Chapter 26: The Clash

The young man’s words infuriated Zhang Feng once again!

Just as Zhang Feng was about to erupt, the young man pulled a mobile phone from his pocket and tossed it to him. The moment Zhang Feng saw the device, the look of rage on his face abruptly froze.

The young man spoke in a measured, deliberate tone: "It seems you recognize what this phone represents. Since that is the case, why haven't you left yet?"

Zhang Feng glared at the young man, his expression shifting uncertainly. No one knew better than he did what this phone signified. His uncle was a man of unfathomable depth, a shadowy figure who rarely appeared and whose whereabouts and activities were known to no one. It was always his uncle who initiated contact; others could never reach him. Only through this specific mobile phone could one maintain a direct line. It was clear that the young man’s words now carried the weight of his uncle, "The Madman."

"Hmph! Let’s go!" Zhang Feng snorted. Ultimately, he dared not cross the red line set by The Madman. Before leaving, he glared viciously at Xu Yi: "Kid, consider yourself lucky this time. I’ve marked you; I will definitely kill you."

Xu Yi looked at the young man, speechless. "Is he always this much of an idiot?"

The young warrior replied indifferently, "I don't know him well, but I suppose so."

"Can I beat him up before I fight you?"

"I'm afraid not. Stupid as he is, he is still a relative of Master Zhang."

"What a pity."

Xu Yi and the young man spoke as if Zhang Feng were invisible. If looks could kill, Zhang Feng would have already slaughtered both of them several times over.

"Hmph!" With another snort, Zhang Feng turned and walked out of the pool hall.

"Are you done with your questions? Can we fight now?"

"Here?" Xu Yi asked, puzzled.

The young man replied coolly, "Does a fight require a specific venue? If so, it would be nothing more than a show of flowery, impractical moves. If that’s all you’re capable of, then I’ve overestimated you."

Xu Yi nodded. "Fair enough. Fighting here is fine; changing locations would just be a waste of time. However, I have one last question."

"Speak."

"What is your name?"

The young man paused, then his lips curled into a smirk of disdain. "You aren't qualified to know that yet. Prove yourself by defeating those two first."

The two men who had been standing silently behind the youth stepped forward.

Xu Yi shook his head. "You misunderstand. I only have one reason for wanting to know your name: I do not fight against nobodies."

"Arrogance! Let me see if you actually have the capital to back up that arrogance."

"Take this!"

The yellow-faced warrior to the youth's left roared in fury. His muscles tensed, his right hand pulled back like a drawn bow, and in the next second, he lunged forward, his straight punch exploding outward like an arrow from a string!

"So fast!" Huang Dabaow, standing behind Xu Yi, felt a surge of shock. Everything became a blur, and in the blink of an eye, the man’s fist was already inches from Xu Yi’s face. Huang Dabaow stepped back, watching intently, his heart pounding. He knew Xu Yi was strong, but this opponent was clearly a master, far beyond the petty thugs they had dealt with before.

Compared to Huang Dabaow’s anxiety, Xu Yi remained incredibly relaxed. As the powerful strike threatened to smash his face, Xu Yi slid to the side with effortless grace, his hands clasped behind his back as if he were merely out for a stroll. Beneath the surface, unknown to everyone, a mysterious mist shrouded his eyes—the "Slow Motion" ability.

Seeing his momentum-filled opening move dodged so easily, a flash of surprise crossed the yellow-faced warrior’s eyes. He hadn't expected Xu Yi to avoid it with such ease. Despite his shock, his movements did not falter. He shifted his stance, his arms bulging with taut, corded muscle like coiling dragons, and unleashed a barrage of punches like a rainstorm toward Xu Yi.

"Insight!"

Facing the dazzling speed of the strikes, Xu Yi remained unperturbed. Relying on the "Insight" ability, he moved with nimble, light-footed precision, always evading the attacks at the perfect moment. The yellow-faced man’s expression shifted; he put more force into his hands, his punches becoming even more ferocious and faster. Yet, no matter the speed, the situation remained unchanged—Xu Yi continued to evade them effortlessly. As the battle progressed, the surrounding area began to sustain visible damage, and the three onlookers instinctively retreated further from the center of the fray.

After three more breaths, the yellow-faced man switched his striking style three times, but to no avail. His face turned a deeper shade of yellow.

The youth watching from the side shook his head. "Ah Wen is no match for him. Ah Wu, you join in as well. Watch his lower body; this kid’s footwork is strange."

"Understood!" Ah Wu nodded. He was more composed than Ah Wen. He leapt forward, his leg lashing out like a whip toward Xu Yi’s back. However, it was as if Xu Yi had eyes in the back of his head; he ducked and pivoted, narrowly avoiding the sneak attack. When the strike missed, Ah Wu retracted his leg and swept it horizontally through the air with a whistling force.

Ah Wen seized the opportunity, coordinating immediately to flank from the side with a long-range punch. The two had clearly practiced this combination many times; in a blink, they executed a seamless pincer movement, acting in perfect harmony. With the two men closing in, Xu Yi could no longer rely solely on dodging and began to parry.

The situation reversed, and Xu Yi was forced onto the defensive.

Despite the apparent advantage, the young man watching frowned. His eye for talent was sharp; he usually needed only a few glances to determine the foundation of a fighter. This Xu Yi... his techniques were mediocre—a framework resembling Xingyi Quan mixed with Baguazhang, yet all of it was loose and sloppy, like that of a beginner. But if he were a beginner, why was his footwork so ghostly and agile? Combined with the strength he had shown earlier—shattering a wall with a punch—he had to possess immense power, something impossible to achieve without over a decade of rigorous training.

It seemed he would have to step in himself to find the truth.

Just then, Ah Wen and Ah Wu successfully cornered Xu Yi against the wall of the pool hall, leaving him with nowhere to retreat. Ah Wen was overjoyed, gritting his teeth as he hissed, "Let’s see how you dodge this time!"

"Dodge?"

A faint smile touched the corner of Xu Yi’s mouth. He tapped his toe against the floor and lunged forward instead of retreating. With a burst of speed, he tore through their pincer, throwing a punch at Ah Wen and a kick at Ah Wu.

"What?"

Xu Yi was too fast. The sudden transition from defense to offense caught them off guard, and their coordinated attack was broken in an instant. In their haste, they could only switch to defensive stances.

*Boom! Boom!*

The violent collision echoed through the room. Ah Wen and Ah Wu felt a colossal force slam into them.

"What immense strength!"

The thought crossed their minds simultaneously. They were knocked backward, their feet scuffing the floor repeatedly to dissipate the force before they could regain their footing.

"Huh?"

Xu Yi was surprised. He hadn't held back in that punch; an ordinary person would have been sent flying instantly. While these two were clearly outmatched, they had managed to absorb his power through sheer footwork. A competitive fire ignited within him.

He looked at the two and smiled. "You enjoyed attacking me, didn't you? Now it’s my turn."

Xu Yi cracked his neck. He deactivated "Insight." Keeping it active was mentally exhausting and prevented him from truly unleashing his physical potential, so he simply shut it off and focused his concentration entirely on his opponents.

"Hah!"

With a sharp shout, Xu Yi blurred into motion, faster than before. In the blink of an eye, he was upon Ah Wen. Without any flair, he delivered a single, crushing punch!

"What?"

Ah Wen raised his arms to block, but he felt a force of a thousand pounds crash into him. No matter how he tried to brace himself or dissipate the power, he couldn't hold his ground and was sent flying by the sheer force of the blow.

In the face of overwhelming strength, technique became useless!

The youth on the sidelines finally spoke: "That was a decent punch. Ah Wu, you are no match for him. Stand down; let me handle this."

"Kid, you are finally qualified to know my name."

"My name is Lu Huaibin! The Fierce Tiger, Lu Huaibin!"