Chapter 129: The First Confrontation

Faced with Lin Mu’s teasing words, Ding Han’s expression darkened even more. However, he didn’t engage in a verbal spat with Lin Mu, because he was not a man of many words to begin with.

Since everyone had agreed to settle the matter through a spar, what was the point of wasting words? For them, nothing was more convincing than actual strength.

At that moment, besides Lin Mu and Ding Han in the gym, there were two other people nearby—Jiang Chu and Wang Qing, who were there to watch.

“Captain Jiang, isn’t this a bit inappropriate? For an expert like Brother Ding to spar with an ordinary person like Lin Mu—if word gets out, people will laugh at us.”

Although he really wanted to see Lin Mu embarrassed, Wang Qing still felt that this match was a bit unfair. After all, he was well aware of Ding Han’s abilities.

“Isn’t that just perfect? Lin Mu bullied you before, and now Ding Han can help you get justice. Besides, do you really know how strong Lin Mu is? He’s no ordinary person. You’ll understand once you see it.”

Jiang Chu gently shook his head and glanced at Wang Qing as he spoke.

Hearing this, Wang Qing became quite intrigued. He really wanted to know just how strong Lin Mu— the one who had thoroughly trounced him a few days ago—really was.

If Lin Mu ended up losing to Ding Han, then Wang Qing wouldn’t have to feel inferior when he met Lin Mu in the future, because Lin Mu wouldn’t be some undefeatable powerhouse.

Just as Wang Qing was silently pondering this, the two in the center of the room had already begun to move. Without exchanging many words, they stepped forward and collided together as fast as lightning.

At first, Lin Mu didn’t use his Zhenqi, relying only on the strength of his body to face his opponent. However, anyone who underestimated Lin Mu for that would end up in a sorry state.

Even with just his physical strength alone, Lin Mu’s current power was terrifying.

But Ding Han was no ordinary martial artist. A true expert can tell how skilled someone is from the first move. From the whistling sound generated by Lin Mu’s fist, Ding Han could tell that he was definitely a master.

Ordinary martial artists, the faster and more powerful they are, tend to create strong gust of wind when they attack, giving off a fierce and imposing impression.

But Lin Mu’s punches were swift as lightning and carried immense force, yet the wind they stirred was exceptionally slight, almost silent, with only a very faint whistling sound.

Those who didn’t understand might think Lin Mu had little strength and was just putting on a show.

However, Ding Han clearly knew that being struck by such a punch would result, at the very least, in broken bones.

Seeing Lin Mu’s still smiling face, Ding Han pushed aside his distracting thoughts, let out a low shout, and his muscles rippled as he charged toward Lin Mu.

Both of them moved with astonishing speed. Only Jiang Chu, watching from the side, could clearly follow their movements. Wang Qing only saw two figures swiftly exchanging positions like lightning before separating again.

Ding Han staggered backward several steps. In the brief exchange just now, Lin Mu had landed a punch on his chest. Ding Han had crossed his arms to block the blow.

An excruciating pain, as if penetrating to the bone, shot through his mind. Ding Han shook his arms. Although his expression remained unchanged, he already knew in his heart—

Lin Mu’s skill was definitely not inferior to his own.

Before Wang Qing could even register what had happened, the two in the center had already separated. Beside him, Jiang Chu’s expression changed, and he let out a soft exclamation, “So fast!”

“It seems I underestimated you before. You do have the right to be arrogant. But young man, you should learn to keep your edge hidden. The principle that tall trees catch the wind is quite simple.”

Ding Han snorted coldly as he stared at Lin Mu.

“That was just one move. Whether I have the right or not, let’s wait until the spar is over to decide!”

Lin Mu shook his head and chuckled. This Ding Han actually dared to lecture him about principles. If he knew that Lin Mu had been cultivating for tens of thousands of years, it would probably scare him to death.

After losing the first move, Ding Han finally focused his full attention, determined not to give Lin Mu another opportunity. He admitted to himself that he had been somewhat careless earlier.

This time, Ding Han took the initiative to strike. His feet slid across the floor, tracing two simple arcs as he swiftly closed in on Lin Mu. The force of his fists was like thunder.

His footwork left deep marks on the gym’s floor—the floor was made of high-quality strong wood, yet someone had managed to leave imprints on it!

Lin Mu also wiped the smile off his face. His opponent’s attack seemed effortless yet carried overwhelming power, clearly driven by Zhenqi.

“Good. This spar is finally getting a bit interesting!”

Lin Mu murmured softly. With a single thought, the Zhenqi in his Dantian instantly surged through all his Meridians.

Once Zhenqi was mobilized, Lin Mu’s aura immediately became apparent. He was no longer the handsome, harmless-looking young man from before, but rather a mountain standing in the way, exuding an ancient and immense power.

“Such a powerful aura! How is that possible?!”

Jiang Chu couldn’t help but cry out in surprise. He had also cultivated Zhenqi, so he could tell at a glance Lin Mu’s true level—it was no less than his or Ding Han’s. Since when did the Dragon Protection Corps have such a young expert?

Unlike Jiang Chu, who was watching from the sidelines, Ding Han in the center felt even greater pressure. Lin Mu’s aura had locked onto him, and an overwhelming force pressed down on him.

If he didn’t go all out now, he would likely lose this fight miserably!

A troubling thought instantly flashed through Ding Han’s mind.

Wang Qing, on the other hand, didn’t feel anything too obvious. He was just an ordinary person trained in combat. Although he sensed that the two in the center seemed to have imposing auras, he couldn’t really grasp what was happening.

Experts see the technique; laymen see the spectacle. Although all four present were martial artists, Wang Qing still fell into the layman category—he hadn’t reached the level of true mastery.

After mobilizing Zhenqi, Ding Han and Lin Mu’s speed increased once again. Wang Qing could no longer see their figures clearly; he only occasionally caught a glimpse of a black shadow flashing through the air, accompanied by the fierce sounds of fists and feet colliding.

From the intensity of these sounds, one could tell just how rapidly they were fighting. An ordinary person facing attacks at such speed would have no chance to react.

The powerful energy generated by their clash caused the wooden floor of the gym to crack and splinter. Countless wood chips flew in all directions. Jiang Chu quickly pulled Wang Qing aside to avoid the debris.

He could already tell that Ding Han was not holding back in this fight; he was using his full strength. Apart from a few hidden cards, Ding Han was already going all out!

Ever since Wang Qing was easily taught a lesson by Lin Mu, Jiang Chu had known that Lin Mu was an expert, but he had assumed that expert was still within the limits of an ordinary person.

Back then, he would never have believed that Lin Mu was actually on the same level as them.

They had cultivated since childhood, undergone countless battles and trials, relying on innate talent and relentless effort to achieve their current strength.

How much effort you put in determines how much strength you gain. In that respect, heaven has always been fair.

But Lin Mu was only in his twenties now. Even if he started cultivating from the womb, that would only be over twenty years. How could he possibly reach the same Realm as them?

But the overflowing energy coming from the center of the room made it clear to Jiang Chu—this was reality. Lin Mu truly possessed such formidable strength.

This was a real, genuine young expert who stood on the same Realm as them!

But Jiang Chu couldn’t understand: even if cultivation could be improved quickly through training, combat experience required genuine accumulation. That kind of accumulation wasn’t something that could be achieved overnight.

Between two people of the same strength, the one with rich combat experience would easily defeat someone who only trained hard, because their fighting instincts were on completely different levels.

Fighting instinct and techniques needed to be honed through countless life-and-death experiences before they could be deeply ingrained, ultimately leading to victory over enemies.

But this young man before him not only had profound cultivation, but his combat experience was also terrifyingly rich. Just look at how Ding Han hadn’t gained any advantage—it was clear enough.

Even if he was a cultivation genius who could progress much faster than ordinary people, where did he acquire such rich combat skills and experience?

Could it be that reincarnation truly existed in this world?

Was it possible that in his previous life, he was an incredibly powerful expert? Was he born with such formidable fighting instincts and techniques?

“Speed, power, technique—you’re already quite strong in these three aspects. But if you think that’s enough to defeat me, it’s impossible. If you don’t have any other tricks up your sleeve, you won’t win today.”

Amid their lightning-fast exchange, Lin Mu’s calm voice drifted through the air. Then, the two figures reappeared in the gym.

Ding Han’s expression was very serious. When he fully mobilized his Zhenqi earlier, he didn’t have the spare energy to speak. But this Lin Mu before him could easily handle his attacks while talking freely.

What did that mean? He understood perfectly well in his heart—the other party was still holding back significantly while fighting him!

Though his face showed only slight surprise, his heart was actually in turmoil. Like Jiang Chu, he also thought that for someone Lin Mu’s age to already stand on the same level as them was truly extraordinary.

“You are strong! Very strong! I might lose to you today, but that doesn’t scare me. I will use my true power to fight you!”

Ding Han spoke slowly, word by word. Suddenly, his face flushed deep red, the veins on his forehead bulged, and an astonishing wave of heat emanated from his body, followed by faint trails of blue smoke rising from him.

“Ding Han! No!”

Jiang Chu, watching from the side, immediately cried out in alarm. He took a step forward as if to intervene, but hesitated and pulled back. The Ding Han before him was no longer someone he could stop.