Chapter 414 - 151: Another Win, Advancing
One match followed another, and the fighting on the Cyan Qilin Platform grew increasingly fierce.
Soon, it was Zhang Hengyi’s turn to take the stage. His opponent was Wang Lie of Fen Yang Peak.
Wang Lie’s Horizontal Training Skills were exceptionally powerful, his body as hard as iron. When Zhang Hengyi’s fists landed on him, they only produced dull thuds and failed to cause any substantial damage.
After twenty moves, Zhang Hengyi had exhausted too much of his Inner Strength. Wang Lie seized an opening and slammed an iron-like knee into his abdomen, causing him to curl up on the ground in pain. He had no choice but to concede defeat.
The sixth match was an internal duel between disciples of Zhenyue Peak: Zhou Tong versus Wu Kun.
Both were masters of leg techniques. As their feet flew, a web of afterimages appeared, and powerful gusts of wind swept out from their exchange.
Compared to the quick victories of the previous matches, this one was a particularly grueling stalemate.
After all, at the round of sixteen, the gap in strength between the disciples was no longer large. Every move and every stance held hidden subtleties, and the slightest carelessness could lead to one’s defeat.
After a full hundred moves, Zhou Tong finally managed to trip Wu Kun with a tricky leg sweep. He seized the opportunity to lock his opponent’s ankle, forcing Wu Kun to concede.
The Main Peak Steward once again ascended the Cyan Qilin Platform and announced in a loud voice, "The winner of the sixth match is Zhou Tong of Zhenyue Peak!"
After his voice faded, he paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd below. He then clearly read out the names for the seventh match: "The seventh match: Yang Jing of Lingxi Peak versus Li Mao of Thunder Peak!"
Upon hearing his name, Yang Jing took a deep breath and walked slowly toward the Cyan Qilin Platform.
On the other side, Li Mao of Thunder Peak also tightened his grip on his Iron Rod. His gaze was as sharp as a blade as he ascended the high platform one step at a time.
Their figures passed each other on the cyan stone slabs, their gazes clashing mid-air. An invisible battle intent began to quietly spread.
Below the stage, the recently eliminated Zhang Hengyi and Chen Xuexiang stood side-by-side, their gazes fixed on Yang Jing’s back, their expressions complicated.
Chen Xuexiang watched the two on stage and couldn’t help but sigh. "At this stage, although the rankings still matter, the difference in strength between us isn’t that great anymore. A single careless move can decide victory or defeat."
Zhang Hengyi nodded slowly, his eyes on Yang Jing, a hint of wistfulness in them. "Li Mao’s rod techniques are tricky and ruthless, and he’s certainly not weak, but he shouldn’t be a match for Junior Brother Yang."
He paused, recalling how effortlessly Yang Jing had defeated Zhang Han in the first round, and sighed softly. "This Junior Brother Yang of ours is no simple character. He’s been hiding his true strength this whole time. I’m even starting to suspect he has the power to fight for a spot in the top three."
"The top three?" Chen Xuexiang was stunned by the suggestion and a hesitant look crossed his face. "That... isn’t that too difficult? The strength of Yuwen Mingjue, Zhao Chong, and Qin Wenbao is clear for all to see. They’re all top-tier experts who made their names long ago. Even if Junior Brother Yang has been hiding his abilities, overcoming those three mountains won’t be easy."
Zhang Hengyi nodded slightly and sighed. "I was just saying. I just feel like Junior Brother Yang is hiding a lot, that his strength is far greater than what we’ve seen on the surface. But the threshold for the top three is indeed too high."
Both he and Chen Xuexiang had participated in the Cyan Qilin Battle many times and knew just how significant a top-three finish was.
Over the years, their best result was barely managing to make it into the top eight. They had never even touched the threshold of the top four, let alone the unattainable top-three positions.
As they spoke, Yang Jing and Li Mao had already taken their positions on the Cyan Qilin Platform, facing each other from a distance.
Sunlight spilled down, stretching their shadows long across the platform.
Yang Jing stood tall and straight in his white robes, his expression calm.
Li Mao, however, held his Iron Rod with his feet shoulder-width apart. His gaze was locked onto Yang Jing, and the aura around him had been pushed to its absolute peak.
Seeing that both were ready, the Main Peak Steward shouted, "Begin!"
As soon as his voice fell, he turned and walked off the Cyan Qilin Platform.
On the vast Cyan Qilin Platform, only Yang Jing and Li Mao remained, their eyes locked, their battle intent surging.
The moment the Main Peak Steward stepped off the platform, a fierce glint appeared in Li Mao’s eyes. He stomped his foot, and his body shot toward Yang Jing like an arrow loosed from a bow.
He gripped the jet-black Iron Rod with both hands, pouring all of his Inner Strength into it. The rod hummed and vibrated, creating a whistling sound as it cut through the air, aiming straight for Yang Jing’s face. The move was ruthless and tricky, giving his opponent no room to breathe.
Yang Jing’s expression remained calm. He neither dodged nor retreated. The Inner Strength in his body surged, flowing into his fists as he executed a move from the Mountain-Breaking Seal.
This time, he didn’t hold back much, directly unleashing eighty percent of his power.
Through the tempering of actual combat in the previous matches and his observations, his control over the Mountain-Breaking Seal had grown more profound. The transitions between his moves were as smooth as flowing water, and he had already begun to grasp a sliver of the essence of this Mid-grade True Skill.
Although he was still unable to activate it with Inner Qi and could only rely on Inner Strength, the power of the Mountain-Breaking Seal was still immense—in no way inferior to the Mountain-Shattering Fist he had practiced for many years.
Fist and rod collided with a deafening, heavy thud.
A powerful shockwave spread out from the two of them, kicking up fine dust from the cyan stone slabs.
Yang Jing’s feet were firmly planted on the ground. His body didn’t move an inch, as steady as a mountain.
Li Mao, on the other hand, felt a fierce and unstoppable force surge up the Iron Rod and into his arms. The impact was so strong it numbed the webbing of his hands and nearly shattered his Inner Strength. He staggered back three steps before barely regaining his balance, his eyes filled with utter shock as he stared at Yang Jing.
He found it hard to believe that Yang Jing had actually dared to meet his Iron Rod head-on with his bare fists!
After all, an Inner Strength Martial Artist was ultimately still mortal. Even with the protection of Inner Strength, one couldn’t help but be wary of facing weapons. Only by cultivating to the Inner Qi Realm could one truly become fearless against blades and spears.