Ma Daoming couldn’t help but suppress a laugh; this Little Apprentice was really too funny.
Across from him, Qin Heng and the others were stunned, feeling somewhat inexplicable.
Wasn’t Sikong Jing supposed to be ? Could it be that He Jia was truly so formidable that even Sikong Jing couldn’t move him?
And those among the students who didn’t recognize Sikong Jing nearly wanted to find a crack to crawl into, feeling utterly humiliated.
That performance was even more embarrassing than Qin Lao’s inability to hurt anyone!
However, in the next instant, a crisp sound rang out, as Sikong Jing, seemingly out of nowhere, extended his palm and fiercely slapped He Jia’s face, the clear sound echoing throughout the arena.
The He Jia opposite him didn’t have even the slightest reaction.
Ma Daoming, with a mischievous smile on his face, was dumbfounded, as were the surrounding Heavenly Dao Palace students, their mouths agape with shock.
The Holy Dragon Palace students, who were about to seek a crevice to hide in, stared in disbelief; this Little Apprentice had actually slapped He Jia across the face, and with such an audible impact—how did he do it?
Could it be that He Jia was falling asleep?
At this moment, He Jia was more confounded than anyone; his initial reaction had been to send Sikong Jing flying, but in that instant, he felt a terrible force invading his body...
At this time, it was as if four Divine Dragons were rampaging wildly within him, burrowing into his limbs, leaving him completely immobilized.
And just as both friends and foes alike were dumbfounded, Sikong Jing reached out another palm and ferociously slapped He Jia’s face again.
Instantly, both sides of He Jia’s face swelled to resemble Five-finger Mountain.
In this moment of utter silence, Sikong Jing said in a light tone, "Won’t you step back? Step back!"
After the third slap, He Jia’s face was bright red, but he couldn’t move at all.
The True Qi within his body surged, but it was completely suppressed by four terrifying forces, erupting outwards.
He Jia felt like he was going to suffocate from the frustration.
"Oh? You still won’t retreat after that? Then I shall not hold back," Sikong Jing said, as the corners of his mouth twisted into a chilling smirk. Followed by a booming sound, his True Qi erupted, and he stomped on He Jia’s head with a crushing leg stomp.
With a thud, He Jia immediately knelt down, yet still showed no intention of retreating.
In fact, it was not that he didn’t want to retreat.
It was... that Sikong Jing didn’t allow him to retreat; neither the several slaps nor the recent leg stomp were done with forward force; immobilized He Jia naturally couldn’t move back.
In an instant, the previously quiet scene erupted into an uproar.
Chen Tong, the Chief of Cloud Dragon Mountain, exclaimed with wide eyes, "Xuanhe Realm Peak."
Finally, when Sikong Jing’s True Qi burst forth, those around him recognized his realm. The Holy Dragon Palace students bore faces of disbelief; this unheard-of Little Apprentice actually possessed such a terrifying realm.
Across from them, the students from Heavenly Dao Palace aboard the Divine Spaceship were once again flabbergasted; this was absolutely not some Little Apprentice.
At that moment, Sikong Jing looked down condescendingly at He Jia, who couldn’t even utter a word, and sneered, "To think you knelt before me; but kneeling is useless, I want you to promptly step back."
As his voice fell, Sikong Jing slapped He Jia’s face yet again...
At last, Ma Daoming reacted.
This wasn’t an issue with He Jia, but this Little Apprentice had used some dreadful, insidious move on him.
The kneeling of He Jia, as well as the few slaps, seemed as though they had fiercely struck the face of the entire Long Night Heavenly Dao Palace.
Ma Daoming was here to show off his might, not to be humiliated.
With that, he charged towards Sikong Jing like a madman.
The next moment, Qin Heng’s figure suddenly appeared, blocking Ma Daoming’s path: "Elder Ma, this is a fair and open duel, and your apprentice is already about to retreat. Do you really want to go back on your word?"
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh...
As Qin Heng’s voice fell, Huo Yanmei and the others also surrounded the Divine Spaceship of the Heavenly Dao Palace, exerting their oppressive presence outward, preventing anyone from getting within half an inch of Sikong Jing.
Although Qin Heng and company didn’t know how Sikong Jing had managed it, they knew that Sikong Jing was purposely humiliating He Jia.
Seeing this, Ma Daoming burst out angrily: "You are..."
"What is it, you have the face to intervene in a duel between students?"
Qin Heng interrupted directly, a cold sneer on his lips: "Or are you saying that you want all the factions and realms to come see and judge for themselves?"
At the end of his words, Ma Daoming’s old face turned beet red.
This was a duel between students of the two major academies, with no tricks involved.
Moreover, the challenge was proposed by them. If he stopped it by force now, it would obviously be their Heavenly Dao Palace that was at fault, no matter how one argued.
On the side, Sikong Jing paid no attention to the surroundings and continued to He Jia: "Why haven’t you stepped back? Is your backbone really that stiff? Very well, then I will crush your bones..."
As he finished speaking, Sikong Jing grabbed He Jia’s arm firmly with one hand.
Ma Daoming’s face changed again. He Jia was their super genius of the Heavenly Dao Palace; if his bones were crushed, he would be ruined.
However, Sikong Jing still held onto him, looking resolutely at Ma Daoming: "Release our people, immediately!"
Creak, creak, creak...
As he spoke, Sikong Jing’s grip continued to tighten, an excruciating noise coming from He Jia’s bones and a look of extreme pain spreading across his face.
Ma Daoming glared fiercely at Sikong Jing and then at Qin Heng and the rest, finally grinding his teeth and shouting: "Release them!"
In an instant, the twenty-some experts of the Holy Dragon Palace who were previously captured were freed.
The moment they were released, they rushed to Qin Heng’s side and explained: "Vice Palace Master, we never intended to kill the students of the Heavenly Dao Palace, and Ma Daoming wasn’t just passing by; he was waiting for us at the Long Wen Hao."
"It was Lang Yizhan of Wanbao Pavilion who guessed that we would go to rescue Baili Que and deliberately set the trap."
Upon hearing this, Sikong Jing and Qin Heng were minutely shaken.
Previously, it was Lei Zizhen who went to Lang Yizhan to ask for Baili Que’s location.
And since Lang Yizhan was also an Inner Palace Student of the Heavenly Dao General Academy, he guessed that if Lei Zizhen was asking for the location, something must have gone wrong...
Therefore, he deliberately set the trap in advance to lure the Holy Dragon Palace in.
They were waiting for the experts of the Holy Dragon Palace to come and save Baili Que, and then find an excuse to flaunt their power over the Holy Dragon Palace. But they never expected to encounter Sikong Jing, who didn’t play by the usual rules.
"Elder Ma, my Holy Dragon Palace has no grievances with you, right?" Qin Heng, after listening to the explanation, had an icy glint in his eyes, which was forbiddingly chilling.
Ma Daoming’s eyes flashed coldly, and he sneered: "It was you who wanted to kill our Heavenly Dao Palace’s apprentices, I saw it with my own eyes."
He had long been prepared to shamelessly deny setting up the trap, and he certainly wouldn’t admit to it, as it was he who had the final say in this matter.
However, no sooner had the words left his mouth than Sikong Jing slapped He Jia across the face, the crisp sound as if it had been Ma Daoming’s own cheek being struck.
The latter’s sneer vanished, and he bellowed: "Little Apprentice, you are seeking death!"
Sikong Jing said coldly: "Where is Baili Que? Hand him over, or He Jia won’t be taking a single step back."
With those words, the faces of the people from the Heavenly Dao Palace turned crimson.
Previously, they were confident that He Jia would not take a single step back, but now the opponent’s Little Apprentice was using the threat of stepping back to negotiate, meaning that as long as He Jia couldn’t step back, the duel would not end.
The duel not ending meant that He Jia had to keep suffering.
Ma Daoming went mad in a split second, counter-threatening: "If you dare to make another move, do you believe that Baili Que will be dead immediately?"