Chapter 21

"Are you kidding me? Song Li is a well-known good-for-nothing in the capital, while Song Moran is a rising star, a cultivation genius. How could Song Li possibly beat Song Moran!"

"That's not true. I heard a few days ago that Song Li fought and defeated the sons of the Nine Gate Inspector and the Marquis of Wei on the platform in front of the Wild Goose Pagoda, taking on two at once!"

"How could those two minor figures compare to Song Moran? They spend far more time eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling than cultivating. They are barely better than good-for-nothings!"

"Song Li will definitely be beaten up badly. If Song Moran doesn't have a sure win, how could he put up the fire seed as a bet!"

"Ah, what a good life he could have, but he insists on seeking punishment. How does the Duke teach his son? He's teaching a brain-dead idiot!"

"…………"

A good show was about to begin. The onlookers whispered and chattered, almost unanimously believing that Song Moran would win the fight.

Pang Da, standing at the front of the crowd, couldn't stand it anymore. He stepped out angrily, one hand on his waist, the other pointing at the gossiping audience, and shouted, "Damn, do you have any eyes? How can that pale-faced Song Moran compare to our great and mighty leader? I bet on the leader's victory. If you don't believe me, come and bet with me. The odds are ten to one. If Song Moran wins, I'll pay you ten times!"

"Who are you? Do you have that much money to pay?" The crowd didn't know who this arrogant and lazy youth was, and they asked one after another.

"I am the son of the Minister of Works, Pang Shangshu. Do you think I would cheat you? What about it, dare to bet?" Pang Da looked at them with a sneer, full of disdain.

Because he was a real good-for-nothing in cultivation, Pang Da was very unpopular in the Pang family. However, he had no problem intimidating people outside. Seeing that the crowd became more respectful after hearing his identity, Pang Da thought to himself, "Damn, the title of the Minister's son is still very useful outside. Ahaha."

"Damn, let's bet, who's afraid of who."

"Let's see how much money your father has to lose!"

"I bet 20,000 gold coins! I'll bankrupt you!"

"I bet 30,000! I bet 50,000!"

"…………"

Seeing someone willing to give them money, the onlookers naturally wouldn't let it go. They all placed their bets, all on Song Moran's victory. Pang Da, this young man, stood alone against the crowd, even opening a side betting booth. Seeing the pile of hundreds of thousands of gold coins in front of him, he was overjoyed, as if the money was already his.

Actually, Pang Da didn't know Song Li's strength either. He just witnessed the leader's recent changes and developed a strong confidence in him. With the leader's recent performance, he was definitely not someone who would seek punishment. Since he dared to challenge Song Moran, his chances of winning were at least seventy percent.

Song Li and Song Moran in the center of the square quickly entered their combat state. The surrounding noise and chaos seemed irrelevant to them; they only had eyes for each other.

"You make the first move. I'll let you have one move." Song Moran's lips curled downward, showing his disdain.

Song Li suddenly kicked out without warning, aiming for Song Moran's crotch! His leg, infused with true qi, was as hard as steel, and this "groin kick" was invisible and incredibly fast. The two were too close, and Song Moran didn't have time to dodge. Fortunately, his senses were sharp, and he reacted quickly. Just as Song Li was about to kick his vital area, he suddenly shifted his body to the left. He felt as if his groin had been hit by a hammer, the pain was unbearable, and he took three steps back, "thud, thud, thud"!

This... How is this possible? I was kicked by this good-for-nothing, even though he ambushed me. With my skills, this shouldn't have happened. I was careless, I must have been careless. A person who relies on pills to boost his realm can't possibly be this strong...

"Yay! Long live the leader!" Seeing Song Li kick Song Moran back several steps, Pang Da jumped three feet high in excitement. It was amazing, so cool. The leader was the pride of the good-for-nothings. Who is Song Moran? Although he can't compare to the princes and the sons of the three dukes, he is still one of the top-notch rich and powerful in the capital. To be forced back by the leader with just one kick, if the fight wasn't still going on, he would have hugged Song Li's leg and flattered him!

The people who bet against Pang Da all shivered. Damn, the famous good-for-nothing of Holy Lion City, when did he become so powerful? Did I really misjudge him today... Oh no, my money...

"Despicable!" Song Moran gritted his teeth, trying to endure the pain in his hip.

"You said you would let me have one move. I'm a person of good character and always fulfill others' requests!" Song Li said with a smile, "How does this 'descendant-destroying kick' taste? Too bad I missed, otherwise it would have been more exciting, bang, bang, and it would have been all over..."

"Boy, you have successfully provoked me. You should have heard of my father's famous martial art—Rage Fist! Most people need to stay calm in battle, but not with Rage Fist. We need to maintain a sense of anger. The greater the anger, the greater the power of the fist. So, you will suffer catastrophic consequences."

After saying this, Song Moran's cheeks suddenly bulged, and he made a few "gurgling" sounds like a frog. His upper body clothes suddenly fluttered without any wind, instantly inflating into a large ball!

"Damn, do you know the Toad Technique too?" Song Li's eyes lit up.

Song Moran ignored him. After gathering his true qi, he exhaled and punched straight out!

This punch was neither complicated nor flashy. It came forward in a simple, straightforward manner, much like the most common and ordinary "Black Tiger Heart Snatching" in any martial art. In any martial art, this move is probably present.

But this simple punch carried a thunderous momentum, with the sound of wind and thunder faintly mixed in the air. Song Li found it hard to imagine that such a gentle and refined person like Song Moran could deliver such a powerful and overwhelming punch. At first glance, this punch seemed full of flaws, and there were 360 ways to dodge or counter it. However, as the person facing this punch, he felt surrounded by an invisible pressure, suddenly feeling powerless. It seemed that no matter what action he took or in which direction he dodged, the punch would hit him!

"Good 'Rage Fist'!" Although Song Li had never underestimated Song Moran, this punch still made him look at him with new respect. As the saying goes, "A heavy punch is powerful, a heavy sword has no edge, no cover, no avoidance, and the greatest skill is the simplest." Song Moran's punch already had a hint of "the greatest skill is the simplest." Even if there were ways to block or dodge, he was enveloped by this overwhelming force, making it impossible to block or avoid!

In a narrow path, the brave win! Since he couldn't dodge, he wouldn't dodge. Song Li exhaled and channeled his true qi into his right leg, then kicked out to meet Song Moran's punch. He had already seen that Song Moran's realm was at the peak of the tenth level of Body Cultivation, a full level higher than his. Using a punch against a punch, he might be at a disadvantage. However, the power of a leg is much greater than that of a fist. In the previous life, the great martial arts master Bruce Lee also discussed the principle of "seven parts leg, three parts fist" in Jeet Kune Do. Whether in attack range or power, the leg is much stronger than the fist. True martial arts experts must fully utilize the inherent advantages of the leg. Bruce Lee relied on his invincible leg techniques to sweep through Western martial arts experts, never tasting defeat in his life.

"Clang!" Song Moran's punch and Song Li's leg met in mid-air, and an invisible force rippled out, causing the small trees at the edge of the square to sway violently, leaves to fall, and a solemn and deadly atmosphere to spread!

"Thud, thud, thud..." Song Li's foot was hit by Song Moran's punch, and he felt a powerful force pushing him backward, forcing him to take three large steps back before he could steady himself.

Song Moran was utterly astonished to see that Song Li could withstand his unstoppable "Rage Fist"! In his original understanding, this punch should have broken Song Li's bones. He didn't expect that Song Li only took a few steps back, seemingly at a disadvantage, but his combat strength was unharmed!

"Very good, it seems I underestimated your strength. You are probably at the peak of the ninth level of Body Cultivation. Your mother must have given you a lot of pills. But for me, the stronger the enemy, the more excited I get. I almost don't want to kill you right away. If you die, where will I find such an opponent? Such a life would be very boring," Song Moran said coldly, staring at Song Li.

"Where did all this nonsense come from? Just come at me!" Song Li was the type who became braver the more he fought. The stronger the opponent, the more his fierce spirit was aroused. Being pushed back by Song Moran's move, his inner passion was completely ignited. What strategies, what plans, when the blood was boiling, nothing mattered. He just wanted to fight with all his might and see who would be killed!

Song Moran hadn't moved yet, but Song Li took the initiative! He took several steps back, then forcefully kicked the ground with both feet, launching himself forward like a bullet from a gun