106: Chapter 106 This time it's safe.

Tang Yao was having a great time playing outside when she suddenly glanced into the arena and noticed that the battle inside had not yet begun.

In fact, this challenge had been going on for dozens of blinks, but Hu Gualing and Miao Cuihua had not yet engaged in combat.

Because no matter how high Hu Gualing's Battle Intent was, he still couldn't ignore Miao Cuihua's weight.

This weight didn't just describe Miao Cuihua's body mass; it also referred to her fists, which were as big as sandbags.

You have to understand, Hu Gualing's only offensive skill at the moment—Farmers Three Punches—was something he had learned from a small booklet that Miao Cuihua had casually handed to him.

He had only leveled up the Farmers Three Punches skill to Rank 5, yet he was already able to subdue large water buffaloes with his bare hands in the fields, and in reality, he had even used this set of Moves to beat several professional robbers until they were begging for mercy.

So, as the creator of this set of Moves, what must Miao Cuihua's skill Rank be? And to what extent was its power?

Thinking about all this, it would be a lie to say Hu Gualing wasn't afraid. It was only because he had equipped the blue-grade gear he had crafted himself that he had gained some confidence.

However, remembering his fate the last time he faced Miao Cuihua, he didn't dare to rashly make the first Move. He just stood in the arena, confronting Miao Cuihua with full concentration.

On the other hand, Miao Cuihua's two thick, black eyebrows were furrowed, and her expression didn't look relaxed at all.

Most of her attention was fixed on Hu Gualing's hands.

The pair of steel knuckle duster he was wearing clearly wasn't ordinary.

The part fitted over his knuckles reflected a silvery-white luster under the rising morning glow, making it obvious at a glance that it was crafted from high-quality forging materials—far superior to the steel of the hoe she used for farming.

Miao Cuihua looked at her own hands again.

Although her palms had become broad and rough from years of labor, and the thick calluses could provide good protection, no matter what, they were still just flesh and blood. How could they compare to the special brass knuckles on Hu Gualing's hands?

It seemed she couldn't go head-to-head with Hu Gualing this time. She would have to rely on her slightly richer experience to avoid his offensive and instead attack the parts of him that weren't protected by gear...

Miao Cuihua decided on a countermeasure, paying attention to Hu Gualing's every Move, hoping to spot a flaw in his offense.

Thus, neither of them made a Move. Instead, they stared at each other as if facing a formidable enemy, holding their stances, and moving their feet rhythmically step by step, actually circling each other in the open space.

When Tang Yao saw this, her eyes lit up immediately.

This was a scene only seen in TV dramas. Two masters dueling—before their bodies had even clashed, their Aura was already competing. At this moment, if only there could be some "dum-dum-dum" drum music, the vibe would be perfect!

Tang Yao watched with great interest, even more eager for the two to actually start fighting, and couldn't help but urge: "Fight, hurry up and fight!"

Hearing the cheerful urging, the two in the arena were stunned and simultaneously turned their heads to look.

Only then did they realize that while they were in a serious standoff, Tang Yao was sprawled ungracefully against the transparent protective barrier, her pretty eyes wide open, staring at them with great interest as if watching a show. Her expression made it look as though she wished she could pull a handful of melon seeds from her pocket and snack on them while watching.

Hu Gualing: "..."

Miao Cuihua: "..."

Both Hu Gualing and Miao Cuihua were speechless.

But just at this moment, a thought suddenly struck Hu Gualing: A good opportunity!

Taking advantage of the fact that Miao Cuihua hadn't yet regained her focus, Hu Gualing seized this perfect opportunity and made the first Move.

The challenge area wasn't very large, only ten or twenty square meters. The two stood on opposite sides, and Hu Gualing reached Miao Cuihua in just two or three steps.

Having learned from his previous lesson, he was smarter this time. Before attacking, he didn't loudly shout out the name of his Move, nor did he use cheering slogans like "Take this!" or "Taste your grandpa's fist!" He silently pulled his fist back to his waist, then used the Farmers Three Punches skill, throwing a punch straight at Miao Cuihua's abdomen.

Although, looking at Miao Cuihua's sturdy build, her stomach might not necessarily be a weak point, the opportunity was rare, and Hu Gualing didn't have time to think too much. Anyway, relying on the power of his blue-grade gear, even if she had abdominal muscles for protection, as long as this punch landed solidly, she definitely wouldn't be able to act normally for a short time.

At this moment, Miao Cuihua's attention was still on Tang Yao. Given her honest and simple farm-woman persona, she hadn't expected Hu Gualing to be so insidious, actually launching a sneak attack while she was distracted...

Fortunately, what Hu Gualing was using was Farmers Three Punches. This fist technique was originally created by Miao Cuihua to discipline disobedient plow oxen, and she had long since mastered it to perfection. So, even though Hu Gualing's silent, sneak punch was dangerous, she was still barely able to handle it.

It's a long story, but in reality, it only took two or three short blinks. By the time Tang Yao saw Hu Gualing suddenly make his Move, her surprised expression hadn't even fully formed before the steel knuckle duster was about to strike Miao Cuihua's stomach.

Seeing that he was about to succeed, Hu Gualing didn't relax at all. He remained fully focused, staring at Miao Cuihua's movements, not daring to blink.

Fortunately, in his view, although Miao Cuihua had reacted and quickly pulled her attention back, facing an attack that was right in front of her, she had no time to do anything else. She only had time to Move her hand to block in front of her stomach.

Hu Gualing smiled inwardly. After obtaining these blue-grade brass knuckles, he wasn't worried about his attack power at all. He only feared missing. If he missed and Miao Cuihua dodged, and it became her turn to punch, he had absolutely no confidence in blocking it...

So now, as long as Miao Cuihua didn't dodge, no matter how she blocked, Hu Gualing wasn't afraid in the slightest.

This was the confidence brought to him by the [tough steel knuckle duster], excellent quality, a whopping 8 points of attack power, with no equipment requirements!

Moreover, this was clearly just Miao Cuihua blocking in a rush, without preparation or proper technique—how could she possibly block it!

Even Xiao Niao, who didn't know the first thing about martial arts, couldn't help but nod secretly: "It's settled, Gualing has got this."

No sooner said than done, in a flash of lightning, Hu Gualing's fist struck Miao Cuihua's palm.

Before he could have any other thoughts, a sudden pain shot from his hand, accompanied by the crunching sound of his joints.

Hu Gualing cried out in pain: "Ahhhh!"

Tang Yao and Xiao Niao watched the "-1" and "-1" popping up from the health bar above Hu Gualing's head, not knowing what had happened.

Tang Yao: "!!"

Xiao Niao: "??"