Chapter 172 – Crane Captures Dragon

Lu Yuan released his mist-like mental power, immediately feeling the dense and sticky sensation around him dissipate.

Lv4 [special exertion]!

Ultimate exertion!

Lv4 Ten Thousand Refined Crane Bone Technique!

The bright yellow inner strength flickered like fire, carrying a terrifying boxing power exceeding twenty tons.

It tore through the air, breaking the sound barrier, and punched straight at the white dragon approaching on the clouds.

“Rip——”

In front of the white dragon’s True Intent, Lu Yuan’s mist-like mental power was easily torn apart like a thin veil.

“Bang!”

“Bang!”

Two muffled sounds rang out almost simultaneously.

Lu Yuan’s body was sent flying backward.

His feet touched the ground, toes gripping the surface, accompanied by a series of “thud, thud, thud” sounds.

Two deep grooves were plowed out as he dragged along.

He finally halted his movement about ten meters away.

Lu Yuan looked down and saw a deep dent in his right chest, clearly showing the outline of a fist.

Fortunately, in the state of Second Rank Transformation, his muscles were as taut as steel, and his physical defense power had significantly increased.

Lu Yuan took a deep breath, his chest rising slightly like a balloon.

“Crack, crack, crack——”

Accompanied by the slightly unsettling sound of his bones realigning, the dent in his right chest returned to normal.

With a constitution of 20 points, once limit-broken and deeply developed by ultimate exertion, the redness and swelling on the injured area were visibly receding at an incredible speed.

“If I could use death energy and activate the Underworld Garment, he wouldn’t be able to break through my defenses.”

“But my physical defense power is still lacking. Under a True Intent level attack, my inner strength is like paper. I need to prioritize my defensive type martial arts…”

Lu Yuan thought to himself.

He looked up in the direction of You Long.

He saw You Long standing with one hand behind his back, looking at him expressionlessly.

Under the full perception of his mental power, Lu Yuan could clearly see the scene behind You Long.

—It was a hand with five grotesquely twisted fingers, a wrist swollen like a ball, and a trembling palm.

“Ha——”

Lu Yuan couldn’t help but laugh.

He couldn’t dodge You Long’s True Intent level killer move.

But the punch with over twenty tons of boxing power under his ultimate exertion… was clearly not something easy to block either.

“What are you laughing at?” You Long asked indifferently.

“Nothing,” Lu Yuan shook his head and said, “Just thought of something amusing.”

“Hmph…”

You Long snorted lightly, then his figure flickered, suddenly appearing in front of Lu Yuan as if moving in an arc.

The speed was so fast that it left a faint white trail behind him.

Lu Yuan’s Mental Power enveloped the entire area, and from an overhead perspective, he could clearly see the white trail behind You Long forming a beautiful dragon-shaped trajectory in the air.

Lu Yuan almost couldn’t help but marvel in his heart.

Although [Dragon Shield] wasn’t solely a movement technique, You Long’s mastery of using it as such was definitely at a grandmaster level.

His body moved like a dragon.

It was probably how he got the nickname You Long.

“True Skill: Dragon Rainfall.”

You Long pressed his left hand down, and the invisible True Essence of Dragon Form suddenly dispersed.

In an instant, it seemed to transform into countless water droplets falling down.

Clearly, You Long had only struck with one palm.

Yet it gave Lu Yuan a sense of dense, overwhelming, inescapable downpour.

“Compared to the killer martial arts of the Dragon sect… the legacy of the Crane style is indeed lacking.”

Lu Yuan silently criticized in his heart, while a fierce expression rose on his face.

Although he was at a disadvantage in terms of True Intent and martial arts compared to You Long, he had great strength and an exceptionally strong constitution.

If his defense wasn’t enough, he could rely on his recovery!

He could take one hit from You Long… as long as he could hit back once. It would be worth it… a solid win!

Lu Yuan’s black hair danced wildly, and the red veins and blood vessels on his Second Rank Transformation body quickly extended. The steel-like muscles seemed to twist into mysterious patterns on his body.

His mist-like Mental Power was instantly shattered under You Long’s palm.

Even before You Long’s palm landed, Lu Yuan, who was being bombarded by countless “raindrops,” could already faintly feel the high-frequency stinging pain at the mental level.

He squinted his eyes and punched towards You Long’s palm.

“Bang!”

A muffled sound echoed as a visible shockwave spread in all directions, kicking up dust and debris.

Lu Yuan was knocked back, staggering several steps before barely regaining his footing.

A faint throbbing and tearing sensation filled his head, and his right fist felt like it was on the verge of splitting open.

But these sensations were rapidly fading.

He looked up at You Long.

You Long stood with both hands behind his back.

Lu Yuan “saw” that the left hand You Long had used to clash with his punch was now swollen, seemingly with bones shattered into several pieces.

“I underestimated you…”

You Long stood tall, his expression indifferent, exuding an aura as imposing as a mountain.

“You haven’t truly comprehended True Intent, not even reaching its preliminary form…”

“It’s just your Brain Divinity Talent that allowed you to glimpse into the realm of True Intent level.”

You Long sighed lightly and then looked at Lu Yuan, saying calmly, “One last move, if you can withstand it, you pass.”

With that, You Long suddenly leaped into the air.

He swooped down towards Lu Yuan like a dragon.

The True Essence of Dragon Form around him surged, and a phantom dragon tail appeared, attaching to his right leg, which then fiercely kicked towards Lu Yuan.

“True Skill: Dragon Tail Sweep!”

“Whoosh——”

You Long’s kick whipped up a gale in the vast martial arts arena.

The scattered stones and gravel were blown around, and Lu Yuan’s long hair was lifted high, causing him to squint slightly.

He watched as his mist-like Mental Power was directly swept aside by You Long’s Dragon Tail Sweep, offering almost no resistance.

You Long was right.

His True Intent had not yet taken shape.

Apart from allowing his thoughts and will to remain unaffected by True Intent, it had no other use.

In contrast, true True Intent could nearly transform the power of martial arts moves.

“Hiss——”

Lu Yuan took a deep breath, and the veins and muscles on his Martial Body continued to grow.

He still didn’t want to activate [Undefeated Instinct].

He wanted to see if he could naturally comprehend and break through to True Intent.

His Talent was extraordinary, his potential unparalleled!

If he could avoid using his cheat, he would naturally try to avoid it…

[Spirit Crane Technique: Crane Shadow Float]!

The dissipated mist-like Mental Power instantly converged into Lu Yuan’s fist.

His eyes burned with intensity, focusing solely on the terrifying “dragon tail” coming at him.

Ultimate exertion!

Lu Yuan threw his punch with immense force.

In that moment, his entire right arm seemed to vanish for an instant.

Then, a resounding “crack” echoed as if something had exploded.

Lu Yuan’s fist collided fiercely with the “dragon tail”!

“Boom!”

A heavy, muffled sound followed.

Lu Yuan’s body shook violently.

This time, he didn’t retreat.

As the terrifying aftershocks dissipated, You Long’s figure returned to its original position.

However, his stance looked slightly peculiar.

His right foot was curled slightly behind his left, touching the ground only with the tip of his toe, standing firmly in a near crane-like pose.

“You’ve passed.”

You Long spoke calmly.

Then he turned his face away, avoiding looking at Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan closed his eyes and, after a few seconds, slowly opened them again.

A faint look of disappointment appeared on his face.

“So close…”

He sighed deeply, then turned to You Long, speaking earnestly, “Senior, can you give me one more move?”

Silence.

The corner of You Long’s eye twitched slightly.

He shook his head.

“Three moves are over. Our duel is finished.”

“But I really am just a tiny bit away.”

Lu Yuan pleaded sincerely, raising one hand and pressing two fingers together to indicate a small amount.

“Only one last barrier to break through.”

“True Intent level… isn’t that easy to achieve.”

You Long shook his head, speaking softly, “You haven’t even completed your power training throughout your entire body yet. Trying to comprehend True Intent now is somewhat overambitious…”

“I’m begging you, Senior You Long, just one more move… just one. That’s all I need.”

Lu Yuan looked like he was pleading earnestly, his sincere eyes filled with a passion for martial arts that was almost impossible to refuse.

You Long’s facial muscles twitched continuously.

After a moment of silence…

He finally nodded.

“Alright. But only one more move.”

“Thank you, Senior.”

Lu Yuan was delighted and then smiled slightly, saying, “This time, let me make the first move.”

“Alright. You—”

Before You Long could finish his sentence, an unprecedented sense of danger surged within him. His hair stood on end, and goosebumps spread across his back.

His martial arts instincts caused his inner strength to surge instantly, and a thick white light enveloped his entire body.

Then, his pupils contracted sharply as he watched helplessly as the True Essence of Dragon Form around him was pierced like a bubble.

A dense shadow loomed overhead…

“Whoosh—”

“Bang!”

At the far end of the Martial Arts Gym, the ceiling was struck hard, causing dust to fall.

You Long was forcibly pinned against the wall, with large cracks spreading behind him. His feet were off the ground, and a large, veiny hand tightly gripped his neck.

Suspended from this hand was a lifelike crane claw.

A massive white crane essence quietly observed him, its wings flapping silently.

It really…

Succeeded in comprehending it?!

Is this the monstrous talent of Brain Divinity?

You Long’s eyes were momentarily dazed, staring silently at the white crane-like essence.

After a long while, his gaze slowly lowered, meeting a pair of clear, deep eyes, exuding a hint of primal nature.

“This move…”

You Long hesitated, then asked, “What’s it called?”

Lu Yuan paused, thought for a moment, then looked up at You Long, grinning, and answered:

“Let’s call it—Crane Captures Dragon.”

In a spacious room,

Song Cong, facing a virtual screen, fell into prolonged silence.

Sitting beside him, Su Zhaohui smacked his lips and lowered his hand to fill a beer glass to the brim.

“What did I tell you?”

He took a big gulp of beer before speaking with satisfaction.

Song Cong’s expression was extremely complex.

“Even You Long is no match for him. I even think…”

Su Zhaohui pointed at the virtual screen, boldly declaring, “Let this kid continue down the path of a pure martial artist. He might break through the level S Heavenly Barrier solely with pure martial arts!”

“How many in the entire Golden Bear have broken through the level S Heavenly Barrier?”

Song Cong furrowed his brows, ready to retort but then shook his head and changed his tone. “Breaking through level S with pure martial arts doesn’t mean much; it’s almost the end of the road. His greatest potential lies in breaking the limits of both his body and mind. Customizing an exoskeleton for him would unleash far greater combat power than pure martial arts ever could…”

“You’re absolutely right!”

Su Zhaohui expressed his immense agreement, smiling as he spoke. “So, shouldn’t your previous expectations be raised a bit?”

Song Cong remained expressionless, knowing exactly what Su Zhaohui was getting at. He spoke bluntly, “Let him come out first. Once I see him in person, we can talk.”

“Don’t be so hasty.”

Su Zhaohui’s eyes flickered, his gaze curiously fixed on Song Cong’s chest. “I’m just suggesting you adjust your expectations regarding the cost you’re willing to pay. I never said this was the end…”

“What do you mean?”

Song Cong’s brows knitted together.

He quickly turned his head towards the virtual screen.

Then, as if realizing something, he quickly said, “Send me the details of this new blood assessment task.”

“Haha!”

Su Zhaohui couldn’t help but laugh, tapping the back of his hand casually. “Old Song, you’re a smart man.

Talking to someone as smart as you really makes things easier…”