37: Chapter 37 We won!

Master Wu Zhe's sure-kill strike missed. The force of his palm slammed into empty air, leaving a large scorched mark on the bluestone Life-and-Death Ring, with thin smoke curling up. His mind was shaken; the moment his Move was overextended, his movements inevitably showed a trace of sluggishness and stiffness.

It was this fleeting opening!

A cold light flashed in Lin Tian's eyes. His body, having just finished executing his Wind-Chasing Footwork at Minor Achievement stage and still in a state of extreme agility, did not pause in the slightest. With a twist of his waist, power rose from the ground and poured into his right arm. A "Metal Element Fist," devoid of any flashy techniques but concentrated with all his strength, struck out like a venomous Dragon leaving its cave, crashing heavily into the right shoulder that Master Wu Zhe had slightly exposed while exerting force!

"Crack!"

A clear sound of bone cracking rang out across the suddenly silent Life-and-Death Ring, sounding exceptionally harsh.

"Ah—!" Master Wu Zhe let out a shrill scream. His entire right arm hung limply at an unnatural angle, and the shoulder blade was visibly sunken in.

He staggered back five or six steps before stabilizing his figure. His face was twisted into a hideous expression due to intense pain and rage, his eyes bloodshot, staring fixedly at Lin Tian like a Vicious Beast ready to devour someone.

Off the stage, the deathly silence was broken, turning into an uproar!

"What?!"

"He dodged it?! What kind of Footwork was that just now?!"

"What incredible speed! It was like a gust of wind!"

"One punch... and he heavily injured Master Wu?"

Exclamations rose one after another. Everyone was stunned by this sudden reversal.

The smile on Master Ding Kui's face froze, and his eyes widened. The members of the Ding Family were struck as if by lightning, standing frozen on the spot.

Where the Disciples of the Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall were gathered, Du Fei leaned forward abruptly, staring fixedly at the flickering afterimages of Lin Tian's footwork on the Life-and-Death Ring. The color drained from his face instantly, and he screamed, "Wind-Chasing Footwork... at Minor Achievement?! This is impossible! How could you have possibly reached the Minor Achievement Realm?!"

His voice was sharp, filled with incredulous shock. The other martial arts hall Disciples nearby gasped upon hearing this, and the sound of discussion exploded:

"Wind-Chasing Footwork at Minor Achievement? That is one of the hardest footwork techniques to practice in our martial arts hall!"

"I heard Senior Brother Du Fei practiced hard for a year and a half and only barely touched the edge of Minor Achievement!"

"How long has this Lin Tian been a Disciple? Two months? Is he a monster?!"

"No wonder... with such ghostly footwork, Master Wu Zhe's ultimate Move couldn't hit him!"

On the Liu Family's side, it was a different scene. Patriarch Liu clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white, a flush of ecstasy surging onto his face. The clan elders and stewards beside him were also trembling with excitement.

"Good! Good! Good footwork!" Patriarch Liu whispered repeatedly, a heavy stone in his heart finally dropping, immediately replaced by immense hope. "With this footwork, he is already in an invincible position against an Innate expert! This time... this time we really found the right person!"

Liu Yunfeng was so excited he almost jumped up, his gaze toward Lin Tian filled with admiration.

On the Life-and-Death Ring, Lin Tian did not pursue, but only looked coldly at the grimacing Master Wu Zhe who was clutching his shoulder, his voice calm and ripple-free: "Still not conceding?"

"Concede? ...Hehe... Hahaha!" Master Wu Zhe let out a hoarse and crazy laugh, the red light in his eyes growing brighter. The intense pain stimulated his nerves, but what he could not bear even more was the possibility of failure!

He had accepted a heavy gift from the Ding Family that he could not refuse; he had to win this battle, not lose! If he lost, not only would his reputation be ruined, but he could not afford the Ding Family's rage and the subsequent trouble!

"You little bastard... I want you dead!" Master Wu Zhe completely descended into madness. The fiery red light on his remaining left palm surged again, even faintly revealing a desperate and tragic aura as if he were fighting for his life.

He roared and lunged forward again, disregarding everything. His single palm danced, the palm wind whistling, even more fierce than before, as if he wanted to burn up all his blood, Qi, and Internal Energy in one go, transforming into a sea of scorching palm shadows, enveloping down toward Lin Tian!

However, facing this seemingly terrifying onslaught, Lin Tian's figure was even more agile and elusive.

Executing his Wind-Chasing Footwork at the Minor Achievement stage with full force, he was like a small boat in raging waves, always able to slip away and dodge at the most critical moment from the most impossible angles. Although Master Wu Zhe's palm force was fierce, he could hardly even touch the corner of Lin Tian's clothes.

On the contrary, Lin Tian's "Metal Element Fist" would strike out from time to time like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, forcing Master Wu Zhe to pull back his palm to block.

If he were in his prime, Master Wu Zhe might have been able to rely on his deeper Internal Energy and exquisite palm techniques to block and counterattack. But at this moment, his right shoulder was heavily injured, and he was supporting himself with only his left palm. Having to cope with that ghostly footwork, he was struggling, and openings appeared frequently.

"Bang!" Another Metal Element Fist slammed heavily against the outside of Master Wu Zhe's left arm as he hurriedly retreated to defend, shaking him until his blood and Qi churned, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

At this rate, defeat and death were only a matter of time!

"Ah—! Die!" Master Wu Zhe knew things were looking bad; despair and madness intertwined. At the moment of another feigned palm strike, his left hand hidden in his sleeve shook violently!

A point of black light, as thin as an ox hair and as fast as lightning, shot out from his sleeve without warning, aiming straight for Lin Tian's throat! This hidden weapon was coated with deadly poison, and the timing of its launch was tricky and vicious; it was his ultimate life-saving trump card!

A hidden weapon!

Exclamations erupted from off the stage! No one expected that a Martial Artist from the dignified Liehuo Martial Arts Hall would use such a sinister hidden weapon on the Life-and-Death Ring!

Lin Tian had sensed something wrong when the opponent swung his palm. The moment that black light flashed, a cold crisis of death instantly gripped his heart! His hair stood on end!

At this life-or-death moment, all his potential exploded! His Wind-Chasing Footwork was pushed to an unprecedented limit, and he seemed to transform into a true phantom of the wind, taking seven incredible steps backward and to the side!

"Swish!"

The black light grazed the edge of his neck, the cold, sharp Qi even slicing through his collar, leaving a shallow bloodstain on the side of his neck that stung with a burning pain.

By a hair's breadth, he had avoided a fatal blow!

"How is this possible?!" Master Wu Zhe watched helplessly as his final killing Move missed, his face filled with despair and disbelief.

And Lin Tian, the moment he dodged the hidden weapon, the murderous intent in his eyes had solidified into substance! The opponent had already intended to kill, using such despicable means, so there was no need to hold back!

He stamped heavily on the ground, his body moving with his fist. Taking advantage of the absolute gap where Master Wu Zhe had lost his composure and his old strength was spent while new strength had not yet arisen, a "Metal Element Fist" concentrated with all his power and rage slammed without reservation into Master Wu Zhe's chest!

"Boom—!"

A dull sound of impact rang out. Master Wu Zhe's eyes bulged suddenly, terror and unwillingness still remaining in his bloodshot eyeballs. He lowered his head and opened his mouth, but could not make any sound.

Immediately, his tall body seemed to have all its bones removed, falling limply backward. With a "thump," he hit the bluestone Life-and-Death Ring, kicking up a little dust, and then made no more sound.

The whole arena was deathly silent. You could hear a pin drop.

The color on Master Ding Kui's face faded completely, his lips trembling as he slumped in the grand chair. The Ding Family members looked ashen, as if they had lost their parents.

Du Fei was dumbfounded, his mind blank. All his previous ridicule and cold sneers now turned into invisible slaps, fiercely striking his face.

After a full three or four breaths, the middle-aged referee in the green robe flickered and appeared on the Life-and-Death Ring. He leaned down to check Master Wu Zhe's breath and pulse, then straightened up, his gaze sweeping over the audience below. His voice remained steady, but carried unquestionable authority: "Master Wu Zhe is dead." "In this battle, Lin Tian wins."

"Won! We won!! Hahahaha!" Patriarch Liu was the first to jump up, the long-repressed excitement and ecstasy erupting like a volcano. The Liu Family members were cheering and jumping for joy, hugging each other, and many were even moved to tears. That heavy industry was finally protected!

Off the stage, after a brief silence, an even noisier wave of sound erupted.

"Master Wu Zhe... is dead? Really dead!"

"My silver! I bet twenty taels on Master Wu Zhe winning!"

"Damn it! How could this happen!"

"Where is the bookmaker? Pay up! Lin Tian won, one to ten! Pay up quickly!"

The gamblers who bet on Master Wu Zhe were furious and in despair, wailing in a chorus. While the few who bet on Lin Tian were ecstatic.

Wang Yu punched the air fiercely, the smile on his face impossible to suppress. He walked to the side of the pale and dispirited Du Fei, deliberately raising his voice: "Senior Brother Du, have you seen Junior Brother Lin's strength now? Can this Minor Achievement Realm of Wind-Chasing Footwork still catch your eye?"

Du Fei trembled all over, his face turning from white to red, and then from red to blue, feeling that everyone's gaze around him was looking at him with mockery. His previous high-flown talk at the wine table had now become the most ridiculous joke. He glared fiercely at Wang Yu, then glanced resentfully at Lin Tian who was walking off the Life-and-Death Ring, and without saying a word, turned and pushed through the crowd, leaving in a sorry state.

Off the Life-and-Death Ring, Lin Tian refused the Liu Family's attempt to immediately swarm him, walking first to the bookmaker.

The only eight taels of silver he had on him earlier, he had bet entirely on himself to win.

At this moment, although the bookmaker's face was ugly, under the gaze of everyone and the faint, ever-present watch of the City Lord's Mansion witnesses, he dared not renege on the debt, trembling as he handed over eighty taels of snowy white silver.

The heavy eighty taels. For an ordinary martial arts hall Disciple, this was undoubtedly a huge sum of money.

Stowing the silver away, Lin Tian finally looked at Patriarch Liu and Liu Yunfeng who were approaching him excitedly, a faint, relieved smile appearing on his face.

The mission was complete. The favor was returned. The harvest was also substantial.