The National League, Here I Come!

The bell for the finals rang, and the atmosphere in the martial arts arena instantly reached its peak.

Fang Yan and Chu Feng stood facing each other in the center of the enormous alloy ring. Sunlight spilled over them, outlining their tall, straight figures.

"I never expected the finals to be between the two of us." Chu Feng gripped his long sword, an excited smile on his face. "Fang Yan, bring out all your strength. Let's have a good fight!"

"That's exactly what I had in mind." Fang Yan nodded, a trace of battle intent flashing in his eyes. "Come on!"

"Begin!"

At the referee's command, Chu Feng launched the first attack. He circulated the Blazing Sword Technique, and roaring flames ignited along his long sword. Like a fire dragon carrying searing heat, it stabbed straight toward Fang Yan.

"Blazing Sword Technique: Fire Dragon Emerges from Sea!"

Fang Yan's gaze sharpened, and he didn't dare let his guard down. He circulated his Profound Ice Force, poured his Profound Ice True Qi into the Ink Ice Spear, and blocked horizontally.

"Clang!"

The blazing fire and profound ice collided, erupting with a thunderous boom. A wave of heat and a surge of icy air spread across the ring, twisting the surrounding air.

The tremendous force drove both of them several steps backward.

"Your Profound Ice True Qi really is formidable!" Chu Feng praised. "But my Blazing Sword Technique isn't just for show, either!"

He launched another attack. His figure flickered as he circled to Fang Yan's side, sweeping his long sword toward Fang Yan's waist.

Fang Yan reacted with astonishing speed. He lightly tapped the ground with the tip of his left foot, sending his body soaring and evading Chu Feng's attack. At the same time, he spun around and thrust his spear, its tip aimed straight at Chu Feng's back.

Chu Feng seemed to have anticipated it. He suddenly lunged forward, evading Fang Yan's attack, then stabbed backward with his sword toward Fang Yan's abdomen.

The two came and went, fighting fiercely without giving an inch. Chu Feng's swordsmanship was sharp and violent, every strike wreathed in roaring flames as if it meant to burn everything to ashes. Fang Yan's spearwork, meanwhile, was steady and powerful. Wherever his Profound Ice True Qi passed, the cold was biting, effectively suppressing Chu Feng's flames.

The spectators below the stage were dazzled by the spectacle, cheering loudly for them both.

"Come on, Chu Feng! Burn him to death!"

"Fang Yan, freeze him with your ice!"

"This is incredible! Now this is a clash between peaks!"

On the reviewing platform, Su Wan and the other teachers also watched with repeated nods.

"Teacher Su, these two students of yours are truly impressive." The director of instruction spoke with a smile. "Fang Yan's progress is unbelievably fast. In such a short time, he's already reached the Martial Master Early-stage Peak and cultivated the Earth-tier Low Grade Profound Ice Force. Chu Feng is outstanding as well. His Blazing Sword Technique has already reached the peak of the third layer."

Su Wan smiled faintly. "They're both very talented children. I hope they can break through themselves in this competition."

On the ring, the battle had already entered its most heated stage.

Fine beads of sweat had appeared on Chu Feng's forehead, and he had expended a great deal of internal energy. Yet his eyes shone brighter and brighter. He could feel that his Blazing Sword Technique was continually breaking through as he fought Fang Yan.

"Fang Yan, take my final move!" Chu Feng shouted, pouring all the internal energy in his body into his long sword.

The flames on the long sword blazed even more fiercely, forming the phantom image of a gigantic fire dragon that roared as it charged toward Fang Yan.

"Blazing Sword Technique: Fire Dragon Roar!"

Fang Yan drew a deep breath. He could sense that the might of this attack was extraordinary. Rather than meet it head-on, he fused the internal energy of the Ice Soul Art and the Profound Ice Force together.

This was the result of his cultivation over the past few days. Once the two types of ice-element internal energy fused, they formed a purer, more frigid power.

"Ice Dragon Roar: Dual Ultimate Edition!"

Fang Yan gave a low shout and thrust his spear. A phantom ice dragon formed from the fusion of the two types of ice-element internal energy roared out from the spearhead and slammed into Chu Feng's fire dragon phantom.

"Boom!"

A heaven-shaking explosion erupted, and dazzling light burst across the ring. A powerful shock wave spread in every direction, forcing the surrounding spectators to stumble backward again and again.

As the smoke and dust cleared, both of them stood motionless where they were.

Chu Feng's long sword fell to the ground, and a bitter smile appeared on his face. "I lost."

He could clearly feel that his flames had been completely suppressed by the other party's ice dragon, and the internal energy in his body had been utterly depleted.

Fang Yan was panting heavily as well, the hand gripping his spear trembling slightly. That last attack had nearly exhausted all the internal energy in his body. Yet he could feel that, in the instant the two types of internal energy fused, his realm had loosened slightly.

I broke through! Fang Yan rejoiced inwardly.

[ Ding! Congratulations, host, on breaking through your bottleneck in actual combat and successfully advancing to the Martial Master Mid-stage! ]

[Current Status: Martial Master Mid-stage]

[Qi and Blood: 5.2]

[Internal Energy: Profound Ice True Qi (Fused)]

The referee walked up to them and announced, "The first-year Martial Arts Competition finals—Fang Yan wins!"

The spectators below instantly erupted in thunderous applause and cheers.

"That's wonderful! Fang Yan won!"

"As expected of my idol!"

"Congratulations to Fang Yan for winning the championship!"

Chu Feng walked over, patted Fang Yan on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Congratulations, Fang Yan. You really are stronger than me."

"There's no need to put it that way between us." Fang Yan smiled. "I learned a lot from this match too."

Just then, the principal stepped onto the ring, holding a golden trophy and a brocade box.

"Student Fang Yan, congratulations on winning the championship of this year's grade-level martial arts competition." The principal smiled. "This trophy represents your honor, and the brocade box contains your reward."

Fang Yan accepted the trophy and brocade box. When he opened it, he found a black card and a cultivation manual inside.

[Item: Black Gold Card]

[Effect: Can be used for purchases at any store in the school; contains academic credits]

[Cultivation Technique: Ice Thorn]

[Grade: Profound-tier High Grade]

[Attribute: Ice]

[Description: An ultimate ice-element spear technique. Once cultivated to mastery, it can condense icy spikes with extremely powerful penetrating force.]

"Thank you, Principal," Fang Yan said.

The principal nodded, then turned to Chu Feng. "Student Chu Feng, you were outstanding as well. This is your reward."

Chu Feng accepted his reward: academic credits and an advanced Qi and Blood Pill.

"Thank you, Principal."

After the awards ceremony ended, Su Wan walked over with a gratified smile on her face. "Congratulations to both of you. You achieved excellent results. Fang Yan in particular—not only did you win the championship, you also broke through to the Martial Master Mid-stage. That's truly double happiness."

"It was all thanks to Teacher Su's guidance," Fang Yan said.

"This is the result of your own hard work." Su Wan smiled. "By the way, the National Collegiate Martial Dao League will begin in a month. The school has decided that the two of you, together with Lin Mengyao and Li Hao, will form the school team and compete. You must prepare well during this time and strive to bring honor to the school."

"Yes!" Fang Yan and Chu Feng said in unison.

They knew that the National Collegiate Martial Dao League had even more experts and that the challenges would be greater. But both of them were filled with confidence.

The sun was setting in the west, and golden afterglow spilled across the martial arts arena. Fang Yan gripped the trophy in his hands, his heart brimming with heroic fervor.

The Martial Master Mid-stage was only a new beginning. His martial path still stretched very, very far ahead. The National League, here I come!