Chapter 3425: Elder Juwang

"Next contender, Elder Juwang of the Iron Hide Sect."

An excited murmur spread through the stadium.

"Elder Juwang is fighting?"

"A Fifth Tribulation Stage elder. He has the strongest defense in the Iron Hide Sect."

"He is from the same sect that hosted the tournament Cattaleya won."

"He can probably take Lin Mu’s punch."

"He might even fight toe to toe with him."

Lin Mu lifted his gaze as a tall, mountain shouldered man stepped into the ring.

Elder Juwang wore dull gray armor made of Iron Hide Beetle Beast carapace, overlaid with sheets of metallic skin formed from his own defensive Qi. His body seemed like a fortress forged from ironplate and stone. His mere presence felt weighty. A quiet pressure emanated from him, as if a tangible wall stood in his wake.

He examined Lin Mu with calm eyes and cupped his fists.

"I greet you, Fellow Daoist. Allow this old one to test your mettle."

Lin Mu returned the gesture with respect, glad that the man carried himself with dignity.

The referee signaled the start of the match.

Lin Mu, staying true to his title, attacked first.

He stepped forward lightly and delivered one clean, direct punch to Elder Juwang’s chest.

DENGGGGG~

The sound that rang out was like a massive bronze bell being struck by a hammer.

The shockwave rippled across the ring in visible waves. Elder Juwang’s body skidded across the arena floor, gouging a ten meter long trench before he managed to plant his feet and stop himself.

But he had not fallen.

He had not been flung.

He had taken the punch.

The stadium roared with shock and excitement. People jumped from their seats, shouting with renewed enthusiasm.

"He took it."

"He actually took it."

"His body is insane."

Elder Juwang straightened himself. His breathing was even, and his eyes were filled not with fear but with exhilaration.

"Your strength is terrifying, Fellow Daoist Lin," he said, his voice deep and rumbling like stone grinding on stone. "Allow me to request one thing. Show me more."

Lin Mu’s lips curved into a small smile.

"Finally."

Finally someone who wanted an actual battle, not a one sided defeat. Someone who could withstand more than a blow or two. His blood stirred. Excitement spread through his core like a warm current.

"Very well," Lin Mu said. "Prepare yourself."

And then he moved.

CRACK

In an instant, Lin Mu burst forward with such speed that the air snapped behind him.

WHOOSH

His fists blurred, becoming streaks of golden motion. Punch after punch hammered into Elder Juwang from all angles. Each blow produced a ringing sound, metallic and resonant, like a symphony of bells being struck in succession.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

The elder’s body vibrated under the onslaught. His iron hide barrier cracked with each impact. His armored flesh rippled like water under a storm of falling boulders. Lin Mu hit him from the front, then the back, then the side, then the top, then the bottom.

At one point, Elder Juwang was launched into the air by a powerful uppercut.

Instead of letting him fall, Lin Mu punched him from the opposite direction, suspending him midair. Then another punch from behind. Then another from the left. Then one from the right. Elder Juwang spun helplessly, his limbs flailing as Lin Mu’s fists kept him balanced in the air like a puppet suspended on invisible strings.

His body was rapidly transforming from a proud fortress into a beaten, swollen mass of bruises.

Cattaleya winced. Even she, who crushed thousands of opponents with flicks, felt a chill.

"That looks painful," she muttered while biting into a skewer of grilled beast meat.

Daoist Chu pinched his chin. "I do not think painful is strong enough a word."

Meng Bai whispered in awe, "Master is showing the true meaning of mercy. He could have killed him by accident if he wanted."

Elyon nodded. "I think Elder Juwang will look different after this."

Above the ring, Elder Juwang’s screams sounded more like ringing metal than human cries.

His armor shattered. His defensive Qi was undone. Several ribs broke. His right eye swelled until it shut. His cheeks ballooned. His front teeth shattered and flew out of his mouth like pebbles.

Lin Mu continued the barrage only until he felt that the elder had reached his limit.

He could sense the man’s bones nearing the point of serious injury, injuries that could take years to recover from without Lin Mu’s healing skills.

Lin Mu immediately stopped.

With a final gentle push using just two fingers, he guided the battered elder toward the ground. Elder Juwang rolled twice before lying still, groaning in agony but still alive.

The entire stadium fell silent.

Nobody cheered.

Nobody shouted.

Nobody breathed.

They all stared at Elder Juwang, who had survived over fifty consecutive punches from Lin Mu. And more importantly, they stared at Lin Mu, whose composed expression had not changed at all.

The referee, trembling, raised a hand.

"Winner... Lin Mu."

Only then did the crowd erupt into noise. Yet the energy was different from before. There was awe now. Fear. Respect.

"He is a monster."

"His One punch so far was mercy."

"Imagine if he used a technique."

"No wonder he was calm through thousands of fights."

"He is stronger than Cattaleya... maybe even much stronger."

People began to hesitate again.

As Lin Mu returned to the center of the ring and said, "Next," three thousand fighters decided collectively that they wanted nothing to do with him.

A wave of forfeits shook the ring.

"I forfeit."

"I forfeit."

"I forfeit."

Lin Mu waited patiently each time. He did not look annoyed. He did not look disappointed. He simply accepted the results and waited for an opponent worth fighting.

Out of the next three thousand names, only two dared to challenge him. Both were Fifth Tribulation Stage immortals. Both were body cultivators. Both were crushed in a single punch.

The rest ran as people continued to forfeit their fights.

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