Chapter Fifteen: Reversal

“Did that guy hit his head and mess up his brain earlier or something?” Many people were baffled by Liu Kuang’s actions. Everything had been going normally, so why had he suddenly rushed over to smash the arena?

As for Jackal, when he saw Liu Kuang abruptly dart toward the arena to attack, he couldn’t help but be visibly stunned. He no longer held out the slightest hope for Liu Kuang and just wanted to end this fight as soon as possible.

However, after Liu Kuang advanced to the ninth rank of Warrior, his resilience had more than doubled compared to the eighth rank—defeating him quickly was proving to be no easy task.

He was on the verge of finishing Liu Kuang off, and yet Liu Kuang suddenly rushed off to smash the arena instead—how could that not make him feel utterly perplexed?

Frowning slightly, Jackal sprang forward toward Liu Kuang. Regardless of whether Liu Kuang had gone mad or lost his wits, all Jackal wanted right now was to put an end to him. He simply couldn’t stand this fight any longer.

“Whoosh!”

Just as Jackal was within three meters of Liu Kuang, a sudden sharp sound sliced through the air. Jackal’s whole body tensed; in an instant, he stomped hard on the ground and darted three feet to the right.

Even though his reaction was already lightning-quick, he still hadn’t completely dodged in time; instantly, a line of blood appeared on his left cheek.

The stinging pain made Jackal’s face darken. He never imagined that an opponent who’d been completely at his mercy could actually manage to injure him. It was simply—

Turning his head, Jackal’s expression grew even more grim, for he saw that the thing which had cut his cheek was a small piece of green stone—thrown by Liu Kuang.

Seeing that Jackal had dodged the green stone he’d thrown, Liu Kuang’s heart skipped wildly. He never expected Jackal’s reflexes to be so monstrous at such close range—and that was when Jackal hadn’t even been prepared. If he’d been on guard, then...

Before Liu Kuang could think further, Jackal had already launched another attack.

In an instant, Liu Kuang felt a brutal force slam into his waist and abdomen. The next moment, his whole body was sent flying, crashing heavily onto the ground seven or eight meters away, and he skidded another three meters before coming to a stop.

Clearly, Jackal had gone from anger to outright berserk rage, and his every strike now carried the intent to kill.

Jackal had never expected Liu Kuang could wound him with a mere pebble. Suddenly, it struck him: Liu Kuang hadn’t gone mad smashing the arena—he was gathering those green stones.

But in Jackal’s eyes, Liu Kuang’s little tricks with the stones were nothing but a joke!

Wiping the blood from his cheek, Jackal charged at Liu Kuang again. Green light flashed at his feet and his figure blurred; his speed had reached its limit.

“Whoosh!”

This time, the whistle of wind only sounded when Jackal was within two meters. But this time, Jackal was ready—in an instant, he darted three feet to the right, easily dodging the stone Liu Kuang flung.

Then, with a sudden burst of speed, Jackal closed the two-meter gap in a blink, his knee slamming into Liu Kuang’s waist and abdomen.

“Bang!”

A muffled thud rang out. As expected, Liu Kuang was sent flying once more—this time, his body skidded right to the edge of the arena. One more blow, and he’d be knocked off for certain.

“Just as I thought!”

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Liu Kuang struggled to his feet. He’d endured so many attacks that his steps now faltered.

After Jackal dodged the first pebble, Liu Kuang had begun to suspect—and now it was confirmed: once Jackal was prepared, no matter how fast Liu Kuang threw the stones, they’d never touch him.

What now? Liu Kuang had hoped to use the stones’ speed to counter Jackal, but it was useless.

Watching Jackal charge at him again, Liu Kuang tightened his grip on the pebbles, a bitter unwillingness burning inside. From the very start, he’d never intended to give up—not because of what Liu Pan had said, but because his martial heart would not permit surrender. He would fight to the end!

But Liu Kuang hadn’t expected Jackal’s speed to be so terrifying—he couldn’t even trade wound for wound. In the end, it seemed he would be utterly defeated.

At the edge of the arena, Liu Pan frowned. When Liu Kuang smashed the arena for those stones, Liu Pan understood that Liu Kuang had a plan. But he hadn’t realized Liu Kuang’s body wouldn’t hold up after so many blows.

Liu Pan believed that if Liu Kuang could withstand one more attack, he might discern Jackal’s weakness. But now, Liu Kuang was at the arena’s edge—one more hit, and he’d fall for sure.

“It seems the time spent training the Dragonfire Tyrant Body Art was too short,” Liu Pan muttered inwardly.

The thought of Liu Kuang’s impending defeat left Liu Pan deeply unsettled. After all, this was the protagonist he’d written—the future peerless Mad God. How could he, how could he possibly lose here?

Torment the hero—the harsher the early suffering, the greater the ultimate glory. It was a principle Liu Pan had always believed in when writing his novels.

Yet now, Liu Kuang was being crushed by Jackal, and seemed to have gained nothing from it.

Liu Pan also knew that if Liu Kuang lost here, it would leave an indelible scar on his martial heart, affecting his future path.

Could it be that his protagonist would truly fall at this place? After a moment’s silence, an unfathomable glint flickered in Liu Pan’s eyes.

Until the dust settled, he would never believe Liu Kuang would lose!

Rather than believing in Liu Kuang, it was more accurate to say Liu Pan believed in himself. He was certain the path he’d chosen was the right one!

“Whoosh!”

A small green stone shot from Liu Kuang’s hand, arcing toward Jackal’s face.

Liu Kuang, of course, would never give up so easily. What is martial arts? It is to press ever forward! As long as he hadn’t lost, he would persevere to the end!

The stone left his hand—at that instant, Liu Kuang’s brow twitched, a strange light flickering in his eyes. Without hesitation, he lunged two steps to the left and lashed out with a kick.

“Bang!”

A muffled crash resounded—a figure was sent flying, crashing hard to the ground.

Silence. The whole square fell still in that moment. Because the one sent flying was not Liu Kuang—but Jackal!

The first to recover—if he’d ever lost focus at all—was Liu Pan. A faint smile curled his lips; this outcome was proof that his chosen path was correct.

Liu Kuang himself was dazed for quite a while, unable to fully grasp what had happened. After all, that lateral leap and kick had been a gamble.

The instant the stone left his hand, he had noticed Jackal’s body pause ever so slightly. At that moment, Liu Kuang recalled how Jackal had dodged the previous two stones.

Both times, Jackal had dodged three feet to the right. That was why Liu Kuang decided to bet it all—his last desperate move.

He gambled that Jackal would dodge three feet to the right again. So, Liu Kuang leapt two steps left and kicked out.

And it paid off.

But Jackal, in his daze, fared no better. He stared blankly at Liu Kuang, then at the footprint on his chest, then at a spot by the arena’s edge. For quite a while, Jackal didn’t get up.

What was with that kick? That was the biggest puzzle in Jackal’s mind.

It felt all too familiar—exactly like the two kicks Liu Pan had given him before.

Why?

After a moment of stunned silence, the square erupted in uproar. Why? That wasn’t just Jackal’s question—it was everyone’s.

Mere seconds before, Liu Kuang had been utterly overpowered—then, as if on a whim, the whole situation reversed?

What on earth had just happened?

In the stands, the Sunlight Sect’s Sect Leader, Yang Jiangshui, frowned, a glimmer of insight in his eyes. The other elders all wore looks of confusion, and even Elder Li Liao on the arena platform was bewildered.

Liu Kuang’s brow twitched imperceptibly as he watched Jackal—he’d seen Jackal glance at him, then at the footprint left by his kick, and then at another spot.

Could it be...

When Jackal had turned, his eyes were full of confusion and his gaze hadn’t lingered on anyone, so most people assumed he was just dazed after the kick and looked around in a fog.

But Liu Kuang understood—Jackal’s glance wasn’t mere dazed confusion. Though his eyes didn’t focus on any one person, in truth, Jackal had looked at just one person.

That person was Liu Pan.

Why? Why had he looked at Liu Pan—especially after being kicked?

Could this be the answer Jackal had been seeking all along?

No—Liu Kuang immediately dismissed the thought. Jackal was still clearly confused—not the look of someone who had found the answer. So the kick wasn’t the answer.

If not the answer, then a clue?

At last, Jackal stood again, a strange light flickering in his eyes. Without a word, he charged at Liu Kuang once more.

Liu Kuang’s brow furrowed slightly. If this was a clue to the answer, and Jackal wanted it so badly, then the direction of Jackal’s next dodge was almost certain—

“Whoosh!”

A green stone whistled toward Jackal’s face. Liu Kuang moved without hesitation, leaping two steps to the left, and lashed out with another kick.