Chapter 104: A Different Fighting Skill

It wasn’t until the sword attacks finally came to an end that everyone looked at the bloody figure standing in front of them in shock.

Li Qiang’s face was already covered in blood. His breathing was ragged, and his clothes were torn in several places.

His body was covered with numerous wounds, some shallow and others deep enough to stain his robes completely red.

For an instant, the entire arena became silent.

Li Qiang staggered several steps.

His hand instinctively moved toward the wound on his side. Blood was still flowing steadily from between his fingers, slowly soaking the fabric around it.

He took a slow breath and smiled bitterly.

"Looks like that’s enough."

His knees bent. His body had finally reached its limit.

He could no longer force himself to continue. His legs gave way, and his body collapsed toward the ground.

But before he could fall completely, a figure appeared beside him.

The referee caught Li Qiang and stabilized his body.

He glanced at the exhausted young man before announcing in a loud voice that spread throughout the entire arena.

"Li Qiang is unable to continue."

"The winner is the Vermilion Flame Sect!"

The western side immediately erupted in cheers.

"Brother Luo’s successor won!"

"Vermilion Flame Sect wins the first battle!"

The Vermilion disciples shouted excitedly.

However, their celebration was noticeably less confident than before.

Although their second disciple had won, everyone could clearly see the price he had paid.

His shoulder was badly injured, several of his ribs had been damaged, and a considerable amount of his spiritual energy had already been consumed.

He had won the battle, but he had not walked away unscathed.

On the eastern side, the Azura Heaven Sect’s disciples were silent. There was disappointment on many faces, but beneath that disappointment was also a sense of relief.

Li Qiang had accomplished exactly what he had intended.

Two Azura disciples immediately rushed toward the arena and supported Li Qiang from both sides.

"Take him back and treat his injuries immediately."

Elder Dong’s voice came from the platform.

"Yes!"

The two disciples nodded and carefully helped Li Qiang leave the arena.

The cheers from the eastern side gradually faded. Everyone’s attention once again returned to the battlefield.

For a moment, nobody spoke. Then, Zhi Yuan slowly stepped forward.

But his he appearance immediately attracted everyone’s attention. Some spectators looked at him with curiosity, others glanced toward the side of the arena.

’Long Feng is really going to fight last?’

’Could it be that Long Feng is actually that powerful?’

After all, Long Feng had ranked first in the wilderness stage, yet nobody had actually seen him display his true strength.

If Zhi Yuan was going to fight before him, then it meant that Long Feng was deliberately being kept for the final battles.

This made many people even more curious about him.

On the arena, the Vermilion disciple tightened his grip around his sword.

He had already suffered injuries from his battle with Li Qiang, but his eyes still contained a sharp fighting intent.

Zhi Yuan stopped several dozen meters away from him. The two looked at each other, but neither spoke.

"Begin!" The referee raised his hand.

The moment his voice fell, the Vermilion Flame Sect’s disciple moved.

WHOOSH!

His figure disappeared from his original position.

His sword flashed through the air, carrying a sharp sword intent as it shot toward Zhi Yuan.

SHING!

The sword was incredibly fast. However, Zhi Yuan didn’t retreat. His body suddenly blurred.

The next instant, he had already moved several meters to the side, then he stepped forward. A powerful force suddenly erupted from his body.

The Vermilion Flame Sect’s disciple’s pupils contracted.

Before he could understand what had happened, Zhi Yuan had already appeared directly in front of him.

His palm struck forward.

BOOM!

The attack landed heavily against the Vermilion disciple’s chest. A powerful wave of spiritual energy exploded from Zhi Yuan’s palm.

The Vermilion disciple’s defensive spiritual energy shattered almost instantly. His body was thrown backward like a broken kite.

BOOM!

He crashed heavily onto the arena. The impact caused the dark-red stone beneath him to crack.

But before he could recover, Zhi Yuan’s figure flashed again. He appeared beside him and attacked with his palm.

BOOM!

The Vermilion disciple’s body was sent sliding across the ground. His sword fell from his hand.

The referee immediately stepped forward.

"Unable to continue."

"The Azura Heaven Sect wins!"

The entire exchange had lasted only a short moment.

The spectators stared at the arena in disbelief.

"That was fast."

"He didn’t even use an Earth-rank technique."

"Idiot! Didn’t you know? That was a special kind of fighting skill, and it’s Zhi Yuan’s signature technique."

The Vermilion disciples looked somewhat ugly.

Their second fighter had already been weakened by Li Qiang, but they hadn’t expected Zhi Yuan to defeat him so quickly.

However, some well-known disciples immediately recognized the technique Zhi Yuan had used.

"Sevenfold Flowing Strike."

One of them spoke with a serious expression.

"It’s his signature fighting technique."

Another disciple nodded.

"I’ve heard about it. Zhi Yuan has practiced that technique for many years."

"Exactly. It’s not a technique that relies purely on explosive power."

The disciples stared at Zhi Yuan standing calmly on the arena with amazement.

No wonder he was called the number-one inner disciple of the Azura Heaven Sect. This Sevenfold Flowing Strike alone was more than enough to shock most people.

Unlike regular techniques that focused on a specific aspect, such as offense, defense, movement, or body refinement, this one was much more complicated.

It was a special fighting technique that changed the rhythm and direction of Zhi Yuan’s attacks continuously.

Even when his movements looked simple, the actual attack could change at the last moment.

That was precisely what made it so difficult to counter.

An opponent might think they had already understood where Zhi Yuan’s attack was going. But at the final moment, his palm could suddenly change direction.

The opponent would have to constantly adjust their defense.

The surrounding disciples gradually understood.

What they had considered a simple exchange had actually been much more complicated.

That was the frightening aspect of the Sevenfold Flowing Strike.

It made Zhi Yuan’s fighting style appear calm and straightforward on the surface, yet every movement contained multiple possibilities.

The Vermilion Flame Sect’s elder also glanced toward Zhi Yuan with a serious expression.

He naturally knew about this technique.

Among the inner disciples of the Azura Heaven Sect, Zhi Yuan’s Sevenfold Flowing Strike was already quite famous.

It was one of the main reasons why Zhi Yuan could remain calm even when facing opponents who possessed greater explosive power.

On the arena, Zhi Yuan didn’t pay attention to the discussion around him. His expression remained completely calm.

"Next."

His voice wasn’t loud, yet the entire arena became quiet.

The Vermilion Flame Sect’s elder glanced toward his remaining disciples.

"Next."

A third Vermilion disciple stepped forward.

This one was a muscular young man carrying a heavy saber on his back. The moment he entered the arena, his powerful aura spread outward.

He was clearly stronger than the previous disciple.

"Let me fight."

He pulled the heavy saber from his back.

SHING!

A thick saber aura immediately erupted.

The heavy weapon trembled slightly in his hand as dense spiritual energy gathered around its blade.

The surrounding spectators immediately became serious as the two figures collided.

BOOM!

The heavy saber came crashing down with tremendous force.

Zhi Yuan raised his arm and blocked it.

BANG!

The force of the impact spread through his body. The arena beneath his feet cracked slightly. Zhi Yuan’s expression remained calm, but his eyes became sharper.

The Vermilion disciple’s eyes flashed. He immediately followed with another saber strike, then another.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

The attacks became faster and heavier. Every saber strike carried the powerful strength of a Peak Golden Core cultivator.

Zhi Yuan moved calmly through the barrage. He dodged, blocked and counterattacked.

Every movement was precise.

There was no unnecessary action.

The Sevenfold Flowing Strike constantly changed the rhythm of his movements, allowing him to move between attacks while searching for the smallest opening.

The Vermilion disciple gradually became frustrated.

He couldn’t understand how Zhi Yuan was able to avoid his attacks so accurately.

The two continued fighting. One exchange became ten. Ten became dozens.

The battle remained fierce for a long time.

Their spiritual energy repeatedly collided, creating waves of pressure that spread across the arena.

Zhi Yuan’s robes became torn in several places. A faint trace of blood appeared on his arm. The Vermilion Flame Sect’s disciple also suffered several injuries, but neither side retreated.

Their fight continued for nearly half an hour before Zhi Yuan finally found an opening. His eyes flashed.

’Now.’

His palm struck directly toward the opponent’s chest.

BOOM!

The Vermilion Flame Sect’s disciple’s body shook violently. The powerful impact forced him backward.

Before he could stabilize himself, Zhi Yuan’s second strike had already arrived.

BANG!!!

The palm struck his chest again, shattering his opponent’s defensive shield. His body flew backward.

He barely managed to stop himself before falling from the arena. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Zhi Yuan was already standing several meters away.

The referee looked at him, then at the Vermilion disciple.

The latter clenched his teeth and tried to stand straight. But after several breaths, his body trembled. He finally shook his head.

"I can’t continue."

The referee immediately announced the result.

"Zhi Yuan wins!"

The eastern side erupted into cheers.

"Two victories!"

"Brother Zhi is too strong!"

"He defeated two opponents in succession!"

Even the Vermilion disciples couldn’t deny it.

Zhi Yuan had already defeated two people, and he hadn’t even used his strongest techniques.

On the elder’s platform, Elder Dong’s eyes revealed a hint of satisfaction. He had expected this result.

Zhi Yuan had always been extremely stable.

Unlike Li Qiang, who preferred direct and explosive battles, Zhi Yuan conserved his energy whenever possible. That was exactly what was needed in a battle like this.

But there was still a long way to go.

The Vermilion elder looked toward his remaining disciples.

"Next."

A third Vermilion disciple stepped forward.

The atmosphere immediately became heavier. This disciple was clearly stronger than the previous two. His spiritual energy was dense, and his aura carried a faint killing intent.

Zhi Yuan looked at him. For the first time, his expression became slightly more serious.

The battle began and the two figures collided almost immediately.

BOOM!

Their spiritual energies exploded at the same time and the fourth battle had begun.