chsdbacks Chapter 57 3 seconds
Chapter 57 3 seconds
The Longhu Mountain martial arts arena was packed with people, especially the largest central arena. The second match of the semi-finals was about to begin, and the atmosphere was far more intense than the first, filled with anticipation and speculation.
As Nie Lingfeng slowly walked towards the arena, a buzz of discussion arose in the stands. This dark horse, who had swept through the competition, had already become the focus of the entire arena. On the other side of the arena, Wang Bing was already standing there.
In stark contrast to Nie Lingfeng's composure, Wang Bing's demeanor was extremely flamboyant. He wore a meticulously tailored, high-quality white training uniform, with a striking "Wang" character embroidered in gold thread on the chest and back, gleaming in the sunlight. He crossed his arms, chin held high, and glanced disdainfully at his approaching opponent out of the corner of his eye, his face displaying undisguised contempt and arrogance. His hair was meticulously combed, gleaming with oil, clearly carefully groomed.
"So you're that... Nie Lingfeng?" Wang Bing spoke first, his voice drawn out, carrying a condescending, scrutinizing tone. "I heard you won your last few matches quite easily? Ha, that's just because you haven't met any real masters yet. In front of me, your paltry skills are nothing but children's play—not enough, understand?"
Nie Lingfeng ignored his provocation, calmly stepping onto the stone steps and standing at the other end of the arena. He slightly stretched his neck and wrists, looking calmly at the referee, as if the arrogant opponent before him was nothing more than a wisp of air.
In a corner of the audience, Zhang Chulan couldn't help but mutter to Xu Si beside him, "Fourth Brother, look at Wang Bing's attitude. His nostrils are practically pointing to the sky. I'm really afraid a bird will fly by and poop in his nostril. He looks so smug, I want to go up and punch him a couple of times."
"What's the rush?" Xu Si said casually, a cigarette dangling from his lips, squinting as he scrutinized Nie Lingfeng on the stage. "See? Xiao Feng's acting a bit different today. He's usually quite relaxed on stage, but now... look at his eyes, calm on the surface, but ice is hidden beneath. Just wait and see, this kid from the Wang family is probably in for some trouble today."
Xu San pushed up his glasses, a hint of worry in his eyes behind the lenses: "After all, he's Wang Ai's grandson, a direct descendant of the younger generation of the Wang family. If Xiao Feng goes too far, he might completely offend the Wang family, and there will be considerable trouble afterward."
"So what if it's heavy?" Xu Si exhaled a smoke ring, unconcerned. "It's a fair fight on the stage, and the outcome depends on skill. Besides, with the Old Master here, no one will die. No matter how arrogant the Wang family is, they'll have to restrain themselves in Longhu Mountain."
On the ring, the referee walked to the center, looked around, and announced loudly: "Second match of the semifinals, Nie Lingfeng versus Wang Bing. The rules remain the same: no intentional serious injury or death is allowed. A player who concedes, loses consciousness, or falls off the ring loses. Both players, prepare—"
"Alright, alright, stop babbling!" Wang Bing waved his hand impatiently, interrupting the referee, his eyes still fixed on Nie Lingfeng, full of provocation. "Get started! My time is precious, I don't have time to listen to your nonsense. Let's deal with this arrogant brat as soon as possible so I can go have a victory celebration!"
The referee frowned, his face displeased, but ultimately said nothing. He glanced at Nie Lingfeng, who nodded slightly to indicate he was ready, then without further hesitation, raised his right hand and swung it down sharply:
"The match begins!"
The lingering sound of the word "始" still echoed in the air—
Nie Lingfeng made a move.
Without any warning, without any preparatory movement, and without even a change in his expression, he simply pushed off with his foot!
"Bang!"
A fine crack appeared on the surface of the bluestone arena as it was stepped on, and fragments of stone flew everywhere!
The first move of the Wind God Leg - Catching the Wind and Shadows - is pushed to its limit!
Nie Lingfeng's figure vanished from his spot in an instant, not truly disappearing, but leaving a clear, almost tangible, cyan afterimage in the air at extreme speed! That afterimage was as fast as lightning, as swift as a hurricane, piercing through the ten-zhang arena in an instant along the straightest, shortest path!
Too fast! So fast that it exceeded the visual perception limits of most viewers! Many people only saw a blur before their eyes, and it seemed as if two figures overlapped on the stage for a moment!
Before Wang Bing's arrogant expression could even change, he felt a gust of wind hit his face, making his hair, which was held in place by hair gel, fly backward! Immediately afterward, an indescribable, overwhelming force, like a landslide or a tsunami, slammed solidly into his abdomen!
"puff--!!!"
A dull, teeth-grinding thud rang out, accompanied by a clear cracking sound! Wang Bing's expression instantly shifted from arrogance to utter shock, pain, and contortion! He was as if he had been hit head-on by a speeding train, his feet leaving the ground, his body arched into a bizarre shrimp shape, and he shot backward and upward like a cannonball!
Blood gushed out of his gaping mouth like exploding red fireworks, drawing a tragic arc in the afternoon sunlight!
The entire training ground instantly fell into an eerie silence.
All the spectators, including the experienced referees, stared in disbelief, their eyes following the white figure that soared higher and higher, tracing a high parabola in the air, their mouths agape involuntarily.
Nie Lingfeng struck successfully and did not pause for a moment.
He lightly touched the spot where Wang Bing had just stood with his toes, and his body soared into the air once more as if weightless! This time, he was faster and his movements were even more graceful, like an immortal floating in the air. He caught up with Wang Bing, who was still rising!
While suspended in mid-air, Nie Lingfeng stretched out his right arm, flipped his palm inward, and a visible, condensed, almost tangible white cloud of energy rapidly gathered and compressed! The air in his palm emitted a low hum!
Fourth Form of the Cloud-Dispelling Palm: Overwhelming Force!
The palm strike was not a downward strike, but rather, taking advantage of the upward momentum, using the waist as the axis, the strength of the whole body was twisted into one, and from bottom to top, it was firmly and solidly imprinted on Wang Bing's vital back!
"boom--!!!"
This time, the sound was even more terrifying! It was like a muffled thunderclap in the air above the arena! Wang Bing's upward momentum came to an abrupt halt, and like a nail struck by a giant's hammer, he plummeted headfirst to the center of the arena at a speed several times faster than when he was rising!
"Crack—Boom—!!!"
First came a sharp, chilling sound of bones cracking, followed by a deafening, earth-shattering impact!
Wang Bing's body slammed into the center of the hard bluestone arena like a human meteorite! The enormous impact shattered the thick bluestone slab into pieces, with fragments shooting outwards like cannonball shrapnel! Smoke and dust mixed with the stench of blood shot into the sky, instantly enveloping half of the arena!
A violent tremor was clearly felt throughout the entire arena and even the surrounding stands!
After the smoke and dust were dispersed somewhat by the mountain wind, a horrifying scene appeared before everyone's eyes:
In the center of the arena, an irregularly shaped crater nearly two meters in diameter and half a foot deep appeared! At the bottom of the crater, Wang Bing lay sprawled in a contorted position, like a mangy dog whose tendons had been pulled out. His body convulsed violently, his flamboyant white and gold-embroidered training clothes were already tattered and covered with blood, dirt, and gravel. Dark red blood mixed with bubbles kept gushing from his mouth and nose, making a "hoarse" sound like he was leaking air. His eyes were unfocused, and he was clearly in a semi-conscious state.
From the moment the referee shouted "Start" to the moment Wang Bing was slapped into the pit, the entire process... took less than three seconds.
Three seconds!
Absolute crushing victory! A decisive and swift defeat!
The silence lasted for about five seconds.
Immediately afterwards, the entire training ground exploded like a boiling oil pot!
"My God! What did I just see?!"
"Three...three seconds?! It's over in just three seconds?!"
"Wang Bing... the arrogant Wang Bing of the Wang family... was defeated in an instant?!"
"Just how strong is Nie Lingfeng?! Has he been holding back his full strength all this time?!"
"This is...this is terrifying! Is this really the strength of someone from the younger generation?!"
Exclamations, gasps, and incredulous murmurs swept through the entire venue like a tsunami!
On the high platform, there was a viewing area specially set up for the Ten Elders and VIPs.
"Snap!"
With a sharp crack, the hard mahogany armrest beside Wang Ai was crushed to pieces by his bare hand! Wood chips fell from between his fingers. This old patriarch of the Wang family, who always presented himself with a kind smile, now had a face ashen, veins bulging on his forehead, and the fat on his round face trembled slightly. His small eyes gleamed with a ferocious light, ready to devour anyone who dared to harm him.
He abruptly stood up, his hair and beard bristling, and roared at the referee on the platform, his voice shrill with rage: "Referee! This is a sneak attack! A blatant sneak attack! My grandson wasn't ready, his breathing wasn't steady, his stance wasn't stable, and he suddenly attacked and injured someone! This violates the spirit of martial arts! This round cannot be counted! It must be rematched!"
The referee stood at the edge of the ring, his face ashen, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He glanced at Wang Bing, who lay dying at the bottom of the pit, then at Nie Lingfeng, whose expression was terrifyingly calm. Finally, steeling himself, he bowed respectfully to Wang Ai in a dry voice: "Mr. Wang... according to the rules, the match officially begins after the referee announces the start. Nie Lingfeng's movements... although swift, did not violate any rules. Wang Bing... did not indicate he was not ready before the referee announced the start, nor did he concede... I... I have no right to stop the match now."
Nie Lingfeng had already landed lightly on the edge of the large pit, dusting off non-existent dust from his sleeves as if he had merely swatted away a fly. He glanced up at the furious Wang Ai on the platform, a slight smirk playing on his lips, his tone flat yet tinged with mockery:
"A sneak attack? Old Master Wang, that's an interesting point. In the ring, once the referee gives the order, everyone relies on their own skills. Do you expect me to coax your grandson like a child, saying, 'I'm going to hit you, get ready?'"
He paused, a cold, almost cruel smile suddenly appearing on his face: "However, since Old Master Wang feels it's not 'fair' enough... fine. I'll wait for him to unleash his 'Wang Family Secret Techniques.' But..."