BDSMST -Chapter 125 Deciding Victory with a Single Move

The tall man’s questioning voice echoed through the cavern, carrying undisguised hostility. The people behind him also raised their weapons one after another, and the atmosphere once again became tense, like drawn swords and cocked crossbows.

Gu Yan tightened his grip on the blade in his hand and met the man’s gaze calmly. He could sense that the aura emanating from this man was fierce and pure—the kind forged through countless life-and-death battles.

“We mean no harm,” Bai Yutang stepped forward and cupped his hands politely. “We came here to search for medicine and had no intention of offending anyone. That beast attacked us first.”

The tall man snorted coldly, clearly unconvinced. An older tribesman beside him whispered something in his ear and pointed toward the place where the beast had sunk. A trace of surprise flashed across the tall man’s face. When he looked at Gu Yan again, besides hostility there was now also a hint of scrutiny.

“No matter who you are, outsiders are not welcome here,” the tall man said, pointing his bone spear toward the path they had come from. “Leave immediately.”

“We cannot leave,” Gu Yan replied. His voice was not loud, yet it rang out clearly. “We must enter the Medicine King Valley.”

“Medicine King Valley?” Hearing this name, the tall man’s expression darkened even more. “So you really came for the sacred land! Then we absolutely cannot let you stay!”

He stepped forward, and the aura around him surged dramatically.

“Wuhuan, stop.”

A slightly aged voice came from behind the crowd. An old woman with snow-white hair, her face deeply lined with wrinkles, slowly walked forward supported by two young girls. In her hand she held a bone staff.

She appeared to be the leader of these people, someone of very high status.

The tall man called Wuhuan immediately restrained his aura when he saw her and stepped aside respectfully.

“High Priestess.”

The High Priestess’s cloudy eyes moved slowly. She first glanced at the nearly destroyed walkway, then at the traces of blood remaining in the swamp, before finally turning her gaze toward Gu Yan’s group.

“You were able to kill the Black-Scaled Crocodile?” Her voice was hoarse, carrying a hint of doubt.

“By luck,” Gu Yan answered calmly.

Her gaze lingered on him for a moment before shifting to Wei Ziqian and the guards behind him. Though those guards looked tired, their formation remained orderly and their presence steady—it was obvious they were elite warriors.

“You are not ordinary people,” the High Priestess concluded. “But the rules of the sacred land cannot be broken. Outsiders must accept a trial. If you win, you may stay. If you lose, take your weapons and companions and return the way you came.”

“What trial?” Gu Yan asked.

The High Priestess turned to Wuhuan.

“He is the strongest warrior of our tribe. You will send one person to compete with him. No weapons—only fists and feet. Whoever falls first loses.”

Everyone’s eyes immediately focused on Gu Yan. He was unquestionably the strongest member of their group.

“I’ll do it.”

Gu Yan didn’t hesitate. He handed his saber to Wei Ziqian beside him.

Jiang Suisui stepped forward and held his hand gently. “Be careful.”

Gu Yan turned back and gave her a reassuring look before striding into the center of the open space.

Wuhuan also removed the fur vest from his upper body, revealing a bronze-colored, powerfully muscled frame. He pounded his chest and let out a low roar before taking his fighting stance.

The duel was about to begin.

Wuhuan’s attacks were just like the man himself—direct and ferocious. He opened with a heavy straight punch, the wind from his fist howling as it shot toward Gu Yan’s face.

Gu Yan did not block it head-on. With a slight shift of his body, he avoided the powerful strike. At the same time, his elbow thrust forward, striking Wuhuan squarely beneath the ribs.

Wuhuan grunted, his body swaying slightly. But his reaction was extremely fast. His other hand turned from a fist into a claw, grabbing toward Gu Yan’s shoulder.

Yet Gu Yan’s arm seemed boneless. It twisted along the direction of Wuhuan’s force, wrapping around his arm. Borrowing the momentum, Gu Yan attempted to throw him with a shoulder throw.

But Wuhuan’s lower body was as stable as an old tree rooted deep in the earth. Planting his legs firmly, he forcefully resisted Gu Yan’s strength. His body only staggered slightly—but he did not fall.

The moment the two exchanged blows, the difference between them became clear.

Wuhuan’s strength and endurance were superior to Gu Yan’s, but Gu Yan’s skill, speed, and combat intelligence far surpassed his opponent.

What followed became an ultimate clash between raw power and refined technique.

Wuhuan’s attacks were wide and fierce. Every punch and kick carried the force to split stone and crack monuments. Like a raging bear, he tried to crush his opponent with pure brute strength.

Gu Yan, on the other hand, moved like a cheetah weaving through the forest. His body was elusive, never confronting Wuhuan head-on. Using agile footwork, he slipped through the gaps in Wuhuan’s attacks, and every strike he made landed precisely on vulnerable points—joints, ribs, and other weak spots.

The onlookers were dazzled.

The members of the guardian tribe revealed expressions of disbelief when they saw their strongest warrior being suppressed by an outsider.

Gu Xuan and Bai Ling’er stared without blinking. This fight was a hundred times more thrilling than anything described in storybooks.

Dozens more exchanges passed.

Wuhuan’s stamina began to decline. His breathing grew heavy, and the speed of his punches slowed. In contrast, Gu Yan’s breathing remained steady; he had consumed far less energy than his opponent.

Wuhuan realized this as well. With a furious roar, he decided to end the fight with one final move.

He abandoned all defense, spread his arms wide, and charged toward Gu Yan like a small mountain. It was the simplest and most brutal technique—he intended to crush Gu Yan completely with his weight and strength.

Facing this mountain-like assault, Gu Yan did not dodge.

His feet traced a semicircle on the ground as his body sank into a firm horse stance. At the very moment Wuhuan was about to slam into him, he moved.

Instead of pushing against Wuhuan’s chest, Gu Yan placed his palm against the side of his waist. His body rotated slightly to the side, following the momentum of Wuhuan’s charge.

Using a small force to deflect a great one.

Wuhuan suddenly felt an irresistible twisting force. His huge body instantly lost balance. All the power of his forward charge was redirected to the side.

Bang!

Dust flew everywhere.

The tall and massive Wuhuan crashed heavily to the ground.

Silence fell over the entire place.

Gu Yan withdrew his hand and stood calmly where he was, his breathing completely steady. Looking at the fallen Wuhuan, he neither pursued nor mocked him. Instead, he quietly extended his hand.

Wuhuan lay on the ground for a moment, stunned. He looked at the hand extended toward him, then at the calm face before him. The unwillingness and anger in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by something else—respect.

He had lost, and he accepted the defeat wholeheartedly.

He did not take Gu Yan’s hand. Instead, he pushed himself up from the ground, then knelt on one knee before Gu Yan, striking his chest with his fist.

This was a warrior’s highest tribute to a stronger warrior.

Gu Yan looked at him and gave a slight nod, silently accepting the gesture.

At last, a faint smile appeared on the aged face of the High Priestess. Leaning on her bone staff, she slowly walked toward Jiang Suisui. Yet her gaze fell upon the plain jade bracelet on Jiang Suisui’s wrist.

“You… are the one chosen by the Spring of the Source?”

Her voice trembled with uncontrollable excitement.