Chapter 120: A Madman

No one could have imagined that this boy, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, would possess such incredible speed. Ito-kun, who had easily defeated Lin Yun, had yet to land a single hit on Jiang Xiaotian, while his own cheeks were already swollen like a pig's head.

Chu Ran, who had been cheering from the sidelines, was so stunned she couldn't even speak. When did Jiang Xiaotian become such a formidable fighter? This level of skill was certainly not that of an average person; he had to be a master who had practiced martial arts since childhood.

After a brief silence, the crowd erupted into thunderous cheers. Many who had intended to leave circled back, desperate to see what was going on. Before long, the area was packed again, everyone gazing at Jiang Xiaotian with immense surprise.

Ito-kun’s face was ghastly, looking as if he had swallowed something foul. He spat out a few curses in his native tongue and launched a flurry of wild punches and kicks at Jiang Xiaotian. He was powerful and fast, and being a martial artist, he could usually overwhelm ordinary people with such erratic attacks. But in Jiang Xiaotian's eyes, this was no different from a child playing house. He dodged every strike with a simple sidestep, without even breaking a sweat.

After this exchange, Ito-kun was drenched in sweat, gasping for breath, and physically exhausted. Jiang Xiaotian, on the other hand, remained calm and composed; he hadn't really moved much, save for delivering those two slaps. The gap in strength was glaring. Clearly unable to swallow his pride, Ito-kun stood there, teeth clenched and eyes blazing with a murderous rage.

The woman also realized Jiang Xiaotian’s prowess and gave him a more cautious look before intervening in the fight. "Ito-kun, concede. You are no match for him."

Though furious, Ito did not dare to defy his superior. Besides, having regained his composure, he realized he truly could not defeat Jiang Xiaotian. He withdrew, his expression still dripping with disdain. "So this is Tai Chi? Too cowardly to even launch an offensive. Boring!"

His comment instantly infuriated everyone present, but because he was so formidable, no one dared to retort—except for Jiang Xiaotian.

Jiang Xiaotian chuckled. "People in China value courtesy, and Tai Chi is all about reciprocity. You broke one of my classmate's arms, so I will break one of yours. We shall be even."

As he finished speaking, Jiang Xiaotian walked straight toward him. Before Ito-kun could retreat, he was seized by the left arm.

"How dare you!" The Eastern woman, seeing Jiang Xiaotian’s arrogance, grew angry. She raised a hand, seemingly unleashing something.

Jiang Xiaotian paused, sensing a force similar to the energy Chen Yu had used before reaching the level of Internal Energy—this was likely a sign of approaching that stage. However, this meager power was like an ant meeting an elephant; it was utterly meaningless to him. Ignoring it entirely, he glanced at the woman with a smile and gave his hand a twist. A sharp *crack* echoed through the air. Ito immediately broke into a cold sweat, screaming and cursing incessantly.

His arm was twisted at a gruesome angle—it was undoubtedly fractured—yet Jiang Xiaotian’s technique was so precise that there wasn't even a bruise on the skin.

Seeing that her interference was futile, the Eastern woman’s expression turned icy. Biting her lip, she took a deep breath and said, "Ito-kun is not as skilled as his opponent. Take him to the hospital. We have lost this time."

She then glared at Jiang Xiaotian. "My name is Haneda Sakura. May I ask your name?"

Her tone was ferocious, yet the politeness of her inquiry seemed hilariously out of place. Had he not feared she might lash out on the spot, Jiang Xiaotian would have laughed out loud.

"I am Jiang Xiaotian of Tai Chi, specializing in dealing with those who take advantage of others." He mocked her once more. The Easterners were all seething with rage but dared not speak. Finally, Haneda Sakura spoke up: "Fine, I will remember you. I will certainly seek to challenge you personally when the time comes!"

With that, she led Ito and the others away toward the hospital. Chu Ran followed, shouting insults at Jiang Xiaotian, calling him shameless and despicable. Of course, Jiang Xiaotian now considered her nothing more than a noisy pest and paid her no mind.

As the Easterners retreated, the gymnasium erupted into cheers. Many people rushed onto the stage to praise Jiang Xiaotian, and the young women looked at him with stars in their eyes. Who wouldn't love such a handsome guy? If only his face were a bit more refined, he would be perfect.

Enjoying the adoration, Jiang Xiaotian felt a sense of satisfaction he had never known before. Zhang Wei pushed through the crowd, joining in the commotion, pleading, "Jiang Xiaotian, teach me kung fu!"

Before long, the news spread throughout the school. Even those who hadn't known about the incident heard that a freshman had driven away the Eastern karate practitioners and saved the reputation of national martial arts. Even on his way home, people were constantly stealing glances at him; he was truly famous now.

Back home, as soon as Jiang Xiaotian took off his shoes, Ling'er, who had been lounging on the sofa, darted over. She furrowed her brows and twitched her nose. "You brat, you’re covered in the scent of women. What have you been up to?"

"I was fighting with a woman while we were both naked... Ow! That burns! That burns! I was wrong! Sister Ling'er!"

Jiang Xiaotian had just tried to be cheeky, but after getting his rear scorched, he quickly begged for mercy and recounted the whole ordeal. Ling'er, however, didn't seem to care about the Easterners; to her, all humans were the same, regardless of their origin.

"Eastern swordsmanship is decent; I’ve heard my brother mention it. By the way, didn't you just acquire a sword? Practice well; it will be of great help to you in the future." Ling'er reached out, and the sword flew directly into her hand. Her control over spiritual energy was absolutely masterful.

"But I don't know any sword techniques. Besides, didn't you say the most powerful thing about this sword is that it can unleash a strike that transcends one's own strength?" Jiang Xiaotian scratched his head. Plus, the sword would eventually have to be returned to its rightful owner.

Ling'er rolled her eyes. "I call you stupid, and you prove it. You don't know, so I’ll teach you! Learning it will benefit me, too. Don't think you're so great just because you're strong now. You swore to protect me, but if you can't even beat me, what are you going to protect?"

Jiang Xiaotian tutted. This woman had lived in the mortal world for too long; even her speech was starting to sound modern.

"Actually, very few of the Dragon Clan use swords. This New Year, I’ll go back and ask who the owner of this sword is. Xiaotian, practice hard. Haven't you noticed the dangers you face are growing?" The worry in Ling'er's eyes as she said this was genuine. In truth, she deeply regretted passing the Dragon Breath Art to Jiang Xiaotian, as it had irrevocably changed the boy's life, ensuring that danger would accompany him from then on.

But Jiang Xiaotian was always grateful for it, so he nodded heavily. "Don't worry! Even though the dangers are increasing, I am growing stronger, too. Protecting you? No problem!"

He flexed his arm muscles as he said this. Ling'er let out a giggle. She had indescribable feelings for this guy, but she was undeniably happy.

"Alright, enough with the nonsense. Come outside; I’ll teach you. Don't use the sword yet—just use your fingers."

The two of them went to the windowsill. Ling'er plucked a leaf, tossed it into the air, and it was sliced clean in two!

"What's so hard about that?" Jiang Xiaotian mimicked her. He activated his senses and channeled his spiritual energy. Instead of two halves, he blasted the leaf into dust. He clapped his hands triumphantly. "That’s called talent! You can't learn that!"

Ling'er looked at him as if he were an idiot. "Who told you to use spiritual energy? You’re supposed to do it with just your fingers!"

"Tch!" Jiang Xiaotian, having tasted success, didn't believe he couldn't do it, so he tried again. However, he soon realized that without spiritual energy, he couldn't use his heightened senses. The first leaf fell to the ground before he even touched it.

The two made eye contact, and a mocking smile curled on Ling'er's lips. "Heh..."

Jiang Xiaotian’s face turned bright red. He quickly tossed another leaf, but although he managed to touch it, he couldn't slice it in two. Trying again, he realized this was simply impossible! His fingers were too thick; without spiritual energy to supplement his strength and speed, he couldn't possibly cut a leaf in half.

Seeing him struggle, Ling'er nodded with satisfaction. "What’s the rush? This is just the beginning. Once you can cut a leaf, you’ll have to move on to cutting strands of hair, waterfalls, and so on."

Jiang Xiaotian was dumbfounded. He walked back to his room, grabbed a drink, sat on the sofa, and turned on the TV. He looked at Ling'er, who was still standing by the window. "What are you staring at? I'm not practicing anymore. What kind of moronic swordsmanship is this? Cutting hair? Why don't you ask me to split an atom while you're at it?"

She was insane! Cutting a waterfall? Was she playing games with him?

Ling'er didn't get angry. She simply drew the sword and aimed it at Jiang Xiaotian. "Do you want me to give you a demonstration?"