"Boom!"
An unparalleled aura erupted from Zhou Fan in an instant, like an ancient beast awakening.
"Army Breaker!"
The Star Shatter Halberd surged like a dragon bursting from the sea, its searing aura instantly forcing Ye Chen back. His feet left several deep prints in the ground.
He steadied himself and glanced at the notch chipped into his sword, but his grin only widened.
"That's it. Now this is a real fight!"
With a flick of his wrist, the notch in his sword healed on its own, restoring the blade.
"Come on!"
The two clashed again, becoming a pair of afterimages that collided repeatedly across the training grounds.
Metal rang against metal as densely as falling rain, every impact spraying tiny sparks.
This time, the two switched their rhythms.
Zhou Fan attacked with broad, sweeping movements, his long halberd whistling through the air. Ye Chen constantly shifted position with nimble footwork, his sword alternating between straight thrusts and diagonal slashes from tricky angles.
What looked like ordinary clashes of weapons were actually contests of strength every time.
The sword in Ye Chen's hand seemed light, yet every attack carried immense weight and formidable power.
Anyone else might have had their weapon knocked off course by Ye Chen's sword and quickly lost.
Zhou Fan now had Sage Mode and Peerless State active. His seemingly ordinary attacks each contained enough power to instantly kill a fourth-tier esper.
Yet once they truly fought, neither could gain the upper hand.
"Metal Manipulation!"
Ye Chen made a grabbing motion through the air, trying to seize Zhou Fan's Star Shatter Halberd.
But the Star Shatter Halberd had barely shifted under his pull before Zhou Fan gripped it firmly, holding it motionless.
Ye Chen's Metal Manipulation could even control his enemies' weapons.
If his opponent was weaker,