Chapter 126: The World Bows to Me

Hong Yu could not tell whether Cheng Long was genuinely ignorant or simply putting on a show. However, he knew one thing for certain: Cheng Long’s punch was nowhere near the level of Huang Tian’s. If these wealthy elites knew the truth, they certainly would not be sitting there so calm and exhilarated.

The large boulder was not made of the common stone found on mountains or scattered about; its texture was more akin to marble. It was actually quite brittle, and many Shaolin-trained monks could shatter it with ease. The true test of mastery was not in breaking it, but in leaving a single palm print upon its surface.

"Huang Tian is even more terrifying than I imagined," Hong Yu thought. "Before, I assumed he was just a martial artist with raw strength and some combat training. But now, seeing his level of control, he must be a true master."

"Someone like Cheng Long, who plays at combat sports, focuses on brute force and heavy impacts. Compared to the refined control Huang Tian possesses, their strength is not even in the same dimension."

Hong Yu looked at the wealthy men fawning over Cheng Long and suddenly smiled. They were right that Huang Tian and Cheng Long were in different dimensions, but they had the order entirely backward.

Liang Siqi walked toward Cheng Long with a gaze full of admiration. Liang Zhanpeng had initially intended to scold her, but since Cheng Long had already stepped in to protect her, he saw potential benefits. If Liang Siqi could get close to Cheng Long, it would be a major boon for the Liang family. In the business world, Liang Zhanpeng relied on the backing of the Hong family, and as long as he remained in power, the family would continue to rise. After the incident with Huang Tian, Liang Zhanpeng realized that what the Liang family lacked most was someone with enough raw power to hold the line. The scene today proved it: these wealthy figures from Hannan might have various backgrounds and fear little in terms of business competition, but they were terrified of experts like Cheng Long and Huang Tian suddenly going rogue and destroying them at any cost.

Liang Siqi looked at Cheng Long, shy as a star-struck girl, and smiled. "Mr. Cheng, you are truly incredible. Is your hand different from ours? How on earth did you shatter such a large rock?"

"Huang Tian could only manage to leave a palm print on the stone. Surely, Mr. Cheng, you must be very confident in defeating him?"

"Defeating him?" Cheng Long said with a sneer. "Isn't it a given that I would crush trash like that?"

"I'm not exaggerating. At Huang Tian's level, I’ll have him begging for mercy on his knees in under three moves!"

Cheng Long’s declaration was bold and imposing, momentarily silencing even Liang Zhanpeng. Hong Yu, however, was deeply displeased by his attitude.

Cheng Long was indeed stronger than the average person, and Hong Yu usually couldn't be bothered to care when he showed off. But this time, the lives of many were at stake, and Hong Yu could not let him act recklessly.

"Mr. Cheng, when do you intend to make your move?" Liang Siqi suddenly asked.

The wealthy men in the room immediately turned their attention to Cheng Long. They had been living in fear, unable to sleep soundly, terrified that Huang Tian might appear at any moment to finish them off. They naturally wanted Cheng Long to act as soon as possible to end their anxiety.

Cheng Long laughed coldly. "Dealing with trash like Huang Tian is no problem whenever I decide to act. However, you all need to prepare yourselves. I don't move unless I intend to kill, and I won't take responsibility for the aftermath. If any trouble arises, I will hold you—"

"Hey! Enough with the nonsense!" A man's voice suddenly cut Cheng Long off. Cheng Long whipped his head around to see it was Hong Yu, and his expression turned suspicious.

"Don't look at me like that. With your level of ability, if you run into Huang Tian, it won't be you killing him—it will be him killing you!"

"Mr. Hong, you... shouldn't you refrain from making such rash conclusions if you don't understand the situation?" one of the wealthy men said nervously. While the Hong family was formidable, he felt brave enough to voice his doubt.

Liang Siqi, who had been gazing at Cheng Long with pure adoration, was incensed that the man she considered a useless loser dared to speak such words. "Hong, don't think that just because you have a little money, you can go around criticizing others! This is a matter of martial arts and combat. What would a spoiled brat like you know about it?"

Cheng Long waved his hand dismissively, his expression indifferent. "Why waste breath on someone who doesn't understand? Let him say what he wants. Reality will be his slap in the face; there is no need for us to argue with him now."

Hong Yu was furious. He could tolerate Cheng Long showing off in front of others, but now he was doing it to him. He could no longer remain silent. Despite Hong Yu spending years busy with the Lin family’s affairs, he had actually been practicing martial arts all along. Since he was very young, Hong Gang had arranged for protectors to watch over him, and the most formidable masters had been secretly training him. He might look thin and weak, but he was refined essence.

The masters who taught Hong Yu were not muscle-bound giants; some were elderly and frail, yet they could kill someone like Cheng Long with a single strike. They had told him that while human strength is limited, the ability to focus that strength into a single point is infinite. Mastering power and speed was the true pursuit of experts like them.

"Keep acting arrogant, then. Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Stay at least five meters away from Huang Tian. If you get closer, he will kill you just as easily as one would slaughter a dog!"

The room fell into an awkward, heavy silence. No one dared to speak, and even Liang Siqi was stunned by Hong Yu’s bluntness.

Cheng Long flew into a rage. "Say that again if you dare!"

His eyes flashed with a cold, murderous intent. As the king of combat, he had been insulted before, but everyone who had done so had met their end at his hands. Normally, if someone insulted him with base name-calling, he would just laugh it off, viewing them as an uncultured brat. But Hong Yu had challenged his actual strength—an insult Cheng Long could no longer tolerate.

Suppressing his rage, he knew the power behind Hong Yu was not to be trifled with. He paused, then spoke coldly: "I, Cheng Long, have practiced martial arts since I was three, training my sinews and bones under my master's supervision since I was a child."

"At eleven, I was a world Sanda champion."

"At sixteen, I entered the adult division and became a world Sanda champion again."

"At eighteen, I began my professional career, winning 128 consecutive matches without a single defeat."

"In the world of combat, China bows to me, and the world bows to me!"

"And you?"

"Who the hell do you think you are!"