Combat Competition

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the weekly practical combat competition arrived. Class A's practical combat matches used random draws for pairings and were held at the school's combat training grounds.

The combat training grounds were a huge enclosed space that simulated various complex environments, including forests, mountains, and plains. Different levels of virtual exotic beasts could also be released as needed, making it very suitable for practical combat training.

Fang Yan's opponent was a male student named Chu Feng. Chu Feng was tall and slender, with a handsome face. He held a folding fan in his hand, appearing refined and scholarly, but his eyes held a sharp glint. His Blood Essence was as high as 2.9, just one step away from the Martial Master realm, making him one of the top powerhouses in Class A.

"Please guide me." Chu Feng cupped his fists towards Fang Yan, his tone calm but carrying a hint of imperceptible arrogance.

Fang Yan returned the gesture, "Likewise."

The two walked onto the dueling stage, and with the referee's command, the match officially began.

Chu Feng launched the first attack. The folding fan in his hand suddenly opened, and dozens of tiny silver needles shot out from the fan's surface, flying towards Fang Yan like lightning. The silver needles were also imbued with a faint internal energy, clearly poisoned.

"Such speed!" Fang Yan was startled and immediately used Wind-Treading Steps, weaving nimbly through the barrage of silver needles. At the same time, he circulated the Extreme Ice Prison Art, condensing a thin ice shield in front of him to block a few stray needles.

"Oh?" Chu Feng was somewhat surprised that Fang Yan could so easily evade his silver needles. He flipped his wrist, closed the folding fan, and transformed it into a short staff, smashing it towards Fang Yan's head.

Fang Yan's eyes narrowed. Without dodging, he thrust his Ink Ice Spear forward, aiming directly for Chu Feng's wrist. He knew that while Chu Feng's attacks were fierce, his defense was relatively weak. As long as he could force back Chu Feng's attack, he would find an opportunity to counter.

"Clang!"

The Ink Ice Spear collided with the folding fan, producing a crisp sound. Chu Feng felt a tremendous force transmit from the fan, numbing his wrist and forcing him to take two involuntary steps back.

"You have quite some strength." A hint of surprise flashed in Chu Feng's eyes, followed by a cold laugh, "However, strength alone is not enough."

His figure flickered and suddenly disappeared from his spot. The next second, he appeared behind Fang Yan, his folding fan opening again, and a sharp wind blade slashed towards Fang Yan's back.

"It's a wind-element movement technique!" Fang Yan's heart tightened. He could feel the sharp whistling wind from behind him and immediately used the Great Desolation Prison Heaven Finger, shooting an ice-blue finger force backward.

"Pfft!"

The finger force and the wind blade collided, canceling each other out. Fang Yan seized the opportunity to turn, sweeping his Ink Ice Spear horizontally. The spearhead carried a biting cold aura as it struck towards Chu Feng.

Chu Feng dared not be careless and immediately used his movement technique to evade. The two exchanged blows, fighting fiercely and evenly. Chu Feng's movement technique was agile and graceful, his attacks unpredictable, alternating between silver needles and wind blades, making it difficult for Fang Yan to defend. Fang Yan, on the other hand, relied on his solid foundation and immense strength, responding to every change with steadfastness. He wielded his Ink Ice Spear with impenetrable defense, deflecting Chu Feng's attacks time and again.

"This can't go on," Fang Yan thought to himself. "Chu Feng's movement technique is too agile; it's hard for me to hit him. I need to find a way to restrict his speed."

He took a deep breath and suddenly changed his tactic. He stopped attacking proactively and instead unleashed the internal energy of the Extreme Ice Prison Art to its fullest, causing the temperature of the entire dueling stage to drop instantly. Ice began to form on the ground, and a bone-chilling cold permeated the air.

"What is this..." Chu Feng's expression changed. He could feel his movement technique being affected, his speed noticeably slowing down.

Fang Yan seized this opportunity, lunging forward with a sudden step. He thrust his Ink Ice Spear forward, and a massive ice dragon phantom condensed at the spearhead.

"Ice Soul Spear Technique - Ice Dragon's Roar!"

The ice dragon phantom, carrying immense power, crushed towards Chu Feng.

Chu Feng knew this attack was no trivial matter. If he were hit, he would undoubtedly lose. He gritted his teeth, condensed all the internal energy within his body onto the folding fan, and opened it again. A massive wind blade erupted from the fan's surface, colliding with the ice dragon phantom.

"Boom!"

A world-shattering explosion echoed, and the shockwave spread out, causing the protective railings around the dueling stage to vibrate.

As the smoke cleared, Chu Feng was seen kneeling on the ground, a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth, clearly injured. Fang Yan stood in place, breathing slightly heavily, the ice dragon phantom on his Ink Ice Spear having dissipated.

"I lost." Chu Feng slowly stood up, a look of unwillingness on his face, but he still cupped his fists towards Fang Yan. "Your strength is formidable; I am truly convinced."

The referee immediately announced, "Fang Yan wins!"

Lively applause and cheers erupted from the crowd below. No one had expected Fang Yan to defeat the highly ranked Chu Feng, making him the center of attention once again.

Su Wan stood below the stage, watching Fang Yan's performance with a satisfied smile in her eyes. She hadn't expected this disciple from the Mystic Martial Pavilion to grow so quickly.

After the match, Su Wan walked up to Fang Yan and said, "Your performance today was excellent. Especially your ability to utilize the environment and the advantages of your own techniques to restrict your opponent shows that you are not only strong but also quick-witted."

She paused and continued, "For next month's wilderness trial, I will put you and Chu Feng in the same group. I hope you can put aside your differences, cooperate with each other, and complete the trial mission."

"Yes, Teacher Su." Fang Yan nodded. He knew that the wilderness trial was even more dangerous than the practical combat competition, and having a strong teammate would undoubtedly increase the chances of success.

Chu Feng also walked over and looked at Fang Yan, saying sincerely, "Fang Yan, I underestimated you before. For next month's wilderness trial, let's cooperate well."

"Okay." Fang Yan smiled slightly and extended his hand.

Chu Feng was taken aback for a moment, then extended his hand as well, shaking Fang Yan's.

Although the two had just gone through an intense battle, they chose to temporarily set aside their past grievances and cooperate for the upcoming wilderness trial.

Fang Yan knew that this was only the first formidable opponent he had encountered at Kyoto University of Science and Technology. In the future, he would meet more and stronger opponents. But he was confident that with his own efforts and continuous breakthroughs, he would carve out a place for himself in this academy filled with geniuses.