"Young Master Kong, be careful..."
Qi Tuojiang had just witnessed Shen Lang's terrifying prowess and didn't want Kong Wudao to personally confront Shen Lang.
However, seeing Shen Lang on the stage, heavily injured, spitting blood, and with a face as pale as paper, Qi Tuojiang couldn't help but be tempted.
Qi Tuojiang had already experienced Shen Lang's fearsome nature. If this child lived, he would surely become a major threat in the future.
Since there was an opportunity, it was natural to nip the problem in the bud.
Moreover, one of the purposes of today's engagement ceremony was to eliminate Shen Lang.
"Don't worry, Young Master Qi, I know what I'm doing."
Qi Tuojiang let out a hearty laugh and then strode towards the high platform without looking back.
The moment Qi Tuojiang stepped onto the platform, Shen Lang secretly popped a white pill into his mouth.
In less than ten seconds, Kong Wudao ascended the stage. Seeing Shen Lang pale and on the verge of death, Kong Wudao's face was filled with smugness. He said, "Shen Lang, I never imagined our feud would be settled this way. However, although I've dealt with many overconfident clowns, I've never had the experience of personally beating someone to death in front of a crowd. I'll use you to entertain myself."
With that, Kong Wudao leaped three meters and kicked Shen Lang, who was kneeling on the ground.
Kong Wudao, standing at 1.8 meters tall and with a robust physique, unleashed his attack like a beast released from its cage, exuding a terrifying aura.
Furthermore, his kick was like a bomb fired from a cannon, making everyone present feel a suffocating dread.
"This guy..."
From their first meeting, Shen Lang knew Kong Wudao practiced martial arts, and his cultivation was not low. But witnessing Kong Wudao's attack, he realized that Kong Wudao was also a ruthless individual who had been hiding his strength.
This bastard, in his early thirties, had already reached the peak of the Huang realm. Naturally, he was far inferior to a monster like Shen Lang, but compared to ordinary people, he was undoubtedly a genius.
In his early thirties, reaching the peak of the Huang realm, half a step into the Xuan realm—such martial arts cultivation was not easily attainable by everyone.
Kong Wudao's words were accurate in one regard: Shen Lang was indeed at the point where he had wounded a thousand enemies and himself eight hundred. Severely injured, he was at the end of his rope.
Therefore, facing Kong Wudao's powerful, overbearing kick, Shen Lang dared not confront it directly. He could only quickly raise his sword to block.
However, the instant Shen Lang raised his sword, Kong Wudao's heavy kick landed squarely on the blade of the Yixi Sword. The impact sent Shen Lang, sword and all, flying off the stage. He crashed heavily onto a table, and the rosewood table shattered upon impact.
"Pfft..."
Shen Lang knew he was severely injured, but he hadn't expected to be hurt to this extent.
Shen Lang had initially thought he could use the Yixi Sword to block Kong Wudao's incoming kick and then find an opportunity to create an opening for the "Ju Qi San" (Qi Gathering Powder) to restore his depleted Yuan Qi. Now, it seemed he had miscalculated.
"Shen Lang..."
Seeing Shen Lang fall, Ye Shishi's expression changed. She quickly rushed forward to help him up. "How are you? Are you alright?"
"If you kiss me, I'll be fine."
Seeing Ye Shishi's worried face, Shen Lang, despite feeling as if his body was about to split apart from the pain, couldn't help but tease her.
Shen Lang expected Ye Shishi to punch him and tell him to "go die" after hearing this.
However, to Shen Lang's utter astonishment, after he spoke, Ye Shishi parted her red lips and, standing on tiptoe, kissed him on the lips.
Ye Shishi's lips didn't have the malt candy fragrance of Yu Linling, but they carried a faint scent of jasmine. The moment Ye Shishi kissed him, Shen Lang, losing control, involuntarily bit her lip.
"Are you a dog? Why are you biting?"
After being bitten by Shen Lang, Ye Shishi quickly pulled away and chided him playfully.
"Haha, what do you mean a dog? Don't say it so harshly. It's just that my emotions got the better of me."
Shen Lang smiled at Ye Shishi and said, "If I were really a dog, then what we just did would look like dog and bitch behavior in the eyes of others. Would you be willing to be a dog and bitch?"
"You..."
Hearing Shen Lang's words, Ye Shishi rolled her eyes and said, "I can't believe you're still joking around when you're in such dire straits. Don't you realize how dangerous your situation is?"
"Dangerous? No, no, no, there's no danger. Never has been."
Shen Lang looked at Ye Shishi and smiled, "In this world, unless my master decides to discipline me and personally come from Qianlong Mountain a thousand miles away with a saber to chop me down, I will never be in danger."
"How should I put it? My current state isn't danger; it's a predicament. And what is a predicament? It's a temporary difficulty."
"Since it's a temporary difficulty, as long as I overcome it, there will be no danger, right?"
Saying this, Shen Lang gently pushed Ye Shishi away and said, "To prove that I wasn't bragging just now, I'm going to return that kick I just took."
"Shen Lang, you stubborn idiot! You're still boasting even when facing death."
Kong Wudao, standing on the high platform, couldn't help but laugh loudly when he heard Shen Lang's words. "You can barely breathe now and are struggling to survive. And you still want to fight back?"
"Kong Wudao, I know this trap was set by you today, but I still came. Do you know why?"
Shen Lang looked at Kong Wudao with a confident expression and said, "It's simple. Because no matter what kind of death trap you set, I can still break free and escape."
"Kong Wudao, do you think you're powerful just because you're at the peak of the Huang realm, half a step into the Xuan realm? I'll tell you, your power is actually an illusion. It's because you've lived a life of luxury and have never experienced real combat, nor do you know what true fighting is."
With that said, Shen Lang's eyes turned cold, and he said to Kong Wudao, "Next, I will make you realize that even though I am severely injured, even though I am at the end of my rope, I am still not someone you can provoke."
"A heavily injured tiger, no matter how weak, is still a tiger. A healthy cat, no matter how energetic, is still just a cat."
After speaking, Shen Lang planted the Yixi Sword into the ground and then took off his jacket.
As Shen Lang shed his jacket, Ye Shishi and the others present could only see that his upper body was covered in scars, with not a single spot left unharmed.
There were stab wounds, gunshot wounds, claw marks from wild beasts, and burn scars. One, two, three... too many to count.
No one could have imagined that Shen Lang would bear so many terrifying scars. They froze in place.
How could a person sustain so many injuries and still survive?
"This..."
Kong Wudao was stunned by the sight and completely lost his composure.
Seeing this, Shen Lang seized the opportunity and lunged towards the high platform like a leopard. Before Kong Wudao could snap out of his shock, Shen Lang grabbed him by the neck and then violently lifted his right leg, kicking Kong Wudao off the platform.
However, Kong Wudao wasn't as lucky as Shen Lang to land on a solid wooden table. After being kicked by Shen Lang, Kong Wudao crashed heavily into the hotel lobby's fish tank. The glass shattered instantly, not only leaving Kong Wudao covered in wounds but also submerging him in live, flopping fish.
Bloodied and disheveled, this was the best description of Kong Wudao's predicament.