Fierce Tiger

Yao Ping truly deserved his reputation as an Outer Sect Disciple known for his rich combat experience.

At the critical moment,

his body twisted forcefully through mid-air, Spirit Essence erupting all over his body from within. His fists curled into claws, pale-black Spirit Essence winding between them.

What Yao Ping cultivated

was a cultivation method called the Black Fiend Tiger Essence Art.

The Spirit Essence it produced resembled thin black mist,

filled with violent, destructive power,

and was incomparably powerful!

It could be seen that,

as Yao Ping erupted,

the air was nearly warped by the Spiritual Power stirred up by the Spirit Essence Late Stage.

Like a pair of tiger claws wreathed in boundless Sha Qi, they suddenly flipped and spun, instantly drawing back in defense as Zhang Qingyuan's palm descended.

As Zhang Qingyuan drove his palm down with surging Spirit Essence,

it blocked before him!

Bang!!!

The air exploded,

sending out Visible Air Ripples.

Rampaging Spirit Essence burst apart, violent fluctuations sweeping outward. It was as though the ground itself trembled, while an air wave storm swept up from the flat ground.

Amid the shrouding Smoke and Dust,

a figure flew straight backward, staggering back several steps before Only then managing to steady himself.

"Very good. I never expected you to reach this extent. I underestimated you!"

Yao Ping's expression was somewhat gloomy.

He had originally intended to defeat his opponent in One Move, then challenge Li Shengyong, who ranked fifteenth in the class, once more with the most overwhelming Aura, claiming the fifteenth position in one stroke.

Yet he had never expected

that he would nearly stumble here.

Had he not been experienced, quick-eyed, and swift-handed enough to react in an instant, this challenge would likely have become the greatest joke on himself!

He had nearly been defeated by someone he had originally looked down on.

"Then next, I will defeat you with my strongest strength!"

Roar!!!

From the flat ground,

it was as if a tiger's roar rang out,

stirring up an Air Wave Visible to the Naked Eye.

At this moment,

Spirit Essence erupted all over Yao Ping's body.

Strands of black mist swirled Around the Body, As If they had transformed into a terrifying black tiger in the air. Like a demon god from the abyss, it stared directly at Zhang Qingyuan.

Bang!

One foot stamped upon the ground.

Overwhelming force erupted, and fine cracks split across the bricks and stones on the surface.

His Whole Body turned into an afterimage.

A surging Air Wave surged into the sky and swept toward Zhang Qingyuan.

Zhang Qingyuan let out a long breath.

He did not dare show the slightest contempt.

The two exchanged blows once more.

As their figures flashed and collided, gusts of wind exploded, rolling up sand and dust that filled the sky. The two figures flickered repeatedly amid the dust, and the entire platform seemed to show only two Visible to the Naked Eye afterimages.

Yao Ping threw punch after punch,

each Filled With immense, masculine force. His strikes carried the might of a tiger, and every punch held enough power to shatter steles and split rocks.

Fierce Fiendish Qi swept across the air,

shaking up Smoke and Dust Visible to the Naked Eye.

Meanwhile, every move Zhang Qingyuan made

flowed smoothly between attack and defense.

Under Yao Ping's step-by-step pressing assault, he remained calm and unhurried, neutralizing one Killing Move after another.

For a time,

layers upon layers of Spirit Essence exploded atop the stage, raising Visible to the Naked Eye waves, while gusting Air Waves surged up from the ground.

At a glance, Yao Ping's attacks appeared far more aggressive.

Zhang Qingyuan, meanwhile, seemed to be stubbornly defending alone,

as though Yao Ping had beaten him into retreat after retreat.

The arena entered a rare stalemate.

Two Spirit Essence Late Stage cultivators were fighting and battling with nothing but pure Martial Skills. The sheer spectacle deeply shook some of the Mid Spirit Essence Realm cultivators in the Separate Courtyard.

As for the geniuses standing at the front of the Seventeenth Branch,

they gained an added measure of scrutiny.

"Yao Ping's Black Fiend Tiger Essence Art already contains one or two traces of the Black Fiend Tiger's essence. He has probably cultivated this cultivation method to the third layer already. And that Fist Intent is upright and imposing, filled with the immense power of a fierce tiger. To achieve such a level, his Heavenly Dipper Dragon Tiger Fist has Probably Not also reached Great Accomplishment, has it? It looks like Zhang Qingyuan will lose this challenge."

"Indeed. The Black Fiend Tiger Essence Art and Heavenly Dipper Dragon Tiger Fist complement each other extremely well. Added to how deeply he has cultivated them, even an Early Spirit Essence Realm Seventh Level cultivator would probably not be Yao Ping's match. This improvement in strength is truly frightening. In comparison, Zhang Qingyuan's defense looks somewhat plain and unremarkable."

It was no wonder they did not think highly of Zhang Qingyuan.

After all, compared to Yao Ping, Zhang Qingyuan's performance was simply far too ordinary.

During his two years in the Separate Courtyard,

they had never seen Zhang Qingyuan display anything outstanding. He had always cultivated steadily, taken on all manner of farming tasks, and never deliberately socialized with others.

He was so ordinary that people could hardly recall anything special about him.

Compared to him,

Yao Ping, a Fellow Sect Member who had once been Lesser Invincible among those of the same level and often challenged others, was clearly more worthy of attention.

And from the beginning of the battle until now,

Zhang Qingyuan had still been using the Cloud Water Art, the sect's standard, commonplace cultivation method, along with the Nine Refinements Bone Forging Fist, which possessed almost no great power. At the same cultivation level, Yao Ping, who had once been Lesser Invincible among his peers, was naturally regarded more favorably.

However,

this was clearly the view of ordinary Outer Sect Disciples.

At this moment,

the expressions of the few geniuses ranked at the very forefront of the Seventeenth Branch, whether previously indifferent or arrogant, all changed slightly.

As the top Combat Power of the Seventeenth Branch,

they could better see the hidden details of this battle.

"Weifeng, who do you think will ultimately win?"

On the stage,

Headmaster Liu watched the battle in the arena, a faint smile hovering on his face.

He asked the Disciple beside him.

Wang Weifeng,

the undisputed First Place of the Seventeenth Branch,

possessed Mid Spirit Essence Realm Ninth Level strength. In terms of cultivation alone, he surpassed every Outer Sect Disciple in the Seventeenth Branch. Let Alone the fact that he came from a Great Family beyond the Cloud Water Sect, giving him considerable odds of advancing into a True Essence Realm expert.

Just as teachers in Zhang Qingyuan's Previous Life liked good students,

Headmaster Liu was also extremely satisfied with and valued Wang Weifeng, even taking the initiative to draw close to him early on.

So that after the Outer Sect Grand Competition,

he could bring such a seed, one highly likely to achieve the True Essence Realm, into their faction.

"At present, it looks as though Yao Ping is suppressing Zhang Qingyuan, with the latter having fallen into an absolute disadvantage. But—"

Wang Weifeng's expression remained calm.

After hesitating for a moment,

he continued:

"Yao Ping's Black Fiend Tiger Essence Art and Heavenly Dipper Dragon Tiger Fist are powerful indeed, but he lacks staying power, and the eruption consumes too much Spirit Essence. He will be unable to sustain it afterward."

"In comparison, Zhang Qingyuan cultivates the Water Essence Art, which has likewise reached the third layer. The Spirit Essence cultivated by this cultivation method is universally acknowledged to be continuous and rich. Added to the Nine Refinements Bone Forging Fist, which has not consumed much of his strength to begin with, he has not expended much Spirit Essence even now and can endure for longer."

"Moreover, Zhang Qingyuan's Spirit Essence gives me a strange feeling."

"If nothing unexpected happens, Zhang Qingyuan should be the one to win in the end."

After hesitating slightly,

Wang Weifeng considered it, then said.