Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

Yu Shi’s head snapped up.

In an instant, his vision narrowed to a single point: Chen Cheng’s calm face and the fist that was already right in front of his eyes.

BOOM—!!

Yu Shi’s Heart Spirit was in chaos. One of his arms was crippled, the other injured.

This time, he was utterly unable to defend himself. He could only watch helplessly as the edge of Chen Cheng’s fist smashed squarely into the center of his face.

It was the spot between the bridge of his nose and his brow bone—the most fragile, thinnest, and deadliest part of the face.

Yu Shi’s face caved in abruptly.

The bridge of his nose shattered, his brow bone cracked, and his flesh sank inward, while his eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets.

His head snapped back violently. A sharp CRACK echoed from his neck as his entire upper body was thrown backward with his head.

His feet left the ground, and he flew back more than twenty feet before crashing heavily in front of the members of Yunshan Hall.

A spray of hot blood, mixed with unidentifiable fragments, arced through the air, splattering all over Han Chuo’s face and body.

Han Chuo’s entire face contorted.

Every sinew beneath his skin twitched. His already wrinkled face now looked even more like a crumpled old rag.

Nearby, Han Tianqi glanced at Chen Cheng, then at Yu Shi, who lay crumpled on the ground like a pile of mud, his arms and neck twisted at unnatural angles.

Yu Shi was not dead; Chen Cheng had apparently intended to spare his life.

But this was a life no longer worth living.

Anyone could see that the Dark Force had exploded inside Yu Shi’s skull, leaving his brain completely destroyed.

Even if they used the most expensive, top-tier Healing Medicine to keep him alive and spent three to five years nursing him back to health, he would only be able to eke out a demented existence—a fate worse than death.

Han Tianqi calculated this cost in his mind with perfect clarity, the sound of his molars GRINDING together.

After a brief moment of hesitation, he unequivocally chose to abandon Yu Shi.

In the next instant, both Han Chuo and Han Tianqi locked their gazes on Chen Cheng, their eyes burning with a murderous, ravenous intensity.

Their glares shot across the stage, so palpable it felt as if they wanted to devour Chen Cheng alive, leaving not even his bones behind.

Yet under such immense pressure, Chen Cheng remained as calm as ever. He gave a slight bow with his fist in his palm and tossed a casual remark to the father and son.

”I was fortunate.”

Those three simple words were enough to make Han Chuo’s face flush red, then green, as the veins on his temples throbbed violently.

Han Tianqi’s fists clenched so hard his knuckles CRACKLED like a string of firecrackers being crushed in his hand. The blue veins on the back of his hands looked ready to burst.

If this had been a private duel, the father and son probably would have already rushed forward to tear Chen Cheng limb from limb.

But with Pang Shixun and Wu Shannan presiding over the event, they had no choice.

Even if their hearts were pierced and their lungs exploded with rage, they could only swallow it.

They could only watch as Chen Cheng’s back retreated at an unhurried pace toward Dragon Mountain Hall, and as looks of elation spread across the faces of Ye Yang and the others from Dragon Mountain.

Han Chuo and Han Tianqi couldn’t help but exchange a look.

Within their furiously enraged gazes, a cold, murderous intent flashed in a moment of unspoken understanding.

’This boy must die!’

「Over at Dragon Mountain Hall.」

Cao Zhao was the first to rush over. He grabbed Chen Cheng by the shoulders and looked him up and down, over and over again, in careful detail.

His eyes were filled first with disbelief, then with surprise and excitement.

”Junior Brother, that was incredible! That fight was so damn satisfying! I’m going back right now to tell my old man! There has to be a spot for you in the Dragon Mountain Upper Courtyard!”

As he spoke, the looks of admiration from Qiao Qiao and a distant Lin Fengxiao deepened, yet there was little surprise in their eyes, as if they expected Chen Cheng to be this powerful all along.

Zhu Mingyuan’s right arm was still in a sling, and his forehead was beaded with cold sweat from the pain. But right now, he was grinning like a fool, like a happy child.

It was as if all his frustration, gloom, and anger had been completely vented the moment Chen Cheng uttered ”I was fortunate.” In a word, it was satisfying!

Ye Yang stood frozen for a few breaths before coming over as if waking from a long dream.

The expression on his face was as complex as a jumble of spices—relief, pride, astonishment, and a touch of genuine gratitude.

He walked up to Chen Cheng. Ye Yang slowly reached out and patted him on the shoulder. Neither man spoke; they simply nodded to each other.

As their eyes met, a thousand words were exchanged without a sound.

「Around them.」

The crowd had erupted into an uproar.

”What happened?! Can someone tell me what the hell just happened?! Didn’t the bald guy punch Chen Cheng in the chest?! Chen Cheng is fine, but the bald guy’s arm got crippled? I... I’m not fucking seeing things, am I?!”

”I saw it clearly! It was the Dragon Scale Shirt! The muscles rolling to disperse the force... but the problem is, I’ve never heard of the Dragon Scale Shirt having such a powerful recoil effect!”

”I don’t get it... I really don’t get it...”

”Ah, we’re all laymen. It’s normal not to understand the intricacies of Martial Arts. But you have to admit, that Chen Cheng is ruthless! He didn’t kill him, but he gave his opponent a fate worse than death! Even if he survives, he’ll be an idiot for the rest of his life. There’s no way he could ever get revenge on Chen Cheng!”

”Now that’s a smart man! You either don’t make a move, or when you get the chance, you go for the kill and show no mercy! To put it bluntly, he leaves no loose ends!”

”That may be so... but did you see the look in the eyes of the Han Family father and son? They looked like they wanted to eat him alive. I doubt they’ll let this go so easily!”

”What are you thinking? This is the Inner City! Do you think that father and son can turn the world upside down here?”

”Besides, with Elder Pang and Elder Wu watching, if that father and son dare to retaliate openly, it would be a direct challenge to the authority of the official family and the Commerce Association. The consequences of that should be obvious, right?”

”Exactly! As long as that father and son have half a brain, they won’t dare to move against Chen Cheng. At least, not anytime soon!”