53: I don't believe it!
Li Qing's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone present.
"I am a Disciple of the Iron Bone Martial Arts School."
Wang Meng, who was kneeling on the ground, felt his mind buzz and go blank.
"Iron Bone Martial Arts School?"
"That dilapidated place where even the plaque was fading?"
"That empty shell being held up by just a half-grown child?"
"The same Iron Bone Martial Arts School that had been forced by their own school to hand over its Secret Manual!"
"Is this a joke?"
He, Wang Meng, the Senior Brother of the Jingtao Martial Arts School and a Martial Artist of the Late-stage Condensing Yuan Realm.
A Genius ranked among the younger generation in Jinling City.
To think he was being stepped on by some wild kid who appeared out of nowhere.
"I don't believe it!"
Wang Meng roared, his other intact hand slamming onto the ground as he used the force to spring up.
His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like a crazed demon.
"With your strength, how could you possibly stay in a martial arts school like that?!"
"Who exactly are you?!"
The Internal Energy of the Late-stage Condensing Yuan Realm erupted from his body without reservation.
Green Qi energy swirled around him, making his robes rustle loudly.
He could not accept this reality.
This defeat was not just his own failure, but an insult to the Jingtao Martial Arts School.
"Die!"
Wang Meng used all his strength, gathering all his Internal Energy into his left fist, and recklessly smashed it toward Li Qing's chest.
This punch was an all-out strike that he had bet his dignity on.
In the courtyard, Xiao Chen's heart leapt into his throat.
The few children hiding in the corner were so scared they closed their eyes.
Facing this violent punch, Li Qing didn't even change his posture.
He just casually raised his own fist to meet it.
No Qi energy, no Internal Energy fluctuations—it was just an ordinary punch.
One Strength to Break All Laws!
The two fists met in mid-air.
There was no earth-shattering explosion as expected.
Only a dull "thud."
Then, everyone saw a scene they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
The arm of the left fist Wang Meng had thrown out snapped.
He was sent flying backward at a speed even faster than he had come, clearing the courtyard wall and crashing heavily onto the stone road outside the alley.
Bang!
A loud crash echoed, followed by total silence.
A deathly stillness.
The remaining Disciples of the Jingtao Martial Arts School in the courtyard were all pale as sheets, their bodies shaking like chaff in the wind.
"Senior Brother... The Senior Brother of the Late-stage Condensing Yuan Realm..."
"Was sent flying... by another single punch?"
No one knew if he was dead or alive.
Li Qing slowly withdrew his fist.
He had originally just wanted to teach Wang Meng a lesson.
Now, both of his hands were ruined.
Even if they could recover, it would take a long time.
As for whether there would be lasting effects, it would depend on whether the Jingtao Martial Arts School was willing to pay the price.
He turned around, his cold gaze sweeping over the Disciples who were already stupefied with fear.
"Get out."
His voice was soft, yet it carried an irresistible weight.
"Tell your School Head that I am protecting the Iron Bone Martial Arts School."
Li Qing paused for a moment and added.
"If you dare to come again, it won't be as simple as just passing out."
When those Disciples heard this, it was like hearing the most beautiful sound in the world.
As if granted a grand amnesty, they scrambled out of the courtyard.
They frantically picked up the unconscious Wang Meng outside and fled in a panic without looking back.
Throughout the whole process, they didn't even dare to leave a single harsh word.
It wasn't until the group's figures completely disappeared at the entrance of the alley that Xiao Chen finally snapped out of the massive shock.
He looked at the slender back in the center of the courtyard.
All his previous emotions—shock, doubt, fear—faded away at this moment.
In the end, they all transformed into a near-fanatical worship and excitement.
Is this what top-tier Innate Divine Strength is?
This is like a deity descending to earth!
He thought of the cold shoulders he had endured for three years, his father's regret before he died, and his own despair on countless nights.
All the grievances and suppression found an outlet at this moment.
Xiao Chen's body was trembling, not from fear, but from excitement.
He walked step by step behind Li Qing, no longer maintaining his previous attitude of being equals.
He straightened his tattered clothes and stood tall.
Then, facing Li Qing's back, he solemnly and deeply bowed.
"Big... Big Brother Li!"
In the alley, the wind blew, kicking up dust from the ground.
Wang Meng and his subordinates had vanished, leaving only the smell of blood lingering in the air and the cracked bluestone slab.
Xiao Chen slowly straightened up, his chest heaving violently and his breathing heavy.
He looked at Li Qing, the emotions churning in his heart complex and difficult to describe.
This youth—what exactly was his background?
Xiao Chen recalled Li Qing's punch just now.
No unnecessary movements, no fancy Moves, and no startling Internal Energy fluctuations.
Just a single punch.
With one punch, he had sent Wang Meng—the Late-stage Condensing Yuan Realm Senior Brother hailed as the "Little Tyrant" of Jinling City's younger generation—flying.
Flying away, his fate unknown.
This had already exceeded Xiao Chen's understanding.
He had grown up in a martial arts school and heard countless Jianghu rumors.
Those with Innate Divine Strength indeed possessed power far exceeding ordinary people.
But that was just power.
Martial Arts Cultivation, besides power, emphasized Internal Energy, Moves, and combat experience.
Yet Li Qing had displayed an overwhelming power that transcended all common knowledge of martial arts.
That wasn't the strength of a thousand catties, nor ten thousand catties.
It was... an absolute power that crushed everything in its path.
Just how much Great Strength did Li Qing's Innate Divine Strength possess!
It was terrifyingly formidable!
Xiao Chen's heart was beating rapidly.
He didn't even dare to think what would happen if Li Qing's talent for learning martial arts was added to it.
He couldn't believe how terrifyingly strong his power would become in the future!
Wiping out the Jingtao Martial Arts School?
It would probably be easy for him.
Xiao Chen's thoughts slowly pulled back from the shock.
He recalled the sentence Li Qing said: "I am protecting the Iron Bone Martial Arts School."
These simple words were like a thunderclap exploding in his heart.
For three years, he had carried the heavy burden of the school alone, enduring the ridicule of the outside world.
Under his hands, the Iron Bone Martial Arts School had withered day by day, becoming the laughingstock of Jinling City.
He had felt despair countless times, feeling that he simply couldn't hold on.
His father's grudge, the future of the school, the hopes of those children... they were all like heavy mountains pressing down on him until he couldn't breathe.
He thought that in this life, he might only be able to watch helplessly as the school completely collapsed and his father's life's work vanished.
But now, this mysterious youth, this Li Qing who was so powerful he was beyond comprehension, had appeared.
He was protecting it.
To Xiao Chen, these words carried more weight than any grand declaration.
It meant that from today on, the Iron Bone Martial Arts School had a backer.
Xiao Chen's eyes were moist, not from sadness, but from an uncontrollable excitement.
He wanted to cry, to roar loudly.
Years of grievances and suppression were all released at this moment.
He had Li Qing.
He had this Big Brother Li, who was powerful enough to change the future.
Xiao Chen sniffled, trying his best to suppress the emotions in his heart.
He looked up at Li Qing and found that Li Qing was looking at him calmly.
That calmness was exactly the same as when he faced Wang Meng's violent attack earlier.
No pride, no arrogance, not even a single ripple of emotion.
Li Qing just stood there, as if everything that had just happened was truly just a trivial matter.
This composure of remaining unfazed even if Mount Tai collapsed before him made Xiao Chen even more certain that Li Qing's strength was far beyond what he could imagine.
"School Head, are you alright?"