Defeating All Rivals!

"What did you just say, kid?"

Fang Can's provocation sent ripples through the crowd. The fellow disciples around him immediately turned hostile.

One man wanted to take on the hundreds gathered at the Martial Arts Arena?

Even if Yang Lie, an instructor who had spent his whole life training and had barely reached the fifth level of the Mysterious Pass, personally stepped in, he might not be able to pull that off.

They had no idea how Fang Can had trained so quickly in seven days, but he obviously hadn't advanced beyond the second level of the Mysterious Pass.

Since there was no huge gap between their levels, wasn't he being a little too arrogant in claiming he could take on a hundred men at once?

Thinking this over, they tamped down their shock at Fang Can's strength and all stepped forward together, surrounding him. It seemed they were ready to gang up on him at the slightest provocation.

"Can't you hear me, senior brothers?" Fang Can tossed Li Qunfan's body aside as casually as a piece of trash, then cupped his fists.

"I want to test my abilities, so I ask you all to give me some pointers."

"Friendly sparring between fellow disciples. There's no limit on numbers. Please, go easy on me."

"Fine, fine, fine. I admit you might be a genius, but you're still far too arrogant." A huge, burly man, two meters tall, strode out of the crowd.

"My name is Ye Qin. There's no need for anyone else to step in. I'll take you on myself." The big man spoke with disdain in his eyes.

You country bumpkin. You think knocking down some guy surnamed Li with a sneak attack makes you a master? Beat the strongest one first, then we'll talk.

As he took his stance, Ye Qin settled into the opening posture of the Sixty-Six Tiger Devour Fist Techniques. For a moment, everyone seemed to hear a tiger roaring in the mountains.

Seeing Ye Qin's opening posture, everyone instinctively held their breath. He had already infused his moves with his own true intent.

When someone attacked with an artistic conception and their opponent did not, they were already at a disadvantage in terms of presence. It left a flaw in their state of mind and could make them lose.

"Then please give me some pointers, senior brother." Seeing his opponent's movements, Fang Can took the same opening stance.

Yet, though the movements were identical, everyone felt dazed, as if a real tiger were crouching low, ready to pounce.

That's right: true intent was merely an inferior substitute for Heart Manifestation Manifestation. In terms of presence, it couldn't even compare to one percent of Heart Manifestation.

Using true intent to clash with Heart Manifestation was like a mantis trying to stop a cart. Though Fang Can hadn't even manifested his Heart Manifestation, when their auras collided, Ye Qin had already been at an innate disadvantage.

"His understanding of this fist technique is actually deeper than mine."

Ye Qin could hardly believe it. But the bout had already begun, and hesitating would only increase his chances of losing.

BOOM!

With the intent of a tiger fighting to the death, Ye Qin stamped down hard with both feet. The blue bricks beneath him shattered, and he pounced straight at Fang Can like a real tiger.

Fang Can didn't even try to dodge. His right hand curled into a claw and struck out. He anticipated his opponent's move, seized Ye Qin's thick wrist, and redirected his momentum.

By the time Ye Qin realized what had happened, he was spinning through the air like a top. Fang Can grabbed him by the head and slammed him straight into the blue bricks.

Who am I? Where am I? How did I lose?

With his face buried in the stone, Ye Qin felt his skin burning. He couldn't tell if it was from pain or anger, and he still had no idea how he'd lost.

"My strength is clearly greater than his. How is this possible?" Ye Qin got to his feet, questioning his whole existence. He took up his stance and said, "Again!"

Fang Can ignored him and continued to cup his fists. "Which other senior brother wants to challenge me? One-on-one or all at once, I'll take you on."

"I'm in!" A tall, lean man stepped forward. "Junior brother, you have some skill, but I don't use the Tiger Fiend Fist. You can't rely on familiarity to anticipate my moves."

"Then please give me some pointers, senior brother." As Fang Can spoke, he had already stepped back. A leg as thick as a log swung upward like a cleaver.

SWISH!

In an instant, the man's toe scraped across the ground, gouging a clear slash in the blue bricks.

If Fang Can hadn't dodged at exactly the right moment, the stretch from his groin to his dantian would have been sliced open.

"Leg techniques? I happen to know a little, too." Fang Can smiled and kicked. As his opponent drew his leg back, Fang Can suddenly kicked at his knee. The man's heart lurched, and he hurriedly raised his leg to defend.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Their legs collided, setting off a series of explosive cracks in the air. The spectators were astonished by the sheer skill of their legwork.

"Am I seeing things? They seem to be using the same leg technique."

"You're right. That's the Fierce Blade Leg Techniques from our sect. This newcomer not only outdid Ye Qin in fist techniques, he's just as good at leg techniques!"

The onlookers were amazed, but the senior brother fighting Fang Can was even more shocked.

In their pure contest of leg techniques, every one of Fang Can's kicks struck a weakness. The man's strength far exceeded his opponent's, yet he couldn't bring it to bear.

Their fierce exchange lasted only four or five seconds. Fang Can spotted an opening and stamped down hard.

With a dull thud, Fang Can pinned the man's knee joint underfoot, forcing the senior brother to drop to one knee. He couldn't get back up.

Fang Can stepped back twice and smiled, cupping his fists. "Senior brother, you let me win."

Knowing he had been outmatched, the man said nothing more and disappeared into the crowd.

This time, before Fang Can could say anything, someone stepped forward with a long sword in hand. "Junior brother, I only know swordsmanship. I wonder how good your sword skills are?"

"I know a little," Fang Can replied calmly.

In the next moment, Yang Lie, who had been watching from among the crowd, tossed him a sword. "Catch."

Fang Can caught the long sword and slowly drew it partway from its sheath. A sharp, cold gleam flashed into view.

"The sword is three feet, three inches, and three tenths of an inch long. It gleams coldly, and weighs six jin and four liang. Not bad—it's a decent sword," Fang Can assessed.

Without another word, two cold flashes of light appeared at once. Though the sun blazed overhead, the fellow disciples around them felt a chill.

There was a vast gulf between fighting barehanded and fighting with a weapon. Before reaching the Heaven Ascending Path, martial artists were still made of flesh and blood. Faced with sharp sword energy, they could only dodge.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The crowd saw the two men wielding their swords so swiftly that not even a drop of water could slip through. At least a dozen dense collisions rang out each second.

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

As sword energy flashed back and forth, the disciples standing one or two meters away found their clothes sliced open in several places. They had no choice but to retreat farther.

The battle lasted only a dozen or so seconds. Fang Can finally sheathed his sword and stepped back. "Senior brother, that was thirteen strikes."

Only then did the crowd realize that thirteen cuts from the sword tip had appeared in the clothes over their necks, hearts, wrists, and ankles.

Looking at Fang Can's Tiger Fiend Sect uniform, still as good as new, the man gave a bitter smile and cupped his sword in salute. "You let me win."

"Any other senior brothers want to give me some pointers?" Fang Can smiled and planted the long sword point-first in the ground beside him.

"I'll accept a challenge using any martial art or weapon."

"Whether one-on-one or all at once, I'll take you on."

"Because this is the moment when the gap between you and me is smallest."

"It's also your best chance of defeating me."

"Miss this opportunity, and from today onward, you'll only be able to look up at my back as you struggle to follow in my footsteps."