Defense and Counterattack Were Useless

Xu Yang had been watching the matches on the arena from a corner. Before the age of thirteen, he had always been the dazzling genius, the pride of his family. But ever since reaching the peak of hidden strength, for some reason, his cultivation had not advanced another inch.

He longed to become that dazzling genius again, but...

Xu Yang turned his gaze toward Zhang Yu beneath the shade of a tree, where Li Feifei was smiling sweetly as she kneaded his shoulders.

Dispelling his cultivation?

Would it really work?

Should he trust him?

The second round of matches across the three arenas soon came to an end.

In the third round, Zhang Yu drew number five, and it was soon his turn to take the stage.

When Zhang Yu stepped onto the arena, he found that his opponent had yet to appear.

"Anyone who draws the number five token must immediately come to the arena. Failure to arrive in time will count as forfeiture," an arena steward shouted.

"This disciple forfeits!" said a disciple from Star Court.

Zhang Yu blinked. After the steward announced his victory, he walked off the arena in boredom.

The prestige he had built in the first two matches had already made the later disciples voluntarily forfeit and surrender.

"Senior Brother Zhang Yu is mighty!" Li Feifei had barely shouted once when the female disciple who had taken the initiative to give Zhang Yu a sachet immediately joined in, her voice even louder than Li Feifei's. "Senior Brother Zhang Yu is the most handsome!"

"Senior Brother Zhang Yu is number one in the entire institute!"

"Senior Brother Zhang Yu can punch Yun Gui and kick Star Court..."

For a time, the air was filled entirely with the voices of female disciples.

They could not forget the sight of Zhang Yu casually tossing an Everlasting Flower Pill to Li Feifei.

Men would never understand women's longing and madness for beauty.

Soon, the fourth round of drawing lots began. This round would determine the top eight.

Zhang Yu drew number one. As he stepped onto the arena, the voices of the female disciples, which had only just quieted down, rose again.

"Go, Senior Brother Zhang Yu!"

Jiang Canglan looked at the number one token in his hand, took a deep breath, then resolutely stepped onto the arena.

He did not dare act like Ma Xuan and spout threats or mockery. Instead, with a solemn expression, he looked at Zhang Yu and cupped his fists. "Heavy Astral Institute, Jiang Canglan!"

Zhang Yu cupped his fists. "Bedrock Institute, Zhang Yu!"

The match began.

Jiang Canglan did not rush to attack. Instead, he assumed a defensive stance.

Zhang Yu's Following Wind had left too deep an impression on everyone. Jiang Canglan did not think he could break that move. As long as Zhang Yu used it, he would not be able to hit him at all.

Thus, there was only one way to defeat Zhang Yu: defend and counterattack.

Zhang Yu looked at Jiang Canglan, who wore a grave expression as he assumed a defensive stance, and rubbed his nose. Since you won't attack, then I will. The sun is blazing, and it's much cooler beneath the shade.

Zhang Yu wasted no more time. His figure flashed, and he was already before Jiang Canglan. He threw a Mountain-Crushing punch straight at his chest.

"So fast!" Jiang Canglan cried out.

He knew it was impossible to completely defend against Zhang Yu's punch. Its strength and speed both exceeded what he could react to and endure.

A resolute gleam flashed in Jiang Canglan's eyes. He did not try to fully defend against Zhang Yu's punch. At the last possible instant, he shifted his body three inches to the side, avoiding a direct hit to his chest and using his shoulder to receive Zhang Yu's fist.

At the same time, his palms struck toward Zhang Yu's chest like enormous waves carrying the force of a thousand jun.

The killing move of the Heavy Astral Palm, Giant Wave Strikes Shore!

"Good!" The elder from Heavy Astral Institute on the high platform had already understood Jiang Canglan's intentions and shouted in approval. "A contest is not won with brute force alone; wisdom is also needed. Jiang Canglan used this move well, trading injury for injury. He exchanged a shoulder wound for his opponent taking Giant Wave Strikes Shore head-on. This time, Zhang Yu will undoubtedly lose."

Several elders nodded in agreement after hearing this. They thought so as well.

Shi Cangyue glanced at Chang Wei. "Chang Wei, dare to make a bet? If my disciple Zhang Yu loses, I'll give you a Boundary-Breaking Pill. If Jiang Canglan from your Heavy Astral Institute loses, give me that bottle of your five-hundred-year stalactite essence. Do you dare?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Chang Wei said.

Among the disciples watching around the arena, some had sharp eyes and clever minds. They instantly understood Jiang Canglan's intentions and immediately shouted, "Senior Brother Jiang Canglan is going to win! This is where Zhang Yu's run ends!"

On the arena.

Zhang Yu remained calm and composed, without changing his move.

A trace of delight appeared on Jiang Canglan's face. It worked!

Bang!

Boom!

The two struck each other almost simultaneously.

Jiang Canglan's left shoulder bone shattered instantly. His body staggered as he flew backward. Just as he was about to fly off the arena, he forcibly stopped himself. His left shoulder hung limp, blood spilling from his mouth as he half-knelt at the edge of the arena.

As for Zhang Yu, he had taken Jiang Canglan's Giant Wave Strikes Shore squarely in the chest. Yet his body merely swayed once, and he did not retreat even half a step.

Most importantly, his chest had not suffered the slightest injury.

"This, this... how is this possible? That was the killing move of the Heavy Astral Palm, Giant Wave Strikes Shore! Why is Zhang Yu completely fine?" The first to explode was the disciple beneath the arena. Just moments ago, he had declared that Zhang Yu would surely lose, only to be slapped in the face the next instant.

Yet Jiang Canglan, standing on the arena, did not look particularly shocked, because the moment his palms hit Zhang Yu's chest, he knew he had been wrong.

It had been like striking an iron mountain. That feeling of utter powerlessness, of being unable to shake it in the slightest, shattered his martial heart.

"Can you tell me what that was?" Jiang Canglan asked, looking into Zhang Yu's eyes.

"The Bedrock Mountain-Forming Art and the Iron Shirt," Zhang Yu said.

"Thank you!" Jiang Canglan turned to the steward. "I concede!" Then he staggered off the arena.

Buzz...

Upon hearing Zhang Yu's words, all the disciples revealed astonished expressions.

"Bedrock Mountain-Forming Art, Iron Shirt, Clearwind Art... how many martial arts has he cultivated? And every one of them has reached at least the perfected realm, otherwise they could not display such power."

"Is he even human?"

"Could this be what a true genius is?"

On the high platform, Chang Wei's face was dark, while Shi Cangyue smiled as he held a bottle of five-hundred-year stalactite essence. "Thank you for your generosity, Elder Chang."

"Did you know all along that Zhang Yu had cultivated the Iron Shirt and even reached the perfected realm? No, not merely the perfected realm. Just now, it seemed as though a black gleam flickered. He has even comprehended the embryonic martial true intent of the Iron Shirt." Chang Wei glared at Shi Cangyue and roared.

"You guessed right. He is my disciple, so naturally I knew. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being too stupid. Hahaha..." Shi Cangyue had always been this arrogant.

"You..."

"What? Chang Wei, want to have a spar? My hands have been itching for one." Shi Cangyue stared at Chang Wei provocatively.

Chang Wei knew he was no match for him and could only swallow his anger in the end.

"Senior Brother Zhang Yu is mighty!"

"Senior Brother Zhang Yu is number one in the entire institute!"

The female disciples began to boil with excitement, their voices drowning out even Li Feifei's.

"A bunch of little sluts!" she cursed inwardly.

Su Wan beside her heard it. "You have the nerve to call others that? You're the most shameless one of all."

Li Feifei directly turned the back of her head toward Su Wan and went to greet Zhang Yu as he descended from the arena. "Senior Brother, are you hurt? Are you tired? Are you thirsty?"

Behind her, Su Wan gritted her teeth in fury, wishing she could bite Li Feifei. "Truly shameless!"