Chapter 123: Rapid Advancement

The golden fist collided with the razor-sharp blade, igniting a flurry of sparks. The aftermath of the violent force surged outward like waves crashing against a cliff, shattering the bluestone platform wherever it touched, as if crushed by the weight of a mountain.

"Haa!" Seeing that Liu Feng’s golden fist was holding its own against her blade, Zhao Yu let out a sharp cry. Her voice pierced through metal and stone, and her aura became even sharper—like a divine weapon unsheathed, intent on piercing the firmament.

Suddenly, Liu Feng felt a surge of incomparable sharpness erupt from her blade. With a thunderous explosion, he was jolted back two steps, a tiny cut appearing on his right fist as a trickle of blood seeped out.

Zhao Yu struck again, her crimson blade descending like a falling meteor, sweeping toward Liu Feng with peerless speed.

"Ah!" Faced with the incoming strike, Liu Feng let out a roar. Golden light erupted from his fists as if they were catching fire. A wave of wild, tyrannical power burst forth, carrying the weight of a thousand storms as he smashed his fists against the blade.

"Clang!"

The golden fist and the razor-sharp blade locked again. A sound like a thunderbolt rang out, causing the spectators in the stands to cry out in pain. A violent shockwave formed at the center of the clash, sweeping outward and carving a fifty-meter-wide crater into the platform beneath their feet.

As the wild energy dissipated, the crowd saw Liu Feng’s golden fist pressed against Zhao Yu’s blade, locked in a stalemate.

"Crack!" A sound echoed in Zhao Yu’s ears. Her expression shifted, and with a deafening boom, the crimson blade shattered into pieces.

"How is this possible? He actually smashed a weapon forged in the Fusion Realm—is he even human?" Zhao Yu stared at the fragments, momentarily dazed.

"Bang!" Seeing the blade destroyed, Liu Feng exerted force once more. His golden fist struck the stunned Zhao Yu with lightning speed, sending her flying backward, yet her body remained unscathed.

"What is going on? She took such a heavy blow, yet she seems completely fine. Could she be wearing some kind of defensive treasure?" Liu Feng wondered to himself.

Though he speculated, his assault did not falter. "Boom!" He stomped his foot and lunged forward, instantly catching up to the retreating Zhao Yu to unleash another wave of tyrannical golden strikes.

"Bang, bang..."

A series of collisions rang out. Zhao Yu was forced back repeatedly until, with a final "crack" of something breaking, she was sent soaring through the air before crashing heavily onto the platform, blood streaming from her mouth.

"Liu Feng wins!" the referee announced, seeing that Zhao Yu could no longer rise.

"Not bad, Liu Feng. Your strength is growing more and more formidable," Zhao Bochao said, patting him on the shoulder as he returned.

"Tell me, brother Liu Feng, you really don't know how to show mercy to the fair sex, do you? How could you bear to be so heavy-handed with a beauty like Zhao Yu?" Zhang Liang teased.

Liu Feng smiled faintly. "If you were in a match and encountered a beautiful woman, would you forfeit? Or would you just stand there and let her hit you?"

"Haha! How could that be?" Zhang Liang chuckled awkwardly.

"Exactly. Since you wouldn't do that, why would you expect brother Liu Feng to?" Wang Xing added, looking at Zhang Liang with a speechless expression.

Embarrassed, Zhang Liang fell silent.

The tournament continued. After another day of competition, the top thirty-two were determined. During this time, Zhang Liang and Wang Xing were both defeated, stopping at the round of sixty-four. Next came the matches for the round of sixteen. Liu Feng, facing relatively easy bouts, defeated his opponents in both the round of thirty-two and the round of sixteen to secure a spot in the final eight.

In the quarter-finals, Liu Feng finally encountered his toughest opponent yet: Yang Rui of the Dream Moon Kingdom.

Liu Feng scrutinized the young expert. He wore blue robes, was of medium height, and had a resolute face with thin lips and a straight nose. His brows slanted like swords, and his eyes glinted with sharp, piercing light. His aura felt like a blade freshly drawn from its scabbard.

At the referee’s signal, both prepared for battle. Yang Rui struck first; he held his palm like a blade, his true energy surging into a white, razor-sharp edge of light.

With a wave of his hand, the blade-light shot out, slicing through the air like a white streak of silk as it slashed toward Liu Feng’s shoulder.

Seeing the incoming strike, Liu Feng pointed his fingers like a sword. A golden, piercing beam of light erupted like a golden rainbow, instantly meeting Yang Rui’s blade-light.

"Boom!"

The golden sword-light and the white blade-light clashed violently, creating a sound like grinding metal. Then, with a "crack," the sword-light was severed. The white blade-light, momentum undiminished, continued its lethal path.

Liu Feng’s expression changed. He quickly slashed his fingers again, sending another beam of light to collide with the blade-light. With a massive roar, both energies vanished into the air.

"I didn't expect Yang Rui’s cultivation to be this strong. It took two of Liu Feng’s strikes just to break his blade-light," Zhao Bochao remarked, looking surprised.

"The quality of Yang Rui’s true energy is a notch higher than Liu Feng’s. It seems he’s met a real challenge," Zhao Jun added.

"It’s fine, I trust brother Liu Feng will win," Zhang Liang said, full of confidence.

"I also believe brother Liu Feng can overcome this," Wang Xing agreed.

Zhao Bochao kept his eyes glued to the stage. "I hope you are both right."

At that moment, Liu Feng was indeed in trouble. He realized his true energy was inferior to his opponent’s. Every time they clashed with weaponized energy, he had to strike twice to shatter Yang Rui’s attacks. Over time, Liu Feng began to feel a significant drain on his energy—the first time he had experienced such a deficit since perfecting his Flawless Golden Body.

"Boom!" Liu Feng condensed a spear to clash with Yang Rui’s lance. The spear shattered upon impact, and the lance continued its relentless advance, thrusting straight toward Liu Feng.