The fight began.
Yang Kai moved first. It was always better to control the pace. He launched a punch straight to Zhou Ding Jun's chest. A basic move, predictable but solid.
His fist cut through the air. Proper form. Decent speed for his cultivation level. The original Yang Kai's training was evident in the clean execution.
As expected, Zhou Ding dodged effortlessly.
The burly teenager shifted slightly to the left. Minimal movement. Maximum efficiency. He did not even need to step back. Just a subtle weight transfer and Yang Kai's fist sailed harmlessly past.
"His reaction speed is good. He did not even need to step back. Just shifted slightly. He is used to fighting weaker opponents."
Zhou Ding Jun had fought dozens of challenges. Maybe hundreds. He knew how to read attacks from lower stage cultivators. Their movements were slower, their techniques more obvious.
Yang Kai followed up with a tiger fist. Powerful, direct, but nothing special. Zhou Ding Jun dodged again.
Another clean dodge. Zhou Ding Jun's footwork was smooth, practiced. He was not even breathing hard. This was routine for him.
Then he counterattacked.
A fist came straight toward him.
Fast. Much faster than Yang Kai's attacks. The gap between Third Stage and Fifth Stage was brutally apparent in that single motion.
Yang Kai barely had time to react, but his body moved instinctively, twisting just enough to avoid a direct hit.
His new mind worked in tandem with his borrowed body's muscle memory. The original Yang Kai had been hit like this countless times. His body knew how to minimize damage even if he could not avoid the blow entirely.
Still, pain exploded in his ribs.
The glancing strike felt like being hit with a wooden club. The impact drove the air from his lungs. His ribs screamed in protest. Even a partial hit from someone two stages higher carried immense force.
"Even a glancing blow hurts this much? I need to be more careful."
If that had been a direct hit, he would have been finished. One punch and the fight would be over. His malnourished body could not withstand that kind of damage.
Suppressing the pain, Yang Kai retreated, keeping his stance balanced.
He forced himself to breathe steadily. Showing pain was showing weakness. In High Heaven Pavilion, weakness invited more attacks.
"Eh?" Zhou Ding Jun raised an eyebrow. Surprised.
His expression shifted from bored confidence to mild interest. That dodge had been unexpected. Usually Yang Kai just took hits directly.
"He did not expect me to dodge at all. He thought I would take the hit head on."
The original Yang Kai had fought with straightforward determination. No tricks. No evasion. Just direct attacks and accepting whatever punishment came. It was honorable but stupid.
That little moment of hesitation, it told Yang Kai everything he needed to know.
Zhou Ding Jun was not used to adapting.
He relied on overwhelming strength. When facing weaker opponents, he did not need strategy. Just hit them harder than they could hit back. Simple. Effective. But predictable.
But what did it matter? The difference in strength was still too great. Even if he saw an opening, he did not have the power to take advantage of it.
Knowing your opponent's weakness meant nothing if you lacked the strength to exploit it. Yang Kai's punches would barely bruise Zhou Ding Jun even with clean hits.
Still, knowledge was valuable.
"I need to push my limits. Even if I lose, I need to figure out how much I can endure. How far I can go."
This fight was not about winning. It was about learning. Understanding this body. Testing its capabilities. Finding its breaking point.
The original Yang Kai had wasted one hundred and forty seven challenges. Just enduring beatings without learning from them.
The new Yang Kai would not make that mistake.
Again. And again. And again.
He stepped forward again.
His legs protested. His ribs ached. His breathing was already labored. But he moved forward anyway. Standing still meant waiting to be hit.
A low kick. Blocked.
Zhou Ding Jun brought his shin down to intercept. The impact sent vibrations up Yang Kai's leg. Like kicking a tree trunk.
A punch. Dodged.
Another casual sidestep. Zhou Ding Jun was not even trying hard. This was practice for him.
Another counterattack. Hit.
This time Yang Kai could not dodge. The fist caught him square in the shoulder. The impact spun him halfway around.
Yang Kai flew back, landing hard on the ground.
The dirt scraped his palms. The impact jarred his already aching ribs. Pain blossomed across his back where he hit the ground.
The crowd laughed. Someone muttered, "Here we go again."
The familiar scene played out. Yang Kai on the ground. Zhou Ding Jun standing victorious. The crowd enjoying the show. Nothing had changed.
Except everything had changed.
He exhaled slowly. The pain was real. But it was not unbearable.
His previous life had taught him pain tolerance. Long shifts lifting heavy boxes. Injuries from workplace accidents. The dull ache of poverty and exhaustion. This was just more of the same.
Different source. Same sensation.
He got up.
Dirt clung to his black robes. Blood trickled from his split lip. His shoulder throbbed where he had been hit. But he stood.
"Again."
The single word cut through the morning air. No hesitation. No doubt. Just determination.
Zhou Ding Jun frowned. "You are seriously getting up?"
There was confusion in his voice now. And maybe a hint of respect. Most people stayed down after that hit. Yang Kai's body should have given up.
But his mind was from someone who had worked through injuries. Someone who understood that pain was temporary but giving up was permanent.
Yang Kai did not answer. Instead, he charged forward again.
His movements were unsteady. His speed had decreased. But he moved forward anyway. Retreat was not an option.
Three feet away, he shifted suddenly and swept his leg low, an unexpected leg whip.
The technique came from his previous life. A dirty move from street fighting. Attack the legs when you cannot match upper body strength.
Zhou Ding Jun reacted a second too late. His balance wobbled slightly.
For just a moment, the Fifth Stage cultivator was off balance. His weight shifted awkwardly. His stance broke.
But that was all.
The opening vanished as quickly as it appeared. Zhou Ding Jun recovered instantly, his superior cultivation allowing him to stabilize.
Yang Kai felt a sudden impact. He was the one sent flying again.
Zhou Ding Jun had turned his recovery into a counterattack. A palm strike to Yang Kai's chest. The force was greater than before. Anger had entered the equation.
"Tch. My body is too weak. Even if I land a hit, I cannot generate enough force to matter."
The fundamental problem remained unchanged. Technique could help. Strategy could help. But without raw power, he could only delay the inevitable.
"Again!"
The word came out hoarse. His throat was dry. His chest heaved with each breath. But his eyes remained clear.
The fight continued.
Yang Kai attacked. Fell. Got up.
Each time a little slower. Each time a little weaker. But each time, he got up.
Attacked. Fell. Got up.
The pattern repeated. The crowd's laughter began to fade. This was no longer entertainment. This was something else.
Attacked. Fell. Got up.
The more he fought, the more he understood his new body.
Every movement taught him something. How his muscles responded. How his energy flowed. Where his limits were. What he could push through and what would break him.
His strength was lacking. His speed was barely acceptable. His endurance was better than expected.
The original Yang Kai's greatest asset. The ability to take punishment and keep moving. That stubborn refusal to quit had built incredible pain tolerance.
The murmurs in the crowd began to change.
"Why is he still standing?"
Confusion replaced mockery. This was not normal. Yang Kai should have stayed down several hits ago.
"Is he insane?"
Maybe. Or maybe he just had nothing left to lose.
Zhou Ding Jun sighed in frustration. "Are you crazy? Just give up before you actually break something."
There was genuine concern in his voice now. This had stopped being a simple challenge. If Yang Kai got seriously injured, there would be questions. Reports. Investigations.
Zhou Ding felt real bitter. He had not imagined that his opponent was such a crazy person.
This was supposed to be easy. Quick fight. Quick Contribution Points. Move on with his day. Instead, Yang Kai kept getting up. Kept attacking. Kept forcing the fight to continue.
What was the point? He was clearly outmatched. Any rational person would have conceded by now.
Yang Kai wiped the blood from his mouth. His breath was ragged, but his mind was clear.
His vision swam slightly. His legs trembled. His entire body screamed for him to stop. But his mind remained sharp.
He had already learned what he wanted from this fight.
The limits of this body. The gap between stages. How cultivation enhanced physical capabilities. The rhythm of real combat in this world.
Every piece of information was valuable. Every exchange taught him something the original Yang Kai had never learned.
"I cannot win today. But next time, I will be stronger."
Not empty confidence. Just simple fact. He understood his weaknesses now. He knew what needed improvement. And with the memories of two lifetimes, he had knowledge the original Yang Kai never possessed.
Next time would be different.
He exhaled, rolling his shoulders. The pain was still there, but he could ignore it.
His body was at its limit. One more exchange and he would truly collapse. Time to end this before permanent damage occurred.
Within the High Heaven Pavilion disciples' internal struggles, every year there are many who die. Zhou Ding Jun seeing this unflinching and courageous brother, could not help but feel a bit alarmed.
Death was not uncommon. The sect's brutal competition claimed lives regularly. If Zhou Ding Jun went too far, Yang Kai could die. And then questions would arise about why an Ordinary Disciple killed a Trial Disciple in what should have been a routine challenge.
When he thought that, Zhou Ding Jun knew he could not reach such a degree and was afraid that he would have to surrender.
Surrendering to someone two stages lower would be humiliating. But it was better than accidentally committing murder. Zhou Ding Jun's mind raced, trying to find a way out of this situation that Yang Kai had forced.
Zhou Ding Jun knew that if he did not settle things now, then there would be no end.
Yang Kai would just keep getting up. Keep attacking. Keep pushing. Until one of them could not continue.
This madman would let himself be beaten to death rather than surrender.
Thinking of this, Zhou Ding Jun rushed forward to execute a palm knife to Yang Kai's neck bone. Yang Kai with an imposing manner swiftly escaped.
The strike came fast. Aimed at the neck. A finishing move designed to render an opponent unconscious. Not lethal, but incapacitating.
Yang Kai's body moved on instinct. Pure survival reflex. He twisted away from the blow, his malnourished frame actually proving useful. Less mass meant easier movement.
The palm knife missed by inches.
Zhou Ding Jun's eyes widened in genuine surprise. At this point, Yang Kai should have been too exhausted to dodge.
But Yang Kai's consciousness was not native to this body. His soul was fresh, unbroken by years of defeat. His will was intact.
The fight ended there.
Not with Yang Kai's surrender. Not with his defeat. But with mutual understanding that continuing would serve no purpose.
Zhou Ding Jun stepped back, raising his hand in the formal signal. "Enough. I claim victory."
The crowd stirred. Technically Zhou Ding Jun had won. Yang Kai had not landed a meaningful blow. But something about this fight felt different.
Yang Kai nodded slowly, accepting the outcome. His vision blurred at the edges. His legs finally gave out and he sank to one knee.
The Contribution Points would be deducted. His record would show one hundred and forty eight losses. Nothing had changed on paper.
But everything had changed in reality.... because someone noticed him.