"Young man? I'll spot you three punches?"

Lin Mu's words left everyone stunned.

"Is this guy an idiot?" the man called Xiao Wu said with a strange look on his face. He could tell that Lin Mu wasn't much older than him. Yet here he was, calling Xu Feng—a man nearly thirty years old—a "young man."

Even Da Jun's mouth twitched. Though he didn't know Lin Mu's exact identity, he reasoned that anyone treated with such respect by the old General had to be extraordinary.

"General, can we really trust this man?" Xiao Wu couldn't help but ask, his face full of doubt.

Although Guan Chengye had retired from his post and left all affairs to his son, Guan Xinhe, the men of the Guan Family still habitually called him General.

Guan Chengye chuckled. "Whether he's reliable or not, we'll see soon enough."

"That's true," Xiao Wu said. "General, let's get this straight. If this guy can't handle it, you can't stop me from going over there and killing that punk."

"Alright, I promise," Guan Chengye replied with a slight smile, seemingly unconcerned about such a minor issue.

Da Jun gave the old General a strange look, wondering where he got his confidence from. Could that young man really be a match for Xu Feng? He had seen that Xu Feng, although not particularly strong, possessed at least the strength of an Initial External Strength Martial Artist. But this fellow, whom the old General called Master Lin, didn't exhibit a single trace of a Martial Artist's True Qi fluctuations. Could he actually win?

「...」

Xu Feng glared at Lin Mu, his voice icy. "Young man, are you looking for death?"

Lin Mu, looking utterly unconcerned, replied with a hint of impatience, "Are you going to fight or not? If you're too scared to make a move, then crawl back to whatever hole you came from."

His tone was completely discourteous, causing Xu Feng's expression to turn grim.

The young soldier named Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. "This guy... I'm not sure about his strength, but his spirit is impressive."

SMACK!

Da Jun rapped him on the head, scolding him with a laugh. "How old are you, talking like such a wise old man?"

Xiao Wu just chuckled, not the least bit offended.

A cold glint flashed in Xu Feng's eyes. "Kid, state your name. I don't kill nobodies!"

"You're not worthy of knowing my name," Lin Mu said flatly. "If you don't make your move now, you won't get another chance."

"You're courting death!"

A powerful aura suddenly erupted from Xu Feng. He swept his arms out, settling into a fighting stance. "I don't need three punches. One is all it will take to kill you!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Xu Feng stomped his foot and charged, slamming a fist toward Lin Mu's chest. The punch howled through the air, circulating with True Qi. Although an External Power Martial Artist couldn't channel True Qi throughout their body or release it to injure an enemy like an Inner Strength Martial Artist could, the power contained in this punch was still considerable.

Xu Feng had used at least fifty percent of his strength. He was going to kill this arrogant fool in a single blow!

Xiao Wu's expression turned grave. "Looks like Xu Feng has been provoked."

"Shut up!" Da Jun snapped. "Distractions are the worst thing during a martial artist's duel."

Xu Feng's entire being flowed with fighting intent; he clearly wasn't a recent convert to the External Strength realm. On the contrary, he had broken through many years ago and had cultivated his fighting style to a respectable level. Da Jun had already decided that if Lin Mu was all talk and couldn't take this punch, he would intervene and save him. After all, the man was standing up for the Guan Family.

BANG!

The fist landed squarely on Lin Mu's chest. A cold smirk appeared on Xu Feng's face. Kid, my fist technique is derived from the Eight Extremes Fist, refined by my master for many years. A single punch can take down a bull, let alone you!

But in the next instant, Xu Feng's smile froze.

He saw Lin Mu standing perfectly still, his expression completely unchanged.

How is this possible? Xu Feng stared at Lin Mu in disbelief. In my eyes, he's just an ordinary person—a nobody who hasn't even cultivated True Qi. How could he possibly withstand my punch?

Lin Mu casually brushed the non-existent dust from his chest and looked at Xu Feng. "Is that all the strength you have? Did you forget to eat breakfast?"

Lin Mu shook his head slightly. "How about I let you go get a full meal before we continue? You still have two punches left, so you still have a chance."

"Hahaha!"

A wave of laughter erupted from the Guan Family's side. Lin Mu's words were enough to make a man die of anger. But it was so satisfying!

Da Jun also let out a quiet sigh of relief. The fact that Lin Mu could block that punch proved his own strength was not to be underestimated.

The Guan Family's laughter made Xu Feng's face turn dark with fury. He felt utterly humiliated.

"Xu Feng, why don't you just give up? You're clearly no match for him."

"Yeah, if you keep this up, you'll only humiliate yourself further."

Xiao Wu and the others laughed heartily, taunting him without reservation. Xu Feng had done his best to humiliate the Guan Family earlier, and now they weren't about to miss their chance for payback.

"Hmph!" Xu Feng snorted coldly. "There are still two punches left. Whether he can block them is another story!"

His eyes hardened as he said, "Kid, I'll admit I underestimated you. But do you really think you can take my next punch? Open Mountain Fist!"

Xu Feng roared. Though there was no visible fist intent flowing around him, the sheer pressure of his aura made everyone's expression turn solemn.

"The Open Mountain Fist! That's a martial technique Liu Xianhe honed for years. Can he block it?" Da Jun's expression was grave as he imperceptibly took a step forward. If Lin Mu couldn't block it, he would intervene immediately, even if it meant being punished by the General later.

Liu Xianhe was the old General's rival. This man was quite famous in River City. He had been involved in the Martial Way since childhood and, blessed with natural talent, was proclaimed the number one expert in the city. However, he had been in secluded cultivation for many years, so his true strength was unknown to the outside world. For him to come out of seclusion to challenge the old General now meant he must be extremely confident in his abilities.

A cold light flickered in Xu Feng's eyes. With a great shout, he shot both fists forward, smashing them brutally toward Lin Mu's shoulders. This attack contained the unique hidden strength of the Eight Extremes Fist, powerful enough to shatter bone.

THUD!

A dull sound echoed as Xu Feng's face twisted into a savage grin. "Kid, if you're not dead this time, I'll—"

He never finished his sentence. He saw Lin Mu, the man who should have been on the ground coughing up blood, still standing there with a calm smile.

"You're so weak," Lin Mu said. "I guess that means your master can't be all that strong, either."

At his words, the entire area fell silent.

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