Chapter 158: Duel (Part 2)

Everyone was filled with intense anger. Although Lu Hai was Lu Tianbei's adopted son, everyone regarded him as a true member of the Lu family. Furthermore, Lu Hai had always been well-liked and got along wonderfully with everyone.

Stepping forward, the crowd helped Lu Hai up and glared fiercely at Lu Hui.

A faint smile appeared on Lu Hui's face. This was precisely the effect he wanted; otherwise, how could he achieve his purpose?

In the Firmament Continent, a duel was a sacred matter. Once an opponent accepted, they could not go back on their word. During a duel, unless one conceded defeat, no one else was permitted to interfere!

Therefore, Lu Hui was completely at ease and had no worries that Lu Ting would renege.

Tian Heng stroked his beard. He had known all along that Lu Hui would resort to any means necessary to trick someone into accepting a duel with him, as this was the common practice among most disciples within the Golden Sun Sect.

At this point, even if the aged family head and Lu Tianhong stepped forward, it would be of no use. The Lu family disciples gently escorted Lu Hai aside, leaving a large open space in the middle. Only Lu Hui and Lu Ting remained within the clearing, staring intently at each other.

Lu Ting did not dare to be careless. Although he was a few years older, Lu Hui's innate talent back then had been witnessed by everyone in Maple Leaf City, and over the years, he had been cultivating bitterly in the Golden Sun Sect.

A faint golden luster emerged around Lu Ting's body; that was the Qi of the Innate Realm.

"The second tier of the Innate Realm!"

Seeing the faint golden innate Qi surrounding Lu Ting, someone cried out in astonishment.

"Big Brother Lu Ting has been stuck at the first tier of the Innate Realm for quite some time, so breaking through to the second tier is not entirely unexpected."

"Hmph, no matter how strong Lu Hui's talent is, there is no way he could have reached the second tier of the Innate Realm. Big Brother Lu Ting, teach him a lesson!"

Someone shouted encouragingly toward Lu Ting.

The aged family head and Lu Tianhong shook their heads. Earlier in the main hall, Lu Hui had already displayed his strength, proving he was already at the second tier of the Innate Realm, and far stronger than ordinary martial artists of the same level. In their view, Lu Ting had already lost. Fortunately, it was just a duel, and they could simply concede defeat when the time came. If it were a fight to the death, Lu Tianhong would have risked his life to stop this confrontation.

"Hmph, frogs at the bottom of a well," Lu Hui said with utter disdain.

Lu Hui circulated the Golden Sun Technique to its absolute limit. The golden innate Qi on the surface of his body was much more lustrous than Lu Ting's, and coupled with the unique traits of the Golden Sun Technique, it appeared almost dazzling.

"Lu Hui is actually at the second tier of the Innate Realm as well!"

"Judging by his aura, it seems even stronger than Big Brother Lu Ting's. How is this possible?"

The Lu family disciples gasped in astonishment once more. Although they had harbored suspicions before, they never imagined that Lu Hui had actually reached the second tier of the Innate Realm.

One had to know that throughout the entire history of Maple Leaf City, those who reached the second tier of the Innate Realm in their early twenties could be counted on one hand.

"As expected of someone cultivated by the Golden Sun Sect, combined with Lu Hui's own innate talent, reaching the second tier of the Innate Realm is by no means an impossibility," Lu Ting thought to himself, feeling a sense of pressure from Lu Hui's aura.

Lu Hui knew that under the current circumstances, he and his master Tian Heng had lost the initiative, but Lu Hui was unwilling to accept this. Therefore, before leaving, he wanted to teach the Lu family an unforgettable lesson.

"Hmph, since I cannot kill you, I will cripple you instead!"

Lu Hui's gaze turned sharp. With a flash of light across his body, he shot forward like a cannonball, heading straight for Lu Ting. Golden radiance overflowed from his palms, and the violent wind whipped up dust and debris from the ground as he viciously slammed a palm toward Lu Ting.

From the very beginning, Lu Hui had no intention of holding back!

Faced with Lu Hui's ferocious palm strike, Lu Ting's expression turned solemn. He took a swift step back, abruptly raised his right hand, and met Lu Hui's strike head-on.

"Bang!"

The moment their palms collided, they instantly separated. Lu Hui tapped his toes lightly against the ground and charged forward once more.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

The two exchanged dozens of blows.

Suddenly, Lu Hui's aura shifted dramatically. A flash of golden light erupted, making Lu Ting feel as though he was no longer facing a mere human, but a scorching sun!

Lu Hui's palm wind suddenly turned ferocious, continuously driving attacks toward Lu Ting. Using every ounce of his skill, Lu Ting barely managed to block the onslaught.

Lu Ting's face turned somewhat pale; Lu Hui's fierce attacks were beginning to make him feel overwhelmed.

At that moment, Lu Ting extended his hand, merging his index and middle fingers into a sword-finger stance, and thrust forward three times in a flash. The moves were exceptionally sharp, nearly catching Lu Hui off guard.

The martial training ground was surrounded by a circle of Lu family disciples. Watching the figures of Lu Hui and Lu Ting interweaving in the center, trading blows back and forth, the crowd stared with rapt attention.

"That's the Piercing Stone Finger Technique! It is said to have been accidentally acquired by the First Elder when he was traveling in his youth. It reaches the peak of the Yellow Grade, only half a step away from a Profound Grade low-tier martial skill. I didn't expect Big Brother Lu Ting to have mastered it. It looks like Big Brother Lu Ting is going to win this!"

A Lu family disciple seemed to recognize the finger technique Lu Ting was using and spoke with great confidence.

"I know about that too. It's said that back in the day, the First Elder earned the moniker 'Three Piercing Stone Fingers.' At that time, apart from the direct bloodline of the family, no one in our Lu family could withstand the First Elder's three finger strikes. That famous title was earned right then and there," another person chimed in.

Seeing Lu Ting execute the Piercing Stone Finger Technique, the Lu family disciples were greatly invigorated. Although almost all of them were still in the Post-Innate Realm, they could clearly see that Lu Hui had seemingly been suppressing Lu Ting the entire time. Now, seeing Lu Ting launch a counterattack, how could they not rejoice?

Tian Heng happened to be standing in a position that blocked Qian Santong, preventing him from interfering, while the aged family head and Lu Tianhong were already injured.

Upon seeing Lu Ting's counterattack, the aged family head and Lu Tianhong did not show a trace of joy. The strength Lu Hui had displayed in the city lord's hall was something only an extraordinary third-tier Innate martial artist could rival. Lu Ting had already been forced to use his trump-card martial skill, yet Lu Hui was still fighting him simply using the innate Qi of the Golden Sun Technique. The disparity in their skill levels was crystal clear!

Qian Santong could not help but cast another glance at Lu Hui. Lu Hui's talent was indeed formidable; even Qian Santong in his youth had barely been comparable.

However, Qian Santong was different. The Qian family could be said to be the wealthiest family in the entire Great Xia Empire. Since childhood, his body had been cleansed through medicinal baths, and he had been fed the finest elixirs, resulting in rapid advancement. Qian Santong refused to believe that the medicinal baths and elixirs used by the Golden Sun Sect were superior to his own.

"If this Lu Hui is given a few more fortuitous encounters, reaching the Earth King Realm is not an impossibility!" Qian Santong sighed in admiration.

"And that Lu Han as well—I couldn't see through him at all back then. The Lu family has produced two extraordinary geniuses in this generation. What a pity!"

Lu Ting's Piercing Stone Finger Technique had reached the realm of minor accomplishment. Every single finger strike was devilishly tricky, and even Lu Hui, hailing from the Golden Sun Sect, narrowly avoided being hit on several occasions.

At that moment, the battle between the two had reached a fever pitch. Where their fists and fingers intersected, turbulent Qi rippled outward, forcing the surrounding onlookers to take several steps back.

This fierce exchange lasted for a few minutes. The innate Qi swirling around the two grew increasingly dense, and the Qi within their bodies was operating at its absolute maximum.

Suddenly, Lu Ting retreated several steps, his face turning somewhat pale. His eyes narrowed as he realized that if he wanted to win, he only had one chance left for a final strike. He had only cultivated a Yellow Grade high-tier cultivation method, and the innate Qi remaining in his body was running dangerously low.

"Block this finger strike, and I will concede defeat!" Lu Ting declared.

"Hmph, I was merely toying with you, and you actually took it seriously?" Lu Hui mocked derisively.