"How could this happen?"
"Just luck, I guess?"
"It must be just luck, to say that the fool saw through Zhang Kan's attack, is that even possible?"
"Exactly, to make the most accurate judgement in such an instant is simply impossible."
Witnessing this scene, everyone couldn't help but exclaim in shock; this was even more unbelievable than Chu Hao managing to contend with Zhang Kan. After all, anyone might develop great strength through cultivation, but this kind of judgement in battle... it was terrifying.
With a face full of surprise, had his opponent actually dodged his attack?
Whoosh, at that moment, Chu Hao's right fist swung over.
After executing the attack, it was the weakest moment in defense; Zhang Kan couldn't even think about parrying, let alone dodging.
BAM!
The punch heavily landed on Zhang Kan's face, with the force of nearly 2000 pounds, Zhang Kan was sent flying. Chu Hao was utterly ruthless; his opponent was a genuine first-tier Lesser Mahayana realm, tough in flesh and thick-skinned. The force of 2000 pounds could at most injure him, but to kill or cripple him was not something achievable in one strike.
Zhang Kan flew high and then crashed heavily down, where the ground already had some accumulated snow, immediately causing the shattered snow to scatter around.
Silence fell around them.
Zhang Kan's strength was nothing notable within the Earthly Institute; there were plenty who could defeat him. But this person should not have been Chu Hao.
"Bastard." Zhang Kan fiercely sprung up from the ground. He was like a humanoid enraged bear, highly resilient to attacks; the punch only made his teeth loosen a bit, and didn't inflict much damage.
His eyes blazing with fury, how dare this fool play him, it was unbearable.
"I'm going to crush you." He charged out, his palms rapidly striking from both sides toward Chu Hao's forehead.
Chu Hao's eyes trembled slightly, signifying his brain was performing rapid calculations. With a loud slap, Zhang Kan's hands clapped together, missing their target as Chu Hao just slightly stepped back, perfectly dodging the blow.
Dodged again.
To dodge once might be luck, but to do it twice in a row... How could it be coincidental to guess right twice?
Everyone else gasped in disbelief, there was only one possibility: Chu Hao had completely seen through Zhang Kan's attack and had responded in the simplest yet most effective way.
But it was hard to accept.
A fool—no, the current Chu Hao could certainly not be a fool, yet even if he wasn't a fool, it shouldn't be possible with his current level of strength.
To toy with Zhang Kan so easily, it would have to be a Middle Mahayana realm's cultivation at least.
"I don't believe it." After being dumbfounded for a second, Zhang Kan then glared and shouted at Chu Hao; his own hands still tingling from hitting each other, fortunate that Chu Hao hadn't taken the opportunity to strike then.
Stubborn as he was, this didn't scare him, and he swung his palm towards Chu Hao again, bellowing, "I don't believe you can dodge every time."
Chu Hao didn't answer. Under the barrage of attacks, he moved as if he were taking a leisurely stroll, seemingly easy in movement yet perfectly dodging each strike.
This sight was heart-poundingly thrilling for the onlookers; even though Chu Hao dodged each palm, each was incredibly close—any slight miscalculation could have resulted in being hit. And a hit from Zhang Kan, that raging bear... Chu Hao's physique clearly couldn't compare to Zhang Kan's. One solid hit might have been the end.
But Chu Hao dodged every strike without wasting even a trace of energy.
Too strange. The fool was not only not foolish but had become an expert.
"Huff! Huff! Huff!" Zhang Kan kept panting, though his body was as strong as a wild beast's, after striking a hundred palms with full force, he felt a sense of exhaustion creeping in.
He glared at Chu Hao and said, "Fool, you plan to keep dodging like this? If you're a man, stop dodging."
Hearing this, the crowd snickered.
Strength levels were one thing, but everyone had different physiques. Some were of the fierce, powerful kind, others were agile. Pitting an agility-oriented person against a strength-oriented one in a brawl was fundamentally unfair.
Who said Zhang Kan was straightforward to a fault? He sure knew how to provoke.
Chu Hao smiled and said, "Alright, I won't dodge."
What, Chu Hao agreed?
The crowd was instantly stunned.
Chu Hao was clearly at an advantage already, just dragging it out a bit longer and Zhang Kan would have collapsed due to exhaustion. Given he was on the verge of certain victory, why opt for a head-on clash? Notably, with Zhang Kan's famously robust body, fighting him head-on under equal strength conditions was far from wise.
"Haha, that's what you said. If you back out now, you're not a man," Zhang Kan fiercely retorted, cornering Chu Hao with his words.
Chu Hao took a deep breath, the essence of the Triple Wave revolving in his mind. He beckoned with his finger, saying, "Come on."
This gesture was exceedingly cool, causing many of the female spectators to scream.
In a world where strength was esteemed above all, everyone admired the strong. Chu Hao had already demonstrated considerable strength, and coupled with his handsome appearance, a complete heartthrob, it wasn't surprising that this flamboyant gesture drove the girls wild.
Lin Yuqi's face was already sullen, and seeing this scene only darkened her expression further. She had instigated Ma Long to send someone to teach Chu Hao a lesson, intending to embarrass him, but it had unexpectedly turned into a stage for Chu Hao to showcase himself.
But it had only been a matter of days, how did this fool gain so much strength?
"Take this," Zhang Kan roared as he lunged forward, pushing both palms forward simultaneously; this was the most powerful move in the Iron Hammer Palm.
Chu Hao's fists clenched tightly, and the Treasure Artifact on his wrist began to glow brightly, providing him with a force of up to 1500 jin.
He punched.
Boom!
When fist met palm, there was not a trace of softness; it was a complete clash of raw power.
Triple Wave.
Chu Hao's eyes widened as a strength nearly reaching 2000 jin split into three waves of energy, surging one after another.
Fierceness shone on Zhang Kan's face. He could tell that Chu Hao's ultimate strength was only comparable to his own. However, in terms of physical prowess, Chu Hao was no match for him. Plus, with the strongest move of the Iron Hammer Palm unleashed, the killing power was terrifyingly explosive.
He was confident he could severely injure Chu Hao with a single strike.
Time for the disgraceful fellow to endure his wrath now.
Hahahaha.
Eh?
Zhang Kan's ferocious expression suddenly changed. After taking the first wave of Chu Hao's force, he had planned to use his stronger physique and faster recovery to immediately counterattack and injure Chu Hao. He hadn't expected a second wave to follow.
How is this possible?
Pfft!
He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, feeling as if his chest was boiling, unbearably uncomfortable. But it hadn't ended there; another powerful wave of force surged towards him.
"Waah—" Zhang Kan spat out another mouthful of fresh blood and took several steps back. His eyes rolled back as he fell backwards with a thud, fainting on the spot.
The entire arena fell dead silent.
Zhang Kan, known for his ferocity, had actually lost in a direct confrontation with Chu Hao and had even been knocked unconscious.
How is this possible?
"Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!" Amidst the silence, a young man suddenly started clapping. "That punch was perfectly balanced between force and gentleness, unleashing triple layers of power. The first layer exactly countered Zhang Kan's palm force, the second completely broke down his defense, and the third injured him."
"The Chu Family's Ultimate Technique, the last move of Mad Wind Fist, Triple Wave."
Triple Wave.
Many had heard of the formidable Mad Wind Fist from the Chu Family and knew that its ninth form could release triple layers of power, but who would believe that an apparent fool could grasp the mysteries of the Triple Wave?
But while others might be skeptical, this youngster couldn't be doubted.
Because his name was Tang Xin.
It's a delicate name, but his background is formidable. The Tang Family is an old nobility of Eastern Cloud City, proudly holding their titled status ever since seizing it six hundred years ago.
Tang Xin was among the most prominent of the Tang Family's younger generation. Now at the Fourth Tier of Lesser Mahayana realm, he was only 16 years old, truly a demonic talent.
"So that's it, I didn't catch that at all."
"The three waves of power erupted in an instant, too fast to see."
"It's no wonder it's Tang Xin, he caught such subtle movements."
"Of course, who do you think he is?"
Everyone began discussing in amazement. With Tang Xin's explanation, they recalled more carefully and faintly felt that Chu Hao's fists did tremble minutely after colliding with Zhang Kan's palm. Now that they thought about it, that must have been when the second and third layers of power were generated.
"But it's only been a year, how did Chu Hao become so powerful?"
"Maybe Lao Tzu's death triggered something."
"But surely his power couldn't have increased that much, right?"
"You don't know? That guy had snatched a Treasure Artifact from Feng Ming, which can increase his power by 1500 jin."
"What, a Treasure Artifact?"
"Haha, a nearly broken Treasure Artifact, usable for maybe ten days at most."
"So that's why, no wonder then."
With a "reasonable" explanation in place, the crowd finally accepted it. However, on the other side, Lin Yuqi and Ma Long's faces looked quite ugly; they had intended to teach Chu Hao a lesson but instead ended up losing face.
Right then, the teachers from the Earthly Institute began arriving as it was time for classes to start.
While most believed Chu Hao's victory was due to the Treasure Artifact, there were a few who saw something more, like Tang Xin.
—Strength might be augmented by a Treasure Artifact, but Martial Techniques cannot.
To master Triple Wave to such an extent, how could he be a mere commoner?
This Chu Hao… is quite intriguing. Watching Chu Hao, Tang Xin's lips curved up slightly, his interest in the boy, long derided as a simpleton, suddenly intensifying.