Chapter 389: Diamond Iron Shirt

“Hiss—”

Sounds of inhaling sharply rang out in succession.

No one had expected that Lin Xiao would actually take Lei Qianting’s attack head-on in such a way.

What was more surprising—he had taken it.

Chen Lingxin let out a sigh of relief. Her jade-like palm patted lightly, her palm soaked with cold sweat—yet she didn’t notice at all.

She had originally been full of confidence in Lin Xiao’s strength and shouldn’t have been this nervous. But the peak Dark Force emanating from Lei Qianting’s body was overwhelming, towering like a mountain, making him appear far stronger than the low-profile Lin Xiao.

“Master Lin actually blocked it?”

Yang Yuanji and Zhou Chenguang exchanged glances, each seeing disbelief in the other’s eyes. Yang Yuanji opened his mouth, just about to speak, when his attention was drawn by a sudden, low roar—his eyes snapped back to the arena.

“Well blocked!”

Lei Qianting’s voice boomed like thunder. He withdrew his fist and lifted his left leg like lightning, sweeping it toward Lin Xiao’s waist with unstoppable force. A black shadow sliced through the air.

Azure Dragon Swings Tail.

Lei Qianting’s combat experience was exceptionally rich. Upon seeing Lin Xiao’s feet sunk into the ground, making him unable to move, he immediately withdrew his fist and used a kick.

This kick left Lin Xiao no option but to take it head-on.

A glint flashed through Lin Xiao’s eyes. His right hand’s five fingers curled into a claw. Without even looking, he reached out toward Lei Qianting’s left leg.

Eagle Claw Technique!

This claw was lightning fast, but also immensely powerful, like a cloud dragon extending its talons—fierce and domineering.

As it struck, Lin Xiao’s five fingers turned a dark greenish-black, his palm muscles tensed like iron, his nails popped out, tearing through the air with a sharp, ear-piercing screech.

At the same time his right hand clawed out, Lin Xiao didn’t retract his left hand. Instead, he transformed his fist into a palm, slashing downward like a blade, chopping toward Lei Qianting’s shoulder with the force of splitting Mount Hua.

After a period of training, Lin Xiao had fully mastered the complete Eagle Claw Technique, the secret art of Golden Claw Sect. He was now working on slowly integrating it into his Thunderbolt Fist.

Lin Xiao’s palm, like a true broadsword, aimed to cleave Lei Qianting’s shoulder straight off!

“Eagle Claw Technique?”

Lei Qianting’s pupils contracted. He was surprised.

Once again, Lin Xiao had exceeded his expectations.

Even though he thought he had already taken Lin Xiao seriously enough, Lin Xiao kept surprising him.

Even for Lei Qianting, this move could not be taken lightly.

Just as Lin Xiao’s claw was about to strike Lei Qianting’s left leg, Lei Qianting suddenly withdrew his leg, his body swaying back as he retreated three meters in an instant, widening the distance between them.

His retreat was clean and swift—no hesitation at all. Lin Xiao’s eagle claw struck nothing but air.

Taking advantage of Lei Qianting’s retreat, Lin Xiao pulled his feet from the ground. He stomped both feet in turn, shattering his already tattered shoes, now standing barefoot. Then he raised a hand and tore off his other sleeve, revealing two arms like forged steel.

After doing all this, Lin Xiao finally looked at Lei Qianting. “Master Lei, shall we continue?”

“Master Lin, I must admit. I underestimated you earlier.”

Lei Qianting grabbed both sides of his training robe and tore it apart, revealing explosive muscles that rivaled any bodybuilder. “With your level of martial skill, you’re qualified to witness my true strength.”

After speaking, Lei Qianting’s entire body shook. A rumbling sound echoed from within his body.

That sound was somewhat similar to the thunder of Lin Xiao’s techniques, but subtly different.

For the first time, Lin Xiao’s expression grew serious.

Others might not have recognized that sound, but with Lin Xiao standing so close and his acute hearing, how could he not hear it?

That was the sound of blood rushing violently through Lei Qianting’s body.

At this moment, Lei Qianting’s qi and blood surged to a terrifying level. Under such stimulation, his face and body turned red—and then faintly golden.

A few seconds later, his entire body turned a pale gold. A faint mist rose from his skin. With his tall, robust physique, he now resembled the deity Giant Spirit God.

Seeing this scene, the crowd broke into discussion.

“What kind of martial art is this?”

“Golden Bell Shield? No, Golden Bell Shield definitely doesn’t have such terrifying effects!”

“But one thing is certain, this is a terrifying external hardening art. No wonder Master Lei’s qi and blood are so powerful. So he practices both internal and external techniques! This must be his real strength!”

“Master Lin’s in danger now…”

Hearing the discussions, Chen Lingxin’s heart clenched once again. Her hands were tightly clenched, nails nearly digging into her palms.

“Master… you must win,” she silently prayed.

Ji Wei and Tang Heng both smiled, their gazes at Lin Xiao full of pity.

‘To think he actually forced Master to use the Diamond Iron Shirt. Should I say he’s lucky or unlucky?’ Tang Heng thought gloatingly.

‘In this state, Master is invincible. Even peak dark force experts can’t match him in a head-on clash. I’d like to see how you lose now!’

On the field—

Lei Qianting, now entirely pale gold, spoke again. His voice boomed, shaking everyone’s eardrums: “Master Lin, this martial art of mine is called the Diamond Iron Shirt. It’s a secret skill I’ve trained in for many years. You are a worthy opponent—worthy of being defeated by this technique.”

“Diamond Iron Shirt?”

Lin Xiao softly repeated, his eyes growing brighter. His hands at his sides slowly clenched. Between his brows appeared a streak of domineering sharpness. A vast, deep aura, like an abyss, burst from within him and surged upward.

“Master Lei, truly formidable. I’m afraid you’re just one step away from the Flowing Force stage, aren’t you?”

As a Flowing Force stage grandmaster himself, Lin Xiao’s perception was incredibly sharp. With a glance, he could see that although Lei Qianting was still technically peak dark force, he was far beyond the likes of the Golden Claw Sect’s master. Lei Qianting had essentially set one foot into the transformation realm.

Though the other foot might never cross that threshold, at the very least, Lei Qianting already possessed some characteristics of that level.

Such as now—stimulating the body through qi and blood, enlarging the body to boost power and defense.

“Flowing Force? Still far off. But enough to carry this Diamond Iron Shirt of mine,” Lei Qianting laughed heartily.

“Since Master Lei is going all out, I won’t let you down either. Let’s settle this once and for all.”

As soon as he finished, Lin Xiao exerted his strength, shaking his whole body.

Like a dragon turning over, a tiger shaking its mane, a bear rubbing its back, and an eagle ruffling its feathers.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

From within Lin Xiao’s body came a series of crisp explosions—bones and muscles twisting and colliding.

Following the explosions was a continuous, low rumble—like rolling thunder.

In just a few breaths, the thunderous sounds inside Lin Xiao’s body formed a seamless chain, growing louder and louder. So loud that even the spectators a dozen meters away could hear it.

“What is that sound?” someone asked in astonishment, confused.

Yang Yuanji’s expression turned solemn. Word by word, he enunciated eight characters: “Bones and tendons resonate, cleansing marrow and essence!”

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

As the thunder in Lin Xiao’s body reached its peak, it transformed into a true thunderclap.

Amid the booming thunder, Lin Xiao’s body expanded like an inflating balloon.

In the blink of an eye, he grew into a towering figure on par with Lei Qianting—eight feet tall, bones like steel, muscles like iron, yet not bloated in the slightest. Every muscle fiber seemed to contain explosive power!

Lin Xiao clenched his fingers into a tight and firm fist. A muffled sonic boom burst from his palm.