Chapter 783: Challenging Zhang shi
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
As a 5-star high-tier master teacher, he had an eidetic memory. When he was fighting with the other party, he had only used the Light Breezy Hands to knock him off the dueling platform.
Yet, at this very moment, the other party’s facial features were warped hideously, and blood was dripping down from his mouth... Just how freaking severe was his injuries?
If he had suffered such severe injuries earlier in the battle with him, he couldn’t possibly still be standing here. Someone would have already sent him to a physician!
Most likely, he had beaten himself up intentionally just so he could receive Zhang shi’s guidance... Or else, the situation simply didn’t make sense!
Just as Yuan Gang was feeling extremely frustrated within, Zhang Xuan begun imparting a battle technique to the other party.
In his view, it was highly likely that Bai Mian had only been defeated by the freshman due to his carelessness. Thus, this time, he widened his eyes to pay attention to every single detail regarding the fist art which Zhang shi was imparting to the severely injured young man.
However, just like the previous saber art, no matter how he looked at it, he just couldn’t see any deeper technique or intention behind it.
After a while, he was completely bewildered.
He could easily execute a fist art like that back when he was only three... Did Zhang shi really think that he could be defeated with that?
Nevertheless, there is something peculiar about Zhang shi. I should remain on my guard. Later, I shall attack my opponent as soon as we get on the stage!
Unable to comprehend the essence hidden within Zhang Xuan’s fist art, Yuan Gang decided to just achieve a swift victory.
Given his deeper insight into battle techniques and the control of his strength, as long as he could gain the initiative, it shouldn’t be too difficult for him to defeat a freshman swiftly.
Right after he had decided his plan for the battle, the bruised young man finally stepped onto the dueling platform.
"Senior!" the young man greeted.
"Let’s hurry up and get it over with," Yuan Gang said.
Crrk crrk crrk!
With a series of creaking sounds, Yuan Gang’s slender body abruptly grew taller, and his limbs grew longer as well.
Spirit high-tier battle technique, Supreme Ape Transformation!
Having spent more than a decade cultivating this battle technique, he had already fully grasped the essence of it, allowing him to bring out the full might of the technique.
"Here I come!"
Without giving the other party an opportunity to even respond, Yuan Gang immediately charged forward as soon as the duel began.
His movement was as swift as the silhouette of an eagle swooping down for its prey. In the blink of an eye, his figure was already standing right before the bruised young man, and with his fingers bent into hooks, he clawed ferociously at him.
The crux of the Supreme Art Transformation lay in its speed, and the attacks were mainly hacking, clawing, and grabbing.
This was a technique that an elder of the academy had come up with after studying the fighting technique of apes.
Sharp glints reminiscent of daggers flashed from the edges of Yuan Gang’s fingers as they headed right for the bruised young man’s body.
Not bad!
Looking at how Yuan Gang went for his opponent decisively without holding back, Yin Qing heaved a sigh of relief.
They had already lost a match. If they were to lose another, they would have lost the bet.
It was fortunate that Yuan Gang wasn’t an inflexible person who allowed his pride to get over his head. Knowing that there was something peculiar about his opponent, he opted to go with his strongest move right from the start.
"Yuan Gang’s claw harnesses great power. If I were his opponent, I would first take a step back and wait for the momentum of his attack to die down before retaliating," Ying Qin muttered contemplatively.
As peers from the same student faction, Ying Qin often sparred with Yuan Gang, so he had a clear idea of how fearsome the Supreme Ape Transformation was. Due to the formidable speed of the technique, it was nearly impossible to dodge at close quarters.
Curious to see how Yuan Gang’s opponent would respond to his attack, Ying Qin turned his gaze back to the stage, only to see the other party standing still on the spot, retaliating to Yuan Gang’s attack with a punch of his own.
"This..." Ying Qin blinked in shock.
Was the opponent intending to trade blow for blow?
But Yuan Gang’s claw was far swifter than his fist! If he were to remain in the same position, he would surely be struck by Yuan Gang’s claw first!
Hu la!
Before the doubt in Ying Qin’s mind could vanish, he suddenly saw the speed of the opponent’s fist abruptly accelerate. At the current speed, it was likely that both of their attacks would land on each other at the same time.
In other words... the opponent was aiming for a mutually assured destruction!
Peng!
As Ying Qin had predicted, the duo struck one another squarely.
Deng deng deng! Deng deng deng!
Yuan Gang was knocked eight steps backward from the impact of his opponent’s fist while his opponent was left with deep claw marks on his chest.
"Good!"
Despite being injured in the first encounter, the bruised young man didn’t seem to have lost his courage in the least. On the contrary, he grew more and more excited. Without any hesitation, he charged right toward Yuan Gang once again.
Regardless of how profound Yuan Gang’s move was and how much damage he would sustain from them, his focus was only on one thinglanding his punch on Yuan Gang.
Peng!
They traded another blow. Even though the bruised young man was injured, Yuan Gang didn’t fare any better either. Suffering two consecutive heavy blows, his face paled, and with a sweet sensation at the back of his throat, he spurted a mouthful of blood.
I finally understand... Ying Qin narrowed his eyes as he tightened his fists in agitation. It is indeed a good plan. Zhang shi sure is a formidable opponent...
At this moment, he finally understood the reasoning behind the bruised young man’s fighting style.
Ultimately, one couldn’t become a master at close quarter combat just by learning a single move. It required the accumulation of experience and refinement through practice over countless years. Understanding this, Zhang shi decisively imparted a fist art with overwhelming offensive ability.
Since it is impossible for us to win in a battle of skill, we might as well abandon the very notion of it. We shall go head to head with you instead! Even if we suffer grievous wounds in the midst of doing so, we won’t let you get off the hook easily either!
If you land a blow on me, I will make sure to return the favor twofold to you! As long as I possess sufficient strength and speed in my attacks, the one who will fall ultimately will be you!
How vicious!
It seems like Zhang shi didn’t select his candidates randomly. This fellow was willing to even punch himself in order to earn the opportunity, and that reflects how tenacious he is... Ying Qin thought with a livid expression.
Honestly speaking, he did wonder why Zhang Xuan had chosen the person who had beaten himself up. Given the latter’s sharp eye of discernment, surely he should have been able to tell that those wounds were self-inflicted?
But at this moment, he realized that it was an intentional action on the other party’s part.
If a person was willing to hurt himself for an opportunity, how could he possibly back down in a crucial moment?
A person with such a personality was the most suited for a battle of trading blows!
It seems like... Yuan Gang is going to lose! Ying Qin shook his head.
They were all currently of the same cultivation realm, but considering the incredible might behind the bruised young man’s fist art, as well as his determination to win the duel, it was just a matter of time before Yuan Gang fell in defeat.
It was not that Yuan Gang was weak, but such a battle simply wasn’t his forte. The Supreme Ape Transformation which he cultivated was built on the natural instincts of apes, and this included their natural aversion toward danger as well. As such, Yuan Gang’s instinctual response toward harm was not to fight but to flee.
Naturally, Yuan Gang also understood the bruised young man’s intentions, and he knew that if he wanted to win, he had to attack decisively and persevere to the very end. However, the contradiction between his instincts and actions resulted in an inevitable hesitation in his movements, which hindered him from fighting decisively.
Peng peng peng!
As expected, after trading five blows, Yuan Gang finally reached the limit of his perseverance, and after a stagger, his body collapsed to the ground weakly. He had been defeated by a freshman.
That ape guy is not bad! Zhang Xuan nodded in commendation.
The Heaven’s Path Fist Art harnessed immense strength behind each of its blows. Even though Zhang Xuan had only imparted a move from its simplified version to the bruised young man, it was still an incredible feat for Yuan Gang to endure five punches before collapsing.
"Faction leader, I won..." The bruised young man leaped down the dueling platform excitedly and bowed deeply to his faction leader with respect gleaming in his eyes.
Previously, when he fought against Yuan Gang, he was unable to even take a single blow from him. Yet, after receiving his faction leader’s guidance, he was able to overwhelm Yuan Gang and defeat him. Regardless of whether it was his faction leader’s grasp over battle strategy or his comprehension of battle techniques, they had reached a level beyond his imagination.
"Good, you have done well. Drink this!" Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and passed a gourd over.
"Yes!" Taking the gourd, the bruised young man gulped down the fine wine within, leaving not a single drop behind. The next moment, he suddenly felt a tingling feeling throughout his body, and the injuries he had sustained swiftly healed.
"That is Saint recovery medicine..." The bruised young man widened his eyes in shock.
In order to treat his injuries, his faction leader was willing to even take out a gourd of Saint recovery medicine for his consumption. To go this far for him...
Faction leader, from this day onward, I shall remain a member of your faction until the moment of my death!
There’s nothing in this world that can change my decision...
"Zhang shi’s means are indeed incredible!" Seeing the freshman who was pummeled recovering entirely from his wounds in the blink of an eye while Yuan Gang was still convulsing on the ground, on the brink of death, Ying Qin shook his head and sighed deeply before turning to look at Zhang Xuan with a profound gaze.
Regardless of whether it was his ability to impart techniques, his grasp over battle techniques, or his charisma around his subordinates, he was indeed worthy of respect.
Taking a deep breath, Ying Qin grasped his spear tightly and said, "Having lost two consecutive rounds, we have already lost the bet. However... I find it hard to come to terms with my defeat without witnessing Zhang shi’s prowess with my own eyes. Thus, I hope that Zhang shi will agree to a fight against me!"
As Zhang Xuan’s side had already achieved two out of three wins, the trio had already lost the bet. However, having yet to force Zhang Xuan into action, he couldn’t help but feel a little indignant inside. Thus, he wanted to challenge him so as to see how powerful the young man, who could give the other freshmen the strength to defeat his peers through just a moment of guidance, was.
If he lost, so be it. He would have no regrets whatsoever at the very least.
"You wish to challenge me?" Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. "Alright then."
This fellow with the spear was likely to be the strongest of the three. He should be a fine opponent for him to test out his newfound strength with the advancement in his cultivation he had made recently.
Thus, Zhang Xuan leaped up to the dueling platform as well.
While being able to guide others to victory was indeed a testimony to his prowess, it wasn’t as impactful as witnessing it in a battle. Only in a real battle could the full extent of one’s skills be seen.
"Since Zhang shi possesses the cultivation of Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle, I shall suppress my cultivation to that of your level too..." Seeing the other party agree to it, Ying Qin nodded before forcefully suppressing his cultivation of Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle down two realms.
"Suppress your cultivation?" Seeing Ying Qin’s action, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "You will die like that..."
He had cultivated his soul, physical body, and zhenqi, along with his Eye of Insight and Library of Heaven’s Path, that fellow wouldn’t even be much of a match even if he were to fight him at Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle.
Yet, he was still thinking of suppressing his cultivation. How bold!
"Zhang shi, don’t worry. Even though you have a deep understanding of battle techniques, I am not that bad either, especially in the field of spearmanship. I can proudly say that there are none at my level who can rival me!" Ying Qin replied confidently.
He had seen what Zhang shi had done, and that was indeed impressive. However, he had confidence in his ability as well.
This was the trust he had in himself after countless years of sweat, tears, and blood honing his spearmanship.
As long as he had a spear in hand, he would be able to face any enemy.
"Alright then..." Seeing how confident the other party was, there was nothing else Zhang Xuan could say.
Seeing Zhang Xuan standing barehanded on the dueling platform, Ying Qin asked doubtfully, "Zhang shi, where’s your weapon?"
"My weapon? You have already suppressed your cultivation; if I were to use a weapon on top of that, I would truly be bullying you... How about this then?"
Zhang Xuan turned to Ruohuan gongzi and said, "Ruohuan, I recall that there is a feather duster beneath the stool over there. Bring it over to me!"