NOVGO.NET Chapter 3424: One Punch Man
Chapter 3424: One Punch Man
CRACK
WHOOSH
A loud crack echoed. A dull, heavy thud followed. And then Huang Moon’s body shot backward like a cannonball launched from a catapult.
He slammed into the protective barrier with a deep boom that made nearby cultivators cover their ears. His body slid down the barrier and came to rest on the ground, curled in pain.
He was conscious.
He wished he was not.
Pain radiated through his ribs and spine. He felt several cracked bones and deep bruising spreading across his chest like lightning crawling under the skin.
He stared in disbelief.
Lin Mu had punched him so fast he had not even registered the moment of impact.
If Lin Mu had not held back, the punch would not have left cracked ribs.
It would have left a hole.
The referee swallowed hard and shakily raised his hand.
"Winner... Lin Mu!"
The words were barely audible before the entire stadium exploded in sound.
"One punch!"
"One punch!"
"One punch!"
The chant began in one corner and spread like wildfire. People were excited. They were shocked. They were confused. But more than anything, they were thrilled.
The One Flick Woman had arrived yesterday.
Now today, her companion had arrived.
And he was the One Punch Man.
The nickname was coined instantly. A few clever people shouted it first, and once they did, the crowd loved it.
"The One Flick Woman and the One Punch Man!"
"They should fight together!"
"This is insane."
"He punched a top hundred disciple like he was tapping a door!"
"He is even scarier than Cattaleya in a way."
Lin Mu remained silent. He simply clasped his hands politely toward Huang Moon who was already being carried away by healers. It was a respectful gesture, and Huang Moon, despite the pain, managed a stiff nod back.
Lin Mu turned toward the referee.
"Next opponent."
The referee flinched slightly at the calm request, but nodded and gestured for the next fighter.
The next competitor slowly stepped up.
He was at the First Tribulation Stage.
He looked at Lin Mu.
Then he looked at the spot where Huang Moon had been thrown.
Then he looked back at Lin Mu.
"I forfeit!"
He immediately cupped his fists and bowed in apology, then stepped out of the ring at full speed.
The crowd booed him loudly.
"What cowardice!"
"Fight at least once!"
"At least taste the punch!"
Cattaleya cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "You should have taken the punch. It builds character."
The man ran even faster.
Lin Mu simply waited.
Another contestant stepped up.
He took one look at Lin Mu and surrendered before even placing his foot fully on the ring.
"I forfeit."
Then another.
"I forfeit."
And another.
"I forfeit."
The crowd was displeased.
"How long will this go on!"
"Someone fight him!"
"This is a tournament, not a surrender festival!"
Cattaleya shouted, "Stop quitting, or I am coming to fight you myself."
That only scared more people.
Lin Mu quietly stood in the ring, arms at his side. He could not force people to fight him. And he could not scold them either. So he simply waited patiently.
It took thirty forfeits before someone with enough courage or recklessness finally stepped up.
A burly body cultivator, Fourth Tribulation Stage, stood tall in the ring.
"I will fight," he declared, chest puffed out.
The crowd applauded him loudly, relieved that someone with guts had appeared.
Lin Mu bowed respectfully.
The man bowed back.
They took positions.
The referee began the match.
Lin Mu punched.
SMACK
The punch landed cleanly on the man’s stomach.
BOOM
He flew backward like an arrow shot from a divine bow and crashed into the barrier with such force that the barrier rippled visibly.
He lost consciousness instantly.
The healers ran out to retrieve him.
The crowd erupted.
"One punch!"
"One punch!"
"One punch!"
Lin Mu calmly nodded at them.
"Next."
Thus continued the spectacle.
For the next three hundred matches, the pattern did not change. Lin Mu punched once. The opponent flew. The match ended.
He did not use skills.
He did not call upon his Dao.
He did not activate his physical immortal essence.
He used pure muscle power honed through unimaginable cultivation, tempered in Earth Flames, strengthened by countless treasures and transformations, and pushed to its apex by his physique.
The crowd was in awe.
This was not the devastating brutality of Cattaleya crushing two thousand fighters with flicks.
This was something else entirely.
It was clean.
It was controlled.
It was terrifying.
Each punch was precise enough to defeat without killing.
Each punch carried enough force to break mountains.
Each punch solidified the title of One Punch Man.
Ultimately, someone shouted from the stands,
"Will he go for ten thousand like Cattaleya?"
Another yelled back,
"If he does, the tournament might end today!"
Someone else added,
"Then we would have no one left for the finals!"
People laughed, but deep down, they also wondered if Lin Mu really could keep going endlessly.
He looked like he had not even warmed up yet.
Lin Mu simply stood in the ring, waiting for the next challenger, looking almost peaceful as thousands of cultivators trembled at the sight of him.
Lin Mu’s punches continued landing with the same effortless precision, one after another, sending opponent after opponent flying, crumpling, or forfeiting before they even stepped fully into the ring. His streak had crossed one thousand victories, and the audience’s excitement had reached a fever pitch.
Every ring surrounding the Middle Knuckle Stadium shook with enthusiasm as cultivators from distant worlds crowded in to watch the man now known as One Punch Man.
Many of them had come expecting to witness a strong contender, but none had ever imagined someone with such frightening physical control. He fought without a battle technique, without powered Qi, without body enhancement, and without Dao. His fists alone tore through the competition like a divine beast charging through dry leaves.
But finally, after a thousand opponents, the referee announced a name that caused several elders on the viewing platforms to rise from their seats.