Clash of Wills

Ha Jun fell on his knees, covering his hollow orbit with his hands as his shouts of pain echoed in the surroundings.

Spectators were tongue-tied, one instant ago they were cheering for Ha Jun's victory as he was about to crush his opponent and the next second he was on the ground screaming his heart out.

Ha Jun who felt his hands drenched in blood, was in so much pain he had the urge to give up and swallow all the medicinal pills in his possession.

However every time he was about to shout his surrender aloud, he would remember the smile of his master, waving at him while he left on his cart.

"I was just an ordinary shepherd but master took me as his disciple, raised me and teached me everything i know about cultivation. Without him i would still be on this plain leading sheeps and cows for a couple bronze coins. How could i bear to disappoint him!"

Scenes of the past flashed in his mind.

In a cold winter night, the door of a small house creaked open.

"Master, you came back!" A young Ha Jun precipitated himself in the arms of an old man.

"Here little Jun, look at what i got for you." The old man said smilingly as he retrieved something from his pouch.

The quivering Ha Jun blowed some steam on his hands while looking at the red ginseng laying on his master's palm with wonder.

"Quickly eat it, it will warm your stomach and help you in your cultivation of the Iron Skin body."

"That's amazing... But master, you're bleeding?" Ha Jun exlaimed in delight before he remarked a small spot of blood slowly expanding on the side of his master's white robe.

"Dont worry, it's just a small injury. The herb was protected by some beast but you know your master, i quickly got rid of it with one punch hahah." The old man laughed out loud.

"Master!" Ha Jun looked at him with red eyes before breaking in tears.

A week ago just before Ha Jun's departure.

"Here little Jun, for your travel expenses." The old man handed 15 gold coins to Ha Jun.

"Master, i can't accept it. You already have to clear the debt for the space pouch you bought me last time." Ha Jun wanted to refuse and give them back.

"It's okay, i can deal with it. Just focus on the competition right now."

"But master... I..."

"Take it. You must sleep and eat well to be in top form when you take part in the Tiger Martial Institute recruitment."

Adrenaline rushed through Ha Jun's brain as he slowly stood up.

"Master is aged and only at the seventh layer of the foundation establishment realm. Although he's pretty powerful at home, in the span of the Mountain Breeze province he's the most ordinary of cultivators. Even in Azure Water City he would be strong but nowhere near the top of the food chain."

"But he spared nothing for me, using his limited wealth and his own abilities to get me all the ressources needed to further my cultivation. He even indebted himself multiple times."

Master count on me...

I can't give up... I won't give up!

I will live to master's expectations!!

I will WIN!!!

Ha Jun raised his head and retracted his hands, clenching his fists hard as he looked at Ye Mo with his only eye like he was his worst ennemy.

Ye Mo tossed the eyeball and stepped on it as he walked towards his opponent with cold indifference.

Ha Jun twitched but he knew with the abilities of the healing instructor, he could make him grow another one.

Losing an eye was a traumatising event for youths of this age and Ha Jun couldn't help but panick at first forgetting this fact, but now he could think clearly.

Ha Jun swung his fist at Ye Mo with determination.

Ye Mo lowered his head dodging the punch as he moved to the right, towards Ha Jun's blind side.

With such a huge weakness, how could Ye Mo not make use of it.

Ha Jun lost sight of Ye Mo and quickly turned on his left, attacking with his backfist like a spinning top but he only managed to hit air.

He looked all around him but couldn't find Ye Mo when suddenly he heard a swoosh sound from above.

"He jumped!" Ha Jun thought at that moment.

He didn't have the time to react that Ye Mo's fist already struck his skull.

His ears were ringing and the dizzyness made him take a step back. However his body defenses were exceptional and it wasn't enough for him to lose consciousness.

Ha Jun knew he was in danger and forced himself to look ahead when he saw Ye Mo's fingers drawing near his remaining eye.

Immense fear invaded him as he reflexively raised his arms to protect himself but he didn't feel anything hit them.

"Shit!" Ha Jun could only realize his mistake when in that split second he felt a strong force ascending between his legs.

"Ah!" His face became white and a light scream escaped his mouth.

Ha Jun's lower body wasn't destroyed through Ye Mo's kick thanks to his body strenghtening art but the force of the impact was more than enough to make him cry in anguish.

Ha Jun's body was sent in a spasm under the intense pain and his hands subconsciously moved towards his crotch.

Ye Mo didn't stop and instantly, his elbow moved in a straight line, crushing Ha Jun's right eye and slightly sinking in the orbit.

Ha Jun's screams immediately accentuated.

Ye Mo distanced himself and gazed at the instructor but this one shook his head. He wouldn't end the fight yet.

Ye Mo looked back and saw Ha Jun struggling to stand up.

"I won't give up! I know you're not in a good state as well and i am objectively stronger than you. Im not fighting alone, my master support me. I can't lose!" Ha Jun spoke towards Ye Mo's direction. His two bloody orbits made him look horrifying.

"So you really want to fight to the death huh... Dumb bastard." Ye Mo sighed.

He indeed was in a bad condition. His breathing was ragged, he suffered multiple bone fractures and he couldn't find a spot on his body which wasn't injured.

The pain he felt during the set of movements he executed to cripple Ha Jun's sight wasn't small.

But compared to Ha Jun who was pushing his limits, Ye Mo had absolutely no doubt he would remain victorious no matter what.

Ye Mo was going to rush towards his opponent when suddenly, Ha Jun mass shrunk down and he returned to his previous appearance.

"It took some time but it finally happened." Ye Mo was relieved.

When he saw Ha Jun suddenly become stronger under the use of a battle skill, he immediately thought it must have some limitations.

The main point in his guess was that Ha Jun waited to be in a bad situation to use it. If he had no resctriction, he would use it right away, there's no reason to wait to be in a disadvantageous position to do it.

Ye Mo could have been wrong but he decided to gamble. His adversary was very strong and in his current state, he couldn't assure his victory without taking a risk.

"There's a price to pay for any power you gain." Ye Mo coldly walked towards Ha Jun.

"Damn it! Why at this time..." The little amount of Qi stored in Ha Jun's dantian was lost during his last bout with Ye Mo.

His Great Bull Berserk Incarnation couldn't be sustained anymore and he entered a lethargic state where he could barely move.

"Don't think you won yet. Im a body refiner, even without my battle skills, my body defenses are more than enough against you." Ha Jun curled up in a ball on the stage.

His knees were raised to his belly protecting his lower body and a part of his upper body while his arms covered the rest and his head.

Ha Jun layed on the ground, the stone tiles protecting his spine and the back of his head.

"Ha Jun is trying to tire his opponent. Ye Mo doesn't have any battle skills so he could hit him for hours without getting much results and since he's already wounded, trying too hard might aggravate his injuries."

"This is pretty smart. Ha Jun can just wait for Ye Mo to exhaust himself while he regain his Qi then defeat him with his battle skills."

"Hehehe, in the end the situation inversed itself. Now Ha Jun is the one trying to buy time while Ye Mo must quickly knock him out." Onlookers couldn't help but smile under this new development.

Ha Jun heard Ye Mo's feets stopping right beside his head. Suddenly the feets moved apart as Ye Mo seemed about to hit him.

"What a fool. My skin is sturdy like an armor protecting myself. You might hurt me but you will never deal enough damage to defeat me." Ha Jun's lips curled into a smirk.

Ye Mo raised his right fist high and the chatters of the spectators was covered by the sound of the wind blowing in the arena.

The next moment, his fist fell like a meteor.

Boom!

A thunderous crash was heard as blood spilled on the stage.

On the middle of the battle stage you could see the figure of Ha Jun.

Both his arms covering his head were broken. They dented inwards so much his face was crushed under them. His nose was smashed and pieces of teeth tore the inside of his mouth. Below his head were stone tiles filled with inummerable cracks like a broken mirror.

The entire arena was silent.

Ye Mo stood calmly beside him. His dark eyes looked straight ahead. He would seem unscathed if it wasn't for the monstrosity that replaced his right arm.

The skin was mashed showcasing the bloody flesh hiding beneath, each of his fingers were bending in a different direction, his wrist was twisted in an unnatural way but the most horrifying were the multiple open fractures.

At different level of his arm were broken bones tearing open the flesh and emerging to the outside.

The muscles ruptured and blood dripped to his fingers before falling on the stage.

"I embarked on this path ready to fight gods and devils, killing heros and demons in my pursuit of power, what's more a mere Ha Jun."

Ye Mo was under boundless pain from his arm but he looked at the sky.

The sun shone brightly high up and his mind drifted towards his expectations for the future.

Because hardships strengthen resolve and who among the participants suffered more than him.

The overwatching cultivator was shocked for an instant before he seemed to receive a mental transmission and declared loudly, "The victor is Ye Mo!"