Chapter 154: Turning Their Own Tactics Against Them

As the dust finally settled, Lin Le’s slender figure was at last revealed to the crowd once more.

He was covered in dirt and stained with blood in multiple places; even a trace of crimson ran from the corner of his mouth. Yet, he stood there with stubborn, upright defiance, radiating an aura of haughty pride.

"What?!" The crowd gasped in unison.

They could hardly believe their eyes. The power of Gongshu Ye’s "True Qi Manifestation into a Dragon" had been immense, possessing a destructive force capable of leveling the earth. The very concrete ground had been reduced to a ruinous state, yet Lin Le had managed to escape with his life under such circumstances? It was utterly inconceivable!

Seeing Lin Le standing before him, Gongshu Ye’s eyes widened in shock.

"This... how is this possible?!" Gongshu Ye exclaimed.

That strike had been the culmination of his full strength. The power was so formidable that it was beyond the comprehension of ordinary men. He had been certain that even a true Grandmaster of the Transformation Realm would have been killed or at least severely wounded by such a blow.

Yet, the young grandmaster before him had suffered only superficial injuries. Such a robust physique was beyond anything Gongshu Ye could have imagined.

How could Gongshu Ye know that Lin Le was not merely a Grandmaster of the Transformation Realm? His true identity was that of a cultivator!

With Lin Le’s current cultivation at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, his physical body had reached the limits of humanity, nearly transcending the mortal coil. The sheer toughness of his flesh was something a martial artist like Gongshu Ye could never fathom.

Xie Xinglong, Xie Dong, and the others were completely stupefied to see Lin Le emerge unscathed after taking such a heavy blow.

If even the esteemed Master Gongshu’s ultimate technique could not kill Lin Le, what on earth could possibly harm him?

What kind of terrifying entity was this Lin Le?

At this moment, Lin Le lifted his gaze to look at Gongshu Ye, a rebellious, mocking smile curling his lips.

"Do you have any other tricks? If not, it is time I let you see my methods..."

The moment he finished speaking, with a dull thud, Lin Le leaped forward, shattering the ground beneath his feet. He lunged toward Gongshu Ye like a ferocious beast.

"Take this punch!" Lin Le roared.

Simultaneously, a powerful surge of True Qi erupted from his body. His entire fist and arm were enveloped in a dragon-shaped aura—a sight that was hauntingly familiar.

"This... this is the Rising Dragon Fist?!" Xie Xinglong cried out in shock.

Xie Xinglong was right. The move Lin Le was employing was indeed the signature technique of Gongshu Ye: the Rising Dragon Fist!

During his previous skirmish with Xie Xinglong, Lin Le had already mastered the essence of this technique. Now, he intended to pay him back in his own coin, letting Gongshu Ye taste the power of his own signature move!

Xie Dong, Xie Ziyun, and the others were filled with disbelief as they heard Xie Xinglong’s cry.

"How does he know the Rising Dragon Fist?" Xie Dong couldn't fathom how this was possible.

Gongshu Ye was equally stunned to see his opponent using his own technique against him. He was certain that Lin Le could not have known the Rising Dragon Fist beforehand; the only explanation was that he had learned it on the spot.

He must have observed the technique while fighting him and Xie Xinglong earlier, and thus mastered it!

At this thought, a chill ran down Gongshu Ye's spine.

The Rising Dragon Fist was a superior internal martial art and the bedrock upon which their Cloud Dragon Sect had stood for thousands of years. Even within their sect, only true disciples were qualified to be taught this technique; ordinary martial artists never even had the chance to touch it.

Yet now, this youth had managed to steal the technique after exchanging only a few blows!

Furthermore, although the youth had just learned it, he used his Transformation Realm cultivation to push the technique to a level of power several times greater than that of Xie Xinglong, who had practiced it for over a decade!

This was no longer a matter of a grandmaster borrowing from various schools to establish his own; this had completely transcended the limits of human imagination.

As these thoughts raced through his mind, Gongshu Ye dared not be negligent. Lin Le was as fast as thunder, and the wind of his fist was already upon him.

Gongshu Ye hurriedly prepared to counter with his own Rising Dragon Fist.

However, just as Lin Le’s fist was about to strike, Gongshu Ye caught a glimpse of a cunning smile on the youth's face.

Gongshu Ye’s heart sank; he sensed something was wrong.

In the next instant, the cunning look on Lin Le’s face twisted into a vicious glare.

"Die!" Lin Le let out a fierce shout.

At the same time, the dragon-head aura on his fist exploded in size, its power surging to an astonishing degree!

"No, it's a trap!" Gongshu Ye exclaimed inwardly.

It turned out that Lin Le had deliberately suppressed the power of his punch, making Gongshu Ye believe he could meet it head-on. Only now did Lin Le unleash the full force of his technique.

Gongshu Ye finally realized that the power of Lin Le’s punch was far greater than he had imagined!

He could hardly believe that such a devastating blow could come from someone who had been exposed to the technique for less than a day. To master a martial art in an instant—it was unheard of!

There was no time left for contemplation.

In the next moment, the explosive power of Lin Le’s punch slammed into Gongshu Ye. Before he could even react, he was sent flying by the overwhelming force.

With a loud thud, Gongshu Ye’s body was cast back like a ball for over a dozen meters, slamming heavily into the ground.

A deathly silence fell over the open ground. No one had expected that the esteemed Grandmaster Gongshu Ye would suffer such a crushing defeat, and at the hands of his own technique, no less!

Of all those present, Xie Xinglong was the most shocked. He had trained under Gongshu Ye since childhood and knew the profound mysteries of the Rising Dragon Fist. Yet, Lin Le had mastered it in an instant, surpassing his own skill and striking down his master in one blow!

For Xie Xinglong, this result was simply unacceptable.

Moments later, Gongshu Ye pulled himself up from the ground. With blood trailing from his mouth, his expression turned vicious.

"You brat, how dare you play me!" Gongshu Ye snarled. He had lost all the composure of a grandmaster, appearing instead like a cornered beast.

"Play you? I am merely returning the favor!" Lin Le retorted coldly.

Just moments ago, Gongshu Ye had used his "True Qi Manifestation into a Dragon" to lure Lin Le into attacking, only to split the qi into flying blades to strike him. Lin Le was simply giving him a taste of his own medicine.

"Fine, fine, fine! I underestimated you! Today, I stake my reputation as a grandmaster to fight you to the death!" Rage seemed to erupt from Gongshu Ye’s eyes.

Lin Le had caused him to suffer such a humiliating defeat in front of everyone. Gongshu Ye was determined: even if it cost him his life, he would see Lin Le dead!

"To the death?" Lin Le chuckled. "Very well, I shall oblige you!"

With a hardened gaze, Lin Le prepared to charge forward once more.

But just then, a thunderous shout rang out. "Stop!"

The crowd turned to look, all of them startled.

Approaching them was an elderly man with white hair, dressed in a traditional Tang suit and surrounded by a phalanx of bodyguards.

"Father..." Xie Jingguo, Xie Yucheng, and the others called out upon seeing him.

"Grandfather!" Xie Xinglong and Xie Dong followed suit.

Indeed, the old man in the Tang suit was none other than the current head of the Xie family, Xie Jiuling!