Chapter 355

"That rude fellow—where does he look stronger than me? Still dares to challenge Master? How presumptuous! I'd like to see what tricks he's got."

Tea Lanzi silently thought to herself and stepped into the training hall.

………

Inside the spacious training hall.

Banggu and Luo En stood on opposite sides, ten meters apart.

Chuixue stood to the side, arms crossed, watching the two.

"Miss Chuixue."

Tea Lanzi brought over tea and said, "Please, have some."

Chuixue thanked her.

Tea Lanzi knelt on the floor, glancing at the two in the arena, especially that infuriating, disrespectful fellow named Luo En.

He turned to Chuixue and asked, "Underlord Chuixue, is that fellow also a martial artist?"

Chuixue, holding her teacup, paused: "No, I don't think so."

"If he's not a martial artist, why did he come to challenge Mr. Banggu?"

Tea Lanzi grew even more confused.

Chuixue herself didn't understand—in her view, Luo En was clearly a powerful superpower user.

Could a superpower user have anything to do with martial arts?

Probably not…

Tea Lanzi looked toward Banggu in the arena, full of confidence.

"No matter what, Master Banggu won't lose."

………

Inside the arena.

With his hands behind his back, Banggu stared at Luo En across from him and said, "Though Tea Lanzi can't sense it, I feel the aura on you—it's the aura of a strong one."

His eyes sharpened slightly: "Since you've entered here, according to martial arts tradition, I must treat you as a fellow who has come to challenge the school. I won't hold back—will you still proceed?"

"Of course. I'll give it my all."

Luo En smiled: "Otherwise, it wouldn't be fun."

"So you have great confidence in your strength."

Banggu nodded at him.

"Good."

Banggu pulled his hands from behind his back.

As his hands moved gently, a flow-like light appeared around him—soft, water-like fist energy swirling at his sides.

"Flowing Rock-Shattering Fist."

In his starting stance, Banggu radiated the powerful aura of a martial master, like a silver tiger—striking awe into all who beheld him.

Even Chuixue outside the arena felt the immense aura radiating from Banggu; her expression grew tense.

"This is the S-Class Rank Three Hero!"

Luo En watched Banggu with interest.

"So this is martial arts in this world?"

It seems somewhat different from martial arts in the Pirate World.

"Come on, boy."

Banggu shouted to Luo En: "Let me show you my 'Flowing Rock-Shattering Fist.'"

Hearing this, Luo En smiled, stepped forward, and in an instant surged toward Banggu, punching straight at him.

"So fast!"

Banggu's eyes narrowed.

"But…"

His gaze hardened, and the water-like fist energy around him instantly 'flowed,' his palm striking the weakest point of Luo En's punch.

At the moment of contact, a gust of wind exploded from where their fists met.

Even with his force-dissipating technique, Banggu's hand still trembled from the impact.

His inner shock deepened.

"Not just speed—even the power is this…"

Before he could recover.

Another sharp side kick whistled toward his head.

Banggu blocked it again with Flowing Rock-Shattering Fist, but the overwhelming force still sent him reeling backward two or three meters.

Luo En pressed forward again.

Banggu continued defending with Flowing Rock-Shattering Fist.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Each clash sent a thunderous crack of compressed air, shaking the soul.

Their figures flickered constantly; fists and kicks became illusions, too fast for the eye to follow.

Fist energies around them kept exploding.

Waves of punch winds and shockwaves spread outward, knocking over the teacups on the floor.

This was still with both parties restraining their power—if they hadn't, the entire training hall would have been utterly torn apart.

"This…"

Cha Lan Zi stared wide-eyed and slack-jawed at the two people locked in fierce combat, unable to make out their movements at all, completely dumbfounded, and a storm of shock surged within his heart.

"Th-that person can actually fight Master Bang to a draw?! That's gotta be a lie! How is that possible!!"

Fubuki stared blankly at the scene inside the arena.

"Eh? What's going on? Isn't he a powerful esper?"

"Can an esper fight an S-Class hero to a draw just with martial arts?"

"What kind of joke is this?!"

She was completely thrown into disarray.

…………

Bang bang bang!

Fists and kicks clashed between the two.

Luo En met Bang Gu's thick fist energy—flowing around him like water—with the force of pure, ultimate power.

One attacking, one defending, like two rivers colliding at a confluence, the tremendous fist force churned and exploded ceaselessly, and before long the area around them was shrouded in twisting, coiling gusts of fist wind, as if they stood in the eye of a storm.

The longer Bang Gu fought, the more astonished he became.

"This kid's attacks have no technique whatsoever—he's relying purely on speed and strength… and yet he's reached this level?!"

"Truly startling!"

"This kid's body… is simply like a monster's!"

At this moment, Luo En was using only the strength and speed granted by his powerful physique to face Bang Gu, a martial arts master, experiencing firsthand the might of the hero ranked third among S-Class.

In his previous battle with Asura Rhino Beetle, Luo En had tested it out—he figured that, relying purely on his physical strength, his power was roughly between the lower and middle Dragon level.

He wanted to test it now.

Whether the S-Class third-ranked hero 'Silver Fang' possessed strength on that level.

"Old man, be careful."

As Luo En spoke, his right hand clenched into a fist and shot straight forward.

Though it was a straight punch utterly devoid of technique, the momentum contained within that strike made Bang Gu's pupils contract. He didn't even choose to take it head-on; instead, he leapt backward with a backflip to retreat, dodging the blow.

Cha Lan Zi could hardly believe his own eyes: "Master… retreated?"

Boom!

Luo En's fist smashed into empty air, and the fist force gathered to a single point erupted outward. Accompanied by the explosive crack of shattering air, the fist wind howled straight ahead and blasted the dojo's great door flying away.

"!!"

Cha Lan Zi stood rooted like a wooden statue.

Fubuki's eyes went wide as well.

"This really is dangerous."