Chapter 230: One Word Decides: Nie Jinfeng!

The sound was like a thunderclap!

Before the sound even landed, Lu Dingzhou had already clenched his five fingers and threw a punch that came from across the void.

This punch was like mountains collapsing and earth splitting, like a river rushing away, and like a rising sea tide—it reached the extreme of speed and also the extreme of ferocity.

Where the punch's imprint pointed, everyone felt space itself being shoved aside, as if a great mountain rose from the ground, dragging with it a terrifyingly fierce gust of wind that surged forward to strike!

Great Mighty Divine Fist!

The three great Demon-Suppressing Generals all cried out in alarm!

Boom!

The air seemed to be compressed into a solid wall of qi.

Before the fist arrived, the force arrived first.

As this punch was thrown, before the gate of the Demon-Suppressing Office, a gust of wind surged like a tide, dust and qi waves raged forward, sweeping ahead like ocean waves.

The gust of wind struck the face.

The terrifying qi wave directly flung several weaker Demon-Suppressing Office lieutenants into the air, flying sideways like scarecrows.

Retreat!

Instinctively, Mountain-Moving General Chen Ao wanted to have Qin Shu avoid the punch's edge.

However, Qin Shu seemed to ignore it, merely stepping forward, meeting the surging gust, extending his palm halfway, then suddenly pulling back amidst the howling wind.

This pull seemed to grasp the rolling, tide-like gust before him in his palm.

Hmph!

Without a word, he let out a cold snort!

Then, under the gaze of many people.

He bowed his body,

and threw a punch!

Ang—!

The punch's sound rang like a dragon's chant!

This strike, Qin Shu not only used the strength of ten elephants, but also had the support of the gusts absorbed by the Gongong Fist.

Thus, when he threw the punch, it was like the heavenly river opening its sluice, a reservoir releasing floodwaters, surging forth.

Boom—!

The punch's imprint pressed down sideways, as if an ancient deity wielding the power of the four seas struck down the heavenly pillar, shook the heavenly gate, causing heaven and earth to overturn and the lands to tilt.

Its overwhelming might and terror caused the three great Demon-Suppressing Generals, Song Changfeng, Baili Jingtao, and even many martial heroes watching from afar to be shocked and change color.

What kind of fist is this……

The true qi that Mountain-Moving General Chen Ao had just risen instantly vanished, and an uncontrollable shock flashed in his eyes.

Qin Shu's aura at that moment made him feel as if he had returned to an ancient battlefield, witnessing an ancient deity angrily colliding with Mount Buzhou.

Such ferocious dominance, such an unstoppable momentum!

Boom!

In less than an instant, the two fists had already met.

A heaven-shaking great collision descended!

Boom—rumble!

Like a tremendous thunderclap, the earth trembled.

The air seemed to become a water surface at that moment, with layer upon layer of ripples spreading from the two as center, stirring up a heaven‑high tide, and torrents of true qi scattering.

Ah!

Lu Dingzhou's eyes bulged, his clenched teeth knocked apart by the surging blood rolling up from inside his body.

Before he could open his mouth, scalding blood, carrying fragments of shattered viscera, spurted from his seven orifices.

Such power……

Lu Dingzhou's face twitched violently; he felt as if struck head‑on by a ten‑thousand‑zhang black whale, and also as if mercilessly trampled by a herd of ancient giant elephants.

Its power was too terrifying, like mountains shouting and seas roaring, instantly shattering his external training and true qi.

Bang!

An explosion sounded from within his body.

One contact, a double critical strike!

That substantive force surged into his body like a tide; Lu Dingzhou glared with eyes wide open, finally unable to hold back a low roar, his feet leaving the ground as he was blown backward.

Thud!

Like a meteor falling to the ground!

Where he landed, the cold, hard blue stone and frozen earth on the street shattered and scattered, and even the ground within three zhang around him sank more than a chi.

Hard against hard!

Lu Dingzhou, who had condensed his true qi into a furnace, lost!

Witnessing this, all onlookers' expressions drastically changed—some shocked, some reverent, some fearful, some astonished.

Everyone looked at the youth who had withdrawn his fist and stood upright, as if gazing upon a demon‑god, their eyes filled with awe and apprehension.

No matter who he was before, from today onward he will surely make his name shake Yunzhou, and even the Tianhuang Dao.

Lu…… I have lost!

He raised his hand to wipe the blood from his face; Lu Dingzhou's complexion turned as pale as paper, yet his eyes still brimmed with unwillingness, and he asked:

What kind of fist is this? Why have I, an old man, never heard of such a tyrannical and terrifying fist technique?

Gongong's Fist!

Qin Shuo had his hands behind his back, his tone calm.

Gongong's Fist?

Lu Dingzhou's eyes lit up, 'Good name, good fist technique!'

Having said that, he turned and strode off toward the end of the long street.

Bai Li Jingtao, seeing this, forcibly suppressed his shock and fear, hurriedly followed Lu Dingzhou's steps, and fled in a sorry state.

Song Changfeng, seeing that Lu Dingzhou was no match, aside from being shocked, could only lead the constables of the Divine Constabulary Office away, embarrassed.

Only then did the colonels of the Demon-Suppression Office regain their senses, looking at Qin Shuo with eyes as if beholding a deity.

Wang Liehu is dead!

Lu Dingzhou has been defeated!

These two pieces of news spread like a hurricane, quickly sweeping across the entire Yunzhou City.

Whether peddlers and laborers, martial artists of the jianghu, or aristocrats, everyone who heard the news was in an uproar.

Lu Dingzhou, defeated?

Wind Thunder Valley, Startling Thunder Hall.

Upon hearing that both Wang Liehu and Lu Dingzhou had been defeated by Qin Shuo, Yue Shan could no longer sit still.

We can't let him grow any further!

Xue Wanlong's gaze was deep and solemn, his face extremely grim.

Originally he still wanted to give Nie Jinfeng some face, letting Yue Shan settle the score with that Qin-surnamed brat on the life-and-death stage.

Now it seems Yue Shan is no longer a match for him.

If he wants to take revenge, only he himself can do it.

Just as this thought flashed through his mind, a shadow descended from the sky, steadily landing on the mountaintop where Startling Thunder Hall stands.

Valley Master.

Valley Master.

The disciples of Startling Thunder Hall all bowed in salute.

Nie Jinfeng paid no heed, striding straight into the mountaintop hall; Xue Wanlong, who had just been pondering how to deal with Qin Shuo, immediately rose to respond.

All of you, retreat; I have something to say to your hall master.

Nie Jinfeng sat arrogantly in the chief seat of the hall, dismissing the disciples of Startling Thunder Hall.

When only he and Xue Wanlong remained, he then spoke indifferently:

I have come today to tell you that the life-and-death match between Qin Shuo and Yue Shan has been cancelled.

From today onward, you must honestly stay on Startling Thunder Mountain; you are not allowed to go anywhere!

Moreover, do not even think of acting against Qin Shuo.

Do you understand?

I don't understand!

Just moments ago, Xue Wanlong had been respectful, slightly bowing; he suddenly straightened his body, his eyes firm, and said:

The grudge for killing my son is irreconcilable!

How so? The Valley Master's son is a son, but isn't my son also a son?

Xue Wanlong's expression turned manic, his face ferocious, as he growled:

That Qin-surnamed bastard must die!

Swish!

It was as if a flash of lightning crossed the sky, illuminating the hall.

When the electric light faded, Nie Jinfeng had already appeared before Xue Wanlong, a hand resting on his shoulder; without visible exertion, Xue Wanlong seemed to be pressed down by Mount Tai, and with a bang knelt in the hall.

Where his single knee touched the ground, the bluish stone slabs seemed struck by a heavy hammer, suddenly shattering and scattering fragments.

I am not negotiating with you!

Nie Jinfeng's tone was cold and hard, extremely overbearing.

Crack crack crack~

Xue Wanlong's face flushed red; the pair of black iron gallbladders forged from dark iron in his hands crackled as he clenched them, his whole body's tendons and bones violently grating as he struggled to resist.

But the hand resting on his shoulder felt as heavy as a mountain; it not only failed to be lifted even a bit, but continued to press down, threatening to break his spine and tendons.

Bang!

Another loud boom.

The entire hall trembled.

His single knee became both knees on the ground; the raging air blast blew all the hall's tables and chairs flying, clattering to the floor.

Nie! Jin! Feng!

Xue Wanlong, with a crack, crushed the iron gallbladders in his hand to powder, lifted his head and roared, his eyes seeming to spit fire.

Boom—!

As if heavenly thunder had fallen, thunderclaps exploded.

Xue Wanlong's blood and qi boiled, electric light wandering around his body, like thunder dragons roaring, a fearsome sight.

However, no matter how his true gang went berserk and his qi and blood surged, that ivory-white palm remained utterly still; even as the lightning blazed and electric snakes writhed, it showed no change at all.

I am quite curious—what gave you the courage to defy me?

Nie Jin Feng held her behind with one hand, lightly pressing her shoulder with the other; his tone was indifferent, as if devoid of any feeling:

"Is it your Xue family's secret Five Thunder Secret Technique, or your pitiful little furnace?"

Pfft!

As his words fell, Xue Wan Long felt an endless terrifying momentum press down, forcibly suppressing the blood-qi fire about to ignite within him.

Grand Master!

This is the Grand Master!

Xue Wan Long felt myriad frustrations and indignation, yet now he only felt as if a towering mountain weighed on his back, his thoughts nearly immobilized.

Grand Master's will!

Heavy as a mountain, vast as the earth!

"If Qin Shuo truly is Nie's son, you Xue Wan Long and this Jing Lei Hall would have died eight hundred times over; how are you still here today?"

Nie Jin Feng snorted coldly, then continued:

"Xue Wan Long..."

"I see you're truly old! Do you also believe baseless rumors?"

"You might as well not be the Hall Master of Jing Lei Hall!"

"Your title as Yue Shan's true inheritor is also stripped; you are confined to Jing Lei Mountain, and without my permission, you may not descend."

Before his words even finished, Xue Wan Long felt his body suddenly loosen, as if a great weight had been lifted.

He then saw Nie Jin Feng already stride past him, about to exit the great hall.

"Since he's an outsider, why does the Valley Master repeatedly aid him?"

Xue Wan Long gritted his teeth, his eyes full of humiliation and anger.

"Do I need to explain my actions to you?"

Nie Jin Feng's steps paused, then he did not linger, turning into a flash of lightning that shot out the hall door and soared skyward; only his indifferent voice echoed within the hall:

"Today is merely a warning; if you again act on your own against Qin Shuo, do not blame me for forgetting our fellow sect bonds!"