Chapter 92: Invincible Divine Fist, Number One in Jinjin! (Part 2)

Several days passed.

East of Jinjin City, Haihe Avenue.

Before the foreign powers invaded and partitioned the Concession, Haihe Avenue had always been the most essential and prosperous street in this thousand-year-old famous city.

This great avenue was named for its proximity to the Hai River; the street boasted the best brothels, restaurants, theaters, and exotic department stores, making it a veritable "money-burning pit" where every inch of land was worth an inch of gold; without sufficient strength, one simply could not open a business here.

Although after the foreign powers partitioned the Concession, this area had much of its foot traffic drawn away by the exotic commercial districts within, Haihe Avenue remained the most prosperous and bustling street in the old city, with tens of thousands of people passing through every day.

Just like this day.

The sky was clear for ten thousand miles, and the sun was shining brightly.

On the Haihe Avenue, wide enough for over a dozen carriages to travel side by side, the flow of people was endless; besides pedestrians and merchants, there were peddlers carrying goods, idlers with nothing to do, and the occasional foreigner in a Western suit, all sorts of people gathering to form a scene of fake prosperity and peace.

However.

Although the avenue was bustling with people, the most lively spot at this moment was Haihe Square, located in the center of the avenue.

The square, usually quite empty, was now surging with a dense crowd, gathering into an ocean, the clamor shaking the Heavens.

And in the center of this dark, dense crowd, there was a ring seven feet high and about five zhang square.

On the ring, two middle-aged men with long braids were moving with flashing shadows and whistling gusts of wind, engaging in a fierce exchange of blows.

Boom, boom, boom.

One could see that as the two struck, their internal organs thundered and their Qi and blood were like boiling tea; every punch and kick was fierce and swift, all producing continuous explosions of air, like two humanoid giant beasts.

At the same time, as the two leaped and shifted, exerting force under their feet, the concrete-poured ring would occasionally crack with marks, and the force of the wind swept up sand and stones, scattering them in all directions.

All signs indicated that these two fighting on the ring were both Martial Artists who had stepped into the Fifth Realm Blood Refining!

As the two fought on the stage, there were two groups of men in different short shirts on the left and right sides below, belonging to different camps, shouting and cheering with red faces, refusing to give an inch.

Besides them, the surging crowd watching around the ring erupted in continuous cheers:

"Master Hou, cut through his center!"

"Oh no, that move was wrong, too slow!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, Master Hu of the Golden Ring Martial Arts Hall doesn't seem to be doing well with this Golden Ring Snake Fist; he doesn't look as formidable as his father, the old Master Hu."

"Good heavens, are these Fifth Realm Martial Artists even human!?"

A fight between two Martial Artists was rarely seen on ordinary days; in the vast square, thousands of onlookers watched in amazement.

There were over a hundred martial arts halls in Jinjin, each with dozens or hundreds of disciples; so many hot-blooded martial practitioners living under the same blue sky naturally had many conflicts and disputes, and the martial arts ring on Haihe Square naturally became the place for many halls to resolve grudges and compete for superiority.

Here, almost every few days, people from the Martial Arts Association would arrange to fight; before the two sides went on stage, they would sign a life-or-death contract, and the fights were fierce and cruel, often resulting in death or injury, attracting a large number of busybodies to watch, gradually forming one of the spectacular sights of Jinjin City.

Especially today, the dispute and fight between the Golden Ring Martial Arts Hall and the Jiuhua Martial Arts Arena, two large, famous, and top-tier martial arts halls in Jinjin, had attracted thousands of busybodies to watch because the news had spread early.

After all, even in Jinjin, where the martial spirit was strong, a Fifth Realm Blood Refining Martial Artist was a rare and great expert that ordinary people could not see in their daily lives.

And soon.

On the ring, with a bang!

Accompanied by the sound of shattering bones, a thin middle-aged man was forced to the edge of the ring, and then, having carelessly left an opening, was struck by his opponent's punch; he immediately let out a muffled groan and flew backward, falling off the ring.

"Good!"

Seeing this scene, the hundreds and thousands of busybodies below cheered and applauded, fearing no chaos; the victorious middle-aged Martial Master stood on the stage, accepting the cheers in high spirits, his voice like a great bell:

"Hu Yixiang, are you convinced this time!?"

Below the stage, the middle-aged Martial Master called Hu Yixiang spat out blood, was hurriedly helped up by a large group of disciples, and then gritted his teeth and shouted with extreme unwillingness:

"I am not convinced, come again!"

Just as he was about to endure the pain and get back on the stage, he saw an old man wearing a small cap and looking vigorous block his path, and said loudly with an expressionless face:

"Master Hu, if you keep fighting, you will either die or be injured; you are also an old man in the Martial Arts Association, do not break the rules."

"Leaving the ring means defeat; in this fight between you two, Master Hou Zhenhua of the Jiuhua Martial Arts Arena is the winner!"

If people in the Martial Arts Association were to fight here, they would generally invite a respected senior of the association to act as a witness, so as to avoid anyone using underhanded tricks or refusing to acknowledge the result; the old man before them was such a person.

In Jinjin, the rules of the Martial Arts Association were greater than the Heavens; anyone who dared to pester and refuse to give up would inevitably end up with a ruined reputation.

Hu Yixiang, who was not lightly injured, also knew that even if he went back on stage, he would likely be unable to defeat his opponent, so he could only grit his teeth and take the opportunity to step down, saying with extreme indignation:

"Hou Zhenhua, don't be smug; I only lost half a move to you because I was careless, I will definitely come to settle the score with you next month!"

"Let's go!"

After barely saying a face-saving remark, he and his large group of disciples squeezed through the crowd and left in a dejected manner amidst the boos and jeers of the surroundings.

"Hahaha, I could beat you this time, and I will be able to beat you next time!"

Hou Zhenhua, who won the fight, laughed out loud; although he was also slightly injured, he still walked with the stride of a dragon or tiger and was welcomed down by his Gatekeepers with cheers, while countless congratulations and flattery poured in from all around:

"Congratulations, Master Hou, felicitations, Master Hou!"

"With the Golden Ring Martial Arts Hall defeated, the world now knows the power of your Jiuhua Fist; it is simply stronger than the Golden Ring Snake Fist!"

"From now on, the Jiuhua Martial Arts Arena is the number one martial arts hall on North City West Street, congratulations!"

"Master Hou, please take me as your disciple; I am sixteen years old, and a strange person once said I was a one-in-a-million martial arts genius..."

That was how it was on the martial arts ring; the winner's reputation would soar, and the loser's would plummet; unless they found an opportunity to regain their standing later, the martial arts hall's business would be significantly affected for a long time once the news spread.

And just as Hou Zhenhua was off the stage, wrapped in endless flattery and congratulations, and the hundreds and thousands of busybodies on the periphery were still unsatisfied and craning their necks to watch the excitement,

Suddenly, near the central ring, a young figure carrying a large wooden box emerged from the crowd and stepped onto the stage lightly.

And following closely behind, at his gesture, two honest-looking men carried an Eight Immortals table and shouldered two bamboo poles wrapped in long cloth, also stepping onto the ring quite nervously.

Hmm?

Such an unusual scene immediately caught the attention of the thousands of people below.

Those close by could clearly see that the young figure who first went on stage, carrying the large wooden box, had no braid behind his head, only short hair; although he was dressed in ordinary short clothes, his temperament was extraordinary and refined.

This person was, naturally, Lu Yuan.

Hou Zhenhua, who was still near the stage, looked surprised at this formation, and the old man from the Martial Arts Association who had acted as a witness also frowned, stepped forward at the first opportunity, and asked:

"Young man, what do you intend to do on this stage?"

Directing two laborers hired from the street for five Silver Yuan a day to set up the table, Lu Yuan smiled and said, "Old sir, I wish to set up a ring here to accept challenges; would that be permissible?"

"Set up a ring!?"

The old man could not help but be stunned, filled with suspicion:

"Judging by your accent, you are not a local, young man. Why have you come here to set up a ring?"

"You will know in a moment, old sir."

As he spoke, Lu Yuan smiled slightly, carried the wooden box in his hand to the front of the Eight Immortals table, opened it, and gently tipped it over.

Clatter—!

The next moment, a large amount of gleaming silver and gold Silver Yuan and Gold Yuan immediately covered the table, piling up into a small hill, reflecting a stunning radiance under the sunlight.

At the same time, the two laborers timidly pulled away and raised the bamboo poles they had brought up, upon which hung bright red couplets and banners, inscribed with several lines of large characters:

God Fist Invincible, Jinmen Number One!

Pay one hundred Silver Yuan to step onto the stage, and those who can stand on the stage after receiving Three Punches may take the fifty thousand Silver Yuan prize money!

Boom—!

Almost at the same moment they saw the hill-like pile of Silver Yuan and Gold Yuan on the stage, as well as the characters on the banners.

The crowd below the stage gasped in unison, then erupted into a clamor like a mountain landslide and a tsunami!

Fifty thousand Silver Yuan, even in this Jinjin where hidden dragons and crouching tigers reside, was a truly massive fortune.

More importantly, to dare to set up a ring here at Hehai Square, claiming to be God Fist Invincible and Jinmen Number One—such behavior was too bizarre, too arrogant, and too insolent; it was unprecedented and unheard of in this Jinjin!

"God Fist Invincible, Jinmen Number One? Are you crazy, young man!?"

Even the old man by the ring, who had witnessed the previous fight, changed color at this moment:

"Do you know what place this is, and do you know what you are doing now? Jinjin is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers; within the Martial Arts Association, not to mention Refining Blood Martial Artists, there are even Martial Arts Masters and Martial Arts Grandmasters sitting in charge. Are you not afraid of losing your life!?"

"I know, of course."

Lu Yuan wore a smile, noncommittal, and facing the crazily boiling crowd below the stage, he raised his voice:

"As you all can see, I am setting up this ring to meet all heroes. Regardless of age or cultivation, as long as you are a practitioner of Martial Arts, you only need to pay one hundred Silver Yuan to step onto the stage. Anyone who can stand on the stage after receiving my Three Punches can take away the fifty thousand Silver Yuan on this table!"

Boom.

Lu Yuan's voice rolled out far and wide.

Upon receiving confirmation, the surging crowd in the square became even more boiling and sensational. Among the crowd, any Martial Arts practitioner who considered themselves to have some ability instantly had their eyes turn red, their blood rushing to their heads.

The one hundred Silver Yuan required to mount the stage was not a small sum, but compared to the heaven-defying wealth of fifty thousand Silver Yuan, it seemed so insignificant.

Especially since Lu Yuan looked to be at most in his early twenties; at such an age, no matter how much of a natural genius he was, it was impossible for his Martial Arts to have reached a very profound level.

The key was—

Even if the opponent was hiding his true strength and possessed unique skills, one only needed to receive Three Punches. Who with any ability wouldn't want to go up and give it a try!?

Wealth stirs the heart, and the crowd was agitated. In an instant, no one thought about what kind of Martial Arts cultivation such a young Lu Yuan possessed. Many men who had achieved success in Martial Arts could not wait to borrow and pool money among the crowd, wanting to seize this heaven-defying wealth.

But the fastest to act was the Refining Blood Martial Artist who had just won the previous match, Hou Zhenhua!

"I'll come!"

After Lu Yuan's voice fell, this person hesitated for only the time it takes to draw a breath before his figure flew onto the stage from the front of the crowd like an eagle.

After mounting the stage, he stared fixedly at the hill-like pile of Silver Yuan and Gold Yuan on the Eight Immortals table and shouted in a deep voice:

"Young man, you said that as long as one blocks your Three Punches, they can take the fifty thousand Silver Yuan prize money. Is that true?"

Lu Yuan smiled faintly: "With so many people witnessing, how could it be false?"

"Good!"

Although he could not understand at all what the young man opposite him was relying on, Hou Zhenhua, as the master of a hall, was completely fearless. Instead, he gave a confident, low shout that sounded like thunder:

"You young man certainly have a grand gesture, but you are too arrogant, your tone is too big, and you hold the Jinjin Martial Arts Association in too little regard! Although I, Hou Zhenhua, do not like to bully the small with the big, I have no choice but to come up and teach you a lesson! I will gladly accept this fifty thousand Silver Yuan!"

Lu Yuan was completely unconcerned and smiled:

"One hundred Silver Yuan, then sign the life-and-death document, and we may begin."

Hou Zhenhua did not say another word; he took out a large-denomination Silver Dollar Voucher and slapped it onto the Eight Immortals table, then pressed his handprint onto the life-and-death document placed at the corner of the table.

"Fifty thousand Silver Yuan, that's fifty thousand Silver Yuan!"

"And 'Jinmen Number One' at that. Has this kid lost his mind? What kind of place is Jinjin? How dare he set up a ring like this?"

"Absurd, too absurd. This kid is at most a Great Martial Master of the Thunder Sound realm. How could a Refining Blood Martial Artist not be able to take his Three Punches? This fool must have a broken brain, giving away fifty thousand Silver Yuan for nothing!!"

"Sigh, to let this Hou Zhenhua get there first, I regret it to death!"

During this process, there was a constant roar and clamor below the stage. Many martial artists who were further away and a step too slow were beating their chests and stamping their feet, thinking they had missed a heaven-sent opportunity.

And at this moment, Hou Zhenhua, having finished signing the document, was also surging with emotion. He immediately went to the center of the fighting ring to stand firm, assumed a defensive stance, and shouted quite solemnly:

"Come, young man, let me see how much weight your punch has!"

Although he could not figure out what background the young man before him had, he remained confident and determined in the face of such a huge prize.

"Good!"

Subsequently.

With a distance of no more than two zhang between them, Lu Yuan smiled enigmatically, then stepped forward without any wasted words and threw a punch straight out, devoid of any fancy movements.

Boom!

The punch was thrown like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky; the entire ring seemed to be instantly enveloped by his fist wind.

Clatter, clatter—

The void exploded and roared. At this moment, his entire person instantly shifted from extreme stillness to a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering change, like a volcanic eruption or a mountain flood bursting through a dam. The punch actually let out a long howl like an angry dragon, overpowering all the noisy sounds below the stage!

In this instant, a terrifying gale swept over. Hou Zhenhua was struck with sudden, wild terror; he felt his vision go blind, his ears go deaf, his lungs felt as if they were about to explode from suffocation, and his brain turned into a blank slate.

Because in his perception, it was not a person standing before him at this moment, but a giant spirit deity striking him with a heaven-collapsing and earth-shattering punch. In the face of such divine might, he felt as humble and insignificant as an ant!

(End of chapter)