28: Chapter 28 One punch sends him flying

The bodies of Zhang Jiba and the two others stiffened, and their buttocks, which had just been lifted, sullenly dropped back down.

They hung their heads in dejection, looking exactly like three defeated roosters.

Ye Xiaoyao rubbed his nose, thinking: "Why did the Saintess come in person? She isn't coming to find me for something, is she?"

However, the competition was about to begin, so he did not dwell on it any further.

Thus, under the presiding of the Saintess and the gaze of hundreds of eyes in the square.

Ye Xiaoyao and Lu Guan ascended the square competition stage made of white stone and stood facing each other.

A suppressed buzzing of discussion immediately erupted from beneath the stage.

"Hey, what do you think? With spiritual power forbidden and relying purely on the Physical Body, who can win?"

A tall, thin Disciple asked his companion in a low voice.

"Need you ask? It must be Senior Brother Lu!"

A round-faced Disciple beside him said with certainty: "Senior Brother Lu is at the ninth level of Qi Refining, and his Physical Body has been nourished and tempered by spiritual power for many years; he is certainly much stronger than Junior Brother Ye, who just broke through to the sixth level! Junior Brother Ye is only daring to get on stage because he's relying on the Saintess's favoritism, right?"

"I don't think so."

A pretty Female Cultivator in Goose Yellow Dress heard this, pursed her lips, and her beautiful eyes landed on Ye Xiaoyao's tall, upright figure and handsome profile.

"Look at Lu Guan's appearance; his face is as pale as a ghost, and even waving his fan to act dashingly reeks of weakness."

"Look at Junior Brother Ye; his posture is so straight, his breath so steady, and his eyes so sharp! He looks energetic and full of Yang Qi! I bet Junior Brother Ye wins!"

The surrounding male cultivators heard this, but most disagreed, thinking that the female cultivator had been bewitched by Ye Xiaoyao's face.

The vast majority of people believed that since the gap in cultivation was right there, Lu Guan must have the advantage in Physical Body strength.

On the stage, Lu Guan loosened his wrists and ankles, struck what he considered an imposing starting pose, regained a bit of color in his face, and sneered at Ye Xiaoyao:

"Junior Brother Ye, bring it on! Even without using spiritual power, I, your Senior Brother, can still let you know what a gap really is!"

He circulated his blood and Qi, and his originally pale face flushed with an unnatural red hue, his muscles slightly bulging, attempting to display a sense of power.

However, to those with a discerning eye, this looked more like a show of strength covering internal weakness.

Ye Xiaoyao couldn't be bothered to waste words with him.

He took a deep breath, didn't strike any flashy poses, but simply parted his feet slightly and stood firmly on the stage.

The next moment, he moved!

There was no flashing spiritual light, no whistling wind, only the explosion of pure speed and power!

The crowd below the stage only felt a blur before their eyes; Ye Xiaoyao's figure seemed to blur instantly, turning into a green shadow that shot out, crossing several zhang in the blink of an eye to close in on Lu Guan.

It was exactly the Luo Yan Step that he had refined to the Peak of martial arts!

Lu Guan's pupils constricted, and he suddenly remembered that ghostly close-combat speed in the valley.

He hurriedly raised his arms, crossing them to protect his head and face, wanting to block.

Yet—Bang!!!

A dull sound of physical impact that made people's hearts tremble exploded!

Ye Xiaoyao's fist landed solidly upon Lu Guan's crossed arms!

"Ah—!"

A shrill scream pierced the silence of the square.

In the disbelieving gaze of everyone, Lu Guan's seemingly solid defensive stance was like paper; his arms were blasted open by an irresistible, tremendous force.

Following closely, that fist, its momentum undiminished, fiercely grazed his arm and finally slammed heavily onto his right cheek.

"Pfft!"

Lu Guan was like a person hit head-on by a rampaging giant beast; his feet left the ground, his body was thrown backward, carving a pathetic arc through the air,

and then, with a "boom," he crashed heavily outside the hard white stone floor of the competition stage, rolling several more times before stopping.

He curled up on the ground, his hands tightly covering his bloody and mangled right cheek.

Blood gushed out between his fingers, mixed with saliva and broken teeth, as he let out a painful and garbled wail.

His nose bridge seemed to be crooked, his eye was swollen until only a slit remained, and his appearance was extremely miserable.

Silence! A deathly silence shrouded the entire square.

All the watching Disciples, including those who had originally been certain that Lu Guan would win, all had their mouths wide open, their eyes wide and round, as if they had seen something that overturned their perception.

"Im... Impossible..."

That round-faced Disciple's chin almost hit the ground, and he said in a dry voice: "One... One punch? He only used one punch? Senior Brother Lu is... at the ninth level of Qi Refining!"

"My god... This Physical Body strength... terrifying to this degree! Truly terrifying to this degree!"

Another Disciple muttered, using a phrase recently popular in the local storybooks.

"I told you!"

The Female Cultivator in Goose Yellow Dress clapped her hands in excitement, her face full of triumph, and said in surprise: "Junior Brother Ye looks formidable! That Lu Guan is all show and no substance!"

Zhang Jiba, Sharp Mouth, and Monkey Cheeks, who were kneeling under the stage, were even more ashen-faced.

Zhang Jiba buried his face in his palms, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Sharp Mouth and Monkey Cheeks looked at their boss's miserable state, so terrified that their souls flew away and spirits scattered, with nothing left in their hearts but prayers.

The Saintess stood in mid-air, taking everything in.

Watching Ye Xiaoyao's seemingly plain and unremarkable punch, which contained astonishing explosive power, a trace of understanding and amazement flashed in the depths of her glazed eyes.

The nourishment and strengthening of the Physical Body by the Pure Yang Sacred Body were indeed overwhelmingly tyrannical.

Without having cultivated any Body Refining Cultivation Technique, relying solely on the Origin power of the Early Stage of Awakening, his Physical Body strength had already crushed those of the same rank, and could even challenge those of higher ranks...

This child's potential is truly boundless.

A very faint yet genuine smile of satisfaction appeared on her face, and her cold, clear voice rang out across the square once more:

"All Disciples, you have all witnessed with your own eyes that the competition between Martial Nephew Ye and Martial Nephew Lu did not use the slightest bit of spiritual power; it was a contest purely of the Physical Body, fair and just."

She swept her gaze across the crowd below: "Is there any objection to the outcome?"

"No objection!"

The Female Cultivator in Goose Yellow Dress was the first to respond loudly, setting off a wave of agreement.

"Junior Brother Ye won fair and square! We saw it with our own eyes!"

"Indeed, no objection!"

"Junior Brother Ye is amazing!"

More and more Disciples spoke up, and the way they looked at Ye Xiaoyao was already different.

There was more awe, and less of the previous contempt and skepticism.

The Saintess nodded slightly and drifted down beside Ye Xiaoyao, close enough to smell the cold, faint fragrance on her.

"Martial Nephew Ye," her voice lowered, audible only to the two of them.

"Now that this matter is finished, come with me."

Ye Xiaoyao snapped out of his slight daze from defeating his opponent with one punch, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

Even he himself was somewhat surprised by the power of that punch.

Hearing the Saintess's words, he sighed to himself: I won't be able to go to the Scripture Pavilion today; I just finished beating the small one, and it looks like I'm being taken away by the big one...

I might have to enter the tiger's den again.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Summon your Flying Sword and follow."

The Saintess was concise.

A look of slightly apologetic embarrassment appeared on Ye Xiaoyao's face: "Um... Your Highness, this Disciple's Flying Sword technique is not yet proficient; I'm afraid..."

The Saintess glanced at him without saying anything, flipped her fair hand, and a pure black small sword appeared and grew in size.

She stepped onto it lightly and then looked at Ye Xiaoyao.

Ye Xiaoyao understood; this time he had learned his lesson and carefully stepped onto the Flying Sword, standing steadily, his hands hanging properly at his sides, far away from the Saintess's slender waist.

He had accidentally touched the Saintess's willow-like waist last time, and he certainly didn't want to be scolded again.

The Saintess seemed satisfied with his self-awareness, said nothing more, and moved her mind.

The Flying Sword carried the two of them, turning into a streak of gray light, soaring into the sky, and under the gaze of hundreds of complex eyes, it quickly disappeared in the direction of Saintess Peak.

Leaving behind the wailing Lu Guan and the three of Zhang Jiba, who were kneeling on the ground and did not dare to get up.

As well as a large crowd of Outer Sect Disciples who were buzzing with discussion.

These people were filled with countless speculations about Ye Xiaoyao's strength and the Saintess's attitude...