Chapter 1315: One Punch
"It's about time..." Qiao Jiajin said, looking down at his own leg. "Big guy... I might have to trouble you again..."
"Huh? What do you mean...?"
"Ah... I really am sorry for putting you through all this." Qiao Jiajin's face was filled with apology. "You've already used up so much strength. If we get the chance later, drinks are on me."
"Wait a minute—"
Before Zhang Shan could understand what Qiao Jiajin meant, the man had already launched himself forward using his only remaining good leg—his right leg—slamming it hard against the ground.
The deafening stomp seemed to make the entire room shudder.
Midair, Qiao Jiajin switched legs, altering his attack trajectory.
Since when was there a martial arts technique that could be executed with only one leg?
Using his intact right leg as a fulcrum, he swung his completely carbonized left leg like a club, hurling it straight at Azure Dragon.
Neither Azure Dragon nor Zhang Shan seemed to have anticipated such a bizarre offensive move, yet it was precisely the attack that could maximize destructive power.
*Smack!!*
A strange, crisp sound exploded within the room. In an instant, carbon dust scattered everywhere and black smoke filled the air.
Qiao Jiajin's left leg shattered upon impact with Azure Dragon's body, breaking apart completely from the thigh root, crumbling like a piece of charcoal smashed against stone.
Shards clattered down like rain, falling into the pool of blood on the floor.
Azure Dragon's body began to splinter across large areas. His right shoulder and part of his waist had vanished, countless fragments flying in all directions, some even striking Zhang Shan's face.
Before Zhang Shan could even process his shock, his own left leg suddenly burst apart as well. Fortunately, that leg had long since carbonized, so he felt no additional pain.
He quickly activated "Conviction," trying to reconstruct his entire left leg.
At the damaged parts of Azure Dragon's body, fresh flesh rapidly began regenerating—far faster than Qiao Jiajin's leg was growing back.
Qiao Jiajin landed on one foot, steadied himself, and then threw a fierce punch straight at Azure Dragon's still-carbonizing face.
*Crack!*
Another brittle sound rang through the room. Azure Dragon's neck twisted sideways, his entire jaw shattering and flying off from the force of the blow. Qiao Jiajin's fist was left bloodied, cut by the hard fragments.
"Big guy, don't worry about the wound, focus on the leg!"
Zhang Shan nodded, clutching his own fist, and hurriedly worked on restoring his leg.
Qiao Jiajin, standing on one leg, seized the opportunity to unleash both fists like bullets, relentlessly pounding the carbonized parts of Azure Dragon's body.
When would he ever get another chance like this? Beating a man stronger than the Terminator while he stood there helplessly...
Qiao Jiajin knew his time was limited, so he increased the force behind his punches.
Shards flew everywhere. Under Qiao Jiajin's storm of blows, Azure Dragon's body gradually became fragmented and broken.
The only eye that could still move slowly filled with fury, yet every major joint in his body remained carbonized. He couldn't even raise a hand to block.
With a dozen or so punches, Qiao Jiajin had disassembled the carbonized parts of Azure Dragon's upper body, leaving only the already-regenerated flesh. That flesh was connected by red sinews and couldn't be broken apart further, so he shifted his assault to Azure Dragon's legs.
Under the influence of "Heaven's Vigor," he felt like an indefatigable woodpecker. His hands were already shredded by the hard fragments, but his fists never stopped.
After dismantling the lower half, Azure Dragon's upper body had nearly completely recovered.
So Qiao Jiajin simply alternated—upper body, then lower, then upper again—a ceaseless exchange of fists. Black fragments flew everywhere.
Azure Dragon realized that the amount of flesh he needed to regenerate was growing increasingly massive, as though he had been struck dozens of times by "Thunderclap."
After a few seconds, his "Heaven's Vigor" recovery speed visibly slowed, buying the two men precious time to heal.
Qiao Jiajin continued his reinforced iron fists for a full two minutes straight. But standing on only one leg, he couldn't coordinate his waist and legs to deliver full power, so he had to rely on volume of strikes to suppress his opponent.
Then, Qiao Jiajin suddenly felt his left foot touch the ground.
Zhang Shan had finished recovering. He stood up, flexed his limbs, confirmed there were no other issues, and charged toward Azure Dragon.
He knew Qiao Jiajin had bought them enough time with his own body. Now they had to bring Azure Dragon down.
Qiao Jiajin planted both feet firmly, sank into a horse stance, and threw a full-power punch straight at Azure Dragon's chest.
At the same moment, Zhang Shan leaped into the air, driving his massive knee forward like a flying knee strike aimed at Azure Dragon's back.
*Smack!!*
A thunderous sound rang out again.
But Qiao Jiajin's fist was caught—gripped tightly by Azure Dragon's hand.
Though his body was shattered, his limbs had regained movement. His eyes were now bloodshot.
So that was it—Azure Dragon had slowed his overall regeneration just to restore his arms.
Before Qiao Jiajin could react, Azure Dragon spun around and swung his arm back, smashing his fist into Zhang Shan's knee, sending him flying. At the same time, Qiao Jiajin felt a sharp pain in his own knee.
"Have I been too lenient with you?" Azure Dragon twisted his broken body, his voice cold as ice. "How dare you consume so much of my 'Conviction'... Even Black Tortoise never injured me this badly."
"Is that so?" Qiao Jiajin forced a bitter smile. "Guess we're just a little bolder than most."
He noticed that Azure Dragon's state had changed significantly—not physically, but mentally.
Prolonged use of regeneration to maintain his body must have taken a heavy toll on his mind.
"Since you don't want to kill Heavenly Dragon, then you can die yourselves."
Azure Dragon's flesh rapidly spread and reknit. He twisted his neck unnaturally, trying to restore his body to peak condition. But some parts of his flesh seemed unable to regenerate fully—there were now actual signs of injury.
His forehead, arms, and chest bore fresh wounds. These small injuries gave Qiao Jiajin the first glimmer of hope in this entire fight. If a man can be wounded, then he can die.
Without a second thought, he clenched his other fist, gathered all his strength, and sent it flying toward Azure Dragon's cheek.
"Little Green, taste this!"
"Still struggling..." Azure Dragon was about to use "Soul-Stealing Gaze" to control Qiao Jiajin, when that eerie voice once again drifted through his mind.
*Wait for me...*
The voice was like a blade, stabbing into his mind every time he tried to use "Soul-Stealing Gaze."
Before he could figure out who the voice belonged to, his face met Qiao Jiajin's fist—square on.
The force of that punch was immense. When it connected with his jaw, his entire body went numb as if electrocuted, all sensation lost. It felt as though his very soul had been knocked out of his body.
Azure Dragon's shattered body spun horizontally in the air, like a top that had been hit with a whip. Then, propelled by the impact, he flew far away, rolling continuously across the ground for over a dozen meters before finally stopping—right at the bottom of the steps.