Chapter 211: A Terrifying Punch!
During the eighth round, Luo Feng finally encountered Xiao Yu.
So far, Luo Feng had already won seven consecutive rounds. Only he, Zi Yuan, and Xiao Yu had maintained a winning streak in the third group.
As the voice of the elder who drew lots fell, the surrounding contestants immediately boiled with excitement.
Few in the four groups could win seven games consecutively. Besides the top four students from the previous year, only a handful remained. In the crowd's view, Luo Feng might have won ten consecutive games if he hadn't encountered Xiao Yu, but now that seemed impossible.
"Luo Feng is in danger. Xiao Yu ranked eleventh in the last Newcomer Conference, and his strength is far beyond what ordinary students can compare to."
"Yes, Xiao Yu's Azure Cloud Gangqi is an extraordinary martial art, not to be taken lightly. Many people last year couldn't break his defense."
"As long as Luo Feng can break the Azure Cloud Gangqi, he has a slight chance of winning. However, it's essentially impossible."
The crowd buzzed with discussion, none of them optimistic about Luo Feng's chances.
"Sister, watch. I'll show you how I defeat him," Xiao Yu glanced at Luo Feng and said confidently to He Qin, who was below the stage.
He Qin shook her head faintly, her expression unchanging. "Xiao Yu, I advise you not to be careless."
Xiao Yu laughed dismissively. "Although I'm a bit surprised he won seven games in a row, it was mostly good luck; he just didn't encounter any real experts. His luck ends here."
Xiao Yu turned and strode onto the stage.
Despite the crowd's pessimism, Luo Feng also ascended the stage.
Across from him, Xiao Yu looked at Luo Feng and laughed casually. "Luo Feng, I didn't expect you to win seven games in a row. You've had some damn good luck."
Luo Feng spoke calmly, "It's about to be eight wins in a row."
The crowd was stupefied by Luo Feng's words. It was clear that he didn't take Xiao Yu, who ranked eleventh in the last Newcomer Conference, seriously at all.
Xiao Yu's face turned grim, and he sneered, "Since you're so arrogant, I hope you don't run away with your tail between your legs like last time!"
Xiao Yu didn't believe Luo Feng could threaten him. His figure flashed, and he was already in front of Luo Feng, his right palm, carrying a heavy gust of wind, swung towards him.
Luo Feng stood still, immovable as a mountain, and punched forward.
The force of the fist and the wind of the palm clashed, creating bursts of terrifying explosive sounds.
The moment fist and palm met, Xiao Yu's expression changed instantly, and he retreated violently.
"You're also at the peak of the seventh-level Essence storage Realm?" Xiao Yu stabilized himself, looking at Luo Feng with astonishment.
He clearly remembered that just over a month ago in the Misty Swamp, Luo Feng was only at the peak cultivation of the sixth-level God Bravery Realm! That was why he hadn't taken Luo Feng seriously.
But in that brief exchange, Xiao Yu discovered that his opponent's cultivation was not inferior to his own; Luo Feng was also at the peak of the seventh-level Essence storage Realm!
Luo Feng didn't pursue, just smiled faintly. "You're not the only one at the peak of the seventh-level Essence storage Realm."
Xiao Yu's gaze turned cold, and then he sneered, "So what if you're at the peak of the seventh-level Essence storage Realm? Do you think that just because your cultivation is the same as mine, you can beat me? What a foolish dream!"
As his voice fell, Xiao Yu's aura skyrocketed. A translucent giant palm materialized from his right hand, descending upon Luo Feng from above.
BOOM!
A sudden thunderous sound echoed across the entire platform.
The Superior Yellow Level Martial Art, 'Explosive Cloud Palm'!
The air around the platform vibrated slightly. The air in front of Luo Feng seemed on the verge of collapsing, the aura terrifyingly fierce.
"Last time you couldn't even touch me with your Explosive Cloud Palm, let alone now."
Luo Feng shook his head. As he spoke, his figure flashed forward instead of retreating, unleashing a punch with seventy to eighty percent of his strength.
BOOM!
The two figures collided fiercely on the stage. The intense impact rippled outwards, causing the surrounding air to churn violently like water.
CRACK!
The Gang Qi on Xiao Yu's palm held for a moment, then shattered.
Just as Luo Feng's fist was about to strike Xiao Yu, a cold smile appeared on Xiao Yu's lips.
An eerie ripple emanated from Xiao Yu's body, and a pale blue Gang Qi materialized around him.
BUZZ!
The fist struck the azure Gang Qi. The Gang Qi shield shook violently but wasn't shattered.
"Hm?"
Luo Feng frowned and quickly withdrew his force.
In an instant, the azure Gang Qi, which had momentarily caved in, snapped back to its original state, rippling like the surface of a lake disturbed by a thrown boulder.
BUZZ!
The space around Xiao Yu trembled violently, and a semicircular pit appeared in the ground beneath his feet.
"That's the third level of Azure Cloud Gangqi, 'Azure Cloud Gentle Wave'! It can rebound attacks. Xiao Yu has actually cultivated Azure Cloud Gangqi to the third level!"
"These two are strong! Luo Feng can actually resist Xiao Yu head-on. It seems we underestimated him earlier; he must have been hiding his true strength."
"Indeed, Luo Feng is not bad; he'd be considered a rare expert even among the four major academies. Unfortunately, with Xiao Yu's Azure Cloud Gangqi cultivated to the third level, Luo Feng has no chance of winning."
"Yes, Azure Cloud Gangqi is notoriously difficult to deal with."
Watching Xiao Yu unleash his Azure Cloud Gangqi, gasps of astonishment rippled through the spectators. Even 'Heavenly Fragrant Woman' He Qin's beautiful, bright eyes flickered for a moment.
"Hahaha... Luo Feng, you didn't expect this, did you? My Azure Cloud Gangqi has reached the third level, the 'Azure Cloud Gentle Wave'! It combines hardness and softness. Any attack you make against me will only end up injuring yourself!" Xiao Yu jeered, looking down on Luo Feng with a smug expression.
Luo Feng stood ten steps away, gazing at Xiao Yu, and said lightly, "Xiao Yu, do you think hiding within that green turtle shell means I have no way to deal with you?"
"What did you say?"
Xiao Yu flew into a humiliated rage, his Azure Cloud Gangqi flaring intensely. He transformed into what seemed like a fearsome, green cyclone, charging mercilessly toward Luo Feng.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
Wherever Xiao Yu passed, the ground instantly sank half a foot, leaving a startling trench.
Luo Feng's eyes glinted sharply. He darted forward, his right fist shooting towards Xiao Yu like a meteor.
"What's going on? Luo Feng knows Xiao Yu has cultivated Azure Cloud Gangqi to the third level, yet he's still attacking head-on?"
Many in the martial arts arena were dumbfounded. He Qin's Daimei, delicate as mist, stirred slightly.
With Azure Cloud Gangqi cultivated to the third level, it could rebound close-quarters Gang Qi attacks. Rushing in so recklessly was undoubtedly a suicidal move.
BANG!
Amidst the deafening sound, Luo Feng's punch crashed fiercely into the Azure Cloud Gangqi surrounding Xiao Yu. His fist immediately plunged in, and both contestants were momentarily locked in a stalemate.
Xiao Yu stood within his Azure Cloud Gangqi, sneering, "Luo Feng, I originally thought you were just arrogant. I never expected you to be this foolish. You know full well that my Azure Cloud Gangqi, cultivated to the third level..."
"Can rebound an opponent's close-quarters attack, correct?" Luo Feng's calm voice made Xiao Yu pause, stunned.
Luo Feng looked up at Xiao Yu, a smile playing on his lips. "Then why haven't you rebounded my attack yet?"
Xiao Yu's expression changed drastically. "What did you do?"
At Luo Feng's reminder, Xiao Yu was horrified to realize he couldn't rebound the attack! He paled in terror.
"Even the most resilient blade has its breaking point. Exceed that limit, and it will snap. Your Azure Cloud Gangqi is no different."
As his words fell, a cold glint flashed in Luo Feng's eyes, and his momentum suddenly surged. Vast Yuan Qi, like a mighty river bursting its dam, surged towards the Azure Cloud Gangqi, its power immeasurable.
CRACK!
Xiao Yu's Azure Cloud Gangqi trembled violently, then began to crack inch by inch.
"Impossible! How can your Yuan Qi be so potent...?"
Before Xiao Yu, looking as if he'd seen a ghost, could finish his sentence, Luo Feng's punch sent him flying, spewing blood.
THUD!
Xiao Yu flew several dozen meters through the air before crashing heavily to the ground, creating a human-shaped crater. He had already lost consciousness.
The contestants below the stage were all flabbergasted, their mouths slightly agape.
When Azure Cloud Gangqi was cultivated to the third level, it could rebound Gangqi attacks. To shatter it, one's martial art power or Yuan Qi cultivation had to far exceed the opponent's!
In the VIP section, Zhou Zhiyun, the Headmaster of Tianlan School, lightly tapped her snow-white chin, a faint smile on her face. "This young man is impressive. He managed to shatter Azure Cloud Gangqi with sheer brute force."
Beside her, Zi Hongyuan also looked somewhat surprised. He wouldn't have found it strange if Luo Feng had shattered Xiao Yu's Azure Cloud Gangqi by using the Sky Slayer Saber Technique or the Sky Collapse Fist.
However, that was not what happened.
Luo Feng hadn't even used any martial arts techniques to defeat Xiao Yu so decisively!
Even he found it somewhat unbelievable.
On the stage, the elder overseeing the third group's matches was stunned for a moment before announcing, "Number seven, Luo Feng, is the victor!"
Gazing at Luo Feng's spirited figure on the stage, Hu Yitian shook his head with a wry smile. The more he learned, the greater he felt the gap between himself and Luo Feng become.
Turning, he saw Ji Wufa also watching the third group's platform. Hu Yitian asked, "Senior Brother, what are your thoughts on Luo Feng?"
Ji Wufa withdrew his gaze, calmly cradling his sword as he shook his head. "Compared to the other students, his strength is indeed a cut above. However, against me, he will undoubtedly lose."
On the other side of the platform, Wan Feng, with his long silver spear resting on his shoulder, watched Luo Feng with cold eyes. Licking his lips, he sneered, "I hope you make it into the ranking competition. Otherwise, I'll miss out on a lot of fun."
THUD!
Wan Feng jabbed his long silver spear into the ground. An electric serpent seemed to writhe at the spear's tip, the flickering light casting an eerie, terrifying glow on his expression.
Luo Feng paid little attention to the surrounding discussions. His figure darted, instantly landing beside Bing Ruolan.
Bing Ruolan's small face flushed pink, her beautiful eyes fixed on Luo Feng, shimmering with excitement. "Luo Feng, you're truly amazing! The way your punch cleanly shattered Xiao Yu's Azure Cloud Gangqi must have stunned so many people."
Luo Feng responded with a faint smile, "His Azure Cloud Gangqi had only just reached the third level and wasn't yet stable. Shattering it wasn't particularly difficult."
The eighth round of the competition ended quickly.
Subsequently, the ninth round began.
Luo Feng was lucky this time, drawing a square-faced youth at the late stage of the Essence storage Realm.
"It's you!" The square-faced youth was initially eager, but when he saw Luo Feng step onto the platform, his expression immediately fell. He turned to the elder overseeing the match, dejected, and said, "I forfeit."
The battle with Xiao Yu had already made many recognize Luo Feng's strength.
Bing Ruolan also easily won her match in the eighth round.
During the latter half of the ninth round, the entire martial arts arena suddenly erupted with excitement.
"'Thunderbolt Spear' Wan Feng is up against 'Twin Sword Guest' Yang Hong from Purple Sun School!"