Strongest Soldier King

Being sent flying by a newcomer was something Snow Fox couldn't even bear to think about—facing the ridicule for the rest of their life. Their expression subtly changed as they became serious, their casual gaze sharpening with a flicker of fierceness. They shifted to one side, attempting to dodge the opponent's aggression. With a reaching step, Snow Fox was confident that if Luo Zheng advanced another step forward, they could hook him effectively.

However, Snow Fox realized with a start that they had grasped at nothing, causing them to panic slightly. They drew a circle with their feet, slid sideways in a large step, changing positions to dodge Luo Zheng's attack. Then, spinning their body in momentum, they lashed out with a whipping kick aimed directly at Luo Zheng's waist, confident that if it landed, Luo Zheng would end up bedridden for a week.

Lan Xue and the others watched Snow Fox's earnest move, their faces showing concern. The seemingly simple technique focused on power. Standing firm against it would result in a massive backlash, and more importantly, Snow Fox could spring up to deliver a spinning kick, another deadly move that was hard to dodge—all their hearts were gripped with anxiety.

Luo Zheng too sensed its danger and did not dare to face the leg head-on. However, given the sweeping might of the kick, evasion seemed almost impossible. Unless he retreated, which would only put him at a disadvantage. Driven by desperation, Luo Zheng lowered his stance and tightened his fist, finger protruding, fiercely attacking the approaching leg just below the outer knee joint near the Zu San Li Acupoint—a spot three inches below and a finger's width beside the tibia. Luo Zheng had learned acupoint striking from Elder Liu, and with no option to dodge, he braced for impact.

The speed of Snow Fox's attack was matched by the quickness of Luo Zheng's counter. When reached a certain velocity, the destructive force was terrifying—a high-speed airplane colliding with a bird could shatter sturdy aircraft windows, let alone the fragile human acupoints.

"Puff!" A dull sound emitted from their clashing bodies. Luo Zheng felt like he had been hit by a speeding car, thrown to the side, while Snow Fox wasn't faring any better. The forceful strike to the Zu San Li Acupoint threw off the energy channels in his arm, numbing it entirely, which caused Snow Fox to be alarmed and to look at Luo Zheng with a heavy, penetrating gaze.

Everyone watched the scene in astonishment, confused as to why Snow Fox had passed up such a great opportunity to pursue their advantage. Only Lan Xue, with her keen observation, noticed Snow Fox's toes twirling on the ground attempting to mitigate the attack's impact. Meanwhile, Luo Zheng, though hit, managed to bear the brunt on his arm, suffering intense pain and swelling, but no other harm. He rolled over and coldly walked towards Snow Fox.

"Good." To withstand Snow Fox's full-powered strike, Ghost Hand and others couldn't help but cheer for Luo Zheng, pleased that the past two months of resilience training weren't in vain. If they knew how numb Snow Fox's entire leg was, they'd be overjoyed. Lan Xue also revealed a relieved smile.

"That's all? Come again," Luo Zheng said coldly, not opting for an aggressive attack but signaling for Snow Fox to make the first move.

"Ah!" Angered and now taking Luo Zheng seriously, Snow Fox prepared an imposing stance, all while exuding a soaring sharpness like a sheathed sword, radiant and full of combat spirit. Still, they didn't launch an attack, indicating to Luo Zheng to proceed first, not willing to risk losing face.

"Alright, here it comes." Luo Zheng, unreserved, used the same technique as before: a stepping forward punch. This move had two key points: seizing the position with a step—if one could capture the open guard of the opponent or trip them at their center of gravity, all the better. The second was the charging punch. Its speed and power were secondary; the critical part was the attack's timing, catching the adversary off-guard, which made it difficult to predict, a principle well-expressed in martial arts.

These principles were trivial for Snow Fox, deeply ingrained in their knowledge. But soon, they sensed something was off. The step should be aggressive, fierce, and precise, but Luo Zheng's steps seemed too light, soft, and erratic. Moreover, the charging punch that should follow the step was executed even before his foot moved, appearing floaty and weak. Snow Fox instantly judged that this was a feint and decided to respond in kind. Unable to move their numb leg, they simply stood still and launched a punch, opting for a direct confrontation.

Luo Zheng's expression remained unchanged as his charging punch suddenly turned into a claw, targeting Snow Fox's incoming fist—the same technique Snow Fox had used moments before. Snow Fox, infuriated, surged power through their fist, which swooped towards Luo Zheng like a cannonball, a direct and forceful style of combat.

"Not good," Luo Zheng realized he couldn't divert the incoming force, as a surge overwhelmed him. His arm shook, his stance wavered, and it took exploding backward three steps to stabilize. In the face of overwhelming force, all techniques seemed futile. Luo Zheng looked at Snow Fox, his expression solemn, his eyes barely open, flickering with intense battle spirit.

"Come again." After testing Luo Zheng's strength with one move, Snow Fox called out arrogantly.

"I'm not your match. I'll come to you tomorrow, and we'll fight again then." Luo Zheng casually glanced at Snow Fox's numb leg as he spoke, without pointing it out explicitly. Instead, he withdrew his attacking stance and slowly backed away.

"Alright, tomorrow, I'll wait for you." Snow Fox felt that the numbness in his leg wouldn't recover anytime soon. Continuing to fight wouldn't result in a loss, but losing even a single move would be too embarrassing. Deciding to quit while ahead, his fondness for Luo Zheng grew, and he gave Lan Xue a glance before gritting his teeth and dragging his numb leg away.

"Are you okay?" Lan Xue asked in surprise as she approached.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Luo Zheng felt a warmth in his heart as he responded.

"My god, you actually forced Snow Fox to go all out. Impressive," Ghost Hand rushed up, his face full of excitement.

"Are you going tomorrow?" Lan Xue asked with concern.

"Going, why not?" Luo Zheng smiled, watching Snow Fox's retreating figure and fell into deep thought.

"You're a masochist," Snow Leopard said with a bitter smile.

"You're wrong; where else can you find such a good opponent? Real combat is the way to improve oneself. By the way," Luo Zheng turned to Lan Xue and asked with a smile, "You're so beautiful, there must be many suitors at the base, right?"

"Uh?" Lan Xue awkwardly didn't know what to say.

Luo Zheng chuckled and said, "Don't misunderstand, I'll have the guys spread the word that the team leader is my woman, encouraging those suitors to teach me a lesson. I believe they'd be more than happy to do it, and sparring with masters is the best way to improve."

"You really are a freak," Lan Xue scolded, but her heart was secretly sweet. What else could she say when her lover, for the sake of becoming stronger and their future together, was willing to risk even his life?

"This training method is good; it's tough, it's manly," Mountain Eagle gave a thumbs up.

"We'll add this to this afternoon's training, just be careful," Lan Xue certainly understood the advantages of sparring with masters. No one would die; it was just a bit of suffering, after all. To rise above others, how could one not endure hardships? She agreed and advised, keeping her worries hidden deep inside.

"Don't worry, I know," Luo Zheng promised affectionately, his gaze firm and sharp.