A muscular girl is presented to the passionate world of crossover anime.

"You're not bad either. I didn't have time to dodge your staff attacks, but you clearly had plenty of energy left." Hana also admired Retsukai. After that round of fierce blows, Retsukai's wrist might have been numb, but his breathing was steady and normal. He truly lived up to his reputation as a master, able to advance and retreat with ease.

"But Ye Haiwang, do you think that's enough?"

After the mutual praise, it was time for the mutual criticism. Lie Haiwang changed the subject: "Chinese martial arts have a history of four thousand years. The path that Japanese karate has taken, we have already taken a thousand years ago! The so-called three wars have similar postures in many Chinese boxing styles, and there are ways to deal with them!"

"Oh dear, I'm so scared." Hua Yue said, "There's a way to break through the three defenses. Just hit hard until you break through their defenses."

"You're so arrogant!" King Liehai snorted coldly and raised his staff to attack again. This time, he seemed to have changed his staff technique, with a significant increase in feints and fewer hits on Hanon. However, the force with which he struck Hanon each time also changed.

"Ugh! It's definitely much heavier!" Facing the Retsukai King's staff technique, Hanon was still struggling to defend herself and was quickly hit by the staff again. This time, she was forced back a step, and the part that was hit felt pain.

Kanon is already using "Indestructible Vajra"!

It turns out that although Retsu Kaioh was unaware of Kanon's incredibly powerful defensive technique, "Indestructible Vajra," which relied on muscle control, and treated it as a normal third battle, his newly used staff technique accumulated significant momentum during its swing. Combined with the internal martial arts' power generation techniques, the immense force dissipated like ripples upon impact, causing extensive bruising. Kanon, deceived by the staff technique's feints, couldn't pinpoint the point of impact, so some of the force diffused to areas she couldn't protect, resulting in some injury. This could be considered Retsu Kaioh's accidental success.

"I need to be serious!" Hanon warned herself inwardly. She really couldn't treat this battle as an ordinary sparring match. The strength of the Sea King was far beyond her imagination, and she could easily lose.

"But... what should I do? I really can't handle his staff techniques... Oh, right, I have an idea!"

As a fighting genius even Kuroki Gensai praised, Kanon quickly realized one thing: in terms of weapon mastery and fighting experience, she had an insurmountable gap with Retsu Kaioh. She wouldn't have an advantage in parrying his attacks; she would only be drawn into the rhythm of his staff techniques and get beaten up. But conversely, while Retsu Kaioh's staff attacks were different from punches when parrying, they were no different when they struck her. If she couldn't parry well, she might as well be prepared to take hits!

Hanon's predictive ability was also top-notch. When she rallied her spirits and carefully observed Retsukaioh's movement trajectory, and gradually adapted to his staff techniques, after taking two more blows, she was able to correctly mobilize her muscles and promptly unleash "Indestructible Vajra" at the point of impact.

And so the other Sea Kings witnessed a strange sight: amidst Retsu Kaioh's ever-changing staff strikes, Kanon was hit more and more frequently. Yet, as if the more she attacked, the less it itched; Kanon's expression grew increasingly relaxed, and she even slowly approached Retsu Kaioh step by step! In the end, Kanon completely abandoned her defenses, letting Retsu Kaioh's staff strike her body without a care, while Retsu Kaioh, who had been relentlessly attacking, became the weaker party, forced to retreat, his room for maneuver shrinking...

"What kind of martial art is this?" Sun Haiwang was completely dumbfounded the whole time, and he couldn't believe that such a thing existed in the world.

Mao Haiwang was so shocked that his legs went weak: "Demon, demonic magic... No, if it's not demonic magic, it's the ultimate physical training of external martial arts or the ultimate internal energy cultivation of internal martial arts, ahhh, that's even more terrifying than demonic magic!"

Li Haiwang was also sweating profusely, and subconsciously asked Fan Haiwang beside him, "Brother, what do you think? Hmm?"

He noticed that Van Hoi was staring intently at Hanon and Retsu, his eyes filled with disbelief, and he was speechless...

On the other side, Retsu Kaioh had been forced to stand in front of a large sycamore tree by Kanon, his back getting closer and closer to the trunk.

In Retsu Kaioh's more than thirty years of life, he had never encountered such an opponent. It was hard to say whether he was stronger than himself, but the fact that Retsu Kaioh could calmly and slowly move forward despite Retsu Kaioh's all-out attack was truly unprecedented and unique.

"Damn it, is even her head this hard?" Retsukai's breathing wasn't erratic, but his heart was already slightly anxious. Originally, wielding the "divine weapon that doesn't kill," Retsukai could restrain himself from hitting Hanon's head as much as possible since the opponent was a woman. But now he couldn't care less about that.

The landing point of the Retsukai King's wooden stick was clearly shifted upwards, and the focus of the attack shifted from Kanon's torso to her head. Despite the immense power of the stick strike, Kanon continued to walk without stopping, and didn't even raise her hands. At most, she would turn her head to avoid the attack when the stick was about to pierce her vital points, using her neck or shoulder to withstand the blow.

Of course, it wasn't as easy for Hanon as it seemed, as she had to keep a close eye on Retsukai's attack timing. Moreover, just like Guan Linchun's relentless resistance against Oni-King's onslaught in the elimination tournament, although she won, she suffered significant internal injuries afterward. Hanon's "Indestructible Vajra" was arguably the strongest defensive technique in the world, so she wasn't so fragile as to suffer internal injuries. However, under Retsukai's powerful staff strikes, she had to hold her breath with each blow. The staff's chaotic movements disrupted Hanon's breathing rhythm, making it increasingly rapid, and her anxiety grew as well.

Finally, the moment Retsu Kaioh's back was completely pressed against the tree trunk, he swung his most powerful blow since the start of the battle, aiming for Kanon's head.

The immense force brought immense speed, and even someone as strong as Kanon couldn't completely dodge it. She turned her head to avoid most of the force, and used her cheek muscles to apply "indestructible strength" to withstand the remaining small portion. Only a tiny bit of force managed to slip through—and it was this tiny bit that propelled Retsu Kaioh's wooden stick, leaving a bloody gash on Kanon's face.

The bloodstain was short and shallow, hardly a scratch, but it became the last straw that broke the camel's back. Hana's breathing became rapid, and her emotions exploded instantly. All of this was concentrated in her fist, which she blasted towards Retsukai-oh!

Author's Note: The fourth update will be at 9 PM.

Speaking of Kanon's final move, it felt like she was charging in with super armor and unleashing her ultimate attack.

Chapter 406, Section 400: The Fierce Sea King's Divine Martial Power Prevents Death

"Crack!"

The sycamore tree in the courtyard was thirty or forty years old and had a diameter of over thirty centimeters. It was broken by Huayin's punch.

Yellow leaves fluttered down, landing on the two people in the room, but neither of them paid any attention to them or shook them off.

They were all panting.

Hanon's panting was the release of her full-force punch after her breathing rhythm had been disrupted for a long time.

Retsukai's panting was purely from lingering fear... Looking at the broken sycamore tree, Retsukai was gripped by fear for a moment.

As the saying goes, the phoenix will not perch on any tree but the parasol tree. Now that the parasol tree has been broken, is this dragon among men also in danger?

When Hanon's powerful punch came, Retsukai felt an overwhelming aura, as if the entire world was filled with a giant fist, leaving almost no way to escape! Hanon was clearly a slender girl!

Lie Haiwang knew that this was an extremely powerful attack unleashed by a top martial artist who had combined mind and energy into one and focused to the extreme. If it landed, he would most likely end up like the sycamore tree, with his spine broken.

Is Ye Haiwang, Ye Huayin, such a top-notch martial artist?

Retsu Kaioh has fully understood Kanon's strength; she is undoubtedly a Kaioh-level being, and may even be above Retsu Kaioh, who is known as the strongest!

Logically, the contest should have ended at this point, but Retsukai-oh had no intention of doing so—if he were to stop now, would he still be considered a martial artist?

The two, panting, met eyes and saw anxiety and... eagerness in each other's eyes.

Then, in the next second, without exchanging words or harsh threats, Kanon and Retsu Kaioh charged at each other, swinging their clubs and throwing punches, and began to fight.

This is probably the mutual respect between top martial artists, or perhaps the adrenaline rush that humans experience when they sense a crisis.

"They're two monsters." Looking at the broken sycamore tree, Sun Haiwang didn't care about the cold sweat dripping onto the ground: "Haiwang... Haiwang..." He wanted to say that this was the level that Haiwang should have, and that he was probably still far from it, but when the words reached his lips, he couldn't admit his incompetence and froze.

Mao Haiwang was also deeply shocked, but he didn't think about it himself, or rather, he subconsciously forgot about it after thinking about it. He just said, "Good opponents are rare. Lie Haiwang and Ye Haiwang are evenly matched. I really envy them!"

As for Li Haiwang, his martial arts skills were relatively weak, and he became Haiwang by relying on his "poisonous hand" technique. He didn't have a deep enough understanding of the clash between Hanon and Retsu Haiwang.

As for Van Hen, he remained in a dazed state.

Hanon and Retsukai continued exchanging blows, but Hanon still couldn't break through Retsukai's staff techniques. This man's martial arts skills seemed endless, with no set moves whatsoever. Whenever Hanon managed to figure out the trajectory of his staff techniques, Retsukai would immediately switch to another style, sometimes forceful and explosive, sometimes light and agile, and sometimes obscure and unpredictable, with endless variations. In short, Hanon, unable to figure out Retsukai's staff techniques, would occasionally be hit by a few blows.

On the other hand, Retsukai was always the more shocked one. He was proficient in all kinds of martial arts, and he knew twenty or thirty different staff techniques. He could fight with Kanon for a day and a night without repeating a single one. However, for some reason, the girl opposite him had gradually improved her adaptability to staff techniques. No matter how he switched staff techniques, Kanon was hit less and less often.

Besides, Retsu Kaioh has never been able to break through Kanon's defenses!

Lie Haiwang asked himself honestly. He had seen countless masters and experienced countless battles, and he had a good understanding of his own attack power—it was absolutely formidable! However, when his staff struck Ye Huayin, she seemed completely unaware. At most, she felt a slight pain and a few bruises. Moreover… Lie Haiwang felt like he was seeing things, because he clearly saw that the bruises he had made earlier, after a few moves, reappeared as a patch of pristine white skin!

What kind of martial arts did Ye Huayin practice? Was it the Golden Bell Cover or the Iron Shirt? Lie Haiwang naturally knew that Chinese martial arts had this kind of hard qigong, and there was even a Yang Haiwang who was famous for it, but no matter what, Ye Huayin's performance was too outstanding!

All I can say is that Hanon's muscle control is a natural talent, almost a miracle, and truly outside the experience of four thousand years of Chinese martial arts history...

As for the gradual reversal of the moves, it was more of a "martial arts" reason. Although Kanon couldn't break through Retsu Kaioh's staff technique, she could get a feel for Retsu Kaioh's rhythm!

A person's martial arts skills can be ever-changing, but their breathing rhythm and muscle contraction frequency are relatively stable. Especially for a top master like Retsu Kaioh, his breathing remains perfectly steady even after unleashing a full set of staff techniques. This gives Kanon the opportunity to grasp his rhythm. Unlike Hiyama Shunka, who has an extremely precise biological clock, she relies on her indestructible "invulnerability" and accumulates experience through continuous trial and error, and slowly, she still manages to make progress.

We can't delay any longer! Retsu Kaioh decides to end the battle.

As fate would have it, Kanon thought the same thing.

So, after using up a stick technique, Retsukai-oh suddenly raised his leg—in his final move, he unlocked a kicking technique!

However, Retsu Kaioh did not hit Kanon; he couldn't even kick his leg out.

Because Kanon unlocked "no beat" in her final move.

Retsu Kaioh decided to end the battle because he kept slipping into a passive position, but Kanon decided to end the battle because she felt that she had adapted to Retsu Kaioh's rhythm enough and could use the "no-beat" technique to end the match.

The complex and unpredictable staff techniques were no longer an obstacle for Kanon. Just as Retsu Kaioh was about to make his move, Kanon activated "No Beat," cutting into Retsu Kaioh's arms without warning and throwing a punch.

"Danger..."

That was Retsu Kaioh's only thought at that moment, and then there was a crisp "crack" as Retsu Kaioh was sent flying backward.

A gust of wind blew up the yellow leaves on the ground, past Huayin who was standing still after finishing her move, and pounced on Liehaiwang—this top master of Chinese martial arts did not fall!

In the instant that Hanon's fist struck him, the essence of four thousand years of Chinese martial arts was indeed concentrated in Retsukai-oh. He was able to react instantly, slightly shifting his wooden stick in a fraction of a second to block it in front of his chest. Hanon's fist broke the stick, but Retsukai-oh used the force to bounce off, landing steadily six or seven meters away.

"Hoo—" Taking a deep breath, Hanon had no choice but to revert to her attack stance: "You're really something, Retsu Kaioh, you weren't even defeated by this."

“And…” Hanon saw that Retsukai-oh hadn’t thrown away the stick; he was still holding the two broken pieces in his hands. Because the cracks were irregular, they had turned into two sharp splinters. “It seems you’ve become even more troublesome.”

With just one stick, Hanon could withstand the blows and find a way out, but with two splinters... even with her indestructible body, it was still somewhat dangerous.

It seems there's no way to hold back anymore...

However, just as Kanon was about to unlock more moves and continue her duel with Retsu Kaioh, Retsu Kaioh stopped, saying, "Let's stop here."

"Huh?" Hanon was almost about to get angry when she heard this, but nearly slipped on a leaf and fell: "Why?"

Lie Haiwang looked at the "wooden spikes" on his hands and sighed, "The staff is a divine weapon that does not kill. My choice of a wooden staff as a weapon meant that I would stop when the point was reached. Now the staff is broken and has become a weapon-like wooden spike. You have broken the principle of not killing... You have won this round, Ye Haiwang!"

Author's Note: This battle is over. I'll try to update four chapters tomorrow! But I need to think about the details of the next plot development...

I spent ages thinking about what pictures to include for this chapter, but I couldn't come up with anything...

In short, 400 chapters worth commemorating! Thank you to all the friends who have accompanied me along the way, thank you~

Section 407, Chapter 401: For Whom Do I Stand in the Wind and Dew of Midnight?

The two didn't call for a stop when Kanon broke the tree because the battle wasn't over yet. Now that Retsukai-oh has voluntarily surrendered, there's no reason for the duel to continue.

However, Kanon didn't really think that Retsukai-oh had lost. This master was at most ineffective against Kanon with his staff technique, and he was a strongman who was known to know all kinds of martial arts.

Well, at least Kanon still has some energy left.

Retsu Kaioh was fully aware of the situation. Neither he nor his opponent had gone all out, but under the rule of stopping short of a fight, both of them had already fully demonstrated their abilities... Ye Hana-ne was truly worthy of the title of Kaioh!

Retsu Haiwang was upright and honest, sometimes appearing rigid and stubborn, but his character was far from bad; on the contrary, he was a good man, a true hero. He extended his hand to Hana: "Ye Haiwang, I acknowledge your strength; you're truly remarkable!"

Hanon reached out and shook his hand, but her focus wasn't on the title of "Sea King": "Um, how much do you want to pay for the tree we just broke?"

...The Sea Kings were speechless for a moment. Enjoying special privileges in the Martial Arts Province, none of them really cared about a tree. However, Hana's coy demeanor did reveal a touch of girlish charm, making the Sea Kings realize once again that she was a woman.

"Haha, Ye Haiwang is really funny." Mao Haiwang chimed in again to liven things up: "Your battle with Lie Haiwang is definitely worth discussing! But I'm starving, shall we eat first?"

Hanon enjoyed her lunch very much; the temple's chef was as excellent as ever. The atmosphere at the table was also great. Everyone there was a martial artist, so they ate and drank well without being overly formal. After eating, they chatted about everything under the sun or discussed martial arts, which was much better than the welcoming banquet a few days ago.

However, Fan Haiwang's behavior was a bit strange. He was usually very talkative, but he was surprisingly silent at the dinner table and didn't like to talk much. He looked like he had something on his mind. On the contrary, Li Haiwang took over the responsibility of the host and chatted with everyone while drinking.

After lunch, Kanon returned to the hotel. Butler Ito had already returned as well. Kanon greeted him, took a shower, and then reverted to her homebody mode, curling up in bed to play video games...

"Hmm~" Hana stretched and opened her eyes, finding herself lying on the bed fully clothed, holding a game controller in her hand, while the game character on the opposite screen remained in a daze.

"Did I just fall asleep?" After passing three levels in the morning and fighting against the Sea King, it's only natural to feel sleepy after relaxing after a big lunch! Looking out the window at "a crescent moon hanging over sparse paulownia trees, the night just ending and all is quiet", Hana slept straight until midnight.

The scenic area closes early, and although the streetlights are bright, it is completely silent outside, with no chirping of insects or birds. Huayin decided to continue sleeping, otherwise she would be sleepy again tomorrow afternoon—but she couldn't fall asleep.

It wasn't that Hanon was refreshed after a nap, but rather that she found herself feeling a strange unease that kept her awake, preventing her from falling asleep no matter how much she tossed and turned.

Hua Yin sat up and pondered: "I just had a nightmare and that's why I woke up. Could it be related to this feeling?"