"Senior Sister Lan, it's been a while."
Fang Qianyuan stepped onto the platform and stood still, watching Lan Mei approach from the other side.
"Yes, Junior Brother Fang. I really never imagined we would face each other under these circumstances." Lan Mei gave a wry laugh, then said seriously, "Since we're here, let me see just how strong a genius like you really is."
"You flatter me. Still, we really should have a proper match," Fang Qianyuan said with feeling.
"What are they talking about? Is there some grudge between Senior Sister Lan and Fang Qianyuan?" Below the platform, someone asked, utterly bewildered.
"Have you forgotten? Senior Sister Lan was chosen as a teaching instructor this year, responsible for teaching the newly admitted disciples! I never imagined Junior Brother Fang would grow so quickly that he could actually stand on this selection tournament platform and compete with her on equal terms!"
"So that's it! This is truly unbelievable."
"Whether Junior Brother Fang wins or loses this match, he's already made history. He has every reason to be proud."
Below the platform, everyone in the small group discussing the matter was astonished.
Many other disciples, both old and new, were watching as well. Something like this was exceedingly rare in the Training Institute.
Genius disciples had appeared before, but even geniuses needed time to grow. Very few could reach Fang Qianyuan's level in the very year they were selected.
By then, preparations for the match had begun. As a Manifestation Dao cultivator, Lan Mei immediately formed the Hand Seal of Presence and summoned her spirit creatures' manifestations.
Just as Fang Qianyuan had seen before, one blue-eyed gray wolf and ten ordinary gray wolves appeared.
When he had first joined the sect, he had known little about wolf spirits' natures and noticed nothing unusual. Looking at them now, however, Fang Qianyuan realized that the wolf spirits Senior Sister Lan Mei raised were indeed more magnificent and robust than those of other disciples.
This is the work that goes into the finer details. Disciples from humble backgrounds rarely get the chance to obtain high-tier spirit creatures, so most pour their efforts into nurturing these instead. Although these are only middle- and low-grade spirit creatures, combined with secret methods and years of cultivation, they're not to be underestimated.
I've heard that some powerful Spirit Tamers can even develop a tacit understanding with these ordinary spirit creatures of limited intelligence, commanding them as naturally as an arm directs its fingers and putting them to tremendous use.
Although I already have a high-grade spirit creature, high-grade spirit creatures aren't all-powerful. My cultivation is slightly inferior, too. One careless moment, and I really could capsize in a gutter.
These thoughts passed through Fang Qianyuan's mind as he watched.
Clang!
Just then, a gong sounded, officially beginning the match.
Fang Qianyuan's gaze changed in an instant.
Although he had only recently begun cultivating, he had always been precocious. After facing danger in the Demon Cave and fighting enemies courageously, he was no longer an ignorant newcomer. Indeed, after securing the Gale Berserker Wolf, a high-grade spirit creature suited to him, he had begun trying to combine his innate gifts and characteristics into a suitable set of combat arts and methods for confronting opponents.
And he had truly begun to find his way.
Spirit Essence surged inside Fang Qianyuan. A tremendous force coursed through his limbs and every bone in his body, and fierce winds seemed to blow from all his acupoints.
From standing motionless to kicking hard against the platform and shooting forward like lightning, he took only the blink of an eye. Some of the slower-reacting Training Institute disciples did not even have time to see him clearly.
"Hm?" Lan Mei's expression also changed instantly.
Seeing Fang Qianyuan suddenly blur into an afterimage and vanish before her eyes, she knew trouble was coming. With a thought, she sent a gray wolf leaping up from behind her to pounce through the air.
Awooo!
A figure flashed past, and the gray wolf was kicked straight out of the way.
"He's behind her!"
"He's so fast!"
Many spectators were stunned, some even breaking into a cold sweat.
"That explosive power and speed..."
"There it is again-his chained Shadow Steps..."
Some people had already begun following Fang Qianyuan's results and had even made a point of questioning the disciples he defeated. To their surprise, they discovered that over ninety percent of his opponents had lost because, after he used successive Shadow Steps, neither their bodies nor their attention could keep up, leaving them open to a surprise attack from behind.
Everyone knew where the attack would come from, yet not one of them could counter it.
Against sheer speed, no defense held!
"Luckily, Senior Sister Lan always plans before acting. Even if she didn't anticipate this technique, she would still follow a Manifestation Dao summoner's usual practice and station guards behind her!"
"She can block this assault!"
Below the platform, Ma Wenhua, a fellow instructor, watched with his eyelids twitching. His prediction was perfectly accurate: thanks to her cautious habits and extensive combat experience, Lan Mei had indeed blocked the surprise attack.
Yet after kicking aside the obstructing gray wolf, Fang Qianyuan immediately blurred into an afterimage again and circled around from the side once more.
Lan Mei flipped onto the blue-eyed gray wolf's back and rode it off to the side.
At the same time, all her gray wolves moved together like a well-trained army of spirit creatures. Even amid the chaos, they maintained their formation, encircling her completely.
No matter which direction Fang Qianyuan attacked from, a gray wolf nearby would always close in.
They could not catch Fang Qianyuan, but by guarding their immediate surroundings and meeting a weary attacker at ease, they could still stop him.
Fang Qianyuan had no choice but to strike again, delivering a heavy Claw Strike to the gray wolf blocking his path.
Thud!
Amid the dull impact, the gray wolf let out a mournful howl, and its form collapsed.
Fortunately, Fang Qianyuan had held back at the crucial moment. It transformed into a streak of gray light and flew back into Lan Mei's body, returning to her Spirit Sea.
"What a powerful attack!"
"That claw gang attack is formidable, too. It actually dispersed one of Senior Sister Lan's gray wolves in an instant."
"He really is something."
The crowd exclaimed in admiration.
Fang Qianyuan's offensive did not stop. He exerted himself again, following up with an astonishing chain of three Shadow Steps.
He broke through the gray wolves' interceptions one after another and finally reached Lan Mei.
"Now!"
A sharp gleam flashed in Lan Mei's eyes. Rather than retreating, the blue-eyed gray wolf beneath her surged forward, leaping up to bite Fang Qianyuan's arm!
"Excellent! His successive Shadow Steps might seem flawless, but he's actually already starting to run out of steam!"
"Most people would fear his attacks and keep retreating, only giving him more opportunities. But Senior Sister Lan has extensive combat experience and acts decisively in battle. She's actually found an opening amid the danger."
"With a counterattack like this, his speed becomes a weakness instead!"
Similar thoughts flashed through everyone's minds, and the crowd erupted in cheers.
Fang Qianyuan inwardly praised her as well. Such a swift decision in the heat of the moment was absolutely beyond an ordinary disciple.
She truly deserved her place among the Training Institute's elite.
At that moment, the blue-eyed gray wolf was bolstered by Spirit Essence. Although it did not achieve the effects of Shadow Step, its speed still increased considerably.
Moreover, as they rushed toward one another, his own speed added to his opponent's, making the attack even more sudden.
Fang Qianyuan was practically charging straight into the blue-eyed gray wolf's jaws.
But in that lightning-quick instant, Fang Qianyuan forcibly halted his steps, swerved aside with an uncanny change of direction that ordinary people could scarcely imagine, then pressed his palm against Lan Mei's back, directly behind her heart.
"Senior Sister, you lost."