Xu Mo's words caught Baldie's attention for a brief moment, and then he burst out laughing. Though he couldn't tell if Xu Mo was truly confident or just a naive fool caught up in the heat of the moment, he found Xu Mo's attitude, not even bothering to take him seriously, rather interesting and refreshing.
"Heh, aside from the old guys in the gang, no one dares speak to me like this anymore... Kid, you're something else. If you ever get tired of school, why not join our Northern Dao gang and follow Big Brother San? We can have a good time together!"
Xu Mo seemed to ignore Baldie's words entirely. He stood casually, showing no sign of defense, his eyes half-lidded in a meditative pose, almost like a monk in deep thought.
As someone who had been in the underworld for years, Baldie couldn't help but feel a sense of unease at Xu Mo's calm demeanor. He carefully scrutinized Xu Mo's entire figure, but still didn't make a move.
"Brother San[1]! Hurry up! Crush this kid and see if his bones are as tough as his mouth!" One of Baldie's underlings shouted from behind.
Baldie, sensing he might be overly cautious, smiled wryly, and then charged forward with a standard horse stance punch aimed directly at Xu Mo's chest.
Compared to the tall and broad Ouyang Ning, Xu Mo, who stood barely 1.7 meters tall, looked a bit too frail. Though this was a fight, it wasn't a mortal gang rivalry, and Baldie didn't want to kill anyone over something trivial. So, despite the apparent aggression, he only used about seventy percent of his strength. He just wanted to injure Xu Mo the way he did Ouyang Ning.
Bang!
Xu Mo fell straight to the ground with the punch, but to Baldie's surprise, he stumbled back a half-step, clutching his right wrist, looking shocked.
Baldie hadn't expected it. Despite landing a solid punch, right where he intended, the feeling wasn't what he expected—there was no elasticity, no give. It felt more like hitting a wooden post, cold and solid, and the shock from the punch rebounded into his wrist, nearly injuring it.
Xu Mo lay motionless on the ground for a few seconds, and just as everyone around him hesitated, wondering if he had passed out, he suddenly sat up like a corpse coming back to life. Without missing a beat, he brushed the dust off his clothes, stood up, and calmly returned to his previous position.
Almost everyone in the room had assumed Xu Mo wouldn't be able to take Baldie's punch, but the sight before them was beyond belief. It was like watching the first rays of dawn in the darkness, and the crowd erupted in cheers.
Some of the girls were so moved they hugged each other and cried, while the less courageous guys who'd previously remained silent now found themselves inspired.
The group of Baldie's men were equally stunned by their boss's failure, staring at each other in confusion, unsure what to say. The cheers that were about to break out from their side were quickly stifled.
Xu Mo let out a light breath. "The 'Unmovable as a Mountain' defense skill gives me enough protection that I can withstand a car crash, so this punch wasn't much."
The only regret was how awkward he looked when falling.
Baldie, clearly not convinced that Xu Mo had taken the punch purely with his body, frowned. "What's under your clothes? What did you stuff in there?"
Xu Mo didn't bother explaining. Instead, he mimicked Baldie from earlier and shrugged off his shirt, tossing it behind him as a sign that there was no trickery involved.
Although his muscles weren't as grotesquely developed as Baldie's, Xu Mo's body, strengthened by fragments from the apocalypse, was impressive in its own right. Each muscle was sculpted to perfection, showcasing both strength and fluidity. The light from the hallway's spotlights cast dramatic shadows, giving his body a dynamic, almost artistic appearance. The sight immediately earned a few astonished gasps from the students behind him.
"What kind of martial arts do you practice?" Baldie asked, now certain that Xu Mo had used real strength to endure his punch. The disdain in his eyes was replaced with a serious respect. At last, he recognized Xu Mo as an equal.
"Unmovable as a Mountain..." Xu Mo simply answered, knowing the other guy wouldn't be able to figure it out anyway.
Baldie puzzled over the name, trying to decipher its origins, but couldn't place it. Still, he didn't let that stop him. As soon as his wrist had recovered, he launched another powerful punch.
This time, Baldie didn't hold back, delivering a blow with all his might, putting everything he had into it. After all, in front of so many of his men, he couldn't afford to lose face, and he wasn't about to be defeated by a kid. His strength wasn't just for show.
Xu Mo seemed to be unaffected by Baldie's rush. The moment Baldie threw the punch, Xu Mo had already activated the "Unmovable as a Mountain" stance. The blow landed, but to Xu Mo, it barely caused any discomfort. He collapsed to the ground, remaining still for a few seconds before popping back up, ready to continue.
"Now it's a tie. So… is it my turn?" Xu Mo smiled slightly, his face illuminated by sunlight in a way that, in Baldie's eyes, seemed almost cruel.
"Xu Mo!" Xu Bi Lin, unable to believe that the mild-mannered boy beside her had such terrifying power, suddenly felt relief wash over her, and couldn't help but burst into tears of joy.
He Shang, the otherworldly being who had always been nonchalant about Xu Mo's explosive strength, now found himself standing on a chair, sneering and mockingly making a gesture of contempt toward Xu Mo. He was immediately dragged down and given a thorough beating by Zhang Xiaoxiao.
"Xu Mo! Go for it! This time, it's all up to you!" The students on Xu Mo's side were now full of energy. Their cheers echoed through the second-floor corridor, even attracting a crowd from the first floor.
"Brother San, should we help out?" Some of Baldie's men, losing confidence, asked quietly.
"Get lost! In this world, we may use our power to intimidate the weak, but we never break our word! How many times have I told you? Get out of here!" Baldie shouted, dismissing the suggestion. Then he found a clear spot, took a standard stance, and slapped his chest, calling attention to himself.
"Come on, kid! Let me see how strong your punch really is!"
Xu Mo already knew that Baldie's martial skills were no joke, and since his body had been reinforced, he was looking forward to testing his limits on such a sturdy opponent. He didn't hesitate anymore and rushed forward, aiming a full-force punch at Baldie's chest.
Despite Baldie's preparation, the punch hit with the force of a sledgehammer. Baldie, his face drained of color, staggered back several steps, gasping for air, trying to recover from the overwhelming impact.
Baldie had fought many battles in his life, taken down countless opponents, and worked his way to his current position. Yet in all his experiences, he had never encountered anyone with such overwhelming power—especially not someone as young as Xu Mo.
But, as the saying goes, he was the leader for a reason—his loyalty to his brothers was something he valued above all else. Despite the shock, he wasn't about to go back on his word.
After a brief moment, Baldie regained his composure, nodded seriously, and said, "Let's go again!"
Xu Mo's brow furrowed. He rubbed his right hand, which had almost gone numb from the recoil. Baldie's training was more formidable than he expected.
In this situation, dragging it out would be a waste of time—and possibly risky.
It was time to end this.
[1] The blad man