Chapter 20: First Test of Strength

“Hmph, Jerome, what bring you here? Do you plan to take even this territory of mine as well?”
Glancing at Jerome across from him, Jim snapped angrily. Had that damned guy come after him again? Now, Jerome and his crew had become quite famous—especially in the past month or so. From being unknown, they had swiftly taken over all the surrounding territories with lightning-fast tactics, becoming well-known figures.
What he had feared had indeed happened.
“Jim, I’m here today to take over your territory. What’s the problem? I advise you to hand it over peacefully to avoid unnecessary conflict,” Cambi retorted first with a cold snort.
“Stop talking nonsense. Let’s go!”
With another snort, Sambik shouted loudly to stop Jerome from speaking. He had no habit of wasting words before a fight.
As soon as he spoke, the excited expressions on the faces of the men around him immediately led them to charge forward.
Jim’s men, naturally, also rushed at them without hesitation, and a battle ensued. At this moment, everyone freely pulled out iron rods, wooden sticks, and even knives. The crisp sounds contrasted with the chaotic scene, making the battle quite intense.
Surprisingly, Jim’s side had three novice warriors. It was evident that these men were different—their punches were powerful and fast, with a faint trace of combat energy. Meanwhile, Sambik, Cambi, and Jerome had also reached the level of novice warriors.
Fights between warriors, scuffles among thugs, cries, curses, and screams filled the air, making the night especially lively.
“Damn it! I’m going to take on you!” Sambik threw a punch at Jim, his face twisted in fury. Jim was too strong—Cambi couldn’t even defend himself against his attacks.
“Overestimating yourself!” Jim sneered disdainfully at Sambik’s attack. Without even trying to dodge, he countered with a punch of his own.
Bang… A dull sound followed, followed by a muffled groan.
Although Sambik had taken the initiative with his punch, he gained nothing from it. Instead, he was sent flying back several steps before stopping.

Without giving Zambik a chance to catch his breath, Jim charged at him again, and the two clashed once more! Using both hands, a fierce battle ensued. Another dull thud was heard as Zambik was knocked to the ground once more, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth—his appearance utterly disheveled! There was an overwhelming difference in strength between the two; Zambik was no match at all. After knocking Zambik down again, taking advantage of the brief moment when he couldn’t get up quickly, Jim mercilessly punched him hard in the head. What was happening over there was visible to everyone. Seeing Zambik’s condition, although they were all worried, they were blocked by their own enemies and unable to offer any help. The fist, as big as a sandpot, was about to land on Zambik’s head. Filled with resentment yet helpless, Zambik, being trampled underfoot, had no ability to fight back or dodge, and could only watch helplessly as the outcome neared. With a loud crash, instead of the expected punch and pain, Zambik opened his eyes and stared at the scene in disbelief! Kambi was stunned, and Jerome too. “Born in the Year of the Ox? Such strength!” A calm voice came next moment as he felt his numb arm and complained. “Boss…” Seeing the person in front of them clearly, Kambi and the others exclaimed in shock—it was Rod! He had arrived! Rod’s presence brought great joy to everyone. “You go help others first; I’ll take care of this! Hurry up!” Rod said in a commanding tone to Zambik. “Newcomer? Not bad, seems to have some strength—at least much better than this guy!” Jerome said coldly, locking eyes with Rod and calling out his name right away. Keeping a vigilant eye on the opponent and the surroundings, Rod fully mobilized his fighting spirit, ready to engage in a fierce battle at any moment. Instead, the punch only fueled his fighting will. The intense and tense scene here immediately caught everyone’s attention; many even stopped their own fights and focused their gaze on the two of them. They knew well that the outcome of their battle would directly affect the final result—it could be said that the victory in this fight was in the hands of these two.

Following the principles in the “Dragon Soul Art,” Rod carefully controlled his internal energy to keep it ready for action. Perhaps the greatest regret was not having learned any useful techniques—he inwardly groaned at this thought! How could he fight without techniques? Relying solely on combat energy wasn’t enough.

Suddenly, Jim moved. With a fierce push from his back foot, he rushed at Rod without giving him time to think, aiming his palm at Rod’s chest. This time, his speed was significantly higher than when he fought Sambik before—the whistling palm strike seemed to tear through space as it rushed forward.

“Kill!”

With a roar, Rod could only fight by relying on his instincts, quickly thinking of the techniques he had seen on TV, hoping to find one he could use. He sidestepped to create some space before punching at Jim’s palm.

“Boom…” Another dull sound echoed, and along with it, Rod was thrown back several meters, spitting out more blood.

His opponent’s strength was immense, far more terrifying than he had imagined. Rod could sense that his opponent was stronger than him.

On the other hand, Jim seemed unharmed, only pausing briefly before steadying himself after swaying slightly. A cold smirk appeared on his lips as he slowly approached Rod again. A beginner warrior—that was how he classified Rod in his mind. Indeed, the fact that Rod could generate combat energy proved he was a beginner warrior, at most an early-stage one. There was no need for him to worry at all.

“A middle-level warrior!”

After this clash, gasps of surprise came from the crowd. Yes, they recognized it—Jim was actually a middle-level warrior. Just by seeing his ability to use combat energy for protection earlier, it was clear that this was a hallmark of middle-level warriors. Although everyone could tell Rod was a beginner warrior, the gap in levels meant it was impossible to bridge.