This was a long chapter.
In the old era, the arts scattered among piles of old papers were called Old Arts; some also called them Scattering Arts.
Now, people over on New Star had begun calling them Crude Arts? It was clear that they had indeed gradually declined.
Yet anyone devoted to Old Arts and still researching them would find that name harsh on the ears.
Under the night sky, Wang Xuan remained calm and composed. Since the other party had come for him and possessed New Arts, he decided to step into the ring.
"What should I call you?" he asked.
"Zhou Yun." The Young Man known as Brother Yun answered, smiling to reveal a mouthful of snow-white teeth.
In an instant, he gave off an extremely dangerous feeling. His gaze was sharp and piercing, as though he had fixed his eyes on prey and was silently closing in.
"I thought your surname was Ling." Wang Xuan looked into his eyes, utterly unconcerned by his imposing manner.
At that guess, Zhou Yun narrowed his eyes slightly, yet a brilliant gleam flashed within them whenever they opened and closed. He became even more dangerous.
Wang Xuan's senses were keen. Seeing that fleeting abnormality, he asked no further questions.
Zhou Yun said, "Come on. New Arts against Old Arts. Let's take a look at whether the things scattered among piles of old papers really ought to be displayed in a museum."
He was smiling, with a wild aura about him. His footsteps made no sound, but he did not approach in a straight line. He clearly had extensive practical combat experience.
Qin Cheng shouted, "Why should he fight you? Where are you from, what's your identity, and what do you want?"
He was worried about Wang Xuan. After all, the other man had come here specifically for him. If he did not have some confidence, he likely would not have made a move.
Wang Xuan waved a hand, signaling him to say no more. Since he had made his decision to fight the man before him, there was nothing more to discuss.
Zhou Kun, Su Chan, Kong Yi, and the others wanted to stop them, but Wang Xuan had already nodded and agreed to spar. All of them looked worried.
"Let's make this clear first. This is only a sparring match. No one is to hit too hard; stop when appropriate." Zhao Qinghan spoke, and as her words fell, sounds came from the distant helipad. Two Mechs ran over at a brisk pace.
The cold metal Mechs possessed intelligence and carried lethal technological weapons. They stood at the edge of the lawn, watching Zhou Yun and Wang Xuan.
Zhou Yun's pupils contracted slightly. He knew that Zhao Qinghan was issuing a silent warning, primarily aimed at him, afraid that he would cause a bloody incident here with Super Arts.
He nodded. "Fine, it's settled then. I only wanted to see whether those who practice Old Arts still have a way forward, or whether they have declined completely."
Zhou Yun was very tall, with short hair and wheat-colored skin that gleamed faintly. He looked exceptionally sturdy and powerful, and once he assumed an attacking stance, he became immensely oppressive.
In that brief instant, Wang Xuan activated the Internal Nourishment Method and exhaled a breath of turbid air carrying the scent of alcohol. He had drunk quite a bit tonight, which was somewhat disadvantageous for him.
"Do you want to rest for a while?" Zhou Kun asked.
Qin Cheng hurriedly nodded. "That's right. After drinking that much, your neural reactions definitely won't keep up."
"Give me a few minutes," Wang Xuan said.
Then he closed his eyes. Taking the Fangshi Inheritance from the pre-Qin tomb as his Root Method, he followed its unique rhythm and visualized the radiance of stars and moon, turning it into a rain of light that entered his body.
At the same time, he continued visualizing. Turbid air constantly emerged from his pores, exchanging with moonlight and star-rain.
There was nothing unusual about visualizing such scenes. Existing Internal Nourishment Methods and meditation practices all contained records and cultivation involving such things, but the unique frequency and rhythm were crucial.
The Root Method of the pre-Qin Daoist practitioners had an astonishing origin, and its effects were inconceivable.
Many people had the illusion that Wang Xuan was covered in a layer of pure white light, favored by the stars and moon, making him seem faintly hazy and ethereal.
This strange sight left everyone astonished. Could Old Arts be practiced like this? There was still a road to walk after all.
Six minutes later, Wang Xuan Opened Eyes. "I'm ready."
He was tall and slender rather than frail, well-proportioned and strong. In the night, his expression was peaceful and his bearing exceptionally steady.
"I've been waiting for you to say that!"
Zhou Yun charged straight at him, stirring up a gale. He was simply too fast; before many people could react, several deep footprints had already been left in the lawn.
Wherever he stepped, soil and grass exploded apart. One could well imagine how terrifyingly powerful he was.
Bang!
Wang Xuan reacted swiftly, lifting his foot to kick up a long wooden table beside him that held buffet food, sending it crashing toward the lunging figure.
What made hearts tremble was that Zhou Yun, like a humanoid lion-tiger, did not stop. With one palm, he smashed through the hard wooden table.
Amid a cracking sound, the entire table exploded into fragments that flew in every direction. Everyone hurriedly dodged, their expressions changing at once.
Zhou Yun was too fierce, carrying a wildness that made his attack power terrifying. If it struck a person, it would absolutely endanger their life; the force was immense.
Wang Xuan shifted slightly, his body incomparably agile. In an instant, he evaded Zhou Yun's striking palm, letting him lunge past like a tiger or leopard and overextend by half a body length.
Wang Xuan's palm followed the motion and chopped diagonally at Zhou Yun as they passed each other, with such force that even the air churned.
Zhou Yun truly was formidable. At the instant he rushed past, his right elbow slammed backward and collided with Wang Xuan's palm, producing a muffled sound.
Both their bodies swayed slightly, and Zhou Yun rushed onward.
The moment he turned around, Zhou Yun charged again. He actually leaped into the air, like a vicious Black Tiger pouncing upon prey, intensely dangerous and wild, fists and feet aimed at Wang Xuan.
This time, Wang Xuan did not evade. He spun swiftly and decisively, sweeping a leg toward the air.
With a bang, it was as though a muffled thunderclap had struck from midair. The deep, powerful sound made everyone's hearts quiver.
Zhou Yun flipped through the air. His body was agile, and though he swayed slightly upon landing, he still managed to stand steadily.
"You really do have some skill." He stared at Wang Xuan, deeply surprised.
"You're using Old Arts techniques. Where are these so-called New Arts of yours?" Wang Xuan asked.
Zhou Yun said, "Wouldn't it be simpler if I defeated you with Old Arts? Then there would be no need for me to use New Arts methods."
He still radiated danger, his aggressiveness palpable. His body was taut, ready to launch another fierce attack at any moment.
"What I'm using is merely the framework of Old Arts. My strength does not come from Qi Gathering Technique or Internal Nourishment Method and the like. We keep pace with the times; long ago, we incorporated genetic achievements."
Zhou Yun did not care about revealing his foundation, because to him, this was merely an enhancement to physical strength and power, not the source of Super Arts power.
Nearby, the spectators' hearts tightened. The students from New Star knew what was going on.
Long ago, people on New Star had begun conducting research in this area, carrying out genetic optimization and editing on newborns in advance. However, most of it had been done in secret to avoid public backlash.
Zhou Yun's powerful physical strength did not come from Qi Gathering or Internal Nourishment, but purely from genetic achievements. To ordinary people, his force was terrifying and impossible to resist.
Wang Xuan said no more and took the initiative to attack. Since the other man had targeted him with such strong intent, he would simply strike directly.
The two figures on the lawn moved incredibly fast. As their fists and feet swung, faint sounds of wind and thunder arose, sending chills through many onlookers.
If that kind of force landed on a person, they would die or at least suffer grave injuries.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Beneath their feet, the lawn burst apart. Whenever their feet touched the ground, their strength was so great that they not only left deep pits but also shattered the surrounding turf, sending it exploding outward.
Once Old Arts were practiced to a certain level, they truly surpassed ordinary people. In ancient times, they possessed tremendous killing power, which was why they had flourished for so many years.
But they were too difficult to practice. Whether because the environment had changed or because modern technology had flourished and people's hearts had grown restless, fewer and fewer people could master Old Arts. Even when they did, the results were mediocre; upon reaching a certain height, they could advance no further, their path capped forever.
Thus, they had declined ever further, and true experts had become difficult to find.
Yet Wang Xuan, at his age, displayed such ability that it was genuinely moving. Even Zhou Yun, blessed with remarkable genetic achievements, was being suppressed by him.
In the field, under Wang Xuan's relentless assault, Zhou Yun's body shook as he staggered backward. His scalp tingled. How could that tall, slender body possess such explosive force?
Bang!
One punch from Wang Xuan sent Zhou Yun's blood and qi surging wildly, forcing him back. He nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
Wang Xuan followed up with a swinging kick that swept diagonally across.
Although Zhou Yun avoided his vital points, his shoulder was still grazed.
He immediately felt searing pain. His clothes tore, and blood had already begun to flow. If he had not dodged in time, a direct hit might have cracked his shoulder bone.
This is a monster! That was how he judged Wang Xuan in his heart. Even with his sturdy build and powerful physique, he could barely endure it, let alone anyone else.
He had undergone genetic optimization, yet he still could not withstand the other man's fists and kicks. The force was terrifyingly heavy. He seriously suspected that if his head took a punch, it might burst with a pop like a watermelon.
"Whew!" He exhaled a breath of turbid air and rapidly retreated. His entire temperament changed, becoming faintly hazy.
A thin layer of blue mist appeared Outside the Body, looking somewhat mysterious as it clung to his skin.
"Didn't you want to witness New Arts? Come on!" Zhou Yun growled.
Everyone cried out in alarm. His state was highly unusual; even from far away, they felt extreme danger and unconsciously retreated.
The students from New Star grew somewhat tense. They understood that this was New Arts, touching upon supernatural power. Once it erupted, the consequences would be no small matter.
"Wang Xuan, call out immediately if anything feels wrong," someone reminded him, sweating on his behalf.
Wang Xuan halted and did not attack directly. He Naturally sensed that extraordinary power and quietly observed it.
Zhou Yun took the initiative to rush forward. The sparse blue mist around him billowed, as though it were about to turn into light, and he attacked Wang Xuan with all his strength.
"Something's wrong!"
Wang Xuan retreated. The opponent's storm-like assault was only a cover; the truly lethal thing was the blue mist gradually turning to light. The thin blue radiance bloomed—had it actually distorted space?
A chill ran through Wang Xuan's heart.
But he quickly came to his senses. It could not possibly have distorted space; Zhou Yun did not possess that kind of power. Had it distorted his perception instead?
Wang Xuan circulated the method passed down through the pre-Qin Daoist practitioners. His spirit swiftly grew vigorous, piercing through the fog, and he was truly startled. The other man's Super Arts—that blue light—could influence one's mind.
Had he been careless just now, he would have lost.
Wang Xuan swung his right palm with astonishing force. Had an ordinary person been struck, they would certainly have been sent flying with broken bones and torn tendons.
This time, Zhou Yun did not retreat. His right fist, glowing pale blue, collided with Wang Xuan's palm, and both of them immediately let out muffled groans.
Zhou Yun was struck by an enormous force and felt as though his fist were about to break. Even the gaps beneath his fingernails had split open, blood trickling down. His heart turned solemn. Even after using Super Arts, the other man could still injure him?
Fortunately, he had used Super Arts. Otherwise, his finger bones might have cracked.
After Wang Xuan's right palm collided with Zhou Yun's fist, he sensed something unusual and retreated at top speed. Yet a mysterious force still invaded his body—the thin blue light.
In an instant, his arm went numb, and even his Five Viscera felt somewhat uncomfortable. He rapidly fell back.
"Heh, now you know how formidable it is, right? Super Arts are far beyond your imagination. Old Arts really have fallen behind!"
Zhou Yun spoke without stopping. He moved swiftly, rushing over like a gust of wind, his body wreathed in deep blue light.
He could not possibly give Wang Xuan a chance to catch his breath. He wanted to end the battle quickly.
"What is that thing? Old Wang, if you can't hold on, call out right away!" Qin Cheng panicked and shouted loudly. He looked around, grabbed a table, and prepared to rush over at any time.
"That is New Arts, initially touching upon supernatural power!"
Zhou Kun murmured, telling him the truth and adding further explanation.
"In the West, that energy is called the God Factor. On our side, it is called Supernatural Element."
In the field, Wang Xuan was in grave danger. It was his first time confronting supernatural power, and he understood nothing about it. Not only was his mind being disrupted, even his body was being eroded.
Boom!
Suddenly, a faint, intermittent sound of thunder came from within his body. He activated the Daoist Master's Root Method, vibrating his Five Viscera and performing a special physical technique.
"Five Viscera Thunder Sound Art!" someone exclaimed.
They were all students of the Old Arts Experimental Class and knew their craft. At First Time, they recognized what method Wang Xuan had used.
This physical technique was far too difficult; it could not be mastered through normal means. At the very least, none of them had succeeded. They had never expected Wang Xuan to perform it.
His Five Viscera trembled at a special frequency. His metabolism surged drastically and continued accelerating, expelling wisps of fine blue light from the pores across his body.
A gleam flashed through Zhao Qinghan's beautiful eyes. She instructed the Mechs, "Quick, record this. Super Arts can actually be broken this way. Although Zhou Yun has only initially touched supernatural power, his very first attack has been dispelled by Old Arts. It's truly astonishing."
Wang Xuan's body returned to normal. He immediately used his strongest method, thunder sounds continuously rumbling through his body as both hands cleaved forward like lightning.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Amid violent collisions, the thin blue light around Zhou Yun's body was forcibly dispersed by Wang Xuan. In the end, Zhou Yun himself was sent flying sideways, blood flowing From the Mouth.
Zhou Yun, who had mastered Super Arts, had actually lost!
This result deeply shook everyone. Wang Xuan had overwhelmingly defeated Zhou Yun with Old Arts.
Wang Xuan walked over, wanting to examine the blue light still dispersing from Zhou Yun's body more closely.
Bang!
Zhou Yun sprang up swiftly and attacked him again.
Wang Xuan grabbed his arm, thunder sounds vibrating within his body as he dispersed the blue light substance. Then he punched Zhou Yun in the abdomen, making him crouch down in agony like a hooked shrimp.
"You lost and still want to attack me?" Wang Xuan gave his spine another palm strike, neither too heavy nor too light, causing Zhou Yun intense pain and stiffness that left him unable to move.
Wang Xuan's body was sticky with sweat. He had used the Daoist Master's Root Method to activate the Five Viscera Thunder Sound Art, accelerating his metabolism and expelling a great deal of sweat.
The consumption was immense, and he was somewhat tired. He sat directly on Zhou Yun, warning him not to move recklessly again or he would suffer severe injuries.
"Tell me, where do you come from?" Wang Xuan asked Zhou Yun.
Just then, a small airship descended. A Middle-aged Man stepped out, followed by a Young Woman in her early twenties. She was silent, walking out with her head lowered and an unhappy expression.
"Hm?!" When the Middle-aged Man saw Zhou Yun pinned beneath Wang Xuan, his Facial Expression immediately changed.
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