Chapter 15 – Nascent Fist Intent! Ding Hao Defeated!

A fourth-layer Qi Gathering cultivator versus a first-layer Qi Gathering novice.

The gap in power was insurmountable.

Ding Hao hadn’t even used any advanced techniques for this punch.

He simply wrapped his dense true qi around his fist,

Just that, nothing fancy.

And yet, few present could have withstood such a strike.

His qi was overwhelmingly potent.

Even among peers at the same level, few were his match.

Let alone a mere first-layer rookie?

None of the watching disciples objected.

In their eyes…

Gu Yang didn’t stand a chance against that punch!

Amidst the crowd, Ding Xuan was already brimming with anticipation, eager to see Gu Yang sent flying.

He stared fixedly at the stage, eyes wide with burning intensity.

As for Gu Yang, even as Ding Hao’s fist came crashing down toward him,

He remained calm, expression unwavering.

Then, with a single thought,

He too threw out a punch, simply infused with his own true qi.

Boom!

The two fists collided midair.

A massive shockwave shook both fighters.

Gu Yang was pushed back half a step.

Ding Hao, on the other hand, remained steady, rooted in place.

At first glance, it looked like Ding Hao had the upper hand.

And yet,

There was no triumph on Ding Hao’s face.

Instead, his eyes went wide in disbelief.

How could this be?!

This brat… actually blocked my punch?

And he didn’t even use a martial technique! Just raw true qi!

And after the impact, he only retreated half a step!

Instantly, Ding Hao felt his face flush hot with shame.

What a slap in the face!

He was an inner-sect prodigy, a fighter strong enough to challenge seventh-layer cultivators!

And yet this first-layer rookie had nearly fought him to a draw?

Unacceptable!

Rage surged within him, his gaze flickering with fury.

Meanwhile, the crowd erupted into stunned whispers.

“What just happened? Did I see that right?”

“They both used nothing but true qi, and Gu Yang only took half a step back?”

“Could Gu Yang actually be on par with Ding Hao now?”

“No way! He’s just a first-layer rookie!”

“Look! Ding Hao’s pissed! He’s about to go all out!”

“That’s it for Gu Yang, then!”

As the crowd gawked, they saw Ding Hao’s aura begin to surge.

Clearly, he was no longer holding back.

With that,

The outcome seemed set in stone.

Once Ding Hao fought seriously, even seventh-layer cultivators would struggle against him.

No one could explain how Gu Yang had withstood that last clash…

But it didn’t matter.

What mattered was,

Gu Yang was destined to lose!

“You should feel honored… to be defeated by this technique of mine!”

Ding Hao’s face darkened with anger.

He slowly unsheathed the blade at his waist,

Then raised it high.

At the same time, he shouted,

“Nether Slash, Explode!”

The moment his cry rang out,

A mysterious force climbed onto his blade,

And instantly amplified its power several times over!

Witnessing this, many inner-sect disciples could barely contain themselves.

“The rumors were true!”

“Intent manifestation! Ding Hao’s actually grasped blade intent!”

“Even if it’s just the embryonic form, he’s already nearly unbeatable among his peers!”

“In the inner sect, Ding Hao’s definitely top-tier!”

“So this is what intent power looks like? Terrifying!”

“If only I could comprehend intent too…”

“Yeah, keep dreaming.”

The moment Ding Hao drew his blade and revealed his embryonic blade intent,

The watching disciples had already written Gu Yang off.

After all, intent manifestation was a rare and awe-inspiring achievement.

And since Ding Hao had already unleashed it,

What could Gu Yang possibly use to fight back?

Nearly everyone present had already concluded,

The battle was over.

But at the center of the dueling platform,

Standing directly in front of that terrifying wave of blade energy…

Gu Yang looked completely composed.

“So this is the embryonic form of blade intent? Not bad.”

He muttered under his breath.

As the fearsome blade aura surged toward him like a crashing tide,

Gu Yang simply raised his fist.

“Vajra Fist!”

Swish!

Suddenly, golden light erupted and wrapped around his fist with explosive brilliance.

At the same time, a trace of that same mysterious intent energy climbed onto his hand.

Instantly, the golden glow grew even denser,

So radiant it dazzled the eye.

It was like a miniature sun condensed onto his fist.

Impossible to ignore.

Utterly stunning.

Then,

Fist and blade collided midair with a thunderous impact.

A terrifying force exploded outward.

Centered around the two fighters, the shockwave surged across the entire dueling platform.

Like tidal waves of stormwind, the backlash spread.

Many inner-sect disciples had to release their own true qi just to shield themselves from the blast.

Boom, !

When the deafening roar finally faded…

Everyone looked toward the dueling platform,

Only to find Ding Hao lying on the ground below, pale and disheveled.

Completely defeated.

Meanwhile, Gu Yang stood tall upon the platform.

Calm. Unshaken.

Steady as a mountain.

This unbelievable scene left every onlooker utterly dumbfounded.

“W-What just happened…?”

“Ding Hao… lost?!”

“Insane! That’s insane! Is Gu Yang really just a newcomer?!”

“Intent! That was intent again! Gu Yang has mastered intent too! It’s just a nascent form, but far more refined than Ding Hao’s!”

“Monstrous! Since when was the intent this easy to grasp?!”

All eyes turned to Gu Yang.

Shock and awe etched into every face.

On the other side, Ding Xuan was completely stunned.

“N-No way…”

“He… he’s grasped intent too?!”

“This can’t be real!”

But no matter how Ding Xuan tried to deny it,

There was no question about it.

In that moment, Gu Yang had become the brightest star in the room.

Gu Yang himself, however, didn’t care about such things.

He calmly walked toward Ding Hao.

At that point, Ding Hao still hadn’t recovered from the shock.

I lost?

I actually lost?

And to a first-layer rookie?!

Impossible!

As Gu Yang approached, Ding Hao finally recalled that last moment.

That punch… the sheer force of it was absurd.

If not for the fact that his Nether Slash had absorbed part of the impact,

He might’ve lost more than just the match.

Is this guy really a newcomer?

He fights like some ancient master who’s been training for centuries, his fist technique was flawless!

Hard to believe that came from a rookie!

“You lost. Ten lower-grade spirit stones.”

Gu Yang didn’t bother with pointless chatter.

He simply extended his hand.

Ding Hao’s expression turned complex,

But after a moment, he fished out ten spirit stones from his robes.

A hefty sum, even for him.

Now lost in defeat.

The taste was bitter.

But he had no choice.