“Well, well, what a twist of fate—we meet again. Does Young Master Tang still remember me?” Su Wei said with a faint smile.
“Of course I do. Didn’t you lose to me just a few days ago?” Tang Yan replied with an innocent grin.
Su Wei’s chest tightened, a surge of frustration threatening to choke him. He hadn’t expected Tang Yan to be so blunt—or so loud about it.
A spark of malice flared within him. He resolved to thoroughly humiliate Tang Yan once the match began.
“Tang Yan, how many moves do you think you can last against me?” Su Wei asked, swallowing his anger with a sneer.
“Oh? And how many moves does Young Master Su think I can handle?” Tang Yan shot back.
Su Wei chuckled. “Care to make a bet with me, Tang Gongzi?”
“What’s the wager?” Tang Yan asked.
“Let’s bet on whether you can last twenty moves against me,” Su Wei said, standing with his hands clasped behind his back, radiating arrogance. “If you manage twenty moves, I’ll pay you a thousand taels of silver for every extra move you endure. But if you fall within twenty, you’ll shout ‘Cloud City is no match for Yu City’ three times in front of everyone. How’s that?”
Su Wei’s voice was just loud enough to carry. In moments, his words spread like wildfire through the crowd, and soon every spectator in the Eastern Domain knew of the stakes he’d set.
*So this guy wants to shame me good and reclaim some pride in the process.*
It was a decent bet. Tang Yan hesitated briefly before turning to Fang City’s lord and clasping his hands respectfully. “Lord Fang, the rules of the Eastern Domain Competition state that a match only ends when one side surrenders or loses all ability to fight, correct?”
“Correct,” Fang Wentian nodded.
Tang Yan, as if uncertain, pressed further. “So, as long as Su Wei hasn’t surrendered or lost his fighting capacity after twenty moves, I can keep attacking?”
A strange glint flickered in Fang Wentian’s eyes. *This kid’s asking a lot—does he plan to milk some silver out of this? But can he actually win with that strength?* Still, it wasn’t Fang City’s concern. He could afford to stay impartial. “That’s right,” he confirmed.
Tang Yan didn’t stop there. He turned to Yu City’s lord next. “Lord Yao, if Su Wei can’t pay up, can the bill be charged to you?”
Yao Qian laughed in exasperation, not bothering to hide his disdain. His voice boomed out: “Do you think I don’t know Cloud City’s level?
“You’re a clever little punk, I’ll give you that. Knowing you’re outmatched, you keep double-checking to sow doubt, hoping everyone thinks you’re stronger than you are—maybe even trick Su Wei into backing off the bet. Am I right?”
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The crowd nodded in sudden realization, their faces lighting up. *So that’s his game—acting tough to bluff his way out!*
“If you can really last twenty moves, I’ll cover the tab myself,” Yao Qian continued, slamming a hand on the table. “But if you lose and try to weasel out, don’t blame me for stepping in and teaching you a harsh lesson, kid!”
“Hmph!” Lin Xiao, seated nearby, took a deep breath, feigning barely contained rage.
Seeing Lin Xiao’s reaction, the crowd grew more convinced: Tang Yan was all bark and no bite.
“Can we skip the fight?” Tang Yan asked timidly.
“Pfft, what a coward!” The crowd burst into mocking laughter at his words.
Su Wei’s face relaxed into a relieved grin. He’d been thrown off by Tang Yan’s earlier bravado, wondering if he had a hidden ace. Now, seeing him falter, Su Wei sneered, “What, is everyone from Cloud City this spineless?”
“Shut your damn mouth! I’ll take that bet!” Tang Yan snapped, jumping up like a cat with its tail stepped on.
The crowd’s contempt deepened as he took the bait. *Can’t even see through such an obvious taunt?*
“Match three—begin!” The red-robed elder, deeming the timing right, waved a flag and roared.
At the elder’s command, Su Wei’s aura shifted. The peak strength of Mysterious Stage, rank three, exploded outward.
The crowd flinched at the intensity. “So strong!” someone gasped.
“Time to show you that passing a trial means nothing!” Su Wei bellowed. His fist, brimming with boundless power, tore toward Tang Yan like an unstoppable force.
Though he hadn’t used a technique, a full-strength strike from a peak third-rank Mysterious Stage fighter was still heart-stopping.
The fist whistled through the air—swift as lightning, fierce as thunder.
Su Wei had gone all-in from the start. How long could this Cloud City kid hold out?
Every eye locked onto Tang Yan. Most were certain he’d share Liu Zhi’s fate—down in a single blow.
*Boom!* In that instant, Tang Yan’s aura surged. He unleashed the first strike of Thousand Mountains Fist, driving it forward.
Sensing Tang Yan’s power, the crowd’s eyes glinted with ridicule. *Only peak Mysterious Stage, rank one?*
The gap between third and first rank was vast. Su Wei felt it too, his gaze mixing triumph with disdain.
*Such a huge disparity, and this fool still dares to meet me head-on?*
As their fists neared collision, a smug smirk tugged at Su Wei’s lips.
But before it could fully form, his pupils shrank, and his grin froze.
Just as their fists were about to meet, Tang Yan—charging fiercely a moment ago—shifted sharply to the left in a split second.
“So fast!”
The moment Tang Yan activated his Phantom Step, everyone on the judges’ platform—save Lin Xiao—jumped in surprise.
His speed didn’t falter a bit. After changing direction, Tang Yan spun in place, a fiercer aura erupting from him.
He was still at peak first-rank Mysterious Stage, but Thousand Mountains Fist was a powerhouse technique. The second punch roared out, its force surpassing first-rank limits!
In ablink, he’d adjusted both the direction and angle of his attack.
While the crowd marveled at his speed, Shen Shan, hidden among them, watched with equal shock.
This kid wasn’t just fast—he’d pinpointed the weakest spot in Su Wei’s momentum in an instant. Reaction speed, vision—Tang Yan’s opening move was nothing short of stunning.
*Boom!* Su Wei scrambled to adjust, redirecting his strike, but its power dropped sharply in the process.
Their fists collided, and it was Su Wei who faltered, stumbling back a step with a thud.
Tang Yan, seasoned in combat, seized the moment. His vortex dantian whirred, and his body darted forward like lightning. With a spinning turn, an even mightier aura bore down on Su Wei.
Caught off guard by the relentless pace, Su Wei—his strength waning from the last clash—felt his blood churn. He had no energy left to counter.
*Boom!* In a fleeting moment, the third strike of Thousand Mountains Fist slammed into Su Wei’s chest.
A torrent of power poured from Tang Yan’s fist. Su Wei’s vision blurred as Tang Yan slipped past his guard, landing a solid hit.
"Thud, thud, thud!" Su Wei staggered back three steps, barely steadying himself. Before he could catch his breath, a figure closed in like a shadow, sticking to him relentlessly.