In the front courtyard of the Martial Arts Hall.

Yang Jing and Xu Hong had already exchanged dozens of blows.

Yang Jing didn’t use his Raging Wave Kicks, sticking solely to the Mountain-Shattering Fist for a direct confrontation. The sound of fist meeting flesh echoed with solid THUDS.

In truth, with his current level of skill, he could have defeated Xu Hong in under ten moves if he’d combined the Mountain-Shattering Fist with his Raging Wave Kicks.

But he didn’t.

For one, this sparring match was meant to test his own progress. Clashing head-on allowed him to clearly perceive every detail of the Mountain-Shattering Fist and refine its intent.

For another, he used to rely on his Body Technique to supplement his fists in hit-and-run attacks because his opponents were too strong, forcing him to use skill to close the gap in power.

Now that his strength was enough to defeat, or even crush, those at the same level, facing a slightly weaker opponent like Xu Hong was the perfect opportunity to temper his head-on fighting ability and solidify his foundation.

The longer Xu Hong fought, the more shocked and impressed he became.

He could clearly feel that the Inner Strength contained within Yang Jing’s punches was not only profound but also possessed a resilience that made it seem endless.

He was already starting to struggle, yet his opponent’s breathing remained steady, the power of his fists undiminished.

’This kid is something else...’

Xu Hong sighed to himself, but the force behind his blows didn’t slacken in the slightest.

Yang Jing remained focused on the fight, his expression placid.

Following that, the two clashed for dozens more moves. The wind from their punches howled, shaking the leaves from the old locust tree in the courtyard, causing them to rustle down.

The surrounding disciples were already dumbstruck. Many of the ordinary disciples who had yet to cultivate Inner Strength stared with their mouths agape, their faces filled with shock.

Many of them hadn’t attended the trial at the training grounds and had never witnessed such an intense duel between experts.

To them, a single punch with that kind of power could kill a grown man as easily as swatting a fly. Saying one of these fighters could take on a hundred men felt like an understatement.

This was especially true for Yang Jing. Not only were his punches ferocious, but he was also a master of that ghost-like Body Technique, his speed so fast it was dizzying.

One disciple couldn’t help but think, ’If someone like that were on a battlefield, wouldn’t he be a living, breathing killing machine? He could probably carve a path through a massive army and escape as he pleases, right?’

In the center of the yard, Xu Hong was gradually beginning to feel exhausted.

His Inner Strength was severely depleted. What shocked him even more was that Yang Jing’s Inner Strength seemed boundless, far more profound than his own.

What he didn’t know was that Yang Jing, not wanting to delay his training, had just taken a Qi Storage Pill a short while ago to replenish his qi and blood.

While Yang Jing’s Inner Strength was indeed more profound than his, the gap between them wasn’t actually that wide.

As the fight wore on, Xu Hong’s arms grew numb and began to tremble. Every collision sent a dull, aching pain through the web of his thumbs.

He knew that if he kept going, he really wouldn’t be able to hold out. If he ended up injuring his muscles and bones, it would defeat the purpose of a friendly spar.

After one more exchange of fists, Xu Hong used the rebound force to retreat abruptly, creating a distance of about ten feet. He took a deep breath, cupped his fist toward Yang Jing, and said, "Junior Brother Yang, I lose."

Yang Jing lowered his fists as well. Though his breathing was slightly hurried, it was nowhere near as ragged as Xu Hong’s.

He returned the salute and replied with a calm smile, "First Brother, you let me win."

Xu Hong waved his hand, his expression a mixture of wistfulness and frank acceptance. "What do you mean, I let you win? I was never your match to begin with. If anyone was holding back, it was you. If you had used that Body Technique of yours and gone all out, I doubt I would have lasted ten moves."

He was speaking the truth. Yang Jing had clearly been holding back, only using the Mountain-Shattering Fist to fight head-on. If he had added his elusive Body Technique into the mix, Xu Hong would have had trouble even getting near him.

"Excellent!"

A deep, powerful voice suddenly rang out from the east side of the courtyard, interrupting their conversation.

The disciples all turned toward the voice and saw Sun Yong standing behind Sun Ningxiang and Qi Yun, his intense gaze fixed on the center of the yard. He had appeared at some point without anyone noticing.

Sun Ningxiang and Qi Yun had been so engrossed in the match that, combined with Sun Yong’s feather-light steps, they hadn’t noticed their master (and in Ningxiang’s case, father) was right behind them.

That single, sudden word made both of them jump.

Qi Yun flinched, then quickly realized who it was and bowed hastily, her face still a little pale. "Master."

Sun Ningxiang, on the other hand, just wrinkled her nose, letting out a huff of annoyance at being startled. "Dad."

Sun Yong ignored his daughter’s complaint. His eyes on Yang Jing and Xu Hong, he walked slowly toward them, his expression one of clear approval.

Sun Yong stopped in front of the two and said with a hearty laugh, "Not bad. Very good, both of you. Xu Hong, your Mountain-Shattering Fist has become more focused, and your foundation is solid. Yang Jing, your Inner Strength is profound, and your punches blend hardness with softness. Excellent work from you both."

After praising them both, his tone shifted as he began to critique their exchange. "I watched the last several dozen of your head-on clashes from the back. Let’s talk about them. Yang Jing, although your Inner Strength is a cut above Xu Hong’s, the transitions between your Punching Techniques are still a bit sluggish. Specifically, when you shift from the ’River-Flipping’ to the ’Stone-Splitting’ form, there’s a momentary interruption in your Inner Strength. Against a true master who has achieved strength transformation, that would be a fatal opening."

He then turned to Xu Hong. "As for you, your form is steady enough, but it lacks a certain aggressive edge. There were times you could have used the momentum to change your attack and press the advantage, but you’re always focused on playing it safe. That approach is fine against opponents of the same level, but against someone like Yang Jing whose Inner Strength surpasses your own, you’ll just be slowly worn down to defeat."

Both Yang Jing and Xu Hong held their breath, listening with intense concentration.

Their master’s critique was incisive, every word hitting a critical point. It was more useful than several days of practicing blindly on their own.

Finally, Sun Yong’s gaze fell on Xu Hong, his tone tinged with emotion. "You’ve been with me the longest. You’re the First Brother of this Martial Arts Hall. For the next year, put in one last major effort. Make one final attempt to break through and see if you can open the gate to the next realm of strength."

Hearing this, Xu Hong’s entire body trembled.