Luo Lang may have had the upper hand for the entire fight so far, but the difference in their skill levels made this blow of Luo Lang's utterly ineffective. In contrast, although the opponent may appear to have taken a blow, Luo Lang's stride was broken, causing the two fighters to once again return to the equal ground they were in at the start.
Ling Lan could see that Luo Lang himself, within the fight, had come to understand that his advantage had been lost after that strike, which was why he had not chosen to press his attack. Instead, he cautiously chose to defend, and the two fighters once again faced each other in a standoff.
