Chapter 095: The Eight Dragon-Subduing Forces, Striking in Tandem

Du Muhan was the rotating champion on the main stage of today’s twentieth bronze-card student combat hall. With his strength as a fourth-rank martial artist, he had originally been quite confident in defending the stage, but at noon, when he heard that a new student had consecutively challenged and defeated nineteen rotating champions on the main stage, Du Muhan was frightened.

Among the twenty rotating champions today, seven or eight were fourth-rank martial artists like him, their strength roughly on par with his. Yet all of them had been instantly defeated by that mysterious newcomer, so there was no question that he was no match for the man either.

Du Muhan was not afraid of losing. Losing a match was not disgraceful; he had lost before. But like Li Chunfeng, he also had a promotion match for entry into the Silver class tomorrow. If he were injured today, then he would have no chance at all in tomorrow’s match.

Looking at the dense, black mass of people inside the combat hall, Du Muhan hesitated again and again. Only after much struggle did he finally force himself onto the main stage.

“Du Muhan is on the stage!” someone shouted.

The spectators below had all been waiting for that mysterious newcomer to step up and fight, eager to see what kind of extraordinary figure he really was.

Xin Lang squeezed his way to the registration desk by the main stage and was just about to hand over his identity token when someone else beat him to it and presented theirs first.

Hong Jingang grinned at Xin Lang. “Brother Xin, you’ve already earned nineteen points. Let me have this one.”

Xin Lang was about to speak when, with a slap, another identity token landed on the registration clerk’s desk.

Somehow, the fat man Gu had already run onto the main stage. He flashed Xin Lang and Hong Jingang a deeply irritating expression. “Boss, you’ve been busy all morning. Take a little rest. I’ll fight this one for you.”

Gu Ge the fat man had taken the ring first, and Xin Lang and Hong Jingang had lost their chance. The only possibility left was for Gu Ge to lose; only then would they still have an opportunity to go up.

Seeing a fat man leap onto the main stage, all the female students in the combat hall looked disappointed.

“So this is that mysterious student? He’s just a sleazy fat man!” one female student said in disappointment.

“He’s the mysterious newcomer who defeated nineteen rotating champions in a row? If only he were a handsome guy!” said another.

Gu Ge heard the girls below and, full of vain charm, smoothed his hair. “Beauties, you guessed right. I’m the mysterious newcomer you were talking about! My looks may not surpass Pan An’s, but I’m definitely dashing and heroic! Don’t laugh, your brother has substance! If you get close to me long enough, you’ll come to appreciate my exceptional qualities!”

Watching the fat, overly self-satisfied Gu Ge on the stage, Xin Lang was filled with black lines.

Du Muhan looked cautiously at the fat man and asked, “You’re the mysterious newcomer who defeated nineteen main-stage champions this morning?”

Gu Ge replied with the smug air of someone basking in his own legend, “I am that legend. But you don’t need to worship me.”

Qian Baidu could not bear it any longer and cursed, “Boss, this damn fat man is shameless beyond belief! No, I’m going up there and teaching him a lesson!”

Xin Lang held Qian Baidu back and said calmly, “Forget it. Let him be.”

If it had not been for completing the upgrade system’s five-gem main quest, Xin Lang would never have made such a spectacle of himself by challenging nineteen rotating champions in a row.

On the main stage, Gu Ge put on an air of profound mastery and said to Du Muhan, “You’re not thinking of admitting defeat, are you? Please, don’t do that. There are so many pretty girls below waiting to see me show my divine might. You ought to at least give me a chance to perform. If nothing else, take one move from me before you surrender!”

At first, Du Muhan had intended to fight Gu Ge to the bitter end and defend the dignity of a martial artist. But after being talked into a corner by the fat man, he truly began to waver.

A fierce struggle broke out in Du Muhan’s heart. He wanted to fight, yet he did not dare. But if he refused to fight and surrendered outright, that would be even more humiliating; even if he advanced to become a silver-card student, he would still be mocked.

Just as Du Muhan was hesitating, Gu Ge spoke again. “You’re not really going to surrender, are you? Fine—if you’re afraid of getting hurt, then I won’t even make a move. How about this: I’ll stand here and not move, and I’ll give you one strike. If you can injure me, then I lose. If you can’t, then I win. What do you say?”

“What? You want me to hit you directly?” Du Muhan said in disbelief.

“That’s right. I’ll take one punch from you. If you can hurt me, you win!” Gu Ge declared grandly.

“What the hell, who does this fat man think he is? So what if he beat nineteen rotating champions? Standing there and letting someone hit him for free—who does he think he is? That’s too arrogant!” someone in the crowd shouted.

“Maybe he really does have that kind of strength,” another voice countered.

Du Muhan was a fourth-rank martial artist. Before coming to the Martial Dao Academy, he had been hailed as a genius of cultivation. Now that he was being so contemptuously looked down upon, even his patience had its limits. All his earlier hesitation, wavering, and retreating impulse turned into anger.

“Since you’re asking for it, then I won’t hold back. Hidden Force, Fourth Layer, Water-Severing Force!”

Hidden Force was divided into ten layers: Transforming Force, Vibrating Zen Force, Penetrating Wood Force, Water-Severing Force, Stone-Splitting Force, Iron-Shattering Force, Impact Force, Spiral Force, Heaven-Shaking Force, and Force Following Intent.

Like Xin Lang, Du Muhan was a fourth-rank martial artist who had cultivated up to the fourth force, Water-Severing Force. Yet although both were fourth-rank martial artists, the difference between Du Muhan and Xin Lang was astronomical. Xin Lang was also a fourth-rank martial artist, but he had already reached the realm where force followed intent, and he also possessed his self-created Eight Dragon-Subduing Forces. With the aid of the super-weapon Heaven Halberd, even a peak martial artist would not be his match.

As for Gu Ge the fat man, after Xin Lang’s special training, he had already endured who knew how many heavy punches from Xin Lang. On top of that, he wore the Earth-grade six-piece equipment forged by Xin Lang: the Golden Silkworm-Silk Inner Armor. So he had no fear at all of Du Muhan, who was two levels above him.

Just as Du Muhan’s fist was about to strike Gu Ge’s chest, a fierce grin suddenly appeared on the fat man’s face. “Eight Dragon-Subduing Forces, Soft Force and Rebounding Force—both at once!”

Du Muhan’s fist landed on Gu Ge’s chest, first being dissolved by sixty percent by the Golden Silkworm-Silk Inner Armor, then further neutralized by most of the Soft Force. At last, Gu Ge’s chest suddenly quivered, and a burst of Rebounding Force exploded outward, sending Du Muhan flying back.

“What? Impossible! Am I seeing things?” shouted one spectator.

“He actually took a fourth-rank martial artist’s strike directly with his chest, and even rebounded the opponent away! How is that possible?” gasped another.

“He trained Hidden Force into his chest. Could he be a peak-level martial artist?” said a third.

As for this chapter, once it is released, Defying Heaven’s word count will surpass two hundred thousand, which means it will be leaving the new-book rankings. Thank you, brothers, for your support and for keeping Cabbage in first place on the new-book list all this time. Don’t go away—another chapter is coming right away!