Chapter 294: A One-Punch Bet

Fu Xing felt insulted.

Initially, he had been quite interested in this young man's so-called "Heavenly Path Game." After all, Fu Xing was at the Upper Spirit Realm, while this fellow was only at the Mid-Yuan Court. As the dignified Young Master Fu, overflowing with a sense of justice, he wouldn't stoop to bullying the weak.

But what was this guy talking about? Wasn't this just the game of "rock-paper-scissors" they played all the time as kids? Was he treating Fu Xing like an idiot, or did he think Fu Xing had no childhood?

Heavenly Path Game... Heavenly Path, my foot! Fu Xing's face turned livid with anger.

Xu Xiaoshou instantly realized that "rock-paper-scissors" existed in this world too. Unbelievable! Glancing at the people around, who had snapped back to reality and were trying to suppress their laughter, Xu Xiaoshou carefully chose his words and asked again:

"You don't like this one? Then let's try another game... Hmm, how about 'Odds or Evens'?"

Fu Xing's mouth twitched. Was this guy really treating him like a child? Using such a condescending tone... This was an insult to him, Fu Xing!

"Let's duel!"

"There's nothing more to say." Fu Xing held his sword in reverse, feeling his imposing aura instantly diminished. No, he couldn't even muster the strength to raise it properly!

Xu Xiaoshou sighed helplessly, "Since that's the case, then it shall be as you wish."

"Let's go!" Fu Xing tossed his head, indicating that Xu Xiaoshou should accompany him out of the ancient pagoda and to the city's Life-and-Death Arena.

Why would Xu Xiaoshou want to be delayed by such trivial matters? He extended a hand and said, "Friend, hold on."

"The Life-and-Death Arena is too much trouble. How about this: we each throw one punch, and whoever can push the other back further wins? What do you say?"

Fu Xing turned back, a cold smile on his face. "Agreed!"

"Um..." Xu Xiaoshou turned to the guard. "Just one punch won't be a problem, right? Don't worry, I'll let him hit me once, and I definitely won't retaliate or hurt him."

The guard hesitated, then nodded. "Alright, then do it here. You two fight, and I'll watch."

"Resolve this quickly, and don't stir up trouble again." He could tell that after learning Young Master Fu's identity, the young man before him had lost his confrontational attitude. He was a sensible person. In Tiansang City, anyone who dared to challenge someone named Fu was asking for trouble. It was better to resolve today's conflict quickly. If they went to the Life-and-Death Arena, with the crowd watching, one of them might be provoked and things could escalate beyond control. It wouldn't matter if this guy died, but if Young Master Fu had any accident, the situation would become very serious. It was better to settle it here. After all, with him watching, these two youngsters wouldn't cause any real trouble, no matter how much they messed around.

"One punch." Xu Xiaoshou looked at Fu Xing and said seriously, "You go first."

Fu Xing put away his sword. Although he was a sword cultivator, he knew his limits. These were his own people; he couldn't kill them. The lesson should be given, but he must also maintain the demeanor of a Young Master.

"No, you first!" he said magnanimously.

Xu Xiaoshou shook his head. "No, you first!" Young Master Fu thought this guy had suddenly learned politeness, but then he heard Xu Xiaoshou add, "Once I make my move, you won't get a chance to."

"Arrogant!" Fu Xing's face was filled with anger.

"'Praised, Passive Point, +1.'"

Xu Xiaoshou felt a little uneasy and confirmed, "It's just one punch, right? You're not going to use a fist technique that involves many punches, are you?"

"Of course not!"

"That's good, that's good." In that case, this guy probably wouldn't die on the spot; there should still be a chance for him to recover. Thinking this, Xu Xiaoshou looked at Fu Xing, a look of anticipation in his eyes.

Come on, a punch from a peak Upper Spirit Realm cultivator. I also wanted to see just how far this "Rebound" combined with "Resilience" could go.

Fu Xing looked at the young man's expectant face, and his expression became strange. Something was off. This guy dared to make such a demand and wasn't afraid of his Upper Spirit Realm cultivation, so he must have some trump card. He had sensed that this young man's physical body was extraordinary, but exactly what level it had reached... He couldn't imagine it would be the legendary Innate Physique!

One punch! A full-force punch would suffice!

Fu Xing no longer hesitated. He raised his right hand, and a light purple spiritual energy swirled upwards, instantly forming a dragon, its head ferocious and bound, as if capable of crushing mountains and severing seas.

The spectators involuntarily retreated in unison. Even with the guard watching, this punch, just by looking at it, seemed extraordinary.

"'Purple Dragon's Roar,' the peak Grandmaster spiritual technique of the City Lord's Mansion?"

"It must be. I didn't expect Young Master Fu to have cultivated 'Purple Dragon's Roar.' Isn't he a sword cultivator?"

"Yes, but he couldn't possibly use a sword. If he used a sword, wouldn't that kid facing him be instantly decapitated?"

"Although this purple dragon is tens of magnitudes smaller than Deputy Commander Fu's, its ability to take form means it's already in its nascent stage. It's perfectly suitable for disciplining such a petty individual."

Listening to the crowd's words, Xu Xiaoshou finally understood. Even if some said that Young Master Fu had only grasped the superficial aspects of this spiritual technique, its power, as he witnessed it, likely surpassed all the Grandmaster spiritual techniques he had seen before. It could only be said that the threshold for this spiritual technique was truly high!

Come on, show me! Let me see how powerful you are!

As if responding to Xu Xiaoshou's inner thoughts, the purple dragon formed by Fu Xing's right hand was complete, and he immediately roared, "Take this!" With that, he flew forward, the purple dragon on his arm swelling and roaring fiercely.

"ROAR—"

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, amidst the loud dragon's roar, Fu Xing's punch struck hard against Xu Xiaoshou's chest. It was as if the war drums from an ancient battlefield had been struck, their dull, deep rumble causing hearts to skip a beat.

As everyone watched, with that single punch, the purple dragon seemingly shot completely into Xu Xiaoshou's body. A wave of energy surged backward from where their bodies and fists met, like a torpedo entering water, causing a sudden splash.

*Thump, thump, thump...*

Everyone staggered back in shock, not expecting the surging purple energy wave to suddenly shoot upwards about half a *zhang* away from them. It was as if it had encountered an invisible barrier, unable to harm the spectators in the slightest.

"'Heavenly Path power?'"

"'Grandmaster?'"

Everyone looked at the guard, finally understanding why he had the confidence to let them fight here.

On the spot.

Completely contrary to everyone's expectations, after delivering the punch, Fu Xing's entire face turned crimson. The manifested purple dragon of "Purple Dragon's Roar" seemed to have directly shot into Xu Xiaoshou's body, but in reality, it hadn't at all! This guy's body was so resilient, like rubber with maxed-out stickiness and toughness, completely absorbing all the force. And his skin was like a completely airtight drum, allowing no part of the purple dragon to penetrate. If this continued, how could "Purple Dragon's Roar" possibly inflict any damage? Layers of energy piled up, as if directly accumulated by Xu Xiaoshou in front of him, as if they would soon rebound!

"Not good!" The next moment, Fu Xing's expression changed completely. Even after his punch had expended all its force, Xu Xiaoshou hadn't moved an inch, and all the energy from "Purple Dragon's Roar" had indeed, just as he had imagined...

Completely rebounded!