Returning to the Mysterious Era

Chapter 72 - The Difference

"Do you think Senior Brother Reed can beat the fifth-ranked core disciple? What\'s his name? Li... Li Wei..." a freckled-faced young man whispered.

"He should be able to. After all, Brother Reed is the face of our martial arts hall. Just recently, he defeated all the experts at the Golden Fist Martial Arts Hall all by himself," another young man said.

"Right? Hykal and Jadice might be tough, but Senior Brother Reed should have no problem handling the other three core disciples." After making some reasonable assumptions, the disciple announced his analysis confidently, "Even if he can\'t pull off the win, he probably won\'t lose either. Worst case scenario, it\'ll be a draw."

"I think Senior Brother Reed will definitely beat that core disciple Li Wei. I heard he became a core disciple less than a year ago. He may just be talented, but not strong in actual combat," a pretty female disciple with a black ponytail said. She seemed to greatly admire the elite disciple named Reed.

The group of elite disciples from the Wind Elephant Martial Arts Hall weren’t very friendly toward the core disciples from the main sect, with some being openly disgruntled. Because this was the first time the Eastern Exchange Tournament was being held, the Wind Elephant Sect had rushed the selection, only choosing those from the main sect. It was normal for the other branch disciples to harbor such opinions.

On the platform, Cassius looked down at his opponent.

Reed stood about 1.85 meters tall and wore a tight-fitting set of combat attire. He was muscular, tall, and handsome, with bright golden hair that just flopped down over his ears. He exuded a calm and confident air, with sharp eyes that made whoever he was looking at feel an intense pressure.

"You may begin," an elder\'s voice sounded beside them.

Cassius cupped his fists and announced his name, "Li Wei."

"Reed." His opponent did the same. "I’m starting!" His eyes narrowed, and a powerful aura rose from him. Reed immediately took an offensive stance.

What a strong desire to attack. Cassius raised his eyebrows slightly.

Wham!

Reed\'s foot hit the ground. Using it as a springboard, he charged forward, fists raised and ready to strike. He shot right at Cassius, and yet Cassius remained in his original stance.

"Not defending, huh? Are you underestimating me?!"

Whoosh!

Reed\'s fist struck out lightning fast and slammed into a palm with a sharp pop. A broad, calloused hand pushed down on Reed’s fist. Power rushed into his arm like a flood and Reed\'s eyes widened as he was forced back by this tremendous force. His entire arm trembled and tingled.

"This strength!!!"

Whoosh!

A strong air current hit him, causing his golden hair to dance about wildly. Cassius suddenly stepped forward, a strong body cutting thorugh the current. Just that movement made the ground tremble, and even Reed\'s feet went numb. His right hand darted out like a snake, the fist aiming straight for Reed, looking magnificent and imposing.

He\'s strong! Block his punch and move away quickly!

An idea flashed through Reed\'s mind like lightning. He instantly threw a punch, channeling all the power from his waist, hips, shoulders, and arms into his fist. He swung his palm like an elephant\'s trunk.

Bam!

But the iron fist didn\'t budge an inch! Despite all of the power Reed had put into that blow, he wasn\'t able to redirect it! In the next second, the snake-like fist bit hard into Reed\'s shoulder. It seemed to be restraining itself because Reed didn\'t fly backward and instead was forced to back off step by step.

As he retreated, Cassius lunged forward. He quickly caught up to Reed and threw another punch. The air whistled as it tore apart.

Reed\'s eyes widened as a black fist quickly filled up most of his vision, the approaching threat freezing him in place.

Whoosh!

The wind generated from the punch roared as it hit Reed\'s face. His golden hair flew up to reveal his forehead, and the fierce wind burned his nose.

"Thanks for the win." The voice was not too far away.

Numb, Reed opened his eyes, panting heavily. After the shock had passed, bitterness surged through his heart. The gap was too big! He lasted only five seconds before he was completely crushed! If his opponent hadn\'t held back when he hit his shoulder, he would have lost his ability to fight and have suffered an even quicker defeat!

"I... I lost." Reed\'s lips were dry, but he still cupped his fists.

"Senior Brother Reed...lost? That was too fast..." An elite disciple couldn\'t believe it. That had taken all of five seconds. Reed, the strongest senior brother in the martial arts hall, had lost. Just like that?!

The entire fight had basically ended in three moves. Senior Brother Reed\'s punch had been blocked. Reed didn\'t block Cassius\'s punch. And when Cassius punched again, that had sealed the deal for Reed.

"This..." The female disciple gaped, not knowing what to say. The tall and dignified image of Reed in her heart had collapsed.

Cassius quickly stepped off the stage. Reed was actually quite strong, and was probably equivalent to someone who had made 80% progress in the first stage of the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts. If Cassius hadn\'t broken through that threshold, Reed would have lasted a few more moves. But he had and now there was an insurmountable gap. Plus, the only reason why Reed had made it past a single move was because he had held back his strength. They were still fellow disciples so he should let Reed save some face.

That was Cassius\'s line of thought, but Moses was different.

As soon as he got on stage, Moses pulled off his shirt, revealing a body as impenetrable as a tank. His big hands pounded on his chest like a drum, making a loud booming sound.

"Those who want to challenge me, come on up! I won\'t dodge!" The elite disciples hesitantly exchanged glances with each other, before going up, one by one, to announce their names.

"Sofia."

"Brian."

"Norman."

"..."

"Alright! Come at me, all of you!" Moses grinned menacingly, showing his terrifying white teeth.

A few elite disciples instantly surrounded Moses and launched a barrage of attacks using their fists, elbows, and feet. A string of thumping sounds echoed out, interspersed with Moses\'s grunts. Who knew if it was out of pain or enjoyment? His iron muscles swelled and bulged, withstanding the attacks that came from all directions. His skin was slightly red.

The punches jolted the sweat, sending droplets flying into the air. Each collision just made Moses more excited and joyful. He was even guffawing heartily as he absorbed each hit.

Here we go again... Cassius was speechless.

"Damn bear, don\'t expose your kinks in public!" Lance hid his face, acting as though he didn\'t know him.

On the other side where the elders sat, Lucas nodded in satisfaction. He was indifferent to Reed and the others even though they were his hall’s disciples but he showed great interest in Moses.

"This physique... Our Wind Elephant Sect has found a treasure..."