90: Chapter 90: A single strike can shatter a mountain; even the strongest shield will crumble.

Two disproportionate fists, one large and one small, collided mid-air without any flashy tricks.

Thud!

A dull sound of impact exploded in the center of the arena.

There was no scene of gore and blood as imagined, nor the crisp sound of shattering bones.

The large and small fists were pressed tightly against each other.

Time seemed to have jammed for that second.

The next second.

Hum—

A visible circle of transparent ripples swept out from where their fists met.

The pale blue energy shield around the arena vibrated violently, emitting the crackling sound of electricity under unbearable strain.

Crack.

The alloy floor beneath Lin Qi's feet was the first to give way.

With his feet as the center, fine cracks spread wildly in all directions, and broken stones flew out like bullets.

The soles of his shoes sank half a foot deep into the ground.

But he did not retreat.

He didn't even bend his knees.

His spine was held straight, like a steel nail driven into the ground, stubbornly holding up that giant rock fist which was larger than his head.

The thousands of people in the audience were as if strangled, forgetting even how to breathe.

That was Shi Potian!

An S-rank Rock Giant who had unleashed his ultimate ability!

A single punch like that could smash an armored vehicle into a pancake, yet it was caught by a Blank Slate with his bare fists?

"He blocked it?"

Zhang Wei's knuckles turned white as he gripped the railing, his mouth wide open: "Is Brother Qi's body made of Vibranium?"

"It's not blocking."

Old Mo sat in the lounge, watching the close-up on the screen, his eyes narrowed into slits.

"It's penetrating."

On the arena.

Shi Potian's expression changed.

No emotion could be seen on that rock-hard face, but his earthy yellow eyes were filled with astonishment.

He felt as if his punch hadn't landed on flesh, but on a high-speed rotating drill.

All his power was neutralized by more than half by a strange, vibrating force the moment it touched Lin Qi's fist.

Immediately after, a terrifyingly sharp force drilled back in along his fist.

That force seemed to have a life of its own, ignoring his proud rock shell, and drilled directly into his bone marrow.

"Now you take a move from me."

Lin Qi suddenly looked up.

His eyes were bright; it was the excitement of a hunter seeing prey.

His Phoenix Eye Fist, with the middle finger protruding, suddenly retracted an inch.

Then, it blasted out again.

The distance was extremely short.

The burst was extremely fast.

"Break!"

A simple syllable burst from Lin Qi's throat.

Inch Power: Mountain Crushing Earth Splitting.

If the previous clash was just testing the waters, this move was the dagger revealed at the end of the map.

This was a unique skill used by the Martial Saint in his past life to dismantle siege Puppets, specifically targeted at high-defense, heavy-armor targets.

All the force was compressed, exploded, and penetrated within that single inch.

Boom!

A dull explosion sounded inside Shi Potian's arm.

Shi Potian felt as if his entire arm was about to explode.

The intense pain didn't come from his skin, but from the gaps in his bones.

"Ugh!"

Shi Potian let out a muffled groan, and his massive rock body actually began to tremble violently.

Crack... Crack...

The teeth-grinding sound of shattering was continuous.

The audience watched in horror as terrifying cracks burst open on Shi Potian's indestructible rock arm.

The cracks spread rapidly, crawling over half his body like a spiderweb.

Bang!

A basin-sized piece of rock armor peeled off Shi Potian's shoulder and smashed heavily onto the ground.

This was like a signal.

Bang, bang, bang!

Countless broken stones flew off.

That rock giant, looking like a mountain, was actually beginning to disintegrate under this one punch!

"Open for me!"

Lin Qi shouted again, pushing his fist power further.

This force became the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Rumble!

Shi Potian's massive body was knocked back as if hit by an invisible train, stumbling back seven or eight steps.

Each step left a footprint half a meter deep in the alloy floor.

Until he could retreat no further.

Shi Potian's heel tripped on the edge of the arena, and he sat down on the ground with a thud.

Clatter.

With that fall, the remaining rock armor on his body completely shattered, turning into a pile of rubble on the ground, revealing his real body wearing an oversized tank top.

Shi Potian sat in the pile of rubble, his entire right arm hanging limp, his muscles still twitching uncontrollably.

His face was pale, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat.

But he wasn't seriously injured; he didn't even cough up any blood.

He just couldn't move.

That terrifying, vibrating force had numbed all his muscles, and now he struggled even to move a finger.

The whole arena was silent.

Only the big screen was still replaying that earth-shattering punch.

Lin Qi withdrew his fist and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, his bulging muscle lines gradually calming down.

He didn't pursue.

He just watched Shi Potian sitting on the ground quietly.

A few seconds later.

Shi Potian propped himself up with his uninjured left hand and gave a wry smile.

"Impressive."

His voice was a bit hoarse, but it carried a sense of genuine respect.

"I lost."

The referee was stunned for a moment and instinctively wanted to raise his hand, but then looked at Shi Potian: "Contestant Shi Potian, do you confirm your forfeiture? Your vital signs are still within the safety range..."

"No need to check."

Shi Potian shook his head and pointed laboriously at his own chest.

"If that force had been just a little bit to the left, hitting my heart, I would be a dead man by now."

He was simple-minded, not stupid.

A technique that could transmit force through half a meter of rock—if that had hit his internal organs, there would be no saving him.

Lin Qi had held back.

The referee took a deep breath and raised his right hand high.

"The winner is Lin Qi! Advancing to the finals!"

Boom!

This time, the audience stands truly exploded.

"Holy crap! He actually won?"

"He even shattered the strongest shield? Is he even human?"

"What kind of style does this Lin Qi have? That was an S-rank Rock Transformation!"

Zhang Wei was so excited he jumped onto his chair, ignoring the looks from people nearby who thought he was crazy, and waved his cheering flag frantically: "This is Ancient Martial Arts! This is called striking through a mountain to hit an ox! Do you guys even understand?!"

On the arena.

Lin Qi walked over and reached out his hand to Shi Potian on the ground.

Shi Potian was stunned for a moment, then grinned, his honest face full of relief.

He reached out his uninjured left hand, took Lin Qi's hand, and used the leverage to stand up.

"Thanks," Shi Potian said in a low voice, "This is the first time someone has broken through my defense head-on. Your fists are harder than my rocks."

"Just technique," Lin Qi said, offering a rare smile, "Your defense is not bad either; it made my hand a bit numb."

The two smiled at each other.

There was no extra nonsense, but that mutual appreciation between strong individuals was clear for everyone to see.

Just then.

The broadcast sound from the other side of the arena suddenly rang out, interrupting the cheers of the crowd.

"The second semi-final match has ended!"

"The winner is Li Qingxuan!"

"Time taken... 15 seconds."