Online Game: Me, with Unparalleled Comprehension

The ten-minute break passed by faster than I had imagined while I was exercising.

Wu Feng sat cross-legged on the bluestone slab in the corner of the training ground, his hands hanging naturally in front of his knees, his breathing steady and long.

The Nine Yang True Qi within the dantian circulates slowly along the Zhou Tian route, each cycle solidifying the warm energy.

At the edge of my field of vision, the proficiency indicator was still steadily fluctuating, one cycle after another.

Just as he was preparing to complete the next major cycle, a clear system notification suddenly sounded in his ear:

[You have been assigned an opponent. Please prepare for battle.]

The moment the sound rang out, Wu Feng opened his eyes. A faint golden light flashed in his eyes, then he slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

He stood up, stretched his neck, and his joints made a slight cracking sound.

The next second, a soft white light enveloped his body, and the scene before him distorted.

When his vision cleared again, he was already standing on the familiar ring.

This arena is more spacious than the previous one, with a smooth and shiny wooden surface and red ribbons wrapped around the wooden railings that sway gently in the wind.

The arena was empty, with only the white light that simultaneously lit up on the opposite side slowly taking shape.

After the white light dissipated, a figure appeared at the other end of the arena.

A burly middle-aged man wore a set of dark silver armor, the plates layered upon each other, gleaming with a cold metallic sheen in the sunlight. He wore a matching helmet, revealing only a sharply defined face with thick, angular eyebrows and sharp eyes, exuding an aura of seasoned warriors.

Most striking of all were the two golden maces he held in his hands.

The hammerhead was the size of a watermelon, entirely black, with fine cloud patterns engraved on its surface, giving it a dull luster in the sunlight. The handle was about two feet long, and it looked remarkably steady in his strong arm. Just by looking at it, you could tell the hammer was heavy, weighing at least seventy or eighty pounds.

Wu Feng narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze falling on the name floating above the man's head—[Ding Wu (Level 58, Second-rate Martial Artist)].

An NPC, and a general at that.

Those who use hammers are mostly from the military, and they follow a forceful and brute-force approach, emphasizing brute force overcoming all other techniques.

However, for martial arts masters, this weapon is too cumbersome. Anyone with even a little skill in light footwork can't hit a person with this hammer.

Ding Wu, sitting opposite him, was also sizing up Wu Feng. Seeing that he was dressed in a gray martial arts outfit, wearing a bamboo hat, and with his hands empty, without even a decent weapon, Ding Wu frowned slightly.

But he didn't say much, only raised his right hand, holding the golden mace horizontally in front of his chest, clasped his left fist, and said in a deep voice:

"Ding Wu, please enlighten me!"

His voice was loud and clear, resonating across the empty arena.

Wu Feng looked at him and raised his hands, clasping them in return. The movement was casual, yet it conveyed a sense of composure.

The moment the two finished their greetings, a golden countdown appeared in the center of the arena—10, 9, 8…

In the official live stream, when the camera switched to the arena where Wu Feng was, the chat instantly erupted.

[Holy crap! An NPC! The pro has encountered an NPC!]

[This NPC looks really fierce. Those hammers are huge! Wouldn't one hit turn someone into mincemeat?]

[A level 58 second-rate martial artist, that's quite strong. Can the expert win?]

[Nonsense, the pro player has completed over a hundred matches in the initial test with instant kills every time. What's a mere NPC compared to that!]

Don't be too optimistic. NPCs are different from players; their combat experience and reaction speed are unmatched by players.

[I'm just waiting to see what happens; I want to see how many tricks this NPC can pull off.]

The barrage of comments scrolled rapidly, densely packed, almost covering half the screen.

Countless eyes were glued to the live stream, holding their breath, waiting for the countdown to end.

The countdown numbers jumped rapidly: 3, 2, 1—

The moment the last number disappeared, Ding Wu on the other side moved.

He stomped forward with his right foot, the wooden platform beneath his feet making a dull thud, and charged towards Wu Feng like a cannonball.

He swung the pair of golden maces in his hands, bringing a whistling sound as they slammed down towards Wu Feng's head.

The hammer blows were fierce, and the oppressive force could be felt even from two zhang away.

Wu Feng stood still, motionless.

He merely raised his eyes slightly, his gaze calmly fixed on the pair of golden maces that were drawing ever closer.

He finally moved when the hammer was still three feet away from his head.

With a slight movement of his feet, he unleashed the Lingbo Weibu technique.

His figure was as light as a feather, and at the moment the hammer fell, he slid half a step to the side at just the right moment.

The pair of golden maces whistled past his shoulder and slammed heavily onto the wooden platform of the arena.

"Bang—!"

With a loud crash, two deep dents were smashed into the tabletop, wood chips flew everywhere, and cracks spread outwards like a spider web.

The entire arena shook slightly, demonstrating the immense power of that hammer blow.

Ding Wu's hammer missed its mark, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

But he reacted extremely quickly, without the slightest hesitation. He exerted force with both arms, forcefully pulled the golden mace off the table, and swung it horizontally, smashing it hard towards Wu Feng's waist.

The hammer whistled through the air, its momentum still fierce.

Wu Feng exerted force with his feet again, and in a flash, he had already circled behind Ding Wu.

The movements were fluid and fast, leaving only a blur.

Ding Wu's expression changed, and before he could turn around, Wu Feng's right hand had already been raised.

A faint layer of crimson-gold true energy emanated from his palm, and the power of the Iron Sand Palm was concentrated in his palm.

He didn't use his full strength; he simply struck Ding Wu's armor on the back with a casual palm strike.

“Pah!”

With a muffled thud, the palm strike pierced through the armor.

Ding Wu grunted, staggered forward a few steps, and almost fell to the ground.

He steadied himself abruptly, turned around, and his eyes were filled with astonishment.

He glanced down at the armor on his chest; there was a shallow palm print on the plate, slightly indented.

He looked up, and the way he looked at Wu Feng completely changed.

The initial scrutiny turned into solemnity, and a hint of disbelief.

This person casually slapped his palm, yet managed to leave a palm print on his steel armor.

Wu Feng raised an eyebrow slightly as he watched him remain standing despite being struck by a palm.

This NPC's defense is indeed quite high. Although he didn't use his full strength, his attack was enough to injure a typical second-rate martial artist.

The man only staggered a few steps and was still able to stand.

interesting.

A faint smile curved his lips, and with a burst of speed, he lunged toward Ding Wu once more.

Ding Wu's pupils contracted. Without thinking, he swung his golden mace with both hands and smashed it hard at Wu Feng, who was charging towards him.

This time he used all his strength, and the hammer wind was even more ferocious than before, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound that cut through the air.

Wu Feng dodged the hammer blow with a swift movement, and at the same time, he reached out with his right hand and struck Ding Wu on the back with another palm strike.

This palm strike was several times stronger than the previous one.

"Bang—!"

Ding Wu lunged forward, his feet leaving the ground, and slammed heavily against the wooden railing of the arena.

The wooden railing snapped with a "crack," and his body slammed against it, bounced back, and fell onto the table.

He lay on the ground, panting heavily, with bright red blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, dripping down his chin onto the table and spreading into a small dark red patch.

On the armor on his back, there was an even deeper palm print.

He struggled to get up, but his arms went limp and he collapsed back down.

Those once sharp eyes were now bloodshot, and the look in them as they stared at Wu Feng was indescribably complex—there was awe, resentment, and a hint of relief.

"You...are very strong." He mumbled a few words, then spat out another mouthful of blood.

Wu Feng stood still, looking down at him, without saying a word.

The next second, Ding Wu's body turned into specks of white light and slowly dissipated on the arena.

[Victory in this battle grants 200000 experience points.]