dust erupted from the point of collision.
One figure staggered back, leaving deep footprints in the stone.
When the crowd saw who it was, they froze as if they’d seen a ghost.
Wang Hao!
His face was pale, his smile stiff.
The arm he had used to strike trembled uncontrollably.
He hadn’t tempered his body, but that didn’t mean his physique was weak.
And he had just channeled his inner energy.
How is Li Mo’s strength so monstrous?
Before he could even process the thought—
The young man before him vanished.
Not literally, of course.
Gale Shadow Step.
Wang Hao immediately activated his own movement technique.
But Li Mo’s figure was like a storm wind—relentless, inescapable.
What was going through Li Mo’s mind right now?
Well... deliberate killing wasn’t allowed on the platform. He was debating whether beating his opponent to death would be too much.
Forget pulling out his hammer.
Even if he used his sword, the sheer sharpness of Scarlet Sky—combined with the swordplay he had honed between sparring with the "Ice Block" and Jiang Chulong—would be far beyond what Wang Hao could handle.
Besides.
He also wanted to test the limits of this body—one that even a supreme martial art couldn’t push into the Inner Breath Realm.
In an instant—
Li Mo appeared right in front of Wang Hao.
Their eyes met.
Under the gaze of those fiery pupils, Wang Hao’s throat tightened, an involuntary gulp escaping him.
But then shame ignited into rage.
In the history of the Nine Peaks Tournament—
No Inner Breath Realm cultivator had ever been humiliated like this by a mere Blood Qi Realm opponent.
His fury burned—but it was useless.
A devastating pain exploded in his kidney, short-circuiting his thoughts.
"An inner armor?"
"So you’re quite the punching bag, huh?"
Li Mo frowned.
His fist hadn’t struck flesh—something had blocked the impact.
"Wai—"
Wang Hao’s heart lurched, but before he could speak—
"Did Elder Brother Li just let Wang Hao close in?"
"No—Wang Hao got dragged into Li Mo’s range!"
Another Tiger-Leopard Thunderclap Fist met a plain, unadorned punch.
CRACK—
The gauntlet caved inward.
Seizing the moment, Li Mo pressed his advantage like a wolf mauling its prey—elbow smashing into Wang Hao’s chest.
The Six Harmonies Fist’s principle of unified force was executed flawlessly—
Punches, elbows, knees—
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Wang Hao, clad in his inner armor, was pinned to the platform and pummeled relentlessly. His liquefied inner energy was utterly useless—only good for protecting his vitals.
He had tried to counter.
But—
He couldn’t even break Li Mo’s defense!
"Sto—stop—"
THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!
"I—I surren—"
THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!
The stone platform was now a spiderweb of cracks.
This wasn’t a duel between masters.
It was a one-sided beatdown—like an adult thrashing a child.
The scene was downright brutal.
"Sweet heavens... what the hell is Li Mo?"
"Thank the ancestors I listened when he told me not to relieve myself in public—otherwise, I might’ve lost control right now..."
"Elder Brother Li always seemed so gentle—who knew he’d turn into a demon when fighting?"
"Have you forgotten who his master is?"
...
Many couldn’t bear to watch.
Especially when Wang Hao tried to crawl off the platform to surrender—only for a hand to seize his ankle and drag him back, fingernails carving ten desperate trails into the stone.
Cold sweat drenched every spectator’s back.
Too savage.
Those with children quickly covered their eyes.
"Whew... glad I never fought Brother Li..."
Xiao Qin exhaled deeply.
Frankly, Wang Hao was stronger than him. Without his master’s help, his chances of winning would’ve been less than ten percent.
"Master, is this the advantage of a stronger foundation in the Blood Qi Realm?"
"Were you this powerful back then?"
The inexperienced Xiao Qin asked.
"Ah... well... close enough."
Thousand Forms Martial Venerable’s voice wavered slightly.
"Master, why do you sound... uncertain?"
Xiao Qin was puzzled. Hadn’t the Soul-Nourishing Darkwood restored much of his master’s vitality?
"Ahem. Oh, it’s just... this young friend Li Mo is... unexpected."
"And the Darkwood’s effects aren’t that immediate."
The aged voice of the Martial Venerable still lacked its usual profound mystique.
He was stunned.
Just how many meridians did this kid open?
Did I misjudge him?
"Being alive is truly a blessing..."
Lin Jiang swallowed hard, his palms sweaty as he wiped them frantically against his robes.
Though Li Mo’s fists hadn’t landed on him, just the thought of it sent a chill down his spine.
“Mhm! Mhm!”
Murong Xiao nodded vigorously.
Thankfully, he’d reacted quickly back then—now that he thought about it, it was the wisest decision he’d ever made in his life.
By now, the gazes fixed on them from all around held no trace of doubt, only admiration and praise.
This was no fixed match.
This was foresight!
On the high platform,
Shang Wu swung her delicate fists, her almond-shaped eyes shimmering with pride. She’d definitely made the right choice taking in this precious disciple of hers.
Suddenly, she stood up, her sharp gaze sweeping over the stunned elders.
Drawing a deep breath, she bellowed:
“Let the haters speak now!”
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
orn and Humiliation】【Forced Love】 In his past life, Lin Ran was betrayed and murdered by his girlfriend and family, while the yandere female aristocrat, who had treated him as a mere plaything, avenged him by doing in his enemies. Upon seeing the yandere female aristocrat lying in the same coffin, ready to die with him, Lin Ran realized how profoundly mistaken he had been. Reborn, he abandoned the fickle campus beauty and wholeheartedly embraced the yandere female aristocrat's arms. "Ran! If I dig out your eyes and turn them into a specimen, you'll only be able to look at me!" Lin Ran: "Darling, kiss me!" "Ran! If I break your legs, you won't run away anymore, right?" Lin Ran: "Love, hold me tight!" "Ran! If..." Lin Ran: "Hush now! Love me more!" Luo Yao: ... Seeing his scumbag dad: "Take him out!" Seeing his stepmother: "Get rid of her!" Seeing his brother: "Eliminate him!" Seeing his white moonlight: "Send that to Southeast Asia!"
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
