Chapter 45: Xiao Chen Fights Yu Tian
"Great! Liu Feng won! It looks like Liu Feng is definitely going to be the champion of this martial arts competition. I'm going to make a fortune! I bet on Liu Feng to win first place!" a cultivator cheered immediately upon hearing the referee's announcement.
"Haha! I also bet on Liu Feng. It looks like I made the right choice!" another cultivator cheered excitedly.
Their excitement was because they had placed bets on Liu Feng. They had all bet on Liu Feng and were eagerly waiting to win some spirit stones.
"You guys are getting excited too early. Don't forget there's still Ling Zhan. That kid's strength is even more formidable. You might end up losing your bets," a cultivator said with a laugh, dampening their enthusiasm.
Liu Feng, having successfully advanced, glanced towards where Ling Zhan was and murmured to himself, "Just wait, I will definitely defeat you!"
"Hmph!" Ling Zhan only snorted coldly, completely disregarding Liu Feng.
"The second match will be between Blue Number Two, Xiao Chen, and Red Number Two, Yu Tian," announced the referee's voice.
"Hey, Xiao Chen is up next. That kid's strength is formidable! His previous fight with Xue Ren was spectacular!"
"Oh? It's Xiao Chen's turn again? Great! We get to see another exciting fight!"
"That's right, Xiao Chen is sure to win. I bet on him too. Fortunately, he's not up against the Su family's young master or that brat Ling Zhan! Haha!"
"Xiao Chen, it's your turn. Go for it! Your opponent isn't Ling Zhan or Su Gu Tian, so fight without worry!" Mo Yan encouraged excitedly, confident that Xiao Chen could win as long as he wasn't up against a prodigy.
Xiao Chen nodded, leaping onto the stage. By this time, Yu Tian was already on the platform, watching Xiao Chen with a serious expression.
"This guy named Xiao Chen, judging from his previous fight, is no simple opponent. He took Xue Ren's blazing slash head-on without a scratch and can walk on air with incredible speed, changing direction at will. That's very troublesome. More importantly, his strength is definitely above the mid-level of Fasting Stage. He's fought several matches, but he's never drawn his sword. Even though I'm at the mid-level of Fasting Stage, I can't afford to be careless or underestimate him," Yu Tian thought seriously, seeing Xiao Chen as a formidable opponent.
Seeing both participants on the stage, the referee loudly declared, "Let the match begin!"
As the referee's voice fell, the entire venue became silent, with all eyes focused on the stage, silently cheering for the young fighter they had bet on.
"Xiao Chen, this Yu Tian is at the mid-level of Fasting Stage, not your match at all. No need to worry," the Ancient White Tiger transmitted with a smile.
"You can't underestimate any opponent, or you might end up losing unexpectedly!" Xiao Chen responded softly with a smile.
Yu Tian stared at Xiao Chen for a moment, his eyes turning sharp. He then activated his true essence, unleashing the powerful force of his mid-level Fasting Stage cultivation. The ground beneath him trembled, and dust and rubble were scattered by his powerful aura.
"Gale Technique!" Yu Tian shouted, quickly charging at Xiao Chen. With a single-hand seal, he then shouted again, "Earth Spirit Art! Thousand Rain Stone Technique!"
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
As Yu Tian formed the seal, dozens of basketball-sized stones appeared out of thin air, floating in mid-air, and then shot rapidly toward Xiao Chen.
"Earth attribute true essence!" Xiao Chen noted calmly, showing no signs of panic.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
As the dozens of stones shot toward him, Xiao Chen swiftly struck back, using both fists and feet. With a left punch, then a right punch, and swift kicks, a series of muffled sounds echoed as each stone was shattered to pieces by Xiao Chen.
"Powerful strength and incredibly fast attack speed!" Yu Tian assessed, meanwhile quickly closing in. The stone attack was merely a distraction. Yu Tian had already moved to Xiao Chen's left side.
"Bang!"
Just as he closed in, Yu Tian suddenly stomped the ground, leaping high and delivering a swift kick towards Xiao Chen.
"Feint attack," Xiao Chen thought, having already sensed Yu Tian's intention. As the swift kick came, Xiao Chen sidestepped and swiftly dodged.
Missing the kick, Yu Tian did not continue his attack but quickly retreated to one side, carefully observing Xiao Chen, appearing very composed. Yu Tian thought to himself, "His reaction is quick. This guy's strength is even greater than I imagined."
"He's quite calm, assessing my strength before making a move. Smart," Xiao Chen internally praised, though he wasn't worried. The gap in strength couldn't be bridged by calmness and intelligence alone.
"Xiao Chen, this guy is very cautious. You should take the initiative to attack," the Ancient White Tiger transmitted with a smile.
"You're right," Xiao Chen said with a smile. As he finished speaking, he suddenly stomped the ground, quickly charging along the stage.
"Here he comes! Time to test his strength!" Yu Tian thought, immediately activating his true essence and rushing forward.
"Bang!"
The two clashed fiercely with their fists, and with a muffled bang, powerful energy rippled out, turning the scattered stones on the stage to powder. Their strength was evenly matched; neither of them was forced back.
"This guy's strength is indeed above the mid-level of Fasting Stage. I need to use martial skills to win! But first, I'll test his limits," Yu Tian thought, deciding quickly. The clash of fists had already made him realize Xiao Chen's strength.
With that thought, Yu Tian launched another attack, and an intense melee battle ensued. The use of fists and feet could also reveal a person's strength because such attacks demonstrated speed, reaction time, and resilience.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
As the intense melee battle unfolded, the onlookers began to cheer, rooting for both Xiao Chen and Yu Tian. The thrilling sounds of the clash on the stage stirred the crowd's enthusiasm.
"This Xiao Chen's strength is no joke! Yu Tian's speed has increased with the Gale Technique, but Xiao Chen can still keep up. It shows that Xiao Chen's strength is already at the late stage of Fasting Stage!" Su Gu Tian analyzed, secretly acknowledging Xiao Chen's strength.
Liu Feng shook his head and said, "No, he's not using his full strength at all. The sword on his back is not just for show. He hasn't used any martial skills or activated his true essence; he's only relying on his fists and feet to win. Remember Xue Ren's blazing slash? Xiao Chen took that head-on without any injuries, showing that his body is incredibly strong."
"Bang!"
On the stage, after a few minutes of fighting, the two clashed with a final punch, then quickly separated to opposite sides, neither gaining an advantage.
"I've already used my full strength, yet I can't suppress him. His aura is steady, and his expression remains calm, indicating the previous battle didn't threaten him. Melee attacks alone can't defeat him; his strength is too great, my fists and feet are already numb," Yu Tian thought. From this internal monologue, it was clear that Yu Tian was good at observation and analysis, which was his advantage.
"I have to use martial skills to trap and defeat him!" Yu Tian decided, quickly channeling his true essence, forming hand seals, and then slapping the ground, shouting, "Earth Spirit Art! Earth Spirit Stone Claws!"
"Swish, swish!"
From beneath the stage where Xiao Chen stood, four stone claws quickly emerged, grabbing Xiao Chen's hands and feet. Startled, Xiao Chen tried to leap away but found himself firmly grasped.
"Not good! My body is trapped!" Xiao Chen exclaimed, struggling against the strong stone claws.
"Oh no! Xiao Chen is trapped by Yu Tian!" Mo Yan exclaimed in panic.
"Wow, this Yu Tian is quite skilled! Xiao Chen is trapped; the consequences could be serious!" a cultivator remarked with a smile.
"This Yu Tian is clever, knowing how to trap Xiao Chen. Haha," Ge Tianming laughed.
"He can't be trapped for long!" Liu Feng shook his head, his expression serious.
"Great opportunity!" Yu Tian thought. With Xiao Chen trapped, he decisively launched a punch at Xiao Chen.
"Bang!"
Yu Tian put all his strength into a punch aimed at Xiao Chen's abdomen. With a loud thud, the powerful punch hit its mark as Xiao Chen, being trapped, couldn't dodge.
Seeing Xiao Chen hit, a satisfied smile appeared on Yu Tian's lips. He immediately followed up with more punches. Meanwhile, stones materialized around Xiao Chen on the stage.
Seeing Xiao Chen still trapped, those who had bet on him winning began to worry. Mo Yan was even more anxious, with his palms sweating.
"Xiao Chen, stop playing around. With your physical strength, breaking free from these stone claws is too easy. You can't fool me!" the Ancient White Tiger transmitted, somewhat annoyed.
"Xiao Chen, it looks like I've won! Here comes my punch!" Seeing Xiao Chen still unable to break free, Yu Tian relaxed, feeling slightly smug as he taunted Xiao Chen.
"Not necessarily!" Xiao Chen smiled. As Yu Tian's punch came at him, Xiao Chen suddenly exerted force, breaking free from the stone claws holding his arm. The stone claws cracked apart.
"Bang!"
Xiao Chen's freed right hand quickly met Yu Tian's incoming punch with a loud thud. Using his immense strength, Xiao Chen easily caught Yu Tian's punch.
"What? He broke free!" Yu Tian's expression changed instantly.
"Great! He broke free! Xiao Chen, go for it!" Mo Yan was the first to cheer.
Xiao Chen smiled, grabbing Yu Tian's right hand and pulling down hard. The powerful force caused Yu Tian's body to lean forward, his expression changing again as he saw Xiao Chen's fist coming straight at his face.
"Bang!"
With great force, Xiao Chen's punch landed, sending Yu Tian flying.
"Is it really not over yet?" Yu Tian sneered as he was sent flying, his eyes flashing with determination. He landed on the ground and immediately formed hand seals.