Chapter Fifty: Unequal Forces

The long sword and the hammerhead clashed, sending a ringing sound across the arena. Li Yuanfeng’s arms trembled from the shock, and he withdrew his sword, stepping back. Wang Mao had no intention of giving him a chance to recover; wielding his great hammer with the force of splitting a mountain, he swung it heavily down towards Li Yuanfeng’s head.

The hammer whistled through the air and, in an instant, hovered above Li Yuanfeng’s skull.

“No!”
“How terrifying!”

Frightened female students screamed at the scene, but the dreadful moment never came. Just as the hammer was about to strike, Li Yuanfeng’s form blurred and vanished, reappearing at Wang Mao’s side, his sword pressed against the latter’s throat.

“I concede,” Wang Mao said without hesitation.

“This match goes to Li Yuanfeng. Class Two earns a point,” Zhang Guang announced the result.

“Li Yuanfeng just used the Shadow Shift technique—how impressive!”
“To master such a technique to this degree, one must endure incredible hardship.”

Wang Lang, the mentor of Class Two, finally looked relieved as he overheard the students’ discussions. He thought, “Thank goodness we won a round. Otherwise, who knows how much mockery I’d have had to endure from Zhao Peng?” With this in mind, he glanced over at Zhao Peng, who returned a mysterious smile, leaving Wang Lang somewhat puzzled.

By then, the fourth match had begun, featuring Li Jingtian from Class One against Wang Li from Class Two.

Li Jingtian extended his fingers like a sword, sending forth rays of sword light as swift as arrows, each streaking toward Wang Li with lightning speed. Wang Li’s fists danced with astonishing agility, creating a barrage of afterimages around him, each one charged with violent force, smashing fiercely against the incoming sword rays.

Fist shadows and sword gleams collided, releasing metallic tremors as if steel were striking steel.

In a matter of moments, Wang Li shattered all the sword rays. He pushed off with his toes and leaped towards Li Jingtian’s side.

“Furious Fist!”

He shouted, swinging his fist. The flurry of fist shadows descended like a torrential storm, carrying an unstoppable, wild, and brutal momentum as they crashed toward Li Jingtian.

“Sword Slash!”

With a shout, Li Jingtian brought his fingers together to form a sword. A three-foot-long blade of energy gathered at his fingertips, growing ever more dazzling as his internal energy condensed. Its keen, cutting aura seemed powerful enough to cleave all things.

He swung the energy blade down, slicing through the air with a piercing hiss.

“Clang, clang, clang…”

The sword light and fists collided, emitting a clamor reminiscent of blacksmiths at work.

The two figures darted across the arena with the swiftness of tigers and leopards, their attacks continually clashing, the excess energy surging outward and shaking the stone platform with thunderous roars.

“Liu Feng, who do you think will win this time?” Zhao Yang asked at his side.

Liu Feng watched the two on stage, their forms weaving and colliding, his eyes gleaming with insight. He pondered, “Li Jingtian seems utterly composed in battle; I believe he’s confident of victory.”

Zhao Yang nodded, finding their opinions in agreement.

Wang Lang heard this, turned to look at the two, and a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes.

“I’m not convinced Li Jingtian will win. Wang Li hasn’t shown his true strength yet.”

Some in the audience also believed Wang Li would emerge victorious.

“Bang!”

Just as the students were debating the outcome, a thunderous crash erupted from the arena. All eyes snapped to the scene. Wang Li’s fist technique had been broken; a thin wound appeared on his hand, and Li Jingtian’s sword light had also been shattered.

“Well done, Li Jingtian. You truly are formidable. Now I’ll go all out,” Wang Li declared, channeling his energy into his fists until they shone with a crimson-gold hue, radiating a dense and furious power.

He clashed his fists together, producing the sound of metal striking metal.

“It’s Wang Li’s ultimate move—‘Crimson Gold Divine Fist.’ Now we’ll see who wins,” someone announced.

Li Jingtian regarded Wang Li’s fists with a grave expression.

“Greatsword Slash!”

Li Jingtian cried out silently in his heart. He brought his hands together, condensing a colossal sword light three meters long, which gradually solidified into something almost tangible, exuding a sharp, oppressive force that seemed capable of rending everything.

Wang Li struck first, swinging both fists, now wreathed in crimson-gold light, hurling a torrent of volcanic energy at Li Jingtian.

Li Jingtian gripped his sword with both hands and slashed downward from above, releasing a tearing surge of energy that collided with the wave unleashed by Wang Li’s fists.

The shockwave was cleaved apart by the sword light, which continued its descent. Wang Li met it head-on with his crimson-gold fists.

“Boom—rumble!”

The sound was as if a divine drum had been struck, a deafening shockwave spreading in all directions, forcing the spectators to cover their ears.

The two figures flashed around the stage, sword light and fists crashing together in bursts of power, the force threatening to shatter the arena beneath their feet.

In the blink of an eye, they exchanged hundreds of blows. Their speed gradually slowed, the sword light faded, and the golden hue on Wang Li’s fists began to dim.

“The battle has reached its final stage—the outcome will soon be decided,” Liu Feng thought as he watched.

“Boom! Bang!”

With two resounding crashes, the duel came to an end. In the final moment, Li Jingtian’s sword light broke through Wang Li’s defense, sending him flying from the stage.

In the last match, a beautiful young woman from Class Two took the field. Her appearance sent the stands into a frenzy.

“Go, Zhao Hui! Zhao Hui will win!”

“Defeat your opponent in three moves—I believe you’ll work a miracle!”

Her opponent, Sun Hui, stood on the stage with a cold smirk, utterly convinced he would never lose to a pretty girl.

As the referee signaled the start, Sun Hui’s palms moved like the wind, unleashing a surge of force that swept toward Zhao Hui like a storm, enveloping her from every direction.

Facing this onslaught, Zhao Hui’s lips curled into a faint smile. She formed intricate hand seals, her fingers weaving in constant motion. Suddenly, with a flick of her finger, a massive lotus flower appeared, spinning as it slashed toward Sun Hui’s palms with a force that seemed able to rend the very air.

Sun Hui met the spinning lotus with a sneer, slamming his palms against it. But as his hands connected, he felt a razor-sharp force cut into them, driving him back relentlessly.

With a final explosive sound, the great lotus shattered. Sun Hui, battered by the violent force, staggered backward, a stifling ache in his chest.