chsdbacks Chapter 82 I Admit Defeat
Chapter 82 I Admit Defeat
In an instant, all the true energy in Zhao Wuji's dantian was drained away. It traveled down the meridians, twisting as it passed his knees and then twisting again as it passed his ankles. The two twisting forces combined and traveled to his toes.
The force of this kick was twice that of any previous kick.
There's no escaping it.
Lin Yan knew he couldn't dodge the moment Zhao Wuji raised his leg.
The force of that kick had locked onto his chest; no matter which direction he dodged, his toes would turn accordingly.
Since we can't avoid it, let's not try to avoid it!
He charged forward.
He charged towards Zhao Wuji's leg.
The instant Zhao Wuji's toe struck Lin Yan's chest, Lin Yan's left palm also struck Zhao Wuji's groin.
The overlapping waves are powerful, four and a half layers strong!
The force of four and a half blows landed on the same point, and Zhao Wuji's groin cracked with a snap, his patella dislocated.
At the same time, Zhao Wuji's toe also kicked Lin Yan in the chest.
Lin Yan was sent flying, crashing onto the sand two zhang away. He rolled twice before lying on his back with a small indentation in his chest.
He lay on the sand, looking at the gray sky above, panting heavily, each breath feeling like a knife stabbing his chest.
Zhao Wuji slumped to the ground, his right leg dangling down, a lump swelling at the base of his thigh.
He tried to move his right leg and gasped in pain.
I can't take another step.
He slumped to the ground, looking at Lin Yan lying there, his expression a mix of admiration and resentment.
"Can you... still stand up?"
Lin Yan did not answer.
He lay on the sand, his chest heaving violently.
With every movement, a sharp pain shot through his chest, and beads of sweat dripped from his forehead.
He used his left hand to support himself on the ground and slowly stood up. He was panting heavily as he walked slowly toward Zhao Wuji.
Everyone in the room fell silent, all staring at Lin Yan in the center of the room.
As Lin Yan drew closer, Zhao Wuji tried to stand up, but the excruciating pain in his legs told him that he couldn't.
He shook his head helplessly and said to Lin Yan, "As a mid-stage True Qi Realm cultivator, you are actually able to fight me to this extent. I admire you. If we were at the same level, I'm afraid I wouldn't last more than a few moves against you."
After saying this, Zhao Wuji turned to Minister Zhou, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Minister Zhou, I concede defeat."
Vice Minister Zhou stood at the sidelines, holding a flag. He hesitated for a moment, glanced at the emperor's expression on the main stand, then at the crown prince, before finally raising the flag high.
"Lin Yan wins!"
A commotion erupted in the stands.
Some cheered, some cursed, some didn't believe it, and some shook their heads.
Lin Yan couldn't hear a single word in those voices.
His ears were ringing and his vision was blurring, but he held on and didn't collapse.
Xiong Kuo rushed onto the field and helped him up.
Sun Dayong followed over, picked up the knife, and tucked it into Lin Yan's waist.
"General, are you alright...?"
"Help me down quickly."
Xiong Kuo put Lin Yan's arm on his shoulder and half-carried, half-dragged him to the side of the field.
Old Meng had already laid out a tarpaulin on the sidelines and opened the first-aid kit.
Lin Yan was placed on an oilcloth, and Lao Meng cut open his clothes, revealing the purplish-blue bruise on his chest.
"He has three broken ribs, two on his left chest and one on his right chest. The one on his right chest may have punctured his lung. You can see that when he breathes, his right side is shallower than his left."
Old Meng pressed his finger on the bruise, and Lin Yan immediately let out a muffled groan.
"Immobilize it first, then treat the wound when we get back to the house."
Old Meng took out several splints and strips of cloth from his medicine box and wrapped them around Lin Yan's chest several times.
With each twist of the entanglement, Lin Yan frowned, but he never cried out.
On the main viewing platform, Emperor Li Chengji leaned back on his dragon throne, looking at the young man wrapped up like a dumpling on the sidelines from a distance of several dozen feet.
"Which battalion is Lin Yan representing in this battle?"
The eunuch serving nearby bent down and whispered:
"Your Majesty, Lin Yan is representing the Crown Prince's Dragon Martial Camp in the battle."
Li Chengji nodded without saying anything more, but his gaze lingered on Lin Yan for a long while before he looked away.
On the east side of the stands, Crown Prince Li Zhengxin held a teacup with a smile on his lips. But the smile contained not only the joy of his own camp's victory, but also a great deal of satisfaction, as if he were watching a knife in his hand finally being sharpened.
Steward Feng leaned closer: "Your Highness, General Lin has won."
"I saw it."
"If an ordinary True Qi Realm cultivator had taken that kick from Zhao Wuji, their ribs would probably have shattered to pieces. General Lin only broke three ribs and can still stand up," Manager Feng said in a low voice. "This man's ability to withstand blows far exceeds that of ordinary people."
"This isn't just about having strong resistance to blows." Li Zhengxin took a sip of tea and said slowly, "The instant before Zhao Wuji kicked him, he pulled back half an inch. It was that half inch that deflected 30% of the force. The remaining 70% was dispersed by his arms and chest muscles. He only absorbed the last 20% of the force."
Steward Feng was taken aback: "Your Highness..."
"Although I don't practice martial arts, after observing and training so many bodyguards over the years, I should be able to discern some skills." Li Zhengxin put down his teacup. "Who should we assign him for the next match?"
Steward Feng hesitated for a moment: "Your Highness, given General Lin's current injuries, I'm afraid his next match will be..."
"I didn't say he should play in the next game."
Li Zhengxin glanced at Manager Feng and said, "Let him recover from his injury. He can fight again once he's fully healed. Before the finals, there's a semi-final match. His opponent will be the strongest one among the remaining four."
Manager Feng opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.
"Your Highness, General Lin has revealed quite a few of his trump cards today. If this continues..."
"If we keep fighting, he'll reveal even more." Li Zhengxin interrupted him. "What I want to see is how much he still has to show, and whether he's even qualified to be part of my plan."
On the west side of the stands, the Second Prince Li Zhengming sat in a chair, holding a folding fan in his hand, which was not opened and rested on his lap.
His expression was not good. Zhao Wuji was his man, and losing this match was only a matter of appearances. What he cared about was Lin Yan.
This country bumpkin from the North was much more troublesome than he had anticipated.
"Your Highness."
The strategist Shen San was no longer by his side. After Zhao Wenhan's downfall, Shen San disappeared, and no one knew where he went.
The speaker was Zhou, a newly appointed advisor to the Second Prince. He was in his forties and had been staying at the Second Prince's residence for less than half a month.
"explain."
"In my opinion, if Lin Yan is not eliminated, he will become a great threat."
"I know."
Li Zhengming tapped the folding fan on his knee. "But how do we get rid of him? Zhao Wenhan's matter has just passed, Father is keeping a close eye on him, and the Crown Prince is protecting him fiercely. Taking a hard line won't work now."