Ge Tianxing looked at Zhao Mu in surprise. He had expected Zhao Mu to tremble in fear at their arrival, perhaps even beg for mercy with tears in his eyes.
Instead, Zhao Mu stood there calmly, without the slightest hint of panic.
Smirking, Ge Tianxing said, "You've got some guts. Don't worry, your Senior Brother Tian Hu is a reasonable man. At worst, he'll give you a good beating. If you're seriously injured, he'll even pay your medical bills."
Tian Hu shot Ge Tianxing a glance.
"You wanted to come along to watch, so I brought you. Just keep quiet and be the witness."
Ge Tianxing shrugged, signaling that he had no intention of interfering.
"Let's go."
After paying the bill, Tian Hu led the group to the riverside in Lujiang City's Jinhe District.
Named after the Jin River that flowed through the city, the district offered a beautiful nighttime view. The river stretched hundreds of meters wide, while the cool evening breeze carried away the lingering summer heat.
Once they reached the riverbank, Ge Tianxing crossed his arms and stood aside, serving as both witness and referee.
Tian Hu picked up a tree branch and calmly infused it with Spiritual Power before drawing lines across the ground. Soon, a standard dodgeball court—shaped like a large Chinese character "Ri"—appeared.
He did this deliberately to show off.
The branch was thin and brittle. Without excellent Spiritual Power Control, it would have snapped the moment Spiritual Power flowed through it.
Tian Hu secretly glanced at Zhao Mu, hoping to see a look of amazement.
Instead, Zhao Mu remained expressionless.
The failed display left Tian Hu slightly disappointed.
What Tian Hu didn't know was that Zhao Mu could now infuse even a piece of soft tofu with Spiritual Power and turn it into a deadly weapon. Compared to that, this little trick was nothing.
After finishing the court, Tian Hu took a black ball from his pocket. It looked unusually heavy.
"This is a specially made ball. It weighs five jin and can withstand our Spiritual Power, so this time we can both fight at full strength."
He tossed it toward Zhao Mu.
Zhao Mu caught it and carefully inspected it before nodding.
"No problems."
"Good."
Tian Hu smiled.
"Let's begin. But I hope that after today, regardless of the outcome, neither of us will seek the other out again."
Zhao Mu nodded.
"Agreed."
"The grudge between us ends today."
The two men took their positions on opposite sides of the court.
The rules remained the same as before. Dodging was forbidden. Whoever was knocked down and unable to stand, or stepped outside the court, would lose.
Tian Hu lowered his stance and clapped his hands.
"You attack first. This time, I won't hold back."
"Fine."
Zhao Mu's eyes sharpened.
Holding the ball with both hands, he unleashed his Spiritual Power.
An immense surge of azure-blue energy flowed through his body, streamed into his arms, and poured directly into the ball.
The originally black ball gradually became transparent, revealing dazzling blue Spiritual Power swirling violently inside.
Not a single strand of energy was wasted.
His control was flawless.
Spiritual Power Control: Proficiency – 99 Points
This was already the limit of the Fanged Rank. To improve further, he would need to reach the Private Rank and master external Spiritual Power projection.
Even so, his control over Spiritual Power had already surpassed nearly everyone of the same rank.
Seeing this, Tian Hu's expression grew serious.
Although Zhao Mu was only Combat Level 7, Tian Hu knew exactly how dangerous he was.
After all, Zhao Mu had already defeated Shao Han, who possessed Combat Level 10.
Tian Hu himself had reached Combat Level 28, but after suffering defeat once before, he no longer dared to underestimate Zhao Mu.
His muscles tensed as Spiritual Power wrapped around his body.
Standing firmly on the riverbank, he resembled an iron lion guarding the Jin River.
Nearby, Ge Tianxing couldn't hide the jealousy in his eyes.
The level of Spiritual Power Control Zhao Mu displayed was something Ge Tianxing himself couldn't achieve.
"So... this E-Rank talent really is a genius?"
At that moment, Zhao Mu released every ounce of his Combat Level 7 Spiritual Power.
Then he attacked.
"Take this!"
His right arm swung back like a fully drawn bow.
With the support of Innate Divine Strength, every muscle in his body reached its absolute limit.
It was violence in its purest form.
Boom!
The Spiritual Power-filled ball shot forward like a cannonball, spinning violently through the air.
In an instant, it tore through the wind and charged directly toward Tian Hu's chest.
The powerful pressure stirred the surrounding air, sending grass and dust flying across the riverbank.
Tian Hu steadied his breathing and let out a deep roar.
Placing both palms together in front of him, he assumed a tiger-catching stance.
Bang!
The ball slammed into his palms with an explosive impact.
Even after the collision, it continued spinning violently, trying to force its way through.
Every muscle in Tian Hu's body bulged as he resisted the impact.
His feet remained firmly planted.
After more than ten seconds, the spinning finally stopped.
Tian Hu caught the ball completely.
Throughout the entire exchange, he hadn't moved even a single step.
Ge Tianxing burst into laughter.
"Tian Hu, aren't you taking this a little too seriously? You're Combat Level 28, while he's only Combat Level 7. You could beat him with your eyes closed. Looking this tense isn't exactly impressive."
Tian Hu merely gave him a cold glance and ignored him.
Ge Tianxing had no idea how deeply Zhao Mu's previous victory had affected Tian Hu.
Being defeated...
Then being expelled from the Discipline Inspection Unit by Bai Meimei...
Those events had become a mental block that Tian Hu desperately needed to overcome.
What Ge Tianxing also failed to notice was that after catching the ball, Tian Hu quietly clenched his hands twice.
The impact had been far stronger than expected.
If someone below Combat Level 15 had tried to catch that throw, they would have been seriously injured.
Tian Hu still couldn't understand why Zhao Mu possessed such terrifying physical strength.
But he understood one thing clearly.
Zhao Mu's power was far beyond what any ordinary Combat Level 7 Spirit Power User should possess.
Watching Tian Hu catch his strongest attack, disappointment flashed across Zhao Mu's face.
He clenched his fists tightly.
"So... even this isn't enough."
He had combined flawless Spiritual Power Control with the overwhelming physical strength granted by Innate Divine Strength, producing an attack far beyond his actual Combat Level.
Yet the gap between Combat Level 7 and Combat Level 28 remained enormous.
Tian Hu stood expressionless.
Holding the ball in one hand, he pointed at Zhao Mu with the other.
"My turn."
His voice was cold and steady.
"Are you ready, Zhao Mu?"
"Because I meant what I said."
"This time..."
"I won't hold back."
"So prepare yourself."
"You might leave here seriously injured."
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