Chapter 133: Unable to Withstand a Single Blow

As Liuhe’s words fell, the entire plaza plunged into absolute silence. The members of the Dragon Group stared at one another in disbelief, then turned their gaze toward Liuhe as if looking at a fool.

Ask them to attack all at once? They might only be reserve members of the Dragon Group, but nearly everyone present had been immersed in ancient martial arts since childhood, with the strongest among them already reaching the level of a Grandmaster. To suggest they all attack together was nothing short of blatant provocation.

"You want us to attack together? Fine. Defeat me first to prove you have the qualifications!"

The Dragon Group man was incensed by Liuhe’s attitude. Liuhe did not seem to take him seriously in the slightest, which was unbearable for a martial artist of his standing. With that, the man flashed forward, leaping high into the air and diving toward Liuhe. His fist, swung with great force, arrived instantly before Liuhe’s face.

Liuhe remained calm, not showing a hint of panic. Watching the fist grow larger in his pupils, a look of disdain curled the corners of his lips.

Seeing that Liuhe made no move to dodge, the man in the air grew fierce. He poured more power into his punch, determined to make this arrogant man pay a painful price for his contempt. The surrounding Dragon Group members erupted in cheers, certain that this overly cocky individual would be crippled by a single blow.

But the scene that followed caused those cheering members to widen their eyes, their excitement instantly curdling into shock.

Just as the man’s fist was about to smash into Liuhe’s face, Liuhe moved. He reached out his right hand with lightning speed, transforming his palm into a claw, and firmly grasped the incoming fist.

The man was stunned. He knew the power contained in his punch better than anyone; it was enough to shatter rock. Yet, this strike had been caught by Liuhe with effortless ease. What shocked him even more was that, no matter how hard he struggled to break free, he was helpless. Liuhe’s grip was like an iron vice, locking his fist in place.

It did not end there. After catching the fist, Liuhe’s body jolted, and a surge of immense power traveled down his arm. With a sudden shove of his claw-like hand, the man was sent flying high into the air, landing heavily amidst the crowd.

From the start of the attack to the man’s defeat, less than a minute had passed. Though not the absolute strongest among the reserves, the man was certainly in the upper echelon. They never imagined he wouldn't even last a minute against Liuhe.

The members of the Dragon Group now looked at Liuhe with fear.

"Sigh, that wasn't challenging at all. Boss, you should let White Tiger play with them instead," Liuhe said with a shake of his head and a wave of his hand, before stepping back behind Xiao Yu.

Liuhe was telling the truth. His strength had stabilized at the God Tier; for a God-Tier expert to fight reserve members was entirely devoid of challenge.

Like Taisui, White Tiger was a battle junkie. Before Xiao Yu could even speak, White Tiger leaped past him to the front, a fierce intent to fight erupting from his body.

"Come on, let me play with you. Don't worry, I might not be as strong as that last guy," White Tiger said with a grin.

The Dragon Group members shivered involuntarily as they felt the fighting spirit radiating from him. Not as strong as the last one? That was a joke.

"What? You called yourselves invincible warriors just moments ago; why do you lack the courage to fight now? Is this how you intend to kill enemies on the battlefield? If you go out there, you’ll be nothing more than a few extra corpses."

At that moment, the voice of Xuan Yuan Huangdao echoed in their ears. Hearing this, the reserve members felt a deep sense of shame.

"Ah! Let's fight him!"

A roar came from the crowd, and a small figure burst through the ranks, charging rapidly at White Tiger.

The youth looked barely an adult. Seeing someone so young charge fearlessly at a man as menacing as White Tiger ignited the fighting spirit of others. Suddenly, over a dozen figures rushed out, swarming toward White Tiger.

"Now this is interesting. Your strength may be lackluster, but this fearless spirit is worth learning from."

White Tiger grinned. Just as they were about to reach him, he slowly lifted his right foot and stamped it onto the ground. A powerful aura rippled outward, making it feel as if the very walls were trembling.

Under the weight of White Tiger’s immense presence, those charging forward were blasted away by a violent gust of air before they could get within a foot of him. They crashed to the ground, wincing in pain.

"Enough, come back."

Seeing the miserable state of the Dragon Group members, Xiao Yu shook his head and called White Tiger back.

"Tell me, old man, there's no need to continue this, is there?" Xiao Yu asked, turning his gaze toward Xuan Yuan Huangdao with a sigh.

Ultimately, Xiao Yu was disappointed. Under his scrutiny, it was clear these members had nothing but raw power. They might put on a show in sparring, but on a real battlefield, as Xuan Yuan Huangdao said, they would only be adding to the pile of corpses.

"Sigh."

Xuan Yuan Huangdao was equally helpless. The quality of the Dragon Group had declined year after year. He often wondered: if foreign powers truly invaded the Yanxia, what use would these people be?

"Do you know who you were fighting just now? They are two of the renowned Twelve Heavenly Descents of Yanxia. I hope you remember the lesson they taught you today. The battlefield is no game; one moment of carelessness and you lose your life. That is all for today. Disperse. Starting tomorrow, your training intensity will double! You will not drop the 'reserve' title until you show me results that satisfy me!"

With that, Xuan Yuan Huangdao waved at Xiao Yu and his group before turning to walk away. Xiao Yu glanced at the motionless Dragon Group members, shook his head with a faint smile, and followed after him, leaving the plaza behind.