57: Chapter 57 Revenge

Senior Apprentice Zhao Tiegang was quickly carried off the ring. The members of Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall immediately gathered around, their faces full of anger and worry, no longer in the mood to watch the other matches on the ring.

Senior Sister Chen Yu crouched beside her brother, looking at his ashen face and the shocking wound on his abdomen where dark red fire poison was faintly spreading. Her beautiful eyes were filled with heartache and icy killing intent.

"Father, Senior Brother, he..." Senior Sister Chen Yu asked urgently.

Hall Master Chen Qingfeng bent down and placed two fingers on Senior Apprentice Zhao Tiegang's wrist pulse. His brows furrowed tighter and tighter. He said in a deep voice, "The fire poison is insidious and overbearing; it has already invaded his Meridians and is spreading toward his heart Meridians.

This poison is not ordinary fire energy; it is mixed with a malicious corrosive force. Ordinary detoxification Medicinal Pills are unlikely to work, and forcing the poison out might damage his Foundation."

He immediately took a jade bottle from his bosom, poured out three fragrant, snow-white Medicinal Pills, and fed them to Senior Apprentice Zhao Tiegang. He then circulated his powerful Internal Energy to help him dissolve the medicinal efficacy, temporarily protecting his heart Meridians and suppressing the spread of the fire poison.

However, judging by his grave expression, this was clearly only a temporary measure.

Just at this moment, a hand quietly reached out from the side and stuffed a thin, slightly worn booklet into Hall Master Chen Qingfeng's hand.

Hall Master Chen Qingfeng was stunned. He looked down; the cover of the booklet had no words, but upon opening the first page, the three small characters "Fire Poison Palm" appeared, and underneath were detailed records of the technique for circulating power, the method of applying poison, and... several methods for neutralizing and countering the Fire Poison Palm!

One of the described symptoms matched Senior Apprentice Zhao Tiegang's current condition perfectly!

He suddenly looked up at Lin Tian, who had handed him the booklet, shock impossible to conceal bursting forth in his eyes.

Lin Tian lowered his voice, speaking very quickly, "Revered Master, this matter started because of this Disciple. This Disciple has a feud with Liehuo Martial Arts Hall; they once sent a Martial Artist to ambush me.

This booklet was obtained from one of them. It records the training method and the antidote for this 'Fire Poison Palm'. It is I who implicated Senior Brother Zhao.

This debt, this Disciple will definitely collect!"

Hall Master Chen Qingfeng instantly understood. So, Elder Yan Lie's disappearance, Lin Tian's Breakthrough, the abnormal targeting by Liehuo Martial Arts Hall... the root of all this was here!

He looked at Lin Tian's clear and firm eyes, feeling both heartache and relief.

He felt pity that Senior Apprentice Zhao Tiegang had been implicated in this for no reason, and relief that this Disciple was so loyal and righteous, and furthermore, so meticulous that he could keep such crucial evidence.

"Good! Good! With this antidote, Senior Apprentice Zhao Tiegang is saved!" Hall Master Chen Qingfeng quickly memorized the part of the booklet concerning detoxification.

His heart was settled, and his killing intent toward Liehuo Martial Arts Hall grew even stronger.

He coldly glanced at the Liehuo Martial Arts Hall seating area across from them and said to Lin Tian in a deep voice, "Liehuo Martial Arts Hall is so arrogant and domineering, targeting the Disciples of our hall time and time again; this is no longer just a matter for you alone.

Rest assured, this debt, this Revered Master has noted it, and Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall has noted it!"

He paused and looked at the arrogant and overbearing Constable Lie Ming on the ring, then turned to Lin Tian and said earnestly, "Tian'er, that Constable Lie Ming is powerful and his methods are insidious; he is definitely not someone to be trifled with.

If you encounter him on the ring next, you must be extremely careful. If the situation becomes impossible... admitting defeat is fine.

Your safety is more important than your Revered Master venting his anger, understand?"

Lin Tian nodded solemnly, "This Disciple understands, Revered Master, please rest assured." But in his heart, a cold killing intent had already congealed like ice. Admitting defeat?

Senior Brother Zhao's revenge, the repeated ambushes by Liehuo Martial Arts Hall, and that Elder Yan Lie, the red-robed old man who had been staring at him like a maggot on a tarsal bone for months... these debts, someone had to pay them back.

Even if the ring rules limited him from taking his life, he would still make this Constable Lie Ming pay a price ten times more painful than Senior Apprentice Zhao Tiegang!

The ring matches continued.

Soon, it was Senior Sister Chen Yu's turn to take the stage.

Her opponent was a beautiful female Disciple from Baiyun Martial Arts Hall who wielded a long sword.

"Baiyun Martial Arts Hall, Liu Xu, requests your guidance, Senior Sister Chen." The female Disciple held her sword and bowed elegantly.

"Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall, Chen Yu." Senior Sister Chen Yu returned the salute, her expression cold and clear, but the chill in her eyes had not faded; clearly, Senior Apprentice Zhao Tiegang's injury had left her fuming.

"Start!"

Liu Xu struck first with her sword, the sword light like flowing clouds emerging from a mountain peak, ethereal and uncertain, carrying a trace of chill as it enveloped Senior Sister Chen Yu.

The "Flowing Cloud Sword Technique" she cultivated was known for being light, agile, and complex in its changes. The sword momentum was continuous, like clouds rolling and unfurling, making it difficult to predict.

Senior Sister Chen Yu tapped her feet, and her Wind-Chasing Footwork at the stage of Perfection unfolded. Her figure was like a pale yellow stream of light, rapidly weaving through the dense sword shadows.

She was not in a hurry to attack, but simply used her exquisite footwork to avoid the treacherous sword thrusts, while her cold, sharp gaze locked onto every subtle gap in Liu Xu's sword momentum like a hawk.

The two of them—one with sword light like a ribbon, the other with footwork like the wind—unfolded a highly spectacular duel on the ring, dreamlike and illusory, drawing bursts of gasps from the audience.

However, the seemingly evenly matched situation did not last long.

After a dozen moves, Senior Sister Chen Yu seemed to have figured out the opponent's sword path. After a seemingly ordinary sidestep to avoid a sword, her figure suddenly accelerated, moving three parts faster than before, and strangely cut into the absolute gap where Liu Xu's sword momentum was almost spent and new moves had not yet formed!

A jade palm strike, seemingly light and airy but actually condensed with icy Internal Energy, silently imprinted onto Liu Xu's right wrist, which held the sword.

Liu Xu was shocked; it was too late to change moves, so her wrist went numb, the long sword almost slipped from her hand, and she staggered backward.

Senior Sister Chen Yu did not let up, following like a shadow. Her palm shadows fluttered, icy energy permeated the air, and in an instant, all of Liu Xu's retreat paths were sealed. In less than three moves, a palm lightly pressed on Liu Xu's shoulder. Although she did not exert force, the bone-chilling cold already made half of Liu Xu's body numb, leaving her unable to continue fighting.

"Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall, Senior Sister Chen Yu wins." The referee announced.

Senior Sister Chen Yu withdrew her palm, nodded slightly to the pale-faced Liu Xu, and floated off the ring. Her expression remained cold and clear, but the stifled anger caused by her brother's injury seemed to have dissipated a little.

The matches went on one after another, with Martial Artists constantly winning or losing. Lin Tian went up on the ring once more; his opponent was a skilled blade user from a small Family.

The opponent's blade technique was fast and fierce, but Lin Tian relied on his Perfection-stage footwork to circle around him. Catching a flaw where the opponent was too slow to retract his blade, he used a Metal-Wood combined strike to blast him off the ring, winning another victory.

Constable Lie Ming of Liehuo Martial Arts Hall also appeared again, his opponent being a Disciple from another martial arts hall.

He remained arrogant and ruthless. Although he did not use that insidious Fire Poison Palm again, his Fire Sand Palm was at full power. In just over twenty moves, he beat his opponent until they vomited blood and fell off the ring, triggering a burst of gasps.

Other contestants also had their wins and losses. On the ring, some cheered for advancing, others retreated in dismay; the cruel elimination continued to play out.

Finally, the results of another round of drawing lots were announced.

"Next match, Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall's Lin Tian versus Liehuo Martial Arts Hall's Constable Lie Ming!"

"Boom—!"

The entire Qianlong Villa instantly boiled over!

A wave of sound, even more enthusiastic than when Senior Apprentice Zhao Tiegang faced Constable Lie Ming, exploded!

Everyone knew that the feud between these two major martial arts halls would usher in another, perhaps even more intense, collision in this duel!

"Finally, they are matched!"

"It's Lin Tian and Constable Lie Ming! Now there's a good show to watch!"

"Constable Lie Ming's strikes were so ruthless just now; this time, I'm afraid Lin Tian is in great danger..."

"I don't think so. Lin Tian's footwork is elusive; he might not be without a chance!"

"Hmph, no matter how good the footwork is, the difference in strength is too great. Being forced into a corner is a dead end! I bet on Constable Lie Ming!"

Discussions, guesses, cheers, and gloating sounds intertwined into one.

The vast majority of people, based on the formidable strength and ruthless methods Constable Lie Ming had shown previously—especially that insidious palm strike that defeated Senior Apprentice Zhao Tiegang—favored Constable Lie Ming.

After all, although Lin Tian's footwork was strange and he had won two matches in a row, his opponents were not top-tier, whereas Constable Lie Ming had solidly and severely injured the Senior Brother of Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall!

The members of Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall immediately became nervous. Senior Sister Chen Yu clenched her jade hands, her beautiful eyes staring unblinkingly at the ring.

Hall Master Chen Qingfeng's face was as dark as water, but his fists within his sleeves were already tightly clenched.

Du Fei stood behind the crowd, watching Lin Tian walk toward the ring. A trace of gloating curled the corners of his mouth involuntarily, and he sneered in his heart, "Lin Tian, oh Lin Tian, let's see how you hide this time! Constable Lie Ming is not some trash like the Xu Family; your good luck has come to an end!"

On the Liehuo Martial Arts Hall side, there was an eruption of deafening cheers and grim laughter.

"Senior Brother Lie! Cripple him!"

"Avenge Elder Yan!"

"Make him more miserable than Senior Apprentice Zhao Tiegang!"

Liehuo Hall Master laughed loudly, fierce light flickering in his eyes, as if he had already seen the scene of Lin Tian's bones breaking and his tendons snapping, falling in misery.

On the ring, Constable Lie Ming had long since impatiently jumped up. He crossed his arms and looked down from above at Lin Tian, who was walking slowly toward him. The cruel smile on his face was almost overflowing.

"Kid, I've finally waited for you!" Constable Lie Ming licked his lips, his voice hoarse and excited. "Head Disciple Zhao Tiegang was just an appetizer; you are the main course! Last time I didn't have the chance to 'entertain' you with full force; this time, I'm going to make you taste what it means to be worse off than dead!"

Lin Tian turned a deaf ear to his clamor and simply walked onto the ring calmly. He stood at the position designated by the referee and swept his gaze indifferently over Constable Lie Ming, as if he were looking at a dead object.

"Start!"

As soon as the referee gave the order, it was like lighting a powder keg!

"Go to hell!" Constable Lie Ming sneered, his figure suddenly turning into a crimson afterimage as he took the initiative to attack!

His right palm was crimson like a branding iron, and with a scorching, pungent palm wind, he slapped toward Lin Tian's face without any frills!

This was exactly the "Flame Burning the City" move, a very powerful technique from the Fire Sand Palm, which emphasized using strength to suppress others and using momentum to intimidate them!

Lin Tian slightly shifted his feet, his Perfection-stage footwork flowing naturally. His figure, like a willow catkin in the wind, slid half a step to the rear side, just enough to dodge that fierce and scorching palm strike.

At the same time, his right fist was tightly clenched, faint golden fist energy appearing, and he delivered a "Metal Element Fist — Straight Thrust," like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, thrusting with extreme speed toward the rib area that Constable Lie Ming had slightly exposed due to his exertion.

"Small tricks!" Constable Lie Ming sneered. His left palm slapped horizontally, the crimson palm shadow arriving first despite being launched later, slapping toward Lin Tian's thrusting fist.

"Bang!"

Fist and palm met, and energy overflowed. Lin Tian felt a scorching, massive force surge toward him; his figure could not help but float back two steps to dissipate the force.

Constable Lie Ming only swayed his upper body slightly before stabilizing his figure. The wooden boards under his feet creaked softly, showing that his strength was a cut above.

"Haha! Nothing more than this!" Constable Lie Ming did not let up, stepping continuously, his palms fluttering. The crimson palm shadows instantly turned into a scorching sea of fire, carrying a violent aura that burned everything as it surged toward Lin Tian!

His offensive was like a tide, one move faster than the last, one punch stronger than the next, clearly intending to rely on absolute strength to suppress Lin Tian and not give him space to use his footwork to circle around.

Lin Tian's expression was grim, driving his Perfection-stage Wind-Chasing Footwork to the limit, rapidly weaving and dodging through the sky-filling crimson palm shadows, like an elusive gray lightning bolt.

When it was truly impossible to avoid, he would use the defensive stances of the Metal Element Fist or Wood Element Fist to parry and dissipate the force.

He did not fight Constable Lie Ming's strength head-on, but relied on his extraordinary speed and footwork to circle around him.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

"Chi, chi, chi!"

The sounds of fists and palms colliding and wind breaking through the air were endless. On the ring, the crimson and gray-blue figures crossed at high speed, collided, and separated, dazzling to behold.

Constable Lie Ming's offensive was fierce and his palm force was heavy, but every time it was about to touch Lin Tian, it was avoided by a hair's breadth, or diverted by a clever force, making it difficult to form a truly effective strike.

And while Lin Tian's counterattack was sharp and treacherous, restricted by his strength, it was also difficult to pose a substantial threat to Constable Lie Ming.

In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged dozens of moves, and it was still difficult to tell the winner; the situation seemed to have reached a stalemate.

The spectators off the stage did not dare to breathe, feeling extremely nervous. The members of Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall had sweaty palms, while the Disciples of Liehuo Martial Arts Hall began to feel somewhat restless.

"This Lin Tian is as slippery as a loach!"

"Senior Brother Lie, put in some effort, catch him!"

"Don't let him hide anymore!"

Constable Lie Ming could not win after a long attack, and the violent aura in his heart grew stronger and stronger.

A fierce light flashed in his eyes, and he feigned a flaw, his left palm striking empty, his figure appearing to lean forward slightly, exposing a very small gap between his abdomen.

"Just now!" Lin Tian's eyes focused. How could he let go of this opportunity to lure the enemy?

He suddenly exerted force under his feet, increasing his speed by three more parts, cutting in like a ghost, his right fist condensing Metal Element Fist energy, striking directly at Constable Lie Ming's heart!

However, just as his fist was about to touch Constable Lie Ming's clothes, a grim smile of conspiracy fulfilled suddenly appeared on Constable Lie Ming's face!

His left palm, which seemed to have struck empty, came out from under his ribs like a poisonous dragon at a counter-intuitive, treacherous angle.

His five fingers curved like hooks, the fingertips instantly turning into that heart-palpitating, gloomy dark red, moving as fast as lightning, silently yet ruthlessly digging toward Lin Tian's jaw—his vital point!

It was exactly the insidious Fire Poison Palm move that had ambushed Senior Apprentice Zhao Tiegang before!

And, it had been long-planned; the angle was more treacherous, and the speed was faster!

"Not good!"

"Be careful of the Fire Poison Palm!"

"Senior Brother Lin, dodge quickly!"

Off the stage, the faces of the Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall members instantly turned pale; Senior Sister Chen Yu let out a cry of alarm, and Hall Master Chen Qingfeng stood up abruptly!

Du Fei's eyes flashed with ecstasy.

On the Liehuo Martial Arts Hall side, some people couldn't help but want to cheer out loud.

This palm was too sudden, too insidious, and too close!

It seemed to have determined Lin Tian's defeat, and even... a more miserable ending!

"Bang!"

A solid, muffled sound!

Constable Lie Ming's dark red poison claw fiercely "hit" Lin Tian's jaw!

Finished!

Countless people had this thought flash through their minds; many even closed their eyes in dismay.

The members of Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave; Senior Sister Chen Yu's pretty face lost all color.

The grim smile on Du Fei's mouth blossomed completely.

Liehuo Hall Master laughed happily.

However, on the ring, the proud grimace on Constable Lie Ming's face suddenly froze the moment his palm landed!

Replaced by extreme astonishment and confusion.

The touch... was wrong!

There was no heavy feeling of hitting a solid object, no crisp sound of bones breaking, and certainly not the expected scene of the opponent vomiting blood and flying backward, or the fire poison entering the body.

What he hit seemed to be just a... condensed, lingering afterimage?

That "Lin Tian"'s figure, the moment his palm force reached the body, rippled like water waves and then... slowly dissipated in the air!

An afterimage?!