Proving God begins with the principle that no effort is wasted.

Chapter 36 Sharp Change

The gamblers below the stage, their eyes red, pounded on the railing and shouted wildly, half yelling "Tear down the tower!" and the other half shouting "Kill this brat!"

There's no such thing as stopping short of a fight here; it's all about life and death. You either stand and take the money, or you lie down and get carried out.

Iron Tower's fist, as big as a clay pot, carrying the killing move that had killed three boxers, was already blasting towards Jiang Lan's heart.

He thought this punch would pierce the boy's chest, but the moment Jiang Lan turned to the side, his pupils suddenly shrank to pinpoints, and for the first time, he showed a look of shock as if he had seen a ghost!

It was too late to retract the fist.

He clenched his teeth so hard they were practically grinding, and the veins on his arms bulged like snakes. Instead of stopping, he poured all his inner strength into the wound like a madman—even if it only grazed the kid, he would take half his life!

Jiang Lan's body was twisted like a willow leaf tossed by a gale, forced into an extreme angle that was almost dislocated.

The fist grazed his chest, tearing a large hole in his coarse cloth shirt instantly. The force of the punch made his skin burn painfully, his ribs went numb, and a metallic taste rose directly to his throat.

He could even smell the blood of his previous opponent clinging to the Iron Tower's fist; death had brushed past his skin.

In that split second between life and death, the internal energy in his dantian exploded, and the muscles of his entire right arm tensed to the limit. The force of the mountain-shattering energy surged up from his joints, and the punch, charged to its limit, landed squarely on the Iron Tower's right shoulder collarbone without any fancy moves!

The dull thud of the fist bone shattering the periosteum was enough to make one's teeth ache. Jiang Lan felt that the force of this punch was smoother than any other time before. The originally sluggish energy flow of the Mountain-Crushing Fist was frantically etched into muscle memory in the blood and flesh battle. The barrier of the Great Perfection realm was instantly broken through.

[Collapse Mountain Fist (Dacheng): 48→75]

The tower let out a muffled roar that sounded inhuman. It was as if the nerves in its entire right arm had been smashed by the punch. The excruciating pain shot up its spine and into the top of its head. Its arm went limp and fell down instantly, and it didn't even have the strength to lift it.

But the reason he's been able to stand this long at Wild Fox Ridge is not because he's not afraid of pain, but because he's ruthless! Instead of retreating, he took advantage of the moment when Jiang Lan withdrew his fist and charged forward like a madman. His left fist, carrying immense force, swept horizontally toward Jiang Lan's temple—if this punch landed, Jiang Lan's brains would splatter on the spot, and he would die on the stage!

The force of the wind lashed Jiang Lan's temples, making his eardrums ring and his vision go black for a moment. Without hesitation, he not only didn't dodge but instead burrowed into Iron Tower's arms, narrowly avoiding the deadly sweeping blow. His left shoulder was still struck by the force of the punch, instantly numbing half of it. At the same time, he twisted his body with his waist and abdomen, unleashing a powerful, inch-force strike, like a chisel, that slammed into Iron Tower's left ribcage!

The moment the inch-force penetrated the body, another key point in the power application of the Bengshan Fist was unlocked, making the fist even more ruthless and fierce than before.

[Collapse Mountain Fist (Dacheng): 75→80]

Iron Tower's body suddenly arched like a shrimp, and a mouthful of scarlet blood spurted from his throat, splattering all over Jiang Lan's face and body. He staggered back three steps, his back slamming hard against the blood-soaked rope. The thick hemp rope shuddered violently from the impact, bouncing him back sharply.

There was not a trace of pity in Jiang Lan's eyes.

He used the momentum of the iron tower rebounding back to lunge forward, his internal energy running wildly through his meridians. One punch, two punches, three punches, each punch was full of the power to shatter mountains, each move aimed at his already crippled right shoulder and bleeding soft ribs!

Each punch was accompanied by the cracking sound of bones breaking and the suppressed roar of the iron tower, and the wooden board of the boxing ring was splattered with specks of blood.

The roars from the audience were almost enough to lift the roof off. Gamblers who bet on the Iron Tower to win were cursing with bloodshot eyes, while those who bet on Jiang Lan to win were pounding on the railing like madmen, shouting "Kill him!" "Kill him!"

Iron Tower's entire right arm was completely useless, the bones were shattered into several pieces, let alone raising a fist, even moving it felt like it would kill him.

He could only frantically block with his remaining left fist, but the excruciating pain and blood loss blurred his vision, and his movements seemed as slow as a snail to Jiang Lan.

He knew he was doomed today, but he didn't want to die; he wanted to drag this kid down with him!

Jiang Lan feinted a left punch, and Iron Tower's eyes turned red. He used his last bit of strength to raise his left arm to block, completely exposing his chest.

In that instant, Jiang Lan's right fist suddenly changed direction, pouring all the remaining internal energy in his dantian into it. The Mountain-Crushing Force exploded without reservation, and the fist slammed hard into the Iron Tower's chest!

Iron Tower was sent flying backward like a tattered sack, crashing hard into the ropes, then bounced back violently, slamming onto the boxing ring board with a "thud," spitting out a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs all over the ground.

He struggled to get up, his fingers digging into the bloody cracks in the wooden board. He tried to push himself up a couple of times, but his arms went limp, and he collapsed to his knees. His head drooped, and only the gurgling sound of blood and foam remained in his throat. He could no longer stand up.

Jiang Lan stood there, her chest heaving violently, and all the muscles in her body trembling uncontrollably.

After the adrenaline subsided, a dense, persistent pain shot through my chest where the punch had struck, my left shoulder which was half numb, and the wounds on my knuckles.

But he clearly felt that the life-or-death struggle just now had completely shattered his mastery of the Mountain-Crushing Fist, and the insights gained from each punch were etched into his very bones.

[Collapse Mountain Fist (Dacheng): 104/1000]

The entire boxing ring was initially deathly silent.

Everyone stared at the young man on the stage, covered in blood and not particularly burly. No one could believe that the signboard of Wild Fox Ridge, the iron tower that had killed seven people, had been destroyed on the stage by an unknown stone.

The next second, a tsunami of cheers, curses, and the clatter of tearing up betting tickets erupted, shaking the entire underground boxing ring.

The lame old man limped onto the stage, glanced at the half-dead iron tower on the ground, then at Jiang Lan, his cloudy eyes devoid of emotion. He grabbed Jiang Lan's still-bleeding wrist, raised it high, and his hoarse voice carried through the cacophony of shouts: "Stone wins!"

……

In the backstage hut, the oil lamp cast a dim yellow light. Twenty taels of silver were pushed in front of Jiang Lan, the silver ingots clinking together with a crisp sound.

The old man placed another stamped slip on top, exhaled a cheap smoke ring, and through the smoke, his voice turned cold, carrying an undisguised warning: "This is your prize. And don't come again."

Jiang Lan reached out and clutched the silver and the note in his hand, his palm still slightly numb from the fight. He looked up at the old man: "Why?"

"You've ruined my cash cow and disrupted eighty percent of the bookmaker's betting." The old man tapped his pipe on the table leg, sparks flying to the ground. "More importantly, you're too strong, so strong that this Wild Fox Ridge pool can't contain your dragon. If you don't leave now, next time you'll be the one being carried off the stage."

Jiang Lan didn't ask any more questions. He understood the rules of underground boxing rings: winning once was luck, but winning the reputation meant cutting off someone's source of income.

If he stays any longer, he'll face dirty tricks, dirty tricks, or even a cold knife in his back.

He tucked the silver ingots into his pocket, placing them close to his body. The cold silver ingots were still warm from his body, and stained with blood that hadn't been wiped clean. He turned, opened the door, and went out.

The wind at the alley entrance carried the chill of the night, blowing against Jiang Lan's blood-stained clothes, making him shiver.

Sun Gengsan huddled against the wall, clutching a cloth bag tightly in his hand. When he saw Jiang Lan come out, he pounced on her instantly, his eyes shining like burning lanterns.

"Jiang Lan! You're alive! Your initial investment of four taels and two mace has tripled! Now it's twelve taels and six mace! Plus the winnings on stage, you have over thirty taels now! Over thirty taels!"

Jiang Lan took the silver he handed over and put it in his pocket. The heavy weight pressed on his chest, but it finally put his heart, which had been hanging in suspense during the deadly battle, to rest.

"Jiang Lan, you're rich!" Sun Gengsan whispered, walking beside him, so excited he almost stumbled. Just now, when he saw the Iron Tower's fist sweep towards Jiang Lan's temple from below the stage, he almost lost his mind, and now he felt like his blood was on fire.

Jiang Lan didn't speak. He leaned against the wall, looking down at his fist, which was still trembling slightly, the skin on his knuckles scraped and bleeding.

He mentally calculated the accounts: he could pay back the ten taels of silver he owed his grandfather, with interest; he could buy the best medicine for his mother's hand; and he would no longer have to worry about food, clothing, and other necessities for his future martial arts exam preparations.

He raised his head, looked at the full moon hanging in the sky, took a deep breath of the cool night air, his chest still throbbing with the dull pain from the battle, but the light in his eyes was brighter than the moon.

"Senior brother, how long until we register for the martial arts tournament?"

"Two months and three days," Sun Gengsan replied immediately.

Jiang Lan clutched the silver in her arms, her voice firm and resolute: "That's enough."

He turned and walked towards the martial arts school, his steps steady and firm with each step. Sun Gengsan was stunned for a moment, then quickly followed, jogging along the way.

"What are you doing?"

"Return to the martial arts school and go into seclusion to open up your acupoints." Jiang Lan's voice carried on the wind, filled with the ferocity honed from the fierce battle and an undeniable determination. "Open up to the fifth acupoint. Then, participate in the martial arts examination."

Behind him, the lights and noise of Wild Fox Ridge were carried further and further away by the night wind. Jiang Lan did not turn back.

He knew from the beginning that this cannibalistic underground boxing ring was never his final destination, but merely a stepping stone to the top. He had enough money, the real combat experience gained at the cost of his life, and he had mastered the art of the Mountain-Crushing Fist.

The remaining task is to break through the five acupoints and stand on the training ground for the martial arts examination within these two months.

That was the real arena he needed to conquer, a battlefield of life and death.