On the Training Ground, Huang Liang was knocked back by Ling Fei.
"Brother Liang reached the Eighth Layer of Body Tempering four months ago, and just the other day, Ling Fei was only at the Seventh Layer. How could he possibly knock Brother Liang back head-on? Could he have been hiding his cultivation? No, even then, he shouldn't be able to fracture Brother Liang's bones... Not unless he's reached the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering!" a youth murmured.
"The Ninth Layer of Body Tempering?" Zhao Fa's brow furrowed, and he shook his head. "Ling Fei has been weak and sickly since childhood, as we all know. Even if his health is improving now, he still hasn't fully recovered. I haven't even reached the Ninth Layer yet, so how could he?"
"Then what's going on?" The other two youths exchanged a glance, both looking astonished.
What happened today was completely beyond their expectations.
Zhao Fa shook his head; he didn't understand what was happening either.
Just then, his gaze shifted forward.
The first thing he saw was Huang Liang's somewhat swollen fist.
Evidently, with his bone fractured, Huang Liang's flesh was injured as well.
On the other hand, Ling Fei stood with his hands down at his sides, looking completely unharmed.
This meant he hadn't sustained even a scratch in the exchange.
"Awesome! Brother Fei, when did you get so damn fierce?" Wu Dapang exclaimed excitedly after a moment of shock, seeing Huang Liang howling in pain.
'My bones really are tougher than an ordinary Martial Arts Cultivator's, thanks to the True Dragon Body Refining Technique,' Ling Fei thought to himself. His eyes filled with confidence, his blood began to race, and a thrill of excitement ran through him. Though he always knew the True Dragon Body Refining Technique was extraordinary, he never expected it to be this formidable.
After all, many techniques had domineering names but were all flash and no substance.
Furthermore, he had thought that even at the same Eighth Layer of Body Tempering, he wouldn't be that much stronger than others.
But it now seemed he had underestimated the might of the True Dragon Body Refining Technique.
This Cultivation Technique was no exaggeration.
'I underestimated the power of the True Dragon Body Refining Technique.' This realization gave Ling Fei a renewed sense of confidence in his path to becoming a powerful expert.
"My hand..." Huang Liang stared in disbelief at his own swollen right hand.
The moment he tried to exert any force, an excruciating pain shot through his knuckles.
The pain was so intense it seemed to pierce his heart, an unbearable agony that made every nerve in his body throb in protest.
"How are your bones so hard? I don't believe it! You must have used some kind of trick!" Huang Liang looked up at Ling Fei.
"And why can't I be stronger than you?" Ling Fei replied calmly.
"No! How could a sickly good-for-nothing like you be stronger than me? I don't believe it!" Huang Liang flew into a humiliated rage.
After all, he was the one who had always looked down on Ling Fei. This reversal was more than he could accept.
With a crazed expression, Huang Liang lunged forward. His body coiled, and Power erupted from within him.
WHOOSH!
He pounced like a hungry tiger, his left hand forming a claw that slashed upward toward Ling Fei's chin.
This was Fierce Tiger Descending the Mountain from the Tiger Fist style!
Normally, this move required both hands, with the right hand striking down from above.
The coordination of both hands made the attack incredibly difficult to defend against.
However, Huang Liang's right hand was already injured.
Even so, the strike was still incredibly fierce.
But with only one hand, Huang Liang's center was wide open, leaving a fatal flaw in his attack.
'Still daring to attack?' Ling Fei's eyebrow arched. With a low grunt, he advanced instead of retreating.
He took a step forward, his right hand striking out like a snake. He grabbed Huang Liang's lunging left wrist, his own speed a cut above his opponent's.
WHOOSH!
Ling Fei's hand was like an iron vise, clamping down on Huang Liang's left wrist and bringing his pounce to an abrupt halt.
Then, with a flash in his eyes, Ling Fei's left leg shot out, kicking Huang Liang squarely in the stomach.
THUMP!
The sound of a bone cracking rang out.
Afterward, Huang Liang's body was sent flying backward like a kite with a snapped string.
THUD!
With a heavy thud, Huang Liang landed hard on the ground.
He spat out a mouthful of blood.
He lay sprawled on the ground, gasping for air, each breath a struggle.
This time, he was truly injured.
Zhao Fa and the other two youths stood completely frozen in place.
Ling Fei's movements had been so calm and composed, displaying the bearing of a great commander.
"Badass! Brother Fei, you're a total badass!" Wu Dapang shouted, his face alight with excitement.
"Whoa, what did I just see? Did Ling Fei just send that Huang Liang flying with a kick?"
Just then, abrupt voices broke the silence on the Training Ground.
It was a group of youths, peers who usually trained with Ling Fei, now heading over in a large group.
"I saw it too."
"Are my eyes playing tricks on me? That's Ling Fei, the famous Ling the sickly. How could he send Huang Liang flying with one kick?"
These people had seen Ling Fei and Huang Liang's exchange from a distance.
Seeing Huang Liang get sent flying, they all wore expressions of utter disbelief.
Some even rubbed their eyes, as if doubting what they'd just seen.
Their faces full of curiosity, the boys and girls immediately crowded around.
Meanwhile, Zhao Fa and the others had already helped Huang Liang up.
"Huang Liang, did you just get sent flying by Ling the sickly?"
"Huang Liang, did he make your hand swell up like that too?"
"Does it hurt?" they asked as soon as they had surrounded Huang Liang.
'Does it hurt?' The question made Huang Liang want to crawl into a hole and die. He nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood from the sheer humiliation.
"Huang Liang, are you sick too? How else could Ling the sickly have beaten you so badly?" a girl in a ponytail asked, blinking innocently.
"You're the one who's sick! Your whole family is sick!" Huang Liang retorted weakly, rolling his eyes.
He wished he could just find a hole to crawl into and hide.
"Ling the sickly, how did you suddenly get so powerful?"
Meanwhile, others had crowded around Ling Fei, peppering him with questions.
"Hey! Who are you calling sickly? Didn't you see how badass Brother Fei was just now? Call him that again and see if I don't beat you up," Wu Dapang snapped at the boy.
The boy immediately shrank back.
Huang Liang was considered one of the top fighters among his peers. If even he was defeated, the others would naturally be intimidated.
"Brother Ling Fei, how are you so incredible!" a boy asked curiously.
The others also looked on expectantly, waiting for Ling Fei's answer.
"Brother Fei has reached the Eighth Layer of Body Tempering," Wu Dapang announced.
"The Eighth Layer?" someone murmured, their eyes flickering.
"Heh, I guess I just accidentally sent him flying," Ling Fei said with a faint smile and a shrug.
'Accidentally sent him flying?' The surrounding youths rolled their eyes, clearly not buying it.
'Defeating Huang Liang right after reaching the Eighth Layer of Body Tempering… that's not something an ordinary person can do!' everyone thought to themselves.
The way the youths looked at Ling Fei had now changed completely.
No one was calling him Ling the sickly anymore.
'Only by becoming strong can you earn your own dignity,' Ling Fei thought, his heart perfectly calm.