"Strongest of this generation?" Li Yun's lips curled into a sneer. "Li Dong, aren't you older than Li Xian himself? Doesn't that put you a whole generation above me?"
Li Dong's face immediately darkened. He hadn't expected Li Yun to twist his words and slap him with such humiliation in front of everyone. He had only claimed they were of the same generation as a convenient excuse to sway the elders into approving the duel, yet Li Yun tore through it with a single line.
"What? Are you afraid?" Li Dong shot back, his voice cold but laced with arrogance. He wasn't someone who would swallow an insult in silence. "Honestly, I don't believe you can even stand against Li Xian. I'm challenging you just to remind you of your place."
"Is that so?" Li Yun smiled faintly, though his thoughts were elsewhere, quietly waiting for the system to issue him a quest.
Li Dong took a step forward, his tone sharp and provocative. "How about this, if you can defeat me, then maybe you have the qualifications to face Li Xian. Otherwise, give up on that idea. It will only end in your humiliation."
Li Yun tilted his head, pretending to ponder his words, though in truth he was simply buying time. Seconds stretched into minutes, yet no notification appeared. His smile stiffened. 'Damn it, is Li Dong so weak that even the system doesn't recognize him as a challenge?'
At last, Li Yun exhaled softly. "Fine. I'll accept your challenge." His steps were calm but firm as he walked toward the arena.
"Brother Yun, take revenge for me!" Li Yao called out suddenly, her expression fierce.
Li Yun almost stumbled at her words. Revenge? He glanced back at her, baffled. They had only exchanged blows in a fair duel, how did she twist that into a blood feud? He could only sigh inwardly. 'This little girl… she even holds grudges over the smallest things.'
Stepping into the arena, Li Yun stood tall before Li Dong. His gaze was calm, yet his words cut sharper than any blade. "I will defeat you in one move."
The declaration echoed through the martial field like a thunderclap. The crowd stirred, gasps and murmurs spreading like wildfire. To everyone, it was blatant arrogance, but Li Yun meant every word. After all, even the system hadn't considered Li Dong worthy of being his opponent. To waste time here would be beneath him.
"One move?" Li Dong barked out a laugh, though rage burned in his eyes. "Li Yun, you dare humiliate me? Then I want to see how you'll defeat me in a single strike!" He braced himself, pride forbidding him from retreating.
'Arrogance is always their downfall.' Li Yun's lips curved into a faint smile. 'But who am I to teach him lessons?'
He clenched his hand slowly. At that instant, a ripple of energy surged through the arena. His fist glowed with intertwining hues of red and blue, blazing like fire and surging like water, embodying the balance of fury and calm. The air itself shuddered around his knuckles, distorting as though unable to contain the power coiling within.
A faint pressure rolled out across the martial field. Disciples in the stands felt their chests tighten; even elders shifted slightly, their expressions growing solemn. This was no ordinary martial art, it was the middle grade mortal rank Dragon Tiger Fist, cultivated to the very peak, the perfection stage of mastery.
Li Dong's bravado faltered for the first time. His eyes widened as he sensed the gathering might. The very space before him seemed to ripple with the soundless approach of something vast, primal, and unstoppable. Still, bound by his pride, he clenched his teeth and rooted himself in place. 'No matter what, I'll take this strike head-on!'
Then, Li Yun moved.
His fist rose and swung down in a smooth, fluid arc, simple in motion, yet majestic in presence.
"ROAR!"
Twin cries split the heavens. One was the thunderous bellow of a tiger, fierce and unyielding. The other was the deep, commanding roar of a dragon, echoing through heaven and earth. Phantom shadows materialized behind Li Yun, a mighty dragon coiling in the skies and a ferocious tiger crouching on the earth. Their roars overlapped, merging into a single, devastating force that shook the entire arena.
The combined aura of dragon and tiger surged forward, locking onto Li Dong. The ground beneath his feet cracked, unable to withstand the oppressive might pressing down on him. His body trembled despite his desperate attempts to remain steady.
The fist was almost upon him. The roaring dragon and snarling tiger seemed ready to tear through him, unstoppable, inevitable.
At the very last instant, sweat drenched Li Dong's forehead. His lips quivered before he suddenly shouted, voice cracking with fear: "I, I admit defeat!"
The words rang out desperately. Li Yun's fist halted a mere inch before his face, the roaring phantoms dispersing into smoke and echoes. The pressure vanished, but the fear lingered.
The arena fell silent for a moment before erupting in chaos.
"What in the world was that just now? Even I felt a wave of danger from that fist!"
"Same here, look at me, I'm drenched in sweat. That strike wasn't just strong, it was terrifying."
"I can't believe it… that had to be a middle-grade fist technique, pushed all the way to an incredibly high stage of mastery."
"It was frightening to watch. Even Li Dong, with all his arrogance, had no choice but to admit defeat before it landed."
"Li Yun… he's no ordinary genius. He's a complete monster."
The young geniuses huddled together, whispering in awe. After what they had just witnessed, none of them could bring themselves to compare Li Dong to Li Yun anymore. The difference was like heaven and earth. Li Yun stood on an entirely different level.
"A genius… this child is truly a genius!" Patriarch Li Jinyun rose to his feet, his usually calm expression shaken with rare excitement. Over the years, he had seen countless so-called prodigies, yet Li Yun stood apart, one of the very few with limitless potential. His voice carried weight as he declared, "If I am not mistaken, that was the Dragon-Tiger Fist, a middle-grade mortal rank martial art. And Li Yun has pushed it all the way to the perfection stage."
He paused, his eyes shining with admiration before adding, "Two months ago, this boy displayed a low-grade mortal fist technique already at perfection stage. And now this… Perfection in a higher-grade art within such a short time. Like father, like son!"
The elders around him exchanged nods, their faces grave but filled with approval. It was undeniable now, among all the younger generation of the Li Family, Li Yun's potential outshone them all, even Li Xian.
Even the Second Elder, though bitter at his son's defeat, could not deny the truth. His heart ached as a father, but as an elder of the clan he bowed to reality. He understood better than most that talent such as Li Yun's could not be measured with ordinary standards.
Among the elders, only one sat cloaked in gloom, Great Elder Li Potian, grandfather of Li Nian and Li Xian. While the others were marveling at Li Yun's brilliance, his eyes burned with venom. His expression was dark and ruthless as his gaze lingered on Li Yun's figure. With the faintest motion of his hand, he gave a silent signal to his grandson.
Li Xian understood immediately. He stepped forward, his body rising lightly before landing in the arena with a heavy presence. His face was cold, his voice even colder. "Li Yun, it's time for our battle."
His tone carried a dangerous weight. Li Yun's rise threatened his positioned as the strongest genius in the Li Family and he couldn't allow that t o happen. In his heart, he had already made his decision, today, he would cripple Li Yun completely, shattering his cultivation and burying his so-called brilliance.
Li Yun, however, was anything but afraid. His lips curved into a faint smile, eyes gleaming with anticipation. He hadn't forgotten the reward for defeating Li Xian, the Nine Tribulations Divine Eye.
In the Martial Dragon Continent, eye abilities were so rare they were spoken of in reverent whispers. To gain such a treasure merely by crushing Li Xian was a chance Li Yun would never let slip by. His blood stirred with excitement.